Day 6

I’ve been awake – properly awake – for nearly a week, and am well settled into my routine. It’s a simple one; woken by Cellum every morning, eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, and in between chat with Cellum if they are around, and read on my tablet if not. I’ve never been much of a reader, to be honest, but I don’t have much else to do. I read nonfiction, trying to catch up on the world. It’s only been a couple of years, but so much has changed. I want to read the news too, catch up on current events. Cellum won’t let me – they say we’ll all be caught up at the meeting.

We’ve become good friends over the past week. They answer my questions, or at least the ones they know the answer to, and we talk about so much; our lives, interests and dreams. I just want to live a quiet life, now. Too much excitement has happened. It’s a strange feeling. I used to seek it out, chase it, but the last few years have caught up to me and I just want to rest. Cellum doesn’t have big dreams for themself either, instead they are happy with how their life is now. They have big dreams for me though, for all of us humanoids – that we’ll be able to leave the facility and find our place in the world. I doubt that that is possible. How can it be?

Maybe this meeting has something to do with it. It’s today actually. We’re all finally awake, free from that cursed Forest. Cellum has been around less than usual – they’re helping set it up, I think.

I’m drawing on my tablet to pass the time. Not things I can see – there isn’t much of that in here – but things I remember. From the Forest. The birds, trees, landscape. Anything interesting that I remember. Most of it I can’t. I’d been in there for about a year apparently, according to Cellum. Longer than most of the others.

Speaking of, I hear their footsteps. Finally! I put the tablet in its case and am by the door by the time they open it.

“Oh hello! Ready to go then?”

I nod, tail wafting from side to side, and Cellum sets off down the corridor. I follow closely, taking in the new sights as they chatter away.

“We’re all set up now, chairs for you all and so on. It’s not too far. And then you get to meet the other humanoids! How exciting!”

I huff in agreement.

“No need to be shy, now. You’ll probably all be strangers but you’re all in the same boat, so to speak. Ah, here we are.” They turn left, pushing open a door. It’s a normal door, with a glass panel at the top, and seems out of place here. I follow them in, and have to duck slightly under the frame.

While Cellum eagerly greets the other humans and humanoids in the room, I sit back in my chair and observe them silently. One, like me, looks more animal than human, with golden-brown feathers covering most of their visible skin, including the two large wings sprouting from their back in place of their arms. They have a vicious-looking yellow beak and golden eyes that stare at me unblinkingly. Long, black, talons grip the chair they are perched on. The others are less transformed, with some fur or feathers, beaks, teeth and claws, ears more like an animal than a human or no ears at all – at least not visible ones. Some have tails, some do not. All have a human sat beside them. I glance at Cellum, who seems completely relaxed in our company, fidgeting with some string. I touch the plait, which they tied around the handle of my tablet case.

Another human enters the room hurridly, apologising for being late. She sets up a computer and ties her long grey hair back while waiting for a presentation to load. Then she addresses us.

“Hello everyone! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Jodie Everest. These sessions which I am running – this is the first – are designed to prepare you for your new life, outside these walls. You’ve all been in the Forest at least two months, and here at least two more. A few months can make a surprising amount of difference, not only to yourself but to the world. Welcome back to civilization! It’s time to go over what you’ve missed.”