All Except One
By Tamara Plant
Cover Photo: Vipez
© Copyright 2012 Tamara Plant
Smashwords Edition
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
For my husband, Kenton
&
In loving memory of my brother, Corey Sails Sr.
All Except One
Chase was awakened by his three year old daughter, Ashley. “Daddy, you said we could go to the toy store tomorrow, and it’s tomorrow!” She jumped up and down with urgency and excitement, her hazel eyes shined in the rays of the morning sun. Chase smiled at his daughter and wallowed in the sweetness of her being the perfect combination of him and his wife, Nikko. He looked over at his sleeping wife. She looked as if she were about to burst. One month to go son, and we can meet. He touched her belly, and she unconsciously knocked his hand away. He laughed to himself and turned back to his daughter. “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” He rolled out of bed and stood to stretch.
“Huh?” Ashley crinkled her little caramel forehead.
“It means I won’t break my promise to you… it’s from the bible, honey.” He yawned and stretched again.
“Ohhh,” she feigned understanding, and heard her father’s tired chuckle.
“Aren’t you going to pick out an outfit?” Chase asked as he dragged his feet into his and Nikko’s vanity, Ashley followed close behind him. “I did!” She frowned in offense. “This is my outfit!”
Chase surveyed his daughter’s ensemble and raised both his eyebrows in question, “That’s what you’re wearing?”
“Yes!”
“You’re going to wear yellow leggings, a pink tutu and a black and white polka-dot shirt?”
“Blouse, daddy.” She corrected him and shook her head in disbelief.
“Excuse me; polka-dot blouse?”
“Yes!”
“You’re mismatching!” He playfully argued with his daughter.
“That’s the style!” She sparred with seriousness in her big eyes. Chase washed the residual shaving cream from his face and relented. “Need help brushing your teeth?”
“Nope, see?” She smiled wide. “All clean.”
“Nicely done,” he smiled at his daughter. “Maybe we can take a walk around Hewey Park on the way to the toy store.
“Daddy, we don’t have time for that. We just walked around Hewey Park yesterday, and the last day.”
“The other day.” He corrected her.
“Dad!” Her little forehead crinkled in worry and broke his will.
“Ok but Daddy still has to get ready, are you willing to wait for me?”
“Mommy said not to wait for any man.” Chase dried his face and stared at his daughter in awe.
“I’m going to have to talk to Mommy about the types of conversations she has with you. Go watch TV; daddy will be ready in a few minutes.”
Ashley rolled her eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh. “Ok, ok.” Chase watched his daughter saunter off into the family room and smiled to himself. I’ll be glad when you get here, son. We’ll even the playing field in this house.
*
Chase and Ashley returned home to the titillating aroma of Nikko’s beef chuck roast and creamy mashed potatoes. “Something smells good.” Chase rubbed his stomach and kissed his wife’s forehead.
“Thank you,” she waddled over to the dining table. “You mind fixing everyone’s plate?” She sat down with caution and slow speed. “Of course,” he walked over to her and kneeled down to meet her bulging tummy. “I know you’re ready to eat; aren’t you, Corey?” He kissed his wife’s belly and stood to prepare three plates. “Mommy, look!” Ashley requested while she had yet finished the picture she had been drawing. “Daddy bought me a sketch book, a doll and a princess crown!”
“Well, it looks like Daddy delivered on his promise of one toy, didn’t he?”
“Before you start with me, you should know that your daughter can argue a case like a twenty-year veteran of defense.” Chase rationalized from the kitchen.
“Of course she can, and daddy folds under pressure like a first offender.” Nikko playfully jabbed at her husband.
“Good one, Nikko.” Chase replied with little enthusiasm. “Dinner is served.” He set their plates of food on the table, helped Ashley into her chair and said grace.
*
After dinner, the Lawson’s gathered in the den and watched television. Ashley played with her new toys, as Chase and Nikko talked and made sarcastic remarks throughout the entire episode of their favorite reality show.
When the time came for little Ashley to go to bed, they all filed into her bedroom for their nightly ritual of reading her a bedtime story. Chase allowed his eyes to survey his daughter’s room, and all of its dainty decorations. He chuckled at her white princess bedroom décor. Her princess canopy bed was the focal point of the room, and set the tone for her royal toddler furniture. He marveled at how her illustrations had advanced from basic shapes and stick figures with dots for eyes, to more detailed drawings of characters with long flowing eyelashes, hats, and shoes. She does love her “fashion” he smiled to himself. He remembered his slight reluctance to purchase the princess themed furniture, it had been quite expensive, but was glad he had caved in to his wife’s will. “She doesn’t need such elaborate furniture” he had argued with Nikko, “She’s only three, it’s unnecessary to spend so much money for aesthetics.” Yet, as always, Nikko was able to sway his decision. Ashley’s sparkling glitter and rhinestone filled crown caught his eye, and he was pleased. She needs that crown, he thought to himself. She is, after all, the princess.
Chase turned back toward his girls and watched as Nikko read to Ashley about three Billy goats named “Gruff”. He smiled in awe. He had never thought he would have a family or could love two (soon to be three) other people as much as he loved them. He listened intently, reciting the book in his head as his wife read out loud. He knew all of her nuances and routine dramatic pauses. She puts so much into making sure Ashley has a great childhood, he thought to himself. Ashley and Corey are lucky to have her for a mother. When the story was over, he and Nikko both kissed Ashley good night and wished her sweet dreams.
“How about a little uhhh…” He whispered in his wife’s ear and squeezed her derriere after closing Ashley’s bedroom door. “How about a little uhhh…” She raised an eyebrow and mimicked the motion of male masturbation. “Come on.” He moaned in his wife’s ear. “The doctor said we could do it right up until the due date.”
“I know what he said, but he’s not the one with a baby sitting on his bladder.”
“He knows best.”
“Well, he can help you out then.” He grabbed her with gentle force and kissed her full lips with soft sensual ease. She moaned as he cupped one of her breasts. Nice and plump he thought and felt himself getting more aroused with the thought of his wife’s cocoa breasts jiggling from the force of his body pumping into hers. “We’ll figure something out.” She offered in a half-whisper half-moan that furthered his desire. She took his hand and led him to the master bedroom.
*
Chase woke up the next morning smiling and surprised to wake up of his own accord. The usual routine was for Ashley to wake him on his days off. She must still be asleep he guessed and rolled back over to his nude wife. He felt his manhood quicken and decided to make her morning a good one. He moved to the foot of the bed and began to ease her legs apart, when he thought to lock the door. Don’t want to mentally scar Ashley for life, he joked with himself and got up to take the precaution to make sure Ashley didn’t walk in on them. Surprised we didn’t lock it last night. He then locked the door and turned to continue his impromptu seduction; but when he turned to face Nikko, a strange feeling washed over him. Something isn’t right, he thought to himself. His eyes searched his wife’s body for the reason of his unease. As he zeroed in on Nikko’s belly, he felt a cluster of butterflies flood his stomach.
“Nikko!” he ran to her side of the bed to pull the sheet from her nude body. I killed my son! He panicked inwardly. Graphic visions of blood soaked sheets filled his mind and shortened his breath, but when he pulled back the flat sheet, all he saw was Nikko’s bare legs. There was no blood and no sign of a baby who was close to term.
“What’s the matter?” Nikko frowned and sat up blinking the sleep out of her eyes. “What happened?”
“Where’s our baby?!” He screamed louder this time.
“What baby? You mean our dog, Rocco?”
“No, I mean our baby. You’re eight months pregnant with our son! Corey!”
“Wait… What?” She frowned. Chase could see the alertness emerge from her slumberous stupor.
“What did you do with him?”
“With who?!”
“Corey, our unborn baby!”
“There is no baby! We have a dog, that’s all we’ve ever had! I think you need to sit down.” Chase unlocked the door and ran down the hall. “Where are you going?” He heard Nikko yell and ignored her. He bolted into Ashley’s room and felt his heart plummet to his stomach. She was gone. Her princess bed was gone. All of her toys, her illustrations… her princess crown. His daughter was gone.
All of her things had been replaced with office furniture. Two desks dominated the wall where her canopy bed had been. A small sofa had taken the place of her dresser and toy chest. The floor had been stripped of the thick carpeting that had covered it the night before. Cold polished hardwood floors had taken the feeling of warmth from the room and replaced it with an air of business. He felt a surge of rage flush his face. “Where is she?” he screamed and ran to the master bedroom. “What type of game are you playing, Nikko? It’s not funny; whatever you call yourself doing is not funny.” He shook her with each accent of his angry rant. “You’re hurting me!” She yelled as Chase screamed and shook her.
“Where is my daughter?! Where is my son? When we went to sleep, you were eight months pregnant. I wake up and your stomach is flat. What have you done with our children?!” He yelled as his eyes filled with tears of rage. His usual milky complexion was ruddy with confusion and frustration.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Nikko screamed with fear in her eyes. He released her and she ran to the closet. “I don’t know if it’s pressure from work or what, but you need a few days to yourself to recuperate from whatever it is that’s making you act like a damned madman.” She slid one of their mirrored closet doors open and put on the first pair of pants she saw. She then gathered a pile of her clothes, still on their hangers, and stuffed them into a suitcase.
Chase sat down on the corner of their bed, watching his wife stuff her clothing into their luggage. He questioned his own sanity for a few minutes. Could I have imagined all of that? He inspected himself with all of the sincerity he could muster. He then saw Ashley smiling in his mind’s eye and rejected the forced notion. Hell no, he answered his own question. I’d have to be insane, but his wife’s actions forced him to reconsider. “Nikko don’t leave me.” He stared at the floor and felt a tear fall and splash onto his foot.
“I didn’t say I was leaving you, I said I’m going to give you a few days to yourself. You’ve never put your hands on me; you know how I feel about that. I’m not going to tolerate that shit, and I don’t know where you got this idea that we have a daughter and I’m pregnant… You have some issues that you obviously need to deal with.” She slowed her hurried pace, but continued to pack.
“I don’t know what the hell is going on, Nikko. Yesterday we had a daughter. She looked just like us, but she acted just like you. She’s three with the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. You were pregnant with our son; we were going to name him Corey. He’s due next month… I couldn’t have imagined all of that. It’s our life! Wait, I have proof!” Chase leapt up from their queen sized mattress and hurried to retrieve his wallet. “I took Ashley toy shopping, yesterday. I have the receipt. I remember I kept it; because I joined the toy club to have 10% taken off of our purchases, since we buy her so many damned toys.” He laughed a nervous laugh as he searched his wallet with focus.
He rifled through each compartment, but the receipt was nowhere to be found. “Dammit!” He screamed. “The shit’s not here! I’m not crazy. I bought a doll, a sketch book, her princess crown… oh fuck, this is fucked up. This is really fucked up, it’s like I woke up in the fucking twilight zone. I did not imagine an entire life that doesn’t exist!”
“Calm down, Chase.” Nikko offered her husband an empathetic back rub. “Now, you’ve been under a lot of pressure with work lately. Maybe you should take a few days off,”
“I don’t want to go anywhere.”
“We don’t have to. Maybe you should take a walk, that always calms you.” Chase pondered the idea for a few seconds before deciding it might have done him some good.
“If I go for a walk, will you be here when I get back?”
“Yes, I’ll be here. You just scared me, that’s all.”
“I’m sorry.”
“All is forgiven. Now go for your walk.”
“Gimmie a kiss first.” His face was still downtrodden. He knew his wife well enough to know that she was being truthful with him, but likewise knew he hadn’t imagined little Ashley, or his unborn son. Shit, maybe I do need a walk. He thought and openly received the kiss he had requested from his wife. “I love you.” She kissed his forehead and looked into his face for acknowledgement. “I love you too.” He rose from the bed and prepared to leave. “Maybe I’ll have a jog around Hewey Park to clear my head, or at least sort this shit out. This isn’t right.” He looked over at his wife, and her confused stare told him to take it down a notch. The last thing he needed was for her to pack up and leave. “I just need to sort through my thoughts.” He zipped up his running jacket and bent down to tie his tennis shoes. “Where did you say you were going?” Nikko’s demeanor was one of disquiet.
“Hewey Park. That’s where I always go, I tried to convince Ashley to go yesterday but…” He lifted his gaze to meet his wife’s worried expression. “Where is Hewey Park?” She was frowning as she asked the question.
“Where it always is, up the street!”
“Chase, there is no Park anywhere near here.”
“What?! It’s right across the street from the elementary school!”
“There is no park there. A school and a vacant field; yes, but no park.”
“Get the fuck outta here. I’ve been walking and running around that park for as long as I can remember.” His wife’s blank stare infuriated him. “Come on, we’ll walk up there together. Maybe you’re the one who’s stressed out.”
“Chase,”
“Put your shoes on, and let’s go.”
*
Chase and Nikko walked at a brisk pace toward their destination. He looked over at his wife and noticed her avoidance of looking in his direction. “What’s the matter?” He asked half annoyed that he had to do it.
“Nothing. I’m just out here in the early morning; freezing in a wind breaker and slacks, so my husband can prove the existence of a mirage.”
“We’ll see.” He was sorry he had asked. “It should be coming… up.” Chase halted as they turned the corner and walked toward the crosswalk that usually led to the park. He looked up at the street sign to confirm his whereabouts. On the other side of the crosswalk rested a vacant field. “What the hell is going on?” He whispered as he felt fear creep up his back. “I’m sorry for yel-” he turned around and bucked his eyes in shock. Nikko was gone. “No.” He shook his head in disbelief of what was happening. “No, no no! Not my fucking wife!” He punched an invisible adversary with ferocity. “Not her! Nikko!” He screamed and began to run back in the direction they had come from. “Nikko!” He wailed as he bolted back down the street where they took residence. “Nikko, you have to be here, you promised you wouldn’t leave me! You promised! You promised.” His dash slowed to stillness, as he stood in front of the empty lot he and his wife had just left only minutes before.
Their two story four bedroom house was gone. An overwhelming feeling of alarm engulfed him. He could feel adrenaline surging in his veins telling him to panic, to run. It told him that he did indeed have a daughter and a son on the way; just as surely as he had a wife and a house, but something had taken them from him. It warned him that same something was coming for him.
Chase fled from the void acreage that had once housed his family and headed back in the direction of the missing park he had loved so. The park where he had lay in the shade with his pregnant wife, watching their toddler chase bubbles. He ran toward the park where he had played tag with his daughter. He ran toward the park where he had watched his baby girl tumble down the big red slide; first in fear, then in uncontrollable laughter. He ran to the vacant field and swore as he discovered the school had too disappeared. He stood still in utter confusion. Everything was changing at a horrific speed, and all was changing in silence. It was at that moment that Chase realized the absence of the songs he heard the birds sing every morning. “What the fuck is going on?! He howled as the tears he had been struggling to hold back surrendered and tumbled down his frightened and confused face.
He felt the earth convulse beneath his feet and struggled to keep his balance. The ground continued to rumble until he fell backward and bounced off of the pavement with violent force. The crunching sound and unbearable pain he felt shoot up his limb told him that his arm was broken. “Fuuuck!” He roared and clinched his eyes in unfathomable agony. The earth rumbled again and rolled him back down the street to face where his home had been. His neighborhood was gone. The street, the homes and all of the cars had all been engulfed by an approaching black abyss.
What the fuck is going on? He mourned in his inner thoughts. “He’s coming.” He heard a small voice and was initially relieved. Yet within a fraction of a second, alarm set in. He at first took solace in the fact that he wasn’t alone, but soon became alarmed at the thought of the little girl’s stealthy manifestation. He rolled over in excruciating pain to meet a pale faced little girl in a yellow dress. “He’ll be here soon.” She looked off into the grand nothingness that used to be his home. “Who?” His pulse quickened as he could feel his stomach churning in preparation of the loosening of his bowels. “The son.”
“The son…” He repeated the little girl, with little understanding.
“The son of the morning. I just wonder if he’ll get to you before I do.” Her pupils dilated as her eyes sank deeper into her chubby little face. Her maniacal smile revealed sharp rotting teeth cloaked in glistening viscous saliva. Chase screamed and pushed off of his good arm to stand and flee the malevolent creature. A sudden shrieking ring penetrated his ears as the earth shook again, and caused him to waver. He looked back and beheld the little demonic being running on all fours now, snapping at his legs with her razor sharp teeth. He increased his speed and the world around him became a series of familiar blurs. The blurs began to disappear before his eyes. The mailbox, the gas station and the corner store all vanished one by one. I know I’m gonna die; He panicked in fear, but please God, don’t let it be by this little thing gnawing me to death.
His lungs were burning and his tiring legs threatened to collapse. Please God, not like this. The world quaked again and caused his body to waver backward. Fuck, she’s gonna get me. He began to cry as he imagined the long excruciating death he would experience. He looked back into her face and saw that she had begun to shed her pale skin. Patches of cadaverous fleshy rind flapped against the short hairs that were sprouting of out of her raw flesh. The blaring siren that surrounded him increased in volume, as a giant slit of blinding light tore into the abyss. It traveled with impeccable speed and engulfed the darkness in its swiftness. Chase looked down and saw the demonic child disintegrate into the white-hot luminosity. The light intensified and consumed everything in its path. Here it comes, Chase wept as both his legs gave out and he collapsed.
*
“Ryan, wake up!” Alicia yelled and twirled the blind tilt wand as far as she could and allowed the morning sun to jolt her fiancé out of his slumber. “I’m up! Damn, close those things!”
“Well, you didn’t move when the alarm went off. It’s still going off.” She waddled over to the alarm clock, but Ryan slapped the snooze button with his open hand before she could reach it. “I don’t want to be late for our appointment to find out what we’re having.” She smiled and rubbed her pregnant belly. “We’re not going to be late,” He yawned with his eyes still closed. “Stop that Rocco.” Ryan lightly kicked their dog to discourage him from licking his toes. “Get up!” Alicia lightly smacked her fiancé’s arm.
“You know, I had the weirdest dream.” Ryan turned toward his soon to be wife and rubbed her belly. “It was almost like a movie or something. There was this guy. He had the perfect life, the American dream. He had the big house, he was married with a pretty little daughter and a son on the way,” Ryan smiled and rubbed Alicia’s belly. “But then, everything started disappearing…”
“What happened?” Alicia frowned in curiosity.
“That’s all I can remember… right now anyway.”
“You don’t ever remember your dreams for very long.” Alicia rubbed her belly lovingly as she watched the clock.
“It was spooky. Everything just started disappearing. Don’t you think that’s weird?”
“Yeah… You’re right, that’s weird. Now get dressed.” Alicia commanded, then rubbed her belly and spoke in baby talk to their unborn child. “Mommy and Daddy are going to find out who you are, so we can go shopping for you today! Who’s in there huh? Is that Ashley in there or is it Corey?”
Ryan turned his face toward his fiancé, and struggled to make the connection. “Oh my goodness, Ryan will you please get up and get ready to go?!” Alicia caught his wayward stare and half-heartedly scolded him. “Say that again in Spanish, it turns me on” He smiled a mischievous smile and winked at her.
“Just get ready, dork!” She laughed playfully and threw a pillow at him.
“Alright, alright woman!” He stood and headed toward their vanity to shave his face.
Epilogue
The blinding light engulfed Chase Lawson; and to his surprise the light did not burn him up, nor did it consume him. He had simply collapsed into a peaceful darkness. He landed into what looked like a dark cave, and was surprised to find that his shattered arm was well intact.
“Hello?!” He called out into the strange darkness. He listened for an answer, and only heard silence. He stood to walk down the misshapen pathway, and began to see shapes of things. A brown worn teddy bear that looked like it had endured its share of abuse, a totaled out car that looked like it had been t-boned, and a cluster of tombstones.
What the hell is this? He questioned, beginning to feel uneasy.
“I believe the idiom used to describe a place like this is ‘the dark recesses of one’s mind’” Chase heard approaching footsteps behind him. He whirled around to face who or whatever was approaching him. He squinted into the caliginosity to decipher a form from the darkness. “In front of you,” The voice called to him again.
Chase turned quickly to face a black man cloaked in a white gown. He was smiling a kind smile. Chase felt at ease with the being. “Are you an angel?”
“No,” the man shook his head, and filled Chase’s heart with worry.
“Is this hell?”
“No,” the being chuckled.
“Well, what is this?”
“I told you already, you’re in someone’s mind.”
“How can I be in someone else’s mind? That’s impossible.”
“Well obviously; it’s possible, because we’re all here.” Chase watched as a bevy of people emerged from the darkness.
“What are you?” Chase asked with a tone of solemnity.
“I’m a memory of Ryan’s brother. That’s why I’m dressed like this; this is how he envisions his brother in heaven. The unborn baby in the dream you’re from was named after me. I’m Corey.”
“Get the fuck out of here.”
“I can’t,” the man chuckled in sarcasm, “and you can’t either. You are a figment of his imagination.”
“If we’re in someone else’s mind, how do you know him? You couldn’t have met him, if you live in his head.”
“I’ve been in enough of his dreams to piece some things together.”
“OK, well I don’t know about you, but I’m not a figment, a memory or a thought. I’m a real man with a real life and a real big fucking problem; since I don’t know who you are, where this is, or what the hell you’re talking about.”
“Okay; if you’re real, then tell me where you went to high school.” Chase searched his mind for the answer, but couldn’t seem to remember. “Where did you go to college?” Corey asked with his hands cupped in front of him, with confidence. “What is your mother’s name?” Corey questioned and ignited a rage in Chase. “I don’t remember!”
“You don’t know, because you don’t have a mother! You didn’t go to college or even high school, because you’re not real.”
“I am real damn it! I’m real!” Chase began punching the wall and felt no discomfort. He became infuriated with the absence of his aching; and punched harder, because he knew a real person would feel real pain.
“I’m real dammit! I’m real!” He swung at Corey and witnessed his hand fly right through the ghostly being. He lost his balance and fell to the floor. “I’m real dammit…” His screams turned to a sad murmur, “I know it… I’m real.”
THE END
About The Author
Tamara Plant is a wife and mother who currently resides in Sacramento, California. Although she is studying associated arts full time, she enjoys writing fiction and hopes to make it her main career in the future. Her first public release; Upon a Midnight, Clear showcases her love of supernatural horror and psychological thrillers, as main character Hunt confesses to a night of spine tingling incidents rife with cardinal sins. Her second release; The Confession, a story about a fling that led lead characters Russell Washington and Shayna Battease down a dangerous path of lust and murder, reveals her ability to intertwine everyday problems with a realistic twist of psychological suspense. To contact Tamara or to receive updates on her newest releases and writing ventures, connect with her on twitter or visit her blog tamarathewriter.wordpress.com.