Midnight Murderers

Chapter 4: Re-established

That night was worse than the last. Screams filled my head whilst rivers ran down my face, all within the abyss of silence. Memories continued to play on repeat in my mind as I laid awake, just staring at the ceiling. Feeling nothing, feeling numb. The familiar sound of people entering the building and the large doors screeching their way open. The flickering of overhead lights blinding occupants that had stayed throughout the night. Suffered in the silence, destroyed themselves in the darkness. The constant clacking of heels on the ground caused me to roll my eyes as I once again have to bare the presence of Mariam. As she came into sight a heavy audible sigh slipped from my lips. She scowled before wondering beside my bed and huffing as she sat down sipping on her morning coffee. I hated the smell of coffee, always have. Dad always use to drink the stuff. She smirked at me before pleasantly sighing and sipping her coffee again. Putting her drink down on the bedside table she collected her clipboard from a muscly man who entered the room with the clipboard in one hand and a breakfast tray in the other. He was going to hand me the tray when Mariam held up her hand, stopping his every movement.

"She doesn't get anything until she speaks."

"Hi... I spoke. Happy?"

"You're such a smartass, you know that's not what I meant."

I shrugged and watched the back of the man who retreated from the room, leaving me with her. She crossed one leg over the other before placing the clipboard and both hands on her lap.

"So? Are we going to talk today?"

"It depends... are you going to be a bitch today?"

She huffed before walking off, not before I muttered under my breath, "so I guess that answers my question."

She stopped before continuing to walk on, shaking her head. Minutes later a middle aged man entered the room and sat on the chair giving me a warm smile before sliding the tray over to me and gesturing me to eat something. I looked at him blankly before he urged me to eat once again. I picked up the fork and brought the food to my noise sniffing it before hesitating, glancing back at him to see his slight smile.

"It's not poisoned."

His humorous tone could be heard as he spoke. I nodded my head before taking a small bite. Closing my eyes as I savoured the taste of proper food in my mouth for the first time in years. I quickly began eating, afraid that if I took too long the food would get taken away.

"Woah there... slow down little one, you'll give yourself a belly ache."

I nodded my head whilst taking slower bites.

"Now... if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you some questions. Is that alright with you?"

I nodded my head while I continued eating. He made himself comfortable in the chair, resting on hand on the back of the chair and crossing his legs, stretching himself out.

"I should probably introduce myself; my name is Eric and I'm a trainer here but my boss thought that I might have better luck at getting you to speak."

"Why's that?"

"I'm not quite sure but I think it's because he assumed that we both come from similar backgrounds."

I snorted muttering under my breath, "unlikely."

"So... I told you my name, aren't you going to return the favour?"

"Luna."

"So Luna..."

"Why am I here and why is the Mariam lady such a bitch?"

Chuckling he replied "you're here because we found you on the street by yourself and seriously injured. I'm actually the one who found you and carried you back here. I knew that if we didn't take you then, you wouldn't of healed and probably would've died. At least here, you are going to be fed and taken care of. You'll also learn to defend yourself so that whoever caused those injuries will never be able to harm you again. And about Mariam, she's just a bitchy person, there's nothing you nor I can do to change that or her apparently. Trust me... people have tried."

I stifled a giggle as he grinned at me. He was nice. I like him. He isn't like her who tried to starve me to talk. I appreciated that he actually had a decent conversation with me and didn't just come in here with a blank face and started to ask me personal questions.

"So Luna, as I was saying... who hurt you? I mean... you don't have to say anything but I would like to know so that the person that did this will never come near you or do this to you again."

"You don't have to worry about him... he kicked me out anyway. Besides, I would never go back there. There's no-one or nothing for me to go back to."

"Did your father do this to you?"

I nodded my head not meeting his eyes. I heard him intake a short breath before I heard the sound of the chair scrapping against the floor. I looked up expecting him to abandon me too, to leave me just like he did but the next minute I was engulfed by two large arms and pressed up against a warm body.

"Jesus Luna! You're freezing! Are you not cold?"

I just shrugged not really knowing what to say. "I don't really feel anything; coldness, hunger, pain. It's just like I'm numb. I just don't feel anymore."

He nodded solemnly, not really knowing what to say either.

"I'll be back in just a moment."

When he returned he was holding a blanket and a cup of something that had steam coming out from the top. He set the cup on the table as he wrapped the blanket around me trying to warm me up whilst he handed me the cup and told me to blow on it before taking a sip. When I brought the cup to my lips a sweet and sugary taste invaded my mouth, but it was warm and just melted the tastebuds on my tongue. With wide eyes I turned to Eric and saw him smiling, watching, waiting to see my reaction.

"What is this?"

"It's hot chocolate."

I nodded smiling before taking another sip, snuggling into the blanket. The feeling of comfort overwhelming my senses and soon I felt my eyes start to become droopy. Sleep drifted me into a land of nothingness.