Mothered Earth by Tyler O. Baker

Author:Tyler O. Baker [Baker, Tyler O.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Raven Tale
Published: 2023-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Eight

Sleep didn’t come easy after that experience. Hours passed at a crawling pace as Noah’s eyes traced the textured ceiling above. He was alone but he didn’t feel like it. Shadowy hellions seemed to be watching him from every dark corner of their small house, waiting for him to turn his back. Soft claws skittered up and down the inside of the walls as the mice used their tiny claws to squirm their way through the insulation.

Mice were everywhere that night. With Lauren gone, they seemed emboldened and even dared to traverse their hardwood floors. A few times in the night, he had turned his head and caught one darting past the doorway. They were closing in, suffocating him. The traps were all sprung in the night but he didn’t bother getting up to check, he knew with disgust that they would all be piled against the tub drain like they always were.

Going to work was a relief. For the first time in his entire life, he was excited to throw on his work boots and dash out the doors. He popped into his work van and pulled out of the driveway without checking to see if the door was locked. Honestly at this point, somebody else breaking into his house wouldn’t pass him.

A few minutes later he was pulling into the shop. After navigating his metal tank through the smog of exhaust, he pulled in next to one of the other vehicles. Finally, for the first time in much too long, he was able to breathe easy.

There was a knock on the glass. His eyes groggily shifted over to find Bryson motioning for him to roll down his window. Noah cranked it half-way down.

“Got the parts pulled for my appointments?”

“Yeah that’s what I was going to ask you about,” Bryson said as he pulled out his tablet. He opened up their service manager app and passed it to him. “Looks like your schedule’s empty today.”

“What the hell?” Noah asked under his breath. Bryson stepped back as the door swung open and Noah stepped outside.

The shop was a little quieter than usual. Two of the other journeymen, who were enjoying a hot cup of coffee, immediately went for the exit upon his arrival. Something was off and it scared him.

“Noah,” a voice called from the main office. It was Tyler. “Mind if we talk to you for a minute?”

Noah hung his head in shame. Mrs. Norben’s flood had been entirely his fault, he had been distracted or careless or whatever it was. He took slow steps, grabbing the door and closing it behind him as he entered. Kyle and Tyler both sat in the office, Kyle on his throne behind the desk and Tyler on the side where the other plumbers sat while going over assignments. Noah pulled out the hot seat and planted his keester upon it, already feeling the raging fire beneath him.

“So, um Noah,” Tyler began as he awkwardly fiddled with his hands, unsure of what to do with them.

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