home?
He hadn’t heard a thing until just now. Oddly bemused at the eccentricity of this day, but happy she was home and not in the hospital, he found himself perplexed even more. He walked through the door and entered their bedroom.
Marge didn’t turn to acknowledge him. She continued putting away her clothes, and then sat on the edge of the bed to slip her legs into a pair of pants.
He waited for her to notice him. Once she was dressed and the rest of her clothes placed away properly, Marge stood and turned, looking directly at Perry.
He smiled back, hoping she’d accept his apology.
Her arms came up and wrapped themselves around her shoulders as she hugged herself. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, and her body language conveyed weakness.
It was at that moment that Perry realized the damage he had caused with his explosion last night. But he’d had to tell her; their lives were in danger. He hadn’t seen his son in fifteen years. Previously, he had decided that Marge didn’t need to know about a man she would never meet, let alone have a relationship with. After Elton went to jail for life with no chance of parole, for killing his mother and his two sisters, Perry had packed Marge up and fled to Canada. Marge had never heard of Elton, or Elton’s mother, because it was a mistake Perry didn’t want to relive. Ever.
After ten years of marriage, Perry had wondered if he’d made the right choice with his life. He was in his early forties and going through an internal crisis. He attended a conference in Las Vegas and slept with a stripper. It was the stupidest thing he had ever done. That stripper got pregnant. It just so happened that this particular peeler was religious enough to be pro-life. She had a baby boy named Elton and hunted Perry down. Although they’d only talked twice, she swore she would make sure their son would know who his father was and what he did.
Over the years Perry never cheated again. He’d decided, since it was a one-night stand which he never intended to repeat, he simply wouldn’t speak of it. He sent as much money as he could hide from Marge. He felt it was his duty, and every time he sent the money he would apologize silently to Marge again and again, even though she never learnt the truth.
Until last night.
Elton’s stripper mother, raised him in a trailer outside Vegas near a commune in Nevada. Elton killed her and his sisters at the age of twenty and went to prison. For reasons unknown to Perry, Elton was out of jail now and in Canada. How he got across the border with ex-con on his resume, Perry couldn’t figure out, but he was here nonetheless and he was coming after his father.
He knew because he’d seen Elton following him. Three different times, he’d seen Elton standing across the street, watching the house.
That night - last night - he’d told Marge, and they’d fought.
As with anything in life, there were consequences from the actions that you take. Now he was about to receive his, through the pain in her eyes.
He gestured towards her. “Marge, I’m sorry—”
“Perry, oh Perry,” she said, stumbling forward a little, her voice cracking.
He watched her go past him and into the hallway. Perry took a deep breath and then followed. He would have to work hard to make his peace with her.
He would have to let her deal with this any way she saw fit, because the truth was she didn’t actually deserve to be walloped in the cheek by the end of a broom.
But then he needed to convince her to pack up and move to a hotel. Elton knew where they lived. He’d be back, and the next time he would kill them.
Perry followed her to the stairs. As he reached the bottom, he heard a faint clacking sound, sharpening with each step. He looked down at black dress shoes on his feet. He touched the suit jacket and shirt that rested on his shoulders.
He was losing his mind. There was no way he
He hadn’t heard a thing until just now. Oddly bemused at the eccentricity of this day, but happy she was home and not in the hospital, he found himself perplexed even more. He walked through the door and entered their bedroom.
Marge didn’t turn to acknowledge him. She continued putting away her clothes, and then sat on the edge of the bed to slip her legs into a pair of pants.
He waited for her to notice him. Once she was dressed and the rest of her clothes placed away properly, Marge stood and turned, looking directly at Perry.
He smiled back, hoping she’d accept his apology.
Her arms came up and wrapped themselves around her shoulders as she hugged herself. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, and her body language conveyed weakness.
It was at that moment that Perry realized the damage he had caused with his explosion last night. But he’d had to tell her; their lives were in danger. He hadn’t seen his son in fifteen years. Previously, he had decided that Marge didn’t need to know about a man she would never meet, let alone have a relationship with. After Elton went to jail for life with no chance of parole, for killing his mother and his two sisters, Perry had packed Marge up and fled to Canada. Marge had never heard of Elton, or Elton’s mother, because it was a mistake Perry didn’t want to relive. Ever.
After ten years of marriage, Perry had wondered if he’d made the right choice with his life. He was in his early forties and going through an internal crisis. He attended a conference in Las Vegas and slept with a stripper. It was the stupidest thing he had ever done. That stripper got pregnant. It just so happened that this particular peeler was religious enough to be pro-life. She had a baby boy named Elton and hunted Perry down. Although they’d only talked twice, she swore she would make sure their son would know who his father was and what he did.
Over the years Perry never cheated again. He’d decided, since it was a one-night stand which he never intended to repeat, he simply wouldn’t speak of it. He sent as much money as he could hide from Marge. He felt it was his duty, and every time he sent the money he would apologize silently to Marge again and again, even though she never learnt the truth.
Until last night.
Elton’s stripper mother, raised him in a trailer outside Vegas near a commune in Nevada. Elton killed her and his sisters at the age of twenty and went to prison. For reasons unknown to Perry, Elton was out of jail now and in Canada. How he got across the border with ex-con on his resume, Perry couldn’t figure out, but he was here nonetheless and he was coming after his father.
He knew because he’d seen Elton following him. Three different times, he’d seen Elton standing across the street, watching the house.
That night - last night - he’d told Marge, and they’d fought.
As with anything in life, there were consequences from the actions that you take. Now he was about to receive his, through the pain in her eyes.
He gestured towards her. “Marge, I’m sorry—”
“Perry, oh Perry,” she said, stumbling forward a little, her voice cracking.
He watched her go past him and into the hallway. Perry took a deep breath and then followed. He would have to work hard to make his peace with her.
He would have to let her deal with this any way she saw fit, because the truth was she didn’t actually deserve to be walloped in the cheek by the end of a broom.
But then he needed to convince her to pack up and move to a hotel. Elton knew where they lived. He’d be back, and the next time he would kill them.
Perry followed her to the stairs. As he reached the bottom, he heard a faint clacking sound, sharpening with each step. He looked down at black dress shoes on his feet. He touched the suit jacket and shirt that rested on his shoulders.
He was losing his mind. There was no way he
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