Know

"Where did you learn moves like that?" Timothy asked just like he had been asking for the past three minutes and just exactly like the past three minutes, I ignored him because I didn't feel like speaking. He didn't give up though, he never did when it came to speaking.

Our steps slowed down, I noticed the number of people that were passed had become lesser after the last two cars and now we stood in front of a door which I was quite sure was the entrance last car on the train.

"We're here," he says and then turns the rusted knob. The door makes an unpleasant sound as he pushes it open, the place is dark and he brings out his phone and kits up the place. I stepped in beside him and stay close hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Now you're standing next to me willingly?" I could hear the teasing in his voice. I chose to ignore it, and his words. I wouldn't let it get to me.

He flipped a switch on the wall next to us and the room brightened up completely in all of its dust-covered glory.

As I distanced myself from Timothy, no longer needing his proximity, I observed the room.

Dust covered.

Broken furniture.

And the good ones were probably the ones covered with white tarps. The wooden floor was well polished though, it was covered in dust but yet it was shining like the last time a person cleaned it was this morning.

Just like the floors at the orphanage, they always shine, always squeaky clean which was one of the reasons why we were never allowed to run around in the halls because our sneakers would always make disturbing sounds like we lived in a basketball court. We were told to walk with grace and most of the boys said it was too girly of course the sisters put them in their places and soon every single one of us were just mirror images of each other just with different faces and intellect.

"….ways come here when I need to clear my head"

Huh?

Was he talking to me?

"Caramel? Are you there?"

When I raise my head he is no longer next to me, he is standing next to a ladder that looked like it lead nowhere but I could see a handle on the ceiling above the ladder. He looked at me with those same blank eyes he had been using, and then the smile followed. The smile didn't reach his eyes but he made it seem as if it did. If it was someone with lesser intelligence....which is almost everyone, they wouldn't have noticed that what this man has on is a mask, and it was perfectly fitted.

"Shall we?" again his hand outstretched waiting for me to take it. We've been holding hands a lot recently, I don't know if I'm comfortable with it but I know the feeling of my hand in his causes me no discomfort.

"What is this place?" I was not planning on climbing a ladder that I wasn't sure where it led to. Forget the fact that he looked like an actual peacemaker, I do not trust people, especially people I've known for only a day and a half.

"It's the only way to the roof of the train," Timothy says, his eyes twinkling as he says it, its very much obvious he has been here before so he probably knew what to expect.

…..wait, did he just say roof?

My brows furrow in confusion "Why would anyone want to go to the roof except if they want to commit suicide?"

He laughs like my question was funny. It was reasonable, why would he want to go to the roof knowing that he would fly off because of the strong winds almost immediately?

"Because it is fun silly" he grabbed both my hands and pulled me towards the ladder like it was the most natural thing to do. I looked down at our hands and then at his excited face, he was like a kid on Christmas morning…from TV of course because none of us at the orphanage were ever really excited on Christmas…rather we dreaded it, well the others did. I found it hard to feel normal human emotions after my eighth birthday.

"Come on Cara, trust me," He said, he gave both my hands a light reassuring squeeze. I looked at him, really looked at him. Why would I trust a stranger? I honestly didn't know but I knew right there and then that I wanted to do something that was never in the books written about me, change my destiny…not that I believed in that shit.

"I won't hurt you, you're safe with me. I promise" He was serious, I knew he was. I stopped dragging my feet and followed him. He let go of my hand to climb the ladder, he pulled down the handle and a door opens up. The winds attack me immediately it opens up but it isn't as much as I thought it would be. Timothy disappears into the roof, and he leaves me behind but knowing fully well that he was expecting me to join him I still hesitated.

The ladder was slightly dusty, I climbed it and went up. My hair blew wildly, bothering my eyes. It made me realize that my hair was kind of overdue for a haircut.

It was another room, small. A reading table. And a chair with a few books on it then a large stuffed green teddy that looked like he was a couch…it was big. Probably taller than Timothy.

There were two large windows where the winds blew from, Timothy closes them and then stands at the center of the room gauging my reaction. His head almost touching the ceiling, it looked like he got into a play house meant for kids. It was quite funny to see, he smiles and raises his brows like he was asking what I thought about the room. The place was too small and stuffy, and both of us standing here made it seem like we were in a play house yet….there was a view of the scenery outside and the room was stocked with books in almost every corner. There had to be at least 200 here...my heart pumped with excitement, something I had not felt in a long time.

I don't know when it happened, but I laughed. I heard the sound leave my lips and then more of it.

Books…

Lots of them…this was it for me.

"I didn't your facial muscles could walk this perfectly" Timothy looked surprised at my outburst, hell even I was surprised.

This place…how did he know?

"How did you know?"

"What?"