"You have been sleeping like a brick." A familiar voice called out to him as his eyes slowly opened.
"Saaaandeee???" He said with a scraggly morning voice.
"It's almost noon which means it's time to get up." She was smiling from ear to ear.
"Where... am…. I?" He looked around and could see he was in a large room. It had a large window that had the drapes wide open to expose trees outside.
"You're in a very special place Danny."
He began to feel something different that he never remembered feeling before. His pain was gone. His body wasn't burning any more. He looked at his arm. No bumps… No redness. This had to be some really strange dream. No way could this be happening.
"Special? Like where?" He had been given promises over and over and had a hard time believing any adult was being honest. He pinched himself hard causing him to wince. Nothing happened. "Pinch yourself Sandy?"
"What?" She looked at him and realized he thought this was too good to be true. She pinched her finger on her arm hard enough to turn it red. Danny started smiling. "This will be your home as long as you want to be here. You are a special person Danny. You may not believe it now. You will know soon enough. I have left some clothes for you on your dresser. Please get dressed and come down stairs for lunch. We have grilled cheese and soup."
"That sounds really good."
"No rush Danny. Take your time. When you are ready I have some people for you to meet." She began to walk towards the door when she turned around to face him. "And yes I know you have tons of questions to ask. They will all be answered soon enough." She opened the door and walked out.
He waited a few seconds before he lifted the blanket off his body. He saw that he was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing last night when he was given the shot. A black 'Dragon Jam' t-shirt (His most favorite cartoon) and black pajama bottoms.
He moved his legs. No pain he thought. As he put his feet down he felt the cold hardwood under his bare feet. Except he didn't feel pain. Anywhere. Putting his feet on the bare ground had always been painful for him. He took a step and then another. Still no pain? He jumped and came down on his feet. Over the past year his disease had gotten so intense he wasn't able to play with other kids. Running and jumping had become too painful. He touched his body. It didn't feel sensitive anywhere. He touched his arm where they gave him the shot. It didn't hurt at all. 'Was that a dream?' He began to question what happened last night as he walked to the full body mirror near the other doorway. He looked at his arm and spotted a small bruise. 'Okay I wasn't dreaming.' He was able to take a deep breath. He slowly walked to the bedroom door and it turned. He started pulling the door handle and it began to open. He let the door handle go, shocked he wasn't locked in the room. As he turned around he was curious about this room he was now inhabiting. On the dresser was a set of clothes that looked brand new. He saw a framed picture on the dresser. It was his school picture from last year. 'How did she get my picture?' He thought.
As he began to survey the room he noticed two other doors. 'Where do those lead?' He walked over to the door closest to him. As he began to open the door he became impressed by what he was seeing. It was the most beautiful bathroom he had ever seen. The floor was covered in the shiniest white tile. It was so shiny it looked as though no one had ever set foot on this floor. He saw a very large classic clawfoot tub that impressed him even more. He used to love taking baths but that was long ago when he lived with the Bradley's. The bathroom didn't have any other doors. 'Is this mine?' He pinched himself again… Wincing but not feeling any pain. 'Okay i'm really here… Why?' He turned around and left the bathroom.
His head turned towards a breeze coming from the window that was partially open. He walked towards the window and looked out. It was a 'magnificent' yard that looked magical to Danny. He expected to see other kids playing but it was empty. There was a swing set with a jungle gym. His eyes opened wide in excitement as he saw a treehouse built into a huge oak tree in front of him. He imagined playing in the treehouse. He wasn't thinking about the long scary ladder that was the only way up.
As he looked over he noticed the last door in the room he hadn't inspected. 'What could be in there?' It seemed mysterious and yet right in front of him. He walked towards the door. He still was getting used to not having pain. 'This is easy.' He smiled. His legs felt a yearning to run and yet he was still searching this room he was in.
He opened the door to find nothing particularly special. It was a modest closet only as wide as the door and a little deeper than wide. Several shirts were hanging in front of him. He decided to look at a few. They appeared to be in his size and some even had his favorite cartoons. Still all of this seemed to be too good to be true.
"Danny are you dressed?" Her voice sounded like it was getting closer.
"Just a minute Sandy. I am using the bathroom." His voice still sounded groggy.
"No worries. We will be downstairs waiting."
Now he needed to find out who the others were. He ran to the dresser and quickly changed out of his pajamas into the clothes that had been left for him. A pair of blue jeans. A green polo and some sneakers. Everything was brand new. He couldn't remember the last time he wore new jeans. He always received hand me downs from other foster kids. He remembered three homes ago Mrs. Connor told him that maybe when he was old enough he could buy himself new jeans.
His new sneakers were tied and knotted. He was ready to find out what the heck was happening. He felt nervous. Despite always meeting new people he seemed to still be shy at first. 'What if they don't like me? What if this is just a transition to another home? What if this is just a dream?' He couldn't help but think the worst despite everything that was in front of him.
As he took one long inhale he opened the door and pulled it towards him. It was time to find out where he was. As soon as he walked through the door the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies wafted in the air. Those were his favorite. In front of him was a banister that looked down to the living area. He looked down to see hardwood floors and a large fireplace. He noticed the couch below him that looked like at least three people were sitting there. They were quiet.
He looked over to the right to see the stairwell that led down and walked to it. As he began his descent another voice came from below.