Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, so don't even bother suing, it won't do any good!
Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry it's been a while. I'd like to thank all my reviewers, for this story and for the other one. My exams'll be coming up soon. So if another chapter isn't posted soon, don't fret, it will be eventually. It's just that I write this fic (the entire thing) in class when I get bored. So I'll have to start listening so that I don't flunk. LOL! I'm just kidding; I'm a good student. Anyways, enough of this babble. Hope you like it and if you do, please review. I love to hear what y'all think!
"You're Shelby Merrick, right?" a man asked me.
"Yeah, that's me. And you are?" I asked back.
"I'm Peter Scarbrow," he replied.
I just shrugged my shoulders. "Whatever."
"Alright, well, I'll go let Hannah know about her new admit," Roger said, jogging off.
"Alrighty, Shelby, you'll be coming with me."
"It's not like I have a choice," I replied, my voice back to that stony impassability.
"Exactly. Anyway, you'll be getting checked by the nurse, and then I'll check your stuff and get you a buddy."
"Oh joy, a buddy!" I followed him to the admin building, in which there was an empty room with my name on it.
The nurse came up to us. She was a middle-aged woman, who was, to say the least, not the prettiest person I ever saw.
"Cathy, bring her over to my office when she's done."
The woman nodded her agreement.
"Oh, by the way, this is Shelby Merrick," Peter added before he headed to his office.
"Alrighty," she said handing me a gown.
"You want me to wear... this?" I asked, totally disgusted.
"Yes," she answered shortly, as if it were the most obvious thing ever.
"Well, I won't." if I did she'd see my bruises and scratches that had not yet healed.
"Why not? Of course, I can't make you, but I do need to conduct several vital testes."
"Such as?" I asked, a disgusted look in my eyes.
"Um... blood test, urine sample, throat swab, blood pressure, and a pregnancy test," she listed, reading off a checklist.
"None of those require a gown," I pointed out.
"Well, normally there are other tests, such as looking for physical and sexual abuse, but since you won't allow it, there's nothing I can do," she explained.
She went through with all her tests. I didn't make a big deal of it as the only sleep I'd gotten in a few days was about two hours on the plane over and I was exhausted. Even at that, I hadn't slept well, he haunted me even in my dreams. He was always there, in my head, following me everywhere. I was burnt out physically, mentally, and emotionally. I didn't have any physical strength as I was nearly suffering from clinical exhaustion; no more mental strength as I was trying to block him out; and no more emotional strength as I was trying to hide it all.
Finally I was out of there with no positive results. In other words, clean blood test, clean urine sample (what an oxymoron), no diseases, average blood pressure, and I was child-free. I breathed a sigh of relief at these results. With my history, I didn't expect those tests would go well.
Cathy led me to Peter's office. It was a nice office. It had an intimate feel to it. I actually felt comfortable there, but I wasn't going to let on to that.
"Here I am!" I said, slapping on a fake smile which quickly faded to reveal a stone-cold countenance.
"Yes, Shelby. Please hand over your bag," he said, giving me a short-lived smirk. I handed it over it over.
"Why do you want it anyway? I don't have a bomb," I added dryly.
"I don't suspect you do. For one thing, it's regulations. For a second, it's to keep you safe. At Horizon, your mind and body are safe. It's a sanctuary. It's a place to get you away from all that crap out there that landed you here. To keep it this way, we have some rules," he said. This speech was given while he searched my bag for drugs and weapons and such.
"And these rules would be..."
"Oh, uh... no sex, no violence, no inappropriate touching." When he saw my face, he continued. "No kissing, no hugging, no groping, need I go on?"
"Uh, that's alright," I replied. "Anything more?"
"Yeah, lights out at 10 o'clock. Meals are served at 7, noon, and 6. At any other time, you have to make it yourself. You are expected to help out with the kitchen chores and to keep your dorm and bathroom clean. If any of these rules are broken, you will suffer consequences."
"Fine by me. Can I go now?" I asked, exasperated, and in deep need of sleep.
"Only when your first-week buddy arrives."
"You're actually serious?" I asked, a smirk on my face.
"Yeah, and here she is," he said as a tall brunette bounced into the room. I sat back with a mock-horror look on my face.
"Hey Peter!" she squealed.
"Hi. Juliette, this is Shelby Merrick. Shelby, this is Juliette Waybourne," Peter introduced.
"Nice to meet you," she said, sticking her hand out for a shake. I just turned to Peter.
"Oh, wonderful! I get to spend quality time with a practically non-existent, bouncing around, high-on life person! Gee, thanks, but don't expect me to return the favour," I spat out sarcastically.
Juliette looked at Peter with a pleading look on her face. He just gave her a confident one.
"Shelby, I'll let it slide this time, but any such comment in the future, will land you on wood-chopping duty. Alrighty, Jules, show her around and then bring her back to the dorms. Here's your journal," he said handing me a notebook. "I expect you to write in it everyday. You'll be on newbie restriction for three days, which basically means sticking to the dorms and lodge, unless it's feeding time. She should be in there in twenty minutes, Jules. Then round up the Cliffhangers, we're gonna have group in half an hour," he finally finished. Juliette nodded. She went to reach for my bag, to carry it for me, but I got to it first.
"Wouldn't want Princess to break herself," I said dryly, walking by her.
"Stick to it, she'll come around. She's just had a rough time," Peter said to Jules. She nodded, put on another smile, and followed me out.
You have no idea! I thought to myself. It felt weird to be in a new place. But here, he wasn't around. Here, there was no one to harm me. I was untouchable. I was safe physically, and they'd never find out my secret, so I was safe emotionally. They'd never be able to touch my soul, my heart. It was hidden behind countless walls.
However weird it felt, I knew I would never be running from this place. As much as I hated to admit it to myself, and although I'd never admit to anyone else, this place was indeed a sanctuary, and I wouldn't be leaving it for the hate that waited to attack me in the world outside it's safe forests.
Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry it's been a while. I'd like to thank all my reviewers, for this story and for the other one. My exams'll be coming up soon. So if another chapter isn't posted soon, don't fret, it will be eventually. It's just that I write this fic (the entire thing) in class when I get bored. So I'll have to start listening so that I don't flunk. LOL! I'm just kidding; I'm a good student. Anyways, enough of this babble. Hope you like it and if you do, please review. I love to hear what y'all think!
"You're Shelby Merrick, right?" a man asked me.
"Yeah, that's me. And you are?" I asked back.
"I'm Peter Scarbrow," he replied.
I just shrugged my shoulders. "Whatever."
"Alright, well, I'll go let Hannah know about her new admit," Roger said, jogging off.
"Alrighty, Shelby, you'll be coming with me."
"It's not like I have a choice," I replied, my voice back to that stony impassability.
"Exactly. Anyway, you'll be getting checked by the nurse, and then I'll check your stuff and get you a buddy."
"Oh joy, a buddy!" I followed him to the admin building, in which there was an empty room with my name on it.
The nurse came up to us. She was a middle-aged woman, who was, to say the least, not the prettiest person I ever saw.
"Cathy, bring her over to my office when she's done."
The woman nodded her agreement.
"Oh, by the way, this is Shelby Merrick," Peter added before he headed to his office.
"Alrighty," she said handing me a gown.
"You want me to wear... this?" I asked, totally disgusted.
"Yes," she answered shortly, as if it were the most obvious thing ever.
"Well, I won't." if I did she'd see my bruises and scratches that had not yet healed.
"Why not? Of course, I can't make you, but I do need to conduct several vital testes."
"Such as?" I asked, a disgusted look in my eyes.
"Um... blood test, urine sample, throat swab, blood pressure, and a pregnancy test," she listed, reading off a checklist.
"None of those require a gown," I pointed out.
"Well, normally there are other tests, such as looking for physical and sexual abuse, but since you won't allow it, there's nothing I can do," she explained.
She went through with all her tests. I didn't make a big deal of it as the only sleep I'd gotten in a few days was about two hours on the plane over and I was exhausted. Even at that, I hadn't slept well, he haunted me even in my dreams. He was always there, in my head, following me everywhere. I was burnt out physically, mentally, and emotionally. I didn't have any physical strength as I was nearly suffering from clinical exhaustion; no more mental strength as I was trying to block him out; and no more emotional strength as I was trying to hide it all.
Finally I was out of there with no positive results. In other words, clean blood test, clean urine sample (what an oxymoron), no diseases, average blood pressure, and I was child-free. I breathed a sigh of relief at these results. With my history, I didn't expect those tests would go well.
Cathy led me to Peter's office. It was a nice office. It had an intimate feel to it. I actually felt comfortable there, but I wasn't going to let on to that.
"Here I am!" I said, slapping on a fake smile which quickly faded to reveal a stone-cold countenance.
"Yes, Shelby. Please hand over your bag," he said, giving me a short-lived smirk. I handed it over it over.
"Why do you want it anyway? I don't have a bomb," I added dryly.
"I don't suspect you do. For one thing, it's regulations. For a second, it's to keep you safe. At Horizon, your mind and body are safe. It's a sanctuary. It's a place to get you away from all that crap out there that landed you here. To keep it this way, we have some rules," he said. This speech was given while he searched my bag for drugs and weapons and such.
"And these rules would be..."
"Oh, uh... no sex, no violence, no inappropriate touching." When he saw my face, he continued. "No kissing, no hugging, no groping, need I go on?"
"Uh, that's alright," I replied. "Anything more?"
"Yeah, lights out at 10 o'clock. Meals are served at 7, noon, and 6. At any other time, you have to make it yourself. You are expected to help out with the kitchen chores and to keep your dorm and bathroom clean. If any of these rules are broken, you will suffer consequences."
"Fine by me. Can I go now?" I asked, exasperated, and in deep need of sleep.
"Only when your first-week buddy arrives."
"You're actually serious?" I asked, a smirk on my face.
"Yeah, and here she is," he said as a tall brunette bounced into the room. I sat back with a mock-horror look on my face.
"Hey Peter!" she squealed.
"Hi. Juliette, this is Shelby Merrick. Shelby, this is Juliette Waybourne," Peter introduced.
"Nice to meet you," she said, sticking her hand out for a shake. I just turned to Peter.
"Oh, wonderful! I get to spend quality time with a practically non-existent, bouncing around, high-on life person! Gee, thanks, but don't expect me to return the favour," I spat out sarcastically.
Juliette looked at Peter with a pleading look on her face. He just gave her a confident one.
"Shelby, I'll let it slide this time, but any such comment in the future, will land you on wood-chopping duty. Alrighty, Jules, show her around and then bring her back to the dorms. Here's your journal," he said handing me a notebook. "I expect you to write in it everyday. You'll be on newbie restriction for three days, which basically means sticking to the dorms and lodge, unless it's feeding time. She should be in there in twenty minutes, Jules. Then round up the Cliffhangers, we're gonna have group in half an hour," he finally finished. Juliette nodded. She went to reach for my bag, to carry it for me, but I got to it first.
"Wouldn't want Princess to break herself," I said dryly, walking by her.
"Stick to it, she'll come around. She's just had a rough time," Peter said to Jules. She nodded, put on another smile, and followed me out.
You have no idea! I thought to myself. It felt weird to be in a new place. But here, he wasn't around. Here, there was no one to harm me. I was untouchable. I was safe physically, and they'd never find out my secret, so I was safe emotionally. They'd never be able to touch my soul, my heart. It was hidden behind countless walls.
However weird it felt, I knew I would never be running from this place. As much as I hated to admit it to myself, and although I'd never admit to anyone else, this place was indeed a sanctuary, and I wouldn't be leaving it for the hate that waited to attack me in the world outside it's safe forests.
