Greenfield (eBook)

Stage Two:
The Mind and Soul

It was like being in a sci-fi futuristic utopia. Everything was so… clean. There were a few buildings around them that all matched each other, looking very square in shape and pale in color. If it wasn’t for the colorful flowers placed perfectly in beds in front of them, they would have an almost gloomy effect. Further in the distance, he could see more buildings that went three to four stories high and were white and covered with green vines. People were going along like clouds on moving sidewalks. Between the buildings were large spaces for gardens and trees. Nature and science seemed to have met their perfect match right in front of him. He almost cried at how beautiful everything was.

Kyle gave a little chuckle and closed Derick’s mouth that still hung open. He pushed the chair onto one of the sidewalks and rested on the handles a bit.

“Let’s just visit a park, then call it a day. We don’t want to overdo it on your first time out.”

The sidewalk took them along past a few other buildings. Kyle pointed out the other two living blocks as they went past. “That’s the one Diego lives in. Maybe sometime soon we’ll surprise him with a visit. I used to live there when I first got here.”

Derick tried to listen to what Kyle was saying, but he was just overwhelmed trying to take it all in. He couldn’t believe in his wildest dreams that this was where he’d been the last three years. He started to wonder what state he was in. Where could something this clean exist? How had he never heard of it before? Was this a resort of some sort? No, it seemed too large for that. Was this whole thing the rehabilitation center? Or just the area he was in?

After just a short ride, Kyle pushed them from the moving sidewalk down another beautiful path lined with neatly trimmed hedges. It led to a clearing that looked like a park. Even though it was small, there was enough room for people to sit on the benches and enjoy the beautiful natural-looking waterfall in the middle of the clearing. It looked like they’d built the park around a natural spring or something. The thing Derick enjoyed most at the moment was the subtle sound of the water running against the rocks. It helped clear his mind and focus better.

“This is Hide-Away Park,” Kyle said parking the wheelchair next to a bench, then sitting down. “It’s the smallest park here, but in my opinion, one of the best. You can really clear your mind and think about your life. Maybe about the future and what kind of person you want to be.”

Kyle wasn’t very subtle about what he was saying, but Derick knew he meant well. ‘Maybe he’s right. I mean, all this time I was in this beautiful place, and I could only think of myself and what I could see. I never really looked at the full picture until now.’ However, he couldn’t help but think of what Kylie had said. How The Staff of the place didn’t want him to see who they were. How they were keeping him in the dark… but Kyle had brought him outside… Did that mean Kyle was going against what The Staff wanted? Or was this just a ploy to throw him off from what was really happening in the shadows?

As the two sat there, a few people passed through the park, but every single one of them stopped to introduce themselves. They asked Derick if he was feeling well. They greeted Kyle like they were good friends. No one was in a hurry. No one was walking face down in a phone. No one… seemed scared of him. He might have startled a few people, but no one insulted him or scoffed at his appearance.

‘This is some rehabilitation! Did they all go through what I’m going through?’ Derick was having a hard time and felt uneasy after the fourth person stopped to talk to them. Something inside him told him that this wasn’t right. Something else must be going on here. No one was this nice… NO ONE.

The sky was gray and threatened to rain at any moment. The old country church parking lot was full of pick-ups and a few sedans. Everyone was dressed in their Sunday best and carried umbrellas into the small graveyard.

Derick stood with Terry and listened to a few dozen people come up to them and say how sorry they were for their loss. Derick didn’t know his mom knew this many people. He had never seen them come to the house before. They all seemed so nice and acted like they really cared.

The eulogy was short and didn’t really say anything about his mother other than the fact that she was a ‘loving wife and dear mother.’ The rest was something about heaven and angels. He started to wonder if the preacher had actually met his mother. He started to wonder if any of these people had ever met her.

Derick’s nose started to run as they stood around the coffin, and each person took turns putting a flower on top. Derick wiped his nose and eyes on the sleeve of his jacket.

“Don’t do that.” Terry’s voice was sharp and under his breath. “Show some dignity, boy.”

Derick wasn’t sure how to act. His mother was always good at telling him what he should be doing, but without her, he seemed lost. He wanted to listen to his father, but he had never had any feelings for him. It was just like he was a random character in Derick’s life.

Derick started to get bored and sat down on the ground. He understood what was happening. He just didn’t care that all these people were there, pretending to miss his mother. He looked around for a bit before he was pulled up by the arm.

“Stand up straight,” Terry hissed as he put a flower in Derick’s hand. “Follow me and put your flower on the coffin.”

Terry didn’t like Derick at all. He’d never really seen him as a son. Derick was just hollow, like he didn’t have a mind of his own. He’d followed his mother everywhere and always done what she’d told him to. She had always approved of this behavior. Terry didn’t.

As Derick reached up to put his flower on the coffin, he saw a ladybug land on the petal of the rose. He pulled the flower back and looked at the bug. A few people started to murmur. Some of the older women scoffed under their breath. *That poor man, left with such a stupid child* came from somewhere behind him.

“Derick, just put it down. Come on.” Terry pulled the rose out of Derick’s hand, causing one of the thorns to cut his finger. Derick gave a yip and watched the blood slowly start to bubble out, then become a small stream. He held it up to Terry, who just slapped his hand away and pulled him back to his chair.

After they were back in the car, Terry looked over at the little piece of shit that his wife had left for him. Derick was still looking at the blood prick on his finger that had now run down his hand and stained his only white shirt.

They had been outside for about an hour before Kyle noticed Derick getting anxious. He was rubbing his hands, fidgeting in his chair, and avoiding eye contact with the people who greeted him. Something was wrong. Could it have something to do with what Kylie had told him? Kyle wanted Derick to be able to talk and communicate almost as much as Derick himself wanted to.

“Well, I think that’s enough outside for today.” Kyle stood up and smiled at Derick. “Ready to go back, Bud?” Derick looked at him and kinda shrugged.

Kyle pushed Derick back to the sidewalk and got on right after a young man.

“Hi there,” he said to Derick. “Lovely day, isn’t it?”

Derick’s eyebrows furrowed… he knew that voice from somewhere. He looked up and went immediately into a panic. Standing just a few feet in front of them was the mad man who’d broken into his room. His eyes doubled in size as he froze. His throat seized up as he tried to gulp.

The look on Derick’s face had not gone unnoticed. The man tried to look away, but he was a bit worried about Derick.

“Is your friend ok?” the man asked Kyle. “He’s looking kinda pale.”

Kyle hadn’t really been paying attention to the other person until he talked to him. When he realized who it was, he quickly looked down at Derick, who was in such a panic that he was wide-eyed and shaking.

“Oh crap,” he said under his breath. “You have no idea who this is?” Kyle asked the man.

The man looked at Derick and slightly tilted his head, but nothing was coming to him. “Nope, don’t think I’ve seen you before,” he said with pep in his voice. “My name’s Neil.” He put his hand out and smiled. Derick jerked back and his head bumped into Kyle. His eyes seemed to give off a slight shimmer as he stared at the hand in front of him.

“This is Derick… he’s one of your neighbors,” Kyle said slowly as he shook Neil’s hand so it wasn’t so close to Derick’s face. Kyle took a defensive position between Derick and Neil. Derick’s eyes broke away from the man, and he saw the look on Kyle’s face. Kyle was… protecting him? Why would he do that? “You kinda… attacked him when you had a psychotic break.” Kyle voice was harsh. He almost sounded like he wanted to punch the guy.

“What’s that?” Neil looked at Derick then back at Kyle. Slowly, realization started to cross his face, and he went pale...