The Moon's Light

Chapter Eleven

"Hey Katty? Can we borrow your computer?"

Katty glanced up at Logan when he trotted over to where she was working at the table, dragging me along. Once Katty had returned to normal, Logan had forgiven me for the whole demon debacle. He had also decided that he was going to be in charge of my culture education. He had started choosing movies for Monday night, and whenever the two of us weren't playing video games, that he said were classics.

Katty had mentioned something about his version of a classic being anything that had grossed a million in the box office opening night.

Today, his lessons apparently included learning how to use the internet. He said I should at least know how to Google something, set up an email account, and know what YouTube was. He assured me the rest would all come to me after that.

Katty shut down whatever she had been doing and got out of her seat, making a gesture to tell Logan the laptop was all his. "Just don't look up any porn."

Logan snorted as he plopped down and pointed at the seat next to him. I sat down to watch over his shoulder, swallowing down bile at the mention of porn. I knew what that was. The vile practice of displaying ones body and sexual escapades for anyone to see. It turned my stomach. I had no idea how anyone could stand doing such a thing.

I shook it away as Logan started showing me how to get on the internet and how to operate it. It wasn't that hard. But it was much more expansive than I had previously imagined. Logan helped me set up a couple different accounts and then left me to it, telling me to try some things on my own.

I stared at the flashing cursor, prompting me to type something in. I had no idea where to even start. Did I really need to start?

I jumped a little when Katty suddenly appeared beside me. She tapped away, pulling up YouTube and then glanced at me pensively as she shifted the cursor to the new search bar. I glanced at her in surprise when she typed in a French lullaby. She hit enter and then scrolled to find what she was looking for. She smiled happily when she found one and clicked it.

I swallowed as it started to play and she walked away again. I stared as the lyrics came up on the screen, in both French and English. The tune was familiar. It stirred up memories I thought long buried under a mountain of pain. Of a kindly woman who would sing crying children to sleep. Of a full belly in a warm bed, staring out the window at the stars as I listened to the comforting the younger children received. Of a time before monsters.

Katty softly sang along from the kitchen, drawing me further into the soft memory. That purring sounded again, weaving into the song and reminding me that I had heard it before. From others besides Katty. Though, I couldn't bring up any clear faces to go along with the realization.

The song came to an end and I listened to the silence for a long moment. It had given me a place to start. I carefully typed in another song. A little snatch of memory. And after a little digging, I found it. Katty sang that one too. I did a third, this one something I remembered from when I had been going to school as a boy. Katty knew that one as well.

I couldn't do it anymore. I left the computer where it was and retreated to my bedroom. Logan started to follow me, calling after me in worry. Katty quickly said his name and cut off the boy's complaint.

"He's fine kiddo. Let him be for a bit."

I swallowed down the lump in my throat as I sat down heavily on the bed. The music still swirled around in my head, reminding me that there had been good memories. There had been light in my life, for however briefly.