Glowing Eyes || Adopted by Josh Dun

between twilight and dawn

A lot of things can happen overnight. Thousands of people are born. Thousands of people die. Millions of hours of dreams occur. People are turned into internet sensations. And one night, early spring, I learned the power of the hours between twilight and dawn.

•••••••

Most mornings at the apartment were quiet, filled with groggily eaten cereal and Josh and I waiting for caffeine from our coffee to kick in. It should have been a quiet morning, especially, that day. We had just gotten back home the night before, after a very late show. We were deathly tired, and planned on sleeping late - enjoying a long reunion with our beds.

Instead, I woke up to the sound of people talking. It almost sounded like two snakes, hissing back and forth, challenging the other for territory. I shuffled out of my room, carefully creaking open my door and looking down the hallway out into the living room. In the center of the living room stood Josh and... Ms.Ricks.

I had nothing against Ms.Ricks. In fact, I liked her. She was really nice to me when Josh was fostering me. But over time, she became associated with bad news. When she showed up at our door, it was always a worry that she was going to find something that proved Josh wasn't suited to take care of me. It was always her telling me something that had happened with my family - telling me she couldn't find any more blood relatives, that our family had absolutely no savings left to carry on to me, that my old apartment had been sold. Seeing her in our living room struck me cold with fear, frozen in place.

"And you were doing so well with her. I thought we were past these check-ins, Mr.Dun. I didn't think you were going to need further coaching. And then I wake up to see this" -Ms.Ricks waved a newspaper up in Josh's face, her own red with anger- "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Josh stared at the paper, then looked back up at Ms.Ricks, "It's not what he press is making it out to be. Yes, they met, but she wasn't hurt. I would never let-"

"SHE MET IN A MOTEL WITH A MAN CONVICTED OF MURDER," Ms.Ricks screamed, her energy sparking and bouncing through the room like fireworks. I began to shudder. "HOW DO YOU LET THAT HAPPEN?"

Josh, in height, towered over Ms.Ricks (who couldn't have been much taller than five feet), but now he seemed like a puppy, shaking and cowering in a corner; far, far below her. He tried to keep everything under control and said with a calm front, "I only let her go out to get breakfast. The restaurant was down the street. She could handle herself - I can't helicopter over her all the time. I have to let her live. And I could see her from the van anyways."

"Then why weren't you watching?"

Josh was silent. He had no answer. I could practically feel him go numb with guilt, and my heart yearned to run over to him and hug him and tell him it wasn't his fault.

Finally reaching a lull in their argument, they became more aware of everything else. I did, too. I could see the way Ms.Ricks tightened the muscles in her neck, or sharpened her eyes in a way I didn't understand. I saw how Josh slowly un-tensed, his face growing more relaxed, the pressure on his feet moving back to his heels. And then how both of their heads turned to look at me, still staring back at them - barefooted and in pajamas.

I finally spoke, "It was my fault."

"No, dear, it wasn't your fault," Ms.Ricks began to hush me. "It was-"

"I said," I was suddenly much louder, before returning to my normal tone, "It wasn't his fault." I walked up to them, picking up the newspaper Ms.Ricks had dropped.