Out of the Darkness (v2.0)

Chapter Four

Mild Trigger Warning

Walls of the purest white and windows tilted with the darkest black. They spread out like infinite space, swallowing up Elijah whole as he stepped through the front door of his hill-top home. One might say that the isolation from civilization was no good and only served as trouble for a person's mind (and commute), but Elijah like the loneliness. Or, at least, it was what he was most comfortable with. It made him feel free.

But as of now, except for the two large dogs that ran up to him with hanging tongues and messy smiles, the house held nothing more than empty belongings and a distant man.

"Hey, boy. Hey, girl," he greeted with a tired smile. The corners of his eyes wrinkled as he ruffled the backs of their heads, digging into the fur with not a cruel grasp, but a gentle one that let him scratch the back of their ears properly. Nana, the border collie, nuzzled Elijah with her muzzle in an almost mother-like way, while Finn, the German shepherd, just licked his face playfully. "I guess you both can tell I'm tired...," Elijah later added with a soft, good-natured huff. If there was anyone he was openly kind, he supposed it wasn't really 'anyone' -- he would only trust dogs. They are, after all, man's best friend.

Elijah tossed his jacket aside onto a nearby coat rack and loosened his tie to take a deep, slow breath and allow all the stress and thoughts of the day stray away into thin air. He could worry about things later. Now, it was the time for his own version of relaxation.

He finally got to his feet and trudged over to the couch, lazily plopping down into the cushions, turning on the nearby lamp and leaning back after a day of acting all stiff and proper. His body seemed to sink into the seat, and it was a rather comfortable way to be engulfed by an object. His green eyes followed Nana. who wandered off and out the back door into the woods behind Elijah's home. Elijah himself didn't mind, really; he knew she would return anyways. Finn, on the other hand, jumped up onto the furniture to lie across Elijah's lap in a comforting way, and in turn, the millionaire stroked the male dog on the back for a minute or so.

"... I don't think I like it when Ellanor is scared," he said aloud.

It was a random thought, really. Just an out-of-the-blue sputter. Those kinds of aimless, thoughtless words were usually just a way to relieve his anxiety, but why Ellanor?

Most people looked upon Elijah with respect, spite, jealousy, and dare say -- lust. But Ellanor was entirely different on her own. For the most part, she was indifferent to him other than their employee to boss relationship. She never asked for favours, never asked for anything from anyone, really, despite her position in Asmund Industries. But most importantly, she didn't expect anything of him.

Yet when she flinched at his tone, he regretted being so inhospitable.

Elijah looked up into the never ending ceiling and puffed an invisible cigar, his breath forming clouds in the chilly atmosphere. He fell asleep with ease. That did not mean it was peaceful.

Elijah sat on the front porch, crouched over a piece of paper he had been doodling on for the past few minutes. His mother had loved it when he drew. She helped him draw. She taught him to draw. And she was the gentlest creature on the face of the planet.