Chapter II: Lights in the Attic
As unusual as it was; he was awake at this hour. The sunshine bothered him, but he stood glued to his spot in the open window. His face was so pale it almost glowed in the sunlight he rarely exposed it to. His eyes had grown used to the darkness and he winced at the intensifying light, yet he stayed.
Earlier he had finished his usual routine of gardening and upkeep of his hedge sculptures. The sky had indicated that it was time for him to go inside by turning a few shades lighter. He didn't go outside during the daylight hours, or at least he hadn't in a very long time. It wasn't safe. Someone might see him. Even though he had created barriers along his long driveway, there was still that risk he didn't want to take. He knew he should also stop sculpting and gardening. That if anyone did make it within the inner walls of his property, they would see it and know he was still alive. But he would rather cease living than give up one of the only pleasurable things in his existence.
He had walked slowly up the curving stone stairs, dragging a blade along the wrought iron railing. He liked the sound of it. It was always so quiet; most of the time he could even hear himself breath. He had reached the landing and then another small staircase. At the top of the second staircase was another landing with a large window that faced the east. The window had long since been bare of any glass. He had broken it in a fit of rage one day while remembering his experience with some of the townspeople. He had spent years in depression after what had happened to him, hoping that she would come back to see him. After several years passed and nothing changed his emotions faded. He had never felt any type of intense emotion after that.
He stood in the window and waited for the sun to rise thinking that he may as well be the sun or the moon. He came out everyday, did the same thing, and was as completely singular in this world. He questioned his very existence. He looked at the colors the sky started turning, hoping the sunrise would cheer him a little.
He was pulled out of his reverie by a flash of light on the hill below him. Looking down he saw a large vehicle pull up to a little house and stop. For several hours he watched entranced. He had spent so long observing an almost unchanging town, that the movement at the house that had been empty for so long captivated him. He had been watching someone bring varying sized boxes into the house. More boxes towered on the ground near the truck.
Every now and then he could hear strange noises drifting up from the house. It was hard to make out what he was hearing even though his ears were more sensitive than normal human ones. His brow furrowed as he concentrated. Those noises seem familiar ...Oh! It's music! Yes, I can remember music. Father used to play records for me. And that brief time that I was able to be amongst those people in the town. They all listened to music in their vehicles and shops.
He leaned out the window a bit more trying to hear it better. That's when he saw her. She had walked out onto the balcony of her attic and sat down with something in her hands. She had a light complexion with long dark hair. That was pretty much all he could make out at the distance. Even though she was too far away for him to see her with detail, he was fascinated by her. He stretched further out the window to try and see her better, but she looked up right in his direction. He jumped from her sight as quickly as he could. Did she see me?! I hope she didn't. The last people that lived there saw me a few times by accident and they left. The older lady even screamed once. They never come back...no one ever does.
He frowned and stood there thinking of all the people who had rejected him. He rested his forehead against the cool stone wall, and shut his eyes. He stayed like that for hours reminiscing, he may have even slept a little. When he opened his eyes it was much darker. Only then did he dare to peek out the window again. He gasped.
The area that the girl had been sitting in earlier was now full of little lights. Green, blue, and purplish lights. A smile flickered on his lips. He had never seen such a thing before and wasn't sure what they even were. He needed to get a better look. He excitedly ran down the set of stairs, out the door, and past all of the green sculptures. He pushed open the gate to the inner wall of the estate, and walked through the trees to the outer wall. He climbed an area of the wall that had crumbled to form rudimentary steps. Even standing on top of the wall, the trees still blocked his view and he was disappointed that he couldn't see it better. The wind started blowing and then he heard a peculiar tinkling sound. His curiosity got the better of him as he jumped down and left his home for the first time in over fifty years.