April 3rd, 2006 11:54 AM Good Shepherd Cathedral, Westminster, MN
"Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" by "The Inkspots" plays as the sound of heavy rain is heard as a camera shot is showing a storm drain on a desolate street. The shot switches from the drain to the cars parked along the road, far and few in between left on the pavement. In the short distance church bells are heard. the camera slowly pans up and faces a dark gloomy cathedral, camera slowly zooms until a man is seen sitting on the steps getting soaked by the pouring rain. he sits there motionless for close to twenty seconds. The man reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a card. He looks at it with a blank stare as the camera pans from his face to the card. The card reads "In Loving Memory Of Elizabeth Rose Miller... May 8th, 1987- March 27th 2006".
The man sits still staring at the card, one of the doors to the church opens as a woman in a black coat walks outside. She sighs, walks over to the man sitting on the steps, and takes a seat next to him.
"Eugene... I- it's good to see you, wish it was under better circumstances."
The woman says as she places her arm around the man that was sitting there's shoulder. The man doesn't reply and just keeps sitting motionless.
"Gene... please say something."
She says as he looks at the man's face but the man still doesn't reply or react, still stuck in some sort of trance.
"I'm sorry... about everything, Lizzy, us, Dexter, all of it."
She says as she squeezes Gene's shoulder, Gene finally reacts by shrugging her off.
"Good to see you Jill..."
The man says quickly and coldly.
"Doesn't sound so good."
The woman says as she removes her arm from the mans shoulder, Gene looks at her with a perplexed expression.
"First time I see you in over five years and it's at our daughter's funeral... sorry I'm not jumping for joy."
Gene says before he scoffs and looks back down. Jill folds her hands over her coat.
"Fuck you Gene."
"Good to see you Jill."
Jill groans then stands up, opens her umbrella, and walks away toward the parking lot. Some more time passes as the man continues to sit motionless as he gets soaked by the rain. Another twenty seconds later, the heavy chapel door creaks open. A man in white and black robes — the pastor — steps into the storm. He exhales slowly, a sigh lost in the downpour, and walks toward the man.
"The chapel doors close, but grief doesn't heed such boundaries. Maybe it's time to find shelter beyond these walls, Gene."
The pastor states after approaching the man sitting on the steps.
"Maybe it's not just the rain I need to wash away."
Gene says as he looks up at the pastor.
"Go on, my son. Get home safe."
"Pastor, sometimes home feels farther than just a walk away. I- I keep thinking-"
Gene cuts himself off with a sharp snicker.The pastor pauses, his gaze heavy on the flood of rain swallowing the street. He sighs deeply before turning back to Gene.
"Sometimes the road doesn't lead back home, Gene. Sometimes it leads us somewhere quieter... somewhere with peace."
"Peace? That's a foreign land now, Pastor. One I'm not sure I can find on any map."
YOU ARE READING
Desperate Measures
ActionBroken Lives Bond In The Depths Of Desperation (This story is meant to be read like a television series)
