Chapter 16

"Hey, what happened," Ryder asked. He had a wheeled the tray filled with food that had been brought to them. But something was giving him a sick feeling as he had walked into the room and it was as if he was walking in a swamp. The tension in the room was making it hard for any kind of thought to come into his mind. If something could cause this he needed to be on guard, but that also would mean keeping them locked up. "I mean I have breakfast a little of everything. Come on, let's eat, it will be good for us and they brought all sorts of stuff," Ryder was doing his best to lighten the air, but he could tell that the trouble wasn't in the room but somewhere else.

First to come to the food was Xavier then Willow, they hadn't had real food in so long that the idea of breakfast was something that they could not even think of passing up. They got eggs, bacon, toast, muffins, fruit, hot cereal, milk and juice. The two of them just sat and ate their food and for a long while all you could hear was the sound of munching from the two of them which was okay it gave Ryder a chance to ask questions. "So, Anna, are you going to stand by the door the whole time or join us? I made sure to bring plenty," Ryder said, almost teasing her. After looking at him for a few minutes she gave up her watch and came to sit down. She still looked like she was lost in some thought and it still ruined the mood. After a short while of Ryder asking odd questions, and both of them stopping to answer to the best of their ability, the food was gone and the room was halfway back to the less stressful feeling that it had been when they got there last night. Ryder was worried about this, but held his tongue for a bit to find out what caused the problem so it could be fixed quickly.

"Okay, so we have to do the basic thing of setting up this space for you two," Ryder said taking a bite out of an apple piece. "They were asking me as I was walking around earlier if they should bring in one or two computers."he looked at them like he was holding out candy. "I told them that we would need two, one for each of you and that you guys would want some other things, but we would have to ask you," as Ryder was saying all this Willow and Xavier both looked excited. It may as well have been Christmas, a computer and possibly brand new. They could facetime, they could send e-mails, they could chat with people, and most importantly, they could find out about the ones that they left behind. If they could just remember their names, of course.

"I want to read" Willow said, jumping from her chair. "Can we get some books?"

"Is there a way I can do some sort of weights, or something else like that," Xavier asked hopefully.

"Can't you two just be happy with a book or two and this place looks fine Ryder," Anna asked. She didn't sound like herself, in fact, she sounded like someone who was ready to lock them up in a cage forever. Everyone grew silent after hearing Anna, and to say that fear wasn't around would have been a lie. "I just mean Willow you kept talking about school. Also Xavier how far behind are you? Not to mention the stuff I have to teach you,"Anna said, coldly. "So why should we bring in anything to distract them too much," Anna asked, almost like she wasn't sure if they were staying on the train at all.

"Anna...a moment?" Ryder asked as he got up from the table. "Guys think of what you want, we will be outside. Also remember that this is your guys space so try and agree. The skies the limit okay," and with a smile on his face, he grabbed Anna out of her chair pulled her to the door. "Call if there is anything you need," and he pushed Anna out into the hallway, leaving Willow and Xavier to decide what they wanted.

~In the hall~

Ryder was pulling Anna down the hall a short ways, at the same time he was trying to work through the battlefield that was now his mind. At the end of the hallway, he pushed Anna up against the wall and looked her in the eyes with a look that she had never seen on him. She could see not fear in his eyes, but a form of anger had changed the look of his eyes. "Now, are you going to tell me what the hell is going on? Because I don't like twenty questions when it comes to things like this," he was doing his best not to yell, but after slamming his fist into the wall they already had a few people coming out to see what was going on. "Come on Anna, the silent treatment may work at the council, but not here, and to tell you the truth if I have to put up with stuff like what happened at breakfast then there isn't enough alcohol in the world for the trip. So if this is because you are apart from your guy get over it," Ryder was trying to knock sense into her, but all she was doing was looking back at him with almost the same amount of anger. "Those two are scared enough, we don't need to add to it unless we want to walk to the west coast, do you understand?" Ryder waited for a response. "Let me help you, for a moment don't think of them as teenagers, think of them as small critters you found on the side of the road."Ryder was looking at her straight in the eye as he was saying this but didn't look away for a second. "If we scare them, or even startle them, what do you think they will do?" Ryder asked, this made Anna look down at her feet for a bit. "Show's over go back to your cabins, and stay there," Ryder said in a stern voice not changing his eyes from Anna,"well, Anna what do you think will happen?"

"I..I didn't think about it," Anna said. "But they can't leave the cabin....it's not safe," she said this like there was some kind of hidden knowledge about the trip. "Is..is there just some way to keep them in that room, just for now? Then we can let them run around," Anna sounded like she had lost. She normally didn't like losing, but for some reason she couldn't help but give in this time.

Ryder grabbed her hand and started to lead her back down the hall, "come on, we have a cabin to decorate, and some kids to take care of. They are probably thinking the worst right about now so let's hope they haven't done anything stupid,"he said. Ryder was thinking about what alcohol to put on the list when they reached the cabin. He then froze as he came to the door, "do you hear that, Anna?" She nodded and they pushed through the door, and what they saw scared the two adults.