Become - 2. Chapter 2

Become

Chapter 2

I lay in bed trying to fall asleep but just as my eyelids began to droop, something would catch my attention and I would be hauled back from my sleepiness. This time it was the drops of water falling from the roof. The rain had stopped around midnight but the occasional drop of water still fell on the windowsill causing enough noise to wake me up. I did not understand why I could not just sleep. The rest of the house was quiet, as everyone else had gone to sleep a long time ago.

My room felt stuffy and I felt as if I could not breathe. I was in desperate need of some fresh air. I looked over at the window that looked out on the gardens in the back. In the dim morning light, I could see the leaves on the trees swaying from a light morning breeze. I could just smell the soft scent of the earth after rain carrying in the breeze. I instinctively walked over to the window.

I managed to push open the window and the fresh morning breeze of air immediately flowed into the room. The warmth and stuffiness of my room immediately disappeared as a soft chill wrapped itself around me.

"Mitch! Close that window!" My sister came running into my room. I stepped back from the window and watched as Emily rushed to the close the window. I did not mind as I had already let the morning inside.

"Mitch, you will catch a cold." She put her arms around me and pulled me into a hug even though I did not feel cold.

I apologized. I did not want Emily to be upset. She was nice to me. She talked to me. Unlike the rest of my family who was always busy downstairs and often successfully ignored me. I did not mind it as much because when they did come by for something they always threw in a complaint about what a burden I was for them.

The truth was that I was not like Peter. Peter was perfect. I was not. I was just another face that they had to feed.

Emily was very talented in playing the harp. She would bring it into my room sometimes and play for me. It always cheered me up when Emily played me music. I thought she was very good and I always made sure to clap loudly for her. Sometimes my clapping was too loud and my parents would come up and scold me for making too much noise but I still clapped for Emily.

"Emily, play the harp for me."

"Not today, Mitch, you need to take a bath and get ready. Mother and father will be happy to see that you got ready very early."

"No!" I begged and pleaded with Emily but she would not have it.

"Mitch! Mitch!"

I looked up from the floor to see who it was that was yelling my name. I was surprised to see the boy I had seen yesterday looking over me.

"Here are your clothes back," he said handing me the blue shirt, pants and underwear I had given him the other day.

I got up and took the clothes he gave me. He was still smiling at me but I could not figure out why.

"Maybe you should put them on?"

I was confused but then I looked down and saw that I was naked. I quickly covered myself as the boy laughed.

"That's not funny. I just got out of the bath. It's not polite to look at people when they don't have any clothes on."

"I like looking at you naked," said the boy still laughing. I blushed and quickly put on the clothes that he had handed me.

"You had better go or my mom is going to be mad. She doesn't like to have strangers in the house."

He stopped laughing at once. "Am I stranger, Mitch?" he asked looking at me curiously.

"I don't know who you are."

"Do you really not remember me, Mitch?"

"No."

"Do you really not remember me, Mitch?"

"Why are you saying my name again and again?"

"Mitch? Mitch! Mitch!"

"Stop!"

"Mitch! Mitch! Mitch!"

I looked up. It was my sister, Emily, looking down at me.

"Mitch, are you okay?"

I nodded and got up. I brushed off the blue shirt I was wearing.

"Did it happen again?"

I nodded with a feeling of shame. I was trapped in this house because I could not live a normal life. I was not normal. I still did not understand why but everyone else did. I was to spend the rest of my days inside these suffocating walls.

I could not breathe. I started feeling dizzy. I needed some fresh air. I needed to go open a window.