Don't Be Afraid | Jonathan Crane

Chapter Three - A One Sided Conversation

Chapter Three – A One Sided Conversation

Jonathan unlocked the door of his apartment, standing aside rather stiffly as he let in the small child.

Nora looked around, her small hands holding fistfuls of her tattered dress as she stood still in the entrance while Jonathan shut the door and locked it for the night.

Quickly looking her over, Jonathan made a mental list of what he'd have to do for her tonight. Move old boxes out of the guest room and put new sheets on it. Let the girl have a bath and then feed her. Easy enough. Perhaps this week would pass quickly.

Carrying the girls bags into the spare bedroom, Jonathan felt relieved that there were only a few boxes up against the wall that he didn't really have to move.

Instead he walked to the hall closet and grabbed clean sheets, taking to making the spare bed.

Once he was done, Jonathan straightened up and looked around, thinking that the girl would have followed him. When he didn't see her, he walked into the entrance and found she had not moved from the position where he had left her.

Jonathan swallowed slowly, his face retaining a blank expression as he looked down in front of him at the girl once more, noticing how she didn't lift her gaze from the floor.

"You don't have to stand the door, you're allowed to look around."

She still didn't move, though Jonathan caught a glimpse of startling blue eyes as they looked up at him for a split second.

"Well, alright, then," Jonathan sighed, before turning and walking into the bathroom, beginning to fill the tub with warm water. "I'm just assuming you need a bath as the social workers didn't seem to clean you up."

Jonathan let out an impatient breath as he let the water run and walked back to where the girl remained, rigid in front of the door.

"Come with me." Jonathan spoke in an attempt to get something from her, turning and walking towards the door.

At Jonathan's demand, the girl followed him carefully, wandering into the bathroom behind him as he turned off the faucet, seeing that there was enough water in it for the little girl to sit with it halfway up her chest.

"You get in, I will come back in a few minutes with a towel and some clothes for you when you're done." Jonathan instructed, and, when no response came, he turned and left the room.

Jonathan couldn't help but think to himself about how stupid the entire situation was. After all, the child wouldn't even talk to him, and didn't even seem to want to listen.

Why did he have to care for her?

After all, Jonathan knew there were plenty of other parents out there who couldn't have children and would be willing to put in the time and patience that this child obviously needed.

Shaking his head, Jonathan pulled out a nightgown from her bag, finding it to be rather dirty. Frowning, he searched some more and found that most of the clothes in the bag weren't clean enough to wear.

Grumbling to himself, Jonathan went into the small utility room near beside the bathroom and tipped each bag upside down, dumping the contents into the washing machine.

After the contents of each bag were loaded and the machine was turned on, Jonathan grabbed a towel from the hall closet and walked over to the bathroom door, hesitating for a moment before he raised his hand and gently knocked.

"...are you settled?" Jonathan called cautiously through the door, waiting a few seconds as he didn't hear a response. "I'm going to come in and leave a towel for you."