The sun slowly set behind the towering buildings poking through the kitchen window. The blue sky overtime transformed into an orange and pink ceiling with hints of purple soaring through the mix of colors. The color purple became my new crush for that short moment, pushing pink out of the way, then held its hand to my eyes and asked for a dance. I gladly took the hand, and we danced and danced and danced until my eyes began to strain from staring at the sky for so long. 

The smell of burning penetrated my nose, and I looked down to see the cheese in the pot bubbling a bit too much. In quick succession, I turned down the heat and stirred like my life depended on it. The bubbles in the cheese calmed down and the smell of burning, though noticeable, didn’t overpower the smell of everything else. As soon as I put in the meat and peppers, the burnt cheese shouldn’t even be noticeable. 

I continued to stir, this time with my focus entirely on the pot. Even still, my mind wandered slightly while my eyes kept their dangerous focus on the cheese. Ty hadn’t left his room since he slammed the door shut. Anytime I walked by it, whether if I’m going to use the bathroom or just to check up on him, I couldn’t hear anything inside. Even when I held my ear up to the door, no sound broke through the wood.

Worry settled in my chest as the silence only became more deafening as time went on, so before I started on supper, I knocked on his door. I asked if he was alright, hoping for him to answer back. If he didn’t, I’d have broken the door down and checked to see if he’s alright. I’ve been on high alert ever since we left the hospital, and I really should have checked on him long ago. 

Thankfully, he answered back with, and I quote: Go away, woman! A burly man shoved his fist up my ass, and I need to teach him some respect. 

There was no way he’s in danger after that. It was strange that he wasn’t screaming his heart out if he was losing in one of those games, but I guessed he was just giving his throat time to rest. The way he sounded once I saw him in that hospital bed made it seem like he was going to die any second. 

I left him alone after that and began making cheese dip in celebration that his head wasn’t separated from his body. I didn’t tell him I was making it, instead leaving it as a surprise for when he walked into the kitchen after his gaming session. It’s nice to have something to enjoy after going through such a harrowing experience.

I turned the burner off and stirred the cheese for the last time. When I lifted the spoon from the pot, the cheese stretched and dripped back into the liquid gold. Using the side of the pot, I wiped the cheese from the spoon and let it fall back with the rest of it, then dumped the meat and peppers inside. 

With a bit more stirring, the cheese dip was eventually completed, and all that was left was for me to grab a bag of chips and to get Ty in the living room. I walked away from the stove and stepped into the hallway. I approached Ty’s bedroom door, and just like before, I couldn’t hear anything from the other side. Not a shout. Not a thump. Not even a gentle breath. 

I knocked on the door and waited for Ty to answer. When he didn’t, I knocked on it again while calling for him.

“Ty, come on out. I got a surprise for you.”

Nothing. Not a single peep from the other side of the door. He didn’t even yell for me to leave like last time. I wasn’t just going to let him stay in his room all day, so without permission, I turned the doorknob. 

I was expecting for it to be locked, but it actually gave way. The door creaked open, and a few things stuck out to me the moment I opened the door halfway. The entire room bathed in darkness. His window curtain was closed tight, and the bedside lamp wasn’t even turned on. However, there was a faint light source coming from his computer. 

Sitting by his lonesome, lazing back on the gaming chair he’s had for as long as I’ve been here for, the computer light reflected off of Ty’s skin. He looked so bored, but also distraught. His good hand scrolled down a word document on the computer screen, and his eyes glazed over every word. 

A hint of redness surrounded his pupils, and he leaned as close to the computer as he could without making himself legally blind. He looked like he was about to pass out any second because of all the scrolling and focusing. 

“Ty?”

“Huh.” Ty stuttered and jumped, his head darting to look at me. “What.” 

When he saw me standing there, he calmed down and ran a hand over his face. His brow shined from the amount of sweat pouring from his face, and he looked like he didn’t want to be anywhere but here. 

“What time is it?” Ty asked.

“Around seven. You still have time before you have to go.” I pointed in the general direction of the kitchen. “For now, why don’t we go eat some cheese dip?”

His face brightened up at the mention of what he claimed to be the best dish imaginable, and I thought that would take him out of his funk for a moment. But the smile disappeared right after when he took a small glance back at the screen. I had no idea what was on there, but whatever it was, it screwed over his mental health. Probably even more than what had transpired down in that forbidden dungeon.

“I think I’ll stay here for a bit longer.” Ty said. He rolled his chair back to the computer, leaving me in a state of shock. 

“You’re not going to eat?” I asked. 

“No, I’m not. My appetite is just not that strong right now.”

He laughed at a joke that was never told. Or maybe that was the joke, and it just came so out of nowhere that I couldn’t even process it. He went back to scrolling through the document on the screen, his eyes returning to their focused state. 

I stood at the hem of his doorway for much longer than was necessary, but my legs refused to move away. Ty’s the first friend I’ve ever had, so seeing him like this after going through something that would break ninety-nine percent of people shattered my heart in ways I never knew it could shatter. To be honest, I thought my heart was broken long ago, but there was enough put together to crumble all over again. 

My eyes locked onto the screen. I could make out a few words, but with Ty continuously scrolling down, it was hard to read without losing my place. The way to help him had to be on that screen, and that has to be what he was searching for as well. However, he reads too slowly to find the answer to the ever complicating riddle of his head. 

An idea sparked itself to life. Once Ty leaves, I’ll go through that document. I read the title, so I know what to look for. I’ll find the answer that he claws his way for. That may be the only way to bring ourselves back into the world of normalcy. Or at least as normal as a cubbi and human living together could provide. 

***

“Is this good?” I asked Ty as I grabbed his cast. “You feel uncomfortable?” 

“Kind of, but you can keep going.”

Taking the suit, I stretch out Ty’s arm, and he winces from the discomfort of his arm being yanked around. Still, I kept going as I aligned his hand with the sleeve of the suit and slowly stuck his arm into the cottony tunnel. 

One his hand stuck out the other end, I relinquished control back to Ty. He grabbed the collar of the suit and lined it up on his shoulders. Once the suit was set just right, he yawned and stretched out his good arm. 

“Why are you going in a suit? Can’t you just wear a normal T-shirt for now?”

“Well, I’m meeting an old friend today.” Ty said, straightening his tie. I chuckled at my own joke and Tie stared daggers at me.

“Haha, very funny, Harmony, the least harmonic person I’ve ever seen.”

I’m not going to argue with that since I did just kill a woman, but that still kind of hit something in me. Ty saw the frown form on my lips, and he did the unexpected. He reached his hand above my head and began patting my hair. I didn’t stop him, but it felt awkward as hell.

“Feel better?” Ty asked.

“I feel something.”

“Good.”

Ty coughed and straightened his tie a bit more. This time I didn’t laugh. Instead, I just moved out of his way as he pushed past me. He left the bedroom, and before I followed after him, I shot a quick glance at his computer. It’s still on.

I left the room and saw Ty waiting in the living room. Jessica is supposed to come pick him up and drive over to whoever it is they’re going to see.

“Who’s the old friend?” My curiosity finally caught up to me, so I asked him the question throbbing in my mind.

“Well, she’s someone I used to date a long time ago.”

That took me by surprise. Ty? Dating someone? Putting those two things together would be like trying to force a square block in a circle hole. It just seemed absolutely ridiculous.

“Really? Weren’t you a virgin before our first time?”

“You can date someone without wanting to fuck them.” Ty pointed at me. “Sex and love aren’t the same thing.”

I was about to ask more questions, but a horn honked from outside, and Jessica’s booming voice could be heard from all the way in here.

“Ty, come on!”

Ty began walking to the door, and before he could leave, I grabbed onto the sleeve of his shirt. He stopped and looked at me, but I didn’t meet his eyes. I didn’t want him to see the concern in my chest.

“Just be safe this time, okay?” 

I looked up, only to find Ty smiling back at me. He raised his hand and gave me a cheerful thumbs up. Is it strange to say that the gesture only made me more worried? 

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be back in no time.” 

With that, he tore his arm away from me and opened the door. He looked back one last time, and the door slammed shut between us. He’s only been in here for a few hours after being gone for several days. That’s the most stupid thing that could’ve happened, but it just had to. But, because of it, I can figure out what was on his computer. 

I waited a minute, just in case Ty came back if he forgot something, but he never returned. Taking the opportunity, I snuck into his room - or just walk in, cause there’s nothing stopping me - and I sit on his chair. 

I check around the computer screen, looking at all the names of the tabs on the desktop. I found what I was looking for shortly after. At the bottom left section of the screen was a word document simply titled “The Mountain.”  

I opened it and began reading.