Chapter 48 - Withering flowers

A heavy silence fell in the living room. I clung to Grant's hand desperate to grip my reality. I wanted to stay right here, right now. My fingers intertwined with my mate's. However, the tiny gate that I've opened to recount my tale burst wide letting out everything I've so carefully buried. The images flooded before me, I blinked to force them away.

-Liliane, stay with us.

Demos' voice floated far away. I was gone. Gone far beyond reach. My eyes dropped to the dirty tiles of the bathroom under my trembling frail legs as I marched n.a.k.e.d out of the shower. The only comfort in this humiliation was that I wasn't alone. The other girls looked as scared as I was.

"Look at that dirt! Hey!" shouted a voice towards me. A strong solid hand closed around my arm and shook me. I looked up in confusion, an angry nurse in a white uniform and a tiny hat glared at me.

"Do you have ears! You line up when you get out of the shower. We are not animals!" she pushed me with the other girls. I almost fell if one of them didn't catch me.

"Just do as she says," she whispered to me. I struggled to my feet and mimicked her. They all lined up on both side of the bathroom with their hands at their sides. I was reluctant to take my hand away from hiding myself. A second nurse came in, pushing a trolley of laundry. She handed each one white panty and a grey dress.

"This is your uniform, you will take care of it and will wash it. If something happens to it. You will be held responsible. We hate dirty brats. We hate smart mouth. This is not home. The doctors seem to think you have some fancy disease but believe me when I tell you that discipline is the cure to everything. I'll beat it into your bones if I have to," the nurse turned to study each and every one of us as we slipped into our uniforms. On mine was sewed a number. Fifteen.

"From now on, you forgot your past life. Your families and friends. They are gone, they are dead. You will abide by the law of this house. This is your house now. We are your family now. You'll obey or we'll make you. You are not crazy, whatever the hell the doctors say, this is only teenagers going through their rebellious stages. I'll beat it out of your system," she marched back and forth with her hands behind her back. I shivered with my bare feet in contact with the cold floor. We didn't get a towel to dry off. Water dripped from my wet hair.

"Now, march to the cafeteria," she clapped her hands startling me. I looked up at the other girls as they strode out of the bathroom. I followed them with my heart racing in my chest. We went to another corridor and climbed down curving stairs to a big hall with numerous tables and benches. The room was separated with a red line in the middle. There were other children already sitting at some of the tables. On one side were boys and the other girls. All of their sat quietly at their table eating their food. I joined the girl who helped me in the bathroom and sat next to her.

"Is this place mixed, like they have boys too?" I whispered to her. However, she stared in front of her with her face blank. I looked around at the other girls and they did the same. The nurse had joined a table with the other staffs. "Can you-" I turned back to her.

"Shut up! Or you'll be punished," she hissed at me. One of the other girls gave me a side-glance. A cook wearing a long brown apron pushing a trolley with squeaking wheels came near our table.

"I hope you're hungry?" she smiled. She was a heavy woman with a gentle smile. Her hair was wrapped in a green cloth around her head leaving her round face and rosy cheeks apparent. She started with the far left of the long table and filled a spoonful of a brown soup in the plates. When she reached my level I looked up at her and she smiled at me. The brown soup was thick and slimy with chunks of unnamed ingredients. Vegetables were expensive, so I quickly crossed it off the list. There was a strange smell to it. Something I couldn't put my finger on.

"Just eat it," whispered my neighbor. I seized my spoon and stirred the liquid. I took a mouthful and instantly regretted it. There was an impossible mixture of burnt meat and tacky stew.

"Don't throw up. Just swallow it or else they'll beat you up," whispered the girl. I swallowed it as she told me. Goosebumps rose on my arms. The second spoonful wasn't any better. By the fifth spoon, the plate was only halfway. I pray to all the gods out there to save me. My hand shook as I rose that last spoon to my lips. It was so bad tears stung my eyes. She rubbed my back and gave me a smile.

"That's a good girl, Liliane," I blinked at her. How did she know my name?

"Liliane?" she frowned at me. "Wake up!" I blinked and saw Grant staring down at me. My eyes darted to his concerned face to Demos. I lay on his lap his arms around me.

"I'm sorry," he held me close.

"What…?" I said my voice so hoarse I didn't recognize it.

"You had a convulsion and screamed. But we felt it through the link and saw your flashback," said Grant as he held my hand. He pulled it to his lips and kissed them. He then came closer and they both held me tight.

-We are sorry for making you relive this traumatic event.

I felt safe with them. I didn't want to close my eyes in fear the images might come back.

"We should go out to help ease the tension," suggested Grant. He pulled away with a smile. "The happiness program advice, going out and socializing, right?" I didn't sound like a good idea. Yet, I dreaded going to sleep. So I nodded it was still early and tomorrow was the last day of the week.

"What are you thinking?" I pushed away from Demos on unsteady legs. He was ready to catch me, however, I managed to not fall.

-party

I faced Grant, he gave me a huge smile. What?

-I know someone who owns a clu