Lucas:

When I heard the church doors swing open, I thought it was only the wind. The wind was definitely strong enough, and who would be walking around in this storm? I know I said that I was scared of someone attacking me, but I didn't really think anyone would show up. After all, I had been living here for almost a year, and nobody had ever found me. Why would someone turn up now?

So, when I heard a loud cry echo around the room, I freaked out. There was a stranger in my church. What was he doing here? Was he a good guy or a bad guy?

I felt trapped, and I didn't like it. All of the noises from the storm stopped me from hearing right, so I wouldn't be able to escape if he attacked me. If I tried running, I would probably crash into a wall or something. Even though I was really scared, I decided to be brave. I called out to him, hoping I sounded tougher than I felt.

The man told me that he wasn't going to hurt me, but I didn't trust him. I'm not stupid. I know that you can't really trust anybody. I learned that at the orphanage. That's why I was still scared that he'd hurt me or try to make me to go back to that evil place.

I couldn't force him back out into the storm though. The storm was so bad that he could die out there, and I am not a killer. Also, if he really were a bad guy, he wouldn't have offered to leave, right? I knew I had to let him stay.

I thought it was weird, and honestly kind of rude, that Erik didn't want to tell me his name. He really was a strange, mysterious man. I had the feeling he hadn't spent that much time around other people. He didn't talk very much, and I could hear the sadness in the air around him. Even though I wanted to know more about him, I didn't ask him too many questions. The caretaker at the orphanage, Mme Boucher, always told us that it was rude to pry. I still have the scars to remind me. I ran my hand over the scars on my arm and shuddered.

As I showed Erik around, I had to remind myself that I didn't have to tell him about things that were out in the open. He would be able to see everything. (Sometimes, I forget that not everyone is blind.) I felt a little jealous when I realized that he could see all the art in the church. I had felt the sculptures before, but touch didn't help me 'see' the paintings. I had always wondered what they looked like.

I told him about the well behind the church but, because of the storm, we didn't go out to see it. He'd be able to find it if he needed to. There really wasn't too much more to show him. I brought him to the entrance of the catacombs below the church, but I didn't take him down there. I didn't want to be stuck down there with a stranger, even if he said he wasn't dangerous.

After the catacombs, I brought him to my favorite part of the whole place: the organ. I obviously don't know what the organ looked like, but I had the feeling that it was impressive. I found it on my second day living here and, honestly, it's the reason I decided to stay. I had never really played music before. The orphanage didn't have any instruments. Also, Mme and Mssr Boucher would beat us if we got too noisy, so we couldn't even sing.

Being able to play the songs that fill my head has made me happier than I ever could have imagined. I love music more than anything else in the whole world, even more than food. The world speaks to me through music, and it's like my organ has let me finally respond. As we approached the instrument, I heard Erik let out a small gasp.

"Do you play?" I asked him. Maybe I had found someone like me.

"No," he replied stiffly. "I detest music."

His response surprised me. He seemed kind of angry. It was like I had asked him some horrible question. Also, who could hate music? Music is the purest thing in the whole world, full of raw emotion. I tried to ignore his comment and told myself not to play music while he was here. It would be hard for me, but I didn't want to piss him off.

After finishing the grand tour, I turned to him and smiled. "Well, that's it!" I said throwing my hands up. "Welcome to my home!"

As we sat down on the benches, I heard Erik's stomach rumble. I realized that he had probably been wandering through the storm for a long time. So, it might have been a while since he had eaten. I walked to my supply of food and picked up a chunk of bread. I felt a little guilty that I didn't have much food to offer him, but this was better than nothing.

"Do you want some bread?" I asked, holding out the piece in my hand. Even though I couldn't see him, I made sure I was facing him when I spoke. Mme Boucher always told me that people don't like it if you don't look at them when you're talking to each other.

"Thank you," said Erik, snatching the bread hungrily. Then, after a long pause, he asked, "Are you not having any?"

"Well, I already ate before you showed up." I am not a liar. I had eaten earlier; it just happened to be in the morning. I know that I was not being completely honest with Erik, but I didn't have enough food for the both of us. I was planning on getting more food tomorrow, and I obviously didn't know that anyone would be coming. I knew I shouldn't have let my food supply get so low. But, I also knew what it was like to be truly hungry. Erik needed the food more than I did.

After a few more minutes of sitting in the silence, I suddenly remembered that most people weren't used to living in the dark. "Oh, sorry. I forgot to tell you that there are some torches and matches somewhere in the corner I think. I don't usually use them because, well, there's really no point." I pointed at my eyes and let out a small laugh. "Feel free to light them though."

"It is fine. I prefer the darkness," Erik replied quietly.

I found this weird; not many sighted people prefer being in the dark. I had to reminded myself not to pry. Don't be rude. "Oh, cool," I said lamely.

It was awkward having Erik around but, after a year of living in the church alone, it was nice to have someone to share it with. As we sat in silence, I began tapping my fingers on my leg. I was already starting to miss playing my organ. Since I couldn't play while Erik was here, I would just have to settle with pretending to play one. I tried to keep my hands as still as possible and only move my fingers, so that it wouldn't be so obvious. I didn't want him to know what I was doing. I didn't want to do anything to annoy him or make him think that I didn't want him here. I am not rude.

After about an hour of this, I said goodnight to Erik. As I drifted off to sleep, I could hear Erik's restlessness filling the room around me.