Things You Know

Chapter 2

She had come to his house. She hadn't expected anything grand but it wasn't so bad either. Since he was the only one who seemed to be living even that small space seemed spacious. For back at home with 11 people even a home with 2 floors seemed crowded.

"Small." He said, removing his coat.

"Compact, but nice." She said, instead.

"What would you like to have?" He asked, entering the kitchen.

"Please don't say that when you have a 10 year old girl in your house." She dead panned.

"I just- I meant..." He was fumbling again, she chuckled at an old man's flustered sight.

"I know, I know. I'll eat anything. Anything edible anyways." She mentioned.

He looked at her for a while and then entered the kitchen.

She took this chance to look around the house. There wasn't much to look at but enough to keep her entertained. His house seemed different from every other place she called home. This place was warm, sweet and welcoming. She shuddered at that feeling which felt so unfamiliar and foreign.

"I mentioned how old I was, how old are you, mister?" She yelled from the hallway.

"28 years." he yelled back.

"Wow, going to groom me then huh?" She asked, walking back towards the kitchen. "Perfect child harassment/assault plot."

"Can you p-please stop that?" he stuttered this time. She didn't give it much thought.

He realised his anxiety had made him stutter. He pushed back all the surfacing memories and continued aggressively stirring the boiling pot.

"I mean, you are letting me stay over for the night, are genuinely sweet and have a very comfortable abode. I wouldn't be shocked to know that you have another part to yourself where you have a secret cellar specially made to keep girls my age for your sexual pleasure." She spoke so casually that it actually bothered Malvin. He was worried that he decided to help the wrong person. Maybe she was more fucked up in the head than he could handle. Maybe he should call a psychiatric centre right now and have her taken away.

"Maybe. Maybe not. It depends on what you want to trust. Think of me as your genie." he said instead. Which must have sounded equally sinister to another person, but with a room filled with two fucked up people it seemed like the most normal conversation one could have.