Eberstark said. “He specifically heard your daughter talking to my wife, after she had died.”
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Eberstark, but that’s not true. I don’t know who he was talking about, but it wasn’t my little girl. It must have been someone else.”
Mr. Eberstark and his son, Tom, exchanged confused glances. “Oh, well, then I’m sorry for bothering you,” Tom said. “It’s all been a big misunderstanding.”
“Do you mind telling me who this man is?” Ruth inquired.
“I’d rather not. He felt funny bringing it up, since he was ease dropping on a personal conversation.”
“Anyway,” the old man said, “we’re terribly sorry for the disturbance and I hope you’ll forgive us. We’ll be out of your way.” Mr. Eberstark and Tom rose, bowed their heads, and headed out the door, leaving Ruth more confused than she’d ever been.
Chapter Ten
Lotus and the group of girls she’d asked to spend the night giggled loudly. Ruth, never one of those mothers who enjoyed teens invading her home, dealt with it as best she could. She’d stocked the fridge and cupboards with drinks and snacks and ordered pizzas, then locked herself in her bedroom with a book, a cup of tea and Puddles sleeping at the end of the bed. Of course, the last few months had found her in bed often. It was even a chore to get up in the morning, let alone cook and clean. The housework took a toll without her help, and Paul and the girls, more often than not, heated TV dinners in the microwave for supper.
All was going well, until she heard a soft knock on her door. Lotus opened it, came to the side of her mother’s bed, and frowned.
“What’s up?” She removed her reading glasses and rubbed her tired eyes.
“Mom, there’s a weird smell in the basement.”
“What kinda smell?” she asked tartly.
“It’s really bad.”
“Is it another dead mouse?” They’d had a small mouse problem a few months before, and when caught in the traps, one little rodent could give off a tremendous odor.
“Yeah, but like a thousand times worse.”
“What?” She pushed the blanket off her lap and stood. “What is it, you s’pose?”
Lotus, her long, black hair in a ponytail, walked out behind her mother, and down the stairs. A t-shirt and a pair of boxers was her outfit of choice for her gathering of friends.
Paul, asleep on the sofa, stirred when they walked by. “What’s up?” he called out. Half asleep, he turned onto his side and closed his eyes again.
“Nothing,” Ruth whispered. “Go back to sleep.”
They were greeted by a group of wide-eyed girls huddled around the kitchen island, blankets and sweatshirts over their faces.
“We can’t stand to stay down there,” one of them said. “It’s getting worse.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Down the second staircase that led to the basement, Ruth reached the door and opened it. The smell hit her hard. Puddles, right behind her, barked and ran past her into the basement. “Puddles, get up here.” He didn’t listen.
“What the hell?” The stench assaulted her senses so foully, she slammed the door immediately and gagged. A smell of rot so hideous it incapacitated her now brought her to her knees, and she dry heaved.
Lotus was right. It smelled as if an elephant had died and was rotting slowly in the hot sun.
“Mom?” Lotus called to her, and Ruth slowly got to her feet. Little by little, as if gut-punched, she stood and made her way back upstairs.
“Mom, what is it?”
Ruth didn’t speak but simply stared mutely at her daughter.
“Mom?”
Her jaws paralyzed, she worked at them until her mouth opened. “I-I don’t know. I’ll wake your dad. You guys go wait outside.”
She scuttled into the bathroom where she vomited, losing her dinner, saddened at the loss of calories. She went to the living room and shook Paul. “There’s a horrible stench in the basement, Paul. You have to go and see what it is. It’s so bad, we might have to
“I’m so sorry, Mr. Eberstark, but that’s not true. I don’t know who he was talking about, but it wasn’t my little girl. It must have been someone else.”
Mr. Eberstark and his son, Tom, exchanged confused glances. “Oh, well, then I’m sorry for bothering you,” Tom said. “It’s all been a big misunderstanding.”
“Do you mind telling me who this man is?” Ruth inquired.
“I’d rather not. He felt funny bringing it up, since he was ease dropping on a personal conversation.”
“Anyway,” the old man said, “we’re terribly sorry for the disturbance and I hope you’ll forgive us. We’ll be out of your way.” Mr. Eberstark and Tom rose, bowed their heads, and headed out the door, leaving Ruth more confused than she’d ever been.
Chapter Ten
Lotus and the group of girls she’d asked to spend the night giggled loudly. Ruth, never one of those mothers who enjoyed teens invading her home, dealt with it as best she could. She’d stocked the fridge and cupboards with drinks and snacks and ordered pizzas, then locked herself in her bedroom with a book, a cup of tea and Puddles sleeping at the end of the bed. Of course, the last few months had found her in bed often. It was even a chore to get up in the morning, let alone cook and clean. The housework took a toll without her help, and Paul and the girls, more often than not, heated TV dinners in the microwave for supper.
All was going well, until she heard a soft knock on her door. Lotus opened it, came to the side of her mother’s bed, and frowned.
“What’s up?” She removed her reading glasses and rubbed her tired eyes.
“Mom, there’s a weird smell in the basement.”
“What kinda smell?” she asked tartly.
“It’s really bad.”
“Is it another dead mouse?” They’d had a small mouse problem a few months before, and when caught in the traps, one little rodent could give off a tremendous odor.
“Yeah, but like a thousand times worse.”
“What?” She pushed the blanket off her lap and stood. “What is it, you s’pose?”
Lotus, her long, black hair in a ponytail, walked out behind her mother, and down the stairs. A t-shirt and a pair of boxers was her outfit of choice for her gathering of friends.
Paul, asleep on the sofa, stirred when they walked by. “What’s up?” he called out. Half asleep, he turned onto his side and closed his eyes again.
“Nothing,” Ruth whispered. “Go back to sleep.”
They were greeted by a group of wide-eyed girls huddled around the kitchen island, blankets and sweatshirts over their faces.
“We can’t stand to stay down there,” one of them said. “It’s getting worse.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Down the second staircase that led to the basement, Ruth reached the door and opened it. The smell hit her hard. Puddles, right behind her, barked and ran past her into the basement. “Puddles, get up here.” He didn’t listen.
“What the hell?” The stench assaulted her senses so foully, she slammed the door immediately and gagged. A smell of rot so hideous it incapacitated her now brought her to her knees, and she dry heaved.
Lotus was right. It smelled as if an elephant had died and was rotting slowly in the hot sun.
“Mom?” Lotus called to her, and Ruth slowly got to her feet. Little by little, as if gut-punched, she stood and made her way back upstairs.
“Mom, what is it?”
Ruth didn’t speak but simply stared mutely at her daughter.
“Mom?”
Her jaws paralyzed, she worked at them until her mouth opened. “I-I don’t know. I’ll wake your dad. You guys go wait outside.”
She scuttled into the bathroom where she vomited, losing her dinner, saddened at the loss of calories. She went to the living room and shook Paul. “There’s a horrible stench in the basement, Paul. You have to go and see what it is. It’s so bad, we might have to
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