Close Proximity Part Six

Chapter five

The rest of the day passed in a monotone blur, his daily routine creating a glaze on the remaining daylight. When he crawled into bed the remaining rays of daylight were just vanishing over the horizon. It wasn’t late but he just wanted to go to sleep. He wasn’t even tired, he just wanted today to be over. When his eyes opened in the morning he was nearly blinded by the light that rushed in through his pupils. Groaning, he lifted one hand to shield his sleep-encrusted eyes, he used the other hand to push himself up out of the cocoon of duvet he was wrapped in. Blinking as his eyes adjusted to the glaring light, he slowly focused on the small digital clock sitting on his night stand. It was ten thirty in the morning. Somehow he had managed to sleep for more than twelve hours, and now he felt like he was full of sand. Sean got out of the bed with sleep-stiffened legs. When he reached the kitchen he made sure there was nothing wrong with the space around him, the memory of the box made him feel a little uneasy about his home. When he settled himself down he moved over to the fridge and went about making himself the brunch of champions, leftovers! Sitting at the foldout table for what might have been the third time from the time he moved in he remembered that he had promised to hang out with his brother. He knew he should give him a call, take him to the bar or something, but he just couldn’t muster up the will to pick up the phone as he started to eat his meal.
After a good twenty minutes of procrastinating, Sean finally picked up his phone and called his older brother. With every dial tone his heart lifted, he hoped like mad that his brother wasn’t going to pick up. It was nothing against his brother, he just didn’t know what to say to him anymore. Their relationship was dying from lack of conversation. But Devin did pick up. The phone was filled with a static filled pause for a second before shallow inhale of a man preparing to speak, “Hey man! I didn’t expect you to call.” Devin’s voice rang through the line with a cheerful tone. 
“Why wouldn’t I? Do you want to come over or something? We haven’t done anything fun recently.” Sean responded as he leaned back in his chair and smiled a little, not that his brother could see it.
“You got that right.” Devin laughed and movement could be heard on the other end of the line. “I guess I could swing around. I don’t have much going on here.” He laughed again.
“Well I guess I’ll see you later tonight.” Sean said awkwardly, he never liked talking on the phone.
“That’s all you have to say?” Devin teased, most likely from his bedroom.
“Uh, well... I guess so-” Sean responded with even more awkwardness. Absently he chewed on his thumbnail and hoped that Devin was going to let him off the phone. He knew he could just hang up but he didn’t want to be rude, even if they were brothers.
Devin laughed on the other end of the line again. “Okay then little brother, I’ll see you later.” He said and clicked the phone to silence, obviously he had no second thoughts about hanging up on Sean.
Sean sighed and dropped his phone onto the table with a clunk followed closely by a clatter. Relaxing again into his chair he started fiddling around on his laptop.  He browsed the collection of tabs he had opened the other night and laughed at himself. He was always so paranoid over things that go bump in the night. Couple that with his lust for knowledge and a prank like this was almost cruel. Everything about that damned box was chillingly fascinating.  Sean closed all the open tabs and pulled up a movie that he could watch with Devin if their bonding got forced and awkward. All Sean could really do in any social situation was hope for the best, but plan for the worst.