leela joshi (clarity) wrote in thecaldera, @ 2018-04-18 04:06:00 |
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“Mom,” Tommy’s voice is drowned out by the clatter of his sister’s little fists and her plastic silverware pounding on the table. “Mom,” he tries again. “Mom,” his mother’s focus is on his sister, whose lasagna is deconstructed on her plate, her placemat, and surrounding area of the table. Jackie is whining that she wants a new slice and Tommy can see that Leela’s hands are full, but he wants his mother’s attention. “Mom!” “Yes,” Leela finally responds. Her hands are messy with marinara from cleaning up Jackie’s mess. “Tommy, what is it?” “Do you miss our old house?” “Sometimes, but I think our new house is pretty nice, too.” “Do you think dad misses our old house?” Leela counters carefully, “Do you miss our old house?” Tommy doesn’t answer and instead lobbies another question back at her. “Do you think he went back?” “Oh, baby, no.” Leela studies her son, his eyes are filled with curiosity and concern and fear. She reminds herself that he sees and understands so much more than she realizes. “No, your father would never leave without saying goodbye.” Tommy asks another question, but it falls to deaf ears. The dining room window has captured Leela’s attention. She sees movement in the glass. Despite staring at the window head-on, it’s like she’s catching glimpses of something running out of her vision in the corner of her eye. Like looking into a smudged mirror to find that the reflection isn’t her own. It unsettles her. There’s a distinct sensation of something being wrong but she’s not quite sure what’s coming. The movement becomes clearer. She catches a glimpse of a man - one she doesn't recognize. At the sight of a strange man in her window, Leela tenses and reaches for her children. In her alarm, she doesn't realize that the backdrop isn't her back yard. It's not a place she would readily recognize even if she realized it. With the new images comes a low buzz. Leela recognizes it as voices. She strains to make out to words, but all she hears is static until one word cuts clear through the noise - “Mom?” Leela blinks. The window is just a window. She hears nothing but the thumps of her daughter’s heels against the chair and the sound of cars passing in the street. Something is still off. But Leela smiles for the sake of her children. “Finish up your dinner, baby. Let’s get you cleaned up and ready for bed.” |