Confronting the Fallen by J. J. Thompson Page A

remembered something and turned back to the
judge.
    “ Um,
sir?”
    Judge
Hawkes looked up from his papers in surprise. “Was there
something else, Christopher?”
    “ Yes
sir. One of the guys I met earlier mentioned something about a test?”
    “ Ah
yes.” The judge frowned slightly. “It isn't something we
usually discuss. However, yes, there is indeed a test that we
administer before we accept a new member.” The man smiled
again. “But until you decide on whether you wish to join us or
not, there is no need to worry about it.”
    “ Oh,
okay.” Chris realized that the man wasn't going to explain
further and thanked him and turned to leave.
    The
judge wished him a good day and Chris left the office, surprised at
how much better he felt. He was actually looking forward to spending
some time not looking over his shoulder, like he did most days on the
street. He had learned to keep his emotions in check and put thoughts
of Talon and of his parents aside for the time being.
    It
should be an interesting few days, he thought and he headed off to
find the games room.
    Chris
spent the rest of the afternoon playing video games, after having a
great lunch with Tyler and Jacob. Occasionally, another teen or two
would wander into the room, say hello and start playing a game. Two
older girls smiled at him when they entered and got into a serious
game of chess. Chris stopped playing for a while and watched. They
were very good. He was called on his phone to remind him when dinner
time rolled around and he headed off happily, looking forward to some
more of Chef's excellent cooking.
    Once
the amazing lasagna was polished off, Chris headed back to the games
room, accompanied by his two new friends. They played for an hour or
so, then Tyler reminded Jacob that they still had a lot of homework
to do. So, after some grumbling, the two boys said good night to
Chris and left.
    Chris
looked around the room. His phone showed him that it was only
seven-thirty, but all the other teens had already headed off to do
schoolwork. He felt a bit lonely and was surprised at himself.
    You've
been alone almost three years, he thought. What's the big deal now?
You're safe, you're fed and you can do whatever you want. So what's
the problem?
    He
had no answer to the question but the games room suddenly felt too
big and empty to spend any more time in. He thought about the library
but he wasn't really in the mood to read. What I need, he thought, is
to get some fresh air.
    He
wondered whether he would be allowed to go outside and look around.
The judge had said he was a guest, but did that mean he could come
and go as he pleased? Chris decided to find out.
    When
he left the room, he checked the map on his cell to be sure he knew
the route to the front door. Even so, he took a few wrong turns
before finally reaching the big, central room with the two staircases
that he had seen on his arrival. From there, it was a straight walk
down the main hall to the entrance.
    Chris
saw another woman sitting at the desk next to the front door. When he
approached her, she looked up from her computer screen and nodded
amiably.
    “ Good
evening, Mr. Wright,” she said briskly. “I'm Ms. Quaid.
What can I do for you?”
    “ Um,
hi,” Chris said hesitantly. “I was just wondering if it
would be okay if I went outside.” The woman raised an eyebrow
and Chris hurried on. “You know, for some fresh air? I'm not
used to being cooped up inside all day.”
    Ms.
Quaid smiled and looked like she understood how he felt. “Certainly,
Mr. Wright. This house can be a little...overwhelming for newcomers.
One needs to get out on occasion, clear one's head. You aren't locked
in, after all. But I will ask that you check in with whomever is
manning the front desk, as you are doing now, when entering or
leaving.” She tapped a few words into her computer, then looked
back at Chris.
    “ When
you exit, there will be someone near the door. Tonight it should be
Mr. McKenna. Just