Poverty, Pleasures, and Basic Needs

Two

Chapter Two

Regan

What's my name? Who was I?  Where was I?  Did I know this man? Could he be trusted? So many questions and I couldn't answer any if then to save my life. Was there something wrong with me? Was I going to find out my name like the man had asked? Wait, he didn't know my name so how could he know me?

"Hey? Are you alright?” the man had come back into the room while I let my thoughts take me away.  I was so confused, how did I get here if he didn't know me? Shaking my head I gathered all my thoughts together, pushing them to the back of my busy brain for later. As I nodded to the man's earlier question. The woman from before, then decided to make an appearance with an even more sour look on her face than she had been wearing before. What had they talked about? My mouth had gone dry again but I said nothing of it. I got this odd sense that I was bothering them with my presence.

I watched as the man smiled, grabbing the bowl, that I now noticed was placed next to the empty glass. I watched him curiously as he then proceeded to frown and take the bowl out of the room leaving me alone with a gruff man who looked ready to strangle someone if they so much as breathed the wrong way, and a woman who kept staring at me as if calculating what I was going to do next. To say I was scared was an understatement, all I wanted was my memories back, I wanted to know who I was and if I knew these strange people.

"Sorry about that, it was cold," the man muttered walking back over to me and handing me the bowl that I now notice has a weird looking steaming liquid as its contents.

He must have seen the quizzical look I was making at the strange substance as he sighed, picking up the spoon with some of the liquid - and what seemed to be pasta - onto the spoon before blowing on it and holding it up to my lips.

"You'll like it. It's chicken noodle soup." he said softly as if talking any louder would hurt me. Slowly I opened my mouth and let him put the spoon in, letting the contents fall into my mouth before he takes the spoon away.

The mixture was weird, it had a tangy taste; but at the same time it tasted like what I assumed to be chicken. I slowly chewed up the noodles and chicken getting a good taste of it. It was really good to me as the man kept feeding me the chicken noodle soup.

After the bowl was empty there was a huge smile on the man's face and it made me feel good too, as if I had done something right by eating the soup.

“W-What's y-your n-name?” my voice was raspy making me wince. The man sat the now empty bowl down by the empty glass. He then looked at me wide eyed as if he just realized something.

“Oh! I'm so sorry! I forgot to introduce myself… my name is Seth,” he said with that huge smile that could light up the room. I nodded wishing I could tell him my name. The only problem with that was I didn't know my own name, or much about myself.

I watched as the man -Seth- nodded after the gruff man told him something, leaving the room. I felt like I was a bother to all of them, why were they helping me in the first place? All I saw in his eyes was confusion, as the ma- Seth nodded for the woman to follow the gruff man out the door leaving the two of us alone.

I knew that he knew I was exhausted as I yawned, struggling to keep my eyes open “Why don't you get some rest? Maybe you'll feel better?” he asked watching me as I jumped forgetting he was in the room. 

I nodded and he helped me into the big bed.
“If you wake and I'm not here press the green button and then the blue and I'll answer alright?” I nodded one last time before falling into the deep abyss of sleep.

                              *
“Regan you little slut! Get your ass back here before I punish you!” a man yelled. I was running the opposite way of the voice, as fast as I could as the voice cursed calling out my name again.

I continued running further and further from the voice until I couldn't hear it anymore before I stopped. I sat down to catch my breath, my heart beating fast, thinking about how if I got caught I'd be as good as dead.
                            *
“-ey! Hey! Wake up! You're alright..” A new but familiar voice called the owner's body pinning me tightly in a constricting hug. I gasped out panting as I struggled to get away, thinking the man from the dream had caught me.

“Hey now, calm down you're safe.” the man -Seth - whispered running a soothing hand through my now sweat soaked hair.

“Regan…” I whimpered out calming down slowly. Was it true that my name was Regan? Who else could have the man been calling out to, I was the only one around when he was talking, I think.

Seth      

“Regan…” I heard the boy whimper out as he finally calmed down in my arms.

“Huh?” I asked confused. Then it hit me “Wait… is that your name?” I whispered in shock. The dream, whatever he had been dreaming -that made in thrash and scream- told him his name?

He nodded fully limp against me now. I was mesmerized maybe, he'd remember more about himself the more dreams he had. Even if the thrashing and screaming gave me a heart attack. It would be worth getting to know -and being apart of- Regan’s journey to find himself once again.