This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be. The very thought was impossible. It went against every strain of logic I had been taught. I was almost insulted that the universe was playing such a cruel joke on me. Or I would be if I wasn’t bawling my eyes out at the moment.
I am sitting upon a springy cot in a massive room the ship’s crew called the Habitation Area. A name I quickly put together meant that I was going to be staying here for a while. But I pay little attention to my surroundings for the time being, no matter how dreadful they might be. I am too busy trying to think about what brought me into this situation.
This very morning I had been sitting in my room going about my business and enjoying my weekend. And the next thing I knew the world was on fire. I had to run fast and run far to escape my burning house, only to discover everything else around was also in flames.
Thankfully rescue had come swiftly in the form of strange-looking planes from the sky which had carried me and many others into the stars. I hadn’t given much thought to the means of my survival, after all, it does no good to look a gift horse in the mouth. But it all seems rather silly now. A spaceship taking us away from our planet which is on fire. If I hadn’t already pinched myself several times already I would think myself to be dreaming.
I don’t know what to think. So I do the only logical thing I can think of. I cry. I sob into my hands like I usually do when facing stressful situations like this.
In the past crying like that had gotten me lots of things that were normally out of reach. Before with daddy, all I had to do was let the waterworks flow and I could get anything. Jewelry, a new phone, any outfit I could think of. Name it and I could get it.
But daddy was not here. I don’t think he made it. Nor mother. The thought saddens me more then I thought it would. The idea of never seeing them again hurts like a bad bout of food poisoning.
In their place, I am left with Randolph. My family’s butler. He never gave into my crying like daddy did. He was always there, in the background, serving me. Honestly, I don’t know much about the man. He is sort of strange in his mysterious old man kind of way.
The old butler sits beside me now on the cot, doing whatever butlers are supposed to do in this kind of situation. Which apparently was just to sit there doing nothing. I suppose this location was not the best place to do his job, so I let it slide. I let myself peek through my hands to look at the old man. His grey face is as stern as it always was, though he has an inquisitive look on his face. He was thinking about something, odd for a butler I decide.
I finally run out of tears and let my hands fall into my lap. I stare at them. Crying didn’t work, not that I expected to get much. I didn’t know what I expected really. Seems like it was a waste of time.
And at that moment I feel someone’s hand on my shoulder. I turn my head again and see that it is Randolf. He appears to be trying to comfort me. Quite odd of him indeed.
“Diamond, it’s alright... everything is going to be ok, I am here for you.” His voice is ragged with age but seems firm enough in conviction even though he clearly doesn’t know what to say. And to be quite honest I don’t know what to think about the gesture either. It is very strange of him. Before now I had never had any moment of intimacy with him. So I say the first thing that comes to mind.
“That’s miss to you,” I say in as authoritative a tone as I can. I can instantly tell by the butler’s reaction that it was the wrong thing to say. But I can’t back down, he is my servant after all.
“Yes, miss,” he says appearing to relent to me, though I don’t miss the emphasis he puts on the title “I apologize, I realize now that it will take time for you to get used to our new arrangement.” Sadness and uncertainty are hidden behind his stern tone. Curiosity takes the better of me and I ask the obvious question.
“What new arrangement?” I say with a bit of caution, retreating a little from my assertiveness from before. I need him to answer me after all.
“Well…,” he pauses to gather his thoughts, leaving me anxious about what his answer might end up being. “Mr. and Mrs. Ritch were both is Manhatten during the...event, as you know. And they appear to not have made it,” The butler pauses again, he clearly does seem legitimately sad about his employers passing, I begin to feel a tinge of empathy for the man. A feeling that is completely undermined by what he says next. “And, as instructed to me by them, that makes me your legal guardian.”
I am stunned. I can’t bring myself to say anything for several moments. Why him? The butler. Of all people. I know daddy didn’t have many other close relatives, and he clearly trusted his servant. But to the point of making him my Godfather? Absurd.
I stare into his elderly green eyes, hoping to find a lie there. I do not. “Do you have any proof? I don’t believe you.” I say sharply, more harshly then I intended.
“I don’t have the documentation on hand miss,” he admits, furrowing his brow as he does so. So there is no proof. “But I am the only adult capable of taking care of you at the moment. And as I said, I’m here for you.” He uses a more tender voice now. I won’t work.
“Only. One. Capable?” I say, anger building up inside me before I can control it “I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself thank you, and besides, my parents are going to come back! So know your place, servent!” I can’t help the tears from falling again, this time unintentionally. Daddy and mother would come back. They had to.
I begin sobbing uncontrollably, the rush of emotions too strong for me to direct this time. And once again I felt the butler’s hand on my shoulder. I can’t help but be soothed by it. Someone did care about me, not that I would let it show.
After a few moments, I calm down again and the butler speaks up quietly. “I know this will take some getting used to, but I am your guardian now. And I will protect you as best I can in these circumstances. Understand?” His tone leaves little room for argument, but I still have a bit of defiance in me yet.
“It’s not fair.” is all I can say.
“I know miss. But take a look around, you aren’t alone.” I do as he asks. The layout of the Habitation Area is familiar to me. The room has about the square footage of three football fields and is about as tall as my walk-in closet, half a dozen feet by my estimate. It has plain white walls all around. But it is the cots that take my attention. There is row upon row of them, hundreds. Some of them are double, unlike the one we are sitting on. And each one has at least one occupant, most have two or more.
The atmosphere in the place is sombre but loud, louder now that I am paying attention to the noise. No wonder no one appeared to notice my outburst from before.
“There are so many of them,” I say, my voice barely a whisper. The butler hears it anyway, his ears work just fine at least. I file that away for later as he replies.
“So you see, there are many of us. All with our own problems. All united in our shared experience today But none of them know you better than me,” save one, I realize with a jolt. Silver Spoon, my best friend, where was she. I suddenly feel the need to go look for the silver girl. I need to get away from the butler.
“Whatever, I’m leaving,” I get up. The butler doesn’t stop me and I only hear him sigh as I move down my row of cots.
I search for my friend amongst the crowd of people. Many of them I recognize from my hometown. Many more I do not. I realize that the Navigator had been able to evacuate people from all over the world, though from concentrated areas. Whatever had happened to my planet affected all of it, not just my home. I didn’t know what to think of that.
I kept looking in vain for Silver Spoon. Several times I thought I had spotted her, only to be mistaken and embarrassed. Eventually, I give up. Sadness, real sadness, hits me again. Not only are my parents gone, but my best friend is too. I feel another wave of tears welling up. But this time I don’t want an audience, least of all the butler.
I move off, the ship crew attendants not appearing to try to stop me as I leave the Habitation Area. I try to find a place to cry.