I awoke in Trent's bed—well, my bed since he claimed the one in the basement. It wasn't as comfortable as mine back home, but it beat sleeping on the floor. It was even better, too, since I didn't have to share it. Since the other outcasts arrived, Trent hasn't bothered me anymore. He treated me almost like an equal, minus the fact that we were two entirely different beings.
Something heavy laid across my legs. My first thought was that Trent had bought a dog and made it sleep with me. Then I realized how unlikely that was because there was no way he could love an animal if he hated everything else. I glanced down and was shocked to find Felix stretched over me. The dog thing seemed more realistic than the thought of him sleeping with me. He always acted like he couldn't stand me. During our last encounters he'd either kicked me or took away the feeling in my joints. Last night was really the first time he succumbed to a decent conversation with me.
I slipped out from under him and scooped him up in my arms. I carried him to the living room and laid him on the couch. There was a blanket draped over the back of the recliner and I tucked it in around him. I wondered if anyone had ever done that to him before. Had he ever been treated like a normal boy?
The house was quiet; too quiet. It was early morning but, despite the fact that everyone was asleep, it shouldn't be this silent. The clock's ticking was even absent. I examined it and figured the batteries must have died because the hands were still. I rummaged through the kitchen drawers but didn't find any replacements. They were probably in the other bedroom. I crept through the living room and down the hallway, careful to not wake anyone. The bedroom door wasn't locked, and I twisted the knob. The door swung open and revealed a dark and empty room. That was strange. Where could they have gone in the middle of the night? Probably on another secret outcast mission, I thought. I stumbled to the dresser and opened one of the drawers. It was empty. I checked the rest of them only to find that they were empty, too. Puzzled, I went back to the living room.
No longer tired, I slumped to the floor and picked up the remote. It had been so long since I had watched tv with no distractions. I pressed the power button and sighed in frustration. It didn't work, either. What was with everything being dead around here? I crawled to the tv and discovered that it, too, didn't work. The breaker must have switched off during the night. I knew it was in the basement—it wasn't anywhere else in the house.
I opened the door to the basement and was faced with absolute darkness. I flipped the light switch, knowing it was useless. "Trent, the lights aren't working," I said. He didn't respond. I took a step down. "Trent?" My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I discovered that he was gone, as well.
Something shuffled behind me and I turned around and found Felix standing at the top of the stairs. His eyes were wide. "Did you hear that?" he asked.
I joined him at the top of the stairs. "I thought it was you, but it couldn't have been you since you heard it, too."
"That noise woke me up. Where is everyone?"
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." I went to the kitchen and pulled a knife out of the block. I flipped it over and studied the sharpness of the blade. "Felix, go hide somewhere. I'll be back in a few minutes."
"But what if it gets you?"
I shrugged. "I don't know, but I'll do whatever it takes to protect you. I don't care that you're an outcast. To me, you're a kid, and I promise that I will keep you safe."
He hugged me. "Please be careful."
I wasn't expecting his reaction. I slowly returned the embrace then pushed him away and walked to the front door. I took a deep breath and twisted the deadbolt. This was it. it was time for me to face my fear. I pulled the door open and stepped outside. I stared around but nothing looked out of the ordinary. Everything was calm.
