Lament

The Blind Hears

The party was bumping. Music was blaring over speakers set up in the living room, people dancing and having a good time. With a red solo cup in hand, Taylor stood off to the side, out of the way of flailing limbs and raunchy grinding. Taking a sip from her cup, she eyed the mass of bodies in the center of the room. A haze made it a little difficult to see and the strobe lights and multicolored LEDs definitely didn't help. She had come along with a boy she had been talking to for a few months now, but they had lost sight of one another almost immediately as they stepped through the front door. Now alone and with no one else she knew, Taylor immediately fled from center stage and found as secluded a spot she could with well over 70 people all jammed in the small house.

She couldn't remember who was hosting this party, nor did she really care. She scanned the crowd once more in hopes of finding her date, to no avail. Sighing, she dug around her pocket to message him that she was going to step outside for a breather if he was looking for her. Slipping past a couple making out in a less populated hallway, she found a back door that led outside. Cool fall air rushed to meet her as she stepped out, the sound of music following her before getting muffled by the closed door. The backyard was almost barren, a few stragglers outside smoking cigs or blunts, she couldn't tell nor cared to find out.

Eyes seeking out the stars, she frowned at the overcast sky above her. Shuffling further away from the house, she followed the fence line. Stopping at a tall oak tree that was growing through the fence, she plopped down at the base of the tree. The music from the house was just barely audible from her perch, for which she was thankful. A ding from her phone had her searching her hoodie pocket for a moment before she fished it out. Squinting from the light shining in her face, she scowled down at her screen. That bastard had already left, taking a girl he had met home because she was trashed. Huffing, she stuck her phone back in her pocket, not bothering to reply to him.

The sound of crickets filled the silence, occasionally being interrupted by a loud booming from the bass she could still feel in her feet from the music inside. Glancing away from the house party, she spotted another house a little ways away from where she was sitting. It looked like it had seen better days, a smaller two story house placed precariously on a hill just beyond the fence line. Tall grass and dead trees lined the other property, only aiding the junky feel to the place. She eyed the windows to the house, noting the dirt and grime that covered them and made it impossible to see inside. No lights were on inside and it looked like no one had lived there in years. Just as she was turning back around, a flash caught her eye.

One of the downstairs windows lit up with a blue glow momentarily, catching her off guard. Tilting her head to the side, she eyed the window for a moment longer before standing to her feet. Scaling the fence was easy for her, it was barely chest height to her and it was falling apart in places. Creeping through the tall grass and slipping around bushes and dead trees alike, she slunk towards the window she had seen the light come from. Cupping her hands around her eyes, she pressed her face to the window, peering inside. A bedroom covered in dust lay beyond. A full sized bed and end tables with lamps placed atop them, cobwebs absolutely covering the lampshades. A wardrobe placed along a wall where a door led further into the house. Wallpaper seemed to be peeling in places, revealing a yellowing drywall beneath. She couldn't make out what the flooring was made of, it was too dark in color and was too dim in the room to tell.

Biting her lip, she weighed the pros and cons of doing what she was thinking of. Testing the window, she found it to be unlocked. It was like the place was asking to be explored. Taking in a deep breath, she slid the window open just enough for her to slip inside. Climbing through the window, the musty smell of the place stung her nose. Coughing, she crawled her way inside. Booted feet landed with a muffled thump onto old carpet. Leaving the window open, she stepped further inside. The room was unoccupied, no evidence of anyone having been inside could be seen. Dust covered everything in a thick blanket. The bedsheets that were overtop the mattress smelled of mildew. A small chest sat at the foot of the bed, oddly clean compared to the rest of the room. She pressed a hand to the chest, prying it open to peer inside. Old bedsheets and pillows were inside, along with a small flashlight. Grabbing the flashlight, she flicked it on. A small yellow beam lit up the room. Scanning the area once more, she spotted a desk pushed into a corner on the wall where the window was. Stepping towards it, she noticed a bunch of old newspaper clippings covered the surface.