Love ever after - Chpt 4

 

Chapter 4

       I had no memory of walking any further than fifty feet or so from the restaurant, no memory of making it back to the house at all. And yet, here I stood at the bottom of the stairs once more.

       "Good morning," Letty called from the top landing, bouncing her way down the stairs, Bob running close behind.

       "Good morning," I returned, looking about quickly, half expecting the man with no face to appear again.

       "Do you read the paper with your morning coffee?" she asked happily, heading toward the kitchen.

       "Sure, on Sundays," I answered, flexing my stiff fingers and joints.

       "Go get it Bob, a Sunday copy mind you," She instructed.

       "Does he know the difference?" I asked, following her through the door into the kitchen.

       "Wouldn't you? A daily paper weighs less than a pound and the Sunday edition is closer to three," she chided.

       "Good point," I returned.

       To my surprise, the entire room was filled with the smell of fresh coffee.

       "Where is that smell coming from?" I asked looking about for the answer.

       "Coffee. You do drink coffee don't you?"

       "Yes, but I didn't see you make it,"

       "I thought it. Here, thinking it makes it so. Anything you want materializes almost before you finish the thought," she said.

       "Thinking it makes it so?" I asked incredulously.

       "Every time," she replied opening the fridge door.

       "Really?"

       "Yep. Sleep okay?" she asked closing the door, removing a dozen eggs.

       "I don't remember anything... not walking back here... getting ready for bed or where I even slept for that matter," I complained.

       "Well, it's like this... no matter where you are... here, when the sun comes up in the outside world... we no longer exist. We sleep, as it were. As soon as the sun goes down there, it's rising here. It's kind of a balance thing," she explained.

       "Where do we go? What happens to us? What happens to all of this?" I asked, gesturing to the house in general.

       "Are you always like this? God. You think you're the only one with questions? Well, pal, I have questions too and I've been here a lot longer than you," she snapped.

       "Not a morning person, I take it?" I asked, feeling a little contrite, handing her a cup of coffee.

       "Sorry. Give it a little while. Try to fit in... figure things out... see how they work... cut me a little slack will you?" she chided lightly.

       "You're right, I'm sorry. I'm trying to understand," I conceded.

       "Relax... okay? Bacon?" she asked continuing with breakfast.

       I sat at the table, sipping at my coffee as she glided from one side of the room to the other. By and large the room was empty, save for the cabinets that lined the wall under the window and the table at which I sat.

       It was a large, round, thick, solid table, identical to the one my grandparents had.

       "This table, where did you get it?" I asked running my hands over its surface.

       "Not me. The one I usually use has aluminum legs. I do like your's, though," she said turning to me with a smile.

       "Mine?" I asked, stepping away from the table.

       "Yep, that one's yours," she said pointing at the table with her spatula.

       "Mine? But how did I... where did it come from? How did it get here?" I sputtered.

       "Somewhere in your past this table meant something to you. Now its locked in your memory... we needed a table and just like that, here it is."

       I passed my hand over it, feeling it's smooth perfect surface before slipping my hand to the underside. There stuck as if I had just put it there, a warm, sticky wad of gum.

       "It was my grandparents. I spent every summer with them on their farm. I loved sitting at this table as nanna talked to herself while cooking."

       "What did she talk about?"

       "She did this little sing song kind of thing, recipes I think... a way to remember how much of what. It was nice, made eating a joy, kind of an event... know what I mean?"

       "Dinner and a show... I get it," she said with a laugh.

       I slipped back into my chair, amazed as toaster, juicer, stove and refrigerator alike appeared long enough to do her bidding and then dissolved, disappearing into the ether from which they had manifested.

       There was something comforting in watching her as she moved about the room, humming happily in her task. The air filled of all the delightful smells breakfast had to offer, making the experience rich, inviting, fun.

       Almost without my notice Bob had returned, a large paper in his mouth.

       "Thank you, Bob," I said taking it from him, spreading it out across the table.

       "All the pages are blank," I complained, disappointed as I spread the paper across the table. As I searched the pages, a bit of color began to show itself in the center of the folds.

       "Except?" Letty asked knowingly.

       "The comics," I answered as they came into full focus, spreading from the center fold to the outer edge of the paper at last.   "Cool," I said happily, once I realized all my favorites had been represented.

       To my surprise, a misshapen cookie kind of thing appeared on the table as well.

       "This smells terrible," I grumbled, turning the object over in my hand to inspect it.

       "Don't tease him, that's Bob's," she said sternly, pointing at me with her spatula again.

       "Did you...?" I started, looking to the dog for an explanation.

       The little beast was sitting up, his front legs waving excitedly to maintain balance.  His ears and body were covered in a long, fine hair, a mix of black and cinnamon brown in color. His legs were barely long enough to reach the ground and with a dark brown muzzle he appeared to be smiling.

       "Nope, not me. Bob did it. He brought you a paper and wants his reward," she shrugged.

       "Of course he does," I returned dropping the smelly goodie into his waiting mouth.

       He dropped to all fours, crunching loudly at his treat.

       I was transfixed, as Bob's tail swung between solid and vapor. As he finished, dipping his head in a effort to swallow the last of it, another appeared on the table just like the first.

      "Bob, don't be greedy," Letty scolded lightly, standing over him.

      The second treat slowly, reluctantly, faded from view.

      "Good boy," she said, bending at the waist.

      To my surprise, a small, silver, metal bowl appeared in her hand, filled with what I could only assume to be dog food. Printed along it's side in blue the word BOB. She placed it on the floor in front of him.

      "You want to set the table?" she asked turning toward the sink again.

      I looked down at Bob as the second treat reappeared on the table in front of me once more. He looked up at me, his tail wagging madly, giving a quick little bark as he sat up, begging again.

      What could I do? I slid the treat off the table, dropping it into his bowl.

      "Sure," I returned, stacking the paper to one side. It took me a moment to remember what grandma's dishes looked like.

      Almost before I had a clear picture in my head, three place settings appeared, complete with place mats and cloth napkins.

      Without conscious effort, a white porcelain vase, decorated with a red wavy line along its bottom, punctuated with several images of colorful roosters, appeared in the center of our setting, sporting a variety of flowers.

      "Oh la la, fancy," Letty said, dipping in an appreciative little curtsy.

She stood close to me, shoveling a massive heap of scrambled eggs onto the plate in front of me, framing it with two long slices of banana, one to each side of the plate. Bacon, sausage, toast and fresh squeezed orange juice were next, filling the table in front of me, making it feel smaller than it truly was, just as my grandmother always had.

      "We expecting company?" she asked, gesturing toward the third plate.

I blinked in disbelief, staring at the extra setting.

      "No, not really. My grandfather always sat there," I explained and as I did so the setting dissolved, disappearing before my eyes.

      "It happens sometimes. It's just the way you remember it. Give it a little time. You'll get better at it. The forks and glasses are beautiful though," she said with admiration, fondling each affectionately.

       "Thank you. So tell me, you could have just made all this appear without all the prep work, right?" I asked hoping to change the subject.

       "What do you mean?"

       "Well, you had Bob's bowl in hand just as you gave it to him, you didn't fix anything. You could have done the same for breakfast... if at all."

       "I like doing it. I like the smells, even the sound of it. Besides you always liked it when I go to the trouble," she huffed.

       "This is the first time you've ever done it. When did I like it before?" I asked confused by her reaction.

       "What?" she asked, frozen in place as she filled her plate.

       "You said... I always like it when you go to the trouble."

       "Did I?"

       "Yes, and while we're at it, how did you know I like bananas with my scrambled eggs?"

      "I didn't," she said defensively. "You must have put them there."

      "Did I?" I asked in her words.

      "Maybe it was Bob," she said, dismissing my question out of hand with a smile.

      "Maybe it was," I added, letting it go.

      We read the funnies to one another as we ate, joking playfully with each new page until we finished.

      After breakfast we stood at the sink side by side, she washed, I dried, as we joked about Bob and his antics.

      Suddenly a ripple, for lack of a better description, passed over us, distorting the very air, making me feel nauseated.

      "What the hell was that?"

      Before Letty could answer the creak of the front door as it swung open, drifted to the kitchen.

      "Someone's in the house," she whispered.

      Slowly, cautiously, we made our way to the wall dividing the kitchen from the main room.

      To my astonishment, a distortion, like a pale blue sheet of pulsating glass stretched from floor to ceiling, wall to wall, dividing the room. On our side, the house was complete, perfect in every detail, bright and clean. On the other, the room was in a state of total dilapidation, covered with age, abuse and the dull blue light that illuminated everything.

       The front door stood open... outside on the porch, silhouetted by the light of a full moon, were two people.

       "Who are they?" I asked with concern.

       "No one," Letty answered sourly.

       "Do you know them?"

       "Not really. I've only seen them once before," she said turning away.

       "Once before? When?" I pressed grabbing her by the arm.

       Before she could answer two more people, a man and woman, entered.

       I watched with great interest as all four moved deeper into the room, sitting on the floor. They placed a small flashlight on end, bouncing its light off the ceiling. Each held a different device, waving them in the air before placing them on the floor in front of them.

       "Mat, please. Let's go," Letty implored, now pulling at my arm.

       "That one... the woman on the left. I think I know her," I said moving closer to the intruders.

       "Mat... you don't understand. This is bad. Come on, we have to go... we have to find Benson," she said, yanking my arm repeatedly, literally dragging me toward the kitchen once more.

       "What's wrong with you?" I asked, pulling free of her.

       "Please, come with me, now," she pleaded.

       "I'm telling you, I think I know her."

       "We ready?" the woman that looked familiar to me asked, holding out her hands.

       The others nodded their readiness, extending their hands as well. All four, two men, two women now sat in a circle holding hands.

       "What the hell are they doing?" I asked turning away from Letty.

       "Mat... please before it's to late," she called, hanging back.

       "He's close by. I can feel him," the woman whispered.

       "Jenn, are you sure?" the other woman asked.

       "I know her... I recognize that name," I shouted, looking around for Letty.

       She was no were to be seen.

       I pushed gently against the barrier. It flexed at my touch as if it were a pliable bubble, stretching to accommodate my hand and then suddenly burst, disappearing all together.

       At that instant, the fresh air that filled the house was replaced with a dank, heavy, musty odor.

      The entire house had reverted to the horrible condition it had been when I first arrived.

      I moved as close as I could, kneeling next to the woman named Jenn.

      "Mat... we want to speak to Matthew Sullivan," she petitioned.

      "I'm here, I'm here," I shouted, waving my hands wildly.

      "They can't hear you," Letty said dully, reappearing through the wall, coming closer to me.

      "There's more than one... I can feel more than one," Jenn said to the others excitedly.

      "Mat... you know what this is," one of the men said, setting a device on the floor.  "If you're here make the lights work."

      "I don't... I don't know what it is... Letty, how do I make the lights work?" I asked desperately.

      She stood, arms folded and shook her head.

      "Letty, please, I'm begging you... if you know what to do... tell me."

      "Stand on it," she replied, rolling her eyes.

      "What?"

      "Just touch it," she urged.

      I did as she suggested, reaching out and touched it. To my surprise, four small yellow lights across its top burst to life, blinking madly while emitting a loud buzz.

I pulled my hand away and it stopped.

      "I knew it... I f*****g knew it," one of the men shouted, all but getting to his feet.

      "That's good Mat... very good. Now let's do it again. This time, twice for yes... once for no... can you do that?" Jenn asked.

       She and the others watched the device intently waiting for me to touch it again.

       "Your making a mistake. I don't think you should do that," Letty chided.

       "What can it hurt?" I returned, reaching out for the apparatus, my hand passing through it twice.

       "Good, good. Are you okay? Where you're at... are you alright?" Jenn asked, stammering a little, her voice cracking slightly.

       "She cares a about you," Letty said softly.

       "Yeah, I think you're right, I wish I knew who she is," I said drawing closer to the woman as she wiped a tear from her cheek.

       "A wife?" Letty asked, her voice sounding a little hurt.

       "No, I don't think so. I'd remember that... wouldn't I?"

       Letty shrugged in response, saying nothing, her arms folded.

       Again, I made the lights speak for me.

       "Are you alone?"

       "No," I said out loud smiling at Letty, touching the small box.

       "Thank God," the short, heavy set woman gasped, beginning to cry, blowing her nose loudly.

       "Mat can you see us?" Jenn continued.

       "Yes," I answered.

       "Do you know who we are?" One of the men asked out of turn.

       I hesitated. The question startled me.

       "Why did he ask that?" I said to Letty.

       "I don't know," she answered.

       "What do I do?" I asked standing.

       "Whatever you want," Letty shrugged again.

       I reached for the apparatus. To my shock, it didn't respond. I tried to step on it, kicked at it... anything to make it work but it did nothing in response to my efforts.

       "Letty, its not working. What am I doing wrong?" I gasped frantically.

       "I tried to tell you. It's the amount of energy you're expending. You can't do it... it will put you away," she said.

       "Letty... I don't feel so good," I said, suddenly feeling as though I was becoming ill, bordering on nauseas.

       "Mat, do you know who we are?" Jenn repeated, her voice heavy with concern

       "Letty... please... help me," I begged reaching for her.

       She rushed to me, slipping my arm over her shoulder pulling me back toward the wall.

       I felt sick, as if the very life of me was slipping away, growing weaker with each new moment.

      "Mat?" Jenn called impatiently.

      "Letty... please," I mouthed weakly as she began to drag me through the wall.

      "You're such an a*s," she scolded, letting me go long enough to stomp on the device... making a single, sharp, fast, note...

      "No," Jenn whispered sadly.

      Now back on our side of the bubble, Letty struggled to pull me through the wall.

      "Thank you," I said weakly as she dropped me to the floor.

      The room felt as if it were spinning as I stared at the ceiling.

      "Letty," I called weakly, trembling as I grew weaker and it began to grow dark once again.