Home Again

"The howl of the breeze sweeps him to and fro, carrying and delivering him on night's dark whim. Catch a glimpse of him if you can, for he has certainly caught a glimpse of you." -Agatha Cromwell

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled his hat down against the driving rain as he fished it out, quickly pressing awkwardly at the talk button with one gloved hand and raising it to his ear.

“Hello?” He had to talk loud, above the slapping of the rain.

A heavy, feminine and almost seductive sigh on the other end of the line and then “Hi,”

“It’s you again? I told you I’m on my way.”

“Can’t we talk until you get here?”

“It’s pouring out!” the man protested as he made his way through the rain slicked night.

“I’m really bored, just waiting for you to get home,” she mock pouted.

“Oh, fine. So what have you been doing while I’ve been out?” Sodium vapor lamps spotted the sidewalk he was on and he saw his reflection in the light as he walked past them.

“Nothing, I think I want to get a cat.”

“No cats, I don’t like cats.”

“You like my cat just fine,” she teased.

“Surely there’s something else you’d rather be doing.” He wasn’t in the mood for playful banter, much less sex jokes for God’s sake. He wasn’t even in the mood to be on the phone at all.

“Don’t be gripey,” she mock pouted again, only this time barely managing to cover up the actual whine in her voice, which annoyed him further.  “How far away are you?” she asked.

“About an hour or more still, I’m on my way to the bus now.”

“Ok, so no cats? How about a dog?”

“I don’t want any pets. There isn’t enough room.”

“I guess so,” she sighed again. “I don’t even watch TV anymore. There’s nothing on I like.”

“So read something, you used to read a lot when we met.”

“I don’t keep up with books either. The people I like haven’t written anything else.”

“You have to do something besides sit around on the phone all day.”

“Yeah, I’m just not sure what I want to do. Maybe I should start selling make-up or something online.”

“Those online businesses are usually scams,” he said as a wave of traffic rushed by him. He came to a small residential street and turned down it.

“Hmm, maybe I could volunteer at an animal shelter,”

“Just don’t bring anything home.” He walked into the yard of one of the small houses unnoticed and stood behind a large tree in the yard.

“Then again you probably have to do all kinds of crap you wouldn’t think of, like get rid of dead animal bodies after they get put down or something. I wouldn’t want to do anything like that.”

“I doubt they make volunteers do that,” he said as a car pulled up and parked on the curb beside the house. The man remained invisible in the darkness of the shadows behind the tree.

“Well you never know. It’s just the kind of nasty surprise you get when you walk in thinking you’re going to do something enjoyable.”

“Could be.” A man got out of the car and started towards the house.

“I have to go,” she said.

“Why,” the man asked, already knowing the answer as he watched this stranger stroll up to the house.

“I think I’m going to take a shower before you get back.” She said with a hint of urgency in her voice.

“Ok, you do that. I’ll see you in awhile.”

“Bye,” she said hurriedly and hung up the phone.

The man from the car was now at the door and he walked right into the house without even knocking.

Without even knocking, he thought as he stepped from behind the tree and silently made his way past the living room window. The rain was still coming in droves and was mightily loud. He went unseen, but the filthy w***e and the sleazy mongrel that had come slinking in from the rain didn’t. He saw them just fine. She was hugging him, kissing him. Walking about, animated and talking to him. Laughing and gesticulating wildly, surely making fun of her lame duck husband who was still on a bus somewhere. He watched them from a safe distance until they went into the kitchen before slipping quietly into the house from the front door. 

He closed it softly behind him and waited.

Over the clink of dishes and silverware being moved around and cabinets opening and closing, she was telling this man a story about something that had happened to her at her job. Job? No doubt something she had made up to try and impress this guy; the only thing she was any good at was drinking and f*****g, and lately not very much at the latter. He stood as still as a statue, letting his rage build inside of him like towering, fiery skyscraper against a blood red sunset. When they finally came back into the living room they didn’t notice him at first. The man had just started to respond to her deceptive story when they did notice him, and everything stopped at once.

“Who…” she asked, obviously confused.

“Didn’t expect me back so soon, did you b***h?” the man said, a puddle of water forming below him.

“Trish?” the other man spoke, looking baffled at the woman.

“Shut your mouth, pal. I’m sure you’ve heard all about me.” He took a step forward.

“Oh god it’s him,” the wife f*****g ingrate said, almost toppling over the coffee table as he stepped back, away from the hulking figure in the doorway.

“That’s right, me. I do everything for that w***e you’ve been laying and this is what I get to come home to. Well you can bet you won’t be going home to anything.”

The adulterer lunged at him in a pathetic attempt to change his odds and was greeted instead with a bullet from the silenced pistol hidden in the pocket of the man’s trench coat as the sobbing woman was scrambling for a telephone on a desk beside the couch. The man pulled the gun up and out of his coat pocket and put one into her, too. She rocked back and fell onto her side, clutching at the wound. He finished off the man and walked over to the woman.

“I guess this is one of those nasty surprises you get when you think you’re going to do something enjoyable, isn’t it?” he asked her, but she didn’t answer.

--------------------------------------------------

 

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Another couple was found dead in their home in northwest Seattle today, bringing the death toll of the recent home invasion killings to six. Trish and Dean Landers were shot to death with what officers are claiming was the same gun that was used to kill Mark Nichols and Sarah Johnson only two months ago, and Ryan and Gale Morris one month before that. Authorities questioning neighbors haven’t turned up any leads and are urging the community to be on the lookout for anyone suspicious in their area. Police Chief Alan Bently has stated that security is being increased but that anyone aware of any suspicious activity should not hesitate to call them. If you have any information regarding this case please call the toll free Crime Watch number listed below or our news hotline at 1-800-555-NEWS.

Reviews

[zdzd]

Hmmmm... I like the idea of the story, however, I was very confused when you instantly jumped from a joyful conversation to a murder scene. I think you need to build a better transition between them. I was also a little annoyed about your use of strong language, because it does not seem to fit into the story.

All in all it was a good story, I just suggest you revise the middle where the scene changes.

[sammyj]

good start.