The Portal Chronicles

Deuxìeme

When I woke, I was really hungry. Time before last I had time-jumped I'd eaten almost an entire turkey over the course of the first day. I stretched under the covers, relishing their warmth. I hadn't been this far in time before. Outside of my native time stream, the farthest I'd been was for a comparably brief three week trip with a love&peace-gang in the late 60s. I rolled around in the bed and turned on my bedside lamp. Looking around the room I realized there was a door opposite the one that opened to the hallway.

Bathroom? I wondered, realizing with some excitement that I would be satisfying the call of nature with something nicer than a bucket. Opening the door I only found an empty closet- quite a nice one, but nothing to sate my bladder. I pulled on my jeans hastily and called Kurt's room. There was no answer, and on the third call I gave up. I opened my door, expecting some guards to greet me... But no one was to be seen in the hall either direction. I'm not sure if that's good or bad... I walked back down the hallway the way Kurt and the shrink had led me yesterday. Finding the psychologist's office light on, I knocked tentatively. Gesséir opened the door to reveal Kurt sitting on a couch and a notebook sitting across from him in a chair.

"H'lo, Iris." Kurt said with a short wave and his ever-present smile.

"Hi. Kurt. Shrink." I nodded to them both. Gesséir winced a little and Kurt laughed at my bluntness.

"You're probably hungry again, right?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah. And I'd like to find the bathroom." I folded my hands behind my back as I stood in the doorway.

"Before you eat, you might want to take a shower. While Kurt shows you the way I'll get some clean clothes for you. Is that alright?" Gesséir asked, gathering his notes from the chair. Oh. I probably look a state...

"Yes, thank you." I reply without emotion.

Kurt hopped up from the couch and I stood to the side of the door to allow him to lead me. As we walked away I could hear Gesséir calling someone on the intercom in his office. Kurt and I walked in silence down the electrically lit hall, taking a few turns. "Why are there no windows?" I asked. After several years of most buildings not having windows it had taken me some time to realize that it was strange for this time period.

"Like I was saying before, this place has... visitors sometimes. In the event that we had a mob or something the building can go on lockdown to protect us. The outside is really pretty though, just wait."

"You aren't sending out thoughts every two seconds today. Any reason for that?"

"Thomas said attempting more self control would be a good idea for me, plus I would be less likely to annoy you."

I smiled. "Thanks."

We came to a very short hallway that had doors on each side and joined another hallway. Poseidon's trident, I don't know how people could possibly find their way around in here.

"Boys are there, girls are there." He said, indicating the doors on the side from the way we had come and the side in the direction we had been going. "Showers on the right, toilets on the left. I've never been in the girls' so I dunno if there's anything special. Towels should be in a cabinet or something, and there's a big drawer below for dirty ones. I'm headed to breakfast now, but there should be a girl to give you clothes and show you the way back." Kurt took a few backwards steps with his last words "I'll see ya at breakfast!"

I stared warily at the doorways. First, I poked my head in the one on the left. A row of clean, white stalls greeted me. A long mirror ran opposite and the counter below was interspersed with sinks. Below them were dozens of drawers, about a dozen with names written in different scripts... Jasmine, Hailey, Ingrid, Sarah, etc. I pushed open a half closed stall door and reacquainted myself with a 21st century toilet. Coming out of the stall I was greeted by a familiar face... in the mirror. It has been close to three years since I've seen my face. I realized.