The Night We Came to Be

The Night We Sat Perfectly Still

12/17, Late Night, Wednesday

My hands grew weaker. No matter how tough I thought I was, my hands grew weaker. With each passing second, the keys clasped between my palms had left a deep, reddened mark. I pressed and pressed, and they hurt. My palms, they hurt. They had turned gray.

To be frank, everything... had turned gray.

"You better listen here and listen close, Darryl. If you keep this up, you'll be nothing. Nothing."

The muffled shouts kept getting louder and louder. Her roars reverberated violently inside the hollow bedroom. The echoes rang endlessly as the cruel, aggressive cries kept prancing on along the empty corridor.

Air. I needed air, yet she didn't let me rise. She kept pushing me down.

They kept pushing me down.

"Seventeen, Darryl! Seventeen! Look at Jermaine! Look at your cousin, you're twice as old as him yet he has more common sense than your conceited ass! Step up, for Christ's sake!"

It went on and on. It held no signs of stopping. It had its target set on its sights, and it showed no mercy.

Absolutely ruthless, like a wild beast.

"Deb, you don't have to be that harsh--"

"Well, what else should I do, huh? Does he ever listen? No!" She turns back to me, furious. "Every ounce of my blood and sweat are poured into your education. If you can't love me as your mother, you better at least give me my damn respect," she growled with burning eyes.

I wanted to grit my teeth, but I couldn't. I wanted to clench my fists, but I shouldn't. After the millionth time, I could only raise my eyebrows as sarcastically as I could.

At this point, that's the only thing I could do. All I could ever think of. At least that way, she might be able to sense how badly I needed her to shut up.

What is she even thinking? I could never respect you, Ma. Never.

"When you grow up, you will fail. You'll fail! And when you do, you'll remember my words. You'll remember me and all I've said and think 'Hot damn, Mama was right'! That's what you'll say!"

"Deborah, that's enough!" Dad yelled out.

She sounded so sure. She sounded so convinced, it felt as if reality did deem me to fail.

Why the hell would I fail? No way in hell would I let that happen.

"Oh, boohoo, Greg! Instead of getting in my way, how about you go find a job and help me for once? For once!"

Again, I could only put up a poker-face.

That, and storm out the door.

Whatever spat right out of her mouth, I did not hear anymore. And surely enough, I hadn't cared.

Calm, peaceful thoughts. That's all there is to it. At this point, I wanted that and nothing else.

So I went out back.

Out back, where the moon was still and the grass was evergreen. Where the light was faint and deeply soothing. Where the air was fresh and rejuvenating. Where flowers bloomed gleefully, dancing in the tranquil darkness.

The backyard, where their screams were nowhere to be found.

I had let my butt plummet onto the ground, giving in to exhaustion. Then eventually, my back. Then my head. It didn't take long for me to lay down peacefully, gazing up towards the stars in the sky.

This is... nice. Why haven't I hung around here more frequently?

I emptied my mind, certain that everything will be alright. I'll get over it. That's how it's supposed to go, right?

At least, that's how it usually went.

But oddly enough, that wasn't the case this time.

Why does this feel... different? This strange emotion inside my heart, what is it?

Why now?

BANG!

"Huh?" A resounding slam flew around the silent neighborhood. It's alarming frequency disrupted my process completely.

What's the deal?

It sounds like it came... from right next door.

Suddenly, an evident rustling of leaves came towards my direction. Immediately, I knew who it was gonna be. I closed my eyes, temporarily forgetting about the wondrous view up above, bracing for the sermon, and the beating, I'm about to get.

But, the walking glanced right past. It stopped, right beside me.

Peeking was scary, but inevitable. Though as I did, nobody was there. Back towards the house, no one was there either.

What was it then?

The metal fence that separated the neighbor's backyard and ours, made a noticeable clang.

And that's where I saw, her.

A girl, with her back against the fence, and her neck drooping so low it might fall of. She draped her knees with feeble arms, as she shivered in the winter cold.

She was small. Not tiny, but small. I have no clue who she was, but... she definitely seems familiar.

Her long, black hair, combined with her stature was undoubtedly a faint glimmer in my memory, though rather unusual for someone as forgetful as I am.

But from where, why, and how?

"Who..."

Apparently, my murmurs weren't as silent as I thought it was.

Because now she's looking straight at me. And me at her.

This is amusing, sure, but I'd like to stop staring now.

So I slowly inched my head towards the road, where the girl remained as mere hindsight.

At first, I thought she was just a little girl, but no, she's obviously my age.

"My age?" That's weird... I don't remember any teens on my neighborhood at all!

No, they were all just a bunch of scrawny, meddlesome kids who'd run around causing mayhem in the streets.

"Psh, kids."

But no, she wasn't the same. She actually looks... mature.

"Maybe I should..."

And as I creepily glanced her way, again, we met eyes.

My brows quirked up, but I couldn't break my stare.

What... is this feeling?

"Darryl, get back in here now!" Ma called out, oblivious to the quieted neighborhood.

Guess that's my cue.

I gently stood up from my comfortable seat, though still keeping contact with the mysterious girl's eyes.

I didn't know what to say, so I gestured a thumb instead, pointing to the house, implying I'll be heading back inside.

The girl, surprisingly, tilts her head to the side and nods quaintly, although unsure of her response.

With that incredibly awkward exchange, I rushed back inside.

She's... I got a totally unusual vibe from her. What is this feeling? Her expression is... warm.

Though I could've sworn I saw the smallest hint of wetness when I stared back at her.