Chapter 9. Shelter

I woke up screaming, tears streaming down my face and my whole body covered in sweat. I tried to catch my breath but I was unable to as I was hyperventilating. looking over to a sudden noise, a door across the room swung open as someone rushed in to see what was wrong.

"Hey, are you okay?" A man asked, concern laced in his voice.

My eyes darted around unsure of where I was or what was going on, I put my face in my hands and focused on my breathing and calming down.

"Yeah, I-I'm alright," I said into my hands.

Looking up at the man I remembered it was the injured man from the Bureau vehicle. After remembering that, I slowly remembered everything else, but the exact details were still hazy.

"Where am I?" I asked, my voice shaky.

"We're at the shelter, Special Agent Henderson brought the rest of the injured here, as they were in less serious condition than I was. Originally they were going to go to a secret location where they had more advanced medical equipment but after you healed me they decided to leave us here." He said.

"Healed you? Sorry man, I don't know where you got that conclusion, I'm no doctor or anything." I said dismissively.

"I see, it may be confusing or complicated to hear but I believe you have powers, and considering what you did they are healing powers. But that's what all the destruction is from, these super-powered individuals going crazy. I have a friend with powers as well, there was a moment when he lost control, but I brought him back. Something similar must have happened with you as you aren't a rampaging killer right now." He explained.

At his last few words, flashes of memory hit me, barraging me with gruesome scenes. I grunted and grabbed my head in pain, confusion, and fear triggered by the imagery. I saw scenes of what I assumed to be me pounding my fists into people, blood everywhere. And there was this strange red energy flowing from the corpses, but most of all I could feel the extreme emotions. I attempted to suppress the memories, on pure instinct, but the floodgate was opened. I sat for a few more moments collecting myself and trying to put the imagery at the back of my mind, or else I would be consumed by it. That thought alone helped me come back to, the man's hand resting on my shoulder consolingly. He looked concerned but had deep empathy in his eyes.

I smiled and reaffirmed that I was fine. "Just a headache."

Remembering all the blood I looked down to see fresh clothes and my body clean, I blushed feeling slightly embarrassed at being cleaned and dressed, but I regained my composure.

"Well come on, everyone wants to meet you, and don't worry they don't know about your powers or anything." The man said.

I hesitantly stood up from my previous seated position on the bed and followed behind the man. Many more rooms lined both sides of the long hallway, and I could hear many voices up ahead. I focused on taking deep breaths in and out as we approached.

"If anything is bothering you I'm here, I know a lot has been going on so even if you say you're fine I'm here to listen. My name is Jordan by the way, sorry for not introducing myself sooner." Jordan said.

"Alright..." I replied casually, looking at the ground.

We reached the dining hall where many people were eating and receiving food. Kids were running around without a care in the world. Meanwhile, most of the adults seemed glum but were chatting and trying to continue with their day despite everything that had happened. The contrast was apparent and the tension in the room was also prevalent, like a panic was waiting to be unleashed.

"I bet you're pretty hungry right?" Jordan asked. "Considering you were asleep for two days and some change, ah might have failed to mention that as well." He finished, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Mhh no actually, I-" I was saying, about to dissuade the idea of food but a sudden hunger came over me. "Well, I guess I could go for something."

We got into the line and waited a minute or two until we were up. An older man was stood behind the counter, various rations and fluids in pouches laid out in front of him. Instead of offering any food his face lit up as his eyes met mine.

"Hello! You must be the new kid, well I guess you arrived even before some of us but you're a new face around here that's for sure! I'm positive I speak for all of us when I say we're glad you woke up good and healthy. Some didn't make it and there are a lot more out there who are injured or have unfortunately passed. Enough about all that though, the name's Dennis, and I hope you feel welcomed in this community." Dennis said with a smile, occasionally releasing a hearty laugh with his hand placed on his stomach.

"Thank you Dennis sir, I appreciate it," I replied.

Receiving some rations, coffee, cheese, and hot soup, I made my way to one of the tables. Jordan trailed behind me, following my lead. As I searched for a table I subconsciously drifted towards one with a few other teens at it. We sat down on the right side of the table where two open spots were available. I looked around at the other teens, three sitting across from me and Jordan and two on the same side as us. From the three across the table was an emo-looking girl with white hair and an advanced-looking face mask, and two boys who appeared to be twins. The girl looked unamused with whatever they were talking about while the twins were laughing. On our side of the table was a brunette girl and a black-haired boy who seemed to be together as they were close to each other. The emo girl looked over at me and seemed to show a bit of emotion. She ignored the other conversation and looked over at Jordan and me, assessing us both quietly.

I took a sip of the coffee and lit up, the warm liquid soothing and rejuvenating me.

"At least the coffee's good, the guy making them back there is a real professional," Jordan said, nudging my shoulder, trying to be upbeat.

"Yeah, haha," I replied.

I took a bite of the cheese and then a mouthful of the soup and savored the flavors. The food was a lot better than I expected and I ate like I hadn't eaten in days, which was true. Waiting for me to finish the girl spoke up once I was done.

"So, you finally woke up, we were starting to think you'd be out forever. We also heard about how you can't even remember your own name, don't worry I've heard about others who lost some of their memory as well. Some of the doctors think it might be from trauma or whatever but you'll probably remember soon enough. I guess until then we can call you Amnesia Boy." She said both reassuringly and coldly, laughing at her nickname of me.

the twin closest to her spoke up to dismiss her negative comment. "Don't listen to Emi, she's just teasing you."

"My name is Emily, not Emi, you dweeb." She replied viciously, hitting him with a playful punch to the shoulder. "Anyways amnesia boy, still no memories? Or will I have to hit them back into you?" She asked squeezing her fingerless gloved fists in a mock threat.

"Well I did remember a bit but nothing too important or anything, just some flashes of disjointed memories," I said looking off in the distance trying not to think about it.

"It's alright, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but the offer is still available," Emily suggested. "But for now how about we introduce ourselves and share some of our experiences." She said looking at the other teens.

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The couple sitting next to us decided to introduce themselves first, meeting our gazes with warm and inviting smiles.

"I'm Alex and this here is my girlfriend, Clair, We got separated from our families and met up to try and survive whatever was happening," Alex said explaining his thought process holding onto Clair's hands.

Alex was a pretty built guy, however, juxtaposed to this he appeared more sensitive and gentle based on his tone and body language. He had a gentle face and relaxed attitude giving a sincere smile that radiated confidence. Clair on the other hand seemed very shy, not really talking or looking at Jordan and I for very long.

"After cowering under a bridge for a day or two we finally decided to venture out and that's when one of those Buruea vans picked us up. If not for them we would have most likely starved or died of thirst or something." Alex finished, seeming sad but cheering up when he looked at Clair.

Clair nodded along with Alex and showed a sad expression thinking about the events. There was obviously more that happened and I couldn't truly understand what they went through but I sympathized nevertheless. The twins then looked at each other seeing who would speak when the one on the left started.

"Right I'm Avery and this is my twin brother-." "Travis." the twin on the right said cutting off Avery to speak for himself.

Avery and Travis looked almost identical, one might have been a bit taller but it would be difficult to tell which was which if you didn't get to know them personally. They both had brown hair and green eyes with the same short haircut and minimal facial hair.

Avery continued a mournful expression lighting up his face.

"To start it was a miracle we made it out of there alive...our family on the other hand didn't. One of 'them' flew through our apartment with another following, we were still asleep as it was pretty early in the morning, but this had woken us up. We stayed in our rooms with our parents going out to see what the commotion was. We had obviously peeked our heads out to see what had happened. I guessed it was intruders making a raucous as we obviously hadn't heard about the attacks. I believe our parents also assumed the same as they went out with a bat, but as the two individuals clashed our parents were simply in the crossfire. I will never forget the man that was standing there all lit up in red, as he blasted the other intruder into our parents...After this, we couldn't do much considering the whole building was tilting to the side and falling. My brother and I somehow weren't too badly injured and I pulled Travis out from under some rubble. We then, same and Alex and Clair got picked up by the Burea van."

"Wow, that is horrible, I'm so sorry all that happened to you," I responded, horrified, not sure what else to say.

Emily nodded with a mournful expression evident with her eyes as she still had the face mask on, seeming to show the first true signs of empathy before returning to her poignant and glum attitude.

"Coincidentally we all used to go to school together, so when we all saw each other here in the shelter we felt a little more comfortable. At least I did but I would have been fine either way. But to be honest I also have no idea what happened to me, all I was told is that I showed up here knocked out. Not to say I don't have any memories like you amnesia boy, I still remember my own name and my past heh. Although if something did happen in the last three or so days I don't remember." Emily went on.

I sat in thought and processed everything that I had been told and looked over to Jordan who had a weird expression on his face as he looked at Emily. I just figured he was worried about her, as well as everyone else here, and that he was just sympathizing with their stories and subsequently making a weird face, but I really didn't know for sure.

We sat and chatted a bit more and Emily seemed to warm up a bit more as we talked. She also ate the rest of her meal, her mask opening up with a slight whirring noise. Although just enough to where you couldn't see anything unless there was direct light and you looked up from an upward angle, trust me I tried.

After lunch, there was a meeting where the adults in charge went over the rations and jobs that everyone had assigned to them. At first, I thought it would be pretty boring in the shelter with nothing to do but I couldn't be more wrong. This shelter wasn't just full of food and supplies but had livestock and grew produce. For instance, the cheese was made from the milk of one of the cows, which had to be fed and taken care of. So there was indeed a lot to do around here to sustain everyone for however long we would need to stay secluded.

Personally, this begged the question of how there was even a cow and other livestock already down here. Was the shelter always being prepped somehow? Or was this crisis foreseen in some way?

All the kids who were too young to either understand what was going on in the meeting or to help out with jobs stayed with some of the caretakers who signed up for it. The job of caretaker was specifically important as most of the kids came in with no parents or were too young to even take care of themselves in any meaningful way. With all that said jobs were handed out and assigned to those able and wanting to do them. Most people had two to three jobs depending on how intensive the job was, for my first day I signed up for washing dishes and helping in the kitchen. I mainly took this job as it seemed laid back and meant I got to hang out with Dennis, but maybe more importantly Emily. As much as she seemed distant and cold I knew there was a caring side to her.

I would be lying if I didn't say it was also partly because she was cute but I really just wanted further understand the dynamics of the shelter. Plus I had already gotten to know her and she was my age so it would be easier than saddling up with one of the other adults I didn't know at all.

"Okay, so if we both tackle the dishes and wiping down the workplaces we can work more efficiently. I'll rinse the plates from the dishwasher, and then you make sure they are dried and fully clean. Alright, Amnesia Boy?" Emily asked while putting up her hair and dishwasher apron on. She handed me a towel and apron and got to work.

After we finished with the dishes we got to work with wiping down the workplaces as Emily had instructed, With her spraying some chemicals and me drying it down with a towel. We then put away the dishes as they were sufficiently dried.

"Hey, how about we come up with a different nickname than 'amnesia boy'?" I asked while we were putting away the rations and other equipment.

"Hmm, oh I have a few ideas, if you don't like amnesia boy how about dementia dude? Or how about Forgetful Frank? No, no, no I have it, Memory loss loser!" Emily declared proudly, as if she had just came up with the best nickname anybody ever had.

"Haha, very funny, how many more of those do you got?" I replied rhetorically

"Alzheimer's Austin, Creutzfeldt Jakob Although that one is just what it's called, Schizophrenic Sammy-." She went on before I cut her off.

"Alright, alright. I get it, Amnesia Boy it is."

"Fine, we can come up with an actually nickname for you if you want.

"Nah, it's fine for now, at least until I actually remember my name at least."

"If you say."

Finishing up I went back to my room and freshened up while also taking a better look at the room as a whole. What caught my eye right away was a computer, I booted it up and checked the internet to see if it even had any. I clicked my tongue in a tsk, negative. The bed was positioned horizontally to the door on the left side of the room when you entered. There were blinds just above the bed and to the right to simulate a window in an attempt at homeliness. At the end of the bed was a dresser with a television atop it if you wished to play a movie or if any channels were working. Closer to the entrance of the room where the door was, the computer desk was positioned. Opposite of that on the other side of the room was a bookshelf full of miscellaneous books and items. In between that and the bed was a door leading to a personal bathroom and shower. It was a lot nicer than I had first thought and thought I deserved.

I decided to pass the time by reading one of the books on the bookshelf which ended up being really good. I was eventually called for dinner, not even really noticing how much time had passed. It went similarly to lunch with the exception of Dennis' monologue. Don't misunderstand me, he still talked my ear off, which I was perfectly fine with.

Being more present I was able to actually look around at the dining room. Starting from the residential area you would walk down some hallways, some paths leading to other areas of the shelter. As you reached the dining area two doors greeted you with an array of tables beyond them. The tables were facing vertically to the door six seats on either side of them, and they appeared to be able to be folded up and stored against the wall or in storage. To the left was the kitchen closer to the entrance of the room with the serving area further beyond that. on the right side of the expansive room were a few tables with utensils, snacks, and other appliances that anybody could use. There was also a door at the far end of the room

I sat down at the table again everyone already sitting in their spot. For dinner, we had meatloaf, some greens, and mashed potatoes. Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly considering how good the food was for lunch, the meal was amazing. The meat was juicy and the glaze added a nice sweetness that paired perfectly with it. The green beans were perfectly tender and had a hint of garlic and butter, while the mashed potatoes were creamy and silky smooth.

I ate it up with a similar fervent gluttony I did earlier in the day. After supper, everyone went off to finish the day or head off to their rooms. Me and Emily once again cleaned up after and it seemed this would be how my life went for the foreseeable future.

Wrapping up, we were headed out when Emily suddenly turned around and grabbed me in a guillotine chokehold pulling me down to the ground.

"I know what you are, I could sense it, even with it being heavily suppressed," Emily uttered between ragged breaths.

I attempted to retort but all that exited my throat was a hoarse wheeze. Struggling for a few more seconds I was completely defenseless under Emily's firm hold. Fading to black I suddenly remember someone calling out to me, the memory feeling so distant yet like I could reach out and grab it.