Lover in the Window

That Which Hearkens At The Door

"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and is heard no more."

-William Shakespeare

In the final moments that Evelyn and Eli spend looking upon the face of their mother, Eli notices that all the fancy suit people have washed out somewhere between coffee with DeeDee and the winding gravel road to Herbert & Alonzo Memorial Cemetery. Even Brother Limp fails to make an appearance. The sky is fading from a high-orange in the east to a glimmering-blue in the west. Just beyond where the mountainous horizon tickled the belly of the clouds, a silvery moon lays dormant awaiting its turn. To Eve, it feels like an eternity has passed over, during only a few short minutes. One by one, the dozen in attendance place black roses on the closed section of Tracy's casket. There are quiet whimpers, sniffling, and moans far and near. Eli shakes his head side to side as he grabs hold of Eve's shaking hand. Eve then grabs hold of Christine's hand and she grabs hold of DeeDee's hand. The children are next, alongside Eli on the left side whereby he takes the hand of Zoe, and Zoe to Penelope, and from her to Liam. The ones that mourn the most, embrace.

DeeDee closes the mahogany casket which looks as if it is set on fire against the dying sunlight. And that's it. Eli concludes within himself. I'll make you proud, mommy.

The clan starts to break up. Three walk this way, and two walk that way. Some stand in place, chattering among themselves, some laughing, some smoking cigarettes and vapes, but Eve, stands there looking onward at her mother as the pallbearers lower her into the ground.

"Let's get out of here, Sis." Eli suggests with a long arm around her shoulders. "Let's go home and eat. I'm starving."

"Okay," her voice only a rasp. "I'm hungry too."

Just before Eve cranks open the silver handle on the passenger side door, she feels a large hand on her shoulder. She turns. It is Rory, the father she hadn't felt the coldness of in a decade, as he hovers over her. Her back presses against the car door and she lets out the most frightening scream that draws the attention of everyone within 100 gravestones.

"I'm sorry about your mother," he yells as petrified as she is. "I just wanted to tell you I love you all. Everything will be-"

Before the large, gray, and bent Rory was allowed to finish that sentence, he feels powerful hands grasp onto the nape of his neck, with entwined fingers that begin to cut off his breathing. Eli has him in his grip, he pulls him backwards, and not only does he topple the monster over but he slams him into the gravel at their feet.

"Goddamn," says Rory with his same old roar.

Rory rolls onto his knees and stands up facing Eli, but Eli would not stand for his dad's intrusions no longer. Eli simply grabs the old man's wind pipe again, and pushes with all his young bones, muscle, and adrenaline. Rory's back is now against the passenger side window of the Subaru.

"I'll kill you this time!" Eli shouts, "I'll fucking kill you!" Rory becomes blood-red in his cheeks because of his son's grip strength, and his eyes show just how rattled he is at the new and improved Eli Layton, who came from the inexplicable darkness to be a force of nature in his own right.

It was as quick as it had started as a couple men try to pull Eli off of Rory, and only because Eli allows himself to calm down, does he let Rory go. Eli backs up as a couple guys fill in the distance between the two.

"How did you get those scars on your face, old man!?" Eli rages and points his fingers directly into Rory's face. "You know exactly how you got those. I swear to god, if you come around us again, I'll give you more than scars on your cheek, you burnt out fuck."

Eli walks back around to the driver's side as everyone holds their mouths in shock. They spin gravel all over ten gravestones and roar down the gravel road leaving behind a cloud of heavy dust that lingers in the wind.

Rory casts his eyes down the road at the snaking trail of dust, and rubs the scars on his tan, leathery skin, as a tear rolls down his cheek. He has no choice but to set off into the sunset, but this time his head is lower than it has ever been in his entire life.