I felt all the air escape from my lungs. The knocking continued, a light hearted rat-a-tat-tat on the glass.
I dug deeper into my bed, hoping beyond anything that it was just a dream. But then I heard a clear voice.
"What does 'vegetarian baked beans' mean?" The question was simple, some of the words drawn out like they were being carefully pronounced.
Then the male voice nearly begged, "Please, I really need to know."
I sat up staring at my window. For some reason the harmless nature of the question made it even more frightening, and confusing for that matter.
Sliding onto the floor I crawled slowly over to the window. I didn't know if I would be able to convince myself to look, but if I'd faced him dead, I could surely look him in the eye alive, couldn't I?
Just for safety I grabbed the pocket knife I'd started keeping on my night stand and flipped it open.
As I got closer to the window I heard humming. Not even menacing humming, but the absentminded sound someone makes while they're waiting for the bus.
I gripped a corner of the curtain, took a deep breath and tore it open.
On the other side, features highlighted by the moon, was the boy in all of his living glory.
He smiled at me, a very different smile than the one I'd come to know. This one was animated, revealing slightly crooked, yellow, gloriously human teeth. He looked at me like I was just an old friend.
"So what does it mean?" He asked plainly. In his hand was one of the cans I'd brought him, the top peeled back.
I got to my knees, afraid to get too close to the glass, but still having to lean in to answer.
"You don't know what baked beans are?"
He laughed, "No silly, of course I know what beans are. I don't know what vegetarian means." The word rolled off his tongue awkwardly for emphasis.
Not knowing exactly how to react I just told him, "It means there's no meat in it."
"Shit!" He exclaimed, dropping the can like it had bitten him. He stepped back from it, got a weary look in his eyes and pulled out a knife from his waistband.
This time it was my turn to jump back. But he didn't come at me with it, instead he ran it across his own arm.
"What are you doing?"
He put the knife back in his waistband and looked up at me confused, "it's a sin."
My eyes were wild, "What is?"
"Eating dishes without meat in them," he laughed, "everyone knows that."
I considered arguing the point, but it was one of my lesser worries, "Why did you cut yourself?"
"To atone for my sins." As he said it I thought of all the cuts he'd had when I found him. How much sinning was that?
"Are you alright?" I asked nervously, still expecting him to try and break in and murder me.
He shrugged and smiled again, flexing the injured arm, "Totally. I've had worse."
A small laugh escaped me when he said that, which caused his brows to knit together in confusion, "Well I guess people like you guys might not understand, with your fancy food and huge house."
"This is a trailer with a porch built on the front."
"Well whatever you call it here, I'm sure you guys don't care about your sins as much."
I snorted, "I guess not."
"Well anyway, see you later." He waved and began walking toward the woods.
"Wait!" I called after him. He turned around and came back.
"Yep?" He bounced on the balls of his bare feet.
"Where are you going?"
"Back home."
"To the house?"
He rolled his eyes like I'd said something silly, "Of course, it's where I live now I guess."
"You guess?"
"Well it's where the master put me, and he's always right."
I had so many questions to ask but none of them came out, so I just nodded like an idiot.
And with that he gave me another smile and a wave, "See you tomorrow."