30. Mystery Man

 The first day

He awoke with a start, having dreamt of Leash and his assailants.  He could not remember them, so the dream was an unsettling series of mysterious images, featuring fearsome armoured monsters and a woman who projected malice and pain.  Breathing heavily, it took him a moment to assimilate his surroundings.

            He was in a darkened bedroom furnished only with a bed and a dresser.  The closet was empty.  The door to the adjacent room was open, so no one was trying to imprison him.  He pushed aside his blankets and got out of the bed.  He approached the door silently from the side, listening intently.

            “…officials have sanctioned off the site, investigating the rubble for clues as to the cause…”

            It sounded like a television news report.  If he was a prisoner, he certainly had very lax guards.  He peeked around the edge of the doorway.

            The room beyond was lit with morning sunshine from windows along the right wall.  A short distance ahead of him was a couch with the television beyond it.  On the couch were two young women, a blonde and a brunette.  On the left wall was a doorway.

            “Excuse me,” He decided to speak up, “Would someone like to tell me where I am?”

            They turned towards him slowly.  The blonde stood up.

            “You’re in our apartment.  We found you unconscious in the street.”

            He looked around.  “Was that what was on the news?”

            “Sort of.”  The girl with black hair answered.  “A building collapsed, but they don’t know about you.”

            The young man rubbed his head.  His hair had been shaved fairly recently, as all he found was stubble.  The girls watched him, getting their first good look now that his wounds were healed.  They first noticed his startlingly blue eyes.  Next, they saw that, while there wasn’t an ounce of fat on his body, he was drastically undernourished.  He was wearing only the pair of black pants they had found him in; his shirt had been unsalvageable.

            “You want some breakfast?” The dark-haired girl asked.

            “I am kind of hungry.”  He said shyly.

            “Let’s dig up some grub.”  The blonde grinned.

            The two girls led him to the kitchen off the main room and sat him at the small table while they busied themselves in the cupboards.  He carried himself like a frail old lady, walking tentatively and verging on exhaustion.

            The blonde handed him a box and spoon while the brunette put milk and a bowl on the table.

            “To tide you over while we cook.”  She smiled.  They commenced making bacon, eggs and toast.  When they came back to the table, they found that he had consumed the entire box of cereal and downed the milk.

            “Wow.”  They said in unison.

            He ate three plates of bacon and eggs.  And a loaf of bread.  And a pitcher of orange juice.  By the end of the meal he looked as if he had gained ten pounds.

            “Thank you.”  He said.

            “You’re welcome.”  The brunette said, astonished.

            “Now that you’ve been fed, how about some introductions?”  The blonde said.  “I’m Dorothy, and this is Rebecca.”

            “Nice to meet you.”  He responded.

            “And you are?”  Rebecca asked.

            He looked at her quizzically.  “I was hoping you knew.  Apparently we’re all in the dark.”

            Rebecca looked at Dorothy and widened her eyes.  Dorothy raised an eyebrow.

            “You mean you don’t remember?”

            He shook his head.

            “Do you remember anything?”  Rebecca asked.

            “I had some bad dreams.”

            “That’s it?” Dorothy said.

            “Yes.” He nodded solemnly.  “That’s a problem, isn’t it?”

            “Just a little.”  Rebecca said, failing to repress a grin.

            “When’s lunch?” He asked, making them both laugh.