Amaranth

8

        “Okay. The coast is clear.” He motioned her to his side.

        She peeked around the door as he opened it wider.

        “Come on.”

        They snuck in on silent feet even though no one was home to hear.

        He made sure to carefully lock the door behind them and led her to his room. Once he checked the lock on his room, he headed over to his bed, straightening the sheets and picking up a stray pillow from the floor he had kicked there earlier. For some reason, this was the first time he ever felt self-conscious about his room, which was absurd. On a normal day, he never saw the point of making his bed only to use it again in the same day.

        She stood to the side and watched, completely fascinated with the life he led.

        Once he smooth out the sheets as best as he could, he turned to her.

        “You can sleep there tonight.” He pointed to his bed.

        “Okay. Where are you sleeping?”

        He was already spreading his comforter on the floor next to the bed. He kicked a dirty shirt out of the way to make room before he spoke. “Here.” He gestured to the space on the ground.

        “Are you sure?”

        “Yeah. Don’t worry about me. I’ve slept in worst places.”

        “What kind of places?”

        She rocked on the soles of her feet as he turned around and observed her.

        “Don’t worry about it. Just make yourself at home.”

        “Okay.” She slowly walked toward him, still not sure if this was one of those times he meant what he said.

        Grabbing a pillow off the bed, he finished off his sleeping pallet.

        “Come here.” He was leaning against his bed frame and resting his head on the mattress. She moved closer so that she was treading on the ends of his make-do bed.

        “What time do you usually sleep?”

         “I don’t know.”

        “Do you even sleep at all?” He knew she did. He had seen her plenty of times.

        “Yes.”

        “Okay then. Why don’t you try to get some sleep?”

        “Okay.”

        “Do you want to change? You can borrow anything from my closet.”

        She looked around then back down at what she was wearing. “I have this.”

        “Of course.” He yawned and stretched his legs from underneath him.

        She moved on top of his bed and pulled her legs up.

        After she situated herself, he stood up and walked to his door. He didn’t feel like changing into comfortable clothes or brushing his teeth. Simple, mindless tasks were beyond him now.

        “Goodnight.” She held her breath. It was not every night someone could return her call. The dead could only listen.

        “Goodnight.” With that, he plunged them into total darkness and crawled a path to his makeshift bed. Little did he know it was the first of many nights he would lay in that bed.

 __________

November 16, 2014