The Things That Will Be

Chapter One

The sun shone down upon the town of Willow Tree with a nice majestic spring feel to it. The flowers bloomed along the courtyards of the bank houses and the buildings and such. Spring came upon this town as it always had. Spring was no stranger to Willow Tree.

Oftentimes, Willow Tree would get so much sun, that some people would make jokes about praying for rain and even performing a mock up rain dance like the natives did in the olden days.

Willlow Tree could be found a good mile or two outside of Winterdale. Willow Tree was a prosperous town that had just about everything anyone could ever think about. Malls, parks, movie theaters; you name it, Willow Tree had it.

James Maxwell pulled his 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan out of the grocery store's parking lot and headed home. He was enjoying some tunes from the radio as he drove towards his destination.

By the time the song ended, he had made it home. His beautiful wife Eileen Maxwell waited outside for him on the porch. Her smile lit up his entire world. He parked the car, took his keys out, got out, and smiled at her.

"Do I know you?" James asked in a joking manner. Eileen chuckled and met him halfway in exchange for a kiss.

"Oh, stop it." She laughed and the two kissed.

"How have you been?" James asked in a much more serious tone. She nodded at him and sighed.

"Much better. Haven't had any urges for the last couple of days." Eileen said. James nodded.

"That's good." He said. "Say, do you, by any chance, want to help me with the groceries?" James asked. She looked at him confused.

"What kind of question is that? Of course, I'll help." She said. The two smiled and started taking the groceries inside.

For weeks, Eileen had had severe suicidal urges. A habit she had been trying to break ever since she got them. She had been going to support groups and the such to help ease her away from that.

One day, James had come home to find Eileen in the bathroom with a razer blade in her hand, slashing away at her wrist.

James had rushed over to her and made her drop the blade. He applied gauze bandages onto her arm and phoned the hospital. The ambulance came and took her and noted that she was to be under a 24 hour suicide watch.

James had sat there in a hospital chair looking over at Eileen in the hospital bed with tears forming at the eyes. He hated seeing her like this. And she hated for him to have to see this.

"Why do you do this? Why do you have to hurt yourself? What's the point in all of it?" James asked her. She looked him in the eyes and started to cry. She stumbled over her words through the obstacles of tears that accompanied her.

"I don't know. Sometimes, I just get these urges. Like a kid in a toy store. It's a horrible temptation for me." She said. She then took a real good long look at James. "James, I want to break this habit. I have to, I just don't know how." The two held hands together.

"We'll get through this, together. You and me. I will make sure that we can rid you of these awful awful things." James said. They held each other's hands and shed tears.

"I'm afraid, James. I'm not ready to go. I fear what lies on the other side. The possibility that I won't make it. I don't wanna die." Eileen said with tears streaming down her ripe cheeks.

James stared at Eileen and looked her in the eyes. He noticed their hazel shade were beautiful. Eileen was beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that he couldn't think of life without her.

Her heavenly presence lingering around the room like a much needed phantom. A phantom whose cold appearance formed ice flakes on the walls as it passed by. Humming a song of agony and sorrow as it floated about the hallways moaning and groaning in pain.

A deep dark shadow forming behind it, devouring any and all signs of life. The shadow was an unpleasant thing. A thing that shouldn't have been there. It hadn't been there, the shadows were a new figure. James looked at Eileen and shook his head at her.

"Don't say that, you're not gonna die. We are gonna get through this." He said and he kissed her forehead before going down to her lips. He didn't mind the taste of tears, as long as he could feel her warmth, he was fine.

James snapped out of his daydream and found himself standing infront of the counter where all the groceries were placed on. He looked around and saw Eileen staring at him. Why had he been frozen fir the last couple of minutes?

"You alright? You've been motionless for about a whole two mintues." Eileen said. James nodded and shook the thought away.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something. I don't remember now." James said. Eileen nodded.

Whatever James was thinking about, it was scaring him. She had saw his face as he was temporarily paralyzed. The look on his face was of dread and terror. Something from the past coming back to frighten him once more.

She started putting groceries where they belonged in the kitchen; and very soon, James followed her and did the same thing.

"Beckett called." Eileen said as she put the seasonings in the cabinet shelves.

"Really? Well, what does old Georgie Porgie want?" James asked. He put the dish detergent under the sink.

"He was asking if you were free next week. Something about a conference meeting in Oregon." Eileen said. James nodded.

"Yeah, I'll call him back." James said. "It's about a deal opening over in Reedsport. We've been discussing it for about a week now." Eileen nodded.

"So, are you going to be away for awhile?" Eileen asked. "I mean, in Oregon and all that." Eileen stared at James in hopes that this talk wouldn't lead into a fight. They had had fights in the past, just like every couple, young and old alike. And just like those, they weren't pretty. Far from it.

"Yeah probably so." James said. "But don't you stress it, alright. I've been giving it some thought and I must say that I might just c-" Eileen interrupted.

"Don't cancel. Don't cancel it. This is a big opportunity for your business. I'll be fine. If it makes you feel better, I'll have a friend over. Megan'll watch me. Please, don't cancel the meeting." Eileen said. James nodded and smiled.

He went over to her and kissed her lips. Just being in her presence was enough for him. But the fact that he was married to her made it all worthwhile.

"Thank you." James said as he stood next to her. His beautiful angel.

"I love you." Eileen said. James smiled.

"I love you too." James said and they stood in the kitchen, holding hands and Eileen's head on James' chest. Like two spirits finding each other in the limbo as they step into the light. Like a butterfly landing on a dog's nose and the dog showing no sign's of shooing the beautiful creature away. An action that could only be summed up into one word....love.