Nest: Letter Eleven

Flynn,

I have to be honest with you, when I received your letter, I didn’t read it straight away. I couldn’t even open it for a few days, prior to realising it was from you. I simply stared at it for hours on end, in anticipation for the right moment; it couldn’t come quick enough. The contents and overall appearance of your envelope felt so familiar, yet so far from what I was expecting. That small crumpled piece of paper addressed to me, assaulted with a yellowish tinge, was signed with your name of all peoples, in that hideous handwriting of yours that used to drive me up the wall. The truth is, I didn’t think you’d be able to find me. I didn’t think they’d be able to find me either. So of course your correspondence, as well as theirs, came unexpected.

In fact, the authorities informed me about the severity of your condition long before you did. I wanted to warn you that they’d come looking for you eventually, believe me I did, but I was strictly warned that if even I attempted to correspond with you, I would only be putting myself, as well as those around me, in danger. But considering your distress, so strong within those words, I have decided to go behind their back and inform you of what I know.

I can only state a limited amount of information regarding their interest in you in case they happen to find this letter, so please make sure you read what I am about to say with great discretion. At the moment, all I can say is that they are very much aware of the potential dangers that you, or any other infected individual, may inflict upon others. I strongly recommend that you disclose your location to them soon, before they resort to more extreme precautions. I must reinforce that they do not wish to harm you, they simply need to gain a further understanding of the nature of your current condition before it proceeds to spread any further.

I know you’re scared, Flynn, I really do and despite the all of the pain that you’ve caused in the past, I mean it when I say that I deeply empathise with you. I can’t imagine how it must feel, lying awake every night, restless, watching it spread whilst that persistent rhythmical tapping taunts your mind. But unfortunately, at this point, there’s nothing I can do. I regret to inform you that, although I truly hope that your safety is ensured, there’s no way that I’ll be able to come back to stop this.

As I write to you, I’m travelling away from Cornwall. In fact, I’m approaching the boarders now, and soon I will be leaving England far behind. At this stage, I’m unsure where this journey will take me. Perhaps, by the time you read this, I will no longer be in the UK, nor will I have any intentions of coming back within the foreseeable future. Like the rest of those residing in Penzance, I was instructed by government officials to vacate the area and proceed to travel as far away as possible from anywhere that has been cautioned off as a hazardous zone.

Regarding what happened with Florence, you couldn’t have controlled what you did to her. I’m sure that you are very mindful of that, but please keep in mind that your actions that day do not reflect your true nature. That wasn’t you, Flynn. That wasn’t the person I know. It was whatever is spreading within you, and I must stress that the only chance you have of stopping it is to speak to them. It will be difficult, that part is inevitable, but the longer you confine yourself to this persistent state of solitude, the more those patches of grey will consume you, leaving you at a much greater risk.

Please Flynn, let them know where you are, for me. It’s their job to separate you from those who aren’t already infected. It’s their job to keep you safe.

By now, I have reason to believe that whatever is taking control over yo, will spread much further than Cornwall. If you speak to them now, perhaps it will help to find answers. I want you to be safe, Flynn. Trust me on this.

For now, I wish that you sleep well tonight.

Olya

by Amber Martin

About Nest

Nest is our epistolary project, written collaboratively by students and staff and published every fortnight right here on Falwriting. You can find out more about Nest here, and read Letter Ten here.

If you just arrived to this series or want to reread the letters, you can find Letter Nine, Letter Eight, Letter Seven, Letter Six, Letter Five, Letter Four, Letter Three, Letter Two and Letter One here.