The Four Chimes

Chapter 7 - ARI

"Hey, Ku!"

"Kurie!"

"Kuku!"

Knock knock knock.

"Open up!"

"It's us!"

"Your friends!"

"At least we hope we are!"

Goddamn it. I tried to roll over and curl up under my blanket, but their knocking was incessant and Kurie still hadn't answered the door. Out of the both of us, why did he get to be the heavy sleeper?

I pushed myself off of the mattress, rubbing my eyes and smiling at my reflection in the mirror. Not half bad, considering I usually looked terrible, and looked even worse in the morning.

"Okay. I guess we're not your friends anymore."

"I see how it is."

"What are you going to do without us to barge into your home?"

"Or eat your food?"

"Or argue with you?"

Ugh. I walked over to the door, fiddled with the lock, and yanked it open.

"Kurie!" Tanta walked towards me with widespread arms, ready to hug the living daylight out of me.

"Wait--", said Paile.

"Oh. It's you." I was surprised; Tanta seemed more shocked than disgusted at my appearing behind the door. I'd take what I could get.

"Is Kurie around?", asked Paile.

"Yeah, but he's asleep."

"Can you get him?"

"I can try."

I closed the door, Paile and Tanta took a seat on the couch, and I walked over to Kurie's room.

Kurie's room was somehow even messier than mine. Just to get to his bed, I had to walk over a pile of clothes, a ship in a bottle, a book of maps, and a... was that a lamp? I leaned over his bed. He looked so much smaller when he was lying down.

"Kurie," I whispered.

"Kuku. Kuuuuuuku. Kurie. Kurie." I paused. As still as a stone. I put my mouth directly in front of his ear. "Kurie!"

Kurie shot up. "Wha-- What? What's going on? Is there a fire?"

"No. Paile and Tanta came over." Even worse.

Kurie ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "Tell them I'm coming. I'm just still hurting from a really big healing I did yesterday."

"Okay."

I stuck my head out the doorway. "He's coming!"

Kurie winced. "Please keep it down. I think I have a headache."

"Sure thing. Want me to tell them?"

"Yeah."

"Please keep it down!"

Kurie bent over in pain. "Fuck you." He smiled.

I smiled back. "Oops."

Kurie pushed himself off of his bed and waddled over to the living room, seating himself in a ragged armchair.

I stood at the threshold of my room. You're holding yourself back. I looked at my room, and it seemed smaller than it did before. I stepped into the hallway and entered the living room.