Sighing out the breath she'd been holding, Cairo looked around her nervously. She had been so afraid that someone would find her, that they'd ruin her paradise, she had grown use to looking over her shoulder constantly, searching around her to make sure she was truly alone.

She stepped out into the cool water. It was refreshing, and she savoured the sensation of the shifting sand below her feet. The lake stretched endlessly before, glittering in the soft light of the dusk. She walked slowly along the shore, listening to the gentle trickle of the water as she moved, soaking in the peacefulness. And then it was shattered. Her paranoia had been correct. There was someone there.

"Cairo!" a voice beckoned to her. Startled, she spun around. Surprised at the sight of the welcome intruder, she stepped out of the water and walked towards them.

"Carrie, you are one hard woman to find," he said as they hugged.

"That was the point. What's up Brian? I haven't heard from you since…well, since England. Why now?" she asked, her recent seclusion causing her to cut right to the point as she led him up the length of wooden steps to her cottage.

"I…We need your help," he said, relieved that the need to disguise his intentions was no longer there.

"And what can I help you with?" she asked, averting his gaze.

"You know." She sighed heavily. She had fought so hard to forget, to be strong and Brian was bringing it all back.

"We are all worried about him, Carrie. He won't talk to any of us and say that he wants out. All he does is hide out in that house, with her. We're losing him and we don't even know why," he pleaded.

"And you think that I can help? You saw it. He isn't who he used to be. My suggestion is to let him out while you can," she offered, and tried not to see the look of disappointment on his face.

* * * *

Dusk had passed quietly into night. All around her night sounds were echoing in the vast silence. The emptiness of true isolation was encircling her, with the quiet noises and the gentle lapping of the water.

Leaning against the railing of the porch, she gazed down on the glass-like lake. Brian had left minutes ago, leaving her with so many thoughts that she had buried for so long. One quick visit resurfaced every single one of them. Despite the front she had presented to Brian of absolute certainty, she was questioning her decision. Driven by a force she couldn't identify, she found herself climbing the wooden staircase to her bedroom.

Once there, she reached automatically into the night table drawer, and withdrew the worn volume. The diary, filled with parchment pages and blotches of ink, was the only answer she could find. Settling herself down against a pillow, Cairo opened it up and began the search.