#Chapter 256: Stick Figures

Audrey The late afternoon sun poured through the bay windows, casting patches of warm, golden light across the hardwood floors. I found myself perched in a plush armchair in Eliza’s living room, watching the scene in front of me with rapt fascination. Edwin sat on the arm of the chair beside me, propping his chin on his fist, watching along with me. Joseph sat cross-legged on a cushion near the coffee table, hunched over a piece of paper. He was scribbling furiously, a red crayon clutched in his hand. He had been like this for quite a while now, ever since Edwin and I had arrived. In fact, he hadn’t even looked up when we had entered the room. We had even brought more presents for him, and they still sat untouched by the door. Eliza had explained that he had been like this all morning, and it showed. The boy was still in his pajamas, his hair mussed as if he hadn’t moved since breakfast time. Most notably, he was surrounded by discarded papers, all depicting the