HOOKED SHOOKED

The dark clouds rolled in on a warm Sunday evening. Tom and Karen sat out at the patio while the children were watching the television. It was nice to hear Damien talk to his baby sister as if she understood him and the air outside the house was very nice as well. Both Tom and Karen reminisced on the good old days but Karen seemed bent on talking about her father. Tom found the topic rather boring but like a bulldog, she was persistent so he surrendered.

He had a foreboding. It nudged at him while she continued. It was as if his ears popped open and he began to hear what she wasn’t saying, seeing what she wasn’t really showing him, understanding what she didn’t explain. He made as if to get up and but only one look from her got him to sit back down and this time, more humbled and frozen.

He couldn’t answer any of her questions. His lips couldn’t move but his eyes gave him away. He was really frozen. He couldn’t hear the children anymore all he could hear was her voice and the other voice. Yes, the voice he used to hear in the beginning; it was back and now it was louder and sounded very sarcastic “Get out dad. Get out while you still can, if you can.”

His heart stopped beating and his breath ceased when the last words came out of her mouth like bees and landed on his face; “I cannot, no! I will not want you around this house anymore. You are a danger to the children.”