Cry to Me

6.

Tiffany ended up being placed on mat #1841, so Taylor and her were now neighbours. Despite this, Tiffany seemed to be telling the truth when she declared her hatred of everyone in their group, as she mostly ignored Taylor and started hanging out with some other girls she met at the base. This did not hurt Taylor's feelings in the slightest, and she was actually relieved to be left alone with her thoughts.

A few days after arriving at the base, Taylor was unexpectedly summoned for an appointment. Only after waiting in a tiny room with two chairs for a quarter of an hour, did she find out that she was actually meeting with a psychologist. His name was Dr. Tanner. When he came to collect her, the first thing she noticed about him was his hooked nose, which reminded her of how villains were sometimes portrayed in the movies. He had silver rimmed glasses and slicked back black hair. They walked into his office and took their seats.

Dr. Tanner: So, Taylor, we're here so we can discuss what happened over the past few months. I want you to know that whatever you say here will stay in this room, and I would like you to describe your experiences as vividly as possible. Do you have any questions before we begin?

Taylor: I don't think so.

Dr. Tanner: Alright, let's get started.

After that, there was a barrage of unending questions.

Dr. Tanner: First off, can you go back and describe what you were doing the day you first realized that something happened. How did you feel? Who were you with? Where did you go?

She gave short and non-specific answers, unsure about how truthful she should be with these strangers. As the questions went on, she found them harder to answer... Who did you meet? When did you meet them? What was your relationship with these people? How did you feel about that? What was your goal during this time? Did you ever hurt or think about hurting yourself or anyone else during this time? How did you survive? Did you lose anyone close to you?

This last question caught Taylor off-guard. It was something she wanted to forget – the sound, the images ingrained in her head every time she closed her eyes, the aftermath of it. But it was something she wanted to talk about. The problem was, what was she supposed to say?

Taylor: Yes, we lost someone.

***

It was another day and David, Taylor, Simon, and Charlotte were moving to yet another house. As they had become accustomed to doing, they completely ignored the houses with visible damage, blood on the windowpanes, or nasty smells wafting through the air. They knew of the horrors that were inside these places. At the same time, they moved stealthily and listened for any sound of impending danger. As time went on, it seemed that there were fewer houses that fit their criteria. They would spend a few days or a couple of weeks in one place, and when they went in search for somewhere new to stay, it was evident that the creatures had expanded their path of destruction.

Taylor looked down the street and spotted an intact house. To minimize noise, she tapped David on the shoulder and pointed to the house. They all stopped, took a few moments to consider, and then David nodded in agreement. They carefully made their way towards the front door, weapons at the ready. As David cautiously tried turning the door handle, he discovered it was locked. He used more force, but could not push the door open. Then, suddenly, they heard a growl in the distance. David's adrenaline kicked in and he started banging on the handle as quietly as he could, willing it to open. Clearly not making any progress, he stopped to reassess the situation and to decide on their next move when the door slowly began to creak open. The first thing they saw was a gun barrel pointing directly at them. After a few tense moments, the gun was slowly lowered and they could clearly see the face behind it.