The Lost Child by Thomas Grant Bruso

Author:Thomas Grant Bruso
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Lit/genre, crime/thriller, paranormal, horror, bisexual, child abduction, reporter, deceased child, hallucinations, Halloween
Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC
Published: 2023-08-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Five

Afew minutes later, Daniel discovers a neighborhood he knows all too well, the long dark road lined with the aroma of his favorite rose bushes, guiding him back to his house on Olive Way.

Through the crack of the upstairs bathroom window and the boom of clapping thunder, Daniel hears his parents arguing, their voices drifting up the staircase from the kitchen. He hears them yelling about the carelessness of letting him out of their sight. Daniel listens as his mother screams at his father about sleeping in separate beds tonight. To quell his parents’ angry voices, he runs the faucet in the deep tub until the hot water turns cold.

Then he hears footsteps on the stairs and padding hard down the hallway, approaching him. The bathroom door flings open, hitting the towel rack on the back wall. Penny lingers in the doorway, her eyes red-rimmed from crying, her tear-stained cheeks burning beet red.

“Why are you and Dad fighting?”

The way she stands, with her right hand on her hip, scares Daniel. He knows what he did tonight was wrong.

He looks up at her with sad eyes. “I’m sorry.”

“You scared your father and me half to death tonight, Daniel.”

“Sorry, Mom.”

Slowly she moves away from the doorway, out into the hall, giving Daniel his space, ready to shut the door. But she lingers in the wan light in the hallway. She yields at the pleading look in her son’s eyes. “Look, Daniel,” she says, “what you did was frightening.” Clearly trying to keep a modicum of calmness in her voice, she adds, “Your daddy and I love you. We love each other too. But sometimes, like tonight, we disagree about certain things.”

“Am I grounded?”

Something in his small, scared voice is designed to strangle Penny’s heart, tugging firmly. She shakes her head, leaning into him. “No. Take your bath and get to bed.”

No punishment? Daniel wonders. He stares at his wrinkled hands. “I will. And Mom—”

Penny grips the doorknob and waits.

“I’m sorry I scared you.”

She nods. “Hurry up. It’s bedtime.”

“Okay.”

Penny lingers in the hallway. “Do you want me to read to you before bed?”

Daniel yanks the rubber stopper out of the tub and nods excitedly at her.

“I’ll be right back,” she says as Peter appears behind her, coming up the stairs.

Daniel glimpses his father. “I’m sorry, Dad. Willie wanted to show me his worm collection. I won’t ever run off like that again.”

Peter forces a taut grin. “Which book will it be tonight, Danny?”

“Am I in trouble?”

“I think your mother already answered that question.”

Daniel nods.

“So, what book will it be?” Peter asks.

Daniel shrugs. “Wimpy Kid?”

Peter winks. “Good choice.”

Out of view, Daniel listens to the slew of apologies his parents exchange in the hallway. “I’m sorry,” Peter says. “The situation had me very upset. But I don’t think we should argue about it.”

“Me neither,” she whispers back, kissing him. “Come to bed.”

From the shaft of ceiling light in the bathroom, Daniel watches his parents’ shadows skirt across the floor in the hallway. The silhouette of them hugging brings a smile to his face.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.