INTRUDER|chris chambers

Epilogue

I hate myself for this

As time went on Gordie, Chris and Tilly saw less of Teddy and Vern until eventually they became just two more faces in the halls.

That happens sometimes. Friends come in and out of your life like busboys in a restaurant. Vern gotten himself married out of High-school, had four kids and was now the forklift operator at the Arsenal Lumberyard. Teddy tried several times to get into the Army, but his eyes and his ear kept him out. The last anyone heard, he'd spent some time in jail. He was now doing odd jobs around Castle Rock.

Chris did get out. Him and Tilly enrolled in the College-courses with Gordie, staying together all through high school. They still don't know the little moment Gordie had witnessed that night at the fire. And although the College-courses were hard for Chris, he gutted it out like he always did. Chris went on to go to College and eventually became a lawyer. While Tilly gutted out Med school and became doctor.

Let's just say they're successful.

The two stayed together throughout High-school with their ups and downs, but not once did they break up for real. Gordie always saw them as the true meaning of High-school sweethearts. Everyone did.

Not one of their other friends asked if Chris and Tilly were still together, they just knew. Which eventually led to them getting married and starting a family. 

And knowing that their were little Chris' and Tilly's running around, broke Gordie's heart now.

Last week, Gordie heard Chris had entered a fast food restaurant. Just ahead of him, two men got into an argument. One of them pulled a knife. Chris who would always make the best peace tried to break it up. He was stabbed in the throat. He died almost instantly.

Gordie stared at his computer. The only thing he was thinking about was Chris in that moment, even still.

The sound of his office door opening caught his attention, "dad, some lady is here to see you, she said her name's Tilly."

Gordie stared at his son for a minute before blinking himself out of the shock, "Um, okay, tell her I'll be just a second?"

"When can we go to the pool?"

Gordie stood up and walked towards the front door, "I'm sorry, kids, after I talk to an old friend."

"You have friends?" His son asked as Gordie opened his front door and stepped outside. The boy looked at his friend, "I didn't know he had friends."

There she was. Matilda Ransom was standing right in front him faced the other way. She was watching her two kids play on a swing set nearby.

Tilly turned to face Gordie, he looked so much older. Of course, she expected that, but it was different when they last time you seen someone was when you were young and beautiful.

"I hope you don't mind, they just kinda helped themselves." Tilly laughed as she looked at her son and daughter.

Gordie noticed her laughed was still the same. Not that they would change, but her eyes were still as bright as they used to be and her long hair never lost its dark brown colour. She was still as beautiful as she always was.

"No, that's alright." Gordie chuckled at the two kids.

The boy looked just like Chris.