The Last Night Chapter 5

Chapter 5

White Fire

   15

 “It’s mine.” Wyatt said.

   “I’ll get it.”

   “Not alone you won’t.” He insisted, rising from the steps, his legs trembling beneath him. Ariel reached out to help but stopped herself. He glanced back at her, it’s okay. I got it.”

   They traded worried looks, but said nothing until he reached their bed and retrieved his phone.

   “It’s Mom.”

   “Now what! Sorry, that just popped out.”

  He gave her a quick little smile, “Mom? Something wrong?”

  “Wy, it’s your Daddy. He’s gone again.”

    Ariel could not hear but his expression was not comforting.

  “Wyatt, what is it?” 

 He cupped the phone with his free hand. “I think Daddy’s sleepwalking again.”

  “Wyatt! Are you still there?” Martha Faraday’s voice was suddenly so loud and shrill they both heard it through his hand. 

“Yes, have you checked the house?” 

   “Every room, the whole house is locked tight. He has never locked the house behind him. This is new! And his car is out front, right where he parked it. I, I was hoping maybe he called you or, or something.”

   “Or something?” They both knew what ‘something’ meant.

  “Did, did anything, odd happen, with you two.”

  Wyatt winced at the way she said, ‘you two’. “If he’s on foot….”

   “He could get hit by a car.” She interjected,  “stumbling around in the dark, like he does.”

   “Mom it’s been years since he went wondering,” (their family name for Forrest Faraday’s sleepwalking scares).

  16

 “Yes. I know.” Martha’s voice was cold and sharp. “So, something did happen, didn’t it?”

  “Yeah, but that can wait. Let’s just fry one fish at a time.”

   “Your Father used to say that when he was trying to put me off.”

   “Don’t say used to. We don’t know anything yet. He’ll turn up. He always has.”

  “Always, well we both know things are different now, not the way they always were.”

   “Mama, we’re not doing this, something did happen here something big. But we’re, good, for now. Daddy’s not!” 

    Both were getting loud, loud enough for Ariel to hear every angry word. She turned away and quietly eased downstairs. Wyatt, his back turned away from where Ariel had been standing to keep her from hearing, had no idea she was gone.  

   A full moon hung high above the shimmering lazy surf. Ariel naturally gravitated toward its’ welcoming promise of peace, and soon found herself staring through the sliding glass doors overlooking the patio and the moonlit beach beyond.  

    Her eyes narrowed, trying to focus on something that caught her eye, moments before she slid the door open and stepped out to get a better look at this new dark thing sitting on the beach about thirty feet from the sliding waters. “What is that?” She murmured as she walked down the steps. There was nothing in the air that gave her pause. In fact, a soothing summer breeze kissed her cheek as she made her way to the beach. 

   Of course, the closer she got to this ‘new shape’ the more defined it became. And the more defined the more familiar. “Wyatt?” Of course not, “Forrest!” Impossible. 

The shape did not move. But she stumbled on the soft sand nearly falling face first before regaining her footing. “Mr. Faraday!” She whispered, speaking much lower than she intended. Still motionless, even when she dropped to her knees beside him. 

   But he did speak. His words, bubbles rising through murky waters. “White Fire.”

   “What? Forrest, wake up.”

   He remained stone still. His eyes wide open, locked on the dark distant horizon. Sitting with legs bent up, nearly naked on the sand, dressed in boxers and nothing else. His arms and hands slack draped on boney bare knees. Ariel blushed but quickly boxed her embarrassment and laid her right hand ever so gently on his left shoulder.

    Her body seized up as if she had jammed a metal fork into an electrical outlet.

17

     She slumped against him. Both staring into the grey distance. Both were mesmerized by the same scene. But it was not the ocean, not the moon or sky…

  A yellow barren plane stretched out to something vast as the sky but tingling with energy, not the sky at all, but shifting undulating white flames, yet electric. White noise? Yes. But more than that. Something else, something new. 

   A rifle shot popped in their ears. A pink puff appeared just above a distant horizon only they could see. Another loud pop, another pink puff, the horizon was moving. It was chasing down a great multitude of terrified people, a sea of humanity running away from an impossible horizon, a horizon that moved consumed and would not stop. Those it outran burst like water balloons pricked by red hot needles. But these balloons were people filled with blood until this infinite inescapable wall of fire touched them instantly boiled it and burst their fragile human bodies like bubbles in the sun.

   “Ariel!” Her name, a dull distant annoyance, which managed to distract her from the panoramic horror unfolding in the distance, a distance that grew less with every passing second. She and Forrest could not run. How can you run from your own mind?

   “Ariel” Wyatt yelled. He reached out to grab her shoulder. His hands slid around her tiny frame as if trapped inside a glass bowl.  He yelled again. He heard a low moan, saw her eyes blink. She turned toward him only to fall back on the wet sand.

    “Son? What are you doing here?”

  Forrest swung around and smiled at him. His eyes; still sleep glazed.

   Wyatt twisted to Ariel. “Hey.” She smiled at him.

   Both were obviously not quite back yet, but on their way. 

   “Come on wake up, Daddy wake up.” Wyatt reached out to him and let his fingertips press against his shoulder. Nothing weird happened. 

   The older man dropped his head into his hands and grunted. “What the…” he said when he looked up and finally saw the ocean. “How, how?” He sputtered when Ariel pushed herself up and kicked away from him. 

    “What’s going on?” 

  “Baby it’s alright.”

   She jerked her head around, “where’s our house?” 

   18

 “Right behind us.”

    “This can’t be right?” Forrest twisted around taking in his surroundings. “I can’t be here. Rocky Mount is three hours from here.”

  “Everything has changed.” Ariel rose from the sand and helped Forrest up.

   “I broke reality.” Wyatt stood up and stared right at Ariel.

      “Yeah, I know. You better call your mother.” she said quietly, as they all turned and headed back.