Indwelling

Lady

At first, she didn't like her, the girl they were leaving her with. Lady made a face. She twisted her nose as she eyed the babysitter's long skinny legs, pink poke-a-dotted sundress, green black and white striped coke glasses, pink string hair and blue-green braces. Lady's mouth contorted slightly as her new mother handed her over to the girl. She was six times her size with freckles that seemed too big, too orange and very daunting. But then, as Lady nestled against her chest, right next to the teenager's neck and the delicate curve of her left ear, the little girl paused. Mid-whimper, her sparking chocolate eyes bedazzled widely the green checkered hoops twirling about her babysitter's splattering of earrings. They looked curious, too curious, dangerously curious. They were so curious that the little lady purposely reached out ignoring the nonsense babbling quietly behind her.

"Our cellphones will be on and our numbers are by the telephone if you forget them. There are extra diapers above the toilet and don't worry about the laundry. There is one load in the dryer downstairs, but it shouldn't be a problem unless Norman needs it. He's our neighbor. Sometimes, he'll knock on the door and complain if we leave it too long. If he does knock, you'll just have to go down and get it because he'll get a little crabby if you don't. You know what I mean?"

"Sweetheart."

"Remember to keep an eye on Lady and George—well, Lady really. George can pretty much take care of himself—"

"Grendel."

"But Lady has been very—"

"Darling. The girl has been here many times before. She knows the deal." Obed quietly interrupted his wife's well-meaning instructions.

"I know, Obed. I'm just reminding her." Grendel yelled, well whispered, well yell-whispered. "I know—"

"AH!" The babysitter squealed as Lady personally tested to see if her hoops were edible. Delighted that they weren't, she also squealed and then purposely pulled again. Again, Rose squealed. Lady did too. Obed winced. They were two sopranos, each terrible, each loud, each able to break glass. Rose smiled through her teeth. "Oh, don't worry Mrs. Obed. Lady, those aren't toys. I remember where everything is. You can trust—OW! You can trust me." Gently, she pulled little fingers away from green and white plastic. Instantly, those chubby fingers tangled in her hair. "She's still as curious as ever I see."

Her babysitter laughed trying to not let her eyes skitter towards the hallway, towards the door, towards the thing hidden quietly away. "Is the—um. Is it?"

"Yes"

"No."

Obed and Grendel exchanged glances. He glared and she gave in.

"Yes," he answered a little more firmly. He didn't quite agree with the idea of allowing the babysitter to work while in their house. Not with the Arc still there, it still waiting, it unprotected and unwatched. Still, this was better than having no one there at all and leaving it completely unattended either. In his mind, it was just better to have it out, explain it and warn the girl—again. He did so very sternly. "Do not touch the door and just leave it alone. You'll be fine. Okay?"

"Of course. I know Mr. Obed, sir." Rose smiled a tad nervously or maybe a tad excitedly. Since she smiled at everything, Obed really couldn't tell.

The man sighed and moved to retrieve his girl from the babysitter's grasp. Again, the child squealed taking a chunk of pink hair with her. Gingerly, Obed apologized. Rose stuttered while she followed his wife towards George's bedroom. He had yet to leave it. Obed half listened to her good-byes and silent instructions as he put Lady in her play crate. He kissed her, smiled and waved.

Excited, she waved back watching intently as he left, as her mother hesitantly followed, as the door closed and the stranger settled herself in front of the TV.

Lady yawned. She took a nap.

A knock at the door started her awake. Lady blinked. She heard murmuring and footsteps, a man's grunt and a sudden slam of the door. Getting to her feet, Lady looked around the living room surprised to see nothing about her, no one but the TV, the sofa, the dining room table and the kitchen. Unsure, she whimpered.

When nothing happened, she did it again a little louder.

And a little louder.

And a little louder until suddenly she heard footsteps come down the hall. Lady turned when they stopped and then she squealed. Her cries quickly turned into bubbling laughter as her eyes caught those of her brother.

Hesitantly, George stared at her and then he moved to pick her up. A slight smile formed across his lips, a smile only she was allowed to see. Happily, Lady reached out to touch it. His lips tilted higher. His eyes sparkled a little more. She could see it. She loved it.

"Don't worry," George whispered. "Old grouch Norman came about the laundry. Rose will be back soon. You'll see." Nuzzling her short hair, her brother put her on the ground and moved back down the hallway. "I'll be in the bathroom, okay?" He yelled out to her. "Stay put!"

A door opened.

A door closed.

And then she was alone. Again. But happy.

Chocolate eyes turned and watched the tv flicker before her. Quickly bored with it, however, she turned to eye the kitchen and then the hallway. She wondered where her brother went.

Curious, the girl pulled herself to her feet. Using the coffee table, she paused a little as she wobbled. But once steady, she smiled. She let go of it. She toddled to her bottle resting on its side in front of their little entertainment center. In its flickering light, she picked it up and took a drink. She drank as she wobbled towards the hallway.

She stopped at the entrance and seeing the corridor slightly dark from the lack of light she hesitated. She tried to look back at the kitchen, but then she teetered. She paused. She eyed the tv and her crate. She eyed the front door, and then she thought of her brother and bravely stepped forward. She followed him. One step. Two steps. Three steps. Four.

Halfway to the bathroom, another sight distracted her from her travels, a sight that she'd been staring at for a month and a day. Lady tilted her head. She took a drink and moved towards it until she stood before the door, the one at the end of the hallway. She put down her bottle.

Clapping her hands, Lady reached for the door knob knowing how to twist it, how to tip toe to pull it little by little until finally without hindrance it opened. Her chocolate eyes laughed as they landed on gold and wood. The strange gigantic box sparkled like laughter from the darkness of the closet. The sparkle drowned out the voice of her brother. He warned her not to come into the bathroom. The sparkle beckoned her to follow. Instead of bothering her brother, Lady stepped forward. Instead of harkening to his voice, she reached fat chubby fingers to touch the strangely rippled edge, the strangely chiseled wings of the beings bowed on top. The box glittered.

Her bottle rolled away as her body fell to the floor.

The bottle rolled away knocking gently against the bathroom's door.

It stopped there.

It died there.

- Calla