He kept the radio on and right up on the upper ledge of the desk, so it was near his ear and unobstructed, hissing softly on the empty channel as he worked. What time was it now? Jonathan didn't know nor think of it, he was busy writing everything from short hand notes in one collection of notes, to full on breakdowns in another, and even more writing down upon slips.
Then there was a tickle to the frequency and Jonathan sat up, looking directly at the squawking box before turning around in his seat to look at the study door. The radio grew worse then as he laid his intense gaze upon the figure standing there, but it was little Ellie who seemed to shy away from his angry look.
Jonathan breathed as he realized who it was, and his face softened as he watched her start to hide back around the corner, the sliver of her little, sad face shrinking away.
"Ellie," he called. "Where are you going?"
"You're mad at me," she peeped.
"Mad? Oh no, Ellie, I couldn't be mad at you..." he said, shifting around more. "I was only- a little startled. I didn't know you came back. Please don't go."
He could see she was unsure, and that she also was giving a look around herself. But the shy little thing did come stepping out and into the alcove outside the open door. "Are you sure you aren't angry?" she asked.
"It would seem I startled you more," he sighed, dealing with Mrs. Garenger and reaccounting the experience had done a number on his nerves. He then pushed himself up from the chair, the first time since sitting down this morning, and walked over to her. She tried to hide behind the closed door with a squeak when he did, but Jonathan picked up the locking pin from the floor so to open it and squat down to her level. "Ellie... it's okay."
She looked so tiny as she stood in shame and fear, hardly wanting to look at his face. "You're not angry?"
Jonathan was only a kind smile now. "Do I look angry?" He could hear from her her own nerves upon the radio settling down again. "Hum?"
Jonathan had tilted his head to only match hers at first, but then he started being his silly self and going further till he started to see the world upside-down. It worked as it would for any young child, and she smiled before giving a few giggles. He then righted himself again and she settled again.
"Ellie, you have done nothing wrong," he then said to her softly, making sure to stoop lower so to catch her eyes as she grew shy again. "Not a single thing."
"But I woke mommy," she whispered.
"Na aha aha," he said with a shake of his, being almost as quiet. "Not, a single, thing."
It took a little time but Ellie started to come around and put her little hand into his of which he had been holding out for her for some time.
Jonathan smiled. "Friend?" he then asked.
"Friends," she repeated, giving him a smile in return. "What are you doing?"
"I'm working on my research and book," he replied.
"What does that mean?"
"It means I am writing a lot of boring, adult stuff for work."
"Oh. You are busy?" she then asked.
"No, not anymore," he replied. "What would you like to do, Ellie?"
She smiled, but then wasn't sure what to do.
"What about you, Ellie? What have you been doing? You were gone for a long time."
Of course she would grow shy again at the question. "I was hiding..."
"Hiding, huh?" She was looking down again and gave a nod. "Where do you go to hide?"
Well there was a question she didn't expect. "My hiding place."
Jonathan smiled more. "And where is that? I bet it's clever."
She looked even more surprised at the fact he was interested at all. And unsure, but it was obvious she wanted to share.
"You promise you won't tell anyone?" she then asked.
Jonathan just smiled more and brought up a hand with his little finger held out. "I pinky swear." She wasn't too sure what to make of the gesture, and he kept encouraging her to mimic him until they had gently interlocked. "I swear I won't tell a soul."
Ellie looked really happy. "Okay!" she cheered but remaining as a whisper.
Jonathan had her wait just long enough to snatch his notepad and pencil off the desk, going off into a quiet walk around the house. Ellie of course was taking this very serious, her hiding place was not meant to be known, and she was being extra cautious that no one else was watching, namely her mother as who else was there? She took him via a long rout that involved going around the front portion of the house, down the west hall and stopping right around the north-west corner of the downstairs– it would have been quicker had they gone up the center hall past the kitchen and onto the service porch, but this was the rout she chose.
Then, there in the corner room of the house upon the inner wall, surrounded by windows on the outer walls, she showed him a small trapdoor in the wooden slat chair rail by the corner. It was actually a built in cabinet with a sliding door in a track designed to just be out-of-sight storage, but with a finger hole for opening and peaking out, and a space big enough for a tiny child, it made for the perfect hidey-hole.
"I never would have guessed," he whispered, seeing as they were suppose to be keeping secret and for good reason. She looked so proud and showed him how she could fit inside and sit up.
In fact, it was a busy little cave, she had pulled in a small blanket to sit on, and a few small but curious items were nestled in with her.
"Is this the little toy soldier from up stairs?" he asked, pointing towards it. Ellie then picked it up so to stand it upright.
"Mm-hum. It was my brothers," she said.
Jonathan raised a brow and sat down upon the floor to scoot a little closer. "Your brother's?"
"Yeah, he really liked this toy. I feel close to him when I hold it."
"And, this toy, Ellie?" Jonathan asked as he pointed towards another baby item.
"It belonged to my other brother," she said.
"Ellie... did you know your brother?"
She shook her head. "I never met him. I never met any of them," she went on to explain, her little face starting to glow as she looked to Jonathan. "But sometimes, from the window upstairs, I see them outside waving to me. It is the only window where I can see the sky. I have... five brothers. They are up real high, and real far away, but they look happy. I can't hear them, but I think they are calling me, wanting me to come with them." Her little face fell then. "But I'm not allowed to leave the house."
Jonathan was silent as he watched and listened. His eyes looking at the odd items, somehow holding a connection she felt.
"Ellie... what if I said I might be able to change that..."
She stopped playing with the simple toy to look at him. Jonathan looked sad and tried to speak as clear and precise as he could so she would understand.
