A Firefly's Glow

Chapter Sixteen: Part Five

I kept my eyes shut, expecting a growl to emanate from the room that would sound similar to, “What are you doing in my room?! GET OUT!!!”

But nothing came to my ears.

Nothing growled or screamed or screeched or roared. Nothing followed the opening door but silence.

I slowly opened my eyes, one before the other, until I had view of the dimly lighted room before me. There was no beast, let alone a figure standing before me and demanding why I was standing before his room.

Maybe he’s still sleeping, I silently assured, taking a step into the room.

I darted my eyes around the room to get a closer look. It was difficult to describe any details with the dim lighting that filled the room, but I was able to describe that the room was just as big as mine. The wide bed had a large, dark canopy towering over it. A large desk sat beside a towering window across the room. Blanket-like curtains draped over the windows, covering any view of the outdoors.

It was a room that looked particularly similar to mine. The only difference was the lighting, and the fact that the closets within his walls weren’t filled with frilly dresses like mine was.

I squinted at the bed that sat several feet before me and I noticed that it had not been slept in. I jumped at the sight of the bare bed.

What if he was lurking behind somewhere? What if once I turned my head around my shoulder, he would jump out of nowhere and scare the daylights out of me?

This thought gave me the slight urge to turn my head over my shoulder, but the voice that practically screeched through my mind shouted, Don’t turn around! You’ll give yourself a heart attack!

“Hyah!” I squeaked, twirling around and finding that there wasn’t anything—or anyone—lurking behind me.

I’m being paranoid, I suggested, feeling my lips curl. I can’t be paranoid at a time like this! I must be a bold, brave, and confident woman!

I began to feel my shoulders shrug uncomfortably. I bravely dared to murmur, “Keita? If you’re in here, don’t jump out from anywhere!”

There wasn’t any response.

“Keita? Keita—this isn’t funny!” I crept further into the room, peering around the corners of bookshelves. “If you’re in here, come out!”

No response.

I confirmed to myself that Keita wasn’t in the room. I was slightly relieved, but I had the strangest feeling that Keita would jump out from behind something. I couldn’t loose the lack of comfort in my shoulders.

I took these next few seconds to look around his room. I certainly did feel like I was snooping, but I didn’t dare touch the books that sat on his bookshelf. I couldn’t read most of the spines of the books that sat on the bookshelves, and the ones that I could read were large, bold titles such as, “English for the Non-English”.

“Keita speaks English?” I whispered, squinting my eyes at the bookshelf.

When I turned away from the bookshelf, I approached the desk across the room. Keita’s leather briefcase sat over the top of the desk, and a few stray mechanical pencils were lying beside it.

But what my eyes drifted upon was a picture frame.

My eyebrows rose upwards across my forehead. I found myself reaching for the picture frame, but I halted in place.

I peered over my shoulder. I was sure that there wasn’t anyone in the room with me.

When I confirmed that I was alone, I turned back towards the picture frame. I reached forward, grasped it into my hands, and I lifted it into view.