13 WINDOWS

Chapter 30 Part 3: The POINT of NO RETURN

Sandra raked up the leaves in the backyard. She liked to do all the gardening herself these days. There was no need to call anyone in. She had been feeling a lot better since she had started taking her medication.

She walked back into the house. In her head she could still here the pitter patter of the feet of her two young boys. There had been a happy time once, when her husband would rub her shoulders when she was feeling down.

She went into the kitchen and put the kettle on. She rolled up a joint and lit it up. She breathed the sweet cannabis into her lungs and blew it out. Then she took out two teacups and started pouring the boiling water into the pot over the tea bags. She watched the dark water pour out of the leaves. Then she glanced up at the cupboard mischievously. She opened it up and took out a bottle of whiskey.

"I know you don't drink... but do you want some whiskey in your tea?...Oh come on now...Don't be such a prude," said Sandra laughing. She brought the tea tray into the family room and placed it on the table.

"I didn't bring any biscuits. I'm trying to watch my weight.... oh you don't look like you need to lose any weight Emmy," Sandra said to her sister.

She looked over at her sister Emeline. Her head was half decomposed and was embalmed inside a large jar sitting in the armchair across from Sandra. She looked forward to tea time with her sister every day.

Sandra switched on the television. An old Marx Brothers movie was on. Sandra started to chuckle. Then she began to laugh hysterically.

"Oh come on now. It's funny Emeline. You're so straight-laced!" she said shaking her head at her sister.

* * *

There is a tipping point in the human brain: a point of no return. It is similar to a near death experience in the sense that you begin to see the bigger picture. You become aware of the size of the Universe and the vast amount of time in which everything has existed. In such a large scheme how tiny and insignificant are all of our lives?

Rupert began to see that his life, and Stefan's life, were the merest of fractions in a much larger equation. But within that larger equation there were larger movements and patterns amongst these tiny human lives. Some moved towards good, and some towards evil.

Rupert thought that the only way to make his tiny fraction of a life more significant was to attach himself to a greater pattern. He would move towards being righteous.

What cards had he been dealt by the Universe? He had not done anything wrong. As far as he could see he had been innocent all along since he was a child. And yet, despite being an inherently decent human being, he had lost his brother, father and fiancée, not to mention his therapist and his aunt. His mother had become mentally deranged. At what point do you stand up and try to stop an evil force? There had to be action. He would not let that Nazi murderer just stand around in daylight like he had done nothing wrong. And what was Rupert doing? He was hiding in his room as if HE had done something wrong. 'There was only one moral thing to do,' Rupert thought.

These thoughts flashed through Rupert's mind in only a few seconds. The decision had already been made. He could not go on another day without resolving this problem.

Rupert picked up the phone but he already knew what he would hear: nothing. He looked out the window and saw a motorcycle pass Stefan. And he could hear it on the phone as well.

"I'M COMING FOR YOU!!!!" Rupert screamed into the phone. Then he threw the receiver down onto the floor.

He swung his room door open and exited. The door fell back on the chain lock, and was left ajar. He stormed down the hallway and quickly ran down the winding stairs. He almost knocked over a family with two young boys who were walking up the stairs in the opposite direction.