Chapter Eleven

The sun shone brightly in the sky. It felt so warm and inviting on my face. It had always been so cold in the institution because of air conditioning. Out here on this warm September day I finally felt normal. No more being locked up for me, I thought.

My stomach growled and I realized I was hungry. I reached into the pockets of my thin gray pants; they were all empty. MY white T-shirt had no pockets. I was walking around this strange town, alone and with nothing but the clothes on my back.

The realization that this wasn't going to be as simple as I thought finally hit me. Where was I going to sleep? What would I eat? I started to panic for a minute. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

I looked around in desperation. It was sunny today but it wasn't going to be like this everyday. It would get cold and snow in a few months. What would I do then? I could live outside in a T-shirt when it was snowing.

The town was very small. The street I was on had a few shops that seemed to be empty. There were a couple of streets that branched off this main street that I could see but I assumed they would only have houses.

I continued to walk down the road, hoping that somehow a solution would come to me. Somehow I would think of a way out of this. I wished that Chris were here. He would know what to do; he always knew what to do. I was only eight years old, almost nine; I didn't know how to live on my own. What was I thinking running away from the institution?

This town almost looked deserted. I didn't see any cars on the road, no people walking down the sidewalk. I peered into the nearest shop window and it seemed empty. I didn't see anyone inside and the shelves were empty. I frowned in worry and went on to the next shop. It was empty too. All the shops were empty. This was a ghost town!

I ran down the street staring into every window I passed hoping to see a person, anyone. But every single shop was deserted. I turned down the residential streets and ran to the nearest house. It was small beat up bungalow. I pounded on the door, not caring if I sounded desperate. No one answered. No answered any of the doors. All the houses were dilapidated and run down.

No one lived here. I was more alone than I thought.

Should I go back to the institution?

"No," I told myself firmly. I would not go crawling back to a place that would only keep me locked up, hidden away from society. I knew that if I went there I would never leave. I still had so many memories to get at. Dr. Chambers never wanted to talk about my amnesia or what I remembered when I did remember. She only asked about Penny and Craig or Dr. Collins. She always seemed a little afraid to ask about Dr. Collins. She knew that we had been talking about my past when I attacked him. She thought I would do the same to her. She didn't care about helping me; she only wanted to help herself.

I was taken to that institution to stay for good, to get out of the Ferguson's way, not because they truly wanted me to get better.

I would never go back there.

But I couldn't stay here in this town. I had to get somewhere that had shelter and food. I remembered seeing a movie where a woman got a ride from a trucker on the highway. Penny and Craig had been watching it late at night and I watched from the top of the stairs, they never even knew I was there. I did that a lot when I couldn't sleep.

I would have to get a ride from a trucker then. I began walking again towards what I thought was a highway. I hadn't seen any cars go by so far, but someone had to eventually right? And who could resist picking up an eight year old boy? Someone would see me and feel bad enough to stop.

The sun beat down on me but I trekked down the highway, sweating. I thought it was a nice day, but now I was too hot. I needed water. I didn't know how much further I'd be able to go. I had only walked for about an hour, but I was about to collapse.

Just when I was about to sit down and rest, I heard a car approaching from, behind. I turned around quickly and saw a gray van getting closer and closer. I was tempted to step out onto the road to ensure they would see me but I didn't want to hit me by accident. I waved my arms wildly to get the driver's attention. The van made a whooshing sound as it passed me. My heart fell and I turned around, prepared to continue walking.

And there was the gray van. It had pulled over to the side of the road. My heart leaped and I used my last burst of energy to run up to the passenger side door. I pulled it open and pulled myself up onto the step. The driver was a woman, maybe in her late fifties, with black hair that had strands of gray running through it. It was pulled up into a soft looking ponytail. Very different from the Grandmother's severe gray bun. She had dark eyes that looked very soft and loving. She smiled at me and tiny wrinkles appeared at the corners of her eyes.

"Hello," she said. Her voice was gentle, not harsh like the Grandmother's.

"Hello," I said quietly.

"What are you doing out here all by yourself?" she asked, her smile turning into a concerned frown. I couldn't tell her the truth, could I? No, then she would never give me a ride. I had to make up a story. Anything, but the truth.

"I, uhh." I thought for a minute, hoping it didn't look suspicious and said, "My parents left me here,"

I didn't know what else to say. Would she believe this story, or had I just blown my chance at a ride?

"Oh dear, what parent would leave their child?" she asked, her eyes wide in shock. I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Well get in honey, you can tell me what has happened on the way to Greenglenna," the woman told me.

I got into the van and sat down against the cool seat. The air conditioning was on.

"Is that where we are going? Greenglenna?" I asked.

"That's right," she said.

I had never heard of that town before, but I hadn't been many places in my short life. Half of which had been spent locked up in one place or another.

"I'm Betsy by the way," the woman said smiling. She had very white teeth. They reminded me of Cathy's teeth.

"I'm Cory," I told her.

"So what is a sweet boy like you doing out here?" she asked.

My mouth felt dry and pasty and I swallowed hard.

"Oh dear, would you like some water?" she asked.

I nodded eagerly. She handed me a water bottle and I gulped it down even though it was lukewarm.

"Oh you poor dear," Betsy said worriedly. She handed me a muffin and I gobbled it up without even tasting it. I drank more water and thanked her.

"It's nothing dear, my pleasure," she said.

"I lied about my parents," I blurted out suddenly. I hadn't planned on telling this woman the truth but now I felt like I owed her that much. She was helping me, more than I could say for a lot of people that had come into my life in the last few years. She might think I was crazy but I still felt like the truth would be best.

"You did?" she asked, surprised.

I nodded, "I have no parents that I remember, only my brother and sisters," I told her.

"Oh no," she breathed.

"I want to tell you the truth because you are helping me," I said looking over at her. She was frowning in concern and curiosity. She saw I was serious and pulled off the highway into a parking lot. There was a small family restaurant that looked pretty empty.

"Cory, honey, I can see that you are very troubled and I feel drawn to you. You need someone's help and I feel right now that I am the one to help you. I am lonely, just as you seem to be. I think I was meant to find you on the highway," Betsy said, she had tears in her eyes. I felt tears come to my eyes and they spilled over my lids.

I had never had someone say something like that to me. This woman was the person who was going to help me, I felt sure of that. I would finally find where I belonged. All we had to do was trust each other. And, to my surprise I knew I could trust Betsy.

We went into the restaurant and Betsy ordered us some food. I was grateful just for that much.

I had tried to talk to people about my past but they had never really listened, no the way I wanted them to. Betsy would be different; I just knew she would be.