Dottie realized one day that that path was odd. It didn't act right. Over time she noted that the path, despite being trod down at least once a day by humans, not to mention the various animals, didn't wear down. She should probably say, not as much as it's supposed to. There was evidence of the deer that went down, and the werewolf at the full moon, but that was it. Unlike some of the other deer paths that the occasional human walked, there was no widening of the trail, nor was there evidence for long by the plum and crab of human occupation for long. Unlike finding deer beds along the rest of the woods, there were none here. That made no sense as she had seen deer along the trail, and had startled the occasional deer out of the clearing.
Well, she had seen a fairy. She had exchanged information with one, and hadn't that been a risk. In that case, there was most likely a good reason, such as the fairies themselves having a spell on the grass. Even if there was still a caretaker, there would have been marks of implements in the soil and furrows in the grass. It made sense that in order to hide that there were fairies here that there was something to see that this was boring and uninhabited.
Speaking of the fairy, she was going to write today. She would talk out loud, so that those listening would have their typical entertainment. In one sense, she knew that she would change what she talked about now that she knew that there was someone listening in. In another, they had listened to her for how long before telling her that they were there? She didn't know, but she was sure that it was a while, perhaps every time she went there.
She took out a plastic sleeve to put the page in today, as she hadn't brought the box.
Hello,
Today was a good day. I'm all caught up in my homework, and while I am having trouble understanding this latest chapter in management studies, I have been getting help. My classmate is really helping me understand.
Paul has been showing up at random times to talk now. I don't know why, but it feels nice. It doesn't feel the same way as a normal friend talking to me does. I know what that feels like. It's not scary in the typical sense. We're nice and it doesn't feel like I'm in danger.
Dottie.
She was then quick to put it in the sleeve, roll it up, and pinch it between two branches near the heart of the plum tree. It was higher than she wanted, but it looked like it wouldn't blow away.
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"Hey, Rueben."
"Hello, Dottie. How are you?"
"I am doing good, thank you. How about you?"
"I am fine."
There it was again, that pause. That hesitation and pain on her face that spoke of a struggle to find words. He was noticing it was less now than before though in a typical conversation, even though it was more then when they were running. He took up the flow of the conversation, lightening her of the burden of finding words at the moment.
"The head manager came into check on my branch at work today."
"Oh, how did it go?"
He nodded at the typical response, but at least this conversation was not as hard on her. Her face showed she meant her words, even if the relief of being able to follow her self-taught pattern of speech was visible.
"It went okay, I think. There was the struggle of having to work around an extra person that was getting in the way because he was checking to see how we were doing was a little annoying. However, I didn't hear any complaints about my work so that's good. Are you working right now?"
"Oh, I dropped to casual right now. It was getting to hard to keep up at school while working at the same time. Are you working a lot?"
"I work a typical office week. I am getting overtime. I go in early some mornings so I can get some stuff done without the extra noise of having people around."
"Oh, does it bother you much?"
"Not as much as it used to."
"Why does noise bother you?"
"Well, I hope this doesn't bother you, but I am a werewolf. When I got bit, I had to get used to more sensitive ears. For a while I ended up wearing ear plugs around groups of people."
"Oh, I do that too. I have Asperger's, so I sometimes have trouble focusing because there is so much going on. I can't really block things out so if there is a problem with the input I am getting I have to either leave or try to limit it. That is the reason that I sometimes have to wear ear plugs in class."
"Do you do other things to help you?"
"Getting away from most of the people helps. I can't do much with humor, as I have to understand that the person is telling a joke and means to be funny first. There are times when I can't get that the person is telling a joke, though. So I ask questions when I'm not sure what's going on. I ask lots of questions. I have to unwind and take care I don't get too much or I will break down. It's like I am not safe where I am and have to go somewhere safe. Being against a wall helps if I can't leave right away as I can feel it and I understand that pushing against the wall provides pressure. It supports me. I have my favorite places to go. I don't respond well to change, so I try to keep things as close to normal as I can. Calming music really helps. People are the hardest. It takes a lot of effort and study to get somewhat fine with how to interact, but then they change in different circumstances so there are more than one set of social rules to follow. You have to figure out which one the person is using. Then, of course, they don't always fit the rules."
She stopped and wrung her hands.
"Can I get something? It took a while to write this thing, but it says it clearer."
"Sure. Where is it? Do you have it on you?"
"It's at my house. Do you mind following me to my place?"
"I am fine with that."
They walked together in silence. It wasn't bad silence, as it was comfortable. Reuben liked the walk and the company, and so did Dottie. They didn't strain things by trying to talk more when Dottie clearly wasn't up to it. Eventually they came to her place, where she let Reuben into her entrance, and went to her room to grab her stuff.
The Glass Window
Down in the room is a window
As tall as the room and as wide;
There's no way out from that window
And there is no place to hide.
And look there's a girl in that window
And all day she sits there beside
And watches the world from her window
And watches whatever betide.
She sees of the sorrow and sadness.
She sees of the joy in the spring.
She watches the hate and the madness,
And she hears what the choruses sing.
She watches the people around her.
She aches to give pity for pain.
She longs to show peace that has found her,
But she cannot speak well through the pane.
She is now hindered by a wall.
She cannot go farther than that.
So will you stay, if she would stall,
And end lying flat as a mat?
Who is this girl in the window?
The one talked of here, it is I,
But many are with a window
Who long to be freed to the sky.
Reuben stopped and looked at the paper. It wasn't just a poem showing what she dealt with in a metaphorical sense as well as a very real sense, it was also a request to stay despite whatever issues anybody staying long with her would have. He could understand her giving up on her fellow humans mostly if everyone stopped hanging around her eventually because of the issues being close to her would mean.
"I'll stay."
"Huh?"
Reuben nodded his head.
"Not that I want to live here in the house with you right now, but because this relationship we're building, whether it's a friendship of some kind or something else, unless we're becoming enemies, I'll stay for the long haul. I've got my own issues too. I struggle to trust ladies older than me with my emotions. That's besides the whole were wolf thing. I don't know what you deal with, but I can be patient. With you. As you try and struggle with words and other things socially."
"Thank you."
A smile that wasn't completely faked was on her face.
He left the house soon after that with her phone number. He was calling her already that evening.