MIRR/OR/ED

|Chapter 6|

Chapter 6. Speeches

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The mid-morning sun illuminates the crowd as rows of members follow each other excitedly to their belongings, all of us eager to get settled. A small boy at the front of the line slings his bags over his shoulder and struts off quickly to their family making their way to the doors. I notice Lilly tread the back of the line and pick my feet up to follow.

I avoid looking back to Devin, hoping to lose his energy in the mix of people. The exposure to the revelation he gave is still heavily printed on my mind and it's hard to sort through the emotions. Losing him in the crowd, I fiddle with the bags piled in the back of the loading truck until I find the one that has my white laminated name tag sewn to the front. I sling it over my shoulder and jog ahead to catch up with Lilly.

Her golden locks bounce with each step as the bright morning sun lights it like fire.

"You excited?" I call to her, she glances behind her shoulder at me and gives me a knowing grin.

We get used to the barren cities in the West, after all most of this territory is industrial based which is made of a lot of abandoned factories and industrial complexes. The same scenery makes up most of it but this city you can sense is much more open, with the sound of traffic and the distant voices floating through the air. It's alleviating to not be completely secluded from society.

Lilly takes the door from the one ahead of her and we step in. The overwhelming height of the factory is the first thing you notice, the ceilings stretch to what looks to be four flights. And at the tops there are large paneled windows lining the length of the ceiling, letting the natural light flow to the cement ground. Shadows of the window frames reflect onto the floor below our feet.

Tom's sturdy palm presses to the arch of my back, guiding us in a little further.

His stern voice resonates through my shirt as he steps past me. "There's quite enough room for everyone. There are separated areas for sleeping corners, so get six people you're comfortable with and pick a room. Of course families are to be the first ones set together. Once everyone is settled please meet me on the main level."

With the last of his announcement, the gathered groups of members pile into the steps leading to the second level off on the right of the warehouse, and I follow along. Lilly comes swooping from behind and rushes up the stairs, almost knocking my bag out of my arms.

"I get to pick the room!" She yells and steps to the top stair before I make it halfway.

Once my feet hit the last step leading to the first floor I see the rooms line down the hallway to the right of me, curving around the left as it takes you down and around. Along the side is a banister, I crane my neck over, glancing down at the sunlit corridors below and across from us at the hallway of doors lining our floor. The multiple levels you see go up three more flights above our heads.

I find Lily in the second room, setting her things against one of the corner walls.

She knows all of the rooms are the same, right? I think to myself.

Each room has six rusted and wiry bed frames in them. I pick the right-hand side against the back wall and begin to kneel down to set my belongings against it, a large window is slightly broken out above me. Bringing the smell of sand and rust through the room which causes a sense of comfort to envelop it.

Tom's voice erupts like a siren, breaking me away from the nostalgia. "Come down and get your cots."

Picking my knees up off the floor I make my way back down the stairs, Lilly following behind me. The thin, cotton-threaded cots that we know so well are awaiting us. Not thinking of which one to pick, we get ours and carry them back up the stairs.