Chapter 3

I stared at him in disbelief. I didn't know what to say or do.

"It took me all this time to get over it, Tara. When I finally stopped hurting and found someone new, you reappeared," he said. "Now I don't know what to do with myself. I want to hold you again." He stood, and looked at the ground. His shoulders were shaking, his fists clenching. I wanted to help, but didn't know what to do.

"Dy..ten," I managed to get his name out. He looked up at me with sad eyes.

"My fiance, Calina," he said, "she knows I had a wife, but she doesn't know it was you."

He came towards me and hugged me. His arms were warm, and he smelled spicey. I melted into his coziness. Soon, he pulled away and looked at me. His face was coming closer to mine. I tried to pull away.

"Everything will be okay," he whispered on my lips. "It's okay."

I let him come closer. His lips brushed mine.

Knock, knock. Dyten pulled away almost immediately at the sound of the tapping at the door. He opened it.

"I just wanted to talk to Tara for a second, is all," came a voice. It was Milo.

As Dyten was leaving I heard him say, "Tara is exhausted, just let her rest."

I heard their voices fade, and pouted. Nothing seemed fair at all.

Do I even get to meet my daughter? She wouldn't remember me, would she? I sighed. Would they still love me?

Questions like this continued in my mind, until I fell asleep.

________________________________________________________

When I woke up, I felt extremely nauseous. I was so hungry, I felt like I was going to throw up. I got up and when to the door, looking for a button. I found it, and started pressing it. I pressed it multiple times, and started whining when no one came. I continued pressing it.

Finally, Milo came to the door, obviously tired, "what in the world could you possibly need at 3 A.M., Tara?"

My stomach groaned and I clenched at it, whining again. He rolled his eyes and brought me downstairs to the dining hall. 

"All you're getting is cereal. Try eating at a regular time," he told me. 

When I finished my cereal, he took the bowl into the kitchen, and then sat across from me.

"I wanted to apologize for putting my hands on you like that," he said. 

All I could do is nod.

"I shouldn't have done that. It wasn't your fault, sometimes I can just get ahead of myself," he told me. I nodded again. "Do you forgive me?" 

And again, I nodded. He smiled. Then, he suggested I go back to bed. 

________________________________________________________

I didn't sleep for very long. Maybe three or four hours. I was escorted into the dining hall. Wasn't there anywhere else they could put me? It had only been two days and I was bored.

The other ones I saw the night before were already there. Mary looked up and beckoned me over. I sat down next to the woman with dark hair. 

She's the one who spoke first. 

"Did you all hear about that doctor getting killed this morning?" she said. Confused, I looked at her.

"Milo? Yeah, sad isn't it?" Mary responded. Who was sitting next to her?

"Menaah! Ile...eois...Mhnnnn..." frustrated with my gibberish, I grunted. 

"Oh, sorry," Mary said, "Milo died this morning, Tara. He was working with one of the abductees who didn't have their memories erased. Those are the dangerous ones. Their minds aren't right. When they do something like this, it's always accidental. They have strike counters for them. If they kill more than two people they're terminated."

Milo was dead?

The woman next to me giggled, "can you not speak?"

Mary gave her a look. "No, she can't. And it isn't her fault."

The man next to Mary was still quiet. They looked quite similar, though.

They both had some weird wire-looking shapes engraved on their faces. 

"My name is Mirella. I was one of the first ones to be in this place. I had only gone missing for 3 years. I hate not remembering anything, but I suppose it's for the best," the woman next to me said.  

"Stop talking Mirella," said a deep voice. "Does it look like she really wants to listen to anything you have to say?" 

It occurred to me that I was crying, and I guessed it was because of Milo. Why was I crying? I didn't even know him... 

Mirella rolled her eyes at him.

Mary spoke up, "Krone, leave it."

I stood, and went to the door. I just wanted to leave. Even my boring, tiny room would be better than this.