"Townspeople" (Part 6 of 6)

***Spoiler Alert***

This is the final part of a six part story. Read the beginning by following the links below.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

***Spoiler Alert***


"Townspeople"
by Jason Hart

Part 6 of 6

-Present Day-

Nate used his own key to enter the back door of his house. Should have changed the locks, Lara. Waves of memories came crashing down on him as he made his way through his house. A picture of him and Trey grabbed his attention. He was sitting in a hospital room, hair and clothes disheveled, proudly holding his newborn son. "He has your eyes.", Lara had told him. Nate vigorously shook his head the way one might shake an Etch-a-Sketch to erase the memories, and pressed on through the house. He paused at Trey's bedroom door and listened to Trey's rhythmic breathing, watching as his little chest rose and fell with each breath. He leaned his medium sized frame halfway through Trey's doorway, grabbed the doorknob, and slowly closed the door. It was to be his last humane act of the evening, maybe even his entire life.

He continued on down the hallway towards the master bedroom. Once again, he was caught off guard by a picture - his wedding picture. Any normal man would have had great difficulty looking at his own wedding photo right before murdering his wife - but not Nate. It was like there was a literal connection missing in his brain. He had been in the house now for almost 10 minutes, and now, Nate found himself standing at the threshold of Lara's bedroom door. He paused, then crossed the room and stood beside his sleeping wife. Nate grabbed his gun and gripped it with both hands. He pulled back the hammer, pointed the gun directly at Lara's sleeping body, and squeezed the trigger.

****

-Sometime in the Past-

Abby successfully finished her treatment and returned home somewhat rehabilitated. Paul's love for Abby had deepened while she was away, and when she came home, he had a diamond ring waiting for her. "Hopefully this one won't draw quite as much attention." he quipped, "You can wear it whenever you feel comfortable." She put it on that next week, and even ventured into town a few times on her own. Slowly, things returned to normal for Paul and Abby. Paul continued his fishing business, and Abby became stronger and more emotionally stable with each passing day. Then, totally unexpectedly, something happened that Paul and Abby had always dreamed of - they got pregnant. The pregnancy progressed without incident, and before he knew it, Paul was sitting in a hospital room, hair and clothes disheveled, proudly holding his baby. "It's a boy!", the doctor informed the proud parents.

Once they had gotten settled in at their home, a crowd of friends gathered to offer their congratulations. One of them spoke up to be heard over the small audience that had formed,

"What is his name?" an indeterminate figure called out.
"His name is Nate.", Paul answered, beaming.

And all the townspeople declared, "Paul, this is very, very good."

- THE END

****

Thank you so much for reading, "Townspeople" - I hope you enjoyed it! Stay tuned for "Townspeople: An Analysis" coming early next week.

-Jason

"Townspeople" (Part 5 of 6)

"Townspeople"
by Jason Hart


Part 5 of 6


-Present Day-

Nate checked his watch as soon as he saw Lara's bedroom light go out. 20 minutes He thought to himself, then I'm going in. Nate paused and considered what he was about to do. His calm spirit surprised even himself. He pulled a Ziploc bag out of his pocket, plucked each cigarette butt from off the ground, and dropped them one by one into the bag. He sealed the bag and put it back into his pocket. He wasn't a criminal mastermind, but he figured he'd seen enough police shows to know he shouldn't be leaving cigarettes just lying around.

Nate tilted his head slowly from side to side, and shrugged his shoulders. It was time. He reached behind his waist and pulled out a revolver which had been wedged between his pants and the small of his back. He pressed a lever and the six-chambered cylindrical block swung out from underneath the barrel. He dug into his pockets and found the six bullets that he had brought. He gripped them between his thumb and pointer finger and slid each one into it's respective chamber. He pressed the cylinder back underneath the barrel, and slid the gun snugly back into his waistline. Nate took a deep breath, braced himself on the ground with his right hand, and slowly rose to his feet.

****

-Sometime in the Past-

After their "survival" of the train crash, Paul and Abby felt compelled to focus on what was important - and now, a family seemed more important than ever. But the roller coaster of events, not to mention emotions, the past several years started catching up to Abby. Even though a casual observer might have never caught on, inwardly she was falling apart. She never wore any jewelry, hardly ever laughed, and NEVER walked anywhere alone. Even though Paul and Abby made a comfortable living, Abby forced herself to wear simple clothing, and tried her hardest to draw as little attention to herself as possible. After months of quiet suffering, Abby was completely overcome and suffered a complete mental breakdown.

Paul was devastated. In a final act of desperation, he paid for her to receive 6 months of treatment at the best psychiatric hospital in the country, which just so happened to be located 300 miles away. At first Abby wasn't up for it, but after she could bear the pain no longer, she finally agreed to try it. "I guess we'll just have to put our family plans on hold." Paul told her as he was kissing her goodbye, "When you come back, and you WILL come back, I'll be waiting." He wiped away the tears from his eyes, and quickly slipped a pocket watch from inside his jacket. "Here," he explained, "take this, to remember me." And so it was, Paul and Abby, after weathering storms of all stripes were now forced to be separated.

And all the townspeople declared, "Paul, this is bad."

****

...to be continued.

"Townspeople" (Part 4 of 6)

You can click on the links below to read the beginning of "Townspeople"

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

"Townspeople"
by Jason Hart

Part 4 of 6

-Present Day-

Lara wandered through her house tidying up. She grabbed a newspaper from off a chair, folded it, and set it down on her coffee table. She straightened the couch cushions, put a few dishes into the sink, and moved some of Trey's things into the hall closet. Lara yawned and tried to rub the fatigue out of her eyes, Time to call it a day. She moved silently through the kitchen, reached back and flipped off the kitchen light, and headed toward her bedroom.

She brushed her teeth, quickly slipped into her night gown, and crawled into bed. Had Nate still been around, she might have brushed her hair, painted her nails, or spritzed on a little perfume - but not tonight. Tonight she couldn't even force herself to look at her unkempt reflection in the mirror. As she lay staring at the ceiling, water built up at the base of her eye, stumbled over the edge of her eyelid, and began journeying down her cheek. Lara smothered her sobs with her pillow, and let the tears purge the dark memories locked up inside of her mind. She began mumbling random words strung together into sentences that only she could interpret.

Suddenly, an unnatural noise from outside her window startled Lara out of her emotionally induced stupor. She sat up abruptly and quickly brushed the tears from off her face. She held her breath as she strained to hear any more noises. Nothing. Lara rolled her eyes, You're losing it, girl. Pull yourself together. Lara eased back onto her pillow, reached across the bed, turned off her lamp, and drifted off into a fitful sleep.

****
-Sometime in the Past-

Paul's patient love and devotion was the fuel that powered the engine of Abby's steady recovery. Despite her improvements, she still wasn't feeling good enough to do any traveling, and they had to make the unfortunate decision to cancel their planned train ride. The week of Paul and Abby's would-be vacation came...and went. During that time they just sat around their house moping as if they were scheduled to die at the end it. The web of confusion weaved by the recent string of events left them feeling trapped, ready for what remained of their lives to just be sucked from their bodies.

But one morning, while reading the newspaper at the breakfast table, a headline commanded Paul's full attention - "NO SURVIVORS IN TRAIN CRASH TRAGEDY". Paul speechlessly handed the newspaper to Abby and simply pointed to the article. The very train that they had originally planned to vacation on had crashed. As the full realization of their decidedly generous fate sank in, they sat stunned, totally overwhelmed by emotion. As they pondered the implications, they began shedding tears of joy - We're alive!

And all the townspeople declared, "Paul, this is good."

****

...to be continued.

"Townspeople" (Part 3 of 6)

"Townspeople"
by Jason Hart

Part 3 of 6

-Present Day-

Nate, lost in the complicated cavern of his mind, hardly noticed the pile of cigarette butts huddled at his feet. As his thoughts carried him step by step into the darkness, it was as if the ground behind him plummeted into a bottomless pit, forcing him to continue his trek inward. Where have you been!? It haunted him like a recurring childhood nightmare. A nagging question from a nagging wife. Where have you been!? He'd heard it dozens of time, and he could hear it now. Playing over and over again like a mouse stuck on a wheel. Where have you been!? He gritted his teeth, his breathing was quicker now, and his heart was pounding. There weren't enough cigarettes in the world to drown out the pain. Where have you been!? Such a controlling question, asked with all the doubt she could muster. And every time Lara asked that same stupid question, he wanted to slap the disrespect right out of her.

Nate paused the train wreck of anger in his mind and let his mind wander back to the beginning. Their marriage had been happy, once. But now, "happy" was just a word. Like a lame punchline at the end of a long joke. The train started rolling again. Where have you been?! He could remember it all. He saw her standing in the kitchen, with her hands on her hips. He could hear her tone of voice. He could see Trey ducking into his room. He could feel the massive weight on his chest, the pain of being hated by his own wife. Where have you been!?

Suddenly, the "Caw! Caw!" of a crow startled Nate as it took flight from a nearby tree. Nate breathed in sharply, his hands trembling, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He wiped the sweat from his brow, I'll tell you where I've been. he thought to himself, I'm sitting next to this pile of brick and wood that we used to call home. I'm out here, because you don't want me in there. He broke from his thoughts long enough to light another cigarette, and glance towards Lara's bedroom window. Her light was still on. Nate snorted and shrugged his shoulders, Probably reading her Bible. He leaned back and closed his eyes, "I can wait, I've got all the time in the world." he muttered aloud.

****
-Sometime in the Past-

As for Paul, the fish gods continued to shine on him and his boat. As for Abby, she was never shy about showing off her better-late-than-never ring. A little shyness however might have done her some good, because the ring began catching the wrong type of attention. One day, while taking an afternoon stroll through the town, a man mugged Abby and physically took the ring from off her finger. Abby should have known to just leave it alone, but instead, she let out a scream so violent that any bird within a quarter mile took flight. Her assailant silenced her with a brutal blow to the face, then, in a fit of rage, began hitting Abby over and over as she struggled helplessly on the ground.

Paul was out to sea that day, and when he came home long after the sun had set, his house was empty. After making a few phone calls, and creating quite the ruckus at more than one house, Paul was able to finally find someone who had heard about what happened to Abby. Paul rushed to the hospital, but hadn't adequately prepared himself for seeing Abby battered and bruised, lying motionless on the bed. "She's suffered extensive injuries." the doctor remarked, fully lacking any quota of bedside manner, "She'll live, but she's got a long road ahead of her."

Paul was furious. He cursed his wife's attacker, that gaudy ring, his "lucky" boat, his money, and himself.

And all the townspeople declared, "Paul, this is bad."

****

...to be continued.

"Townspeople" (Part 2 of 6)

"Townspeople"
by Jason Hart

Part 2 of 6

-Present Day-

Lara leaned over and pecked her son on the forehead, "I love you, Trey." she whispered.

"I love you too, mommy." Trey replied, his eyes struggling to stay open.

"Did you like the story?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"What was your favorite part?"

"The part where Jesus told them to throw their fishing net on the other side of the boat and they caught all those fish!" Trey giggled.

Trey's mother smiled, "I liked that part too. Sweet dreams." She reached up to turn off the lamp beside Trey's bed, but was interrupted.

"Mommy," Trey asked curiously, "When is Daddy coming home?"

She forced a smile, "Oh sweetie, we talked about that, don't you remember? Daddy's not coming home."

"Why not?" Trey asked, genuinely confused.

"Daddy..." Her voice faltered. She thought of everything she wanted to say. She thought of how much he had hurt her - how much he had hurt them. She wanted to scream, to tell Trey the truth, tell him that Daddy was a bad, bad man and that Trey wouldn't want anything to do with him. Lara gathered herself and continued, "Daddy, doesn't want to be here anymore. Daddy doesn't love us like he used to...but you know what?"

"What?"

"We can still love Daddy. We can still pray for Daddy - do you want to pray for him right now?"

"Sure..." Trey said softly.

Lara closed her eyes and waited to hear what this innocent little boy would say about her husband, his father. After a few seconds, Lara glanced down to see why Trey hadn't started praying. He had fallen asleep. Despite the somberness of the moment, she couldn't help but smile just a little bit. Just as well, she thought to herself, I didn't want to pray for him anyway. Lara reached up and finished what she had started to do a minute ago, and switched off the lamp next to Trey's bed.

****

-Sometime in the Past-

Paul's relationship with currency, not to mention Abby, was worsening. Since, he didn't have the time or money to learn a new trade, he was forced to do the only thing he knew how to do - fish. About the time Paul began wondering if their marital vows would be made into a mockery by their next anniversary, as if on cue, the fish starting biting. They started biting, and they wouldn't stop. It was as if the fish knew how badly Paul needed to catch them, and they just obliged. That year he brought in more income than the previous 3 years combined. The year after that, he tripled what he had made the previous year. Paul paid off his debts, bought a bigger boat, and even purchased a round-trip train ticket so he and Abby could take a much needed vacation.

As the money rolled in, happiness seemed to come along for the ride. No longer shackled by financial restraints, Paul and Abby connected in a whole new way. They were like newlyweds again. One night, after a romantic evening together, Paul got down on one knee and produced a small velvet box from his pocket. It had taken nearly 5 years, but Paul had finally delivered on that promise to get Abby her wedding ring.

"It's so gorgeous!" Abby gushed, "I've just got one question for you.", she teased.

Paul played along, "Oh, really? What's your question?"

Abby leaned in close and interlocked her fingers with his, "When do you want to start a family?" she whispered.

And all the townspeople declared, "Paul, this is good."

****

...to be continued.

"Townspeople" (Part 1 of 6)

"Townspeople"
by Jason Hart

Part 1 of 6

-Present Day-

Nate pulled a half used pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes from the pocket of his button-down shirt with his right hand, and smacked the pack rapidly several times against the palm of his left hand. He loved smacking that pack of cigarettes. On a practical level, it packed the tobacco tighter so the cigarette would burn slower, but on an emotional level, it was his way of being defiant. He slipped a cigarette out of the pack, set the pack back into his shirt pocket, and lit the cigarette. He placed the cigarette between his lips, sucked just the right amount of smoke into his mouth, paused for a second to allow the smoke to cool, and then, finally, inhaled the smoke into his lungs.

Nate shifted positions restlessly. He laboriously stretched out his legs, massaging his thighs in a vain attempt to speed up his circulation. A full hour had almost expired, and Nate was still waiting for her to go to bed. Anyone who might have had the unfortunate pleasure of spotting his dark crouching figure would have have immediately suspected his sinister intentions. But he wasn't going to be noticed, and he knew it. He sat outside the house with his back pinned up against the east wall, virtually invisible to any cars that might have passed by, or the casual scan of a nearby neighbor. The sound of laughter drifted through an open window of the house. Nate scowled and exhaled slowly. It was going to be a long night.

****

-Sometime in the Past-

Paul's fishing business was in decline. This statement may actually prove to be somewhat deceptive, because it implies that there was a point in history in which Paul's business was actually thriving (which would be the deceptive part). Paul began fishing with his father when he was 14, and when he was 20, Paul bought his own fishing boat, named it "Lucky", and sailed out to see if he could make it on his own. Paul ate, drank, and breathed fishing - and fishing allowed him to eat, drink, and breath. Despite his utter lack of budgetable income, Paul chose to marry the love of his life, Abby. So poor were the two of them that they couldn't even afford to buy each other a wedding ring. "One day," Paul promised, "I'll buy you a diamond ring, and your finger will never be naked again."

Several months passed, and the promised ring never materialized. They tried to convince themselves that they were happy with a modest living, but things took a turn for the worse after their one year anniversary. That first year, they struggled to break even, and after another year, they began losing money. Then, what they thought only happened to other couples began happening to them - they drifted apart. After months of bickering about things large, small, and in between, they made the unspoken agreement to co-exist under the same roof. Their plan of starting a family, once hindered due to financial reasons, was now hindered by a much more pragmatic reason, they despised one another.

And all the townspeople declared, "Paul, this is bad."

****

...to be continued.

Task

"Task"
by Jason Hart
An eight part story written for Twitter in April of 2010

~~~

Once upon a time, God came to a man named Seth and offered, "I will give you whatever your heart desires - just ask."

After much thought, Seth responded, "For my whole life, I've failed a very important task. God, I want the strength to complete it."

God lovingly replied, "Oh, I know all about your task. I'll send someone to help you complete it - I'll send you a friend."

After a few months, a man came to Seth and claimed, "God sent me to give you strength to complete your task. My name is Pain."

"Pain?" Seth scoffed, "From God? You must be joking! God wouldn't send me Pain, He loves me too much. Just leave me alone."

After leading a life of ease for many years, Seth died angry and frustrated with God, never gaining the strength to complete his task.

In heaven, Seth confronted God, "Why didn't you ever allow me to complete my task? Why didn't you keep your promise?"

"Seth, you didn't fail because of Me." God countered, "You failed your task, because you wouldn't let Pain be your friend."

- THE END

Dark

"Dark"
by Jason Hart
A seven part short story written for Twitter in December of 2009

~~~

Once upon a time, there were three acquaintances - Lift, Sara, and Dark. Sara, more than anything, wanted to be loved.

One day, Lift told Sara, "I love you, Sara. I always have, and always will. I love you no matter what. My love is free."

Sara knew she craved love, but was skeptical of the unconditional love Lift offered. "How can love be free?", Sara wondered.

A few days later, Dark told Sara, "I will love you, Sara. But, you must do what I demand. My love must be earned."

Sara reasoned, "A love that is earned must be worth more than a love that is free." So, Sara decided she wanted Dark's love.

Sara, desperate for love, asked Dark, "What must I do to earn your love?" Dark responded, "If you want my love, you must kill Lift."

After much thought, Sara concluded that it was Dark's love she desired. Sara killed Lift. She was never loved again. - THE END