Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Entry #29

Coming Home
by Minx


“Another one” I said putting the phone down.

“It will be just another wild goose chase, you know that.” Margaret said.

She found it hard to leave the house these days, preferring to sit by a phone that hardly ever rang, and certainly never rang with the words she wanted to hear.

“Where?” she asked.

Our conversation from here on was an exchange that ran on auto pilot. I left the house a few minutes later to chase the goose.

One crack house is much like another. I sent another prayer thanking God that Margaret had stayed at home. Coming alone was hard but we had long gone past that point where the police are still giving over manpower to a lost cause. As parents you never give up, never.

The smell always hits first. A stench that I doubt will ever leave my memory. One day I may recognise it as the smell of my own despair, but now it only confirms that there is life here – if you can call it that. My hand confirms my only protection, shifting the cricket bat into a ready position as I chase the goose up the stairs, once again.

Like hell on a cold day I glance at my watch, my fingers never leaving that place on the neck that tells me that hope is being tempted, coaxed into reality.

He is here, the nightmare and the dream, and he’s breathing.

He is coming home.

9 comments:

Scott said...

Touching.

briliantdonkey said...

Very good descriptions of dealing with someone with a problem. Seems like the beginning of a really good shortstory if you wanted to expand on it.

BD

Anonymous said...

I liked this line:"I left the house a few minutes later to chase the goose." Nice work.

Beth said...

Interesting take on the picture. I would expand this outside of the realms of this contest.

Unknown said...

This is really moving Minx. I'm glad he was found, but yep, sounds like it's going to be difficult ride after. What else will happen?

S. Kearney said...

Interesting, Minx. This raises lots of questions and it makes me wonder which level I should be reading this on. :) Nicely done, as always.

playwrite7000 said...

the ending here is really powerful. i like this line particularly:

He is here, the nightmare and the dream, and he's breathing.

heather said...

the nightmare and the dream. perfect.

Anonymous said...

Very skillfully laid out. The pieces are all set in motion just right for the punch at the end.

A high scorer overall.