Love Bites

Who are you?

    I was so unbearably tired. I don’t remember dreaming, I do recall the absolute fatigue that weighed on my bones. I remember how difficult it was to open my eyes. I could only lay there in bed, simply waiting for my body to gain enough strength to force my eyes open. I knew I had slept last night, even if my body felt so exhausted. I knew, because my mind was rested. I don’t have any idea how long I laid there in bed, all I knew was that I could hear some voices murmuring. After another minute of wrestling with my body's exhaustion, I soon began to realize that there was sunlight in the room. Someone should have come in to wake me up. It was odd that my parents would allow me to sleep in, even more strange that my sister would allow it. She was often the one who would come in with such ferocity, reveling in the joy of disrupting my rest.

    Painfully slow, I crept out of bed. I was very quiet, not wanting to let anyone know I had unintentionally slept in. That was, until I threw back the soft, fluffy, white and pink comforter… That wasn’t mine. Confused, I blinked the rest of the sleep from my eyes with a frown. I cautiously took a look around the room. A bit of fear began to creep into my chest, making it tight and hard to breathe. I was not home.

    Taking a few minutes to scan the room, and to attempt to remember if there was any reason this situation should be familiar, I calmly assessed the surroundings. I saw the comforter, looking feminine and delicate. The bed was small with a metal frame, which was silver and elegant. The book shelf directly across from me, covered the entire fifteen foot wall. The books were unmarked, and every one of them with black binding. Strange, but not frightening. The walls were a warm peach color that glowed in the morning light. The only door to the room was a light green, covered in red tulips. There were no personal features to the room, really. There were some decorations, but nothing that made it someone's personal space. This had to be some extra room to whatever home I was in.

    The only thing I really knew about the room, was that it wasn’t a place I had been before. It wasn't a family members or a friend of the family's. I shook my head, suddenly feeling tension. What is going on? I thought, becoming very worried. I slid out of the bed, very slowly dropping down to the floor so I wouldn’t make a noise. I started hearing voices outside of the room as soon as my toes graced the floor.

    My heart leapt in sudden anguish. I didn't know where I was, or if I should be afraid of who was out there. With my heart pounding so loud, I thought they would come into the room wondering what all the knocking was about, I made my way over to the door that was already a crack open.

    I pushed the door a little bit out to gain a bit more of advantage in hearing the voices. It was only one voice now, a young girls. Her voice sounded incredibly familiar. It was gentle, and a little bit sad sounding. It was very clear, and sounded sweet, but also as if it belonged to someone very serious. I couldn’t help but be drawn to it. Before I had even realized it, I was out in the bright hallway. I realized then that I must have been dehydrated for some reason, the lights feeling like a blazing fireball in front of my eyes. My head ached from the sensation. It took a minute to clear the pain from my eyes well enough to be able to see ahead of me.

    I could see tiled floor at the end of the wooden one I stood on. I could tell it was a kitchen, there was a delicious smell wafting through the hallway towards me. I wondered when it was when I last ate then, as my stomach roared with hunger. At that point, my hunger began to lead me through the house.

    I walked tentatively, not sure what I would find at the other end of the hall. I was feeling shaky and uneasy anyway. If I were to move any quicker I may have passed out.

    I finally stepped into the bright fluorescents of the kitchen. It was an egg yellow color, with a checkered tile floor. The cabinets were wood, with a heavy slab of polished cement counters. The typical items sat atop the open space, such as a microwave, a toaster, and utensils. Straight across from me was the more interesting scene, though. There was a long table large enough to fit eight, with chairs and a bench. It was very stylish. Three people sat at this table, intently looking at one another. They hadn’t noticed me yet.

    As I debated to speak, I heard that lovely voice that belonged to the girl sitting across from two adults. “I'm sorry,” was all that I heard her say. The room seemed to become awkward.

    I stepped closer into the room, and spoke the only word that would come to my lips. “Hello?”

    I watched as all three faces turned to me suddenly. I felt like a deer in headlights. These were people I had never seen before, in a house I had never been inside of. I watched as ever one of them gave a split-second look to the other. I shuffled backwards slightly as the man at the table stood up, moving around a woman. Even though his face looked kind with a warm smile, I was still afraid of the possibilities.

    In a surprise, he walked up to me and immediately held his hand out. He wanted to shake my hand as if I were another male adult, someone deserving respect like an equal. He didn't look at me as a child. “Good morning.” He said in a commanding voice, one that was accustomed to having authority. “My name is Mason.”

    He stood there, waiting for me to grab his hand in a formal greeting. After a moment, I reached out with a firm grip. “Good morning, I am Leo.” Mason gave my hand a good shake. After releasing me, he gestured to the table.

    “This is my wife Sandra.” The woman smiled genuinely, making me feel at ease. Mason again gestured, “and this is my daughter, Zen.” My attention went to the girl. I knew her voice was familiar, but her appearance wasn't.

    Zen was a very pretty young girl. I could tell instantly that she was younger than me, but she had the same serious look her parents had. Her hair was long, hanging in straight pale blonde locks to her hips. She was petite, and had some obvious strength showing in her thin body. I could tell she was accustomed to hard work, like myself. I decided I liked her, right then, as I gazed at her intense metallic grey eyes.

    Zen stood, and greeted me with a polite bow. “Good morning.” She said this softly, as if she was embarrassed or shy. I smiled, mumbling my own greeting.

    I waited there, solidified to the spot. This was not my home, I didn’t know what to do. I certainly didn’t know how to bring up why I was there. I’m eight, I have no precursor events to know how to navigate a conversation like this. So, I waited instead.

    Rather than giving me answers, Sandra gets up and moves to the counters in the kitchen. “Well, now that we are all up. I think it is time to have breakfast.” She gives a great big smile, and grabs plates from the cabinets, and warm food from the oven. My stomach heaves a loud hungry response. It just makes the woman smile more.

    Mason pats me on the shoulder as if we were old college buddies. “Come on, let's get some food in our system. Allow ourselves to wake up, and then we can get into answering some questions.”

    I looked up to see him waiting for my response. I gave a quick nod, and let him guide me gently to the table. I take a seat at the end of the table. Sandra places a white ceramic plate in front of me, along with a glass of milk, and a set of silverware. I thank her.

    After everyone has sat down and plated themselves, I finally dig in. I am ravenous. I eat two large platefuls, doing my best to not look like a wild animal. I feel like it has been days since I had eaten, rather than hours. I drink plenty of milk too, trying my best to quench my thirst. No one says anything about my poor manners, or the enthusiastic way that I eat. When I reach a point when I do feel full, I can finally start to notice other things about myself. I start to smell something awful.

    I try to be do a quick and obscure check of myself. I begin to feel quite embarrassed and self-conscious as I realize how filthy I am. I start to detect smoke and a sour vomit smell. How did I get to be like this? I couldnt think, no matter how much I reflected back. It made no sense, none of it. These people are nice, but what am I doing here? I started to feel worried again. I could tell that they all began to notice me, noticing my situation.

    Sandra plastered that big bright smile on again, this time it looked forced to me. “Are you all finished eating, Leo?” She waited for me to respond. I told her, “Yes, ma'am.” She stood up, gathering up some of the empty plates and taking them to the sink. “Well, what do you say about a hot shower then?” She didn't look disgusted by me, she did sound concerned though. She didn't wait for me to say anything in turn, though. Sandra started walking down another hall, calling back to me. “Come on, I'll show you where everything is.”

    I am taken through their cozy looking living room down a hall, different from the one I had originally come from. In this hall, there is a large bathroom. It has a large glass shower, I couldn’t see a spot of soap scum on it. The room was clean. Sandra pulled a towel from a closet in the bathroom, pointed out the products I could use in the shower, and quickly closed the door to the room when she left. It was so efficient, I almost felt at home.

    I turned the shower on, checking the temperature before climbing in. I was so filthy, I turned the water on hotter than I normally would. It felt so good to feel that water hit me, and to finally have the hunger pains gone. I was beginning to relax, when I heard a knock at the door.

    “Hey, it's Mason. Sandra brought you some clothes. I hope they fit. I'm just going to rest them on the sink, so you can change when you're finished.” Without waiting for a reply, Mason opened the door. I didn’t forget that the shower was clear. I watched him slip a hand in through the door, set some material on the counter, and then close the door again. I didn’t even see Mason peak in. I let out a heavy sigh, knowing I should be more grateful. It was difficult though, with all this uncertainty hanging about. I resolved myself to start asking questions when I was finished getting washed up.

    When I was dressed, I shoved my soiled clothes into the trash basin. The clothes were useless. I don’t know why they were so foul, but I didn't want to sit there and smell them anymore. I took a few moments, sitting down on the stool in the bathroom. I felt exhausted again. Taking deep breaths, I attempted to find my courage to walk out and use my own commanding voice to find answers to this situation.

    I finally stand up, and pull the door open quickly, not wanting to lose my nerve. I took one step into the cooler air of the hallway. My head finally felt light, and my footing didn't stick. I suddenly fell forward, just barely catching myself so I don't face plant into the hardwood floor. However, I still blackout.