They Do Exist

They Do Exist (9)

Chapter 9: Painting Flowers—All Time Low.

Gabe walked in front of me as we treaded the sidewalk in front of my grandmother’s house.I suddenly felt cold—out of place here.This place felt familiar but at the same time not.It would never feel the same way to me now that she was gone.I didn’t have that sense of warmth that spread through me at the sight of the kitchen light on upstairs.Or the smell of the ocean breeze mixed with sugar cookie dough.It was cold, quiet, and seemingly lifeless.Only the sound of my converses hitting the pavement.I’d say the sound of Gabe’s feet too, but his freakishly elf ways meant that he had these weird shoes made out of bark, leaves, and tree sap that allowed him to be utterly silent.I would have thought I was alone walking down the driveway if it weren’t for his tall looming figure blocking half of my view.

“We’re not going inside are we?” I asked in horror as he fiddled around the front door for the spare key.

“Yeah.We are.”He answered simply.

“W-what?Why?”A knot made its way in throat.No way I could go in there and be reminded of her with every step I take.Noooo wayyy.

“I need to locate her scuba gear for one thing, unless you want to drown.And two, I want to see if she left anything for me in relation to you.”

“In relation to me?What does that mean?”Gabe found the spare key and started to put it into the lock.

“It means that I was assigned to look after you.It was Abby’s dying wish.”His ice blue eyes locked onto mine briefly before he opened the door and went in.

She was worried about me?But why?

I stared after Gabe as he wandered freely into the house.This place felt so private, so well intact the way she had left it…it almost felt like a violation of our privacy to have Gabe meander through the hallways filled with our memories.

“Well…are you coming?”He stared blankly at me.The knot in my throat grew to extreme proportions.

“Uh…Uh…”

Gabe shrugged and turned back around, walking further into my grandmother’s house.Come on Layla, it was simple.Just take a few steps into the house.Why was this so hard?

The sound of drawers slamming and things being moved around stopped my fear though.I jumped up and ran into the house, following the sounds through the house.

“What do you think you’re doing!?”I asked in shock as Gabe ransacked my grandma’s house.He was filing through drawers and closets.

“I told you I’m looking for information.”He said deadpanned.I rolled my eyes.

“Well could you look, I don’t know, a little quieter?”I said crossing my arms and leaning up against the doorway.

“If you don’t like this, then leave.”I sighed in aggravation at the stubborn boy.

“I’ll be in the garage.That’s where she kept the scuba-diving gear.”I sighed again, leaving him in her bedroom.

I passed my own bedroom on the way, and paused to stare inside.Lavender and white cream filled my line of vision.The violet bed with intricate designs, the cream dresser that held at least half of my wardrobe, the stereo system laid out on another dresser opposite of the bed.The desk grandma made for me by hand so that I had a place to do homework.Without knowing it, I had wandered into the room silently, all the way over to the bedside table.And on that bedside table was a simple framed picture.The time grandma took a road trip with me to the mountains.We spent all day hiking the hills of the giant looming mountains and grandma was smart enough to pack us a picnic.Of course I brought my camera, and just as the sun was setting we took this picture.