Broken Tides

Chapter Three

My first week went pretty smooth, despite the whirlwind of emotions. Our neighbors offered to call their son to help and we gladly accepted. I felt weird having a guy who I don't know all too well carry me up the stairs bridal style, but he was nice to us and aunt Kat really took a liking to him.

He introduced himself as Jonah, but asked us just to call him 'Jay' or short.  He was much taller than I was, and really well built. He wasn't dumb, but he also clearly wasn't the smartest bulb in the box. He was surprisingly strong, too. Later Jay and aunt Kat went to the storage unit to pick up the old tv and mini fridge.

I was asleep when they came back, Jay shaking my shoulder softly to wake me up. He was still dressed in his work uniform, baggy blue weather proof pants green rubber boots and bright orange suspenders over a tight grey t-shirt.

"Hey, champ" he smiled at me as I struggled to sit up, him helping me. I realized quickly it would take some getting used to him being around so much.

I noticed he already set most of everything up. He handed me the controller.

"All you need to do now is log into your system and you're good to go."

"Thanks," I nodded slowly "uh- where's my aunt?"

"Kat went to the store to grab some food for you."

I hummed in response as I filled in my login info. "Grab my case for me, please?" 

"What?" 

"The silver cigarette, on the desk over there." I pointed over to the case, sitting on top of an old rarely used sketchbook. 

Jay got up and grabbed the case, walking back over to me. "Your aunt lets you smoke in here?"

"Yup." opening the case and sticking one in my mouth I offered the case to him. He shrugged and plucked one out of the case, using his own lighter to light it. I used my own

 After redownloading some games, Jay stuck around and played a few games with me. I know I'm an adult but I felt stressed and it was nice to play games like a kid.

About an hour later aunt Kat came home with bags filled to the brim with my favorite foods and snacks. I was surprised when all the stuff that needed to be refrigerated actually fit into the mini fridge. Said mini fridge had been put on top of a few cinder blocks so it was at the right height for me to reach. Kat even brought up a bigger trashcan, and some extra things to keep my room more tidy. 

"I know you won't be living up here, but it'll be good for you to have enough stuff to entertain and take care of yourself while I'm at work." she smiled weakly, as she tossed me a new pack to stock up my case.

Jay and Kat laughed to themselves as they put stuff away. It was a little awkward to see my aunt's not so subtle flirting with someone, but on the other hand I'm glad they like each other.

I had stopped paying attention to them and my focus trained itself on a rusted tackle box on the corner of my bed. I didn't recognize it, I must have been so preoccupied that it just didn't exist until now. Neither of them seemed to notice it either, and neither one of them asked me about it, so I was unsure if it was Jay's and he just left it on my bed, or if they found it in my room and assumed it was mine.

Jay and aunt Kat had left the room, giving me some space finally. I turned the volume up on the tv and reached for the box. It wasn't super heavy but it had some weight to it. Some of the rusty parts were covered in a greenish copper rust, and most of the black paint that was still remaining was bubbled or peeling. Around the metal handle was a hemp cord with a small well used key tied to it. It was safe to assume that because he didn't grab it on the way out and didn't come back for it that it wasn't his- but it wasn't mine either.