The Witness

Chapter XII

I awake to the sound of birds chirping, which is surprising at first - I didn't think wildlife existed on these islands. Slowly, I roll out of bed and creep over to the window, before pulling the blinds open. There, I see a single tree - the only tree on this island, as far as I know - who's branches are covered with birds of all kinds. Blue jays, cardinals, hummingbirds, sparrows, kingfishers, and more all coat the thin branches of the single, lonely tree. In a way, it reminds me of myself. Many people coat my branches, wanting me for their own. But there are no trees around, no one like me. No one to be my friend. Feeling depressed, I creep over to my dresser. There are more clothes in it today than yesterday. The idea that someone is in my room as I sleep unnerves me, but I try not to think about it as I pull on a pair of light blue jeans and a white t-shirt, and hold on to the dresser as I slip on a pair of blue sneakers placed beside my bed. I then pull my hair over my left shoulder as I head out the door to my mini house. Once in the carpeted hallway, I make a left and begin to walk. I decide to explore the compound... or whatever this is. I might find something valuable. I'm not sneaking around, exactly... I'm just exploring the building and hoping no one will notice me.
Up ahead, the hallway splits - should I go right, or continue forwards? The hallways look the same in either direction... I continue forwards. This hallway seems to go on forever, full of white carpeted floors and doors identical to the one leading into my room. Soon, I hear voices, coming towards me from the opposite end of the hallway. Will I get in trouble for leaving my room without permission? I look around, but see nothing to hide myself with. Instead, I turn and run the opposite way down the hallway. Maybe I'll duck behind the bend I saw earlier. Suddenly, I bump into something. I look up to see two men, both dressed in blue shirts and jeans. I heard the voices wrong - they weren't coming from in front of me, but behind. I look into the man I bumped into's eyes in fear. What will he do to me?
"Hey, Maple," he says casually. He knows my name? Either this is a trick, or he's actually being... nice to me? Nope. Definitely a trick.
"Are you lost?" The other man says. I shake my head no meekly, and they shrug, step around me, and continue their walk. Well, I guess if they're sincere...
"Excuse me?" I call out. They turn around. "Do you know where I could get breakfast?"

Unnervingly kind, the two men lead me down the hallway and down two flights of stairs. Once there, they turn right and enter some kind of restaurant. I thank them graciously, and they smiled and walk away. Once they're gone, I take in the sights of the room. The floor is still white carpet, but the walls are a calming shade of blue all the way around. The ceiling is also white. The room is big - about thirty meters along each wall. A marble counter lines half of the left wall, topped with toasters, kettles, coffee makers, blenders, and more. The other half is covered with display cases filled with desserts. Behind that, there's a row of appliances such as sinks, fridges, ovens, and stove tops. The room is buzzing with people, all dressed in blue, sitting at tables and working behind the counter. No one seems to notice my arrival, which is fine by me. Except, I don't know what to do. Then, I spot Matthew sitting at a table near the back corner. I start to head over, but then notice he's sitting with two other men and one woman. I'm about to turn away but Matthew sees me and waves me over.
"Maple, my daughter!" he exclaims when I arrive. "I'm glad you could join us. This is Tina," he says, pointing to the woman. She's short, but skinny. Her strawberry blonde hair is pulled into a messy ponytail, and her eyes are kind behind her round glasses. "She's the co-leader of the Water Island." He then gestures to the two men. They're both bald, with round faces and blue eyes. Their skin is a darker shade than mine. "This is Henry and Ian. They're twins, and help with our army." The group all says hello to me as Matthew introduces me as his daughter. He then pulls out a chair for me and gestures for me to sit. Henry (or Ian; I don't know) volunteers to go grab me a bagel for breakfast and leaves the table.
"So, anyways," Tina continues her conversation from before when one of the twins arrives, "I think we should go defence. I mean, Olivia played offence, and with our defence, we caught her. Imagine how many others we can catch if we keep this method."
"I like this idea," one of the twins responds. "We might even intimidate them enough that they stop attacking us. Then, when they lower their defences, we attack!"
"Well, that wasn't where I was going with that, but we'll see when it gets to that," Tina replies. Matthew stands up.
"Thank you all for engaging me in this enlightening conversation," he addresses the group. "Now, if you all don't mind, I'd like to speak with Maple. Excuse me." With that, he leads me out of the restaurant/cafeteria. Once we're outside the doors, he exhales. His forehead creases with worry. "Maple..." he begins. "Did your adoptive family have any children besides you?" I shake my head. Where is this conversation going? "Well, this family does. We have another son, Maple. And you have a brother."