Wrapped in Bandages

Pink and Red

 When she awoke, she saw that Chance was gone. She wasn't surprised by this, for it happened every time he visited. Besides, he already told her what time he would be leaving. Her delicate hands pushed the pale purple sheets off, as she slid her legs and feet off the bed. The blue bear lay on the bed's soft surface, while she made her way over to the bathroom.

Her morning routine was completed within the span of twenty-five minutes. A blue plastic headband rested on her head and matched the blue t-shirt, which covered her torso. Black shorts were on her person as well, while black flip-flops rested on her feet.

She exited her room, closing the door behind her, and headed to the kitchen. Once again pink flies buzzed past, their noisy chatter filling her ears. Her eyes looked up at the light that needed a replacement bulb. It was still flickering, but with another flicker of life, it burned out. Darkness encased the inside of the light fixture. If they didn't replace the bulb, it would be easier for Chance to make his way through the halls. In her mind she smiled at the thought. On the outside she maintained an indifferent expression, giving the flies no access to her thoughts.

They would most likely question why she was smiling. All of them wouldn't believe that a child could smile in this place. Chance did but presumably only when he was in her room. She smiled but only in her head. As for the workers, they had their pink masks on, while their gleaming eyes hid some dark desire; she didn't even know if it was possible for them to smile. Would she want to see them smile? No, she would probably find it a very disturbing experience.

Reaching her destination, she entered the kitchen. Making her way around the kitchen island, she hoisted herself up onto one of the steel stools that had a circular black cushion. Identical stools were on either side of her, creating a total of five stools. To her left was a metal swing door that led to the dining room. Steel countertops decorated the entire kitchen. An open stove and stainless steel refrigerator were in the space as well. Cupboards of steel were in abundance, as another steel door behind her led to the freezer room. To her right along with the cupboards was a metal door that led to the pantry. In front of her, the wall was cut out in the shape of a rectangle. This gave her view to the dining room filled with metal tables and chairs. Out there was where all the flies consumed their meals.

Sitting in the kitchen was more comfortable. In the dining area, the flies conversed among themselves and shared their secrets. If she were to eat out there, they would stare and chatter more. Thus, she preferred sitting in the metal kitchen where only the chefs worked. Their grey uniforms caused them to almost blend in with the kitchen. This made it easy to act like they weren't there; she could ignore their whisperings and inaudible comments.

Moreover by eating in the kitchen, she could view the sea of pink that covered the dining area. A speck of pink would get up only to be replaced by another. It was interesting to see the constant movement. Sometimes she could picture their movement creating ripples that would then turn into waves. These waves flowed to the kitchen counter, which her elbows rested on. Truly, it would be spectacular if there were an actual ocean in front of her. She could dip her hands in the warm sea water and feel the soft sand under her feet, or at least that's what she imagined it to be like. After all these were the descriptions that existed in one of the books on her shelf.

Grey eyes staring out at the waves of pink and imagining blue waters instead, she hardly noticed a plate and glass being set in front of her. She glanced up to see which chef had brought the food, but they already blended back into their surroundings. Their lifeless expressions created a shadow over their faces, causing them to disappear into their environment even more. Her eyes turned back to the food in front of her. Scrambled eggs with sausage and cheese decorated the white glass dishware, while orange juice filled the white plastic cup. It was a simple meal but satisfying nonetheless. Picking up the silver fork, she picked up the eggs bit by bit.