|
Any World You Choose
|
4
|
| |
| |
|
|
"Oh, of course I do! You're little imaginary friend from when
you were a kid. I haven't thought about that in years, that's
funny you should mention it. Why did you want to know?"
Imaginary friend. The empty look in Robert Layton's eyes. Blood
roared in Richard's ears and he swayed slightly. His vison had
blurred but he could still make out the concern on his mother's face.
"No reason, I just thought about it today at school because
this girl was talking about one she had as a kid...I'm gonna go
to my room, I've got a headache or something"
Stumbling to his room he could barely hear his mother asking
him if he was all right. The roaring had increased in his ears
and pin pricks of ice trailed down his spine.
In his room he pulled a dusty footlocker from under his bed. It was
filled with pictures of him and Peter, filled with newsclippings he had
saved from the papers of the time of his disappearence. He threw the
lid open to reveal dozens of pictures and a score of yellowed
newsclippings. Peter was in none of the pictures. The clippings held no
mention of the missing boys, either of them.
His mother found him in his room a few hours later, catatonic and laying amidst
torn up photos and newsclippings.
He must have fallen asleep on the sofa, drifting in and out of vague
dreams of indistinct shapes and whispered conversations carried on the
wind. At first he thought it was the televison, then he realized the
screen was still dark and dead. He groaned and sat up, head spinning
and stomach clenching. The message light on the answering machine
blinked steadily at him and so he jabbed his finger down on the
playback button.
"Richard, it's John. You haven't been in class for a few days, I wanted
to make sure everything's all right. Anyways, give me a call if you
want, you haven't been looking so hot the past week or so. Anything you
want to talk about you just give me a call man."
As if John could help him anymore than the therapist his parents had
gotten in high school. How do you help someone who insists on
remembering an event that never happened and a friend who never
existed?
"Rich, it's Susan. Look, I know it's kinda early but I've been worried
about you. I...I shouldn't have gotten so mad and left like that. It's
just that you've been so withdrawn. I...I thought maybe it was me,
or...or someone else maybe...and I called your mom this morning to talk
to her. She...um..she told me about your problems in high school. Look,
I want to talk to you okay? Give me a call at Jodie's when you get this
message."
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
5