Everything was peaceful on my way back to my room. The air didn’t feel suffocating anymore, and I wasn’t feeling sleepy. I was still wearing my dress and heels from the meal and they were beginning to feel very uncomfortable. I just imagined myself in my normal attire; hair tied up in a ponytail, baggy gray sweatpants, black and white tennis shoes, and a dark gray hoodie. Everything still felt really comfortable on me. It’s not that I liked the way these clothes looked on me, they just felt really soft, even in the real world. Even if they were hand-picked by him… But I really didn’t have much of a choice because these were really the only clothes I was ever allowed to wear. I mean… I was around him all the time and if I even mentioned that I wanted to wear something else, or that I didn’t like these clothes… He.. He…

           I couldn’t even finish the thought before I started choking back my tears. I hated him so much there was nothing that could compare. Maybe I shouldn’t try to escape from this wonderland. I mean, it’s not like I was dead or anything, and I can live much better here than I do in the real world. God knows what crap I’m going to go through when I get back. Maybe I should calm myself down. I stop walking and open a window in the hall. The moon looks so peaceful, just gleaming up there in the sky, without a care in the world. I still wonder why everything here looks so much like the real world. After all, if this is all in my mind, shouldn’t things that aren’t able to exist in the real world be able to exist here?

         Maybe I shouldn’t question it. I should just let things flow and take their pace, I mean what I should really be doing during my time here is to enjoy my time away from him. This may be the only time in my life where I’ve ever been allowed to be by myself. No one watching me, no one stalking me, no restraining time limits, I’m really free. But it is sort of sad that I’m only free in my own mind. What I really want is to be able to live free back in the real world, Just as any normal girl my age would. Going to school, making friends, having fun. I did have fun with everyone though… Even him sometimes… I could try to be on better terms with him. When I get back...

          ...When I get back.. Maybe I should really try to go back, and not just go with the flow. There’s still a lot I don’t know, much I want to learn and experience, maybe if all goes well, I could even escape from him… My only goal in this world should be to stay awake, and make my way back to reality. William said that his purpose was to test my will to live. How would I prove something like that? I mean, if I do prove it, that should mean I get to go back right… I do really want to go back to that world.. Right? I want to face him…. Right?

           Wait.

           Maybe that’s it.

           He’s the reason I’m still stuck here. It’s because I can’t decide if I want to wake up and see him again, or if I want to continue living my joyous life in my comatose condition. Yes, that should be it. I have to make up my mind right away… Should I talk to William about this? I don’t think that maid will help much, and he does seem like someone who would give me a proper answer. No, I should decide this on my own. After all, it is my own will to live, no one else can make this decision for me. I need to make up my decision for what I want to happen next.

          “I see you’re putting a lot of thought into this, Clara. Oh, and nice change of clothes by the way.” He gave a sly smile.

          “What… Who’s there?!” it sounded like William, but I can’t be sure…

          “Now now, don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten my voice? That’s sad to hear.” I could feel the disappointment in his voice, but I couldn’t tell if he was really sincere or not.

          “N-no, I just wanted to confirm that it was you…” I tried to sound confident, but I don’t think it worked like I wanted it to.

          “Do you think you’ve figured some of it out by now, of your situation? Have you calmed down from earlier?” He kept asking me questions head on and I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t even know how to answer him.

          “I-I think so…” I could only stammer out my responses at this point. What did he expect from me now? He appeared so suddenly, there was no way for me to be ready…

          “That’s not a very good answer, Clara. Maybe you should be more clear with your feelings, no? After all, I am apart of your brain. How much do you really think you can keep from me, especially when I know more about you, than you know about yourself.” A smirk emerged from his face. Did he know what I was thinking about? Has he known all this time? How much of all of this does he know…? He can’t possibly know everything that I was just thinking about right? What about when I was on the balcony? Even then too? Or was it even further back…? Just how much longer does he have to trick me.

          “Ah… ha.. ha… What are you talking about William?” I tried to sound as oblivious to the situation as I could, but what if he knew about that too… Every thought that passed through my mind… Could he know about them all? I mean, it would make more sense if he knew, after all he was just another part of my brain.

         “Didn’t you figure out what you had to do to get out of here? Or was that all a bluff. How long do you really intend to stay hidden away in this world, Clara?” I froze.  .   .

He got me.

He got me.

HE GOT ME. . .

          How did he know. I was so scared of going back. He knew. I didn’t even know what to say anymore. I couldn’t respond to him. What was I supposed to say now? What did he want to hear from me? Can’t he read all of my thoughts?

          “Yes I can.” I looked up at his face to see the most discomforting look I’d ever seen. I felt genuinely scared. He looked like a murderer enjoying his second kill of the day. The coldness in his eyes... Was this still William? Could I feel pain in this world…? What was he going to do to me… At this point there wasn’t even any point in hiding my thoughts anymore, because William knew about it all anyways.

          “Well I guess that clears my questions up.” I tried to forget the face he just made.

          “Your welcome.” A sarcastic line.

          “You answer things way too quickly… It’s a bit weird.”

          “I know, I do it on purpose, Clara.”

          “How long have you been my personal mind reader?” I wanted to get it out of him as soon as possible.

          “Wow getting straight to the point I see.” He chuckled a bit, acting like this was all a joke.

          “Please just answer me, William.”

          “Well I’ve always been able to know your thoughts. I am part of your brain you know. So even your pointless thoughts in here, I know exactly what you’ve been thinking, no matter where you’ve been, whether I want the information or not, but I guess it is strange for me to have free will when I am your brain. Don’t try to read too hard into it, looking further won’t get you anywhere.”

          He's known everything... It was so shocking to me that I lost feeling in my legs and I dropped down to the floor. I couldn't move anything. At first, I thought it was the shock of the information I had just received. That's when William, for the first time, freaked out.