Infinity Sign

.3

I flopped down on the bed when Jeb left, staring up at the ceiling. Once again I was alone in a small space. I wasn't complaining though. I was warm, out of the snow, and had food and what was considered normal necessities for someone to live comfortably. I was just...lonely.

The feeling was deep inside my chest, a constant reminder that I was alone, and that I'd be alone and feel alone until I was with him. But I couldn't go back there. Not willingly. I would rather be stuck with an eternity of loneliness than to be back in the arms of that man.

I shot up when there was a knock on my door, staring at it as if it had commit a crime by disturbing my lonely silence. When I didn't answer, there was another knock and I sat up more, hiding behind a pillow. Jeb didn't tell me what to do if someone knocked.

"Uh, hello?" The person on the other side of the door called. "You're new right?"

I slowly walked towards the door, pulling a chair with me. I put it against the door, standing on it to look out the peek hole, seeing a boy that looked to be around my age. I bit my lip, knocking twice on the door so he knew I was there.

"Uh hi, I'm Myles your uh..neighbor I guess." I watched him look down the halls. "I saw you walk in with Jeb, he brought me here too."

I tilted my head to the side, hopping off the chair and pushing it out of the way, opening the door. I looked at him, watching him scratch the back of his head.

"I don't mean to be awkward, I know people on this floor don't usually uh, converse with others but. Jeb doesn't usually bring people that end up on this floor so."

I looked at him for a while longer, glancing at the number above his head. It was a 24. The lowest number I had seen since being on my own. I watched him shuffle on his feet before opening my door wider, letting him come in.

"Do you talk at all?" Myles watched me push the chair back to the desk before sitting in it.

I shrugged softly, sitting on my bed as I watched him. If I was going to be here for a while, I could at least make a friend or two, right?

"Well, what's your name? It isn't on the door yet."

I opened them closed my mouth, feeling kitten wanting to slip out on impulse. I shook my head and huffed. "Obsidian." I mumbled.

Myles nodded, complementing it as he looked around the room. I watched him carefully. I didn't really know what to do, and he was going on about what it was like for him when he first got to the shelter. I didn't want to seem rude and tell him I wasn't too interested, so I sat through it, letting my thoughts wonder. I thought back to Jeb. He didn't ask me too many questions on who I was or where I came from and I wondered what he could've been thinking when I sat in the car with him.

"Does..." I cut Myles off, biting my lip. "Um, does Jeb..bring lots of people?"

Myles glanced to the side. I noticed that he does that pretty often. "Well, kind of. He likes helping people like us."

I tilted my head to the side. "Like us?"

"You know, homeless." Myles said, shrugging a shoulder before starting to bite his already low nails.

Is that what I was? Homeless was a foreign word to me. It didn't feel right. I shifted uncomfortably where I sat and looked down. Homeless. That word just didn't sit right with me at all.

Myles sat with me for a few hours I'd guessed, talking about what was usual in and out of the shelter. He told me about breakfast, lunch, and dinner schedules, and how I could request food if I wanted it. He told me bits and pieces of history about the shelter, how it came to be and the story behind it. I couldn't promise that I remembered everything, but it was nice learning about it.

Just as he was getting ready to leave to clean up before lunch, a knock came from my door. Myles and I both turned towards the door and Myles walked towards it, pulling it open.

"Oh, Myles." Jeb stood there, a bag in his hands. Myles gave him an awkward wave, glancing at the bag and then at me. "You aren't supposed to be in here."

"I was just making friends with him." Myles glanced to the side, chewing on his nails again.

"Take him downstairs next time, you know better."

Myles huffed and nodded, walking out of the room and across the hall to his own, pulling the door open and disappearing behind it. When he did, I looked back towards Jeb.

"Don't let him back in your room, okay? He's restricted." He told me. I nodded once. "I got you some more clothes so you could get a shower in today. We can go out tomorrow to get you more if you feel up for it."

I moved towards the edge of my bed, pulling the bag towards me as he held it open. I looked through quickly, seeing a pack of underwear, socks, a couple pairs of pants, and sweaters. I sat back when he closed it, looking up at him.

"I also got this." He opened the bag that was in his back, pulling out a smaller bag and handing it to me. "I wasn't sure if you'd like it or not."

I opened the bag, pulling out a fuzzy pullover. I almost immediately rubbed the fabric against my cheek, closing my eyes and humming softly. I heard Jeb chuckle softly and opened my eyes again.

"Thank you." I nodded once.

Jeb nodded back, putting the things away for me. "I can have all of your things washed too, they don't smell too uh, fresh if you will."

I tilted my head to the side, looking at my blanket and bunny that sat higher on the bed. When I looked back at Jeb, who was already watching me, I shook my head. I didn't want him touching my things more than he needed to. They were special.

"Hm, how about you grab them and follow me to get them cleaned." Jeb suggested. "That way you know they're safe."

I squinted my eyes at him, huffing before turning and grabbing them along with my old clothes. Jeb held the door opened and we made our way down the hall. The room we walked into had rows of white machines that I'd never seen before. I stood in the doorway, looking over all of them, stopping when Jeb opened one.

"Put them in here."

I hesitated, walking slowly towards him. I looked into the machine, gently placing my bunny and blanket in before putting my other things beside it. I stepped back when Jeb closed it, opening two small boxes and putting in two liquids. I tilted my head to the side as I watched. When it pressed a start button, the machine clicked and started filling with water. I sat down in front of it to watch, feeling Jeb sit on a machine behind me.

"Now we wait."