The Sanatorium

Chapter Nine

It had been almost six years.

About six years had passed since Jupiter was separated from Wolfie. She had left the orphanage when she turned 18 a few months ago, and then moved into a townhouse and worked as a librarian at a local library. The orphanage teaching and daily therapy had made Jupiter forget everything in the past, and moved on with her what seemed for her an 'ordinary' life. She enjoyed her days reading books and helping everyone with the books and holds and checking in and out books for everyone.

Life had seemed perfect for her.

It was just at the same time Wolfie was at work. A terrific baker at the bakery right beside the library, just where Jupiter passes by to grab a loaf of bread or more for a snack while working at the Library. Wolfie, herself, had never forgotten Jupiter, but then sometimes when she served Jupiter the bread, she couldn't recognize Jupiter herself. With Jupiter's long bangs and hair gone, her delicate brown hair had been cut to shoulder length and she wore horn-rimmed glasses unlike before, and her usual determined expression was replaced with a calm, relaxed expression, but there was always that focused expression that she never took off. It was the only sign of Jupiter that Wolfie could get ahold of.

Jupiter, herself, felt like she had some relationship with Wolfie earlier. She couldn't figure out what it was, but every since she'd had that feeling she would treat Wolfie nicer, wishing her a good day and giving her extra money as a tip. She'd recommend her favourite stories with Wolfie and finally one day when Wolfie told Jupiter she was having a day off for her birthday and invited Jupiter to walk at the park with her.

Jupiter realized that the more times she hung out with Wolfie, the more weirder it got. She kept having this feeling of knowing Wolfie sometime before, and her mind kept flashing images of her and Wolfie in a large mansion, but she couldn't picture it herself.

Am I going crazy?

After they finished their ice creams Wolfie said she was going to show Jupiter something. They headed to a strangely familiar dock, where there was a wooden sailboat with a rainbow pride flag, but it looked abandoned and old. It also looked oddly familiar, at the point when Jupiter strained her memory to try to remember where everything came from.

"Familiar right?" Wolfie smiled at Jupiter's shocked face, "I remember it too. We were here before as it took us to our true home."

"Oh," Jupiter said before she realized what she heard. Her eyes widened as she stared at Wolfie. It felt like the memories were crawling back to her. The memories when she rode on that exact boat that Wolfie was at.

More memories crept into her mind. The memory where she lived in fear of the cannibals and spiders at the Sanatorium during nighttime, when Wolfie was always near her, comforting her the best sides of the Sanatorium. The memories of she and Wolfie living through the best parts and the worst parts of her old home.

Home.

She then grabbed Wolfie and pulled her into a fierce hug, sobbing. Wolfie hugged back, her tears streaming.

"Oh my god Wolfie, I've missed you so much!" Jupiter cried hysterically, pulling Wolfie closer.

"How much you've changed since the last time I've seen you!" Wolfie grinned, but her face fell.

"The Sanatorium still hasn't opened yet, right?" Jupiter said gloomily.

"Not that I've heard," Wolfie sighed, "I miss our old home."