He had returned to the shed when he heard her come to him. The clouds that had veiled the skies had since dispersed, and a bright, bulbous moon hung in the sky and lit the night. His clothes were sodden, his hair and his skin wet and shining. A puddle spread about him and glistened upon the bare wood of the floor. His face and hands were blackened by soot, and his bloodshot eyes shone with tears. The bottle was in his shaking hands and he drank from it and shivered and wept. His swollen lip was angry and blood-caked. Behind it, stood teeth as ragged as those of an old dog. He heard her come and yet his eyes remained upon the floor. His face was slack beneath grime and wet.
"You aren't smoking?"
He grimaced. "The smell nauseates me."
"But you still drink?"
His eyes moved about the floor. "I need to."
"You always did."
"It's different now." Each word fell from his broken mouth like a bolus.
"How?"
He raised his eyes to her, haltingly. "This will be my last."
"I've heard that before."
He almost smiled through his desperate, damaged features. "You retain your sense of humor."
"What happened last night?"
"My lighter was spent. I lit a cigar on the range. I thought I turned off the flame. I was sure."
"It's possible you did."
"So how?"
"The safety. I told you about it, but of course you'd had a drink then too. Likely you nudged the dial after killing the flame. You were quite drunk, I'm sure."
"I thought I was fine. I just wanted to go to the boat a while, then come to you."
"The boat?"
"A drink."
"I might have guessed. Do you blame yourself?"
"Yes. But I will pay penance."
"You needn't," she said. "You still have options. You could start afresh."
"An option without you was never an option. If I ever doubted that fact, I don't any longer."
"Nonetheless." He watched her hand motion about him. "There are other ways. Don't you have..."
"It was in the house."
"I thought you kept it here."
"I did, usually."
"Perhaps I shouldn't ask."
"I'm glad you came, you know?"
"Why?"
"I don't know if I could do it without you being here."
"I understand."
"You do?"
"I think we all need to feel our loved ones with us. Our strength lies in that security."
"You will stay with me until it is done?"
"Of course."
"Thank you."
"You're frightened?"
"Terrified," he said, voice cracking. "I feel helpless as a child." His eyes glistened beneath the bulb.
"It will be over very quickly."
"Please let it be." His hands shook.
"Just a little pinch."
"Are you really here?" he moaned.
"Does it matter?" she asked.
He dropped his head and began to sob desperately.
"Don't cry."
"I love you," he said. "I'm sorry for everything and I love you."
"We love you."
YOU ARE READING
Song, Unheard
Horreur***Featured in Fright Profile*** Life has been different lately. She feels a growing sense of dread and wishes for things to be normal. His drinking is out of control. The child seems frightened and withdrawn. And then come the birds. Strange b...
