A Midnight Mind

Chapter 6: Before Midnight

When Ethan left the school at the end of the day, he looked around for Uncle Vic's Lincoln but there was no sign of it. 

After ten minutes and no Vic, and no response from texts, Ethan wondered if he could remember the way to Vic's place. He looked down the road, first one way, then the other. He thought he knew which way to go. Vic had driven him to the school that morning, after all. 

He felt a sense of déjà  vu as he started walking. Except his déjà vu memory went ahead of itself, compelling Ethan forward to catch up. His steps had a hurried rhythm to them, like he was trying to sync with the memory. It was an uncomfortably familiar feeling, as though he'd walked this road a thousand times instead of being driven by it only twice. 

Walking home from any kind of school was just a nostalgic feeling, he guessed.

What if this isn't the way? he wondered suddenly. What if you get lost and your phone dies and Vic shows up at the school and you're not there and he has to call Dad and tell him he already lost you?

He stopped, breaking his mind away from the déjà vu like passing through a spiderweb. Shaking his head, he returned to the front of the school and continued to wait. 

The sun was sinking and so was the temperature. He put his hood up and paced around the front of the school. There was still no text from Vic. He kicked some leaves around and thought about Violet, which seemed to warm him. And then his phone died.

Just as Ethan started thinking about taking his chances with Déjà Vu Road, Vic's green Lincoln finally pulled up in front of the school, which was now totally clear of busses and cars and students.

"Hey, sorry, little man," said Vic the second Ethan opened the passenger-side door. "Got a bit lost on my way back here."

Ethan sat down, tossed his backpack into the back seat, and shut the door. "You've been living here for how long again?" he said, unable to keep the irritation from his voice. "You drove here just this morning. Is your memory really, honestly that bad? Because that's--"

"I know, kid, I know," said Vic, rubbing his temples. He sighed and put the car into drive, then pulled onto the main road. "I was halfway to work before I remembered I left to pick you up. Then I went almost the entire way back home before I remembered that I just came from there. I swear, I'm a slave to habit."

He looked at Ethan, but Ethan was staring out his window, trying to calm down.

"I'm sorry," Vic went on. "I just daydream too much. You don't have to worry about me, but I'm going to have to get used to shaking up my usual routine now that..."

"Now that you've got me to think about," said Ethan.

"Yeah. No. I don't know. It's not a bad thing. Just different for me. I never had kids of my own."

Before Vic went on, Ethan closed his eyes and said, "I get it. Don't worry about it." 

Quench your mind of it, dude. 

He felt guilty about his irritation showing through. Vic had been living alone for years before Ethan was dumped on his doorstep. Aunt Jenny died before she and Vic could have children. No doubt that's what crossed his mind when he mentioned not having kids of his own. 

Ethan didn't want to depress Vic any further, so he changed the subject.

"Got a girl's number today."

Vic looked at him, eyes asking if he was serious. Ethan nodded, trying not to grin. Vic laughed and enthusiastically thumped his flat hand on Ethan's chest. "Atta boy," he said. "You're a Murdock all right. First day of school. She pretty?"