That's All

Mikah Phillips

Back-breaking silence attacked the room and spread like a disease throughout the house

"Who... are you?"

He spoke the words carefully as if they were sleeping creatures that would awaken if he let them pass his lips too quickly or noisily.

"Who are you?"

I spoke the words just as tenderly, if not more so.

"I asked you first."

"I'm a girl.

"Yes, we've established this already!"

At his comment, I found myself chuckling in spite of the urgency of the situation. Just as quickly as I started, I stopped, remembering my place. Face the facts now Lindsay, NOBODY is your friend, get use to it. I crammed this into the folds of my mind, no matter how much I wanted to feel safe, I knew I couldn't... not yet.

"Well, I don't know if I told you this yet, but I AM nobody, good thing too, or you'd be pretty alone." and without explanation, he turned swiftly with his little grocery bags and disappeared into the kitchen. He had just read my mind, and there was nothing I could do about it.

---

WAIT. My thoughts flew across my mind, almost too fast to comprehend. Did he really just do what I think he did? Am I talking out loud and I just don't realize it? I really am going insane.

I leapt for the recliner in one swift movement and followed him into the kitchen. "Wait!" I squeaked as I burst into the small kitchen, dying to know more. Just inside the kitchen door was a battered and tried little table with two tiny chairs on either end. The oven and sink sat side by side, the latter of which was stacked with dishes and various utensils. The light brown cabinets hugged the drywall and concrete corners like cobwebs on the walls of an old cottage; run down and needing love, but still incredibly homey. It was obvious the inhabitant was no interior decorator.

"Where am I? Who are you?"

He meandered over to the pantry with his bags as I hurled my questions at him.

"You are currently located in the sunny city of Los Angeles, California. As for me, I'm not sure I can tell you my identity, it's pretty secret." He twitched an eyebrow and gave me a fake inquisitive look as he gobbled down the newly purchased Lucky Charms. "I'm just kidding," he choked out a laugh with a mouthful of what seemed to be strictly marshmallows. "I'm Mikah Phillips." He held out his hand to greet me as I stood there staring.