Happy Hell
"Good mornin', Trish" I smiled at my wife, leanin' in to kiss her. Didn't get far though. That whirlwind of a son of mine bounces up the bed shriekin' about that's how he gets sisters. Shakin' my head amused, I ruffled his hair. "Don't ya want sister, Zach?"
"Ewww, no way dad!" Zach wrinkled his nose and made a face of disgust. Scootin' out of bed, I shared a look with my lovely, beautiful wife before throwin' on some clothes. Time to get the day started. Yup. First I'll go get the newspaper. Gotta stay informed 'bout everything.
It's nice and sunny out, just like every day. Gotta love this town. Gotta love my neighbors. Grabbin' the paper from the law, I smiled and waved at O'Dawing's from 'cross the street. Gotta get together for our weekly game of bridge real soon again. Takin' in a deep breath, I closed my eyes and smiled even broader. Damn, I love this place. Movin' here was definitely the best thing we done. Hummin' under my breath I walked back to the house.
Pickin' up the boy's skateboard, I shake my head amused. How many times did I tell him not to leave it out like that. Someone might trip over it and get a bruise. That be nasty and not very fittin' for our new home. I'm gonna have a talk with the boy again. He's still so young and full of live. Ah, to be that young again.
Once back in the kitchen, I smiled at Trish as I sat down. Breakfast smelled good as usual. She's a fine woman, my Trish is. I leaned over to check out Zach's homework. Hey, science. Somehow that's familiar. Takin' the book, I smiled at him and started to quiz him to see if he's got it right. He's so gonna ace that test, my boy is. "Kay, from the top. The earth's outer layer is called?"
"The crust," Zach beams at me.
Noddin' I smiled at him. "And underneath that?"
"The mantle."
"And under that?" He looks a bit unsure. "C'mon y'know this."
"The outer core?" Zach says hesitantly.
"And under that?"
"The inner core," he says, more certain now.
"And under that?"
He seems to think that over before answerin'. "Under that...Nothing?"
Smillin' I nodded at him. "Nothin' but the soft chewy center."
"Hon? The light bulb from the oven just went out. I need a new one from the cellar.'
Suddenly feelin' uneasy, I glanced at her and shifted in my chair. "There should be some in the hall closet."
Tish smiled at with a shake of her head. "Just regular ones. Little ones are downstairs."
"But Zach was just 'bout to tell me 'bout the lithosphere."
Still smilin', she puts her hand on my shoulder. "I kinda need it now."
I sighed, gettin' up with a nod. "Kay, I'll be right back then." There's a sense of dread fillin' me as I walk to the door of the cellar. I dunno why, but I really don't wanna go down those stairs. An uneasy smile went over my face as Trish called out we kept them on the shelf where we kept the thingies. Takin' a deep breath, I opened the door and suddenly remembered.
"Then it's still Fred right? That thing is just controlin'--"
"She's gone."
"I've been unreasonable because I lost all reason. But I should't be taking it out on you. I know you've done everything you can. I'm sorry."
"You know a way. You have to!"
"The deal was that you released the sarcophagus from custom for an upgrade, Mister Gunn."
"Then take it back! Everything that's in my head. The law, the knowledge. Take it back! Everything! Take more. Leave me a vegetable, I don't care. Just bring her back...please. "
"Nothing left to bring back. Ms. Burkles soul was consumed by the fires of resurrection. Everything she was is gone. Forever."
"Is there something you'd like to tell me, Charles?"
"Listen Gunn. I know you feel bad about your part in what happened to Fred, and ou should. For the rest of your life, it should wake you up in the middle of the night. And it will, because you're a good man. You just signed a piece of paper, that's all."
"I...I didn't think it would be one of us! I didn't think it would be Fred!"
"You know, the thing about atonement is, you never run out of chanced. But you gotta take 'em. You can't hide in some hospital room and pretend it's all gonna go away. 'Cause it never will."
"I understand not wanting to go back. Not wanting to be who we were. I understand it and I can forgive it. But you knew what was happening to her. You knew who was responsible and you didn't say anything. You let her die...I'm less forgiving about that."
The knife piercing my skin, my chest, cuttin' out my heart hurt like a son offa bitch. But it didn't hurt a much as the looks in my friends eyes when they found out what I did. It didn't hurt as much as the scalpel Wes plunged into me. I deserved that.
Just as I deserve this.
"Ewww, no way dad!" Zach wrinkled his nose and made a face of disgust. Scootin' out of bed, I shared a look with my lovely, beautiful wife before throwin' on some clothes. Time to get the day started. Yup. First I'll go get the newspaper. Gotta stay informed 'bout everything.
It's nice and sunny out, just like every day. Gotta love this town. Gotta love my neighbors. Grabbin' the paper from the law, I smiled and waved at O'Dawing's from 'cross the street. Gotta get together for our weekly game of bridge real soon again. Takin' in a deep breath, I closed my eyes and smiled even broader. Damn, I love this place. Movin' here was definitely the best thing we done. Hummin' under my breath I walked back to the house.
Pickin' up the boy's skateboard, I shake my head amused. How many times did I tell him not to leave it out like that. Someone might trip over it and get a bruise. That be nasty and not very fittin' for our new home. I'm gonna have a talk with the boy again. He's still so young and full of live. Ah, to be that young again.
Once back in the kitchen, I smiled at Trish as I sat down. Breakfast smelled good as usual. She's a fine woman, my Trish is. I leaned over to check out Zach's homework. Hey, science. Somehow that's familiar. Takin' the book, I smiled at him and started to quiz him to see if he's got it right. He's so gonna ace that test, my boy is. "Kay, from the top. The earth's outer layer is called?"
"The crust," Zach beams at me.
Noddin' I smiled at him. "And underneath that?"
"The mantle."
"And under that?" He looks a bit unsure. "C'mon y'know this."
"The outer core?" Zach says hesitantly.
"And under that?"
"The inner core," he says, more certain now.
"And under that?"
He seems to think that over before answerin'. "Under that...Nothing?"
Smillin' I nodded at him. "Nothin' but the soft chewy center."
"Hon? The light bulb from the oven just went out. I need a new one from the cellar.'
Suddenly feelin' uneasy, I glanced at her and shifted in my chair. "There should be some in the hall closet."
Tish smiled at with a shake of her head. "Just regular ones. Little ones are downstairs."
"But Zach was just 'bout to tell me 'bout the lithosphere."
Still smilin', she puts her hand on my shoulder. "I kinda need it now."
I sighed, gettin' up with a nod. "Kay, I'll be right back then." There's a sense of dread fillin' me as I walk to the door of the cellar. I dunno why, but I really don't wanna go down those stairs. An uneasy smile went over my face as Trish called out we kept them on the shelf where we kept the thingies. Takin' a deep breath, I opened the door and suddenly remembered.
"Then it's still Fred right? That thing is just controlin'--"
"She's gone."
"I've been unreasonable because I lost all reason. But I should't be taking it out on you. I know you've done everything you can. I'm sorry."
"You know a way. You have to!"
"The deal was that you released the sarcophagus from custom for an upgrade, Mister Gunn."
"Then take it back! Everything that's in my head. The law, the knowledge. Take it back! Everything! Take more. Leave me a vegetable, I don't care. Just bring her back...please. "
"Nothing left to bring back. Ms. Burkles soul was consumed by the fires of resurrection. Everything she was is gone. Forever."
"Is there something you'd like to tell me, Charles?"
"Listen Gunn. I know you feel bad about your part in what happened to Fred, and ou should. For the rest of your life, it should wake you up in the middle of the night. And it will, because you're a good man. You just signed a piece of paper, that's all."
"I...I didn't think it would be one of us! I didn't think it would be Fred!"
"You know, the thing about atonement is, you never run out of chanced. But you gotta take 'em. You can't hide in some hospital room and pretend it's all gonna go away. 'Cause it never will."
"I understand not wanting to go back. Not wanting to be who we were. I understand it and I can forgive it. But you knew what was happening to her. You knew who was responsible and you didn't say anything. You let her die...I'm less forgiving about that."
The knife piercing my skin, my chest, cuttin' out my heart hurt like a son offa bitch. But it didn't hurt a much as the looks in my friends eyes when they found out what I did. It didn't hurt as much as the scalpel Wes plunged into me. I deserved that.
Just as I deserve this.