Her

Chapter sixteen: Outside

Chapter sixteen: Outside

I stood in the doorway to what was supposedly Marge's room, although now being here I realised I had never been here before and now that I was here, all I could think was: What. The. Hell. Hanging all around Marge's room was wind chimes, all in different styles and colours and yet all blowing effortlessly in the breeze. Each of them made a sound which seemed to harmonise with the other like this soft whistling would perhaps hear in a meadow or something. But there were hundreds of them, literally covering every spare inch of ceiling space of them room and the sun which shone on them, reflected little flickers of colour everywhere all around the room, making what appeared to be a rainbow on every wall and surface. I had never seen anything like it before. I stare around the room in wonder, wondering to myself where she had gotten all these from and how on earth she had collected them. But it seemed to be a mystery, just like a lot of things were around here.

But Marge lay on her bed in the middle of the room staring up at the wind chimes which were above her. She watched them like a baby in a cott watching its mobile, with the same wonder and intrigue as though she was trying to figure out what they were and what they meant. I don't think she even realised two people were now standing in her doorway, or that people had come to her room at all. It seemed like she was in her own world – a world full of sweet sounds of the wind chime and rooms full of colour. She seemed lost in it. Abigail and I walk into the room slowly, so not to frighten her. We gently move across the bedroom floor towards her bed. "Marge?" I say as we approach it, but she doesn't even move her head, instead it remains in the same position staring up at the ceiling as though she hadn't even heard us. I turn to Abigail. "Maybe this was a bad idea."

"Come on," Abigail says. "She's the only one who can give us some answers."

I sit down on the end of Marge's bed with a sigh. "Marge it's me and Abigail." Abigail followed my movements and came to sit on the bed next to me. "We came here because we wanted to ask you a few questions..." but I trail off not knowing how to finish and yet Marge's gaze still doesn't move from the wind chimes to even acknowledge our existence. "Marge?" I say again and this time I touch her leg. Marge's eyes instantly fling to me and I jump, startled. She stares at me with her bright eyes and I expect her to say something but she doesn't. Her expressions stays neutral and no words escape her mouth. "It's Leah and Abigail. We're your friends remember?" But again she doesn't say anything. I sigh. "Dianne was right, she isn't going to talk to us."

"Let me try," Abigail says and leans over me to speak. "Marge, Leah and I found out about how Breeders can give to what you called "deformed" babies." But Marge stays silent. "And the reason we found out was because I... well I gave birth to one." Still silence. Abigail looks at me before looking back to Marge. "I was told that these... types of babies weren't taken to The Institution and so I expected... well I expected that they were killed –"

"But then I was told," I cut in. "That these... types of babies get taken somewhere else. Somewhere else that isn't The Institution, somewhere else in the city perhaps?" I try to ask it as a question, in hope Marge will answer, but again she doesn't.

"So we went to the library," Abigail continued. "To see if we could find anything about them in there, but –"

"You won't find anything in there," Marge interrupts and I'm so surprised that she has spoken that I feel my body jumps, but then Abigail turns to look at me and I look back to her. Then we turn back to face Marge.

"What do you mean?" Abigail asks.

"Got rid of it all," Marge says and turns her eyes back to look at the wind chimes hanging from the ceiling.