Rain tapped lightly against the window. The sky was grey. Rows of big abandoned buildings streched into the distance.
Broken windows....cracked walls....
No movement...no people on the street...
The room was quiet...
The boy's breath was uneven and quick. His chest was rising and falling too fast. His eyes, wide and unsteady, were locked on his arm through the mirror.
There was nothing there. His fingers pressed against his skin, harder this time. And still nothing.
His voice came out broken.
"No..."
His reality was crashing down. His chest felt tight.
He knew it happened. He felt it....the claws..the pain...the blood...he was sure he remembered it.
He looked at his arm.
When he first woke up...on the road.. he had no memory...not his name..not where he was the day before that ...nothing at all. Just emptiness.
So how could he trust this? How could he believe any of it? What if the memory...that creature...what if it was wrong? What if he made it up? What if his mind was just filling in gaps? His thoughts wouldn't slow down.
His fingers trembled against his skin.
"No..."
His voice was weaker this time.
He was unsure of what was real anymore.
A new thought pushed it's way in.
What if he was crazy?...what if none of this was real?...not the creature...not the blood...not even this place. That would explain it...wouldn't it?
"This isn't real..."
"It is...unfortunately."
The voice came from the doorway. He flinched and turned sharply.
A girl stood there, leaning on the door frame.
Blonde. Around his age. Braces catching the light as she looked at him.
He was so deep in thoughts that he didn't even hear the door opening.
For a second, he just stared at her. Trying to process her.....trying to place her.
She looked at him. She pushed off the door frame..now looking genuinely concerned.
"Are you okay?"
He didn't answer. His breathing was still uneven, chest rising and falling too fast. His eyes flicked back to the mirror...then to his arm...and back to her.
She watched him for a moment and stepped inside.
"You don't look okay."
Before he could react, she reached over, cupped water from the sink ...and splashed it onto his face.
It snapped through the haze in his head. He blinked, startled.
"Hey.." Her hand came to his back, patting it lightly. "Calm down...breathe."
His breath was slowing down and he felt relaxed a little.
She watched him for a second longer, then smiled slightly.
"You'll get used to this place."
He gave her a small nod. Even though his mind wasn't there.
She pulled her hand back and watched him. Then she smiled.
"I'm Anne."
He heard that name before....since he woke up. But he wasn't sure anymore. Not about that. Not about anything.
Anne tilted her head....studying him.
"You're kinda cute." She was speaking so casually.
"Glad they brought you here....would be a waste if a cute guy like you was still out there."
He didn't say anything.
"What's your name?"
He didn't answer. Just looked at her silently.
Anne didn't seem bothered. She smiled again and stepped closer. She reached up and lightly patted his cheek.
"You'll talk eventually."
Then she turned and walked out. The door creaked slightly as it closed behind her.
He stood there..water dripping faintly from his face.
His breathing slowly steadied....the tight feeling in his chest eased...little by little. He looked at his arm again. Then his eyes shifted to the bandages lying by the sink. The one he had taken off.
He hesitated for a moment. Then reached for it and picked it up. Then he started wrapping it around his arm...where his injuries were supposed to be...it almost looked the same as before now...then he left the bathroom.
.....
He lay on his bed.
Eli was asleep on the top bunk. The boy could hear the faint sound of his breathing, steady and undisturbed.
The boy was hugging his pillow tightly against his chest....staring into nothing...not really seeing the room. Just stuck in his own head.
It was darker now...late.
The shadows in the room streched longer and everything felt muted.
His eyes slowly shifted towards the window....closed.. the glass faintly reflecting parts of the room.
Beyond it could be seen buildings...rows of them.
He stared at them for a while...trying to recognize something. He didn't know where he was.
The door burst open with a loud bang.
Eli jolted awake. He groaned.
"What the....seriously?"
The boy sat up slightly, looking towards the door.
Anne stood there, leaning casually against the frame. Like she hadn't just slammed it open. A smile playing on her lips.
"Dinner time...come on."
Eli exhaled in annoyance, dragging a hand through his hair as he swung his legs over the side.
"Do you always have to do that?"he muttered.
"Gets your attention, doesn't it?"
Her eyes shifted briefly to the boy.
"Don't keep us waiting."
She smiles at the boy and leaves.
Eli got off and turned towards the door, ready to leave.
Then paused.
He looked back at the boy and smiled.
"Oh right...I forgot you were here."
He walked to him and stopped in front of his bed.
"Get up."
The boy didn't move. He just stared at him.
Eli frowned a little.
"You should eat."
The boy looked away.
"I'm not really hungry."
Eli blinked once and let out a small breath through his nose.
"You're really difficult, you know that?"
Before the boy could react, Eli reached down and pulled the pillow out of his arms.
Eli stepped back slightly, holding it for a second before tossing it aside.
"Just get up and come eat."
The boy stayed still for a moment. Then slowly, he pushed himself off the bed.
Eli watched him then gave a small nod and smiled.
"Good...follow me."
They stepped out into the hallway.
The walls streched longer on both sides, the light flickering faintly overhead. It almost felt like a tunnel.
Their footsteps echoed faintly as they walked. The boy followed behind Eli, his eyes slowly moving around. He was taking everything in. Doors lined the walls ....some doors closed...some door slightly open...some were broken.
They reached the stairs which were worn out.
Eli started going down and the boy followed. His hand brushing against the railing as he descended.
As they reached the lower level, the space opened up and it looked wider and less confined.
It was big...really big...like an old hotel.
The walls were worn, paint peeling in places. The lighting was uneven, some areas bright some areas dim.
They stepped into a room. A round table sat in the center.
Anne was already there, leaning back slightly in her chair, like she owned the place. Five others were sitting around her.
All of them looked up as the door opened and the boy and Eli got in.
Silence....
Two more empty chairs sat at the table.
Eli looked at the boy.
"Come on." He said under his breath.
The boy didn't resist. He just followed.
Eli pushed one of the chairs out with his foot for the boy to sit. And then dropped into seat beside him, stretching slightly like nothing was out of place.
The table was full. A lot of food laid out in the center with plates in front of every seat.
.....
A dark room.
A single bulb was hanging from the ceiling. It was dim. It flickered.
On...
Off...
On..
Off...
On again.
Each pulse of light shifting the shadows along the walls.
Smoke drifted through the air. .....slow....heavy...
At the center of the room...a man was sitting in an armchair....relaxed....legs crossed....too relaxed.
His face was scarred, the marks uneven and rough, catching the light everytime it flickered. A cigarette burned between his fingers. The faint glow briefly lighted the lower half of his face as he brought it to his lips.
Beside him stood two others. One of them is the man who brought the boy from the apartment.
The room was quiet.
Then....
The man in the chair spoke. His voice low...raspy...like it dragged through his throat.
"You're not going anywhere."
The words settled into the room. The cigarette lowered slightly in his hand.
The light kept flickering.
On....off....on....off...
Tied hands behind a chair....rope digging into the skin.
On....off..
Arms...bruised..
A drop of blood from somewhere, landing against the floor with a soft, almost inaudible sound.
Off...and on.
A face...partially hidden in the shadow...head tilted slightly forward...curly hair sticking to forehead as blood traced down from temple...
....Willow
"We'll see about that."