Solitude Interrupted

"Mer~row!"

Dave opened his eyes to see Mister staring down at him from where the big cat sat on his chest. "Wha?" He asked, mumbling. "Say tha' ag'in?"

"Merrr~row!" The old cat repeated louder and longer looking at him with big pumpkin orange eyes.

Dave blinked. "Yeah... that's what I thought you said." He turned his head and looked at the empties, pizza box and old game books around him from where he lay on the couch in the living room. He smiled slightly. "Mitt visiting made me nostalgic. He usually played Dwarven characters more often than not if memory serves."

He looked back up at the cat who bumped his face with his. "Ok. I'm up, buddy. What is it? Why aren't you out in the barn like usual?" He gently moved the big, old cat so could he sit up, then stand. "Something out there?"

Mister immediately settled down to lay in the spot Dave had just vacated and started a low rumbling purr like the hum of a ragged engine. Dave shook his head at the now perfectly content cat. "It's my problem now, huh? Yes, Boss. I'll go check it out. Mental note to self if we get a dog, make sure it's bigger than you. Wouldn't want you to eat him you big brute." He stroked the big cats head as he affectionately teased.

Sighing he slipped his feet into his boots before donning a brown vest and hat. He grabbed a flashlight, turning towards the door... then paused. He looked back at Mister. He was generally a very placid cat... but looks could be deceiving. Mister was no slouch and not afraid to take on varmints outside of his weight class and win despite his advanced age. They were both like that. "Trouble, huh?" He pursed his lips thinking about that for a moment before going to the gun cabinet. He looked at the rifle and the shotguns before shaking his head. If it was a varmint he intended to scare it away not kill it... but if it was people trouble he needed to be prepared. He needed one hand for the flashlight so he took a handgun instead... and hoped he wouldn't need it.

He noted the time, just after 3 am, as he passed the old clock heading out the door. The "witching hour" as the old folks used to say. "Tis now the very witching time of night," he said. "When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out

Contagion to this world: now could I drink hot blood,

And do such bitter business as the day

Would quake to look on." He shook his head stepping out the door. "Good thing I ain't a Danish prince, eh? Come on Shakespeare. Let's be about our work."

The early morning air was crisp and cool with dew upon the ground and he was glad for the vest and boots as he made his way towards the barn. As he drew closer the beam of pale light from the flashlight revealed the door was indeed a bit ajar and he crouched looking at the ground awhile. "Something definitely came this way from how things are disturbed... No," he said softly looking at the faint light tracks. "Not something. Someone..." he slowly sighed. "Smallish... a child, maybe? Probably. That changes things then." He made sure the gun was securely in it's holster as he stood. He sure as hell wasn't going to shoot or scare some kid. Even if they were robbing or vandalizing the place there wasn't anything in there worth that. He stopped trying to quiet his footsteps and intentionally stepped loudly now making noise as he went. "They might need help," he said to himself as he shone the beam from the flashlight on the door as he approached. "Hello?" He called out as he grasped the handle and slowly opened the big door. He noted threads on the door where whoever had squeezed in and in the dirt and dust a small, smudged bare footprint with tiny toes seemingly confirming his suspicions.

"I'm going to turn on the lights," he announced before doing just that hitting the switch. The old lights dimly flickered before bathing the area in a warm glow.

Once upon a time the barn had housed many different types of creatures, even when he'd been young it had had a few horses and milking cows, but that had been long ago and it had slowly become more a combination garage and storage space. The specter of days long passed was strong though. The smells lingered on the air and made him smile slightly as it always did. Animals and sweat and fresh hay and more, while long gone the aroma of such had sunk itself deep into the old timbers. Some folks might not care for it but to him it was simply the smell of home. As comforting as it was soothing.

He relaxed a bit and tried his best to not look threatening. He knew from experience that was hard at his size and build so he spoke softly as he went looking around starting with the tool area and old tractor and moving on from there, slowly and methodically. "Hey. I know you're in here... Can you hear me?" No reply. "I want you to know that you aren't in any trouble." Silence. "I mean you no harm... and I don't want any harm to come to you. You're safe with me... and I will keep you that way. I promise. You have my word on that." Quiet. "That's OK. You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. It's not exactly safe in here for a kid. If you fell, or something fell on you, you could get hurt. I don't want that for you whoever you are." He smiled. "Opposite, infact. I want to make sure you're OK. Help you get home."

He thought he heard a small, sound at that. A breath? A sigh? Or maybe... a sob? He kept talking as he headed searching in that direction. "Or uhh... or not. Maybe you don't want that? I dunno what "home" is like for you. Maybe you ain't got one... or maybe... that ain't a good place to be?" His mind raced through all the possible worst-case scenarios. He knew well that the world could be a rough place and fair often didn't figure into it. You got what you got and the world didn't care what you did with it as it kept on spinning. "Maybe..." he cleared his throat. "Maybe...you could stay? You know... If you wanted to?"

*What the hell are you thinking?* he thought and said aloud, "I don't know... But I want to help. Help you if you need it. I could give you a sleeping bag and maybe find you some shoes or something to wear on your feet... or... you could sleep inside up to the house if you'd like? A nice warm place to sleep. I could even give you something to eat too if you're hungry? Want some food?"

That time he definitely heard a noise. The long lamentation sound of an empty belly. He did his best not to chuckle and nodded. "Well that's a "yes"." He started moving in that direction. "Come on. Why don't you come with me? I got half a pizza you're more than welcome to... and more if you'd like! I'll make you some eggs, fry up some bacon or sausages and some potatoes. Anything you'd like!"

He felt sure whoever they were they were hiding under an old tarp next to a pile of rags in a back corner. They made a soft sound that might have been crying. He moved just a bit closer before kneeling down facing the tarp. He set down the flashlight beside him and smiled trying to not look threatening as he slowly reached out his hand. "Hey... it's OK. It'll all be OK now. It's just you and me here and one cat but he's a nice one. We're friends and we want to help. I promise. You're safe here and I'll keep you that way, no matter what."

He slowly pulled back the tarp to reveal... a stack of old buckets. "What the...? I could have sworn that..." He mumbled and blinked in confusion.

That's when something growled and the pile of rags latched onto his outstretched arm, biting it as it knocked him down while he was off balance.