Dancing in the Rain | ✓

Chapter 21: Chasing Away the Boogeyman

Waking up back in Aspen was a strange thing. Instead of seeing bare walls Eli found himself staring at his old pictures, diplomas and stickers. In the corner of the room there was an old guitar, back from when he was fifteen years old and wanting to start a band. The memory would still bring a smile onto his face even though he was happy he hadn't gone down that path.

Eli checked the time and realized that it was awfully late. His eyes went wide and despite laying in the most comfortable bed ever, a cold shiver ran down his spine when Eli realized that 11 AM meant that Henry and their grandparents were most likely already there.

Not being able to stay motionless anymore, Eli jumped out of bed not knowing what to do. He stopped breathing for a few seconds trying to listen to what was going on in the house and sure enough he heard laughter and sounds of conversation coming from downstairs. His heart started pounding so hard that his whole chest was hurting but Eli knew he couldn't stay hidden in his bedroom forever.

He threw on some random clothes, not really looking at what he was putting on. Then he walked over to the door, reached out his hand, and watched as his fingers hovered over the handle. He couldn't keep being scared forever, if he didn't face his brother now, his demons would chase after him forever leaving him a wreck of a human.

Trying to separate himself from the fear creeping up in the corners of his mind, Eli pressed down the handle and pushed the door open listening to it creak. Now the voices became more clear and he could recognize Sophia's chipper voice and his mother's laugh. They were apparently having a great time, Eli deduced not even knowing if he was happy about it or not.

He walked down the hallway, slowly and quietly as if wanting to sneak up on them without anyone's noticing. Once he was at the top of the staircase he could see Sophia sitting at the sofa in the living room with a smile on her face. She looked happy and relaxed. Next to her was sitting Eli's dad, his eyes focused on someone on the other side of the room. He said something that Eli wasn't able to understand and the room roared with laughter.

The rest of the room was not visible to Eli and despite the circumstances he found himself curious as to what, or rather who, he was about to see. He also hadn't seen his grandparents for years and he longed to see them since his mother's parents had died long ago.

Eli took the first step and then another before stopping again and willing his heart to stop beating so damn loud. Sophia's gaze landed on the boy and the girl noticed him. She stared at him for a moment before nodding towards them and mouthing: "Come here."

The boy decided that whoever he was going to face was not going to be so scary if Sophia was apparently enjoying herself. He walked down the rest of the way and without any more hesitation entered the living room. He stood motionless absorbing everyone and everything in. Opposite Sophia and his dad, on the armchairs, were sitting two older people, much older than Eli remembered them. They both had kind faces and looked like cuddling machines.

Next to the fireplace, drinking a glass of water was standing a man that in no way could be his older brother. He looked more like Captain America or Thor from the Marvel movies than a regular mortal. He was tall, very well built and basically looked like a tank. He had a face of a national hero with light stubble and a few wrinkles from smiling. His blond hair was quite short but still long enough to make him seem younger than he really was. The blue eyes jumping from person to person were full of light and vigor making him look even more like an actor or a model.

He was wearing a long sleeved flannel shirt and a pair of regular jeans which made him look like a woodsman but it only seemed to add to his charm. "...and then all the guys went and threw me into the pool with jelly in it..." The man stopped talking when his eyes landed on the newcomer. "...Eli..." He said, the smile fading away from his face. "...Hi...it's so nice to see you."