Chapter 2: Thanksgiving

Wednesday night proceeded at an agonizingly slow pace for Denise and Thomas. They tried to watch television, then they tried to play cribbage, then they went to the kitchen to cook something for dinner. They finally gave up on preparing the meal as neither were really interested in eating.

Instead, they took a walk, not a run. They saw Mrs. Willow again on her porch and this time they stopped to talk.

“Happy Thanksgiving,” she called out.

She looked from Denise to Thomas and knew something was wrong.

“You two look like shit,” she said, getting right to the point.

Thomas told her that they were being forced to make a decision and none of their choices were ideal. Even though he left the situation vague, she nodded her head in understanding.

She started, “I never told you the details around my husband’s death, but that week I had to make an impossible decision.”

Thomas crooked his head in confusion since they had talked about her husband on a few occasions. Before he could say anything Ellie continued, “Correction, I told you what I told everyone but not the full story.”

She paused, lost in thought. “I told everyone he died of a heart attack. The truth is, he tried to commit suicide. In a span of two weeks he lost a big chunk of our savings in a bogus investment, then he got laid-off from his job of almost twenty years. He had a small gun he kept in his nightstand for security. He used it to shoot himself in the head. He was in the bathroom and I was in the kitchen. Obviously, I heard the shot and ran to the bathroom. He was slumped down in the shower. The shot was not fatal. When I saw him, my nursing training kicked in. I didn’t stop to think, I just reacted. I staunched the blood flow and was able to rush him to the hospital. He was on life-support for two days when his doctor told me they were detecting a decrease in brain activity. They said there was still a chance he could recover but the odds were rapidly diminishing. It was my call to take him off life-support right then. I knew that even if he survived, I would never love him like I did before his cowardly act. It may have been selfish on my part but it was what I thought was best for me and my well-being.”

Thomas was surprised to hear the story but also knew it was perfectly in character with the Mrs. Willow he had known the past two years.

He said, “Thank you for sharing your story. It actually makes perfect sense.”

Mrs. Willow pulled him close and held him tightly. When they parted she also hugged Denise. She whispered in her ear, “Whatever he is struggling with, help him out any way you can.”

Denise said, “Of course. We’ve been talking non-stop.”

“Sometimes it takes more than talk,” said Mrs. Willow as she pulled away from Denise. “And sometimes, it doesn’t take rational thought but a gut feeling for what you know to be right.”

Denise and Thomas looked at one another, then back to Mrs. Willow.

“Thanks,” Denise said. “You don’t know how much of a help your words are to us right now.”

Mrs. Willow did not say anything more as she turned and made her way to her door. Denise took Thomas by the hand and they continued their slow walk around the neighborhood.

When they returned to the house it was dark. They took drinks out of the refrigerator and sat in the living room. The television was on but the volume was muted.

They sat on the couch lost in their own thoughts. At 11:00 PM, Denise finally stood. She went to the stereo and turned on the radio. She returned to where Thomas sat and pulled him to his feet.

“Dance with me,” she said.

They held each other and slowly spun in circles around the living room.

Denise asked Thomas about his first thoughts when he realized he had returned to the eighties and his high school bedroom. She knew most of his story but wanted to get him talking. He talked and talked. She kept the questions coming. It wasn’t until they heard the clock start to chime that they knew it was midnight.

Denise pulled Thomas’s head away from looking at the clock and forced him to make eye contact. “Thomas, I love you.”

He started to reply when a hissing, raspy voice came from the kitchen doorway.

“A Hallmark moment if there ever was one.”

Thomas spun to face the door. The apparition was back. The hood over his head only partially covered his face. Two glowing orbs were clearly visible in the sunken visage.

“What the FUCK do you want?” screamed Denise.

It took a moment for Thomas to register what happened. He looked to Denise.

“You can see this thing?”

“The fucking dementor? Yeah, I see it.”

The form floated higher and glided to within inches of Denise and Thomas. They both trembled as it approached.

It towered over Thomas and hissed. Thomas felt his knees getting weak but held strong and stayed standing.

It then focused on Denise. First, it lowered itself to her eye level. It pulled the hood off his head, fully exposing a ragged half-face. The orbs burned brighter. It hissed like a rattlesnake ready to strike.

“Thisss year,” it started, “it’sss your turn. Does he sssstay?”

The orbs relentlessly bored into Denise eyes.

“What are the consequences?” Denise asked in a whimper.

The thing hissed loudly and violently. Denise and Thomas both took a step back. It followed their movement and remained inches in front of Denise.

“Again, does he ssstay?”

Denise paused for only a second before she whispered, “Yes, he stays.”

The thing snapped its head to Thomas and then back to Denise.

“Sssay it again.”

“He stays,” Denise said with a bit more volume.

A blue vapor poured from a hole below the orbs, presumably the thing’s mouth, as it hissed again.

“And one more time to confirm your desssssire.” it drawled in a very low, ominous tone.

Denise tried not to look away from the vile creature. “He stays,” she said with her firmest voice.

“Very well, assss you wissssh,” it sang before it disappeared with a deafening pop and an immense cloud of blue smoke.

Neither Denise nor Thomas saw the smoke dissipate. They both passed out and fell to the floor.