Read Online How To Recognize A Demon Has Become Your Friend (Necon Modern Horror Book 9) by Linda Addison - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Linda Addison
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didn’t remember his beer belly and double chin this morning.
“You’re still mad I didn’t tell
you about the rent money? It wouldn’t have made a difference, the money’s gone
now.” He stood suddenly, almost knocking over his chair.
“It makes a difference to me.
I’ve never stopped you when you wanted to gamble,” she said.
“I thought I’d surprise you.” Ron
raised his voice. “Money’s been so tight since I lost my job I didn’t want you
to worry. I was thinking about you!” He turned and left the room.
He slammed the front door shut
each time he went to the car to get the moving boxes and throw them on the
living room floor.
She wanted to yell at him, tell
him he was wrong, that there was no excuse he could use to make it right, but
she couldn’t move. Fear of the sudden anger building inside Claire held her in
the chair. Ron was the one that yelled and threw things when he got mad. Not
Claire.
She pushed the anger away,
clenching her fist to try to ignore the small seed of emptiness in her stomach
that replaced the anger.
...do you take this...
The front door slammed one last
time as he jumped into the car and drove away. Only after Ron was gone could
Claire move from the table.
She spent the afternoon carefully
packing what they would need at the hotel. Ron didn’t come home until late. She
reheated his dinner. He ate alone while she continued to pack.
They went through the next three
days packing and sleeping without saying much to each other. She tried to
ignore the emptiness. Claire was surprised each morning to find it still there,
a little bigger than the day before. Each day she ate less and less as the
emptiness filled her stomach.
...do you...
She walked through the house that
last day, checking closets and corners to make sure nothing had been left
behind. The emptiness didn’t care. It had grown into her throat, a thin,
hair-like wire she couldn’t cough out. It whispered when she tried to sleep. So
she slept less.
Ron moved the last box out to the
car. No matter what Ron said she insisted on taking that last box with them.
“Are you ready to go?” he called
impatiently from the driveway.
“Yes, I’m coming,” she said in a
tired voice.
...take this...
The setting sun threw a red
blanket of light across the rooftops as they drove down the street one last
time.
“I think we should sell some of
the furniture,” he said. “We don’t need all that stuff now that the kids are
gone.”
“Sure.” She laid her head back
and closed her eyes until they stopped in front of the Coronet Hotel.
The hotel was on a deserted
street lined with old office buildings. The floor-to-ceiling mirrors and
crumbling art deco fixtures in the lobby were faded reminders of the hotel’s
prosperous past. The dim lights and stale smell made Claire’s stomach turn. She
wanted to run back into the street.
They took the narrow elevator to
the fifth floor. Ron had brought the suitcases to their room that afternoon. He
placed her box on the dresser that ran almost the width of the small room.
There was just enough space for the bed and two small nightstands.
“We’re not supposed to have food
here, but I bought some stuff to snack on,” he said. “It’s in a shopping bag in
the closet.”
“I see,” she said, after looking
in the small closet. “Do you want something to eat now?”
“No, I have to go out. I’m going
to see if I can make some extra money tonight. I probably won’t get back until
late.”
“Okay,” she said. Claire wanted
to beg him not to leave her in this dingy little room, but knew he would go no
matter what she said. He always did.
Ron dropped the extra set of keys
on the bed and left.
...we are gathered here...
Claire sat on the edge of the
bed. The sound of people talking, laughing and arguing drifted through thin
walls.
She moved the box on the bed and
started going through it again. The dim ceiling light made everything in the
box look cheap and
“You’re still mad I didn’t tell
you about the rent money? It wouldn’t have made a difference, the money’s gone
now.” He stood suddenly, almost knocking over his chair.
“It makes a difference to me.
I’ve never stopped you when you wanted to gamble,” she said.
“I thought I’d surprise you.” Ron
raised his voice. “Money’s been so tight since I lost my job I didn’t want you
to worry. I was thinking about you!” He turned and left the room.
He slammed the front door shut
each time he went to the car to get the moving boxes and throw them on the
living room floor.
She wanted to yell at him, tell
him he was wrong, that there was no excuse he could use to make it right, but
she couldn’t move. Fear of the sudden anger building inside Claire held her in
the chair. Ron was the one that yelled and threw things when he got mad. Not
Claire.
She pushed the anger away,
clenching her fist to try to ignore the small seed of emptiness in her stomach
that replaced the anger.
...do you take this...
The front door slammed one last
time as he jumped into the car and drove away. Only after Ron was gone could
Claire move from the table.
She spent the afternoon carefully
packing what they would need at the hotel. Ron didn’t come home until late. She
reheated his dinner. He ate alone while she continued to pack.
They went through the next three
days packing and sleeping without saying much to each other. She tried to
ignore the emptiness. Claire was surprised each morning to find it still there,
a little bigger than the day before. Each day she ate less and less as the
emptiness filled her stomach.
...do you...
She walked through the house that
last day, checking closets and corners to make sure nothing had been left
behind. The emptiness didn’t care. It had grown into her throat, a thin,
hair-like wire she couldn’t cough out. It whispered when she tried to sleep. So
she slept less.
Ron moved the last box out to the
car. No matter what Ron said she insisted on taking that last box with them.
“Are you ready to go?” he called
impatiently from the driveway.
“Yes, I’m coming,” she said in a
tired voice.
...take this...
The setting sun threw a red
blanket of light across the rooftops as they drove down the street one last
time.
“I think we should sell some of
the furniture,” he said. “We don’t need all that stuff now that the kids are
gone.”
“Sure.” She laid her head back
and closed her eyes until they stopped in front of the Coronet Hotel.
The hotel was on a deserted
street lined with old office buildings. The floor-to-ceiling mirrors and
crumbling art deco fixtures in the lobby were faded reminders of the hotel’s
prosperous past. The dim lights and stale smell made Claire’s stomach turn. She
wanted to run back into the street.
They took the narrow elevator to
the fifth floor. Ron had brought the suitcases to their room that afternoon. He
placed her box on the dresser that ran almost the width of the small room.
There was just enough space for the bed and two small nightstands.
“We’re not supposed to have food
here, but I bought some stuff to snack on,” he said. “It’s in a shopping bag in
the closet.”
“I see,” she said, after looking
in the small closet. “Do you want something to eat now?”
“No, I have to go out. I’m going
to see if I can make some extra money tonight. I probably won’t get back until
late.”
“Okay,” she said. Claire wanted
to beg him not to leave her in this dingy little room, but knew he would go no
matter what she said. He always did.
Ron dropped the extra set of keys
on the bed and left.
...we are gathered here...
Claire sat on the edge of the
bed. The sound of people talking, laughing and arguing drifted through thin
walls.
She moved the box on the bed and
started going through it again. The dim ceiling light made everything in the
box look cheap and
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