Symbiosis: When a Girl Meets an Alien (V.6)

Chapter 3: Threats Always Work

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Redding, California, United States of America

John Sr pulled his pickup truck out of the driveway and drove roughly ten minutes to Layton Rd, where his good friend Jimmy Walsh and his son Ben lived. Jimmy, being a cop the same as him, would absolutely understand the gravity of the situation at hand. Upon arriving, he saw Jimmy's car in the driveway, and made his way up to the front door. Knocking on the door, only a minute passed before Jimmy opened it.

"Hey, John! I heard what happened last night, is everyone alright? Emily especially,"

"She's... fine..."

"Your tone suggests otherwise," Jimmy pointed out the obvious.

"Walt, what time did your son get home last night?"

"Erm... quarter to nine? I think? Why?"

"Your son, for a reason only God understands, left my daughter at the theater, in downtown, before she was forced to walk home - since she trusted your son - she left her phone in his car,"

Jimmy took a deep breath, "What time did Emily get home?"

"...12:15..."

"Jesus fucking Christ," Jimmy backed away from the door, scratching his beard, the gray color of which matched his hair, "BENJAMIN MICHAEL WALSH!"

A quiet, muffled 'what' could be heard.

"Don't you 'what' me boy! Get your ass down here!"

Ben was downstairs a minute later. When he saw John Sr at the door, he realized just how much trouble he was in. Now, his stern expression and squared back shoulders sent shivers up his spine.

"Ben, we need to talk," John Sr. said, his voice tight with a restrained anger.

John stepped inside after a gesture from Jimmy, who spoke first, his voice filled with disappointment and frustration.

"Ben I know about what happened last night,"

Ben shifted uncomfortably, his gaze fixed on the floor as he struggled to find the right words.

"I-I messed up, okay? I shouldn't have left her at the theater like that," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

John Sr. leaned forward, his eyes locking with Ben's in a steely gaze.

"You abandoned her, downtown, in the middle of the night. She's crippled Ben. She needs a ride for a reason. Right now she's not even able to get out of bed - besides the multiple sclerosis - walking with a cane for three and a half hours exhausted her,"

"She's alright though right?" Jimmy asked, "No seizures,"

"No seizures thank god," John Sr. replied before catching Ben roll his eyes, "I surely did not see you roll your eyes,"

"The seizures aren't real - nobody believes that," Ben replied.

"Wow... that's... clearly 'nobody' is just your asshat peers hm?" John Sr. stepped forward again, "Maybe when you see it happen with your own eyes you'll believe it,"

Ben simply shrugged, "Maybe,"

"You sir are playing games with my daughter's life, and let me make myself very clear: If something remotely bad happened to my Emmie when you were supposed to take care of her? There is nowhere on God's green Earth you could hide from me, and your old man likely wouldn't stop me,"

"I know, I know. I'll apologize to her, I swear. I just... I don't know what came over me," he confessed, his voice tinged with regret.

"There needs to be more than this Jimmy... apparently the only reason he left her was because he was seen in public with her, by some peers,"