Rosewood Institute

Meeting Them

Birch's POV

I'm a bundle of anxiety and nerves when Mr. Silas opens the front doors and ushers me inside the institute. It feels more like a huge house... Iris once called it a mansion and said only rich important people lived there. Maybe Mr. Silas is rich and important, not that I really care. Money and status never really mattered to me, all that I cared about when I was a young child was my sister and now she is gone...

I'm brought out of my thoughts by Mr. Silas clearing his throat and I look at his chest in question. I know never to look at someone in their eyes, that only receives a punishment. My body currently hurts too much to be able to withstand another one. I know I should've told Mr. Silas about my pains, but I don't exactly trust him yet. Maybe I never will...

"I wanted to introduce to you the boys that live here. We'll go oldest to youngest. Boys— introduce yourselves please, and there's a no touching rule on the new boy. Okay?"

They all give affirmations and a man with slicked back black hair and silver eyes stepped up. God, he was so scary with his tattoos and large muscles, he could literally snap me like a twig.
"I'm Hades Leone, age 28, originally from Italy. I help Silas run the institute among other things. Just no stealing my hoodies, yeah?"

I nod my head as I hear a tall African man giggling at what he said. I'm mainly wondering why he thought I'd steal from him. I'm overly happy with what I'm wearing now. I was so happy with my hospital slippers, their so comfy! Plus I'm way too scared of the big tattooed man to even be alone in his presence, I don't think I have it in me to steal.

I kinda zoned out as I heard murmurs and talking, I just didn't have it in me to socialize anymore. I was so tired, and I think Mr. Silas knew that when he ushered me away upstairs after I don't even know how long. I think he is showing me around? I dunno, I'm super tired. I wonder if I have to sleep on the floor or if I might get a sleeping bag! That would be super fun, but father always said I wasn't even worth a blanket so maybe not...

I'm brought out of my thoughts again when Mr. Silas starts talking. God, I really need to stop getting lost in my head.

"Birch, this is your bedroom and this is your safe space. Remember safe?" He looks at me pointedly as he says this. I nod my head yes, that I remember safe.

He continues by saying, "We can go shopping in a few days or whenever you feel up to it. I really hope you like it. Now yours is on the third floor, which is technically the attic. But Basil's bedroom is across the hallway and then both of you have your own bathroom as well. There is also a common room on the third floor as well as a small kitchen and a few storage rooms and an empty room that we haven't done anything with yet. Now, let's get you settled and then you can have a nap, you look exhausted."

I nodded at him again, I hadn't really noticed all the hallways we'd gone down or passed. I knew I'd definitely get lost here, but if I stayed in my room, then maybe I could avoid that. I couldn't believe I had a whole room just to myself and a bathroom!

I was surprised he gave me a room but he said he wasn't like father, which I didn't believe at first but now I'm not so sure. All these nice people are confusing my brain and making my emotions hard to process.

It had been awhile since I've had a room, and in the past I always shared with Iris, so I've never slept in a bed all by myself. It seemed kinda lonely but I was still grateful for this opportunity Mr. Silas is giving me.

And well... after Iris died and my father got worse and worse with the abuse and drinking... I was never allowed to have anything, and I was lucky if I was able to escape the house for five minutes to dig in the trash for a few bites of food. I never even thought about escaping him, he was the only family I had left. And now he abandoned me too.

God, I miss Iris.

I looked around the room as we walked in and saw a beautiful bed with purple coverings, I loved purple! There were a few books on the bookshelf above the headboard and a few plants scattered around the space.

I was feeling the leaf of one when Mr. Silas said, "Myka and Arundelle are our resident plant lovers. Paris dabbles but the previous two love plants so much, maybe they'll take you out to our greenhouse sometime. They chose these plants for you and I'm sure they'll check with you weekly on how they're doing. Fair warning— when Myka gets really excited about plants he talks to them. It's kinda hilarious."

I nodded at him as he had a fond smile on his face, which made me slightly envious that he cared about someone so much. The only person I loved that much was Iris, and now I don't know if I'll ever see her grave again.

I sometimes could get away in the early hours of the morning when father was blackout drunk on our old tattered sofa. I loved picking wildflowers for her, she always loved the dandelions. Said that even though most people would walk right past them or think of them as a weed, that she knew they were the most beautiful because of how fragile and angelic they were. They always reminded me of her, I wonder if I could find a few around here.

Mr. Silas lead me to one of the doors which has my bathroom, it even has a bathtub that has bottles of bubble bath, my favorite! It was such a nice space, I wouldn't mind living in here, but I kinda wanted a nap on the nice purple fluffy bed.

We open the last door across the room from the bed and see a huge closet! I loved the wood with black accents, it felt calming to me and familiar. My fathers house had a lot of wood, and I always loved how rich and vibrant the colors were in the variations of wood.

"I'm sorry you and Basil have the smallest bedrooms, bathrooms and closets, it's just that I am running out of space. And I told the agency that you are my last resident I'm accepting, I hope that's okay with you." Mr. Silas said as I shrugged my shoulders. I didn't really care about my room size, I'd be happy to even sleep in the closet.

I felt another wave of exhaustion wash over my body as I slipped my slippers off my feet and set them in the closet. I knew Mr. Silas would have to get me more things but I was perfectly content with what I had.

I scrambled into the purple fluffy bedding as Mr. Silas tucked me in with my blankets and a kiss on my forehead with saying,  "sweet dreams, baby boy."
And before I knew it, I was asleep, cuddled into my blankets, finally not worrying about anything because finally I felt safe.