Wolv

9 - Something's wrong

They dropped me off at Beresford lake about an hour later, along with my pathetically sad-looking wreck of a kayak. The sun was slipping beneath the horizon, and there was barely anyone milling about the campground. I hefted my kayak over to my car and placed it on the roof racks, securing it down with rope. I practically fell into the drivers seat, with the reality of the past two weeks finally setting in.

It was May 26th. Ironically, this was exactly were I had planned on being today.

I started my car and put it in drive, lumbering out of the gravel parking lot and beginning the three hour drive back home. The sun disappeared before I had even been driving half an hour, leaving me alone on the pitch-black highway. I didn't make any stops; I was determined to get home and eat some decent food. I was so hungry, I would be almost willing to eat roadkill. I slapped myself when I salivated as I passed the carcass of a deer on the side of the road. Gross.

It was eleven p.m. when I finally pulled onto my driveway, and my gas gauge was just sitting above empty. My house was completely dark. Mom's not home. Figures. She's only....thirteen days late?!? I opened the door and untied my kayak, bringing it into the garage and closing the automated door behind me. I stepped inside and flicked on the front entrance lights.

She promised she'd be here.

"Hello?" I walked barefoot to the kitchen and looked around. In the dim light, I could make out the empty couches along the far wall. Huh. I tiptoed my way up the stairs and quietly opened the door to my mother's room. Her bed was empty. I was home alone.

Am I really that big of a burden? She had one place to be, on only one day.

Did she even realize I was gone?

I went back downstairs and noticed that the message light on the answering machine was flashing. I walked over and mashed the play button.

"You have _2_ new messages. Beeeep!

Hi sweety, its mom calling. I hope you've been working hard this week! I just wanted to, uh, let you know that Phillip asked me to stay longer out here, with the conference going into overtime and all. Don't forget to change your clothes everyday, and, um, could you do the laundry and mow the grass when you-" I hit the skip button, laughing aloud at the message. I'd told her where I was going, and that I wouldn't be anywhere near work for twelve days. Conference, my eye. You've never been to a "conference" in your life, mom.

The machine began relaying the next message.

"Hi sweety, its mom again. Just callin' to let you know that I have to stay a little longer out here!" She began giggling on the recording for a few moments. "Philly's having a little problem with his RV. It'll be a few days to fix her up. Kisses!" The machine beeped in closing, and I took a step back. Philly?!? I'd suspected that they were screwing each other on these so-called "conferences," but this just made it embarrassingly obvious. I checked the time-stamp on the message. 12:27 a.m., May 25th.

I lumbered back up the stairs and stepped into the shower, not bothering to undress just yet. I turned the water as hot as it would go, and pulled the shower knob, feeling the magma-hot water on my skin. I undressed and began washing the dirt off me, scrubbing my feet with a hand brush. The bottoms of my feet had turned a light but noticeable shade of purple. No doubt from walking barefoot through a forest.

After a long shower, I dried myself off and fell headfirst into my bed and shut my eyes, waiting for sleep to come.

Ugh.