Page 45 of Johnny

“Not surprised,” I say, bending over to open the small stainless-steel fridge and take out a bottle of

creamer. “You like cinnamon?”

“What?”

I shake the bottle a little. “No sugar on this boat. Just this. You want some or not?”

She huffs. “I feel like I fell down a rabbit hole and came out in some alternate reality. One where

tattooed bankers rescue you from a dungeon, interrogate you under the influence of drugs, and then

offer you International Delight in your coffee as a consolation prize.”

I smile. Then laugh. “Fuck it. It’s here. And I like it. You can’t shame me into giving up my

flavored creamer.”

“Sure.” She smiles again. Little bit bigger this time. “I’ll take some cinnamon creamer.” Then she

takes a deep breath and says, “Thank you. For getting me out of there. I really thought I was gonna die

in that place.”

I pour some creamer into her coffee and then walk over to the dining table, take a seat opposite her,

and slide her cup over.

I study her for a moment as she takes it. “You’re adjusting well. Not sure I’d be smiling the day

after waking up in your situation. You must have a pretty solid filing system up in that head of yours.”

She’s in the middle of taking a sip when I say this and she almost chokes on her laugh. “What?”

“Nothin’,” I say. “Just… nothing. Forget I said that. I’m maybe not adjusting as well as you are.”

“Not likely. I get the feeling you’re the gold medal champion of attitude adjustments.”

“I can be,” I mumble, still thinking about my own filing system.

Because I’ve started wondering if you can have too many files in your system.

What if I run out of folders? What happens then? Things just get all cluttered? I end up even

crazier? Unable to process shit?

Or maybe I turn into one of those hoarder people? Just start piling up folders in the corners of my

brain. And when I run out of corners I line the perimeter. The way my dad did with his real-life files

in his office before he died.

Shit, is that why all that crap was lying everywhere?

Did his internal filing system break down from too many folders?

Is that what ultimately drove him mad?

CHAPTER SIX - MEGAN