As he turned around, he saw Donna approaching with a bag of food in her arms, her vision obscured by the top.
“Hey, honey. Watch your step. There’s a big root right there at the landing.”
Donna paused and turned her body sideways to maneuver around the hazard.
“Where dad?”
Hal walked forward.
“It’s right her…”
Hal looked down. Nothing. The dirt was loose but there was no sign of any root.
“What the…”
Looking up and down the area, he tried to determine where the wooden appendage had gone. Had he tripped over something or was it his feet? He was sure it wasn’t his feet. Something was there but somehow, it had disappeared.
“Dad?”
“Just... take that inside honey.”
They spent the rest of the day unpacking the van and cleaning the cabin. That was another contingency Hal had planned for since he knew Gary hadn’t stayed in the place. He’d brought brooms, mops, and cleaning supplies. Yes, it was technically work but for a free cabin getaway for a week with cleaning duty the price of admission... well... you couldn’t beat that with a stick.
By the time they finished, exhaustion was tapping each of them on the shoulder. Donna fell asleep on Veronica’s lap who sat on the couch. Sean nodded off on the floor with a Captain America comic tucked under his head. Hal stared into space in the lounge chair, contemplative.
“Honey?”
Hal heard the voice on the periphery of his senses but lost in thought, it didn’t quite register someone was speaking to him.
“Honey?”
This time the inquiry came with a subtle urgency, snapping him out of his self-imposed trance.
“Yeah. I’m sorry,” he said, turning his head towards her.
“What’s consuming you?”
He didn’t know if he should mention it but it had been bothering him ever since they arrived. Throwing caution to the wind, he chanced it.
“Did you see that big root at the landing?”
Veronica took a moment to think about what he was talking about.
“Oh. You mean the one you tripped over earlier. No, I didn’t see it but I wasn’t looking for it either.”
He didn’t know whether he should belabor the point. Veronica had a way of dismissing the small details he believed were important. She called it nitpicking. He called it thoroughness.
“I went outside to tell Donna to be careful so she wouldn’t trip over it but when I looked down, it wasn’t there.”
Veronica listened without responding, her countenance attentive and calm.
“I know you may not think this is important but I’m either losing my mind or something strange is going on.”
Veronica’s face softened.
“Listen, honey. I won’t sit here and say you’re going crazy. What I know is that you have been working non-stop for years. This is our first vacation in who knows how long. You’re good at what you do and you do it well.”
She paused letting a smile play across her face.
“You’re a hard worker and I’m proud of you. We all are. But — and this is just a possibility — do you think your mind might be creating these details? Maybe it doesn’t know how to slow down.”
Hal sat pensive, considering her words. He realized she was, again, dismissing what he was saying. But it was a loving dismissal. Plus, she may have been right.
“I know what I saw,” he said, more to himself than to her.
Veronica struggled to her feet, lifting Donna with a small grunt.
“I think it’s time we call it a night. I’ll put Sleeping Beauty to bed. Could you get Sean?”
Hal nodded with a half grin as she disappeared down the hallway into the bedroom.
Nudging Sean with his foot, he aroused him from his slumber which was a surprise since he was a bear to get up at home. In his drowsy stupor, he lumbered down the hallway to his room.
Hal sat for a few moments, unmoving, letting his eyes wander around the room. Veronica was right. His mind was always working. There was always something to do and not enough time to do it. It had been so long, he didn’t know if he knew how to unwind. In the whole scheme of things, what difference did it make if the root was there or not? It changed nothing. Plus, Veronica could have stepped on it and pushed it underground.
All the thinking made his eyes heavy. No need to worry about every little thing. Not this week. He would let go, sit back, and enjoy time with his family.
With that determination on his mind, he raised from the chair, made sure the door was secure and turned off the lights.
Part III - A Casual Oddity
Wonderful days followed. Everyone was having a good time. The stress and jitters of the first day were behind them and they spent their time in genuine enjoyment of each other’s company. Hal couldn’t remember the last time he felt so close to his family. The vacation had turned out to be more than just a time to relax. It was a time to reconnect, to discover, once again, what it meant to be a family instead of just calling themselves one. Not that they never knew. They had just forgotten and let the business of other things get in the way. The time together had allowed them to refocus their priorities.
Board games were instrumental in the familial rejuvenation. Hal thought it was silly at first but it was through them they learned how to communicate and where the bond between them strengthened. They only had brought three but ended up going to the nearest town and buying three more. It was a family affair, the ride to and from the Wal-Mart just as important. It forced them to talk about things they didn’t have the time to talk about before. Or rather make the time. It was worth it. The trip wasn’t only a break from work and school. It was personal therapy for everyone.
For Hal, it changed him. Changed his outlook. No more excuses for working so much that he didn’t have time for his family, using it as a justification to provide for them. They had more than enough. They had what they needed and what they needed before his job was each other.
Midweek came sooner than expected. The day was a brisk seventy degrees. Veronica walked into the living area and observed. Hal was reading a book he had bought years ago—a pastime that all but disappeared since his promotion. Sean was lying on his stomach with his chin resting on his fists set atop one another. He was reading another one of his comics on the floor at Hal's feet. Veronica sighed. It was his coping mechanism. Sean loved his father, but it was rare that they spent time together. Hal's work schedule had affected him over the years. So he retreated into comic books where his father figures were always available.
“It's time for you to leave.”
Hal and Sean looked up from their reading.
“What?”
“Huh?”
Veronica placed her hands on her hips. “I said it's time for both of you to leave.”
She took the comic and magazine from them and placed them on the end table. They both looked at her like puppies who had just gotten their bones taken away.
“They'll be here when you get back. Me and Donna want the house to ourselves so we can have some quality girl time together. That means the both of you have got to go.”
It wasn't untrue. Just sudden. She'd decided right there on the spot.
Hal looked at Sean.
“Well. I guess that's the end of that.”
Ten minutes later, the two of them were walking through the wood trails, armed with a machete, shotgun, and comfortable hiking boots. Sean stayed close to his father as they made their way towards the river.
“Do you think we'll see a bear?”
“Maybe. That's what this is for,” he said, raising the shotgun in his hand.
“Will they try to eat us if we see one?”
Hal could hear genuine concern in Sean's voice who was practically walking on his heels.
“You know, bears don't like to hang around humans. If they smell us, they'll go in the opposite direction. The best thing we can do is don't
run, stay calm, and walk away.”
Hal looked at Sean who was scanning either side of the trail with intense vigilance.
“From what I hear, this river is full of fish. We might see a few if we can find some rocks to walk on.”
He was trying his best to take Sean's mind off of wandering bears though he was keeping watch of that himself.
“Oh,” he said, reaching inside his coat pocket, pulling out his smartphone. “We may as well take pictures while we're out here. Why don't you carry this and take pictures of all the stuff you think is interesting? You can show your friends when we get back home.”
Hal noticed Sean's countenance fell.
“What's the matter?”
Sean looked at the ground.
“I don't have many friends.”
Hal's heart fell into his stomach and all the air left him. He was standing in front of a little boy he didn't know. At that moment, he saw time slip away and Sean as a young man, fractured in areas of his life because of a lack of guidance.
Hal had grown up with a father who loved to spend money which is why his family never had any. He was fun to be around. Everyone loved his company. But he was irresponsible and Hal, his mom, and his sisters were the ones who paid for it. He determined early on to be the opposite of his father. Hal got a job in his teens to help support the family. Now with his own family, they wanted for nothing. Veronica didn't have to work, they lived in a nice neighborhood, and was never late on any bills. His determination had achieved its goal. He was the opposite of his father. The cost of being on the other end of the spectrum was in relationships. Where his dad flourished, he floundered.
He bent down in front of Sean and looked into his freckled face.
“I'm sorry Sean. I really am. Work… being responsible for you guys… I get a one track mind. It's no excuse. I know I haven't been around as much as I should have.”
The words were coming out as an involuntary response, the reality of their truth hitting him like a truck, stunning him into silence.
“Dad? You okay?”
Hal awoke from his poignant musing.
“I am because I'm here with you.” Hal smiled. “Things will change. I want you to believe that. I want you to know that you may not have many friends but I'm your friend. Your best friend if you'll let me. Deal?”
Sean nodded. “O.K.”
Hal stood up. “Awesome. Now, let's see what trouble we can go get into.”
Another ten-minute hike and they were on the edge of the French Creek River. They walked down the bank, looking into the water for fish but had no success. However, they found toads and water snakes.
Sean took a liking at being the photographer, having taken about fifteen photos. Turning the camera towards the forest behind them, he snapped a photo while Hal scrutinized the murky water looking for signs of movement.”
“I don't think we will find too much out here today. May have picked a bad time.”
“Dad!”
Hal turned around. Sean was standing near the edge of the forest, peering into the woods. “What's that?” Sean pointed at something in the woods. Hal could make out an odd shape about thirty feet in.
“Huh. Don't know. Stay here.”
Hal made his way through the brush, keeping his eyes fixed on the dark object, readying his shotgun as a precaution. As he walked closer, and it became clear what it was, he saw it wasn't a threat and waved Sean to him.
They stood on the perimeter of a circle made of large, unkempt stones of different shapes and sizes. Some were goldish-beige while others were gray. In the center of the circle was an old tree stump entangled with dark green foliage which did not appear to be native to the surrounding forest. On top of the tree stump was a large, ornate silver bowl surrounded by a lavish array of candles in different sizes, shapes, and colors. An old hollow tree trunk lay in front.
“What is that?” Sean said.
“Looks like some kind of altar.”
Hal walked into the circle towards the tree trunk.
“What's it for?”
He peered down into the bowl.
“I don't know.”
A dark green, viscous fluid filled the bowl. Sean took several pictures of the whole scene.
“Cool.”
Hal didn't share Sean's enthusiasm. Something was disturbing, a burgeoning wave of uneasiness breaking over him.
“Let's get out of here.”
On the way back to the cottage, Hal scanned either side of the trail with intense vigilance.
Part IV - Something's Awake
The night before they Departed, Hal couldn't get the altar out of his mind. It had been a few days and the thought of it loitered in the recesses of his thoughts. Veronica said it could have been part of a live action roleplaying event. He didn't know what that was even after she explained; it sounded like Nerdville U.S.A. Why people would want to dress up in costumes and run around playing pretend as adults in the woods? It sounded loony. She had insisted it took place in various forms all around the country and it was the most plausible explanation for the altar's existence. He'd heard and seen Trekkie, Star Wars, and comic book fans online dressing up for conventions. She was probably right. It just made little sense to him.
“You know, with everything that’s gone on this week, I think we forgot to enjoy the outdoors. So, I say we make an old-fashioned campfire. We get some hot dogs, marshmallows, roast them on a stick, sing campfire songs, the works.”
“I don’t know any campfire songs, daddy,” Donna said.
“Don’t worry about it pumpkin,” Hal replied, coming from behind and wrapping his arms around her. “Daddy can teach them to you.”
“Goodness,” Veronica said. “I haven’t done that in so long. I don’t even remember any songs. Last time I was at a campfire was, I want to say, I was a girl scout. Seventeen, eighteen.”
“We had a campfire last month in the Boy Scouts. Had them all the time in Cub Scouts too at Camp Mshindo,” Sean interjected. “We told stories which was fun. Some stories were lame, but some were pretty good. I liked the one about the motorcycle man with no head.”
“Dad. I don't wanna hear the story about the headless motorcycle man,” Donna said.
“That's fine sweetie. If we tell any stories, they will be nice ones.” Hal gave her a quick kiss. “So, it’s unanimous. We’ll go get the hot dogs and marshmallows, gather some firewood, and get this thing going.”
A few hours later, they had everything they needed from the store. The ladies volunteered to prepare the chairs while Hal and Sean went into the forest to gather firewood. Armed with the machete, they spotted a small tree.
“This is a good place to start,” Hal said, putting a slight bend in the tree's appendage, chopping the branches at the base so he’d have a clear cutting path.
“Step back,” he said. “Don’t want to hit you when I start swinging.”
The blade was sharp, steel severing the tree meat, wood chips littering the forest floor before cleaving through, leaving a small stump. He then worked his way to the branches of the bigger trees, cutting and breaking, the cracking of the wood echoing in the emptiness of the forest. Satisfied that he had enough for what they needed, Sean and him hauled the branches back to the turnaround in the driveway where they decided they would create the campfire.
“Dad. What is that?”
It began when he cut down the first tree but he wasn’t sure since his cutting drowned it out. But now, it was distinct. A low exhalation, like a dying man breathing through oxygen tubes connected to an amplifier. Hal turned around and scanned the forest to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. Then, as sudden as it came, it stopped.
“Hm,” he said, peering into the hanging branches and foliage of the forest. “I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s gone now.”
“You think it's a bear?”
“Nah. I think we’d see a bear.”
They finished cutting and piling the wood and within twenty minutes h
ad a sizable fire ignited. Veronica and Donna had set out the chairs and food on a tray, picking the best branches and sharpening their ends for the hot dogs and marshmallows. They set citronella candles at strategic locations around the perimeter of their sitting area. Everyone had a generous amount of mosquito repellent sprayed on.
Soon, they huddled around, watching the orange flames dance to a silent rhythm. They started off by singing songs where the proper note was only hit half of the time. Afterward, they graduated to word games. Darkness soon fell, but they continued on, secure in the glow of the campfire and each other’s company.
The sky was clear and cloudless, the stars visible and bright on the canvass of space.
“Dad?” Donna said.
“Yes, honey.”
“Did God put all those stars in the sky?”
Hal, charmed by the innocence of the question recognized the level of profundity to it that belied its simplicity. He wasn’t a religious man, but he wasn’t an atheist either. He believed something was out there, ordering the universe in all its many aspects. It was that order that convinced him of a hand of intelligence. Whether it was God, alien, extra-dimensional, or all three, he didn't know.
“Yeah. I believe so, sweetheart.”
“Can we come back every year and stay?”
Hal turned to Donna smiling. Young. Transparent. He loved that about her. It reminded him of what he used to be like when he was younger. Adults lost that quality with age. People get guarded. Care too much about image.
“I second that,” Veronica said raising her hand.
“Third and fourth!” Sean said, raising both hands high above his head.
He knew they were having a good time, but he didn’t know the place had grown on them so soon.
“Yeah,” Hal said. “I think we could arrange something like that to ha... ”
Koosh!
The fire erupted heated wood shrapnel and ash scattering everywhere. Donna and Veronica let out a scream. On instinct, Hal shielded his family as best he could, campfire debris leaving scorch marks on his clothes, burning his skin. He turned and looked back at where the fire had been and froze in his tracks. It was difficult to see in the dark, their only light cast by the softness of the citronella candles, but it appeared as if the ground had grown four tentacles over seven feet in height. The small gang of them swayed back and forth like charmed cobras. He didn’t know what to think, didn't know if his eyes were playing tricks on him. Donna squeezed him with all the strength she had which snapped him out of his temporary trance.
The Inception Trilogy Page 3
