He's Coming

I called Ody to tell her I've moved out of that god forsaken house. She was overjoyed and told me she'd come over, but I told her to come tomorrow because my new place is still messy and I wouldn't want her to see it before I get it decorated. So I said I'll come over to her place instead.

Ody was gardening when I reached her castle of a house. She's on leave every Tuesday and Wednesday, so she had work through the weekends in exchange. The time she's got in these two days are usually spent on her small garden or reading books. A classic lady, as if she'd been sucked out of an 18th century storybook.

"Lucille!" She exclaimed, full of her classic vigor. "Oh God, tell me, how's your new place? You never told me you're gonna rent out, you sneaky little thing!"

"Just right for me I suppose," I replied coyly. "It's a small place, but it's got a nice view of the valley and the mountain. Didn't tell you about it because I want it to be a surprise, I guess."

"I feel so proud of you. I never liked you staying in that house, knowing what my uncle Johnny could be."

"And Hannah makes it double the effing trouble," I interjected. Ody was slightly taken aback by me calling mother by her first name. I never did that before, but I figured it's time I start getting used to kicking Hannah out of my life.

"Do you need anything for your new house? Blinds? Lamps? Fluorescent stars? Jason Statham's poster? Anything?" Ody is kicking into her gift barrage mode again.

"No, no, no... I don't, well, probably new paint but I'll get that by myself, thank you,"

"Paint! Oh! Do call me over when you're going to paint your house! I love painting!"

"Uhh... I was thinking of calling Billy Bob to do that for me actually, since I also need some fixing with the paneling..."

Ody sighed. "Nothing for me to do at all for you Lucy?"

"...Okay, you can help me choose some new bed sheets for me..."

We were just walking past the stairs when Dorothy came out of her study. She looked skinnier than I remembered her, and a lot pale. Come to think of it I haven't seen Dorothy since a few months ago.

"Dorothy? You okay?" I asked. She looked up to me and gave me a weak smile.

"I'm okay, I'm fine..." she mumbled, before collapsing on the floor. Ody grabbed her and called the housekeeper to carry her back to her bedroom. I offered to help but Ody refused.

"You just wait for me in the living room, Mrs. Finnigan and I will send her ourselves. You're the guest." Ody insisted. I can't do anything but agree.

As they went upstairs I noticed that the door to Dorothy's study is slightly ajar. I've been friends with Ody for a few years now and this is the first time I've seen the mahogany door to the study unlocked. Ody did told me once that her nana doesn't like anybody going inside the study.

Looking around, and being relatively sure nobody was around, I sneaked myself through the door.

Standing before me, rows upon rows of books on a huge bookshelf. All leather bound books with no titles on the spine cover. Dust covers the entire room like a soft tulle blanket,except for a large marble top study table and the towering books sitting on a pile next to it. Perhaps Dorothy had been reading those recently, I thought to myself.

I reached towards a book on the table. Apparently it wasn't a story book or a research thesis like most leather bound books I've seen in my life : It's a journal.

HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING HE'S COMING

That was all there is inside the book. HE'S COMING numerously written all through the pages. Suddenly it feels like danger is lurking inside of me, a chill running down my spine. Dorothy is afraid of someone. And this someone is coming for her. Should I warn Ody?

I flipped through the pages and the pressure of the fountain pen Dorothy was using while writing the words over and over again rapidly increasing. She's really pressing into each letter as if she wants the person she was writing about to go away each and every time she wrote those words. Then it became violent, the handwriting slowly growing intense, and on the last few pages she had pressed so hard against the paper it rips along the lines where her words were scrawled.

On the very last page, my blood froze and curdled upon reading the last sentence.

Q. LEWIS I AM SORRY NOW HE'S COMING FOR ME I AM SORRY

There was only one Q. Lewis in this town. My father.

I heard Ody coming down the stairs talking with the housekeeper. Immediately I sneaked out of the study and closed the door behind me, just right before Ody came.

"Why didn't you take a seat just now?"

"I uh, I don't feel like sitting yet." I lied. "What's wrong with Dorothy?"

"Mom told me Nana's having some problem with her liver. The doctor prescribed her medicines for that but she won't eat any. She won't eat anything for that matter. Just drinking cold water from the tap in the kitchen, nothing else. This has been going on for months now. Mom tried to talk to her, but Nana just told her that she just don't have any appetite for anything and if she eats anything she's just going to vomit it so she won't eat. I'm worried of her..."

"Did she say anything else to any of your family members? She could be feeling a little stressed out maybe?" I tried my luck.

"Well, no, but she's been keeping herself in the study longer than she ever did before. And I'd hear her cry inside the study but she won't open the door for anyone. She just wants to be left alone."

"That's weird..." I said. "Poor Dorothy."

"I hope she'd be alright," Meekly, Ody turned and looked outside of the window across the hall. "I really care about nana."

"She'll be alright Ody, just be sure to try to convince her to eat something." I replied. Ody sighed.

I bid farewell to Ody when it's getting dark and walked towards a convenience store for a TV dinner. My mind is so clouded with the mystery of what I've read in Dorothy's journal, I didn't realize where I was walking and walked into Frank Bohn. The Frank Bohn.

"Whoa there little lady!" he exclaimed as I fell butt first on the pavement. "Watch where ya goin', don't wanna run your pretty nose into a pole!" He helped me up and cackled as I try to hide my embarrassment. Frank Bohn is the guy of Toucan, and while many talk of his philandering ways, he's still the most handsome man in Toucan and ladies would literally surround him wherever he is (which in itself explains why he's been philandering at the first place). Though he doesn't seem like he's interested to find a partner beyond the sheets of his bed...

"I'm sorry-- I wasn't thinking much-- I uh--" I stammered.

"Naw it's okay Miss Lewis. I wasn't looking round myself," he tousled his short brown hair, grinning. I'm trying very hard not to squeal like a desperate little fan-girl. "Quite dark for a lady like ya to walk around here. Ya want me to accompany you?"

Oh God.

"I uhh-- I think I'm okay-- I'm just gonna get some-- dinner and I'll be fine if I--" I pointed frantically towards random directions.

"Toucan's quiet past sundown an' ya know that Miss Lewis. Be dangerous if ya walk alone. Bad guys loves themselves a pretty lady like ya, ya know. I'll walk with ya. Ain't got nothing to do anyways."

"But I uhh-- I don't--"

"Ahhh, ya afraid I'd do things to ya like them townsfolk keep saying about me? Don't worry Miss Lewis I assure ya, ya too young for me! I'm about as old as ya late father, God bless his soul!" He laughed. God, he looks like Norman Reedus, laughing like that. An older version of Norman Reedus, but still Norman ---

"Move along and get ya dinner, Miss Lewis. I'll be waiting here. Just gonna have a puff. Take ya time."

I could hear my brain imploding.

Frank Bohn is outside of this store, waiting for me to get my lame chilled mac and cheese and offered to walk me home. WHAT. THE. F---

"That'd be $14.99, Miss Lewis." I handed my money to the cashier in a daze.

"Don't worry Miss Lewis, Bohn ain't the kinda guy that'd like, hurt you or anything. I think he means well. It is kinda dark. You should go home quickly." The cashier boy is reading my mind. All of my wut.

Walking next to Bohn makes my head feel giddy. I don't really fancy him that much but, ahh , I don't know. It just feels weird.

"Moved out of ye family's house?" He said when I told him I'm not going to Franklin's Rd. "Boyfriend?" he grinned.

"Yes and no... I moved out cuz I can't stand mother, and I live alone. As a matter of fact I'd be calling Billy Bob tomorrow so you guys could survey my place and tell me how much I'd need to pay to fix the paneling." I said mindlessly. If he'd ask now I probably will tell him my ATM password too.

"Really? That bad, the paneling?"

"There were holes either from domestic violence or the person before me lived with lots of wild buffalo."

He laughed again. I'm starting to really like seeing him laughing.

"Funny girl, ain't ya? I'll come round tomorrow then, no need to call Billy. I'll tell him myself." He looked up when I said we've arrived.

"Ya live here, Miss Lewis?"

"Yeah, why?"

He hesitated. "No, nothing. I'll walk you to yer door."

"That's not necessary, I can--"

"I insist, Miss Lewis." He looked serious all of a sudden. "Come, lets go." He literally pulled on my arm to the apartment lobby.

He finally talked to me when we're both inside the elevator.

"Miss Lewis, you been picking bad real estate here. Ya know who yer neighbors are in this here building?"

"Uhh, not yet, why? What's wrong? You're scaring me."

"Bunch of weird ass people here," he leaned and whispered to me. "These people are pagans. The whole lot of em. Don't believe such things like Jesus, these people, I tell ya. They'd rather some old god of the forests. I'm surprised they let you live in here. Probably looking for a new recruit. Now I don't care ya be believing in what god ye want, but not that god. Please do me a favor. Last girl they be bringing in was my cousin Elsa, and I never saw her again since she joined."

Finally arriving to my apartment door, he gave me his phone number. "I live right across the street in front of this building. Kinda hard to see I guess, from your window. But if there be anything, call me up and I'll get ya help. Or call the police. But I doubt they be faster than I do."

I simply nodded, my brain tries it's very best to process the information I just got.

"I'll be coming round to fix that paneling for ya tomorrow," he suddenly said out loud, probably trying to get suspicion off if anybody is listening in on us. "Take care Miss Lewis. Good night."

"Thank you, Mr Bohn."

"Just call me Frank."