ROOM 211

PART THIRTY FOUR

40.

A death has come to be and the remains are gone, disappeared, not where they should be, not where he should be, all these facts are a worry, they may not have been topic for all so much discussion though the thoughts do remain and offer up a cause for worry as to what may occur to eight other people, all of whom can do no more than continue as they are and hope that the future, both immediate and long term, goes their way. What future complications indeed are to come? Anything other than death can be dealt with.

When he who would wake to the name Sander written on a take-away coffee cup was born, he was a first born to parents who would only ever have the one child. There was reason for this as before a second pregnancy would or could come to be, a father would discover an illness in himself. It began with a slight tremor in the right hand, a tremor which became recurring.

A diagnosis of Parkinson's disease came early on and as Sander grew up, he watched the effects the disease would have on his father, he watched the effects the disease had on both his parents and the effects it would on the family as a whole. His father was always strong, determined, as his mother was too, and the determination most certainly passed on to him.

With such a thing being around for the majority of his life, Sander dedicated himself to finding a cure. It wouldn't just be something of a career choice, but a life choice and his own dedication took precedence over almost everything else. His parents, especially his father, took on an element of guilt for Sander did not get up the kinds of things a young man in the making would get to, though as long as all was well as well could be, then life goes on.

There was only so much he could do within a group of researchers working for the government. When paid work distracted him, took what he believed to be too much time away from his real work or time away from the research he was interested in, he felt it was time for change, it was time to go out on his own and then it was only a matter of time before actual trials would begin.

When answers came as to trials on whom, when and where, they came quickly, possibly quicker than expected and come it did. There would be no one to answer to, no permission needed other that of whom agreed to what he offered, so if things were to go wrong, well, his own efforts are in the best interest of improving humanity. Though none of this is hap-hazard. His interest is real, his ambitions are true.

Now in the present moment of time, the where he would carry out his trials would be somewhere off the radar, somewhere where no restrictions were imposed upon him. Experimentation done; the green button pressed so to speak. The outcome sees a return, a return seeking answers to questions yet unknown. The obtained premises has been cleared out, emptied, it has become quiet and generally dark, almost asylum like. A return of sort indeed has been made, is being made but not by Sander.

The return is being made by some of those the trials occurred upon, and this return is being made with very little of the knowledge of what came before, in fact the return is occurring during an attempt to acquire the knowledge of what came before. Results, full results of experimentation, if there to be results, are yet to be known, fully reaped, and evaluated.

***

There is a disappearance. Bonnie's current whereabouts is unknown. If she were anyone else, then worry may not be at as high a level as to what it is. Has she found trouble? Has trouble found her? Henry would be more at ease if it had been Archer or Sue who may have disappeared, no matter the fact that they both have some memory of this place. He could attempt to pass it off as attitude for Archer or foot pain for Sue but Bonnie; yeah, that is a real worry.

With all that is, Bonnie indeed does have some memory of this place, memory prior to a gathered group on day one. The room where there were eight, it is known to her that such a room is in this building, Sue had woken in that room and Archer had come to it and indeed with Bonnie being Bonnie, it had not so easy to get anything straight forward from her.

***

A knock comes to the door of room 211. William opens the door to find a manic Mandy who struggles to even stand still, never mind get out what it is she has to say. She marches right into the room without so much as a hi. At a loss himself, William stalls at the door for a moment and before he can react Mandy has moved right back out of the room before once again coming right back in.

'What is it? What's wrong?' asks William, closing the door so that Mandy might actually get out what it is she has to say before once again leaving the room.

'It's the twins' she says. 'They've been arrested.'

'What? Where? When?'

'The coffee shop, I was checking in with work, they were near, the twins, and it happened right outside. I saw it all happen and came right here as soon as I could. They were handcuffed and put in the back of a white police van. I tried to ask questions, but they weren't having it ...'

'Ah crap, it is the last place I would want to be going, the police station, especially with me missing and all ... I don't think they'd give me answers though, being just sixteen and all.'

'The others haven't come back yet?' Mandy asks, and including Mandy, there are only three currently in the room.

'Nope, no idea when they might be back, especially if they find something. What do you think Maggie?'

The room goes quiet, both Mandy and William look Maggie's way as she sits up upon a bed while reaching forwards to fiddle around with her toes.

'Maggie? Who is Maggie?' she says before looking up and at the others in the room. 'Wait ... hold on ... who are you guys?'

Mandy and William look at one another unsure what to make of this moment.

'Where am I?' Maggie asks.

This is as odd a moment as odd can be and it becomes all the more odd, when Maggie's nose begins to bleed. Is she hitting some sort of reset checkpoint? Who, if anyone, can answer that? Maggie stands and locks eyes with the guy she sees before her. She definitely has no idea who he is, there is no recognition whatsoever. She knows that there is another lady in the room though if she perceives a threat within the room then she believes it to be from the guy she is looking at.

'Be calm' William says. 'We are all friends here.'

'You are not my friend ... I don't know you ...' is the response as Maggie begins to make her way towards the door to this room.

'Please Maggie, stay here with us and we will sort this out ... I promise you.'

It is too late. Maggie has gotten to the door and has made a run for it. William's first instinct is to go after her. Mandy knows William's current situation, she has seen for herself the flyers around town with his likeness upon them, stating that he is missing. She knows that there is a number to ring for those who may have information on his whereabouts so Mandy suggests that William should stay where he is for Mandy will go after Maggie and try whatever she can to calm Maggie down.

From his on moment of waking on day one right up to now there is no one else William has spent more time with other than Maggie so he would much rather go after her. If anyone has a chance of calming Maggie down, then it most likely would be him but indeed given his own circumstances he lets Mandy get on with it.

He may be just sixteen years of age, and he may feel as if he were at least a few years older than his body suggests though right now, once Mandy is gone after Maggie, William finds himself alone within Room 211 of The Mulberry Hotel and he certainly does not like how this feels.

He feels helpless and the more time passes being alone the more hopeless he feels too. There will be no answer to those flyers, not yet, he will not be responding to family, if indeed it is family who are looking for him, there will be none of this until he gets answers, the same kind of answers a number of other people are also looking for. He always had hope that hose answers would come, though now, he is beginning to lose that hope here and now it makes him feel all the worse.