Take Me Away by Jerry Cole

Author:Jerry Cole [Cole, Jerry]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub, mobi
Published: 2019-08-12T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Isaac

Isaac ambled alongside Marcia, walking at the outer edge of the cult. There wasn’t a single streak of shadow, and sweat pumped down his back, muddying up the end of his shirt. Marcia walked with an assurance he felt one must attain after years living in a ghost town; a knowledge that the rest of the world had to go on without you, that you were trapped here and you would make the best of it, regardless. Her potato salad sloshed around a bit in the Tupperware.

“So, you know my father a bit better than you let on?” Isaac asked, his voice low.

Marcia’s eyes flashed toward him. She grunted, seemingly unwilling to answer. They drew closer to the ranch house. Isaac’s heartbeat ramped up, becoming like a metronome. He walked to it, marching, feeling as though he was walking the steps to his death. He hadn’t a clue what would happen when he reached the other side of the door. He prayed to a god he wasn’t quite sure of, that Marcia’s appearance beside him would make his dallying a bit less horrific. He didn’t imagine it would.

When they reached the door, the cult had generally disbanded, shoving off to their various tents, building little fires, singing songs and braiding one another’s hair. Everett McLean was nowhere to be found. Isaac had forgotten to ask where it was he resided, but he imagined it to be an air conditioned, high-quality RV, parked someplace the others didn’t know about. He imagined Everett to live at the height of luxury, while his “followers” ate muck and wasted away beneath the Texan sun.

Marcia looked at Isaac with eyes like a snake, seeming to peg him as a weakling, someone she could easily strike. She grunted, then said, “Aren’t you going to…”

And Isaac fumbled forward, rapping his knuckles against the wood of the ranch house. He shivered, waiting. He heard Monica holler out, “JUST A SEC!”

There was chaos within, Isaac knew. He shifted his weight, craning his ears to hear the commotion.

Trudy moaned something, something like, “Oh, God. Come on, Dad. Just sit down. You can hardly walk.”

“Them fools, they can’t just take up my property…”

“Daddy, they’ll be gone within the week. You know they can’t…”

“Don’t lie to him,” Monica sighed.

“What? He’s just gonna sleep for a few days more and not remember it. All over again,” Trudy stammered.

“You’re such a fucking pessimist.”

“Don’t curse in front of Quintin!” Trudy hissed.

“What? Fuck, fuck, fuck. He’s gonna have to learn, him being raised up in Texas,” Monica returned.

Marcia cleared her throat. Isaac took this as a sign that he was expected to knock once more. He reached up, noting that his hand shook as he did it. After clearing his throat, he rapped again.

“JUST A SECOND!” Monica cried once more.

“You don’t think it’s them, do ya?” Trudy said.

“If it’s that leader of them, I swear I’ll use Daddy’s rifle right now and take him out. What is he thinking, trying to intimidate an old dying man?” Monica offered.

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