Forgotten Fears Read Online Free PDF

come.
    “I’ll call you as soon as the power company gets in touch. Have a safe trip.”
    He closed the car door and watched as she pulled on her seat belt. Tyler was heavy-eyed in his safety seat, so Billy decided it was best not to disturb him. Angeline gave him a last furtive look, then drove the car in a lazy circle, and headed slowly down the dusty road snaking away from the house. She waved as she went, and he responded in kind, ignoring the greasy roll of his stomach as his discomfort grew.
    The first spot of rain touched his cheek and spotted his shirt as the thunderheads continued to build overhead. Not only was there going to be a storm, it looked like it might be a bad one. Billy sighed and walked back towards the house, hoping the time away from his wife might help him to make some sense of what he wanted from life, and more importantly, if Angeline was a part of it.
     
     
    Chapter Two
    ~I~
     
     
    The novelty of having the house to himself lasted for all of half an hour. At first, the lack of Tyler’s screaming and the whirlwind of chaos that went with him was bliss, but that quickly waned into boredom, and now, a little less than an hour after Angeline had driven away, he was feeling the effects of being alone. His isolation had been put to bed, for the time being at least, ideas of asking for a divorce. He walked through the house and out into the garden. The clouds seemed to have actually broken up a little, and although the sun was putting up a valiant fight, he suspected the thunderheads would eventually win. He held his breath and listened. Apart from the chatter of birdsong, there was silence. He watched as his shadow faded away as the clouds once again covered the sun, and another few drops of rain fell. He could taste the storm in the air, and suspected it could be a bitch. Struggling to shake off the feeling of isolation, he went back inside the house and walked through the rooms. Their wedding photograph was on the fireplace in the living room, and although he saw it every day, he picked it up and for the first time really looked at it.
    It was plain to see they were both much happier. Angeline’s blue eyes bright and full of hope, her smile wide and natural. He stood beside her, proud in his suit, his hair back then showing less of the flecks of gray that now littered his sideburns. He compared the photograph to his reflection in the glass, and even in its murky half transparency saw the extra frown lines and tension in his face that were absent from his wedding picture. Although time had been kind to Angeline, it seemed to have kicked him squarely in the face.
    He set the photo back on the mantle, disassembled Tyler’s cushion fort, and flopped down onto the sofa, lying across its full length. His eyes were heavy, and the silence which had bothered him so much earlier now soothed him. He glanced at the window, and could see a few streaks of rain were appearing on the glass. Stifling a yawn, he closed his eyes, only intending to rest them for a moment.
    He was asleep within minutes.
     
    ~II~
     
    Something pulled him out of his nightmare. He awoke with a start and for a moment, was unsure where he was. The rain drove against the window, and the room had grown murky. The ghost of his dream lingered in his mind as he rubbed his eyes.
    In it, Angeline was with Tyler, driving towards her mother’s house. The storm that had been threatening was in full force, and the rain drove hard against the blacktop. He observed all of this from the passenger seat of the car and yet, he couldn’t move, nor did Angeline acknowledge his presence. She was driving too fast, squinting out of the window as she tried to navigate the vehicle. He wanted to call out to her, but he couldn’t open his mouth. When he looked in the wing mirror, he could see it was sewn shut with thick black cotton. Tyler started to cry, and already distressed, Angeline lost focus, passing his favorite toy between the seats to him in the