It wasn't quite dawn yet, but a pale ambient light began to bathe the forest. James was alone. Birds started coming out. No use going to bed now. Those things will keep me up all morning. Another sleepless night.
The laundry hadn't been done for weeks. Dishes in the sink. Clothes on the floor. Bob ate half an apple four days ago. The other half still sat on the floor in the corner of the kitchen. Every once in a while, Bob would leave and not return until the next day. Where he went James had no idea. But he always came back. James liked to think of it as his way of saying "This place is disgusting. Get your act together. Try leaving the house once in a while." In fact, Bob really was tiring of James's depression. But by now, their bond was too strong for Bob to leave him, and James was too pathetic.
The only productive thing James could do was play piano. His parents made him take many lessons as a child, and he was quite good. It wasn't until about a year ago that James took up playing again.
As a child, James loved to improvise and compose his own little songs. His parents did not approve. He was only allowed to practice the classics he was assigned. When his instructor caught him getting creative, he would be swiftly reprimanded.
Now he was an adult. He was free to play whatever he wanted. The music just flowed through him. It was as if he just thought a melody, and it came out. Once in a while though, he would get stuck on a particularly difficult passage, or he would have trouble organizing his thoughts.
This was one of those times. Now he was just getting frustrated. He had two ideas he needed to piece together but he just couldn't find the right way to do it.
Just as he was about to give up, Bob hopped up on his lap and played a few chords. That's it.
Bob had a good ear. He was a good counterpart for James. He always knew just how to get him out of a sticky situation.
James was glad to have Bob. He reminded him of Jessie in that way. He wondered where she was. Even though he was still angry, he mostly just wasted her to be safe. Before she left, James found Arbok eating his dinner. He crouched down beside and whispered to him. "You take good care of Jessie. If anything goes wrong you come right out and protect her for me okay? I'm counting on you to keep her safe."
