Head Space

Chapter 22

Of course, I looked disbelievingly from left to right trying to gauge if it was actually me they were slowly and surely approaching. There was another unoccupied Little, a ways away from me. She beamed when she made eye contact with the pair of Caregivers headed this way.

I whipped around just in time to see them make a fork in their path and walk right over to her, setting down a board game to play. My heart rate dropped significantly at the sight.

"Phew..." I whispered to myself, settling back down on the pillow cautiously. I watched the few Caregivers loitering around this side of the room for a while, but they didn't seem to be looking for anyone particularly so I relaxed.

After a few empty minutes of silence and staring at the decorated walls. I rolled over and fished out a notebook from my bag. Part of the random things I'd shoved in there because I had no clue what a Bonding Hour looked like. 

Yeah I skipped out on orientation. Sue me.

I took a stubby blunt pencil and opened the first page. Then I tossed everything back in my bag because I hated how pretentious I felt trying to put words down. My Dad was right, journalism isn't for everyone. You know, creative works in general aren't really my jam.

 I remember a rainy day in June last year at Westhall. The semester was winding down so most days were free for us students to do whatever we liked. That particular day, my cousin Tyler had remarked that the stormy weather put him in an "artistic mood" so we gathered some paper and pencils and doodled random shit for twenty minutes.

"Bruh, I don't even know why I said we should do this." Tyler sighed, scrunching up his piece of paper. "I can't draw."

"What!? Dude, come on." I laughed, adding finishing touches to my sketch and smoothing it out. "Look, just show me, it can't be worse than mine."

"Debatable. Actually, I don't want to be here when you look at it, so wait till I leave first." he ordered.

"Oh so it's really that bad." I reached across the table for the discarded paper and gently unwrapped it.

It was hard to make out what it was at first, but after pressing it down with my book for a good minute, I could finally, properly see it.

"Wh-...?" I started under my breath. 

Tyler had made and abstract, messy drawing of  a rainy night with trees smacking against each other and thunder in the sky. It was so realistic I could almost hear the lightning strik-

*BOOM B-BOOM CRASHH CRACKLE*

Then I remembered it was actually raining. I stared back at the picture. It was so well made the only way I could describe it was as if I had a visual orgasm. Maybe that was graphic. Sorry.

I didn't even want to see my little sketch again, because I knew it would just make me feel super untalented inside.

"WOAH! That looks so cool!" some kid squealed from behind me. "Did you draw that!?"

I shook my head and let the paper fall back onto the table. "No, it was Tyler."

Yeah and ever since then I've been bitter when it comes to all things fine art related.

As, I turned to pick up my book to read instead, the door to the room opened again, and a small group of Littles led by a Resident trail in. The Resident took them to David, who was perched on a kiddie chair at the other side of the room.

"Found these stragglers in the playroom. Mostly regressed, I think." the woman reported to him.  David shrugged and crossed something off a clipboard.

"I'll have a word with Sam. You can go ahead and put 'em with the others, just make sure you've got all your kids next time." she  nodded. Turning to the Littles, she crouched to say a few words before waving them off. They split in their different directions, one of them making a beeline for me. Rory, who else? No wonder I hadn't seen him around.

"Hey." I said politely as he settled next to me, stuffed dog plushie in hand. He didn't reply immediately, choosing to focus instead on grooming his inanimate object to perfection.

"...e-o, Octo!" he finally said, turning to me with a grin. Obviously I was a bit taken aback, by his reply. Mind you, before coming to this place the amount of people I had witnessed regress was a grand zero, so forgive me if I seem a bit clueless about this stuff.

I peered at him curiously "Rory?"

"Doggie, see!" he pushed his stuffie up so close to my face I could see my oblong face in it's wide, concave eyes. I flinched back and nodded slightly, eyeing him.

He hugged it to his chest again. "I named 'im...Pluuuto! You wonna know whyyy?" 

I shrugged a little and glanced at my book, not exactly interested in making conversation with Little Rory. "I don't know."

He slapped a hand to his head and rolled his eyes, smiling. "Mickey!! Dude!"

I mumbled a 'cool' and kept on reading. Rory busied himself with making small tunnels for Pluto to crawl through or hills and mountains for him to climb.

"good boy!" he kept whispering loudly.

Eventually, my stomach started to rumble, reminding me that all I'd had for breakfast this morning was crackers and yogurt. Courtesy of Jerry of course. 

I sat up, and scanned the room. On the other side, on a low table were different snacks and finger foods. A few kids stood around it, chatting or something.

"Hey, I'm gonna go get a snack." I announced to Little Rory, getting up and stretching my sore limbs. He scrambled up, dog in hand, looking at me.

"We wonna snack too!" he pleaded with wide eyes. "Please, Octo-dude!"

I dropped my arms slowly, brows furrowed. "Okay? You can if you want, no one's stopping you. Jeez."

He clapped his hands together and gave me a thumbs up. I waited for him to go first, but he wouldn't budge. At least not until I did.

"Come on." I said with a sigh, dragging my feet. 

"Yeah!" he cheered behind me.

Author's Note

I totally wasn't gone for like a month. Ha ha. Crazy. (thanks so much for 10k reads!!!)

Also, I hope you guys aren't weirded out that I updated on Sunday, didn't want you all to wait another week.

Remember to vote, please!

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