The finger pointed at the door.

“It’s Lindsey, goddamnit!

L-I-N-D-S-E-Y”

Another finger at the door.

“Oh god.”

August sighed and sank back in his chair.

Neck muscles shifted,

“And how did Credence end up being an assistant in the Grange,

An elite government scientific institute?”

“He likes it here,”

Mouth brown from just having sipped coffee

“Besides, we’ve known him for a long time.

His dad too”

August turned around to face the lab-coat clothed Versas Totten.

“That’s it?

No merit in science?”

“He only helps out.”

Versas waved his cup of coffee around,

“It doesn’t matter whether he’s smart or not.”

A sigh from August and the room fell silent.

Versas blew at his drink

“What do you even want to ask him?

I’ll ask him for you.”

“Well, you know how your daughter died?”

Eyes widening,

“W-what?”

“She… died.

It’s all over the news.”

“S-she got rescued from the forest, no?”

“Yes she did, but after that she was murdered. That’s what we are we are investigating.”

August felt the coffee spill onto his ankles and he pulled away from the hot liquid.

Versas, however, stayed there.

His coffee was splattered over his off-white lab coat.

Fumbling fingers,

Reaching for glasses.

Another drop, this time his spectacles.

“Are you…

Alright?”

The once silent Dolores offered.

White.

The blankness of white slowly started creeping up his already greying hair.

He fell on his knees and mumbled something to himself.

“It’s not happening again

It can’t be happening again.

I don’t want it to happen again.”

He clutched his knees and scrambled into a corner of the floor.

Spilled coffee was everywhere,

On his pants,

On his coat,

Smudging his lenses.

“It’s not happening again”

Came out of his mouth yet again.

Chanting,

Trembling.

That was what the news of his daughter's death did to him.

“Again?”

August’ voice cut through the trauma

A step forward.

“What do you mean again?”

But he was already in his own world.

Mumbling, spasming, Versas has long detached from the current world.

His bloodshot eyes scanned the place.

“Doughnut.”

A whisper.

His hand reached out, grasping nothing.

Upon touching the air, his state of panic heightened.

“Doughnut!”

(Steadily picking up).

Groping,

Finding,

Searching.

For something.

August and Dolores watched on,

Worry crossing their faces.

“We should probably take him outside.”

(August).

“No,

I’m going to take her outside,”

A glance at her.

“You stay here and look after Credence.”

A nod.

The door opened and Dolores half dragged, half supported Versas out.

“Great.”

A turn of head at Credence,

“Now it’s just the two of us.”

Cowering,

Legs huddled together.

Credence.

“Credence,”

August coaxed.

“What happened?”

(I care).

He revealed his face and pulled back his long hair.

Tears hung (mezzanine) from his eyes.

Words formed but August couldn’t hear anything.

“What?”

His ear was presented in front of Credence.

“Doughnut”

Faintly resonated within the confines of his mouth.

“Who even is Doughnut?”

“No pretty.”

Inspecting his fingernails.

Something like wildfire spread across August’ mind, and he winced.

A knock on his head and,

“Lindsey?”

“Pretty.”

A finger to the door.

Repetition:

“Pretty.” (Playing with his hair)

“Who is Doughnut to you?”

“Sorry.”

Credence shook his head.

Another buzz inside his head.

(Fire).

“Who is Doughnut to you?”

“Sorry.

I no like water.”

(Blazing bright).

Puzzlement.

Another try:

“Who is Doughnut to Lindsey?

(Inferno).

August clutched his head and burst out in agony.

(Eyes widened.)

Flames like arms,

Dragging him,

Pulling him away from consciousness.

His arms flailed but it was all in vain.

Stumbling to the floor, he vaguely sees Credence’s frightened look.

Then darkness.

.

Water.

He’s surrounded by water.

Ton’s of it.

As if he’s drowning.

He hears the burning of fire but it seems far away now.

Distant.

An opened eye and water rushes in.

He quickly swam up to air.

Up and up and up.

Nothingness.

Yet, he breathes.

His eyes feel like they are falling out but they still feel comfortable where they are.

The lapping of waves beat in tandem with the far-off cracking of fire.

(Where am I?)

No answer.

(What is this?)

He splashed around but no sound came out.

(Am I robbed of sound?)

The same, cold, eeriness.

Then, a flicker.

In the massive ocean that houses him, a flicker of flame. (Nonsense)

It was so ridiculous he laughed,

Laughed as if he had all the time in the world.

Time.

He whirled around.

He still had to investigate.

He had to leave this place.

Trying to swim in the mass of water,

And the flames suddenly engulfed him.

Hot but it did not hurt.

It burned but he did not scream.

He felt nothing.

Instead of flames, he felt coldness.

A grip on the handle and he confirmed it was metal.

Pulling himself up,

A bang on the head.

He fell down.

Crawling to his feet, he felt for a bump on his head.

Long, messy hair awaited him.

He felt around his head, and long hair responded on every touch.

He was small.

Smaller than he ever could have been.

(Just how did I fit in this cage?)

Cage?

He saw the bars and it confirmed his suspicion.

Carefully now, he inched upwards, and a breeze blew downwards.

Then, suddenly, he wasn’t a he anymore.

The long hair, not having it,

Just what is he?

A pair of legs.

Bare and pure and as white as the world allowed.

“Hey there, Doughnut.”

He could hear her smile.

Then,

(Where did I hear this before?).

“I brought something for you today!

Guess what it is?”

[unable to answer]

(The same voice as her!

Yes,

her!)

He scrambled to look at her, to find out more of this curious place,

But the cage was too small.

In fact, it’s shrinking.

Smaller and smaller and smaller.

Water started pouring in, but he grabbed onto the bars of the cage (I don’t wanna go)

More water.

(Fire)

(Not yet)

(Blazing oh so bright)

(Not now)

(Inferno)

(Now now,

Of all times!)

He lost his grip and water engulfed him.

Fire swallowed water.

The cage grew smaller.

(Nonsense)

(Nothing makes sense, does it?)

And darkness.