The Psychological Mystery of Thomas King

Chapter Fifty-Two: Stay Safe

Thomas

Connor shows the rest of us the map, with the hidden exits. The three seem distant and disturbed, but no matter how hard I try, Sienna won't tell me what she saw at the asylum.

I throw on a jacket, and straighten it. Tonight, we're going. We're going to the asylum. And we will not come back unless we know they're all gone.

Saying that thought in my head makes me realize how crazy it sounds.

Ava, Liam, Hailey and I all decide to go to the institute and flood it. Sienna, Connor and Claire advised against it, but the four of us were stubborn about the matter, which confirms that they saw something bad down there. But it doesn't matter.

We're going.

"Where are you going daddy?" Savannah asks, standing in the doorway of the bathroom. I smile and pick her up.

"I'm gonna go save the world, kiddo." I say, in a half- joking tone.

"So, you're a superhero?" January asks and I nod, laughing.

"I guess so." I say.

"But you don't have any powers." Savannah says, pouting. "How are you gonna save the world without superpowers?"

"I'll just kill 'em with kindness." I say. January shakes her head.

"That's not a cool superpower." She says. "You need an epic superpower!"

"Like what?" I ask.

"Water powers!" Savannah exclaims.

Ironic that I'm going to be deluging the asylum.

"Okay, fine." I say. "Then I'll defeat the bad guys with my water powers."

"But you don't have water powers." January says.

"What makes you say that?" Sienna comes, ruffling January's hair.

"If daddy had water powers, then he would've showed us."

"Yeah!" Savannah exclaims. "That's not fair!"

"Maybe when I get back I'll show you." I say. "I promise." Sienna gives me a sad look. Before I can say anything, she leaves the room, January following her. I put Savannah down and she follows her sister and mom out of the guest room.

I am coming back, I think to myself.

I promise.

*******

Sienna sends the kids to her parents house. My in-laws were quite surprised but ecstatic about their grandaughters' visit. They asked question, but Sienna and I made up some excuse. Come to think of it, I can't remember what we told them. My mind is too far stressed to think of little things like that. The drive is very quiet. Well... almost quiet.

"Sooo...." Liam says. "How's life?" We all give him a rather disappointed look, even me who's driving. "Alright, I'll take that as an 'okay.'"

The group goes silent again.

"Are we really not gonna talk?" Liam asks.

"What is there to talk about?" Connor asks.

"I don't know." He says. "I just don't like the silence. It makes me uncomfortable."

"Well, you do deal with high schoolers almost every day." His wife joked.

"You work in a hospital almost every day." Liam says to Claire. "How do you not feel weird in silence?" She just shrugs.