I put my phone down, sighing heavily. I had just been speaking to my father, Spence. He told me he wasn't going to make it to Stephanie's for Sunday lunch tomorrow. He sounded tired, worn. But then again, he always sounded like that. I couldn't blame him. I felt the same exhaustion myself. We had carried it with us for years. The memories we held, the nightmares we had survived. He told me mom wanted to go away, maybe to the mountains for a while. She wasn't doing well these days either. It seemed like every week she was trying a new medication.
The nights were the worst. My father had quietly admitted this to me. The tossing and turning, the fearful glances at the door...jumping at every sound. For my father and I, the passage of time wasn't enough to erase the fear that was seared into our minds like a brand.
Stephanie seemed to be doing the best out of the four of us. She was happily married and her baby twins were almost three months old now. She had named them Jack and Jill. She thought it was cute. It was. Her husband Lewis was a good guy. He took care of them, a selfless strong man who put his children and wife before all.
I sat in the darkness of my apartment, glancing at the clock. It was almost eleven. I thought about retiring for the night, but instead got up and poured myself a shot of rum. I downed it without even thinking and let the heat settle my worn mind.
I went to take a piss and heard my phone ringing from where I had left it on the couch. I zipped up my pants and went to pick it up. I expected it to be my father again.
It was Stephanie.
Why is she calling me this late? I thought to myself, immediately going to full alert.
I placed the cell to my ear, "Hello? Steph?"
It was silent for a few moments, something rubbing against the speaker.
Then, my sister's voice trickled through the line, terrified and thin, "Matt?"
My brow furrowed, "Yeah, I'm here. Is everything ok?"
More heavy breathing, then in a thick whisper, "Matt...he's here."
The line went dead.
My heart began to race, fear suddenly roaring in the silence. I stood in the darkness, phone pressed to my head, eyes growing wide.
No...Jesus Christ, please no...not yet...
I immediately redialed Stephanie, but it went to voicemail. As I placed the phone down on the counter I realized my hands were shaking. I poured myself another shot of rum and threw it back. I began to pace, trembling in the dark, mind spinning.
It was everything I had ever feared. But it was too soon...way too soon...
"FUCK!" I screamed, throwing my glass against the wall, hysteria splintering my throat. "FUCK FUCK FUCK!"
I collapsed on the couch and tried to call Stephanie again.
It rang once...twice...then it picked up.
"Steph!? Steph tell me exactly what's going on! Are you ok?!"
There was no response, but I could hear something in the background, muffled and urgent.
Tears were forming in my eyes, "Jesus, Steph, please tell me you're ok!?"
Then a voice like cold silk, "Hello Matt. Oh it has been some time hasn't it?"
Recognition blasted through me like an icy wind, swirling through the depths of my mind and ripping apart every horror I had ever experienced. Bile lurched in my stomach and sweat broke out across my forehead.
