Sinner (Children of the Corn/Malachai)

Chapter #9: Like Normal Kids

I layed in the soft bed of 'my' Bed & Breakfast room that night, feeling relaxed. The room was nicely cooled from the breeze coming in the open window and I had lit one of the candles provided. Now I was in a pair of my sleep pants and without a shirt, staring at the ceiling.

Today had been...fun, to say the least -- if I had to be honest, I'd say I genuinely enjoyed myself. Hanging out with Katie was becoming easier, she was starting to be more tolerable to be around. I guess she wasn't so bad to begin with really, maybe I had just been too judgemental. It actually made me really happy that she considered us friends now.

I took my hand out from underneath the pillow my head was on now and looked at my palm with Katie's address still on it. '1709 Harvest Rd.' is what it read -- easy enough to remember, but just in case, I rewrote the address on the notepad that sat on the nightstand next to the bed. No doubt I would take Katie up on her offer and go see her tomorrow.

But first, sleep was needed. I leaned over and blew out the candle before rolling over onto my side to fall asleep, which came shortly after. It felt nice to be sleeping back in an actual bed again, and this one was so much more comfy than mine back in Gatlin too. I slept soundly all the way through the night until the next day.

---

My eyes opened again during late morning. I groaned and sat up, cracking my neck to wake up the muscles. Getting out of bed, I stretched some more and grabbed another shirt and jeans before heading off to the bathroom. Once I had showered, gotten dressed and done all of my morning necessities, I left through the window and went into town.

The residential part of Hemingford was towards the northern end of the town, the back portion of it. The houses all looked very much like Gatlin's -- farmhouses with a few windows, a couple of them even had their own barns in the backyard. Eventually though, I came to Harvest Road and found the house with the number 1709 on the front of it -- a two story home, painted light blue with a grey roof and a good amount of windows.
I went up the main driveway and climbed the few steps to the front porch. After knocking on the front door a few times I waited patiently outside for Katie to answer.

However, it wasn't her that answered the door at all -- instead, it was a middle-aged man, probably in his late 40's. He was tall, with short brown hair and a beard to match, blue eyes and a considerable muscle build. The man wore a plain, grey, short-sleeved shirt, jeans and worn out sneakers. He grinned at me.

    "Hello there, son." He greeted warmly.
I hesitated before replying to him, trying to relax my muscles that had tensed up from encountering an adult. Finally, I cleared my throat and put on a believable smile.

    "Good morning...uhm...is Katie here?" I wondered uneasily.

    "Looking for my daughter? Well, then that must make you Malachai!" The man guessed.
I was taken aback by how he already knew my name, but quickly assumed that Katie must have told him, seeing now that this man was her father. I allowed myself to smile slightly back at him.

    "Yeah, that's me..." I nodded, still feeling a bit stiff.
Mr. Pacosky grinned again, laughing a little.

    "Haha, yes, she's here. Come on inside, son." He coaxed, stepping aside to let me into the house. When I was in, he closed the door behind me.
    "I've heard a lot about you so far, Malachai. Katie talks about you damn near all the time -- says you and your folks just moved down here from Wheelersburg?" He asked.

    "Yeah, we just got here a few days ago." I answered, staying on track with my lie.
Mr. Pacosky nodded at me.

    "Hell of a drive. Glad you made it here in one piece." He spoke matter-of-factly.
I couldn't be for sure, but something about his expression when he said this told me that he was talking about a specific part of the drive here...
    "I'm Andrew, by the way -- feel free to call me that as well, ain't no need for formal 'Mr. Pacosky' to be used." He added, extending his hand to me to shake.
I took his hand and gave it a firm shake, which made him smirk slightly.
    "Katie is upstairs, she might still be in the shower though. You can wait for her in her room, second door on the right side." He informed, pointing me up the stairs.