The garage was a musty scene of darkness and grime; Liam Nelson was strumming away on his amplified guitar as he stood over a foot activated switchboard. Standing in a multi-colored haze, his eighteen-year disposition reflected the light with his vitals. With clicking switches, two of his friends became visible on their respective instruments, a bass, and a drum set. The final light glowed on a ten-year-old Malcolm who kept his eyes shut while following the rhythm to the post-chorus.

  “…Feel the ocean blue…Engulfing you!

  …I view the deep blue sea…It’s turning red, right in front of me!”

  Then the door to the house opened abruptly with their dad’s head peering into the garage. “Liam.” He calmly called. Everyone paused with the lights still flashing. “Your mother is having another one of her episodes.” He spoke only to Liam with a dejected tone.

  Liam blinked and sighed. “What is she doing?”

  “She’s talking tuition with that college you’re choosing to go to.” Dad answered.

  Liam rubbed his chin. “So, she needs me to come get her.”

  Their Dad pursed his lips. “Yes, considering how you should’ve gone with; I got buddies coming over and I’m not losing that on her account.”

  Liam rubbed his face. “Got it, Dad.”

  The man winked. “That’s my boy.” He shut the door.

  Liam removed his guitar and set it against his amplifier. “That’s life for you.” He said to his friends. “I’ll drop you guys off on the way.” One gathered his things while following the other into the kitchen to retrieve a backpack.

  Malcolm stood with a dropping chin after Liam had already noticed him. He circled to a tool chest in the center and motioned for his brother to come. Little Malcolm approached and he sat beside his elder brother, who gave Malcolm space from across while leaning in attentively. Liam allowed Malcolm a pause to speak first, always allowing him his sense of independence. After Malcolm said nothing, Liam’s smile remained genuine and finally spoke, “You’re getting better every day, buddy.”

  Little Malcolm looked at Liam yet avoided eye contact. “I’m just…they’re just words.” He turned his head. “I can’t do what you can yet.”

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  Liam allowed his brother’s mind to wander where he wanted before he answered. “There’s no long road that you gotta walk down just to become something else. The world is always going to come to you, and you’ll always change with it, but you’re always going to be who you are; that’s what makes the ideas learned yours to give back.”

  Malcolm finally looked Liam in the eyes. Before he could speak, Liam’s two friends barged into the garage with their stuff, “Let’s go, dude!” One spoke while the other opened the garage shutter.

  Liam pulled out his keys and tossed them over. “Get in, I’m coming.”

  Malcolm looked forlorn while Liam turned back to him. The child stammered, “Please let me go with.”

  Liam blinked sorrowfully. “I’m coming back.”

  “You’re moving out soon!” Malcolm cracked.

  “I’m always coming back for you buddy.” His brother smiled. “And when you get to move out, we’ll have your bunk waiting in the studio.”

  One of his friends peered from outside the open shutter. “Yo! Let’s go!”

  Liam stood, looking back at Malcolm, he tilted his resting guitar as he exited. “I’ll start teaching you proper once I’m home.” Liam Nelson exited the open shutter beneath black storm clouds.

  Malcolm sat with his arm barely reached out and he felt the coursing sense of hollow ice. He continued to sit alone in the darkened garage with his eyes turning from the closed shutters to the door, he could see his father’s shadow moving in the light shining beneath. Malcolm waited for the shadow to move before he could enter the house.

  He felt something crawling upon his fingers which sat on the tool chest, Malcolm had no response as the long legs crawled. He finally looked down to see a Golden-Brown Tarantula crawling up his arm, the boy moved his other hand to let it crawl on his fingers where it would sit still. Malcolm inspected the creature as he crossed to a tool desk against the wall, and let it walk across the wood. The spider scurried back and forth on top of the desk as the child’s eyes turned to a set of thin nails beside pliers...

  …The garage shutter opened behind Malcolm; he turned to see the day shining him blind, the silhouette of Liam grew to tower above, and the child could only see Liam smiling at him…

  Malcolm’s eyes brightened and his grin flashed widely. Liam placed a hand on Malcolm’s shoulder, “Now where did we leave off kiddo?”

  The delightful Malcolm sniffled as he turned his head to the guitar. “…You mentioned the Circle of Fifths once…”

  Liam motioned his brother over, and together they sat down as he picked the guitar up. Liam started to tune the strings, a amplified static echoed the garage with Malcolm enthralled by Liam testing the tune. The static muffled a growing collection of howls emanating from everywhere outside the garage; a stampede of pounding feet carried the curdling screaming to a deafening frequency before nails were clawing into the walls. Two brothers had no knowledge of the light being clogged by running silhouettes; they were oblivious to the coming ravenous.