Final Collection
Page 17
CHAPTER 17
Adam opened his eyes recognizing his head was slightly elevated and he was resting on some sort of bed or flat couch, he imagined a doctor’s office and decided hospital bed. The walls were white with a shade of pink but seemed to transition to a subtle green with relative quickness. On a bench along the wall sat the slender woman with long, white hair, patiently gazing at Adam. His mind was refocusing and organizing, trying to place things he shouldn’t know about or should know more about; it wasn’t really working. Adam looked back at the woman who seemed to be waiting for him, “Evelyn?” She smiled, “Give yourself another moment, you’ll feel much better if you do.” Adam looked back in the general direction of the ceiling in front of him. “I could only understand so much.” He stopped to focus on a question, “What is ‘City’ to you?” The light green was slowly leaving the walls. Evelyn didn’t move more than her mouth as she spoke, “An attempt to prepare for transition.” Adam felt it an incomplete answer and was trying to manage another question as the last color left the walls, leaving it an empty white; before he found one Evelyn stood up to leave so Adam swung his feet to the floor hesitating to stand just yet. “And Mark was just an incidental loss then?” She watched him, giving Adam’s mind time to grapple with where he really wanted to go with his questions. “Mark was destructive in the end, he became overconfident that he knew what we were striving for; also, he would have killed you if he were given enough time.” Adam finally left the bed entirely and Evelyn started for the open doorway at the foot of the bed. Adam followed her into the hallway noticing many open doorways in both directions. “What if I don’t fully understand what you’re striving for, will I find myself friends with Mark?” Adam’s mind flickered through some of the things he devoured earlier, and he knew he wouldn’t find death’s end here or soon, not entirely confident he knew why. He looked into some of the open doorways finding them similar to the one he had been in and empty. Evelyn continued ahead, not looking back and not answering Adam’s question. “So will I be replacing Mark?” Adam already knew the answer and felt he was just wasting his breath while his mind unraveled and organized into clear curiosity. Evelyn followed the wall as it curved to the right at an intersection without corners and Adam watched her as she moved easily, confidently ahead of him. Adam found himself slowing down and focusing on words he didn’t exactly understand, the words came out and he saw Evelyn hesitate and turn back, “Seytanin Kilic,” shay-ton-in kill-ich he pronounced slowly as he noticed his hand reaching for the wall. Evelyn was grabbing his wrist before he could make contact with the glossed paneling, “Not yet,” she brought his wrist back to his side, “not for either things anyway.” She let go of his wrist and calm spread back into her features. Adam continued following her and searching his mind for a question she would answer, “How long before you will be gone?” Adam was a little mortified about asking with the words he chose, thinking she would perceive it to mean about length of life. Evelyn laughed in a way that seemed pleasant, “In a way, I won’t be gone, but in the way you’re asking, very soon.” Adam wasn’t exactly sure she understood what he had meant but didn’t want to press any further. They came to the end of the hallway and through the opening Adam could see the blue conference room empty. Evelyn turned to Adam, “Right now learn as much as you can. I have no doubt you will, but keep focused on it. Try not to get distracted.” Adam felt very lost as he passed through the opening to find the directors seated as they had been before he had fallen unconscious; all except the man who had been seated beside him. In a half thought and not finding it necessary for himself at the moment, Adam wondered where the washroom was located.