Categories > Original > Horror
"Why are you here?"
The scrape of pages drew his attention to the hand resting against the pad of paper perfectly balanced in her lap in front of her.
"I'm not sure."
Her green eyes never raised to look at him, her attention on the task before her, as consistent as the grandfather clock ticking in the corner.
"Are you avoiding the truth?" she asked.
"Simply delaying it is all."
"I see." she paused briefly, to run a strand of blond hair back in its place behind her ear. She continued. "It says that your last doctor visit was five years ago, what made you come to me now?"
"My work."
"Oh, did something happen?"
"A minor incident, it is routine to come to you."
"Trauma is hardly routine."
"I'm used to it."
"How so?"
"Just am."
"Not a good enough answer."
"But it is my answer nonetheless."
She finally raised her eyes to look at the man sitting in the chair before her. He was well kept, his pale blue shirt was neatly pressed, the first few buttons undone leaving his collar to gently lay open around his neck His gray jacket was draped on the back of the red velvet chair, his pale blue eyes focused on the weathered window to his right. A generous layer of dust lay on the window sill, crowned with an elaborate display of spiders webs and specks of dirt. His black hair was combed neatly all but for a stubborn few strands that fell slightly above his right eyebrow. His demeanor calms as always, but hidden underneath was an experience that exceeded far past his thirty-two years. An ancient gift guarded deep within his heart. Loneliness bred and groomed by countless accusing eyes and mouths too eager to spit out their judgment, only to be fueled by fear and close-mindedness. He wore his scars effortlessly, never to stray from the life that was given to him but yearning to rid himself of the curse that was inherited from strangers he, unfortunately, called family.
She leaned forward. Then giggled, this brought him to look at the girl before him. She swung her legs playfully as most eight-year-old children do when they are pleased with themselves. Her smile was infectious bringing him to smile back. Her Victorian-styled mauve dress was torn in places. Scuff marks blemished her white shoes. Matching the dirt that smeared on her soft cheeks.
He rose from his spot coming over to her.
"It's time, you can't stay here forever."
She hopped down from her spot on the desk. Her innocent eyes cast downward as she raised her small hands to fiddle with the bow on the front of her dress.
"Do I have to say goodbye?" she asked in a small voice.
"It's not safe, you know that. Besides, goodbyes are apart of life."
"But I like you, won't you miss me?"
He smiled with empathy for her. "Of course I will, you know you'll always be my girl."
The child was quiet, her legs stilled. Then she lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm scared."
"I wouldn't be if I were you."
She looked at him in surprise. "Why?"
"Because there is a place made for you. With love and light. And you will never be alone."
"My mother spoke of a place like that every night before bed. Do you think she will be there?"
He sighed, squatting down to her height. "I honestly, don't know."
"Have you seen angels?"
"Only but a few times."
"Mother always described them to be very beautiful, my sister claims she saw one once," she said.
He noted the quivering in her voice, then the first glistening shine of tears that laced her eyes. Outstretching his hand he went to wipe the tears that were well on their descent but recoiled his motion to do so, knowing he could do nothing. He sighed, turning his eyes up to see the chandelier above them the crystals captured what little light came through the cracks that pocketed the only stained glass window in the study.
"Did you know one of the most beautiful creations in this world was the color? I think it also, be the gift taken for granted the most. So, to remind us how amazing color was, God gathered it up and put them in a bow and sealed it with a promise."
The girl blinked rubbing her arm across her eyes as she followed his gaze, her fear and worry melted away as she witnessed the colored glass glow a vibrancy she had never seen before.
He smiled as she moved closer to him, watching her as she lost herself in the light and color. "..Wow."
She then stepped away peering closer to the detail as she saw a figure she recognized. She let out a joyful gasp turning to face her friend.
"I saw someone!"
The child looked about her as she was blanketed in a golden light, he watched as her appearance became polished and new. The torn fabric and scuff marks were wiped away even her faded hair was revived to a brilliant yellow and her green eyes captured the new life she was tasting for the first time.
She raised her eyes up from her hands to look at him. "My name is being called, it says it's time to come home."
He chuckled at her wonder. "Best not keep them waiting."
She nodded taking a couple of steps forward but to his surprise, she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around him. His eyes were wide for only a moment before he returned the gesture.
"Alright sweetheart, time to go."
She parted from him to look him in the eyes. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
He straightened watching her. She raised her hand to wave at him, he watched as the colors dim and with it so did she until she faded from his sight completely. The hint of her ever being there was the slight movement the crystals made above him.
He simply let out a breath, turning he left the room. Picking his jacket up along the way, he paused briefly to look once more around the room then shut the door.
As he descended the steps of the ailing porch his cell phone rang. He dug it out of his pocket. "Kathrine Basset." is displayed on the screen. His thumb hovered over the dismiss button but caved to answer it instead.
"Hey."
"Hi...you didn't come over last night. I am worried."
He stepped out onto the sidewalk. "Worrying is not going to do you any good."
"Robin told me everything. Zee, you should put in a complaint."
"Kath, if I were to put out a fire I'd need water, not gasoline."
Kathrine sighed. "There shouldn't have been a fire in the first place... a moment of silence passed before she spoke."I made dinner, enough for a second plate. Come over?"
"I'm running an errand out of town." He explained as he looked at his wristwatch. "Earliest I'd be is seven."
"I'm patient, I'll keep it warm till you arrive...Are you sure you are ok?"
"Yeah, I'll talk to you soon. Say hi to Robin for me."
"I will. Safe travels Zee."
"Thanks."
He ended the call. Placing the phone back in his pocket he made his way down the street leaving the house behind him and its secrets.
The scrape of pages drew his attention to the hand resting against the pad of paper perfectly balanced in her lap in front of her.
"I'm not sure."
Her green eyes never raised to look at him, her attention on the task before her, as consistent as the grandfather clock ticking in the corner.
"Are you avoiding the truth?" she asked.
"Simply delaying it is all."
"I see." she paused briefly, to run a strand of blond hair back in its place behind her ear. She continued. "It says that your last doctor visit was five years ago, what made you come to me now?"
"My work."
"Oh, did something happen?"
"A minor incident, it is routine to come to you."
"Trauma is hardly routine."
"I'm used to it."
"How so?"
"Just am."
"Not a good enough answer."
"But it is my answer nonetheless."
She finally raised her eyes to look at the man sitting in the chair before her. He was well kept, his pale blue shirt was neatly pressed, the first few buttons undone leaving his collar to gently lay open around his neck His gray jacket was draped on the back of the red velvet chair, his pale blue eyes focused on the weathered window to his right. A generous layer of dust lay on the window sill, crowned with an elaborate display of spiders webs and specks of dirt. His black hair was combed neatly all but for a stubborn few strands that fell slightly above his right eyebrow. His demeanor calms as always, but hidden underneath was an experience that exceeded far past his thirty-two years. An ancient gift guarded deep within his heart. Loneliness bred and groomed by countless accusing eyes and mouths too eager to spit out their judgment, only to be fueled by fear and close-mindedness. He wore his scars effortlessly, never to stray from the life that was given to him but yearning to rid himself of the curse that was inherited from strangers he, unfortunately, called family.
She leaned forward. Then giggled, this brought him to look at the girl before him. She swung her legs playfully as most eight-year-old children do when they are pleased with themselves. Her smile was infectious bringing him to smile back. Her Victorian-styled mauve dress was torn in places. Scuff marks blemished her white shoes. Matching the dirt that smeared on her soft cheeks.
He rose from his spot coming over to her.
"It's time, you can't stay here forever."
She hopped down from her spot on the desk. Her innocent eyes cast downward as she raised her small hands to fiddle with the bow on the front of her dress.
"Do I have to say goodbye?" she asked in a small voice.
"It's not safe, you know that. Besides, goodbyes are apart of life."
"But I like you, won't you miss me?"
He smiled with empathy for her. "Of course I will, you know you'll always be my girl."
The child was quiet, her legs stilled. Then she lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'm scared."
"I wouldn't be if I were you."
She looked at him in surprise. "Why?"
"Because there is a place made for you. With love and light. And you will never be alone."
"My mother spoke of a place like that every night before bed. Do you think she will be there?"
He sighed, squatting down to her height. "I honestly, don't know."
"Have you seen angels?"
"Only but a few times."
"Mother always described them to be very beautiful, my sister claims she saw one once," she said.
He noted the quivering in her voice, then the first glistening shine of tears that laced her eyes. Outstretching his hand he went to wipe the tears that were well on their descent but recoiled his motion to do so, knowing he could do nothing. He sighed, turning his eyes up to see the chandelier above them the crystals captured what little light came through the cracks that pocketed the only stained glass window in the study.
"Did you know one of the most beautiful creations in this world was the color? I think it also, be the gift taken for granted the most. So, to remind us how amazing color was, God gathered it up and put them in a bow and sealed it with a promise."
The girl blinked rubbing her arm across her eyes as she followed his gaze, her fear and worry melted away as she witnessed the colored glass glow a vibrancy she had never seen before.
He smiled as she moved closer to him, watching her as she lost herself in the light and color. "..Wow."
She then stepped away peering closer to the detail as she saw a figure she recognized. She let out a joyful gasp turning to face her friend.
"I saw someone!"
The child looked about her as she was blanketed in a golden light, he watched as her appearance became polished and new. The torn fabric and scuff marks were wiped away even her faded hair was revived to a brilliant yellow and her green eyes captured the new life she was tasting for the first time.
She raised her eyes up from her hands to look at him. "My name is being called, it says it's time to come home."
He chuckled at her wonder. "Best not keep them waiting."
She nodded taking a couple of steps forward but to his surprise, she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around him. His eyes were wide for only a moment before he returned the gesture.
"Alright sweetheart, time to go."
She parted from him to look him in the eyes. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
He straightened watching her. She raised her hand to wave at him, he watched as the colors dim and with it so did she until she faded from his sight completely. The hint of her ever being there was the slight movement the crystals made above him.
He simply let out a breath, turning he left the room. Picking his jacket up along the way, he paused briefly to look once more around the room then shut the door.
As he descended the steps of the ailing porch his cell phone rang. He dug it out of his pocket. "Kathrine Basset." is displayed on the screen. His thumb hovered over the dismiss button but caved to answer it instead.
"Hey."
"Hi...you didn't come over last night. I am worried."
He stepped out onto the sidewalk. "Worrying is not going to do you any good."
"Robin told me everything. Zee, you should put in a complaint."
"Kath, if I were to put out a fire I'd need water, not gasoline."
Kathrine sighed. "There shouldn't have been a fire in the first place... a moment of silence passed before she spoke."I made dinner, enough for a second plate. Come over?"
"I'm running an errand out of town." He explained as he looked at his wristwatch. "Earliest I'd be is seven."
"I'm patient, I'll keep it warm till you arrive...Are you sure you are ok?"
"Yeah, I'll talk to you soon. Say hi to Robin for me."
"I will. Safe travels Zee."
"Thanks."
He ended the call. Placing the phone back in his pocket he made his way down the street leaving the house behind him and its secrets.
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