Alex, Bookbinder's Daughter, Conookie, Jenni, and SpadesJade...goddamn i love you guys and you never cease to impress me! *big hugs!*
CHAPTER SIX
He lay silent. Listening down the hall. The argument. Over the situation. Over him.
The family. All three. Had moved to one room. Door locked.
But only the little girl was in the room now. The parents were downstairs. Yelling. From the kitchen.
The man could hear it through the vent.
He moved. And the springs in the futon squealed. Drowning out the words.
He did not want to hear them.
He rose. The blankets coming off. As he stood. And went for the bathroom. Down the hall.
But at the bedroom door. He stopped. The one with the girl behind it. He stopped. And put his ear against the door. It was silent inside.
He tapped gently. With his knuckle. And he heard the bed springs creek. Muffled feet shuffling. Across the carpet. Coming towards the door.
"Hello?" She asked. Her hands against the door. Her ear pressed against the wood. Listening to him breathe.
"Hi." He said.
"We have to be quiet." She warned. Looking towards the vent. Not wanting to be caught.
"Okay." he answered. And squatted down. To her level. His palm about where hers was spread. On the other side of the door.
"Are they keeping you awake?" she spoke. Then bit off her own words. "Wait. Knock once for yes. Twice for no."
He knocked once.
"Me too." She whispered. Smelling the varnish. Old. And faded. She sighed. And fell against the wood. Liking it. Loving it. Feeling its warmth. She giggled.
"Can you guess what this is?" She knocked. Pausing. Two knocks. Pause. Knock.
He knocked twice.
"I don't know either." She smiled. And laughed quietly. At her trick. "I made it up." Then. She resumed. "How 'bout this one?"
Seven Knocks. Pause. Three knocks. Pause. Three knocks. Thirteen knocks. End.
He knocked twice.
"It's 'Mary had a Little Lamb'." She said. Pulling back her hand. Looking at her fist. "It's really old."
There was silence for a moment. Even from the kitchen. They were coming.
"Will you stay here?" She asked.
Pausing. He knocked twice.
"Why not?" He looked down his borrowed pajamas. Dark. And blue. To his chest. Where bruises were.
He looked at the door. Imagining what her face looked like.
"Please stay," she whimpered softly, "with me?"
He waited for a long time. Just as he heard feet. Coming up the stairs.
"I like you..."
And as he rose up from the door.
He gave it one soft knock.
CHAPTER SIX
He lay silent. Listening down the hall. The argument. Over the situation. Over him.
The family. All three. Had moved to one room. Door locked.
But only the little girl was in the room now. The parents were downstairs. Yelling. From the kitchen.
The man could hear it through the vent.
He moved. And the springs in the futon squealed. Drowning out the words.
He did not want to hear them.
He rose. The blankets coming off. As he stood. And went for the bathroom. Down the hall.
But at the bedroom door. He stopped. The one with the girl behind it. He stopped. And put his ear against the door. It was silent inside.
He tapped gently. With his knuckle. And he heard the bed springs creek. Muffled feet shuffling. Across the carpet. Coming towards the door.
"Hello?" She asked. Her hands against the door. Her ear pressed against the wood. Listening to him breathe.
"Hi." He said.
"We have to be quiet." She warned. Looking towards the vent. Not wanting to be caught.
"Okay." he answered. And squatted down. To her level. His palm about where hers was spread. On the other side of the door.
"Are they keeping you awake?" she spoke. Then bit off her own words. "Wait. Knock once for yes. Twice for no."
He knocked once.
"Me too." She whispered. Smelling the varnish. Old. And faded. She sighed. And fell against the wood. Liking it. Loving it. Feeling its warmth. She giggled.
"Can you guess what this is?" She knocked. Pausing. Two knocks. Pause. Knock.
He knocked twice.
"I don't know either." She smiled. And laughed quietly. At her trick. "I made it up." Then. She resumed. "How 'bout this one?"
Seven Knocks. Pause. Three knocks. Pause. Three knocks. Thirteen knocks. End.
He knocked twice.
"It's 'Mary had a Little Lamb'." She said. Pulling back her hand. Looking at her fist. "It's really old."
There was silence for a moment. Even from the kitchen. They were coming.
"Will you stay here?" She asked.
Pausing. He knocked twice.
"Why not?" He looked down his borrowed pajamas. Dark. And blue. To his chest. Where bruises were.
He looked at the door. Imagining what her face looked like.
"Please stay," she whimpered softly, "with me?"
He waited for a long time. Just as he heard feet. Coming up the stairs.
"I like you..."
And as he rose up from the door.
He gave it one soft knock.