This Thing A Quiet Madness Made

Chapter 42

Unknown stared intently at the phone sitting in front of her, its softly glowing screen appearing bright even with the sunlight cascading through the window.

The abundant rays were warm on her skin, a comforting asylum from the morning chill. It was still cold these days, although the winter was far milder than before; the grass outside was greener now, a bit softer, more lively, and the trees were just beginning to regrow some of their young leaves. The sky was a clear blue, spotted with a few big, puffy clouds drifting slowly across the endless expanse, blown gently onward by the cool wind. Unknown had cracked the window open for the first time since she arrived at this school, letting the fresh, crisp outside air fill her lungs with a pleasant tingle. It was mostly quiet outside, the only real sounds being that of birdsong, the faint whistling of the breeze, and the occasional faraway voice that she could never quite make out.

She had been staring at her phone for hours now, hands fidgeting a bit in her lap, seeming to contemplate something as her eyes remained fixed on the unchanging home screen. Unknown couldn't sleep much last night, her mind too busy with the news of Traceback's impending release. It was good news, certainly, but it worried her. She didn't feel right leaving the girl's well-being to strangers; there was no telling what might happen once she was out of the hospital's protection. Unknown felt there must be something more she could do, but what? Perhaps she wasn't thinking hard enough; there must be something she hadn't thought of.

And so here she was, the gears in her mind having grinded and turned for so long that there was practically smoke coming out of her ears. She needed some new ideas, a fresh perspective, another mind that could make up for what she was missing.

Maybe she could ask someone for help, but who?

It was a few hours past noon when Unknown noticed how much time had passed. She sighed as she stood up, rolling her shoulders and stretching her neck, her stiff joints popping as she shifted for the first time since early that morning. Begrudgingly accepting the fact that she wasn't doing anyone any good this way, she opted instead to take a break.

Unknown closed the door behind her as she stepped out of her room. She started down the hallway with a yawn, tilting her head back and forth a few times to rid herself of the residual stiffness clinging to the base of her neck. She pressed the down button to call the elevator, and after a brief moment, the chime sounded and the doors puffed open in welcome.

The ground floor was quiet as she stepped out. That wasn't too surprising, considering it was a weekday afternoon; her housemates were all occupied with classes just a stone's throw away. She started towards the common area, padding steadily through the familiar, empty corridors. She wasn't too keen on coming down here while the others were home, but with them gone, there was no reason to keep herself locked away on the second floor. She often came down to the kitchen during the late mornings or afternoons in search of something to eat, which was, coincidentally, the same goal occupying her mind at the moment.

It didn't take long for her to reach the kitchen, and she wasted no time in heading directly towards the refrigerator. She didn't exactly know how to cook, considering her rather limited opportunities in the past, so she usually had to settle for whatever was already there. Fortunately, not all of her housemates were quite so culinarily challenged, and even more fortunately, there was never a shortage of leftovers.

Tugging open the refrigerator, she bent down to scan its contents. There was quite a variety of ingredients packed atop the shelves and drawers, and in what limited space they didn't occupy, there was a small assortment of carefully arranged containers, presumably holding various leftovers from the days before.