The Waiting: A Supernatural Thriller(22)

When the bed called to him, he went and fell into a dreamless slumber without broken clocks or hospital rooms.

~

The next morning dawned bright and hard, a cold wind sweeping in from the north, chopping Long Lake into a rolling bed of saw teeth. After a light breakfast, they stood on the shore, Evan helping balance Shaun with hands on his shoulders. They watched the waves move past the island, toward the southern end of the lake. Cars streamed by on Main Street in Mill River, only gliding dots of different colors to them.

When Shaun began to shiver, they returned to the house. Evan grabbed his phone and walked into the kitchen, while Shaun watched Thomas the Train again. Jason picked up on the second ring.

“How goes life in paradise?” Jason asked, in a breathless voice.

“Pretty good, how about down there?”

“It’s god-awful, just got off the treadmill. When the hell did we get so old?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t get the memo,” Evan said, sinking into a kitchen chair. Exhaustion pulled at him, and he promised himself he would nap when Shaun went down later in the day.

“So what’s happening up there? No more surprises, I hope.”

Evan glanced at the basement door and then looked away. “No, nothing to speak of.”

“Good, I was worried about you guys.”

“We’re fine. I was actually calling to see what you wanted me to do around here for upkeep. The place looks really good.”

“Oh, I don’t know, do some cleaning, make sure the f*cking shingles aren’t falling off, that sort of thing,” Jason said.

“So I was going to ask you,” Evan said, feeling a strange amount of trepidation, “what’s with the clock in the basement?”

Jason didn’t say anything for moment, and Evan wondered if Jason hadn’t meant for them to go into the basement.

“Why do you ask?” he finally said.

“I don’t know. I was down there the other day and saw it. Looks like someone was working on it.”

“Yeah, I think grandpa tinkered with it for a while.”

“Kinda strange looking,” Evan said, jokingly. When Jason didn’t respond, he continued. “I mean, with it all torn apart, it looks a little weird.”

“I think it was the last thing he worked on before he passed away, he never got to finish it. I didn’t have the heart to throw it out or sell it, so it got left. Even now, I don’t know why I didn’t get rid of it.”

“Sentimentality.”

“Maybe.”


“Do you know where it came from?” Evan asked, sitting forward in his chair.

Jason’s voice sounded funny. Light and airy, like he was talking in his sleep. “If I remember right, he got it at an auction in town. Carted it home. Grandma hated it.”

Evan grabbed a notebook and pen from the table, writing in town at the top of the page. “Do you remember where?”

“Not off the top of my head. Ev, what’s this about?”

“You won’t think I’m crazy?”

“I already think that.”

“Good.” Evan squinted at the backyard. “Do you think Justin would print a story about the clock if I did a write-up?”

A pause on Jason’s end. “What kind of write-up?”

“I don’t know yet, but with the way that clock looks, there’s got to be a history, you know? I thought I could do a little research while Shaun’s at his treatments in town, uncover where it came from, that type of thing.”

“Sure, man, I can throw it at him if you want, but I don’t know how much you’ll find out about it. I think it’s older than the hills, and the locals might not appreciate an outsider poking around.”

Evan’s eyebrows drew down. “I thought you said this was the friendliest town in the state?”

“Yeah, well, you know how small towns can be. Somebody from the outside comes around asking questions ...”

“There’s got to be someone around that would be willing to talk, who knows about it, right? You said he got it from a local auction?”

“Yeah, you could definitely check it out anyway.”

Jason’s voice sounded more normal again, and Evan heard the rasp of wind against the receiver.

“Keep me posted, buddy. I’ll shoot an email to Justin this afternoon, see if he’d be willing to run a piece on something like that.”

“That would be great, man, really appreciate it.”

“No problem. Any other questions about the place while you’ve got me? Didn’t dig up a cannibal graveyard down by the lake, did you?”

Evan huffed laughter. “No, not yet, but if your relatives were cannibals, that’s one hell of a story.”

Jason laughed without humor, and Evan decided to change the subject. “I met a woman.” He regretted the words as soon as he spoke them.

“What? Really? Who?”

Evan smiled in spite of himself. “Her name’s Selena Belgaurd, ever heard of her?”

“No, she live in town?”

“No, other side of the lake, but she’s a psychologist.”

“Oooo, a shrink. Is she hot?”

Evan frowned. “She’s kinda pretty.”

“She’s hot. Where’d you meet her?”