Shadows of the Moon, Chapter 15

A progressive short story from the Akron Writers’ Group, Wordplay. Written Winter, 2017.

Chapter Fifteen: Liz Flaherty

Home. Oh, dear God, home at last. But Will couldn’t go there yet, couldn’t face Tessa with what he knew. Or thought he knew. The streets were somewhat icy as he drove away from the airport, bad enough to make traffic an irritating issue. A pileup on the narrow road where he lived with Tessa gave him pause. Not only were there police cars and a firetruck, but an ambulance as well. People stood outside their homes, huddled in coats, watching what went on. Although the area had been building up, “urbanizing,” it still felt like a country neighborhood. People still cared. Worried.

Oh, Tessa…

Will hesitated, watching the macabre scene along with everyone else—there was no way anyone in the car that had slid under the back of the eighteen-wheeler could have survived. What had a truck that size been doing on their road anyway? He tried to call Tessa, but she didn’t answer. Again. She was all right, though. He’d know if she wasn’t. Surely he’d know.

After a few minutes, he shook his head and made a careful U-turn. Maybe this was an indicator that he shouldn’t go home yet. He wondered if Alisha and the girls were all right, and found himself driving that way. He loved Trudy and Tina. So did Tessa and so did their mother. What if something had happened to one of them? He pushed harder on the accelerator, slipping a little on the road’s surface as he hurried to the apartment Alisha shared with her daughters.

The girls met him at the door with all the energy of children who had been kept indoors for too many days. They clamored to know if “Uncle Will” had brought presents from Iceland. He had, but they were packed away in the luggage that was still in transit, lost somewhere in Jupiter’s swirling maelstrom of chaos.

“Will.” Alisha came to the door, shushing the girls and inviting him in. Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. Panic laced her voice. “Where’s Tessa? Isn’t she with you?”

“I haven’t been home yet.”

“It’s all my fault.” Her voice was thin and high, almost a wail. “Jason’s going to hurt her. I know he is. All because of me.”