Who's to Say What's Strange?

The House in the Woods

At least, you could say the boy looked out of place. Instead of changing into normal day clothes he usually wore, he wore the uniform the asylum provided. Light white khaki pants, white long sleeve undershirt, and white polo, complete with a pair of old, dirty, black converse. His small brown duffle bag hung off his shoulder lazily, bouncing against his leg with each step down the concrete staircase of the building which had been his home for the last few months.

I leaned over him to open the door. He looked up at me with shallow, painful eyes and dipped under my arm to dash out the door as if he were in a hurry for something, only to stop a few feet away to stop and wait.

"My car's right over there." I pointed to a nice shaded spot under a tree where I parked my car... and had sat there for at least a half hour before coming in.

"That's a very nice car," he observed. Once again his voice made me almost stop in my path. So monotone, certain and gravely... nothing like a child's cheerful voice is supposed to sound like.

"Well, I hope you like the house just as much," I smiled warmly, trying to make him and myself more comfortable. He nodded and we walked up to the car with a sort of a bounce in his step. The woman had said something about mood swings...

The drive home was pretty quiet. David's violin music was rolling around the car quietly and every time a snuck a look at him, he was entranced with something outside the window, but out of my peripheral vision, I knew he was scrutinizing me as well.

"You still haven't introduced yourself to me you know," I muttered, trying to start conversation. He chuckled a bit before answering.

"Ivan; my name is Ivan Colin," he said looking down at his shoes, shuffling them on the mats uneasily.

"I have two sons about your age. I think you'll all get along pretty well," I smiled.

"How old are they?"

"Well, David is 10 and Luke is 12. They're pretty excited about having another brother. I guess I would've just been out of luck if you were a girl," I laughed out loud. Ivan stared at me with the same monotone expression he had when I picked him up. He looked out the window again.

"Do you live in the jungle?" He asked in amazement as we pulled off the paved road.

"It's just a little wooded," I turned and looked at him as he gripped his small bag tightly in nervousness. "Here we are." I pulled around the corner and the trees opened up to the large clearing that contained my home. It was late in the afternoon by now, so it was absolutely beautiful outside. The sun was just behind the house, leaving a shore of sunlight on the tips of the trees.

"Are you ready?" I parked in front of the house and turned to look at him. He didn't return my eyes; he stared down at his shuffling shoes.

"Luke and David? That's it?"

"Well, there's my wife, Rosemary, as well. She's the one who had the idea of, well-"

"Adopting me?"

"Yes," I smiled nervously and laughed. "I really do think you'll fit in great here. So are you ready?" I asked.

"Are you?"

"No."

"Me neither," he said quietly, gripping the bag so tightly that his arms shook.

"Then that's the best time for both of us to go," I smiled.

This story really does start off slower than my others, but it also requires more setting up. I'll get to the point in a chapter or two. :) This is short, but the next chapter will be up in a few minutes.