Demons (DNF)

Chapter 62: memories

George POV.

It had just passed my 9th birthday when it happened…

“George, stop watching TV and come help me clear the table before your Dad comes home,” my mother told me, her hands resting on the countertop as she looked at me.
After staring at her for a moment I looked back at the cartoon playing on the TV before climbing off the couch and walking over to the kitchen table.

I gathered up all of the pencils and felts I had been drawing with earlier and carried them up into my bedroom near the end of the hallway. Being honest I couldn’t be bothered cleaning up everything so I dumped all of my stuff onto the floor, adding to the growing mess.

Just as I was walking to the main room where the table was again I heard the door opening and immediately smiled as I heard the familiar voice of my dad. I began running to the door and then jumped into his arms for a hug. He chuckled and ruffled my hair, “hey Georgie,” he greeted me after I pulled away and looked up at him with shining eyes, “how was school today.”

“It was good!” I replied, “Mr Winter had us write about one of our parents and I wrote about you. I talked about what I liked to do with you, and how you always take me out for ice cream and about your job at the lab!”
“That sounds great George, I can’t wait to read it.” He smiled down at me.

I was always told by my mother that I had his smile because both of ours shined brighter than stars. When I looked up at him I could see what she was saying, I looked much more like him than my mother. We had the same messy brown hair, the same smile, and the same body shape.

However my eyes were light brown like my mothers, and I had the same pale skin as her. She was shorter than my father with honey-gold hair that she always wore in a ponytail. Every day she worked as a nurse working overnight shifts at the hospital, from 10pm until 6am.

When I looked away from my dad I saw my mother was standing there, after I stepped back he pulled her into a hug and kissed her and I resisted the urge to gag. Both of them looked over at me and chuckled, “I don’t see why you are disgusted George,” my mother smiled, “in the future you will probably have a girl or a boy and you’ll kiss them all of the time.”

“No I won’t,” I responded, “that is gross, I will never ever ever kiss somebody.”
“Okay then Georgie,” my mother smiled, leaning down and kissing me gently on the forehead, “on your wedding day I will remind you that said you will never ever kiss them.”

Fast forward an hour and my father was sitting opposite me at the dining room table, I was kicking my feet back and forth absentmindedly until my mother came from the kitchen with a plate for all 3 of us. In front of me sat a plate of burgers, fries, and a salad, and as we began eating my parents started a conversation.

“So honey, how was your day?” my mother asked my dad. I thought it was disgusting how they gave each other nicknames like that, you’d never see me doing that. Georgie was the only good nickname, because it was my name, but anything like honey or cutie or baby or angel or anything.

“It was good,” my father responded. “We have recently discovered something new and we think he might be able to help us medically.”
“That sounds intriguing to my nurse heart, how can that happen?” my mother asked.
My father shrugged and took another bite of his food before continuing, “well this thing has got regenerating abilities and increased speed, strength, stamina, etcetera.”

They continued talking and I just paid attention to my food, not really caring about whatever my father said. Everyday my father and mother had conversations about their work and it usually got boring so I always let my imagination wander.

We finished eating our dinner and after kissing us both goodnight my mother decided to go get a few hours of sleep before she had to get ready for work at 9. So my dad and I headed over to the couch and watched a movie together while sharing a large bowl of popcorn. I really liked spending my days like this.

In the morning I’d get ready for school before my dad left, my mother got home from work then she’d get changed and give me a ride to school. After many many long hours of school work and hanging out with my friends, my mother would pick me up. She always took me downtown for a drink or an ice cream or something then I’d have to go home and do my homework. And in the evenings my mother would always go to bed and I would stay up playing board games or watching movies with my dad.

An hour later the movie ended and my father turned to look at me. “George, I think that it is time that you go to bed now…” he stated, and I let out an annoyed groan.
“But Dad! It’s still early, and I’m not tired.” I whined, crossing my arms in annoyance like a three year old throwing a tantrum.

“I’m sorry George,” my father said, leading me to my room, “but your mother will have both of our necks if you are tired for school tomorrow.” he stated, “plus, I need to go to bed too. We have something really important to do at the lab but it might be messy. The day will be sooo long and boring, I will probably have to pull in a lot of overtime…”

My dad’s explanation caused me to smile the entire time as I brushed my teeth and changed into my pajamas. He was waiting for me in my bedroom when I made my way back and climbed into the bed.

I gave him a smile as he hugged me goodnight, a stupid thing which all my classmates grew out of a couple of years ago but I never did. “George I am probably going to have to leave early tomorrow,” my father stated. “So you might not see me until tomorrow night or until the morning after that. But I still want you to get ready for school tomorrow without me and I will be mad if you don’t.”

As he explained I gave a nod, and he went to leave the room but I spoke up. “Hey dad. What exactly are you doing tomorrow?”
My father turned to me and paused for a moment, trying to think of an answer. He responded after a brief awkward silence, “just… normal stuff, helping the human race. But believe it or not, what I have to do was instructed by the president.”

“Really?” I asked, suddenly feeling excited. I couldn’t wait to tell Mr Winter about this at school tomorrow, he always liked to hear about cool things happening to our families. With a brief nod my father turned to leave the room again but I spoke again, “dad… when I grow up I want to be a scientist, just like you.”
“One day you will be George,” he responded, “and you can take my place as P.O.G labs head scientist.”

For a third time he turned to leave but turned back soon after, his eyes looking at my calendar hanging on the wall. “You forgot to cross off the day again George,” he stated, pointing at the calendar. It was the 1st of August but I had forgotten to cross off the day again.
“Oh,” was all I said, before giving him a sincere smile, “can you please cross it off for me?”

With a quick nod my father walked over to the calendar and pulled a black pen out of his pocket, he crossed off the box for the 1st of August before pocketing the pen again. “I swear George that I have filled out more of these boxes than you have this year.”
Both of us laughed as he walked back over to the door and flicked the lights off before shutting it. I kept my eyes focused on the spot where he had been for a few moments before laying down and going to sleep.
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1435 words.