“Out of This World”
Mar
'08
Eve stood up to silence her music. She was browsing the Internet one lonely Saturday afternoon, sucked in a who-knows-why story of betrayal and friendship, death and happiness, written by the author of a blog she seldomly read but admired nonetheless. She had never gotten into the Internet scene; she spent most of her time watching television or staring off into space - that is, when a friend wasn’t over or dragging her out of doors. The knock on her front door was unexpected and partially unwelcome. She wanted time to herself just to relax, after having cleaned her entire apartment top to bottom.
Worrying that the volume of The Divine Comedy was what had inspired this insistent interruption, she paused the CD and turned down the volume. A sly smile crept across her face when she imagined the pursuer asking for “proof” that the volume wasn’t obscenely loud; Eve would simply push play and this person would realize that it wasn’t from her that the noise was bothersome. Actually, she was supressing the urge to imagine a certain very cute indie boy on the other side of the wooden block coming over to ask where she’d been his whole life and how he could have possibly gotten on without her.
Though she’d promised her journal that she wasn’t going to actively seek a relationship - in fact, that she wasn’t going to pursue any males alltogether - that didn’t mean she couldn’t admire from afar. She didn’t know where he lived, but a tall, plump boy who always wore a black hoodie on top of his shirt and tie made residence somewhere in her apartment complex. Eve saw him in the mornings starting his car with a jump and a kick, the music already blaring, waking up every decent sleeper on the block. In her fantasy, he was single and awkward. He was just pudgy enough to be absolutely adorable, and she didn’t mind leisurely staring at him.
The knock persisted and brought her away from her thoughts. She didn’t bother to look through the periscope hole, though she usually minded who was bothering her before opening herself to the world. She’d had unpleasant experiences with salespeople, and one time even got up off the toilet because she thought it was the apartment maintenance man only to find out it was an exboyfriend begging for money.
A small boy rushed in before she could stop him. He went straight to the bathroom and closed the door hard and suddenly, without any explanation. She wasn’t sure what to do, though it was clear from auditory perception that he was relieving himself. Perhaps he couldn’t make it all the way home, she thought. It would probably do to befriend some of her neighbors, and what better way to bring someone’s son home asking that he not come back into her house for this reason? A mother would be horrified; the thought made Eve giggle.
He took his time washing his hands while Eve, still somewhat dumbstruck, stood in the entry way with the door hanging open. She didn’t think it seemed proper to close the door with the boy inside her house; not only did she not want to encourage him to stay, it also seemed, well, creepy to shut him inside alone with her. So she waited for him to finish toweling off, a task that seemed to take a ridiculously large amount of time, though he was extremely loud about it. She could imagine exactly what he was doing based on the sounds that were coming from the bathroom.
Just as suddenly as he had come into the apartment, he shot out of the bathroom, murmuring a “thankssomuch” as he left.
“Wait!” Eve ran after him. He paused, hesitant. Her door closed behind her and she silently cursed herself for forgetting her keys. It was a habit to lock it behind her every time she closed it, so now she was stuck outside until she could get her mother to bring over the spare key. She’d not have admitted it, but this happened more often than it did for any normal person.
The little boy was very, very thin, so thin that it seemed he hadn’t eaten in weeks. Eve was frightened as her motherly instincts kicked in, but she knew she shouldn’t be harsh or rude. Maybe he just had high metabolism. She couldn’t make out his ribs, thank God, but his face was long, cheek bones high, and his eyes cast such huge shadows on his face that he almost looked straight out of a horror flick. He couldn’t have been more than eight years old, but he looked somehow wiser.
He lifted his gaze to her eyes and an awkward smile spread across his face. The sides of his lips were trying very hard to reach the tips of his ears, and to Eve it almost seemed like the boy was stretching his skin to mold a smile into his face. It wasn’t a sincere smile (but then again, are any smiles sincere on eight year old boys?). The combination of the hollowed-out looking eyes and this creepy facial expression gave Eve a shudder. He seemed out of this world.
“Yes?” he said between his teeth. He clearly had something up his sleeve, but at that moment, Eve no longer wanted to know what it was.
“Where do you live?” was all she said, hoping to give off the impression that he should go there right then and never come out again. Or at the very least, never come anywhere near Eve’s place again.
“I don’t live…. anywhere,” he said, confused, the smile now gone. He gave her a confused look, his head tilted to the right. His forehead creased with concern.
“You don’t live in these apartments?”
“I live… above them.” His head snapped back into position and he started laughing, still staring straight into Eve’s eyes. It wasn’t a maniacal laugh, but for some reason Eve expected it to be. His face was intent on hers, his laugh uneven and unchildlike, and for a moment she felt like he may have been sucking away her soul.
She swiftly turned around toward her apartment. At her front door, she could still hear his laugh but she couldn’t see him any longer. She imagined he was still standing in the same place, staring into her direction, laughing his frightening laugh, and thinking of all the ways to cause destruction. She hated herself even more for locking herself out.
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oh wow. i was so engrossed in that. makes me wish it was longer. it’s amazing how in a few short paragraphs you painted such a vivid world that left me w/ all these questions. i love the small details.. the turning down of the music. wonderful.
Apr
'08
I am totally agreeing with Christine’s comment. I do appreciate the intricate detail…
Apr
'08