What They Feed On by J.R. Lappin

What They Feed On by J.R. Lappin

Author:J.R. Lappin [Lappin, J.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tarina Anthologies


20

The Letter

Michael was confused yet hopeful. He turned around but only saw a red bug flying around the window. Michael became blinded as the bug flashed like an overpowered camera. Time froze as Michael fell into a distant memory. The whole room became very grey. Everyone who had surrounded him disappeared. Kathy stood in the corner of the room with the same puffy eyes Anye had a moment ago. She pointed to the room's window, which depicted images that were not the apartment's parking lot. He walked up to the window and saw an image of a younger him sitting in an empty tent on a dry sandy surface. Michael watched as his past self sat on a green wooden cot with a loaded M4 rifle leaned up against his leg. He was reading a letter.

Dear Michael,

I hope that all is going well in Afghanistan and that you are staying safe. Sabrina has gotten big! She is so beautiful and a talented artist!

Michael looked from the letter and saw another sheet of paper in the envelope. He picked the yellow envelope up off of his olive-green duffel bag sitting on the floor. He reached inside of it and pulled out a crayon illustration of three people. Two of them were standing side by side in a forested park area with a red swing and a street in the background. One was a small girl in a yellow dress with a yellow ribbon with black hair, while the other person was a taller woman in a blue dress with brown hair. It was Sabrina and Kathy.

The third drawn person was a man wearing a military uniform. He was standing on the opposite side of the page with an American flag on a pole next to him, a yellow surface under his brown-colored boots. “I love you Daddy” was written and seemed to be the bridge between them.

Michael saw a large grin stretch from ear to ear on his past self. “You don’t know what’s about to happen, you fool,” Michael uttered to the memory.

Kathy’s ghost stood next to Michael and whispered to him, “I’m so sorry.” A few tears rolled down her cheeks as she held onto his arm.

“I don’t want to hear it, Kathy.” He tried to shrug her off, but she was a ghost, and that was not possible. The memory went on as the two watched through the window together. The window showed Michael folding the picture up and putting it into his breast pocket, close to his heart. The memory proceeded to read the rest of the letter in a whisper…

Spending all this time apart has made me realize a few things. I’ve realized how you are never really around, and I’m not okay with that. You should be here, with us, your family. Unfortunately, when you are around, there seems to be a dark presence always lingering over you. It scares me… It’s as if something has constantly been troubling you, as if you are being haunted by something.



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