The Terror #wattys2017 #TNTHorrorContest

The Awakening (click on the picture)

"To begin this process, you have to understand that the problem you think you have is not the problem you actually have."

After we arrived at the Miners house, Michelle, Danny and I were invited into his home.  He is a tall and somewhat lanky man with the whitest skin and hair I had ever seen. He was unlike any human being I had ever seen, his hair cascading over his shoulders from under a blue bandana. Though it was somewhat dark, his house dimly lit, he wore what we called junky shades that wrapped around his face, dark enough to make his eye color indistinguishable. 

He introduced himself as Jimmy and shook each of our hands, but when he got to mine last, he held on a little longer than one might find comfortable, in a normal situation, tilting his head in such a manner that I realized he was feeling something other than the solidity of my grip or the warmth of my skin. He shook it again and said, "you and I are going be good friends mister Graves, yes indeed."

The interior of Jimmies home was like a museum of unusual artifacts and beautiful accouterments. There were several candles burning in a variety of holders and an herbal perfume filled the air. Exposed beams, dark woods, and rugs overlapping rugs of many colors covering the floors. It was a small room we entered, cozy and inviting with curtained windows and a skylight of stained glass that shone jewel-like colors on the book shelves with dusty tomes that looked like they were a hundred years old.

He invited us to the kitchen in a voice that was not unlike that of the guy who did the Levi commercials except there was a slight drawl that I couldn't decide if it was British or southern in origin.  We all took a seat around a table, in what I would call, a breakfast nook and he served us tea in big unmatching mugs, still steaming with foreign smells that begged you to taste.  In the middle, he lay a dish of cookies he told us were baked for him by the little girl at the Hidden Springs Cafe and they were a delicious oatmeal chocolate chip.

He was wearing a leather bomber jacket that he slipped off before he sat down with us, hung it on a hook on a nearby wall. It was then I saw that both his pale white arms were covered in a rainbow display of tattoos that covered the wrists to his shoulders and continued beneath the wifebeater undershirt that clung to his sinewy body. This was the most interesting man I had ever seen and though I had no idea what was in store, I knew it was going to be life changing and highly interesting.

 That's when he began,

  "To begin this process, you have to understand that the problem you think you have is not the problem you actually have." 

He looked squarely at me as if the others were not even present.

"You have to pay close attention to everything I say from this point on; do you understand Son?"

I nodded my head, trying to see his eyes behind the dark glasses.

"Use your words, Son, pivoting your noggin don't mean anything to me." 

"Yes Sir, I understand," I said reverently.

"Ok, let's start over. I can see you are a proper polite gentleman and I duly appreciate you're being respectful but, you and I are going to have to trust each other. I have to establish a tight and intimate relationship with you for this to work. So, " He put out his hand to me again, "Hi, I'm Jimmy."

Once again I took his hand but, this time, he took my hand in both of his, so I did the same, we held there for moment only this time, I felt something...something I wasn't quite sure of, something that caused me to trust this man, this man known as the Miner, this man Jimmy. 

After a moment, I said, "Hi, I'm Merrill Graves." 

"That's much better Merrill, you and I will get along just fine. How do you like the tea miss?" He asked

" It's different but very good thank you, my name is Michelle, I love your house."

"Well thank you dear, it's a conglomeration of places I've been and things I cherish, so glad you like it."

'What do you think Danny Boy?"

"About what Jim?"

"My tea, do you like the tea?"

"Oh that, haven't tried it yet, smells, intoxicating, though."

"That's fine, fine. Well, the reason we're here is that it seems our Merrill here, is having some difficulties with, what we'll call for lack of a better term, spirits; yes?" 

Everybody nodded except me.

"Yes Jim, I have a spirit situation I'm hoping you can help me with."

Then the old man sat back in his chair and removed his glasses, revealing for the first time the pink orbs that reminded me of rabbit's eyes. I was shocked and tried not to show it as Michelle actually gasped. He went on as if nothing had happened and said,

 "Tell Jimmy all about it Son and try to leave nothing out.

I was already beginning to feel the stirring of Dale's head on my lap. "This is going to be good,"  I thought, a smile crossing my lips. I looked back up to Jimmy and he was smiling as well.