Matter

CHAPTER 17

At breakfast, Michael sits across from me at the table, smiling. I look down at my plate before looking back at him, returning the smile.

Our moment is interrupted by a young lady with golden hair and a bright smile squealing his name, "Michael! Did you really kill those zombie things out there when you were in the town?"

She unashamedly brings his worst memories back to light. She looks back at the two other twenty-something girls, obviously fulfilling a dare.

Michael's face changes from torture to pride when he figures out her scheme, "Yeah, I guess I did. It wasn't just me though. We were just doing what we needed to do."

She kisses his cheek and giggles as she runs back to her seat, red with embarrassment. Of course I don't know who is more red, her or Michael. He looks back at me, wearing a silly schoolboy grin. I look back down at my plate and continue eating.

The cafeteria doors open and a large scuffling of feet catches our attention. We turn to see what has entered. Standing in the doorway was a large crowd of people, afraid and taking in all of the building, and all of us. There has to be at least fifty of them.

Lucius stands and walks over to them, with arms open wide, "Welcome everyone! It's okay, I assume you found our signs in the town?"

A few of them nod, holding their loved ones tightly to their bodies. I understand considering what Michael had told me last night.

Lucius offers them our hospitality, "Is anyone hungry? There's plenty here and we're happy to get it for you."

On that note, some of the women quickly stand and go into the kitchen to retrieve plates and cups for the crowd. Walter stands to make more coffee and the children wave at the new kids, urging them to come join them.

As a little girl looks up at her mother to get approval to go, a small boy breaks loose and quickly runs to the area the little boys are playing. I gasp, almost falling off of my seat. It's Nick! My eyes widen and I rise, feeling elated, until I feel a hand on mine. I turn to look at Michael. He's peering seriously in my eyes and shaking his head. I glare at him, anger burning my eyes, I try to yank my hand free.

I glance back at Nick and realize why Michael had held me back. It isn't Nick. Of course it isn't. The boy's features changed. He does not have Nick's brown hair and blue eyes that I had first seen. His short hair is black and his eyes are dark. My heart feels as though it has been dropped from the top floor of the asylum. When I finally have my wits about me, the others have already made their way to the tables. Losing my appetite, I stand and take my plate to the kitchen to clear it and leave.

As I exit, Michael is receiving more attention for his heroism the day before. Apparently, some of the people in the new group had seen him take down those people. He watches me as I leave, then gives his attention to those wanting to shake his hand and tell him thank you.

I walk out of the front doors and to the back of the building. As I stroll down the sidewalk I think about this place we've come to. The people that had first run this sanatorium must have wanted so much better for their patients than just "sit in your room and take your meds."

As I wander the grounds, I find an overgrown area that has a resemblance of an English flower garden. I see stables past the last building that looks like it held a couple of horses in years past. I wonder if life here was that bad at all, if it might hold the same promise for me.

I bend down and move some of the weeds and find a small bud struggling to get to the sunlight. It's a yellow snapdragon. I smile as I push back more weeds and find a patch of snapdragons trying to push through the dry, dead weeds. I think I have found what will help me to make it here.