Of Course

Chapter Five

The second floor was desolate. The emptiness was spacious and yet, somehow compressing. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had been up here. With a glance back down the stairs, he looked around and shuddered. "Hal, you better start dusting up here."

It wasn't that it was dusty, it just wasn't clean.

He walked over to the fireplace, stared at the objects on the mantle for a while, and took down the picture of the boy with the mystery hand on his shoulder. The tense smile on the boy's face stared back at him; the strained fingers of the hand, pressing into the cloth of the boy's suit, held him at a distance.

"What're you doing here?" he muttered, glancing over the picture. Why anyone would want a picture like this, he had no idea. Laying it face down on the mantle, he walked over to the armchair in front of the open window. He sat down and watched the pale grey curtains hover on the breeze.

"Grayson, come out of wherever you are."

"Grayson, you can't hide from me. You should know that by now."

Her laugh was high and stilted.

"Where've you been? And why won't you tell me what you've been doing?"

Hands planted on her hips as if they had taken root, she scowled.

"I-I-"

"You-you what? YOU WHAT?"

"I'm sorry, I'm SORRY!"

"You're damn right you are. Now siddown."

"Grayson, Grayson. Whatever will I do with you?"

"Oh, don't be so scared."

"Look at you shivering. You must be cold. Come here."

"Why are you so scared, Grayson? There's nothing to be scared of."

It was soon all an echo that blurred together.

Grayson, Grayson, Grayson.

"Grayson, wakey-wakey!"

Her hand grasped his shoulder tightly.

"Grayson, wake up!"

He shot up like a hot coal.

"Hey Grayson, are you okay?"

His breathing came in quick, erratic moments.

The curtains were whipped back with a force that could only come from one person.

He tried to breathe. He tried to forget. He tried to not-

"Grayson."

He exhaled.

"Can you open your eyes?"

And he did. "Clarence."

She tilted her head. "Grayson."

He covered his mouth with his hands, doing his best to breathe normally.

"Get up, Grayson."

She held out her hand, and after a moment, he took it and stood up. Almost immediately, she threw her arms around him and hugged him firmly. Hugged him for a solid three minutes.

When she let him go, he sighed. In relief, in exhaustion, she didn't know.

"Thanks, Clarence."

"Are you okay, Grayson?" Her eyebrows rose.