"Line Break" 2018 Bonus Chapter

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Eleven

The feeling of something sharp poking his lower back caused John Bentley to roll over away from an annoying pain.  A sudden smell of dirt from the outside air immediately brought him out of what was thought to be a deep slumber.  Opening his eyes brought him face to face with the bottom half of a birch tree.  Its bark peeling away with some of the deadfall branches lying nearby.  It had to be a dream.  Sitting up he took notice that he had on exactly the same clothes he had worn to work the previous day minus the tie.  He was full of mud all the way to his bare feet.  Looking east the sun was getting ready to break the horizon bringing more daylight with it as he tried to gauge the time.  Nothing looked familiar to him.  Getting to his feet he accidentally stepped on something that caused him to curse aloud.  Leaning against the tree lifting his foot up brought an unwelcomed sight.  A giant wooden sliver was protruding through the skin of the arch bringing blood along with it.  Reaching down while attempting to maintain balance he went to remove it while cool mud squished between his toes on the other foot.  Surprisingly it came out with little resistance but it certainly wasn’t short of painful throbbing once he had been freed from its torment.  Gently putting the foot back down he surveyed his surroundings once more.  His house was only a hundred yards away.

Trying each door around the house he disappointedly found them all locked.  Not wanting to wake his wife he hobbled to the front standing on the somewhat smoother even surface of his driveway facing the garage.  Closing his eyes everything became cloudy although he could sense the wireless signals around the perimeter.  The door lifted partially stopping about a quarter of the way.  Focusing his concentration it did not move another inch.  Resigned to fatigue he flattened himself and slid sideways underneath pushing himself up inside to stand.

Trina had slid her hands underneath the sheets upon hearing the shower being turned on to find an empty space beside her.  Retrieving the robe laying at the end of their bad she walked to the bathroom door it closed before she reached for the handle.  She went downstairs into the kitchen preparing her ritual breakfast as she did every morning.  Placing a mug of coffee across from her she waited for him.

The waters temperature hadn’t even changed a degree before he gingerly stepped under the showerhead letting the ice cold liquid poor over his body to shock him awake.  Looking down at the arch of his foot it was swollen now turning bright red from the inflammation.  Carefully getting out onto the bath mat he shut the heavy door locking it.  He took some rubbing alcohol from underneath the sinks cabinet with him back into the shower.  Balancing on one foot leaning against the wall to steady himself he poured the contents into the wound.  Not only was the wound burning mercilessly his entire head throbbed now, it subsided as he flushed the opening with cool water bringing much needed relief.  After toweling himself dry, he found a great looking suit from the walk in closet along with a matching tie and white dress shirt.  Sitting down at the end of bed he noticed it already been made as he took his time sliding a black dress sock over the affected arch of his foot.

“How was your first full day?”

She sipped her coffee looking at her phone not bothering to make eye contact.

“Still mad?”

“You could have at least texted or something.  Dinner migrated from the table to the microwave eventually making its way into the refrigerator.  I see you found the beer though.”

“Late night.  I’m sorry.  I even skipped lunch.”

“The life of a new and unique executive I guess.”

“It was my fault entirely, you’re right I should have said something.”

“I didn’t mean to be such a bitch yesterday.  Maybe it’s the hormone swings with the pregnancy.  I’ve been reading a little.”

“I saw the book sitting behind you.”

“What you did was cruel.”

“Didn’t think I was that convincing to be honest.”

“Well you must have tuned out the hysterics on this end.”

“Come here.  I’m sorry.”

He held onto her for several minutes as the sun’s light illuminated the kitchen.  Both turned to watch the beautiful view from the window for a moment.

“I meant to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Do you realize that your pupils change a bit when you…..”

“Oh, that.  Yes, it’s only temporary though.”

“So you do know then.”

“The very first time in the hospital room shortly after surgery.”

“It doesn’t bother you.”

“I discounted it as part of the integration process.”

“Has it gotten any better?”

“Somewhat.”

A blatant lie that was delivered with an impeccable performance given the events of the past few hours.

“You kind of shut the door on me earlier.”

“I thought you were still asleep and didn’t want to disturb you.”

The beeping sound echoed down the hallway signaling the end of a cycle.

“Is that the washing machine?”

“Thought I might try to pitch in after watching you folding clothes yesterday.”

A sense of uncertainty played out in the back of his mind, wondering if the mud filled clothing would actually come clean, certainly not wanting to continue building a house of cards propped with continual lies.  What in the hell had happened in the middle of the night?  Why was he laying outside like some wild animal next to a tree?

“Thank you.  You’d better get going or you’ll be late.”

“See you around dinner time, I promise.”

As Trina watched the Mercedes back down the driveway she walked toward his workspace.  All the power had been turned off.  Placing a hand on one of the monitors it was cool to the touch.  She could have sworn in the middle of the night that he had gotten up out of bed at least once.