Handprints

Chapter 4: Making Friends

Dee didn't wake up until well after noon. When Dee did finally wake up, it was the slow way that one only ever wakes up when they believe they are safe.

The first thing that Dee noticed was that the soft way the light spread across the floor and up the wall. It was rare for the light to ever be anything other then weak. It was as if the dirt of the Lower Streets clung not only to the people and buildings but also to the very air itself.

The second thing that Dee notices was that they were still wearing all their clothes from the night before, even their shoes!

This was closely followed by the memories of what had happened the night before. The memories of the fire and pain burning through Dee's mind as they quickly forced themself to their feet.

They frantically looked around the room in an effort to figure out where the hell they had woken up. The room was simple, with only a single bed and a nightstand that had nothing on it. Other than the window the only other exit looked to be a doorway with a curtain strung across it.

Dee forced themself to take a breath, calm down, think through this. Once they had calmed themself enough to hear anything other then their own panicked breathing and racing heartbeat Dee noticed that they could hear voices talking past the curtain.

The voices were so low that Dee couldn't tell what they were saying but they could tell there was definitely at least two people talking.

Carefully, Dee padded towards the curtain making sure to not make a noise as they wanted to know what they people outside the curtain were saying.

"This is the third one, they're getting closer" one voice was saying as Dee pressed themself against the wall right next to the place where the curtain met the wall.

"We can't afford to give ourselves away, especially not now" another voice argued.

"We also should be careful of listening ears" a third voice that sounded suspiciously like Doc added before shifting it's focus "it's good to know you're awake Dee!"

Dee felt their heart stop as the person on the other side said their name so casually. With a cold feeling spreading across their skin, Dee stepped past the curtain.

On the other side of the curtain was a welcoming living room. A well stuffed pale yellow couch with cheerfully red throw pillows tucked into the corners on either side of the couch. Matching curtains hung over a window on one side of the room.

A small TV was opposite the couch with a simple little table between the two objects.

Behind the couch was a doorway that showed the counter, stove and island of a kitchen as well as three people standing around said island.

Doc was standing across the island from the doorway, looking directly at Dee as they walked further into the living room.

The other two were hidden from view, only the shadows that they cast across the floor being visible.

"It's good to see you're feeling better this morning," Doc started, seeming to be unfazed by how Dee was still across two different rooms from him with a kitchen island and sofa between them "How did you sleep?"

Dee didn't say anything, instead letting their eyes move around the room. Desperately trying to think of a way out of this situation.

"I know you have questions, if you'll come sit with us then I can help explain a few things" Doc tried to convince Dee to come closer. While they would normally have trusted Doc, this was something of an extreme circumstance.