Twenty-two

I ran with Selene through the storm as we quickly made our way back to the building that I had grown up in. Stopping at the entrance, all of my physical strength was now useless as I couldn't find the courage to move forward. Seeing this, Selene reached out and grabbed my hand, gently pulling me along.

I gave her a weak smile as the two of us slowly walked through the empty halls. Breaking the silence, Selene said, "I heard everything you said back there, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to listen in on something personal like that. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. It was pretty obvious that you weren't yourself back there, and I had just left you alone."

I was upset that Selene had listened in on my talk with Rebecca, but I couldn't do this without her, so I gave her a slow nod.

Since I hadn't appeared upset, Selene continued, "I didn't understand much of what you said to your friend. Could you explain it to me?"

I had no idea where to start, so I responded, "I think it would be easier if I just showed you. We will be there soon enough."

Before Selene had a chance to answer, the hallway opened up, and I stood in front of the atrium. It hadn't been very long since I was here, but it felt like a lifetime ago. Letting go of Selene's hand, I slowly walked forward.

The scene was exactly how I had left it, bodies scattered throughout the room. Dried blood was everywhere, the end result of my rampage. Running my fingers against the cold, rigid walls, I continued walking until I reached the corner where Rebecca and I had slept. I had to take a deep breath to compose myself; so many memories were coming back to me. With my back still turned, I said to Selene, "This is where I lived for most of my life, right in this corner."

Before Selene could answer, I walked to the middle of the room. Staring at the ground, I said, "This is where we were fed, once a day, right off of the ground, like animals."

I kept walking to the other side of the atrium and held a door open for Selene. She caught up to me and asked, "Where are we going now?" Looking back at her, I said, "I showed you where I slept and ate. Now I will show you why I was really here." Selene shot me a questioning glance but knew I wouldn't answer her questions, so she remained silent.

We took turn after turn, but I knew the path perfectly, having walked it once a week for most of my life. Eventually, we ended up in front of the room where I always met the Doctor. Taking a deep breath, I walked into the place that had transformed me.

The room was just how I remembered it, a small table that I received my injections on and a door that was always locked. I sat on the table and said to Selene, "And this is where we were taken every week. They injected us with who knows what, and the pain was unbearable. I never got used to it."

Selene was quiet for a long time, taking in my words. Eventually, she looked at me with watery eyes and said, "I am so sorry for everything I have said. I made comments about how easy you had it, and this was as bad as my childhood, if not worse. To think that another human would do all of this to children. I can't believe it." Grabbing my hand, she continued softly, "There is so much that we need to talk about, but this isn't the place." I hopped off the table and responded, "You have nothing to be sorry for. I did just attack you, so I would say we are even."

Chuckling, Selene nodded her head in understanding and asked, "Did you ever see what was behind the door?" Shaking my head 'no,' I responded, "We were never allowed back there, but I am curious. Maybe it contains some answers."

Selene tried to open the door, but it was locked and didn't budge. With a smirk, she put pressure on the handle, and it broke right off, allowing the door to open. Smiling, she disappeared into the room, and I followed closely behind.

Walking in, I was disappointed to see that it wasn't much. Glass was broken, and bottles were scattered throughout the room. It looked like someone had rushed to pack things up quickly, and I couldn't help but smile, knowing I had caused the Doctor some form of misfortune. I expected Selene to be disappointed with the room also, but she seemed to be fixated on something.

She had a small syringe in her hand that was filled with what the Doctor had injected into me. With a very serious expression, she stated, "We need to talk."