The Miracle Place

5.

 THE SAFEHOUSE WAS a big cottage in the middle of the woods. It was about thirty minutes off the roads and hidden in the trees. Jane had never been inside a house before. It was a lot bigger than she'd expected. "Good afternoon, Mr. Knight!" A voice rang from within the walls.

"Hey, Emily." Billy greeted the air. "This is Jane."

"Hello, Jane. Nice to meet you."

"Uh. Hi," Jane said, looking around.

Billy laughed. "That's Emily. She's our security system."

"Oh. Right-"

"You're here!" Alice walked around a corner carrying a small child on her hip. She pulled Billy into a hug.

Billy was smiling bigger than Jane had ever seen anyone smile. "Hey, Alice. Hey, buddy! How've you been?"

He took the child into his arms, kissing his head as the child laughed and gurgled happily. "Biwwy!" He cheered.

Jane had never seen a child so small. What would she say to it? How would she act? Alice turned to her with a bright smile. "Hi! Jane, right? It's nice to meet you!" She held her hand out.

"Nice to meet you, too." Jane had seen people shake hands. It was a more common greeting than hugs.

"That's Sam," she said. "My son."

Jane nodded and smiled at the kid. Sam stared at her, looking particularly adorable with his head on Billy's shoulder. She didn't like the staring, so she looked away.

"Come, I'll show you your room." Alice led Jane down a hall and up a flight of stairs, then down another hall. She pushed a door open for Jane, and followed her in.

The room was bigger than she thought it would be. Everything in the room was big: big bed, big chair, big widow. She walked slowly over to the bed and placed the bear at the end of the bed. "You like?" Alice asked excitedly.

Jane scoffed. "It's amazing. Thank you!"

Alice shrugged. "Don't thank me. Thank Billy, he's the one that rescued you."

Jane made note to really thank Billy, then flopped down on the bed. Alice laughed from the doorway. "I'll let you relax. I'll call you for supper."

The walls of her small room were a dull gray. Everything was gray and gloomy. The walls, the bedsheets, the staff. No lights were ever on within the floors above ground, only ever in the basement. The windows were huge but they were tinted and fogged over. She had to press her hands and forehead against it to see anything clearly. Jane never understood why they weren't allowed outside. From what she could see, there was nowhere for them to go. The perimeter of the building was built up fences and further out, a forest with trees almost taller than the building.

The lock on the door buzzed and a woman in a white lab coat walked in. "Hi, Jane. Are you ready for lunch?"

Jane was never ready for lunch. But that was the only time she saw Peter. At least, that's what the lady thought. Other than that, lunch was terrible. The food was awful, even though it was all she'd ever known. They made you wear these bands around your forehead and wrists, that way, if you got any ideas, they could taze you without having to hunt you down.

The lady slipped the bands onto her wrists with shaky hands. All of the staff were like that around Jane. Afraid. It only made Jane want to do something about it. Whether it was to prove them wrong or right, she wasn't sure. The band on her head was pulled tight, preparing her for a headache later on in the night. When she was ready, the lady guided her down the halls.