What Lies Buried by Leslie Kain

Author:Leslie Kain [Kain, Leslie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 8c5ee8f4-beb3-11eb-8529-0242ac130003
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Published: 2024-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

“If you shut up truth and bury it under the ground,

it will but grow, and gather to itself such

explosive power that the day it bursts through

it will blow up everything in its way.”

—Émile Zola

26

GAVIN AWAKENS FROM A DREAM WHILE IT’S STILL dark out. It’s that same dream again―skeletons coming up from deep below. From the sub-basement of his soul.

Probably a metaphor for all the buried history in that building. He stirs slightly, not wanting to wake Katie. But as he recalls his plan to go to Prince Street today, a revulsion, a visceral fear, overcomes him. He tries to inhale, but breath won’t come. His heart pounds against his chest.

Now Patches is licking Gavin’s face, which is partially submerged under his tightly wound arms clutching his shuddering body. He is curled on the floor, in the far corner of the open closet. Early-morning light glimmers in the window beyond the closet. He doesn’t know how he got here or how long ago.

He uncurls one arm and pulls Patches to him. “Thanks, buddy,” he whispers. “Not going to that place today. Not ’til I learn more about what I’m getting into.” He stands, tiptoes to grab his sweatpants, and goes downstairs to make coffee. He breathes in the aroma of the beans, clearing his head.

His thoughts grope and slide through the labyrinthine mass of surprises, curiosities, and puzzles he’s unearthed since returning to Boston. He realizes now that he’s only been skimming each surface, uncovering many threads he hasn’t pulled, hasn’t unraveled. In the Prince Street building and the names he encountered there. In his parents’ house and what he found there. And there’s likely more threads to discover. But he doesn’t know why he hasn’t unraveled those threads, dug deeper to understand where they lead, what’s under the surface. Is it because he’s so eager to complete his task and get out of here, or because there’s something he fears? Fear of those SUVs following him, or fear of the truth? What would those truths mean? Would any of it make any difference to anyone? To him and his PTSD?

He’s weary of saying “PTSD” and even more so because he may have to include yet another letter in the acronym. He thinks he should just give it a simple name. It may be with him for a long time into the future, perhaps even a permanent fixture in his house of horrors, this curse. If he invites it in for a beer and gives it a name, like maybe “Fred,” he might turn foe to friend, right?

He is lost down a dead-end of his labyrinth as Katie comes into the kitchen. She knows the look, and that any sudden sound may startle or even trigger him. She begins softly singing one of their favorite love songs, “A Moment Like This.”

It takes several long seconds for Gavin to wriggle out of his maze and return to the present. “Oh, hi Katie. Sorry if I woke you. Where’s Mags?”

“Good morning, Tiger.” She stretches up to give him a kiss, then pulls out her favorite mug.

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