Waters of Lethe, Book 2

17. Duck and Cover

Everyone had either gone back up to the living quarters to eat or to another floor that was like a large cafeteria, Alex told me before he left. He said that the people who worked here often pulled long hours and needed food too. Plus, they had the space, which I fully believed.

I went to the floor that the cafeteria was on. I didn't want to be around the other people who I now shared the twentieth floor with, and I needed food. The cafeteria sounded like a good option until I saw how many people were in it.

People sat everywhere, were in all the lines to get something to eat. I felt blood rush to my cheeks, then turned around and walked back to the elevators.

I could probably skip a meal and be alright.

When I got back on the elevator, I hit the button that would take me to the highest floor. I needed to get to higher ground, clear my head.

The highest floor had actual offices, the air tight and clean with paper and computers and pressed suits. I quietly made my way through the halls as I found the roof access door, all but busting through it.

I sighed relief as the outside air hit my skin. The bright sun didn't do much to warm the air, but I didn't mind. I plopped down on the roof, staring out over the city in all directions. It was magnificent.

The cool breeze and the sun on my skin seemed to take my bad thoughts and replace them with peace.

Out of nowhere, I felt like I needed to pray. I had half an idea of who it was I was praying to. I didn't know the last time I'd prayed, so I didn't exactly know if anyone was listening.

"Hello?" I said aloud, then shut my eyes hard. I didn't feel like that was a great way to start. "Uh, God? Look, man. I don't know what's going on. So I'm asking you to keep me safe. And Enzo, please keep him safe. And I'm begging that you return my head to me. I don't feel like... these people... I don't know, alright? I just want to remember-"

I suddenly got dizzy headed. In another world, I sat on another rooftop, on a building not nearly as tall as this one. I looked out over the distance in moonlit darkness, trees and mountains springing up in every direction. A guy had followed me out onto the roof, but he wasn't a threat. He wore a police uniform and was rather cute, in a boyish way. His brown hair was cut short, his beard was scruffy. Worry was plastered on his face.

"Ryan," I said, out loud. I didn't know the context of the man, or what he was doing following me out on a roof, or what roof we were on, or what he did. Though the uniform suggested that he was either a security guard or a policeman. Maybe I was arrested and taken to a police station and escaped to the roof to get a good last look at the beautiful view, and maybe Ryan was chasing me down?

No, that definitely wasn't it. The look on Ryan's face suggested that he was a friend, someone who cared about me.

I sprung back into the present. I rubbed my eyes and took in a few deep breaths.

"Okay, Lord. I'm gonna need a little more than that. But thank you, knowing Ryan is a start. I'm still missing so many more things... I don't belong here."

"You and me both, sister," Enzo said from behind me as he stepped through the roof access door and took a few easy steps towards me.

"How much of that did you hear?" I asked, feeling defensive, as if I were having a private conversation with someone. Which I was.

"That last bit. I'm sorry, El, for getting my ass over my back. Wasn't right of me," he said, sitting down next to me.

"No, I'm sorry. I must have come from a far-off land where hugging people was a way to say thank you, along with actually saying thank you."