husband is waiting for
me inside.”
“ Husband?” Elizabeth said
surprised her voice low as only I heard. “What kind of man keeps
her around?”
I shrugged, uninterested. As my eyes
tore away from the old woman and traveled over the yard towards the
house, I spotted a man at the window, much younger than the woman,
about my age. As our eyes met, he hit the glass with his elbows
hysterically.
“ Hey you, out there. Help
me,” he cried in his full voice. “Please!”
“ Is that your husband
crying over there?” Elizabeth asked raising her
eyebrows.
“ Yes. He’s a little bit
confused,” the woman rose.
“ I don’t think he can be a
husband to you,” Elizabeth made a step towards her and onto the
yard.
I held her arm curtly. “What the hell
are you doing?” I hissed.
“ That man needs our help,”
she said back in whisper. “We can handle an old woman.”
“ We?” I raised my right
eyebrow. A grim sound hit my chest as a doglike beast stepped out
from behind the house and slowly made its way towards
us.
“ Stop there, bastard,” the
woman ordered, and the animal obeyed, but the way it looked at me
with its green and shining eyes made my heart hammer.
“ I’m sure, you’d handle
this bastard, young man,” she resumed with raspy voice. “And
another time I would be pleased to see you fight, but not now. I
don’t want any attention here. And I don’t want my time with my
husband to be mixed up. I’m nicely asking you to leave. I don’t
care which way you go, just leave.”
I glanced back at the other doglike
beasts up the street which were lessening the distance between us.
I held Elizabeth by her shoulders.
“ Let’s go,” I
muttered.
She stepped back and out of the yard.
Looking at the other animals she nodded. “You’re right,” she said,
fear playing in her voice.
We turned around and started off. As I
peeked back over my shoulder, the old woman had already gone into
the house, but the beast remained by the door guarding
it.
“ Jonathan. What did she
mean mentioning a power?”
“ I don’t know yet,” I said
back.
“ But in my house,
remember, you were inhumanly strong,” she gave me a weak
smile.
I looked about. The quiet and
loneliness had returned to the street. My eyes fell on my palms.
The power was in them, I felt it like feeling the rush of blood in
my veins.
“ Why do you keep staring
at your hands?” Elizabeth asked.
“ Don’t you feel a little
awkward about your palms?” I said looking at her
impatiently.
“ Awkward?” she repeated
chortling. “I feel awkward about everything around, Jonathan. Like
we’ve been moved into another world and time. Maybe we’re
dreaming?” she said a jolt of hope in her voice.
I smiled at the way she tried to avoid
the reality. Okay, that wasn’t quite the reality I had been used
to, I know, but it wasn’t a dream either.
Finally, I saw the entrance. My eyes
looked to the right seeking the house of the woman and her
daughter–Melisa. The garden full of dry leaves and grass stood
empty, the swing swaying in the breeze. I made my way to the house,
Elizabeth padding behind me in silence.
“ What is it?” she asked me
as I came to a halt on the path.
I ignored her question. My thoughts
drifted back to the little girl living in that house with gloomy,
dark and opaque windows. Not one soul could be seen through them.
But the emptiness of the house didn’t cause my distraction; my
attention had fallen upon the new house next door. I was fairly
certain I hadn’t seen it before. I observed it for a few moments;
my legs hauled my body closer to it involuntarily.
“ This house wasn’t here
when I first arrived.” I was standing in front of it dazed and
confused. “I’m sure I didn’t see it standing here. Did
you?”
“ I…” Elizabeth stammered.
“I’m not sure I was in this district at all. Have we come the right
way?” She looked lost in thought, surveying the houses around
us.
I saw she
me inside.”
“ Husband?” Elizabeth said
surprised her voice low as only I heard. “What kind of man keeps
her around?”
I shrugged, uninterested. As my eyes
tore away from the old woman and traveled over the yard towards the
house, I spotted a man at the window, much younger than the woman,
about my age. As our eyes met, he hit the glass with his elbows
hysterically.
“ Hey you, out there. Help
me,” he cried in his full voice. “Please!”
“ Is that your husband
crying over there?” Elizabeth asked raising her
eyebrows.
“ Yes. He’s a little bit
confused,” the woman rose.
“ I don’t think he can be a
husband to you,” Elizabeth made a step towards her and onto the
yard.
I held her arm curtly. “What the hell
are you doing?” I hissed.
“ That man needs our help,”
she said back in whisper. “We can handle an old woman.”
“ We?” I raised my right
eyebrow. A grim sound hit my chest as a doglike beast stepped out
from behind the house and slowly made its way towards
us.
“ Stop there, bastard,” the
woman ordered, and the animal obeyed, but the way it looked at me
with its green and shining eyes made my heart hammer.
“ I’m sure, you’d handle
this bastard, young man,” she resumed with raspy voice. “And
another time I would be pleased to see you fight, but not now. I
don’t want any attention here. And I don’t want my time with my
husband to be mixed up. I’m nicely asking you to leave. I don’t
care which way you go, just leave.”
I glanced back at the other doglike
beasts up the street which were lessening the distance between us.
I held Elizabeth by her shoulders.
“ Let’s go,” I
muttered.
She stepped back and out of the yard.
Looking at the other animals she nodded. “You’re right,” she said,
fear playing in her voice.
We turned around and started off. As I
peeked back over my shoulder, the old woman had already gone into
the house, but the beast remained by the door guarding
it.
“ Jonathan. What did she
mean mentioning a power?”
“ I don’t know yet,” I said
back.
“ But in my house,
remember, you were inhumanly strong,” she gave me a weak
smile.
I looked about. The quiet and
loneliness had returned to the street. My eyes fell on my palms.
The power was in them, I felt it like feeling the rush of blood in
my veins.
“ Why do you keep staring
at your hands?” Elizabeth asked.
“ Don’t you feel a little
awkward about your palms?” I said looking at her
impatiently.
“ Awkward?” she repeated
chortling. “I feel awkward about everything around, Jonathan. Like
we’ve been moved into another world and time. Maybe we’re
dreaming?” she said a jolt of hope in her voice.
I smiled at the way she tried to avoid
the reality. Okay, that wasn’t quite the reality I had been used
to, I know, but it wasn’t a dream either.
Finally, I saw the entrance. My eyes
looked to the right seeking the house of the woman and her
daughter–Melisa. The garden full of dry leaves and grass stood
empty, the swing swaying in the breeze. I made my way to the house,
Elizabeth padding behind me in silence.
“ What is it?” she asked me
as I came to a halt on the path.
I ignored her question. My thoughts
drifted back to the little girl living in that house with gloomy,
dark and opaque windows. Not one soul could be seen through them.
But the emptiness of the house didn’t cause my distraction; my
attention had fallen upon the new house next door. I was fairly
certain I hadn’t seen it before. I observed it for a few moments;
my legs hauled my body closer to it involuntarily.
“ This house wasn’t here
when I first arrived.” I was standing in front of it dazed and
confused. “I’m sure I didn’t see it standing here. Did
you?”
“ I…” Elizabeth stammered.
“I’m not sure I was in this district at all. Have we come the right
way?” She looked lost in thought, surveying the houses around
us.
I saw she
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