A Lighter Shade of Gray

The Unexpected Guest

Walking back into the room Sam and Marcus were wrestling on the floor. As if trying to mimic what the wrestlers were doing on the television.  "If you two wind up breaking something I'm beating the hell out of both of you." I said in the most threatening tone I could muster. I felt like I was watching my little cousins, instead of having two semi-grown adults hanging out. Harmony just sat back on the couch and was laughing to the point that she was almost out of breath, "It will be a miracle if they don't break something at the rate they are going." She said between cackles.

"If they are anything like the demon spawn I'm used to keeping an eye on, it would be voodoo." I told her still chuckling.

"Are you saying that we are acting like children?" Sam shouted from the other side of the couch. Peering over I saw Sam had finally gained the upper hand and was now sitting on Marcus pinning him to the floor.
"Nope not at all." I said in a sarcastic tone.

"So who put this on?" I inquired looking at the screen with two sweaty men slugging each other as hard as they could. Harmony just raised an eye brow, as if asking me if I felt that I had to ask that question. 

"Never mind." I said, shaking my head. "I don't know why I even bothered to ask." Harmony and I sat on the couch, watching the guys play fight as we waited for our food to show up. On occasion having to tell the two men to watch out or needing to step in and play referee. Being around the very newly acquired people in my house I felt a moment of joy, and for once I felt normal. We laughed as they started to copy the men on the screen to the point of throwing petty insults at each other. They were a lot more entertaining than the prescripted fights on the T.V. After another ten minutes of them play fighting I had to get up and use the bathroom.

"If you guys could excuse me for a moment, I will be right back." I said getting up off the couch and heading up the stairs, making my way to the bathroom "And don't break anything!" I shouted from the doorway. 

I already felt drained from the short time that they had been there. All the laughing had somehow started to wear me down. It was just as exhausting, if not more so, as avoiding people. The only difference seemed to be was I was lacking the cold feeling of guilt and longing in my soul. Instead of the icy feeling that I had come accustomed to over the years, there was a gentle warmth there, like a flower just starting to reach for the sun after a good April rain. It was new, and it slightly frightened me. I started to go over the moments where I wished to have someone to spend time with. To talk to and goof off around. Was this what it was like? Was this what I had deprived myself of for years?

'Having friends is tiring.' I thought to myself. I sighed. It was very apparent that my usual plan wasn't working out this time. These three people had come in like a demolition team and tore down my walls in the matter of a couple hours.  I mean I could cut it off now, save everyone some hard feelings but it felt nice to not be alone all the time, was that selfish of me? Was I wrong for wanting people around? Was I really that lonely that I was craving some level of human interaction?

"One set of memories will be ok." I thought to myself as I finished up what I was doing and washing my hands. "I wonder if they will understand."

The doorbell sounding threw me out of my thoughts, "Can one of you get that please I'm washing my hands?" I asked calling down the stairs. "It is most likely the pizza guy, the money's on the counter in the kitchen."

"I got it." Harmony called back to me. I reached for the towel, deciding I would put a pin in my dilemma for now, and just enjoy the moments as they came and deal with my internal struggle later. I mean what was the harm in having a little bit of light in my world of darkness?

 As I went to open the door a blood curdling scream came from down stairs, causing my fight or flight to kick in. Before I could comprehend what I was actually doing, I was running down the stairs faster than I thought I ever could. As I hit the last step I saw Harmony standing with the door wide open she was shaking from head to toe. From the angle I was at I could see a look of pure horror plastered on her face, but what I could not see was the cause of it. 

"Harmony?" I called out to her, not really wanting to move from where I was. I called to her again. Only to have her point out into the darkness just past the glow of the front porch light. I didn't see anything, I began to think that they where playing a prank on me. "Are you joking around? Because if you are it isn't funny" I said, my voice shaking as I began taking steps toward her. I became rooted in place when she began to shake her head back and forth frantically. She was honestly petrified by something. Once again I attempted to see what had her frightened to her core. 

I walked forward again peering further into the dark in front of me. I still couldn't make anything out but the darkness, then lighting filled the sky and what it illuminated made my stomach drop and fear seep into my bones, forcing me freeze in place.