Stuck In My Ways. Part 1

Chapter 1- Intro:

Pete lay on his thin bed, his eyes seeming to search the white ceiling, as if trying to find his answer to the question that ran through his mind each morning. What time is it?

He sat up and checked the newspaper, which read, as it did each morning, March 26, 1995. He began to skim through the smudged print on the front page, although finding nothing that managed to perk his interest. He then flipped through the next few pages. Nothing new; stock market was up, the weather forecast for the next few days was predicted to be mainly overcast with a few showers. The usual. Turning over to the second to last page, Pete's eyes managed to find the horoscope section almost instantly. Gemini… Gemini… there it is! It said he would get good news involving a friend or family member.

Lies, all lies, Pete thought, smiling to no-one in particular. He folded the paper neatly and placed it at its usual spot next to his bed. He checked his watch, which once again, read the same time each and every morning without fail. 10:43am. Better get dressed, Pete thought glumly, thinking of the long and difficult day ahead of him. He sighed and stretched his legs before grabbing his earphones off the floor and placing the buds in his ears, then hopped off his bed and walked to the other end of his room, to the wall closest to the door. He was almost hugging the wall as he glanced at said door anxiously, getting slightly worried and agitated at the tardiness of the workers. She's late again. Pete started pacing, his shoulder nudging against the wall every now and then.

They’ve found out. They’re going to kill me. I can feel it.

Pete swung around as the door had been suddenly, but slowly, opened.

“Mr. Wentz?” the brunette lady with her hair tied in an unusually high ponytail poked her head through the door, a small and obviously forced smile plastered on her mouse-like face. “Oh, there you are,” she said once she had spotted him, now at one of the corners of his room. Pete smiled nervously, his hands shaking ever so slightly. “It’s okay Mr. Went-“

“Pete.” Pete correct her, which he also did every morning.

The lady smiled a bit warmer at him, although this didn't seem to do much to calm Pete's nerves. “Pete. Come outside. You’re not in trouble,” she added as she noticed the worried expression on the man’s face.

Pete glanced at the door, then to the woman, then his fingers. He nodded hesitantly and slowly, still not completely convinced, and cautiously followed the woman, the woman who Pete had always despised since they first met. Following close behind her, Pete crinkled up his face in disgust as he thought about the miserable day ahead of him, glancing back only once when he was out the door and into the hallway, glancing back to that room that, although not ideal, was much safer and peaceful than anywhere else in this Hellhole he was forced to call home.

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        Originally posted: Aug 28, 2009