Tenderlings," Shelley says. "According to Todd, they're solitary creatures that rarely display overt aggression, so... go figure. They definitely seemed to be displaying overt aggression last night".
"Are they still after us?" I ask.
"They can't get us down here".
I look around the room again. "Where are we?" I say.
"Dedston," she replies. "Well, technically we're underneath Dedston". She smiles awkwardly. "Believe it or not, Dedston is the town where your Mom and I grew up. It's where everything happened, back in the day".
I take a deep breath. "Is it a nice place?" I ask.
"No," she says. "No, it's a shit-hole".
"Then why are we here?" I say. "Is..." I pause. I'm almost afraid to ask the next question. "Is my father here?"
She pauses for a moment. "Yeah," she says eventually.
"Can I meet him?"
She nods.
I stare at her. "Can I meet him now ?"
She stands up. "I guess so".
Getting out of bed, I find that I'm still wearing the same clothes I wore when we left New Mexico. The only difference is that there seems to be a stain on my shoulder from where the milkshake got spilled. I should probably change, but right now I just want to go and meet Patrick. "I'm ready," I say, even though I don't think I'll ever be truly ready for this moment.
"Don't you want to clean up first?" Shelley says. "There are showers here".
"I just want to meet him," I tell her.
"Come on, then," she says, leading me out of the room. We walk along a dark corridor. It's weird down here, as if we're in some type of cave system. "Your Dad doesn't speak," Shelley reminds me, "so don't expect a great conversation. He's also... well, he's a little moody".
"Do you know him well?" I ask.
"Not really," she replies. "I met him a few times, years ago. He's not exactly the life and soul of a party". There's tension in her voice, as if she doesn't really want to be talking about him. We reach another door and she turns to me. "Go in there. Todd and Benjamin will take you the rest of the way".
"Aren't you coming?" I ask. For some reason, I want Shelley with me. She seems kind, whereas Benjamin and Todd put me on edge a little.
"You don't need me there," she says.
I stare at her for a moment ."What's wrong?" I ask. "Don't you like my Dad?"
She pauses, clearly feeling uncomfortable. "I don't want to see him right now," she says. "Is that okay?"
"Please?" I reply. "I'd really like it if you come?"
She shakes her head. "I can't".
"Why?" I ask. "What did he do?"
She sighs. "Nothing," she says, pushing the door open. "I'll come with you". We walk into a large room, where Benjamin and Todd are sitting at a table. They seem to be going over a bunch of papers. On the other side of the room, there are some technicians sitting at banks of computers. Suddenly I feel like I've stepped into some high-tech secret world.
"Hey," Todd says, getting up and coming over to me. "How are you feeling today?"
"I'm fine," I say.
"Great," he replies, smiling. "I guess..." He pauses for a moment. "I guess you want to meet your Dad, huh?"
I swallow hard. "I guess".
"So where is he?" Shelley asks. She seems really nervous, as if she desperately doesn't want to be here.
"He's in the holding cell," Todd says.
"The what ?" Shelley says.
"There's something you need to know about your Dad," Todd says, turning to me. "He's not... Well, he's not the kind of guy who's always good to be around. He's a bit of a loner and he -"
"You're holding him prisoner ?" Shelley asks. "How the fuck did you manage that?"
Todd sighs. "We recently had an opportunity to confine Patrick," he says. "We took that opportunity. It's for the best".
I stare at him for a moment. "Wait a minute," I say, trying to work out exactly what's going on. "You bring me all this way to meet my father, and you conveniently forget to mention until the last moment that you're holding him as a prisoner?"
"There's a lot we have to tell you about your father," Todd continues. "He's not like the rest of us. He's old.
"Are they still after us?" I ask.
"They can't get us down here".
I look around the room again. "Where are we?" I say.
"Dedston," she replies. "Well, technically we're underneath Dedston". She smiles awkwardly. "Believe it or not, Dedston is the town where your Mom and I grew up. It's where everything happened, back in the day".
I take a deep breath. "Is it a nice place?" I ask.
"No," she says. "No, it's a shit-hole".
"Then why are we here?" I say. "Is..." I pause. I'm almost afraid to ask the next question. "Is my father here?"
She pauses for a moment. "Yeah," she says eventually.
"Can I meet him?"
She nods.
I stare at her. "Can I meet him now ?"
She stands up. "I guess so".
Getting out of bed, I find that I'm still wearing the same clothes I wore when we left New Mexico. The only difference is that there seems to be a stain on my shoulder from where the milkshake got spilled. I should probably change, but right now I just want to go and meet Patrick. "I'm ready," I say, even though I don't think I'll ever be truly ready for this moment.
"Don't you want to clean up first?" Shelley says. "There are showers here".
"I just want to meet him," I tell her.
"Come on, then," she says, leading me out of the room. We walk along a dark corridor. It's weird down here, as if we're in some type of cave system. "Your Dad doesn't speak," Shelley reminds me, "so don't expect a great conversation. He's also... well, he's a little moody".
"Do you know him well?" I ask.
"Not really," she replies. "I met him a few times, years ago. He's not exactly the life and soul of a party". There's tension in her voice, as if she doesn't really want to be talking about him. We reach another door and she turns to me. "Go in there. Todd and Benjamin will take you the rest of the way".
"Aren't you coming?" I ask. For some reason, I want Shelley with me. She seems kind, whereas Benjamin and Todd put me on edge a little.
"You don't need me there," she says.
I stare at her for a moment ."What's wrong?" I ask. "Don't you like my Dad?"
She pauses, clearly feeling uncomfortable. "I don't want to see him right now," she says. "Is that okay?"
"Please?" I reply. "I'd really like it if you come?"
She shakes her head. "I can't".
"Why?" I ask. "What did he do?"
She sighs. "Nothing," she says, pushing the door open. "I'll come with you". We walk into a large room, where Benjamin and Todd are sitting at a table. They seem to be going over a bunch of papers. On the other side of the room, there are some technicians sitting at banks of computers. Suddenly I feel like I've stepped into some high-tech secret world.
"Hey," Todd says, getting up and coming over to me. "How are you feeling today?"
"I'm fine," I say.
"Great," he replies, smiling. "I guess..." He pauses for a moment. "I guess you want to meet your Dad, huh?"
I swallow hard. "I guess".
"So where is he?" Shelley asks. She seems really nervous, as if she desperately doesn't want to be here.
"He's in the holding cell," Todd says.
"The what ?" Shelley says.
"There's something you need to know about your Dad," Todd says, turning to me. "He's not... Well, he's not the kind of guy who's always good to be around. He's a bit of a loner and he -"
"You're holding him prisoner ?" Shelley asks. "How the fuck did you manage that?"
Todd sighs. "We recently had an opportunity to confine Patrick," he says. "We took that opportunity. It's for the best".
I stare at him for a moment. "Wait a minute," I say, trying to work out exactly what's going on. "You bring me all this way to meet my father, and you conveniently forget to mention until the last moment that you're holding him as a prisoner?"
"There's a lot we have to tell you about your father," Todd continues. "He's not like the rest of us. He's old.
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