X-Marks: Stealing Shadows

Plans

We followed Valencia through the halls of the center and into a large room she called the cafeteria. It was filled other children in emerald uniforms seated behind long steel tables. The girls wore the same green dress and white shirt as I did. The boys wore matching green coats and ties.

Above, large fans wafted the air with savory and sweet foods I had never smelt before. It was all making my stomach ripple.

Valencia walked us to a table at the center of the room, packed our trays with food and sat us down at one of the steel tables.

"These are pancakes. They taste even better with syrup. Try some," Valencia said, from the head of the table and pointed to a small brown bottle in front of me.

I took a bite of my pancakes. Its sweet flavor lifted me from my seat.

"Do you like them?" Valencia asked.

I nodded my head and took more bites.

The girl was next to me. Her back was hunched over her plate as she ate bit by bit. I avoided her stare. If I did, maybe she would forget my promise.

The girl looked up from her pancakes but only with her eyes. She pinched a piece of meat on her plate, nibbled on its end and put it back down.

It seemed she didn't like any food.

"If you don't like bacon," Valencia said to the girl, "I can eat it for you."

The girl picked up the piece of meat again and took larger bites. Those bites turned into whole pieces, and whole pieces turned into hand fulls until it was all gone.

"Looks like somebody likes bacon too," Valencia said and took a bite of bacon from her place.

The little girls face switched and like a burst of light she began to laugh with Valencia.

Their laughter was like a chime, each cackle bounced off each other. Soon I laughed with them. The other tables looked at us. Their piercing stares did not welcome. I focused back on my tray.

After our laughter had settled, Valencia began to help a boy at another table cut his food.

"So, when are we leaving?" the girl whispered in my ear and chewed her food.

I stopped my own chewing as dread washed down my spine. I couldn't tell her. Not now.

"Don't you remember? You said you would-,"

"Yes, I know," I said and dragged my face to hers.

"Well, what are we going to do?" the girl said and pulled herself closer to me.

From here I could see scratches on her swollen cheeks. What did they do to her?

"I'll think of something," I said and ate the last my pancakes, "We have to get out of here first."

I carried my words with more weight than they deserved. She believed me, and somehow even I thought we could do this and continued to speak.

"I'll get you out, but I'm not leaving. I kind of like it here," I said and waited for the girl's disapproval.

"Okay," the girl said and took the last sip of her orange juice.

It was settled. I would help the girl out of here, and I would stay. This would be the last I would ever see of the girl with the curls.

Now all I had to do was figure how to do it.