A Sadness Within Read Online Free PDF Page A

lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. I sighed loudly and squeezed my eyelids closed. I could still see her and hear the sweet melody playing in my mind. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep, still ruminating about the mystery girl and her song.

     
     
     
     
     
    I listened for my brother to come back but fell asleep sometime in the quiet hours of night. Thank god tomorrow was Saturday and I wouldn’t have to get up early. Or so I thought. I woke to the sound of feuding voices downstairs. The light of dawn was slowly trickling through the windows, and it was clear that my father was arguing with Will about something. Quietly, I crept to the top of the stairs to try to hear better.
    “I think I just need some time alone…” my brother’s voice finished, and I heard him heading in my direction. I scrambled back down the hallway and within a second, I was back behind my own closed door, hopefully undetected by either one.
    It wasn’t unusual for my father and brother to fight. They often fought when Will was home, although rarely in front of me. They tended to be slightly overprotective and treat me as if I were still six. When I was around, they’d pretend things were fine. Neither one of them would try to understand the other’s point of view. I wished they would. I wanted my brother home again.
    As much as I wanted to go to Will and see what was going on, I knew that it would only annoy him at this point. He clearly needed his space and I would grant him that. Instead, I just messed around in my room, listening to music, finishing my homework, and reading a little. After a while, I couldn’t stand it anymore and decided to find out was going on. I knew where every floor board creaked and carefully avoided the worst. My hand was poised over the door to knock when I hesitated. Breathing in the familiar smell of oak, I sighed deeply and rapped the door slightly. 
    “What.” His voice sounded muffled as if he was smothering it.
    “Can I come in?” I called out softly.
    “I guess.” A slightly inviting response, I suppose. “Can’t a guy get some sleep around here?” he mumbled.
    I entered Will’s room tentatively and walked over to sit on the edge of his bed where he was still lounging. He sat up and smiled, pretending everything was fine and trying to hide the fact that he looked awful. His skin was pale and the purple crescents under his eyes only drew attention to the wild look deep in them. He looked like a startled animal. Unease was not something I was used to seeing from him.
    “What’s up? How’s school?” He asked, leaning over to muss my hair as if I was still ten. I ducked out of the way, but not before his fingers caught in my curls.
    “School’s great. We talked about that yesterday, remember?” I answered, rolling my eyes. Small talk was not why I had come in here, so I hastily changed the subject. “Hey, you look like hell. You really should drink or something. What’s up with you?”
    “Cee, I’m sure that people will warm up to you eventually,” he said ignoring my insult and leaning back against the headboard, with his hands behind his head.
    “Gee, thanks. That’s very comforting. And you still haven’t answered my question.” He wasn’t going to escape my questions that easily.
    “Seriously, what’s going on? You were fine, and then you went out all night and I heard you fighting with father this morning. Not to mention the fact that you’ve been holed up in here for hours. Is everything okay? I mean, I know that you don’t love being here, but usually you’re at least a little social with me.” I stared intently at him, trying to show him how serious I was. I could sense a darkness rolling off him in waves, but it was happening so quickly that I couldn’t decipher anything. Reading people is something that I’ve always been good at, especially when it came to my brother.  He could never hide a thing from me. “You just aren’t yourself. I mean, you just