The Story Of Daniel

/t h i r t y - f o u r/

Chapter 34

Seven Years After

After Amelia had lost her only friend at Grey Pond Mental Institution, she slipped deeper into her depression. They had to force her to eat and they were giving her antidepressants as if they were candy. When she was in the common room, she just stared out the window, lost in thought. Obviously, her release had been postponed. But Amelia didn't really care. It wasn't like she had someone waiting for her when she finally got out. She never wanted to go back to her aunt, and she didn't have to. If she was released, she would be all alone. So she decided not to lie to her therapist and say she was happier. There was no point. She had lost the energy to speak. She hadn't said a word in years.

And then one day, everything changed.

She hears someone speaking and they sounded excited. It was the receptionist. Amelia looked up and saw a pair of eyes that she hadn't seen in a long time. Years and years ago. It was Daniel. She just stared at him, and he stared back. He said something to the receptionist and she said something back. Amelia couldn't hear them, she was too lost in Daniel's gaze. And then Daniel started to walk forwards, towards Amelia, and she couldn't help herself. Amelia quickly closed the distance and threw her arms around Daniel, crushing him in a hug.

Her voice sounded off when she spoke, it was the first words she spoke in years. "My Danny. I'm so sorry Danny."

He kept telling her that nothing was ever her fault, and she told him that she wanted to leave. She finally had a reason to leave, Daniel was awake. He talked to his mom, who came in to sort some paperwork out. It didn't take long for them to release Amelia, one talk with her therapist was enough to prove that she was finally happy after a long, long time.

Now

Daniel had a week to himself. But sadly, he couldn't stay in his room the entire week. It had only been about an hour before he got hungry and had to come out of his little bubble of loneliness and go back to the real world, otherwise known as the bottom level of his house. That was where the kitchen was and that was the target location in his secret mission.

He had to somehow acquire food from the fridge without his parents detecting that he had come out of his room. Daniel didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment, so he tiptoed down the stairs and into the kitchen, carefully avoiding the step that tended to make a loud squeaking noise when walked upon. His parents were watching something on the television but Amelia was nowhere in sight.

He tried to stealthily open the fridge, but of course it made the loudest creaking noise known to mankind. Daniel sighed and shut the fridge door. If his mom came into the kitchen, there was no way he was getting away with just a snack. She would insist on making him an entire meal. Maybe even a feast, in these circumstances.

"Daniel, is that you?" she queried from the other room.

"Yeah, mom." Both of his parents came into the kitchen. "Hey," he greeted them inelegantly. Who greets their parents with 'hey'?

His mom embraced him and his dad patted him on the back. "I was just going to get a snack," he alleged.

"Oh," she said. "Then I guess I'll leave you to it." Really? She wasn't going to smother him in affection? This was so unlike her...

"Are you okay, mom?" he asked, feeling slightly concerned.

"I'm fine. Amelia told us you want some space, so I'm letting you have it. She said you would talk to us when you're ready."