Scary Kids (NaNoWriMo 2019)

Chapter 5.

I know that seeing Frank for the first time might seem like a little too much, he someone who's probably seen enough for at least ten lifetimes. I only wish that he would actually do something different for once. It would be amazing just to hear him say one word to me, maybe tell me what his name is. Or perhaps, tell me if he actually likes my company? I know that I might be somewhat rude, but that doesn't mean I don't feel any kind of compassion. I would love to get to know him, the real him, not the person I think he is. My grandfather used to tell me stories of when he would take my dad away on weekend trips to some lake a couple of towns over. It's where he let him have his first drink at fifteen. Of course, there's no way that my dad would even let me get close to any kind of alcohol. He loved me even at my worst.

"Do you think he has family still in town?" I hear Elijah ask me.

"Maybe, it would make sense," I reply.

I see him take a few steps forward, "Hello? Sir?"

"What are you doing?" I whisper to him with alarm.

He doesn't even acknowledge me, "My name is Elijah. You've met Harper already I presume. Ummm, is there anything we could help you with, she says you've been stuck here for a long time?"

I repeat myself as I run up behind him, "What are you doing? He won't answer you. I'm actually kind of scared to know what might happen when he does."

"It's fine," he finally tells me.

We wait for a good minute, yet Frank still doesn't say a thing just as I predicted.

"I told you," I say looking up at him.

"What if we try again tomorrow?"

I shake my head, "He isn't going to change, trust me I've tried for three hundred and sixty-five days."

Elijah turns to look at me, "Well, I guess it's my turn to try."

He might be stubborn, but it's too early for me to burst his bubble of reality, he's gone through too much in the last day. I only hope that he realizes that I'm right about this. I really did mean it when I said that I've tried almost every day for the last year to get even a peep out of the guy, but he just stands there like he's trying to hold back tears. I wish I knew what was making him so sad, no one deserves to feel like that for as long as he has.

"Can we just stay here for a while?" Elijah asks.

I nod, "Yeah, sure."

I had reserved myself to making a pyramid of acorns while Elijah studied and questioned Frank. I definitely admired his determination, it's probably why he was always so good when it came to running for the track and field team at school. He's only second after his dad, who also attended Saint Rose High, he was an absolute champion and everybody knew him, well, they still do. You could say that he was the typical popular boy of his time.

As much as I think it would be a good idea for Elijah to see his family, I fear that it might destroy him more than he believes. There's no way I could even put the idea into his head, it just wouldn't be right. Maybe in a couple of months, but not now. He's so much stronger than me, physically, and I don't know what I would do if he lost it and somehow started throwing things around without even realizing what's happening. It took me a while to even calmly figure out how to pick things up.

"Let's try again tomorrow, just like you said," I call out to him.

He doesn't respond for a moment, but I see his shoulders drop, "Fine."

"How about we walk around town for a bit?" I ask, getting up.

"Yeah, okay," he nods.

I reach my hand out for him to take, to still give him a sense of comfort, but his fingers pass right through my palm like nothing is there.

"What's happening?" he questions as he studies his hands with worry. "Am I disappearing?"

"No!" I try to quiet him down, "You're okay. Just breath."

I touch his shoulder to reassure him. I know figuring everything out can be quite jaunting. Jeeze, I was all alone and absolutely petrified for the first few months.

"It's going to take time," I tell him, "I'll teach you everything I know. For now, put your hand out and I'll come to you."

Slowly, he does as I told him to and I do exactly as I said I would. I easily grasp my fingers around his, but not before noticing his scrunched up eyebrows.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Nothing," he says giving me a hint of a smile, "it just feels weird."

"It's almost like magic, isn't it?"

He shakes his head, "I don't know if that's how I would describe it."

"Then how would you describe it?" I question.

"Tingly," he says first and I nod in agreement, "but also windy? No, Wait! it's more like when you skim your hand right under the surface of the water and a small wave forms right over top."

"But you're not in the water, so it feels like magic, right?" I grin.

"Sure," he gives in once again, "it feels like magic."

I really just wanted to see him smile again. His definition, however, was pretty much spot on.

Before leaving I ask him, "Is there anywhere you want to go in particular?"

"I don't know," he replies, "I've lived here my whole life, but I don't think anyone's ever asked me that question."

"Then, why don't we go for a walk through downtown?"

"Downtown?" he replies, "I didn't know that Sandsville considered Busker Street as downtown."

"Then how would you know that?"

"What?"

"That Busker Street is downtown Sandsville."

Elijah rolls his eyes, "were you always this..."

"Annoying?" I finish his sentence. "It's like I said earlier, I can say whatever the hell I want now."