Altered States
+Chapter Three+
Is This Really Home Sweet Home
After I pulled the car into the garage, I sat there for the longest time, listening to
the noises the engine made as it was cooling down. My family literally dropped
everything and AC and Les had their schedules post phoned all for me. I felt
awful that they did that, but my Mom and Dad reminded me over and over that I
would have done the same for them in this or any circumstances.
Shelby, Les’s new golden retriever, announced her presence and looked like
she was begging for me to get out of the car.
“Alright, alright,” I replied sharply to the dog’s incessant barking and whining. As
I exited the car, I bent down and patted the dog on the head. “There you go, you
big baby.”
Walking through the garage entrance, I was hit with noise from a video game
being played in the den and the scent of chocolate chip cookies being baked.
This was the home I was used to years ago.
“Hi Mom.”
“Hey sweetheart, everything okay?”
Mom had that ‘deep concern parental look’ in her eyes. I torn my gaze from hers
as I could feel tears start to well up.
“Yeah,” I mumbled as I grabbed a cookie and walked off towards the den.
“Only one Nick, I don’t want you to spoil your lunch!”
I had to smile hearing that, some things never change.
“Hey AC, losing again?” I joked as I watched my little brother sitting on the floor
in front of the wide-screen television set playing Resident Evil on the playstation.
“Ha ha, really funny Nick,” Aaron muttered, barely glancing up at me as he
continued his game. “You want to play something together?”
“Na, I’m having fun just watching y’all,” I replied as I sprawled my body across
the white leather couch. “Hey is Les up yet?”
“Do I look like I would know or even care?” Aaron replied as he fired at the
intruders in the game, not missing a beat.
“Whoa, a little touchy there.”
“Go ask Mom if you wanna know, for all I know she’s probably at the mall by now
anyways.”
During our back and forth bantering, the phone rang twice. Since Mom was
there, I didn’t bother answering, she was like my built-in answering machine. I
was content where I was for the moment, watching my brother play video games,
something I really missed out on being torn apart by work.
“Nick?” Mom called out from the kitchen.
“Yeah?” I replied, not budging from my comfortable position on the couch.
“Come in here, please.”
There was a different tone in her voice that made the hair on the back of my
neck prickle. I immediately got up and walked into the kitchen. Her hand was still
on the receiver. This didn’t look good.
“That was Greenville, Brian’s having a good day today and said it would be
good for you to go and visit him. Do you want me to go with you?”
I shook my head, this was something I needed to do on my own.
“You’re gonna be okay? Let me at least drive you out there,” Mom insisted.
“Mom, honest, I’ll be fine, okay? You worry too much. I should be back by 2, if I
think it’s gonna be later, I’ll call you, okay?” I replied with a quick kiss on her
cheek.
I grabbed my black ball cap and slipped it on. This was a place I hated going to,
but I needed to and I needed to hurry, this opportunity could leave as quickly as
it came. There was so much we needed to talk about.
Chapter Four
