Stay

“I wish we could stay here forever.” 

That was the words I heard. I don’t know where I heard it. I didn’t know when I started hearing it. I wish I could stop hearing it. It has been affecting my concentration and my ability to sleep. Are these words important? I need to find out. Honestly I have no idea why such a common enough phrase would bother me so much. Best to find out so I should probably retrace my steps.

Yesterday, a day seemingly like any other was a normal day by his own recollection. The first thing he remembered was waking up in bed. It took a few moments to remember that  today was something he was looking forward to for a while. He would be taking a trip to Colorado to go skiing for two weeks. It filled him with a sense of anticipation and excitement. 

“Sweetie pie,” came a voice from downstairs, “your breakfast is ready. He shuddered as he heard that voice. He didn’t want to eat breakfast this morning, especially with her. He had things to do but couldn’t tell her about them. 

“Honey, did you hear me?”, his mom asked again, your breakfast is ready.”

“I’ll be right down, mother.” He dreaded his own reply as he made his way downstairs to the kitchen. He wished he could have woken up sooner so he could avoid this very scenario. 

“Good morning mother,” he said as he walked into the kitchen. He looked at the table and saw a stack a pancakes on a plate next to a bottle of maple syrup. He sat down in front of his plate and began to eat. As he was eating, he casually looked over at his mother’s plate which consisted of bacon and eggs. He thought about what he was going to say next. This wasn’t going to be an easy thing to say but he needed to say it.

“So what’s on the agenda for today?”, his mother asked before he could say anything. “I think that it would be best to go to my friend Jeanine’s house. I haven’t visited her for a while and would like to catch up with her. Then after, me and you should go grocery shopping.”

He cringed a bit at the suggestion. There would be no way to get out of this. He had things to do other than go shopping with his mother and visit some old biddy. 

“I think that is a great idea mom,” he replied without even realizing. He instantly regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. How was he going to get out of this? He needed to go shopping to get his ski equipment!

“I’m going to get my coat,” his mother declared.

There was no turning back now. He had to go. He would figure out how to go shopping later. It wasn’t completely hopeless yet. He still had a few hours before his plane took off. 

He waited until his mother retrieved her coat as he stood there, silently panicking inside. He was on the verge of hyperventilating when his mom came back out. She took him by the arm and led him out to the car. She walked him over to the passenger side and opened the door for him, waiting for him to get in. He briefly stared at the seat of the car and then glanced at the sidewalk behind the car. Could he make his escape right there? It would be so easy to take off running. He was physically fit enough and his mother was getting on in years. He would have the element of surprise on his hands. Before he decided to act on that thought, a voice broke the silence.

“What are you waiting for?”, his mother asked sharply, “Get in the car, I haven’t got all day. We mustn’t keep Jeanine waiting.” 

Any hope of escape left him. He dejectedly got into the passenger seat. His mother leaned over and grabbed the seat belt, buckling it for him. She slammed the car door and casually walked over to the driver’s side of the car. She opened the car door and got in. She didn’t say anything as she put the key into the ignition and started the car.

The drive seemed much longer than he remembered. It only took a few minutes but this time it seemed longer. He kept glancing over at his mother every so often. The smile on her face was nauseating to him. How could she be so happy when she is destroying my life?

They finally arrived at Jeanine’s house after what seemed like hours. His mother parked the car into the oversized driveway in front of a large stone house that was vaguely reminiscent of a castle. 

His mother got out of the car unceremoniously. He didn’t follow. He wasn’t expected too. He would be required to sit there in the car alone until she got through her visit with Jeanine. She didn’t say anything as she closed the car door and walked slowly up to the front door. Before she could even knock, a older black lady opened the door and rushed his mom inside. Jeanine would have been a beautiful woman back in her day. 

He scolded himself for thinking such a thing. He had more pressing matters to worry about. He had to buy his ski equipment and catch his plane. He was alone now. This would be the only chance he had to do what he needed to do.

He would run to the sporting goods store and take a cab back to his house to pack. He then would take a cab to the airport. His mom would not even know he was gone since she always took her time with Jeanine. It was a foolproof plan overall. 

He got out of the car. He made sure he left the door open. It would look better this way and he couldn’t risk being heard. The shopping center was about a mile from here. He looked at the sidewalk to make sure it was clear then took off running in that direction. 

He was in good shape and motivated. He was running so fast that he didn’t have time to think. He expended every bit of his energy into getting to the shopping center. It was in sight. 

He slowed his pace when he got into the parking lot of the shopping center. He walked quickly to the sporting good store while stopping at short intervals to catch his breath.

He walked up to the door of the store and opened it. There were only a couple of people inside, including the cashier. She didn’t look at him as the door opened and simply just stared at the case in front of her. He made his way past her and went to find skis and a snowsuit as he already had the boots at home.

He went to the front of the store and walked up to the cashier. He noticed the total on the register and spoke it aloud saving the cashier the trouble. She confirmed the amount and looked back at him.

“Will that be cash or charge?”, she asked.

“Cash.”, he replied as he reached for his wallet. He grabbed the right amount of bills and handed it to the cashier. She took the money and handed him his change. 

He walked quickly out of the store, gear in tow. He looked around for a phone booth. Spotting one next to the clothing store, he walked over quickly. There was no time to waste. He put the change in and called for a taxi. They said they would be there soon.

He stood waiting there in front of the phone booth for a few minutes before the taxi arrived. He felt a bit nervous and a bit optimistic. He would be by himself for a couple weeks. In all his 18 years, he never fathomed that. It was a good feeling albeit a bit scary. Finally the taxi arrived. The cab driver opened his trunk so he could put his gear in. He carefully placed the equipment in the trunk and got into the backseat of the cab.

It was an uneventful ride back to his house. The cab driver took a different route that didn’t pass by Jeanine’s house. He enjoyed the scenery. He never had been this way before. It was a nice change of pace. 

The cab finally reached its destination. He got out of the car. The cab driver opened the trunk so he could collect his things. He walked around to the driver’s side window and paid the man after. He waited until the cab got out of his way before walking toward the house.

He noticed there was no car in the driveway. He breathed a sigh of relief. His mother would be angry with him and he wanted to avoid that confrontation as long as possible. He walked up to the front of the house. Using his key, he opened the door. 

He walked up the stairs as quickly as he could with the ski equipment. For some reason, it didn’t feel right to leave it downstairs even though it would have been easier to do so. He went to his bedroom and lovingly placed skis upright near the door. He got out his suitcase and packed two weeks worth of clothing along with his snowsuit. He found his backpack and threw the boots in. 

Suddenly, he heard a car door slam. He went to the window and peeked out. His worst fears were confirmed. His mother had returned but not alone. Jeanine was with her. He had no hope of leaving now but he was going to try at least.

He picked up his suitcase, put on his backpack and grabbed his skiis. He went down a few steps of stairs glancing nervously downward. He heard the door open and his mother and Jeanine were chattering about something as he made his way down the rest of the stairs. 

        “What do you think you are doing?!”, his mother yelled. “Why did you leave the car and go off gallivanting to who knows where?” She had that no nonsense look on her face. There was no answer that he could give that wouldn’t result in some type of punishment. 

He decided silence was the best course of action he could take in regards to speaking. He just brushed past his mom like she wasn’t there. He was almost to the door when Jeanine blocked his path. 

“Your mother asked you a question”, she said sternly. “I suggest you answer.”

Feeling he didn’t owe this woman any explanation he pushed her aside and continued toward the door. He was near it and proceeded to open it when he heard a scream. He turned and saw Jeanine lurched over his mother who was on the floor unmoving. 

He ran over to where she was lying. With tears in his eyes, he said, “I’m sorry mommy. Please wake up. I’ll stay if you want me too. Just wake up!”

Jeanine went into the living room. She picked up the phone and called for an ambulance. She looked like she was trying to remain calm but her voice was cracking and her eyes were tearing up. 

He checked his mom. She was still breathing at least. He waited for Jeanine to return. 

“I’ll go back to my room now. You let the paramedics in. I am not supposed to let strangers in the house.”

He went back to his room. He took the skiis and suitcase with him. He opened the door to his room and placed the skiis near the door. He went over to the closet to put the suitcase in. He threw his backpack to the floor and then fell face first onto his bed. He cried himself to sleep.

There was fog all around him. He didn’t know where he was. He knew that for sure. There was a hallway in front of him. It looked vaguely familiar but he couldn’t recall seeing it before. He slowly walked midway down and stopped when he heard a scratching sound. It appeared out of nowhere. There was a creature in front of him. It looked like a spider. There was a veil covering its eyes. He didn’t know why he did what he did next. He approached the creature and lifted the veil. There were empty sockets where the eight eyes should have been. They were hollowed out. The spider called out his name while he was transfixed on those empty orbs. He didn’t seem to hear it and he continued to stare. The spider tried another tact right then. It shot out its web at him and engulfed him in it. The spider now was dragging him, rather hurriedly down the hallway. He didn’t think that was strange at all. He didn’t feel fear knowing that he was going to be its meal. He just went along for the ride. 

He found himself in a cave on a beach. He was glued to the wall by the spider’s web. He watched as two people entered the cave. He recognized them immediately. It was Jeanine and his mom. His mom has a picnic basket in her hands. She opened it and pulled out a blanket for her and Jeanine to sit down on. Catching his mom by surprise, Jeanine ran at her and tackled her to the ground. She then gave his mom a rather passionate kiss. Jeanine then embraced his mom and started cuddling with her. 

“I wish we could stay here forever,” his mom said. 

“We could but the food would get cold. I made my famous chicken and biscuits that you like. You wouldn’t want them to get cold would you?’ Jeanine asked flirtatiously.

The scene then changed. He was no longer attached to the cave wall. He was standing at the top of the stairs of his house. He didn’t feel the hands on his back at all. He tumbled down the stairs. He expected pain but there was none. He looked up and saw Jeanine. His mom was standing beside her. She took his mom in her arms. She whispered something to his mom but it might as well been a shout.

“I did this for you.”

His mother said, “Thank you, my love. I know you want what is best for me. You are the only one who truly loves me. Today you proved that.”

His mother kissed Jeanine passionately. His mom then descended the stairs. She leaned in close to his ear. She started to scream. 

He awoke in his room. He looked at the clock. It was still early enough. He could make the trip. That dream unnerved him but he got the message. If his mom wanted him to stay, then he needed to leave. He would leave on his ski trip and potentially never come back. His mother was sick in the head. She had been desperate enough to have Jeanine try to keep him hostage here. They had been lovers all these years. Jeanine was what she really needed, not him. He gathered his equipment, suitcase, and backpack. He went quietly out the door. He needed to do some thinking. This little vacation would be the perfect way to do it. He descended the stairs. He went into the living room and called a taxi then went into the kitchen to get a post it note. He wrote his message down. He stuck the note on the spot where his mom had fallen. It said: Mommy, I did this for you. I love you. We will go to the beach when I get back. Jeanine will take you there in the meantime. I hope that you enjoy your picnic. Jeanine’s chicken and biscuits will be a nice treat after all that hospital food won’t it?

He made sure all the lights were off before he walked the door. He locked it and waited for the cab. He was going to enjoy himself. Nothing was going to stop him.