The Waiting: A Supernatural Thriller(34)

Evan set the plastic ring into the pan, submerging it in the substance. After a second he withdrew it, letting some of the liquid drain off. A transparent skin hung in the center of the ring, reflecting the afternoon light in swirling, oil-slick colors.

“Now we see if we did it right.”

He checked the breeze, then gently pulled the ring through the air with both hands. A huge iridescent bubble expanded from the hollow cover. It grew and grew until it became the size of a large beach ball. With a deft downward motion, Evan cut the bubble off and set it free. It drifted in a lazy motion toward the lake, its sides wobbling so much that he thought it might burst, but it didn’t. It kept moving out over the water, dipping and then rising like a confused bird.

Shaun’s face was a portrait of wonderment. His mouth was open an inch, his eyes wider than when Evan had awoken him earlier with his cry. A low breeze ruffled his light hair, and he pointed toward the lake.

Evan had completely forgotten about the bubble, his gaze fixated on the beautiful expression on Shaun’s face. When he turned his head, he saw the bubble floated only inches above the water’s surface. A particularly high wave rolled toward the island and grazed the bubble’s lower half, instantly bursting it.

That was our life before the accident. Then something came along and tore it apart for no reason.

Shaun’s mouth opened wider, and for a second Evan feared he might cry, but then his eyes shifted to Evan’s.

“More!”

Shaun placed his fingertips together in the accompanying sign, the one Elle had taught him, the only one he knew by heart, and then Evan bit his lip to ward off tears.

“More?”

“More!”

“Okay, here we go.”

They blew bubbles for hours. When the solution in the pan ran low, he refilled it, to Shaun’s happy sounds. The wind changed and began to come from the east, which helped the bubbles travel farther before disappearing. Evan lost himself in the moment, his hands slippery to the wrists. He couldn’t make the bubbles fast enough; Shaun’s laughter was the ultimate payoff whenever he achieved a truly giant orb. Evan wished the afternoon could last forever—the wind speaking in the pines, Shaun laughing, a smile almost constant on his own face. He wished ... and stopped himself, unwilling to break the spell that surrounded them, an invisible bubble of its own.

Finally, the bottle of bubbles became empty, and a curled line of clouds advanced in a steady wall from the west. The blue sky turned overcast, and the sun hid within the churning, gray folds.

“Time to go in, Shaun,” he said, and waited for a reaction.

Shaun frowned, kicking his legs once so that they banged into his chair. Evan tilted the pan toward him so that he could see its emptiness.

“All gone.”


Shaun’s head drooped. Evan smiled and patted him on the back, then cleaned up their supplies. His eyes kept trying to roam toward the house; he knew they would soon have to go inside. The clouds continued to build across the lake, but he heard no thunder and hoped it wouldn’t storm.

Evan fried the fish they caught in flour and butter, seasoning it the best he could with salt and pepper. They ate with relish, Shaun smacking his lips several times, doing it again when he didn’t need to simply to get a rise out of Evan.

After dinner Shaun had a bath. Evan washed his hair and scrubbed behind his ears. As he rinsed a washrag, a strange feeling intruded on his mood, a cloud covering the sun. One more bath, another day gone, meal after meal. It was simply a meter, wasn’t it? A marking of time until the days were thin, the end near, near enough to touch, to taste. Is that what he was waiting for? The end? For this all to be over?

Evan gazed at his son and stopped him from putting the bar of soap into his mouth, for the tenth time. Shaun splashed the water, and a small runner of drool rolled down the side of his chin. Evan wiped it away, the sight of it more depressing than anything he’d seen in a long time.

“Let’s get you out, honey.”

~

They sat at the kitchen table working on tracing until Shaun’s fingers couldn’t hold the marker properly anymore. Evan watched him close, waiting for his attention to stray to the basement door, but either he had forgotten the prior night’s incident or he chose to ignore it.

“Okay, time for bed. Big day tomorrow, gotta go to the hospital and do some therapy.”

He helped Shaun out of his chair and let him walk to his room, his fingertips barely helping to balance him. After tucking him in, Evan sat on the end of the bed.

“This was a good day, buddy. I had fun.”

“Bub, bub.”

Shaun struggled with the word, and Evan let him work on it before helping.

“Bubble.”

“Bubbow,” Shaun repeated.

“Yeah, we had bubbles, didn’t we?”

Shaun smiled, snuggling into his pillow. “Moon?”

“Moon?” Evan said, glancing at the darkening window. His stomach sank. “You mean Goodnight Moon.”

He had forgotten the book at home. How had he missed it? He could even see it sitting on Shaun’s bedroom floor. Elle would’ve never forgotten something so important.

“I’m sorry, buddy, it’s not here.”

Shaun’s face darkened. “Moon?”

Evan opened his mouth to try to explain, but instead the first words of the story came out. He spoke easily and found that he could see every page in the book, the words standing out in bold black and red ink. Shaun’s eyes closed as Evan’s voice carried him away. He paused at the page about clocks but pressed on, ignoring the shiver that tried to run through him. At last, Shaun’s breathing became deep and his arm jerked a little as sleep took him fully.