Post by bentley on Dec 6, 2006 10:01:21 GMT -5
The Child....A Short Story
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It was not to late in the evening, and Lynn`s husband had not come home yet. She would get a call if he was on a late run. Generally the call from somewhere on the road. Not to worried, it happened quite often the past few months, he had taken all the extra work he could, being so close to Christmas.
Scott and Lynn had decided to spend Christmas without family since the disappearance of their son, Sean. It would be the first Christmas without the eight year old boy. He had simply vanished from the school basketball courts late in the afternoon. Days turned to weeks, and weeks to months. For Lynn, the days never easing in pain, or grief for her child. The grip of responsibility never lessening it`s hold on her.
Lynn drew a deep breath to keep her hands from shaking, and clear her head for the task ahead of her. She arranged the gifts just the way she wanted them, and walked to the bathroom to start the water for her bath.
The phone rang , and Lynn picked up the extension in the hall, Scott? ya it`s me, i`m stuck about 280 miles out I don`t think I can get there before the morning at the best
Lynn". It`s o.k. I`m just taking a bath, then going to sleep. Going too sleep forever" she had thought. Wanting the relief from the constant chipping away of her soul each day, the draining of her life her mind performed for her, leaving her tired of fake offerings of understanding. With all said, Lynn hung-up the phone, tired of her pointless life, she turned to her bath.
The hot water and bubbles surrounded her right up to her neck, she had the bath table next to the edge of the tub with all the sundries. The powders and the oils, perfume, and the cold glint of steel! the sharpest there is!
What the hell was that! Lynn had heard the garage door bang, and something had fallen to the floor out there. Lynn had to know if she was alone, she pushed up out of the tub and grabbed a towel, dried herself, pulled her jeans and sweater on. She reached the back door leading to the garage and placed her ear against it. No sounds! It was cold on the hard wood floor in the kitchen, and she had forgotten to put her shoes on. Tiptoeing back to the hall, she slipped her shoes on, and hurriedly tied them.
Returning to the door, she opened it with a slight creaking, reaching around without stepping into the garage she turned on the light. It was dim inside the garage, the light was no more than a candle in there. Lynn ventured a look, and stepped out onto the landing, there in the corner she could`nt believe her eyes! next to the old stove in the corner, all the car covers had been drug down, and pilled up, paint cans had been knocked from the shelves, and scattered around the garage. And there under the car covers, a child with two hands extended out to warm them from the pilot on the stove.
Lynn was on the landing, and just three steps to the garage floor, she never bothered with them, she bolted right off the edge, and was across and on her knees at the small mound of tarps piled in the corner. Her heart pounding, no sounds of life, she pulled the tarps gently back!
Lynn caught her breath, a small boy, lay shivering, he reached up and touched her face, he whispered he was cold. Without hesitating a second she had him in her arms and was at the landing, the minute they were through the back door she knew how cold it was out in the garage, the warmth covered them like a blanket as soon as they were in the house. Lynn carried the young boy to the couch, and retrieved blankets from the hall closet. She pulled the worn jacket from around him, and started on his shoes, a size or two to big for him, and no socks! Lynn about broke to tears.
As he lay resting, she built a fire, and brought a bowl of hot water and soap to wash him. He was beautiful, not a flaw. She felt ashamed and weak thinking what she had tried to do with her life earlier that night. Lynn was startled when she noticed the child was sitting up and gazing at her, he asked if she was crying for him. She started to tell him of Sean her son,and the life ending blame she carried for him. The little boy asked if she could see what would happen tomorrow, no I can`t, then why would you hold yourself to blame for things you could not know about. The little boy reached out and dried her eyes, you can hold me if you like.
Lynn stretched out on the couch and held the little boy close, she covered them with blankets, and thought of how she would protect this child to the very end, how he had protected her from destruction. looking at the fire, her eyes slowly closed, at peace, a child`s faint voice in her dreams.
Lynn sat straight up on the couch. Her mind vivid of the events the night before.
Frantic she searched the house for the boy, no worn-out coat, no shoes two sizes to big. She searched the garage nothing! the bath still filled. She checked the front and rear doors, nothing! no tracks.
The phone rang and she hurried to get it, it had to be Scott, Lynn wished he were here with her....
Tears filled her eyes as she listened to the voice, she sank to her knees, her heart pounding so hard it took away her breath They had found her son, and he was fine. He had been with another little boy that had helped him get away.
They didn`t know who the other child was, in their escape he had been struck by a car. Still searching for his people, it would be hard. No name to go on, he was dressed in a worn-out coat and shoes two sizes to big...
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It was not to late in the evening, and Lynn`s husband had not come home yet. She would get a call if he was on a late run. Generally the call from somewhere on the road. Not to worried, it happened quite often the past few months, he had taken all the extra work he could, being so close to Christmas.
Scott and Lynn had decided to spend Christmas without family since the disappearance of their son, Sean. It would be the first Christmas without the eight year old boy. He had simply vanished from the school basketball courts late in the afternoon. Days turned to weeks, and weeks to months. For Lynn, the days never easing in pain, or grief for her child. The grip of responsibility never lessening it`s hold on her.
Lynn drew a deep breath to keep her hands from shaking, and clear her head for the task ahead of her. She arranged the gifts just the way she wanted them, and walked to the bathroom to start the water for her bath.
The phone rang , and Lynn picked up the extension in the hall, Scott? ya it`s me, i`m stuck about 280 miles out I don`t think I can get there before the morning at the best
Lynn". It`s o.k. I`m just taking a bath, then going to sleep. Going too sleep forever" she had thought. Wanting the relief from the constant chipping away of her soul each day, the draining of her life her mind performed for her, leaving her tired of fake offerings of understanding. With all said, Lynn hung-up the phone, tired of her pointless life, she turned to her bath.
The hot water and bubbles surrounded her right up to her neck, she had the bath table next to the edge of the tub with all the sundries. The powders and the oils, perfume, and the cold glint of steel! the sharpest there is!
What the hell was that! Lynn had heard the garage door bang, and something had fallen to the floor out there. Lynn had to know if she was alone, she pushed up out of the tub and grabbed a towel, dried herself, pulled her jeans and sweater on. She reached the back door leading to the garage and placed her ear against it. No sounds! It was cold on the hard wood floor in the kitchen, and she had forgotten to put her shoes on. Tiptoeing back to the hall, she slipped her shoes on, and hurriedly tied them.
Returning to the door, she opened it with a slight creaking, reaching around without stepping into the garage she turned on the light. It was dim inside the garage, the light was no more than a candle in there. Lynn ventured a look, and stepped out onto the landing, there in the corner she could`nt believe her eyes! next to the old stove in the corner, all the car covers had been drug down, and pilled up, paint cans had been knocked from the shelves, and scattered around the garage. And there under the car covers, a child with two hands extended out to warm them from the pilot on the stove.
Lynn was on the landing, and just three steps to the garage floor, she never bothered with them, she bolted right off the edge, and was across and on her knees at the small mound of tarps piled in the corner. Her heart pounding, no sounds of life, she pulled the tarps gently back!
Lynn caught her breath, a small boy, lay shivering, he reached up and touched her face, he whispered he was cold. Without hesitating a second she had him in her arms and was at the landing, the minute they were through the back door she knew how cold it was out in the garage, the warmth covered them like a blanket as soon as they were in the house. Lynn carried the young boy to the couch, and retrieved blankets from the hall closet. She pulled the worn jacket from around him, and started on his shoes, a size or two to big for him, and no socks! Lynn about broke to tears.
As he lay resting, she built a fire, and brought a bowl of hot water and soap to wash him. He was beautiful, not a flaw. She felt ashamed and weak thinking what she had tried to do with her life earlier that night. Lynn was startled when she noticed the child was sitting up and gazing at her, he asked if she was crying for him. She started to tell him of Sean her son,and the life ending blame she carried for him. The little boy asked if she could see what would happen tomorrow, no I can`t, then why would you hold yourself to blame for things you could not know about. The little boy reached out and dried her eyes, you can hold me if you like.
Lynn stretched out on the couch and held the little boy close, she covered them with blankets, and thought of how she would protect this child to the very end, how he had protected her from destruction. looking at the fire, her eyes slowly closed, at peace, a child`s faint voice in her dreams.
Lynn sat straight up on the couch. Her mind vivid of the events the night before.
Frantic she searched the house for the boy, no worn-out coat, no shoes two sizes to big. She searched the garage nothing! the bath still filled. She checked the front and rear doors, nothing! no tracks.
The phone rang and she hurried to get it, it had to be Scott, Lynn wished he were here with her....
Tears filled her eyes as she listened to the voice, she sank to her knees, her heart pounding so hard it took away her breath They had found her son, and he was fine. He had been with another little boy that had helped him get away.
They didn`t know who the other child was, in their escape he had been struck by a car. Still searching for his people, it would be hard. No name to go on, he was dressed in a worn-out coat and shoes two sizes to big...
me, I`ll visit your port. bentley
and 
all
time for me 
echoes, hope you all are doing well 
