Red Is The Color Of Blood

To Bed and Back To Work

           Eldon pulled into his driveway with his headlights off. He didn't want to wake up the kids. He shut off his car and sat in the driver's seat, holding his head in his hands. 'I gotta go inside and I know she's gonna wake them kids up. Then she gonna put 'em back ta bed and holler at me, wakin' 'em up again...Damn...' he thought, shaking with frustration. He pulled the keys out of the ignition and grabbed his gun and badge from the passenger seat. He got out and looked around; all the lights were off in the neighboring houses. He shut the door gently and walked, very slowly, to his front door and unlocked it. And there she was....his wife.

     "Where tha hell you been?" she whisper yelled.

     "Work. You know that. Kids are in bed, I see." he said, monotonously. 

     "Work work work! That's all ya ever do is work!" she said raising her voice as she spoke.

     "Don't go a hollerin' an' wakin' them kids up, you hear?" he said in a hushed tone.

     A malicious twinkle shone in Ivette's eye. "Don't go wakin' them kids up, eh? You wait....just you wait...." she said, and evil smile creeping across her face.

     "What tha hell d'you think your doin'?! Don't you dare...." he said, stopping abruptly when she yelled.

     "Henry! Ace! Ya daddy's home! Come see him!" she shouted. A few seconds later, there were the sounds of little feet thumping on the stairs.

     "Daddy! Daddy! You're home!" the boys cried in unison as they ran to their father.

     "Hey fellas! What didja do at school t'day?" Eldon asked, crouching down to meet the children at eye level. 

     "Mrs. Riley tol' us 'bout about a big animal called a ...umm....hipohatamuss! said Ace proudly. 

     "A hippopotamus?" asked Eldon, chuckling slightly at his 5 year old's attempt to say the word.

     "Yeah! Those thingies!" the little boy cried, smiling cheerfully at his father.

     "How about you, Henry?" 

     "Mr. Ambers went over our multiplication tables with us again. They are really boring...." said Henry, frowning slightly.

     " Again?!" said Eldon, faking surprise. He forced his voice to sound like a very proper business man who was about to go into a large meeting. "I am gonna hafta call tha school 'bout that, now ain't I?"

     "Yeah, ya are, ain't ya?" said Henry, mimicking his father's mock voice. The both laughed and Eldon looked at his watch. 

     "Lordie, look at tha time! I think it was time you boys got back on ta bed!" Eldon said.

     "Awwwww dad...just a few more minute?" both boys complained in unison.

     "It's a school night. Now get back on up ta bed. Come on, give hugs an' kisses an' get back ta bed now." said Eldon, sternly.

     "Okay daddy...." said both boys. The hugged and kissed their father and mother and quickly climbed the stairs and went back to bed.

     "Now, what was you gonna say?" asked Eldon.

     " Nothin'." snapped Ivette. And with that, she went up to bed, Eldon following immediately after her.

     They went to their bedroom and Ivette climbed into bed, not bothering to say a word to Eldon. Eldon stripped down to his boxer shorts and slipped into bed beside her. They both lay on their sides, facing away from each other. Eldon was angry...no, he was irate. She had the audacity to yell at him, wake their children up, and then tell him she had nothing to say afterwards?! He wanted to STRANGLE HER! He clenched his fists, grabbing hold of the sheets as he did so. He breathed deeply, slowly, deliberately. And he let it all go. He did this again. After a few more times of doing this, he finally falls asleep.

     Eldon wakes up to his cell phone ringing. He picks it up.

     "Hello?" he says groggily, sitting up and stretching.

     "Detective Hart? This is Rob, from the morgue. We have an analysis on how the victim died. And it will not be what you think. Hurry over here."

     "Yeah. On my way." he says, and the hangs up and sets his phone back down. He stands up and stretches more, walking as he does. He pulls a clean shirt and clean pants from his closet and gets a jacket as he does. He sets it all down on his side of the bed, and goes to his dresser and gets a clean pair of boxers, and changes them. He walks back to the bed and puts on the shirt, buttoning it up quickly, straightening the cuffs and collar. He pulls on his pants and buttons them and zips them quickly. He walks back to his closet and grabs a tie and ties it neatly and quickly. He grabs his socks and shoes, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Ivette wakes up.

     "What are you doin'?" she asks.

     "Goin' ta work." he says shortly.

     "Okay. Whatever." 

     And with that, she rolls over and goes back to sleep. Eldon puts on his socks and shoes. He stands up, grabs his jacket and walks out the bedroom door, down the stairs, and out the door, back into the wilderness, now beginning to flood with early morning fog.