Forgotten

Chapter Five: New Friends, Old Enemies

I took a long, deep breath as I opened the door to the brick house. The old door creaked as it opened inwardly, revealing a dusty entrance room with wooden floors. It was a small room with three archways, one on each wall, which all led into separate rooms in the house. A small bedside table was placed in the right side corner holding a thin vase with a single, white lily in it.

A man walked into the entrance room then stopped when he realized that I was standing there and looked at me. His brown hair and beard were graying and he was at least six and a half feet tall. He wore the whole cowboy getup, a brown cowboy hat and jeans, a red and white plaid button up shirt, and cowboy boots. It wasn't the strangest thing I've ever seen.

"Well," he said, "don't just stand there gapin'. Come on in and shut the door." I stared at his eyes, though with the hat they were difficult to see.

I stepped into the building, allowing the old door to click shut behind me.

"I was told you'd be comin'.What's yer name, boy?" He asked, I stared at him.

"It's Terrance."

"Terrance....?"

"Just... Terrance."

"Well, alrighty than, just Terrance. I'm assumin' you're new here, or else my years 'ave finally caught up ta me and I've forgotten ya?"

"Um, no."

"Good. Well, Terrance, I'm Robert Dace, the adult in the house, the leader, if you will. Any questions or problems ya have should come ta me. Ya should know that fightin' of any kind is not allowed, no weapons, no drugs unless handed out to ya by doc with a note and signature. No destroyin' the property, no stealin', and no goin' out after dark. Now, ya follow those rules and ya should get along jus' fine 'round here. Any breakin' of the rules will be punishable anywhere from no supper to banishment. Understan'?"

I nodded.

"Great. Now tha' we got done of the unpleasantries, let me introduce ya to all of us. Follow me."

Robert turned and walked through the archway directly in front of me. I followed at a safe distance, still not sure if I was following a human or an alien.

He led me into a room which I assume is the living room. The floor was carpet, which in itself was a bit foreign to me for I had not seen carpet in a long time, and against the right side wall there was a group of three people sitting on a couch playing some sort of card game with most of the cards on the long coffee table in front of the couch. They all looked up as we walked in.

"Boys, this here's Terrance, Terrance, the boys." I looked at each of the boys eyes. All human. I waved my hand slightly at them and they, in turn, did the same.

"Now, where's y'all's manners? Introduct ya-selves."

"Mr. Dace, it's really-" I began to say.

"Oh no, no, these boys 'ere need ta learn proper manner, they do. And don' call me 'Mr. Dace' makes me feel old. Jus' Rob'll do. Now come on, boys. Tell 'im your names and yer age."

The boy nearest us on the end stood up. He had brown hair that hung down slightly over his eyes. "Rob," his voice was deeper than I had expected, "don't ya think we should all be in here for this instead of you having to go all around the house searching for-"

"Ya, good point. Run an' get the others than, Stephen."

Stephen rushed past me and towards the left arch, leaving the four of us in the room.

"Well, the two of ya migh' as well tell Terrance 'ere yer names and ages while we wait for Stephen."

"Right, um, I'm Brandon Hames. Pretty sure I'm around seventeen by now." The boy in the middle said. He had long, black hair that partially hung over his right eye and his eyes were blue.