All of Them People

Tawny fumbled with her keys, searching for the right one to open the front door while trying to hold on to the shopping bags weighed down by shoes and new clothes, and balancing a Starbucks cup in her hand. Once she finally got the door opened she walked briskly to the kitchen counter and dropped the bags on the floor and let out a sigh of relief. Relief that shopping was a perfect way to deal with stress, and relief that the day was almost over.

She took out her cell phone and turned towards the living room to check her messages and froze when something caught her eye. A figure stood in in front of the couch with blonde hair, like her own and eyes only a shade darker blue than hers. He watched her with a sad expression that turned to surprise when she stepped towards him saying: “Oh my God, Terry! You’re back!” She opened her arms to step in for a hug, but he stepped back and to the opposite side of the coffee table.

“W-Wait,” he said putting out his hand. “I, uh, just got back and haven’t showered yet. I’m covered in sweat and germs and…”

“So?” Tawny placed her hands back at her side, confused at her brother’s unlikely response, but taking another step towards him.

“Just…” He looked her in the eyes, “Please don’t, not right now.”

“Okay,” Tawny said, tilting her head. It had been over a year since her brother, Terrance, had last been home, and she felt her heart sink at his refusal of her hug.

He still looked back at her with shock in his eyes. Tawny furrowed her brow and prepared to ask him what was going on.

“Oh, hey,” he interrupted, gesturing at a clay pot on the kitchen counter decorated with elaborate pictures and patterns engraved in different reds and oranges. “You got that. I-uh, sent it to you from East Africa.”

“Yeah,” Tawny replied looking to the clay pot and smiled. “There was no post-card or return address or anything, but I knew it was from you. It’s really nice, I like it.”

“Ha, no you don’t, you hate junk like that,” He lit up and eagerly walked to the vase, and looked at it closely. “A woman I met made it, but I couldn’t take it around with me. These patterns all represent animals of some kind, and it’s all supposed to tell a story.” He pointed his fingers at one of the pictures, without touching it. “See I think this one’s an elephant… and maybe a dog over here. Haha, I don’t remember the story…” He trailed off in thought, lightly touching the edge of the scarf he wore wrapped around his neck, and Tawny smiled. He was right, she hated junk like that, but she knew that he was passionate about it; ancient relics and all that. That was one of the reasons he travelled to that part of the world. That and his need to be free from their father. Which wasn’t a problem now, since he barely lived here anymore.

“So!” Terry snapped his attention back to Tawny, and he seemed to be himself again. “Are you still dating that kid who tried to pierce his tongue with a stapler?

“No!” Tawny squealed, “And it wasn’t a stapler…”
He bent over and laughed at that, then popped back up again, “So whosit now?”

Tawny scoffed in playful exaggeration, “Why do you assume I always have a boyfriend?”

“Girlfriend?” He replied, lifting one eyebrow.

“No…” Tawny laughed and led the way back to the living room. “HIS name is Adrien, and we’ve been together for a while now.”

“Mhm that’s a first,” he said, smiling.
Tawny smiled back, this was the only person who she’d ever let talk to her the way he did, and after so long, it felt refreshing.

“Does he work? Drive? Straight A’s? He has to be perfect for us.”

“Us? Are you staying?” She asked excitedly.

“Well, us when I’m here…” He pause and licked his lips nervously, “But-“

“Well you can meet him, he’ll be here soon.”

“What? Oh, uh- well I might have to leave so-“ He stammered, and his hand travelled unconsciously up to his scarf.

“Well, I can text him, and just tell him to come another time,” she said, desperate for him to stay and be her brother for a while longer.

“Oh, no that’s okay,” Terry walked to the window then closer back to the couch. “It’s not a problem just uh… Y’know what never mind… Uh… So I don’t really care but I’m polite, so, how’s dad doing?”

Tawny pressed her lips together, then said: “Well, I wouldn’t know. He’s been in New York for business for a week now, and I have no idea when he’ll be back. But whatever,” she shrugged her shoulders.

Terry pursed his lips, and didn’t have to tell her that he was frustrated that Dad did that. ‘But so do you,’ she thought.

Before either could say anything more there, was a slam of a car door from outside, followed by voices, getting louder as they approached the door. “That’s probably Adrien,” Tawny said, standing back up, and looked to Terry, to find him tense and frightened looking staring with big blue eyes at the door.

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

Terry looked back at her, with his mouth open soundlessly, and had no time to say anything before the front door opened, and Adrien stepped in, leading a shorter boy with slanted eyes and thick black hair. They were both bickering at each other up until Adrien greeted Tawny.

“Tawny! Babe, sorry about this creep, he just won’t leave me alone.” He walked up to her immediately placing a kiss on her cheek. The other boy only gave Adrien an extremely exasperated face before Adrien continued, “I mean, this is my partner from work. Kalzone.”

“He’s a charming one,” Kal grinned.

Tawny smiled at them both. “Very much,” she replied, waiting to see what Adrien would say about her brother being here. She knew they’d never met, but he knew she had a brother, and there was no mistaking the physical similarities that screamed that Tawny and he were related.

Instead he walked straight into the kitchen area, not sparing a glance over to where Terry stood awkwardly in the living room. “Do you have any of those green popsicles in your freezer?” He asked already rummaging around in the freezer. “I may or may not have lost a tiny bet with Kal.”

“Well you can check,” she responded with heavy sarcasm, as he already was in the freezer. She glanced back at Terry, who watched back with worried puppy eyes.

“Oh here’s some” He said mostly to himself, dropping the box of popsicles onto the counter with a loud rustle, digging his hands into it band retrieving two popsicles. One he tossed to Kal and the other he stuck in his mouth while he shoved the box back into the freezer.

“Adrien, what the hell is wrong with you?” Tawny spoke, embarrassed by his rudeness, yet grasping to stay calm and not tear off Adrien’s face.

“Did you want one too?” He asked hesitantly, mumbling around the popsicle in his mouth and his brows knit in slight confusion.

Tawny felt her anger fume, and held her hands into fists. “No! But you could frickin’ ask- Ugh, y’know what Adrien? You can be so inconsiderate! You could at least acknowledge that Terry is here, you know he doesn’t visit often. A-and you don’t even care! I’m really sorry about this,” she added on to
Terry. “And I don’t even know anything about this guy,” she gestured to Kal, “I do not want everyone
from your ‘work’ thinking this is some kind of meeting place or whatever!”

He cocked his eyebrow at her gesture to her brother then turned to Kal. “Alright Kal, you got your popsicle now get out.” Walking back to the door and he attempted to shepherd Kal out.

“Okay,” Kal laughed and let Adrien lead him out, and close the door behind him. He checked the side windows quickly to make sure Kal was leaving then Adrien cautiously went over to Tawny.

“Are you feeling alright?” He asked her worriedly reaching out to touch her arm, though his eyes darted around the room. “You’re acting a little strange…”

Tawny aggressively pulled away from him, “You have got to be kidding me!” She said, her voice getting a bit weaker as she began to wonder what was going on. She glance back toward Terry and was startled to find that he had come up beside her without her hearing a sound… And without

Adrien seeming to notice him still. Could he really not see him? “What…”

“Tawny, it’s okay,” Terry said, “don’t get too mad at him, I-It’s not him.”

“What is going on?” Tawny asked, backing away from them both. “Can’t you see him?” She pleaded to Adrien.

Shaking his head curtly he responded jokingly by saying. “All I see is the both of us in your living room still fully clothed.”

“Shut up!” She seethed at him, “I’m serious,” She hit him in the chest with her fist frustrated. “My brother is standing right here,” She gestured to him with both her hands.

“I’m being serious too, there is no one else here.” He imitated her waving gesture right where Terry stood and his hands passed right through him. Unfazed Adrien continued to speak to her, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Terry stared at Adrien’s hands that passed through him and then looked up at Tawny. “Tawny, let me explain,” He began, “Tell him,” he looked at Adrien, “to shut up and both of you sit down.”

At first, Tawny didn’t move, and tried to make sense of this in her head. She knew the supernatural did exist, and was fearful of what was coming next. She reached out her hand to try and touch him, and Terry’s hands met hers’ half way. And when they closed around hers’ it was like the air became ice cold, but she could not feel his hands.

“He wants us to sit down,” she said to Adrien. Terry stepped out of there way as they passed to the couch.

Adrien made a disgruntled face but nevertheless sat down on the couch like Tawny asked.

“There was a hold up at a supermarket that I was at…” Terry began, “And he- the man had hostages, and a gun, and a knife.” Terry cleared his throat, and placing his hands on his head, tried to find the words to describe the events that were so unclear in his own mind. “You’re the only one who can see me…”

Tawny felt tears in her eyes, and wiped them away, determined not to cry before he said it.
Lowering his hands, Terry faced Tawny again, “I didn’t make it out, they wouldn’t negotiate with him and… I was the second one he killed.”

“He’s dead, Adrien,” Tawny whimpered and pressed her head into Adrien’s shoulder and cried. He wrapped his arms gently around her, running one of his hands through her hair soothingly.

“Oh Tawny.” He whispered softly into her ear, they sat there together in a close embrace until her hushed sobs faded away and she collected herself. “Tawny I. I think you may have the sight.”

“The Sight?” Terry spoke up again, “Well this guy’s taking it pretty well, I would have thought you were crazy.”

“Shut up, Terry,” Tawny shot a glare at him as if to say: how dare you just leave and then die? “What is that?” She added to Adrien, who glanced at the direction she snapped at then back to her.

“Well, it’s what you’re doing right now. Talking to ghosts and stuff. Normally its only witches who have that sort of vision.” He looked pensive as he spoke. “You’re not a witch are you?” He chuckled cautiously.

“What, no,” Tawny pulled away from Adrien, “Would I know if I was?”

“Ha, that’s not sarcasm,” Terry said, a little uneasily. “How is he so cool with this?”

“It’s just what he does,” Tawny added before Adrien could answer her previous question. “Sorry,” she said to him, “I was just answering him,” she gestured in Terry’s direction.

“Um. Yeah no, you would definitely know if you’re a witch, they do a bunch of training stuff. I’m not too sure what they’re all about though. You know since I’m not one.” Distractedly he fidgeted with his hands a bit. “Unless you’re lying about that.”

“And what a dumbass you would be,” Tawny shot back at him with a glare, “to have been dating a witch for so long with no idea.”

“Hey. Chill. I was just saying.” He threw his hands up defensively. “I mean you didn’t know about monsters until we started dating right, so that’d be kinda impossible.”

“Then why would you accuse me of lying?” She scoffed, crossing her arms and scooching farther away from him on the couch.

“Ugh, because. I don’t know. Witches aren’t the most… trustworthy of folk.” He finished flatly suddenly finding interest in a loose string in his pant leg.

Tawny shook her head in disbelief.

“If ghosts could kill,” Terry growled behind Adrien with hand poised in a strangling motion. Tawny hid her smile behind her hand.

“What I want to say though is, you should definitely learn how to… deal with your newfound witch-ness.” He looked as though he was straining to find the words to not continue painting him as an ass.

“I know of a witch you can talk to, but there’s a catch.”

“Heh, so where did you find this guy again?” Terry asked, “Because he is SUCH a gem,” he rested his head on the back of the couch not far from Adrien’s head and watched him with narrowed eyes, deep in thought.

Tawny acknowledged Terry with a glance, then back at Adrien waiting for him to go on.

“The thing is, as a hunter it would look very bad if I started hanging out with witches and I’d really prefer for them not to know about. Well, you now being a witch.” He breathed in, staring directly at her, tenser than he had been much earlier. “You’d have to go see her by yourself.”

“What? Are you kidding me? Then I’m not going! I wouldn’t know what to expect or what to say to her or… or anything!”

“Tell her you can see and talk to dead people. That’s a start.” Apologetically he shook his head.
“Look. I can’t come. If I did they’d find out about you and if they knew about that… It’d be unpleasant to say the least.”

“Mhm, I cannot believe you’d send me there alone,” she stood up stubbornly and shook her head.

“You’ll have me, sis,” Terry said, swiping his hand through Adrien’s head, who shivered slightly and
frowned.

“I don’t have a choice, you know I’d come if I could.” He started, his voice getting a little bit louder.

“I’ll leave you her address and if you don’t go, whatever. But just know that you won’t just be seeing
your dead brother’s ghost.”

Tawny felt her heart sink at his insensitiveness, and held in her breath, thinking of all the things she could scream at him and nail him into the floor with. But she just exhaled, composed herself, “Okay,” she said icily.

“Okay.” He replied, getting up as well and retrieving the half eaten half melted popsicle. “I’ll see you later then.”

“Fine,” she replied and watched as Adrien left for the door. After he was gone she looked to Terry, waiting for something, anything really. But he just shrugged lifting his hands into the air with a sarcastically surprised expression.