The room has fell into a quiet stillness, broken only by the faint click of plates.
Empty plates rested on the table, the traces of their food already gone.
Anne was gathering the dishes one by one, stacking them carefully in her arms, before carrying them outside the room.
Eli remained in his chair, leaning back with a weary sigh. The others had left the room a while ago....Except the boy who was still sitting next to Eli and staring at the only window in the room.
His gaze lingered on the world outside...the calm streets and the silent buildings. But his mind was somewhere else....questions he couldn't answer..the reality he is living right now..and the uncertainty of what everything is.
Something soft brushed against his leg. The boy blinked and looked down.
A small cat was circling around his feet....Willow's cat. The cat looked at him with bright, familiar eyes.
The boy stared for a moment before carefully bending down and scooping the cat into his arms.
"How did you get here?"
Eli glanced over and chuckled.
"I completely forgot." He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "That little guy was brought here with you. Somehow that slipped my mind."
The boy looked from the cat to Eli and back to the cat. The rhythmic purring was strangely comforting, easing a tension he hadn't even realised he was carrying.
As the cat curled comfortably in his lap, memories of the previous day surfaced.
.....Willow....Nathan
....how Nathan hadn't returned ...how Willow had gone out to look for him..
"I hope they're okay...." He murmured almost to himself.
His gaze drifted to his arm. The bandages he wrapped around it has begun to loosen in several places, exposing small patches of skin beneath.
Eli's eyes also drifted to the boy's arm, noticing the loose bandages.
"What happened to your arm?"
The boy looked up. For a moment, he simply stared at Eli, uncertainty flickering across his face. He knew the answer, yet he didn't know how to explain it. He can't say he was injured since there is no evidence of it left under the bandages. He just put the bandages back on for his own sake.
After a long pause, he lowered his gaze.
"Nothing."
Eli studied him for a second before giving him a small nod.
"I get it." He said quietly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"But..." Eli continued, leaning back in his chair. "You could at least tell me your name. It'll make things a lot easier if we're going to be roommates."
The boy stayed quiet. His name...a simple question....a question he was never able to answer.
Just then, Anne walked back in after putting away the dishes. She glanced between the two of them before pulling a chair and taking a seat.
Anne broke the silence with a warm smile.
"So..." she began, resting her arms on the table. "How are you liking it here, cute guy? I mean the dinner.."
The boy looked up.
"It's....fine."
"I'm glad to hear that." She smiled. "And just so you know, if you ever decide you want a different roommate just let me know. You can always switch rooms."
Eli turned to her with an exaggerated look of offense.
"Hey...i'm sitting right here."
A small laugh escaped Anne.
"What? I'm just giving him options."
The boy glanced at Eli before shaking his head.
"No, i'm okay."
Eli folded his arms with a smug grin.
"See? He likes me already."
The boy didn't respond. Instead, his expression grew thoughtful.
"Can I ask something?"
Anne nodded. "Of course"
...."What are the monsters like?"
The question erased the smile from their faces. Anne and Eli exchanged a puzzled glanced before looking back at him.
The boy looked at them and knew that he had to explain his question.
"What i mean is....Can someone be human and a monster at the same time? Do the monsters....heal after being injured? Can anyone heal right away ...after being injured? How do we.."
"Woah...woah..woah.." Eli turned to him. "Easy."
The boy fell silent, realising how quickly the questions had poured out.
Anne watched him for a moment before speaking.
"The truth is ...no one knows everything about them."
She folded her hands on the table.
"We've all learned some things through experience, but there is still a lot that we don't know." She tilted her head slightly. "What i don't understand is why your questions are so....specific."
"...And confusing." Eli added.
The room grew quiet. The boy lowered his eyes to the floor, absentmindedly stroking the cat's fur.
"Because I need to know."
Before either of them could respond, the door creaked open and a man with a ponytail and a lot of piercings came into the room. Eli and Anne seem to know him.
"There you are," He said. "Dinner time's over...get up"
His gaze swept over the three of them before he turned back to the doorway.
"That includes you...new kid."
Without waiting for a reply, he stepped out into the hallway, leaving the door open behind him.