Losing You Terrifies Me

Chapter 12

"Why don't you boys go run and get ready for bed?" Molly suggested as she washed off the dishes to put into the dishwasher.

Danny, who was once again spending the night, and Wally raced up the stairs and once they had disappeared, Will felt trepidation fall over the room. He did his best to ignore the feeling as he brought the last of the dishes from dessert over to the counter for Molly to do.

"I'm going to let the dogs out," Will announced as he left the room. He could hear Molly's footsteps behind him, but he ignored them as he let the dogs out of their kennels where they had been put for the duration of the time the guests were here. He opened the back door and stepped out onto the deck, allowing the dogs to go down the stairs and out into the yard that was more muddy with slush than with snow from being tracked everywhere by the dogs. Molly was once more behind him and he felt his body tense up at the presence.

"Did you want to talk about dinner?" she asked.

"Not really, no," Will answered, leaning against the railing, watching the dogs play in the snow that glittered in the moonlight. "They were nice, Danny is a good boy, that should be enough."

"There's really nothing you want to ask me or talk about?" Molly tried again, a hint of an apology in her voice that Will couldn't help but push away.

He didn't want an apology. He didn't want to have to ask and beg for the truth from his wife. He wanted her to be honest with him outright. If she couldn't be, then he really didn't want to talk to her.

"No," he said once more, ssking as several of the dogs started to fight. They quickly broke apart at the order.

"Will-"

"I would like to be alone," Will stated firmly, head lowering onto his folded arms over the railing of the deck, breath warm on his forearms.

There wasn't an answer, just footsteps fading into the house and a door closing behind him. This was all so fucked up. He didn't know what to do, didn't know what to think, wasn't sure how to feel, the years upon years of others' emotions washing over him and fighting for a voice.

"See?"

Will looked up at the voice, glancing around until he was met with piercing white eyes in a pale face that was darkened with black veins. Bullet wounds lined the man's torso, decent shots, but not nearly accurate enough to take the man down quickly.

"See?" he asked again, voice low and airy.

Will stood fully upright and took a step back as the zombie-esque man took a shaky step forward, body unstable in its movement, but somehow staying upright. Will's foot hit the edge of a shovel and he tumbled backwards, onto the snow covered deck, eyes wide as the man continued forward, unrelenting.

"See?" he demanded.

"See what?" Will asked, breathing hard as he scrambled through the snow to get back to his feet. "What am I supposed to see?"

"See?"

***

"Will?" Jack asked curiously as he entered Will's empty classroom. The light had been on and the door open, as if it were an invitation.

Will sat at his desk, head in his hands, not looking up at his name. He was breathing hard, shoulders rising and falling with the effort. Jack gave a curious look and stepped closer, hand resting on the desk that was littered with files and pictures. Pictures that Jack knew all too well.

"Will?" he asked again. The man jumped with a large inhale and blinked, eyes slowly focusing on Jack. "You don't have a class today, what are you doing here?"