Chapter 17

He sat on the front steps of a house, watching the animals graze in the endless field of green grass in front of him. He watched as a deer perked up at the approach of another animal, then continued scouring the grass for a meal.

The man wasn’t entirely sure whose house it was that existed behind him. Every time he got up to enter the front door, he’d be somewhere else entirely. Once he entered the door to find himself at the bottom of the steps again, right in front of the house. It terrified him the first time it happened, but every time thereafter became a normality. Normal to never be able to enter a house, to always end up somewhere else.

Normal became a relative term. It meant nothing to him anymore. He spent most of his days sitting on the steps of the house, watching the animals in the distance. He used to wonder what was in the house, wonder what exactly keeps him from entering. Now he didn’t care; he just wanted to go home.

“Home,” he said to himself, not even sure what the word meant anymore.

“This isn’t home,” said the woman sitting next to him. “You know that.”

“I know.”

He looked over to the woman, the breeze gently pushing her blond hair over her face. She’s just as beautiful as the day I met her.

“I miss you, Laura.” His lips tightened, holding back tears. I don’t think I have any more tears left.

“I miss you too.” She said. The man reached an open hand toward her, ever so slowly. She looked down at his hand and frowned. “You know this isn’t real, right?”

“Yes,” he replied, “I know.” He curled his hand into a fist, squeezing his nails into his palm. Laura’s dress rippled in the breeze, the flowers on the hem coming alive with the motion. “I still miss you, though.” Laura smiled, reaching for his hand.

And just as it happened every time, she was gone. He stared at his hand, wishing that just once she could stay longer, that he could feel her hand take hold of his, that he could feel her touch just one more time.

He stared at the house behind him, the house that wasn’t his. None of this was his. He just wanted to go home.

Whatever that meant.