“No.”
I walk into the dorm that has my name engraved upon the golden plate, slamming the door shut.
The moment I turn around, I nearly curse in surprise. There’s some person on the bed on the far side of the room, legs tucked under them. Their hair is shaved short on the sides but is long on the top, silky black strands twisted into an intricate braid. Their dress is ill flitting, pulled out too far from their chest.
“Can I not get away from you people here?” I grumble, sulking over to the free bed. I slump down onto it, rolling over onto my side to curl up on myself, keeping one eye open even while my face is pressed into the pillow. “You angels are everywhere.”
“I guess so,” they murmur as they flutter their wings nervously. A few feathers fly through the air and drift down into their lap. “I’m Eve. Who are you?”
“I’ve been told that I am to go by Miss Anderson.” I can barely hold myself back from spitting out the words. It tastes so vile in my mouth but I need to at least sound somewhat normal so I don’t scare off everyone around here. “Why does everyone here have a first name except for me?”
“Does Miss Anderson not feel right to you?”
“Of course not.”
“Eve fits me, I think.” They get up off their bed to stand over mine, silently asking if they can sit. I roll over far enough to make room. “Maybe that’s why you don’t have your name yet.”
“I- I think maybe my name is Raphael? I saw it on my old clothes in the basement.”
“You’re not a girl?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I’m not a girl either, I don’t think. But I’m not a boy either.”
“You can just be Eve to me.”
They smile shyly, looking down at their feet. “You can be Raphael with me.”
Maybe Eve needs to go to the basement, figure out what has changed between their life on Earth and their life now. But is it worth giving up my secret to yet another person?
- Bring Eve to the basement.
- Keep the basement to yourself.
