The Unsettling by Peter Rock

Author:Peter Rock [Rock, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-59692-880-0
Publisher: M P Publishing Limited
Published: 2005-03-13T05:00:00+00:00

∼∼

“You must miss them,” the caller said. “Have you checked the pounds?”

“Of course I have.”

Two nights had passed since the first call. Kristine was already out of the bath, lying awake in bed, her body loose from the hot water. She had begun to believe she’d sleep.

“Why are you calling me?” she said. “Where are you?”

“My body, you mean? That doesn’t matter. We’re having a conversation.”

“I’m kind of wondering why you’re not asleep. It’s almost three. I’m in bed.”

“Am I keeping you up? I apologize. I was under the impression that you’re something of a night owl.”

“It’s just kind of an intrusion,” Kristine said.

“Well, you have to admit that it’s a little odd, hanging your picture and phone number all over town. And sometimes it helps to intrude on someone else’s life to really see the edges of your own. That’s a notion I’ve been turning over.”

Kristine wasn’t sure how to respond, so she remained silent. If this voice were a man’s, would these words be threatening, sinister? Perhaps. Would she like to feel this person’s arms around her? She considered hanging up the phone, but the voice kept talking.

“Anyway, I’m calling to help, to sympathize. Don’t you remember all that I said about loneliness?”

“I do.”

“Maybe that’s what we’re trying to get to, here.”

“Are you a woman?” Kristine said.

“What do I sound like, a talking bird?”

“So you are a woman.”

“It really is such a strange situation. Do you miss them?”

“You already asked that,” Kristine said. “You already said I did. Let’s not talk about the dogs. Let’s not talk about whether I’m lonely. Why don’t we hear some more about you?”

“I like to walk around during the day,” the woman said—it was a woman, Kristine decided, without a doubt.

“I think it’s underrated,” the woman said, “the daylight; it’s every bit as mysterious when the sun’s out, all sorts of surprises happening. I close my eyes a little and look through my eyelashes. That helps me see some of the mysteries, it really cuts down on all the distractions, closes them out. You understand.”

“I’m not so sure I do,” Kristine said.

“You will, unless you stay lazy. And you know I’ve seen you out there, walking around. I recognize you from the poster. I’d recognize your dogs, but I certainly haven’t seen them.”

“If you believe all that,” Kristine said, “about the day and the daylight and mysteries and everything, why do you keep calling me in the middle of the night?”

“Because the distinction still means something to you. Besides that, I’m not trying to be mysterious. I’m interested in you, your situation.”

“Are you just trying to make me feel worse? It’s terrible, especially calling so late like this.”

“‘Terrible’ has its positive connotations,” the woman said.

“What?”

“Like the way they call dinosaurs ‘terrible lizards.’ Did you ever read T. S. Eliot? ‘Terrible’ was his favorite compliment.”

“I did not mean it as a compliment,” Kristine said.

“I just see your face on the poster and I want to talk with you,” the woman said, “but then

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