Free Bottled Abyss by Benjamin Kane Ethridge Page B

The Border Collie’s ears dropped in self admonishment and the bottle fell sideways against the doghouse. The unusual tempered glass was different than any she’d ever seen, like overlapping blades of shadow. She reached again for the bottle and jumped back as Lester let out a snappish bark. Lester retreated inside the doghouse, bringing it back with him.
    Janet decided to leave things alone. Let him cool down . “But don’t think I won’t be back, mister.”
    She returned for the house.
    In the kitchen, Faye sat at the cluttered table. The bag of assorted alcohols had been neatly twist-tied and rested against the wall with three other trash bags taken from throughout the house. Janet planned to head straight for the bedroom, but then she noticed the tears peaking in Faye’s eyes.
    Faye scrubbed the tears away as Janet approached. “So how’s Les doing?”
    Janet folded her arms. “What did you find?”
    Faye slid out something from under a stack of Herman’s various water pump manuals. “This.”
    Janet knew the photo well. It had been taken at Melody’s one year-old birthday party at the park. Faye was spinning her around, background set to brilliant slopes of green grass and the distant, ghostly presence of weeping willows near a duck pond. That had been a really fun day. To think it had only been a few years ago too… Faye looked quite younger, and Melody, as with all photos of her now, was astonishingly beautiful and alive.
    Faye got up from the table and hugged Janet tightly around the waist. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you…too…”
    “I’m sorry.”
    She pushed back and pecked Janet on the cheek. “Don’t be. I’m not being that helpful, am I? Blubbering idiot is what I am.”
    “Now stop… Hey, I’m just gonna…”
    “Yeah.”
    “…lay down now.”
    “Of course. Go.” Faye slid her overlarge purse off the table and began to rummage through it, probably for something she didn’t need right now.
    Outside, a car horn blared.
    Faye smiled crookedly. “I don’t know why he’s honking, the silly guy. Probably isn’t thinking, worried about He-Man and all. I told him he needs to stay here with you. I have other errands to run and I don’t want you alone.”
    “No,” Janet’s voice squeaked. “He’ll be bored here.”
    “He’ll be fine. He can watch ESPN.” Faye went through the front door. Her eyeliner was smudged from crying and the streaking made her look more exotic, rebellious, something Faye definitely wasn’t. “Be back in a little while, babe.”
    Within minutes, Evan was walking resolutely through the door. He wore an orange sherbet colored polo shirt, khaki pants, and despite the relatively cooler Southern California weather, carried himself like an overheated car salesman after a summer blow-out sale. He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and took off his glasses to examine them.
    Janet dropped on the couch. There wasn’t a chance Evan would let her take a nap. She waited for him to say something and when he didn’t, she knew exactly what type of conversation this would be and her headache instantly grew new roots.
    He put his glasses back on and stood there, wary of her, a Clark Kent with only one identity. “I don’t know where he is, Jan,” he finally said, “but you know what, I’m beginning not to care.”
    “Herman’ll turn up. He just freaked out and went to hide. It’s his way. Did you call all his jobs?”
    “Yes I did.”
    “Even the machine shop?”
    “All of them.”
    “He’s driving then. Probably lost in L.A. ”
    “Wondering if you’re dead?”
    “I regained consciousness right after we got to the hospital. He knew I’d make it.”
    “No he didn’t. I talked to him, Janet. He sounded crazy.”
    “I forgot you told me about that.”
    “I didn’t tell you everything,” said Evan.
    Janet rolled her neck and it cracked. “I don’t want to know.”
    “Well, good.” Evan paused. “Because I don’t want to talk about