Anthem could do no more than cower beside his sister, pressing tightly into her for safety and support. The process of remembering was painfully slow, but as he peeked out from his safe spot besides Novella, she became more familiar to him. His brain struggled to process it, to understand why everything was fighting and so upset. They continued to talk about him -- he knew his name, and easily recognized it -- though he could not gather to context of the situation.
It took far too long for the man to realize he had done something bad. A small whimper escaped his throat and he pressed tighter into Novella. He felt guilty suddenly, as it dawned on him that they were all talking about him, and he felt painfully small. "Stupid." he cried to himself, a painful moment of insight for the man -- who was referring to no other than himself. Everything confused him and he did not understand, and for a moment he was blessed with understanding of one thing alone; that the others all knew something that he did not get. He had grappled with such things before, with being different from his siblings, but they had always loved and cared for him. But these strangers seemed so angry with him, with his family, and he could not help but begin to cry when he could not understand why.
Novella brought him back to reality, asking him gently if he had seen the woman. He peered at her through his misty eyes. "Yes," he answered somberly, his voice quivering slightly. He felt suddenly alone, despite his sister's comfort, but he would not move from her.
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