The Visit
Later that night, the full moon lit the white panels of Will's two-story colonial home. Will donned his blue robe and pink bunny slippers that his wife loved to see him in. At first he’d despised them but as days went on, they made him feel even more comfortable though he wouldn’t admit it out loud. He sat on the living room couch and drank some hot tea from his #1 Dad coffee mug. “So, what do ya think of my crew?” Said Will while winking his left eye at Faith.
“Yeah, the whole two people! Where’s the rest of them?” Smiled Faith.
Will sat back relaxing his shoulder onto the couch. He already had a slight beard after shaving it off earlier that morning. “Pete’s still sick in the hospital. Missing Steve too, not emotionally but physically. The man’s not there, we think he went A-wall but that isn’t like’em,” he took a sip. “Juss me, Ted and the new guy Kiss…The Lord’s help is more then enough, but with that guy working for us, I’m not sure.”
“Oh, Chris. He was the cute one right?” Said Faith smiling as she opened the fridge to get a bottled water.
Will looked directly at her and took another sip. It’s own defiant silence was his answer.
Rebecca smacked Will on the arm with a newspaper, she donned a red robe as she put her long brown hair in a bun. “Come to bed William.”
“Well okay,” said Will like a little kid being forced to bed before his bedtime. He dropped the green tea on the small table, stood up and followed his wife to the bedroom.
* * *
Later that night Will and Rebecca were sound asleep. He tossed and turned. His eyes suddenly opened to a small thud on his bedroom window. He got to his feet putting his fluffy pink sandals on his feet. He went to the window. The bright moonlight beams shone into the floor of the room. He peered down and spotted Pete, looking up at him. Pete stood, looking pale under the moonlight but attentive, his trademark sunglasses were off since it was night time. He looked up and his eyes glowed a bright blue which gave off a strange otherworldly glow.
For some reason, Will’s instincts told him to keep the window shut. Apparently the hospital let him out…at three o’clock in the morning? He lazily checked his digital clock.
“What eh, they let you out of the hospital?” He asked, rubbed his right eye and peered down.
“I’ve never felt better Will! Hey, I need to talk to you, it’s about work.”
He looked down at Pete for several long seconds. He would let him in, but something seemed wrong. A deep part in his psyche screamed no! What could be wrong with this whole thing, besides it being three o’clock in the morning?
Pete’s eyes continued to glow blue under the full moon. “It can’t wait until tomorrow brotha? You didn’t even call me.”
“Sorry Will, my cellphone’s at home. Give me a break, I just got out of the hospital.”
“Yes, you did!” Will gave a slight smile. “I’ll be right down.” Said Will.
As he made it out of the hospital. He had looked so pale though and different. He still felt he was in the middle of a dream, the darkness seemed to flick on and off. The moonlight shined through the window and seemed like a spotlight someone had purposely set up for the occasion. It sparkled. The trees waved like in slow motion. It all didn’t seem real.
He made it to the door. Time seemed to slow as he approached it. He opened it.
Pete stood directly in front of Will grinning.
“So, what couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”
“Can I come in?” Asked Pete.
“Will waved his hand. C’mon in, the doors open.”
Pete slowly walked into the kitchen. He stopped inside the doorway. He seemed dirty, a little taller then usual and slightly imposing then he had a right to be Will thought. “Thanks.”
Will leaned against the counter by the fridge. “Have a seat.”
Pete slowly pulled the wooden seat back and sat. Will yawned, opened the cupboard and took out a packet of tea, plopped it into his Number One Boss mug, filled it with water and put it in the microwave, heating it for 60 seconds. “You sure you still don’t need to be in the hospital?” Will turned his head to Pete with a hint of a chuckle.
Pete looked straight at him, smile on his face. Hands at his sides. “I’ve never felt better!”
“You want a coffee for your early morning?” Asked Will.
“Too early for me.” Pete replied.
Will slowly walked to the table and sat next to his co-worker. Under the table light he really noticed how white pale Pete’s face still looked.
“You uh, you look kinda pale.” You eating right? Vitamins? A, b and c? I got some Sunny-D in the fridge.”
Five to ten long seconds went by as they stared at each other. It might’ve well been five to ten hours. Both wouldn’t back down from their stares. The microwaved beeped.
Suddenly Pete roared with laughter.“J-j-just having a good time Will! Loosen up! It’s all good!”
Will’s natural reaction was to chuckle and he would if it was anybody else then Pete. The phony sense of humor was uncharacteristic of him. Something was wrong. He sipped his tea.
“Nah, I made it out of the hospital and y’know what? I fell great! Like a thousand bucks! Y’know what I did last night? I worked on the site. I mean I went right there, I felt so good, so revitalized!”
“You worked off the clock? At night?”
“I couldn’t help it. I know we’ve been behind because of me, sorry about that, by the way.”
“That’s okay brotha, you earned it…and now that I think of it, now I know why there was some more Tyvek up when I came in yesterday morning. I’ll need ya to write up your hours for that, time in and time out.” Will said the last part on automatic boss pilot.
“Eh, don’t worry, it’s free of charge.” Pete replied.
“Well, I’m glad you’re okay. I might as well stay up now.” Will quickly lifted his bulky forearm and looked at his silver cross wristwatch. “I’m gonna pour some coffee.” He stood up and turned to his counter table. He opened the cupboard to gather the rest of the coffee grinds. “Hey, you haven’t talked to Steve have ya? He’s been MIA for the last three days,” he turned around and Pete was gone.
Will stood still, a bit shocked but still composed staring at the dead center of the chair. He slowly sipped his coffee.
He found it odd that absolutely no sound was made shutting the door. Maybe there was something in the tea. He made his way upstairs. He noticed that the door on his left was open and could feel a slight draft. He figured he’d take his time to check up on his daughter, finally home from college. The door was open a crack, he slowly opened the door to quickly spy on her sound asleep.
His adorable little baby, all grown up into a college adult woman. His heart fluttered as his parental feelings took over. It also broke because, she knew that a lot of women her age would marry soon. Soon, no more sleep overs at father Will’s house. He tried not to entertain the thought of any man taking her away from him. Deep down though he knew he would have to let go. She had a lot of attention from a lot of boys. The endless conversations about them while on the phone with her friends proved that. Heck, even that Chris kid snuck a peak. He supposed she could do worse then him, then again maybe not. His mind wrestled with the idea.
The bed sheets were all tossed around and they reflected the blue light of the full moon outside of the window. She had been tossing and turning the whole night. He was just about to go back to his room when again, a deep sudden fatherly instinct shot in around his heart. He halted his next step and slowly reversed his walking, his heart skipped a beat, like when narrowly avoiding another car on the road.
Why was the window was open?
He opened the door the rest of the way stepped up to the folded sheets resembling her thin human hourglass figure. “Faith?” His hand pressed down on the bump of the folded sheet and it collapsed. His heart would thump hard once the visual message reached his brain. Time slowed again and the moonlight shone a spotlight on the bed where her body would be. He leapt over the bed and to the window.
Nothing, nothing but green grass swaying under the sinister light. His heart almost shot out of his chest as it screamed in the form of a loud beat.
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