Paint it Black: A Northwoods Story by Marc W Shako
Author:Marc W Shako [Shako, Marc W]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: KDP
Published: 2024-02-16T00:00:00+00:00
JUNE
1st
CLARK SAT, CLAD IN BLACK, amidst the subdued chatter in the living room of Andreaâs parents in a sort of numb shock. In the few moments he had been snapped from his disbelief, heâd made excuses and switched seats, twice, but it made no difference â wherever he moved, the eyes of the black-and-white photograph of Andreaâs mother stalked him around the room. Truth be told, even in his numbness, he felt like the eyes of the whole room were on him, like they knew what heâd done.
Over a year had passed since Clarkâs last visit, but that warm, homely atmosphere that nourished his beautiful wife seemed far far away, like it had died with the woman of the house; that in spite of all the colorful flowers doing their best to breathe life into the room. The air was heavy with bereavement, guests doing their best to disguise it with chatter, but Clark was under no illusions, death was with them.
âIt was a nice service,â an old man with hair sprouting from his ears beside him had said.
Clark nodded politely, wondering exactly who the man was. At least he doesnât think you did it. He had nothing to say, and the kind old man had nothing to add, nothing to save Clark from drifting back into his own thoughts.
Heâd answered the ringing phone on Monday, knowing exactly what the call was: that harsh, urgent, threatening tone, harbinger of bad news.
Between then and now, Clark hadnât missed a single dose of his sleeping tablets. He also hadnât had the heart (or, for that matter, the courage) to ask his wife what exactly had happened, even though, deep down, he had a good idea. Heâd focused his energy on keeping Andreaâs shredded nerves intact. Whenever she could talk outside of those fits of sobbing, he tried to keep the topics on the mundane, the routine, treading like a thief in the night, worried that the next wrong word would trigger another bout of tears.
He looked up at the photo of Mrs Leigh. She was staring again. Yes, those brown eyes were smiling, but Clark couldnât escape the judgment in them. When he looked away from the accusatory Mrs Leigh his eyes settled on her grieving husband.
Vincent Leigh was a giant with a shaved head and hands the size of dinner plates, yet Clark had never laid eyes on a man so vulnerable. A female friend with long red hair was comforting him, maybe playing the same game he was with Andrea â trying to avoid tears. If that was the case, it was a game she was losing. Just as the recently bereaved got himself together, sheâd speak to him and set him off again, huge shoulders shuddering with his sobs. Clark would attempt an intervention, but maybe this was just the thing Mr Leigh needed.
And maybe Clark deserved to see the damage heâd done up close. This latest disaster was just another in a growing line of misfortune ever since heâd painted the portrait of Gordon Conway.
Download
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.
If It Bleeds by Stephen King;(1926)
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson(1910)
11/22/63 by Stephen King(1866)
Pet Sematary by Stephen King(1815)
11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King(1765)
Misery by Stephen King(1710)
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager(1639)
Slow Horses by Mick Herron(1566)
Different Seasons by Stephen King(1548)
If It Bleeds by Stephen King(1541)
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James(1510)
Backfire by Catherine Coulter(1485)
Devoted by Dean Koontz(1400)
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake(1366)
Real Tigers by Mick Herron(1280)
Doctor Sleep: A Novel by Stephen King(1220)
Cujo by Stephen King(1158)
The Wicked Woods by Gow Kailin(1109)
The Ruins by Scott Smith(1107)