Chapter two

Stretching across the uncomfortable floor, I yawned, my hands stretching across the wooden floor. The smell of the damp, dusty, old environment of where I was filled my nose. I can hear the honks of the cars with angry drivers, the yells and curses that follow them, the train somewhere nearby, I can smell the polluted air, the musk of the blanket I have wrapped around me, I can feel the hard uncomfortable floor against my body and the sunshine peeking through the curtains nearby, jabbing at my eyes in order to disturb me and wake me up from a pleasant and uninterrupted sleep; to anyone else, it sucks, they would hate it, but me, I love it. How I've missed it. A smile spreads across my face, my eyes are still closed and I rest my arms behind my neck… pure relaxation, I might never leave.

Nearby, I hear the floor creak. I jump up, adrenaline pulsating through my bones. I see the faint outline of someone across the room, even though there is some sunlight coming through the curtains, it’s incredibly dark and I can’t see who it is. No matter who they are, my powers kick in before I have a chance to think, and they fly backwards into the wall. I hear a cry then slow groaning. Instantly my body is across the room standing above them. I'm looking down at the mystery person and I concentrate on moving them up, against the wall. I imagine my hand around their neck as they are at eye level, their legs dangling in the air, I can hear the gasps for air. I smile and the grip I have gets stronger.

“Who are you?”

“Della, Della Madison. Please stop, I can’t breathe.” Every word is a struggle and they pause between every word. I force the curtains open enough to reveal light on their face, but not enough to let a bystander see inside. I see the face of a terrified woman. I allow my powers to drop her to the floor and let her breathe. She starts in a coughing fit grasping at her throat, then deep ragged breaths, trying to get as much oxygen as she can.

“Care to explain?” I feel my heartbeat slow down, my adrenaline is starting to disappear, and I'm slowly calming down. My mind is starting to balance, my powers subsiding.

“I was trying to help you. I wasn't trying to scare you. I saw you when you entered the shop and I came in after you fell asleep. When I realized you were asleep, I bought you some food and clothes, and I've been waiting for you to wake since. I was getting ready to introduce myself when you made your… powers throw me into the wall.” She paused, and looked down, with her chest still moving fast. “You were choking me without actually touching me… When they said you were powerful they meant it.” She was surprised, and maybe a little impressed? My guard still was up but I no longer thought of her as a threat. “Look, I'm not here to turn you in. Trust me. Everyone is out searching for you. I figure right now you need some help.” She looked up at me, and part of me believed she was telling the truth, but I still didn't trust her.

“How do you expect to help me?” I was suspicious; people don't just want to help anyone, especially someone who has turned its back on the world when it needs them most.

“Well, you could stay at my house…” she looked down, aware of how it sounded. “You need help; you expect to stay here in a public place, with no food, no clothes, no water, no electricity, and no money?” She twiddled her thumbs waiting. I said nothing, and for a while, there was silence in the room. Then outside we heard the noise of a police siren and a bunch of people moving around.

I hear my name being repeated, things being broken, and the shouts of people as things are thrown around. “They’re searching for you, dead or alive. You're a monster to them. You're hated by everyone who needs you. By the sounds of it, they're getting closer, so you should probably make a decision soon.” I said nothing, and I didn't even look at her. Instead I was focusing on listening to what was outside the shop. “Well good luck, this world is a lot different then when you last were apart of it.” She got up and headed to the door. She put her hand on the handle and turned it.

“Wait.” The word escaped my mouth before I had a chance to decide if I wanted to go or not. She stopped, let go of the handle and turned around to look at me. “You sure your house is safe?”

“Yes, trust me; my house is safe for many, many reasons.” I could tell there was a smile as she said this, but I couldn't see it.

“Reasons being?” I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

“You’ll see when you get there. Now are you going to come with me or not?” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. I feel like I'm a child again being asked if I want to go to the store with my mother.

“Yeah.”

“Well you aren’t going in those clothes, like I said before I bought you some clothes when you were asleep.” She picked up a book bag out of the corner of the room and tossed it at me. “Clothes are in the back of it.” I unzipped the back part and pulled out the clothes. It was a sweatshirt a black tank top, jeans, a pair of tennis-shoes with socks and briefs. “Briefs?” I laughed and shook my head. I moved into a closet and closed the door and changed in there.

“I'm sorry, Ill be sure to wake you next time to ask you what underwear you want” she laughed. “Why are you changing in there? It’s so dark in here, I can barely see you. I only see an outline of you. Trust me; I won’t see anything if you changed where you were and I’m not even looking at you in that way anyways.” She laughed nervously and I can hear her moving around near the door impatiently. After I finished changing, I stepped out and smiled. I rubbed the sleeves of the sweatshirt and smiled at the feel of something other than a hospital gown. I walked over to her, and although it hurt to walk, the shoes had cushion on them that took some of the pain away. “You need to put on your hood.” She opened the door when I did and then we were on our way.

 

Her neighborhood was ultimate suburban. They were all big houses, not step ford wives houses big, but a slightly smaller version of it; definitely big enough for a family, too big for just a wife and husband. We get out of her navy blue minivan and I gawk at her house.

We walk in and instantly I hear a crunch. I look down and I had stepped on some robot toy. She sighed and shook her head as she picked it up. After the landing is the bottom of the stairs. The stairs seemed to separate the rooms. At the middle of the stairs was a huge landing, like a small room with a giant window and then going the opposite way from the window is the other half of the stairs, leading to the second floor. I look around and notice that the kitchen combined with the living room and dining room is bigger than my old apartment, and I had thought my apartment was fair sized. I look around and see that the floor is marble tiled, and gleams “You clean a lot don't you?”

“I try to… but it’ll end up dirty before the end of the day” there's a tone of irritation on her voice and I look at her. She's going through the fridge and trying to organize it a little more to add the food she had bought today which were in the book bag. She closed the fridge door and disappears into the L-shaped kitchen. I try to peak around the corner but I can’t see her. But on the fridge I see pictures of a two small stick figures with a taller one. I see a bunch of other stick figure pictures. I walk over to the kitchen and I see the door to the garage open. I see her dumping clothes into the washer machine.

“No wonder you're so patient and kind. How long have you been a teacher?” I asked leaning against the doorframe.

“Wait, what? I'm not a teacher.” She paused putting in clothes into the washer to laugh.

“Then why do you have…” the front door creaked and then I heard it open. I tensed up and adrenaline surged through me.

“They’re home.” She smiled and dumped the rest of the clothes and walked past me to the front door. “Hey honey, where’s your sister?” I raised an eyebrow in the direction and headed out the kitchen. She was squatting in front of a child.

“She walks too slow.” He moved a little, probably out of nervousness.

“So you left your sister alone to walk home from the bus stop?” I can hear the anger and worry in her voice.

“Well yes…”

“Brayer Finsley…” the door opened and she paused. A little girl walked in and glared at Brayer. The little girl looked just as angry as Della. “Brayer go to your room” Della pointed up the stairs. He was about to march upstairs until he saw me.

“No way!” the kid smiled and ran over to give me a hug. He only came up a little above my waist. “You're so awesome. You're a superhero!” He smiled and looked up at me and I faked a smile. I wasn't a fan of kids. And now I get to live with two of them. Great. “Is he staying mom?”

“Yeah Mr. Christopher is going to be living with us for a while”, she said and smiled at me.

“This is going to be so awesome!” the kid looked like he was about to explode. I just wish he would do it a little faster, I don't know how much more of this I can take.

Sensing how I felt, Della clapped her hands. “Mr. Christopher is tired, so why don't you guys go upstairs and do your homework?” The boy groaned, and sulked all the way upstairs. I looked around, surprised I didn't get ambushed by the other one. She leaned against the wall watching me, quiet, didn't seem as impressed as the boy was. I pretended to smile to see how she would react; instead she stared back and then quickly went up the stairs.

“They yours?” I asked, even though I'm sure that yes was the answer.

“Yeah.” She walked over to the kitchen and started to go through the cabinets. I followed behind her wanting to know more. I guess I'm just nosy.

“Where’s the father?” I asked, unsure if the father was going to walk in.

She stopped going through the cabinets and blew out some air. “He's out of the picture.”

“What happened to him?” I asked.

“Died.” Her answers were short and I could get the vibe she didn't want to continue this subject.

“Is it time for dinner already? It’s got to be noon.”

“Its 4:15p.m. You slept until 3p.m.”, she responded with a laugh. I was surprised. Well actually that doesn’t surprise me. It was a good long sleep. I just didn't think it was that long.

“Wow. That's crazy, I had no idea.” She pulled some spices out of the cabinets and set them on the counters. She walked over to the fridge and pulled out some red potatoes.

“What was it like in the hospital? Was it like any other hospital visit?” she smiled as she began to clean the potatoes in the sink. I had to think. It’s been so long since I even went to the hospital for ‘any other hospital visit’. I guess she meant a check up or a bad stomach ache so you visit the emergency room but it was just something minor.

“No. Let’s just say it wasn't as cracked up as everyone thinks it was.” As I said these words, the mood changes.

“Oh.” She knows it’s the subject I don't want to talk about and for a while there is an awkward silence.

“Is there any way I can help” I ask to break the silence.

“No, I want you to sleep until dinner is ready. You need all the rest you can get to recuperate. Whatever happened in the hospital destroyed you. You are bone thin and all your muscle tissue is basically gone. So go to bed until then, I'm cooking something special just for you. Your room is up the stairs and it’s the first room on the right.” I felt my guard starting to go down. I looked at her and I noticed her truly. She had long golden blonde hair. She had long curls in her hair. She had baby blue eyes. She was slender. “Why are you staring at me?” she looked up at me. I froze, I didn't have an answer. I couldn't even think of one. “You need sleep, go.” She went back to cooking. Without saying anything, I walked upstairs. Even when I got into the bed I was still trying to think of an answer, and I still couldn't think of one. Her face was still in my head.

“Why are you in my head?” I groaned and covered my face with the pillow as though that was going to help. I fell asleep, still with her image in my head.

 

I awoke to the scent of mouth watering dinner. I walked downstairs slowly, pain still throbbing throughout my body, but I was able to ignore it better than before. I heard the sizzle of something frying. She moved the food from the pan to the four plates set out. On every plate were the red potatoes cut up into bites. On three of the plates there were slices of meat loaf. “Where’s the meat loaf slice for this one?”

“You don't get meat loaf” she cleaned the stovetop with a wet wipe. I looked at the meat loaf, so painstakingly beautiful and mouth watering.

“Why not?” I ask this and I feel like a child being denied candy.

She picked up the covered plate next to the microwave and uncovered it. There was a giant steak on the plate.

“No way.” I don't know if it was because I hadn't had steak in over thirteen years, or because she knew how to cook something so beautiful but I started to reach for the plate. A loud noise filled the air and then pain set in my hand. My hand had turned red. “Did you just smack my hand?”

“Test me again, and it won’t be just a smack.” She waved a fork in my face as a warning. She slid the steak onto my plate. She grabbed my plate and another one and motioned for me to grab the other two. She walked over to the dining room and set the plates down. She motioned where to put the other plates. She walked over to the kitchen and I could hear her moving different things around. She came back a few seconds later with napkins forks, knives, and cups. She grabbed the pitcher that was already on the table and poured drinks in everyone’s cups.

“Time for dinner” she yelled over her shoulder as she organized the table. A minute later the kids were coming down the stairs. We all sat down, to my left and at the head of the table was Della, across me was the boy, and to the right of me, the other head of the table, was the girl. The girl was staring at me. “Brayer, would you care to say grace?” The boy’s response was a nod and he lowered his head and closed his eyes. He grabbed his sister’s hand and Della grabbed my hand. “Maggie grab his hand.” Della stared at the girl and hesitantly the girl grabbed my hand. Everyone bowed their heads but the girls head was up enough to continue to stare at me.

“Id like to…”

“What are we doing?” I interrupted the boy, but I really didn't care.

“Thanking God for what we have” she thought her answer was enough and that I would drop it.

I didn't. “You think God created me?” I started laughing. She glared at me and I knew this wasn't a subject for discussion.

Everyone bowed their heads and closed their eyes, except the girl…. Mandy I think it was. She had her head bowed, but I could tell she was still staring at me. I made the knife cut a bite sized piece off the steak. The piece floated in the air in front of her, swirled around her face and stopped in front of her nose, just hovering there. Then it flew backwards into my mouth and I chewed it smiling at her. She gasped a little and averted her eyes from me. I chuckled under my breath and the two said “Amen.”

“So is she like a mute?” I ask with a mouthful of steak. I swung my fork around as I spoke, which I stopped once I caught Della’s narrowed eyes.

“She hasn’t spoken since their father died” Della said and looked down.

“Dad didn't” the boy started but one look from his mother and he was silent.

“How long ago was that?” I said still chewing while talking. My mouth popping filled the silence while she was hesitating to talk.

“Over four years.”

“The child is only five years old; you're telling me she hasn’t talked since she was one?” I laughed at it all. I didn't take her seriously.

“She's nine!” Della snapped angry at I guess how wrong I was at Mandy’s age.

“Sorry Mandy.”

“Maggie. It’s Maggie.” Della corrected me in frustration. “And could you please chew with your mouth closed? It’s worse than listening to a teenager pop gum.” For the rest of dinner, it was silent.

I felt like I wasn't a guest anymore, but rather a child, or at least just an adult being re-raised. Or even someone taking my life, putting it on an internet website and pressing refresh.

One hell of a refresh button though.