6. Afterward - The woman in the bed

Tired, filthy, and emotionally scarred, Henry comes home. Is the nightmare really over?

Henry slipped the key into his downtown apartment, exhausted, filthy, and wanting to put the night behind him.  

On the drive over, he had thought about what to tell his wife.  He wanted to tell her everything. But what good would it do?  She would think he had gone crazy.  And the thought occurred to him that maybe he was.  Still, he had made up a plausible story and had it ready should she ask for an explanation.

“Honey, I’m home!” Henry called as he entered, feeling stupid for  his own triteness. 

There was no answer in response.  A chill ran down his spine.  What if he had been in that horrible house longer than he had expected?  What if Julia was gone?  What if the kids were gone?

He registered a faint smell in the air that felt out of place in his home.  It was pleasant, but did not belong.  He felt uneasy.

“Julia?  Are you home?”  he called uncertainly.

Henry took a deep breath and checked the kids’ room first. And he sighed.  He could breathe again.  There they were in the crib, sound asleep. Henry kissed them good night, and went to his own room.  

His wife was curled under the covers, apparently asleep.  That was unusual, but good.  Henry took advantage of the situation and jumped into the shower.  His wife would kill him if he went to bed smelling like he did, and covered in spiderweb to boot.

It wasn’t until he stepped out of the shower, feeling refreshed (though still haunted by the events of the night), that it hit him.

He knew where he recognized that smell from.  

He could smell her scent.  The expensive perfume of herbs, berries and something wild. The faint salt of her sweat in the air.

She lay there, naked in his bed, silk sheets half covering her flesh, awash in the sensual  light of the lava lamp. She made love to her cigarette. Her breasts beckoned him, between the tail of her red fox hair draped over a naked shoulder.

“I missed you, Henry,” she said. 

Henry sank to his knees and let out a choked sob.  His lips mouthed his wife’s name, “Julia…”

“No,” said the woman in his bed playfully, jade green eyes glowing brilliantly in the dim light.  “Come here and f**k me, and call me Lenore.”

THE END

Reviews

[Alex Cook]

Great ending, great story. I enjoyed it.

[Robert Vicens]

Thank you Alex! I'm glad you enjoyed it! Could you tell me: Was the energy and tension something that moved forward the entire story? Or were there any places that lagged?