The Staircase Shaped Door

Chapter 14: "Apples, Oranges, Peas and Carrots"

Chapter 14

"Apples, Oranges, Peas and Carrots"

Billy looked at Sarah prepared to say something to her, noticing she looked like a pot of water ready to boil over he chose to remain silent.The busy road was caressed in car engines and blaring sirens. They turned up a steep blacktopped road, the fresh asphalt was so dark it blended in with the shade of the forest―causing Sarah to walk closer to Billy. She mumbled out a phrase as the turn became a straight away. She stepped to her original distance from him and looked calmer.

"It sounds like the news is getting to everyone." Billy pointed out.

"Yeah, there's a lot going on. More than usual." Sarah said with a worried heart. "I am concerned with how they are taking this, more than the Daulpers actually being here."

"Indeed." Billy said nodding in agreement.

When they got to the top of the hill, the road sloped down into a ghostly neighborhood. The trees behind the houses on the hillside started to show their early spring leaves. The foliage scraped the bottom of the clouds and seemed to level off like they were freshly trimmed. One tree stood out taller than the rest, as to say: I will not be held down to your level. I will go beyond expectation and see what is above these clouds. Below that tree from Billy and Sarah's view sat Billy's house. The house was a sight for sore eyes. They started to jog the road. Halfway through the run on the sun drenched avenue, they sprinted like it was the last hundred meters of a marathon to the concrete steps and entered the house.

The smell of the new leather couch masked the potpourri carpet cleaner. Billy started to climb the steps and Sarah followed. "Mom," he called out knowing she was not there. Nevertheless he called out anyway in hopes of hearing a stir. After the encounter with the USSI's grunts and the Daulper's presence being acknowledged here on Earth―Who knows...who or what could be stirring in his home. "Mom, are you here?" He called louder. Sarah held onto his shirt as they got further up the steps. The only reply they received was a creek of the landing.

The hallway had a bleach scent hovering from the bathroom. He covered the puncher marks with his hand opening the door to his room. The other side of the thin timber door still had the target hanging there from his moon star target practice. He rolled his eyes at the damage to the door. No karate for a week was a light punishment he remembered. Acting like he didn't know it would get damaged―but it was deliberate. His anger from another move got the best of him that day.

He fixed the poster of Bruce Lee with one of his famous quotes: Be like water my friend. It was falling off the gray wall from the cheap version of Scotch tape he used. "They are in here." Billy directed Sarah to his closet. "You can use the old leather armor I grew out of. I got a new one at the Renaissance fair. It was my...I'm sorry we have to move again gift." He said making sarcastic quotations with his fingers.

"This is nice it must have cost a lot of money." Sarah said picking up the small chest plate. "I can't wear this it's too heavy." She said lifting the leather up and down like she was steeping a teabag in hot water. "Is this really going to help much? If anything I think it will slow me down and put me in danger. I don't think I can run in this. It's not like I could outrun them either though and I like the wolf heads coming out the crosses. I guess I could put it on."