The Nightmare Room by Chris Sorensen

Author:Chris Sorensen [Sorensen, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harmful Monkey Press
Published: 2018-01-24T22:00:00+00:00

* * *

After the graveside service, the dozen or so mourners took their collective leave. Hannah floated the idea of lunch at Myrna’s favorite restaurant, but both Peter and Gina overruled her plan.

“I want to do what’s best for Pop,” he said. “I don’t think a crowded restaurant’s the way to go.”

One look at Bill Larson in his baggy suit and tie, watching the traffic pass by the cemetery, and Hannah agreed.

The affair at the old house on Oak was barely an event at all. Gina’s kids spent the majority of the time complaining about the lack of a TV while Gina guided neighbors to the meat and cheese spread from Shop-A-Lot.

Lillian Dann had put in an appearance, spending the majority of her time talking Hannah’s ear off. Finally, his wife caught his eye and extracted herself from the realtor.

“What’s that all about?” Peter asked.

“Nothing,” Hannah said. “How are you doing?”

“Okay,” he said, which wasn’t a complete lie. Flatiron Audio had given him an extra week to get his first audio in due to his death in the family.

“We can cancel your contract if you’d like,” Mika had said over the phone. Peter was quick to take that option off the table.

“The funeral didn’t…bring up anything, did it?”

She was talking about the other night, of course. Peter’s Crazed Night—the perfect complement to Hannah’s Bad Day. It helped that the house had remained silent during this recent wrinkle in their lives. Had he heard so much as a peep out of it, he would have dragged Hannah out of there kicking and screaming and hauled ass down the road.

“I’m good. I swear.”

But, he couldn’t do that to her. As restless as his soul was, he couldn’t move her again. She’d been patient during the funeral arrangements, had begged off working her shifts at the bar. Riggs had told her not to worry, that the Blind Rock was waiting for her whenever she was ready to come back.

In fact, he was here, wasn’t he?

He found Riggs scarfing down shrimp doused in cocktail sauce.

“Thanks for understanding,” Peter said.

“Of course, my friend,” Riggs replied. “Besides, what was I going to do? Fire my moneymaker? That wife of yours knows how to squeeze gold from a lemon.”

“Well put.”

“Sorry about your mom. Never really got to know her, but then again, this is only the second time I’ve ever been in this house.”

Peter scowled. “That’s not true. You were over tons of times.”

"Not so, monsieur. I was a frequent visitor to your backyard, it's true, but I wasn't…how shall I put this? Welcome inside.”

It was true. Myrna, the gatekeeper, had barred the doors to his friends.

“Besides,” Riggs continued. “We didn’t pal up until late, you being a senior, me being a lowly frosh.”

“Frosh is a college freshman.”

“Is it?”

Peter looked about for his father but didn't see him. More than likely, the old fellow was wandering around the place, wondering where all his stuff went.

“Now, what was the name of that play we did together?” Riggs asked.

“Shit, I couldn’t tell you.

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