Phoenix by C. Dulaney Read Free Book Online

could
make out boobs. A man can be blind and half dead , he thought, and still make out boobs .
    Mort took the paper bag from Laura and
slapped it over Brad’s nose and mouth. "Easy, easy."
    Brad nodded, the bag inflating and deflating
with each breath. After a few moments his respiration slowed to
normal, though he was left with a hellacious headache and a queasy
stomach. Looking around the room for the first time, Brad noticed
Laura standing in the far corner watching him. He looked over his
shoulder to Mort.
    "What?" Mort shrugged. "You wanted me to
leave right away, and she was still there. Figured it was safer if
I brought her, least until we figure out what’s going on."
    Brad nodded and pushed back from the table.
"Yeah." He started toward the living room, chuckling and running
his hand through his hair. "Yeah."
    The two in the kitchen exchanged glances.
Mort was cautious, following only after Brad failed to
elaborate.
    "What happened back there?"
    Brad lifted the edge of the curtain back and
looked down at the street. Everything looked the same as it had
when he got there. "Laura, is that your car?"
    She appeared behind Mort. "Yes. Is it alright
to park there?"
    Brad waved the question off. "Either of you
notice anything out of the ordinary when you got here? Visually
or…otherwise?" He tapped his forehead.
    Both shook their heads.
    "Figures," he mumbled.
    Laura said, "There’s no one out there."
    "No one you can see," Brad whispered.
    Mort had his pen in hand and was tapping it
against his hip. "I’d say it’s about time you tell us just what the
hell is going on here."
    "I saw him, Mort. I saw the man from my
dreams. The older one, the Old Suit."
    "Are you sure this wasn’t another waking
vision?"
    Brad shook his head and turned away from the
window. "I’m positive. I saw him as I see you standing right there.
At the Henderson’s. I went over there and he answered the door,
bigger than shit."
    "Yeah, and you’ve seen dead people walking
around the tampon aisle at Wal-Mart, bigger than shit. Did you talk
to him? What did he look like? Were the Henderson’s home?"
    "I think he talked more than I did. And I
don’t know about them, I didn’t see anyone else. He was there, so
that must mean he’s done something with them. Or to them."
    Mort waved his hands. "Whoa, now. Not
necessarily."
    "Yes, necessarily! Mort, he was there .
I saw him. He answered the goddamn door in a bathrobe . Okay, you don’t answer the door wearing that if
you just stopped by for a visit. Not only that, but saying the
boogeyman from my dreams just happened to stop by your neighbors’ house for a visit is the stupidest damn thing I’ve ever
heard."
    "I didn’t say that."
    Brad took a breath. "Yeah, okay, you’re
right. I’m sorry. I know that’s not what you’re saying. Guess I’m
just a little keyed up is all."
    "We just need to be sure you actually saw
what you think you saw."
    "I know."
    Mort jabbed a stubby finger at the window.
"If you’re right, which it seems you might be, then what’s out
there is hiding himself from us. That’s what we need to be
dealing with. Yes?"
    Brad and Laura agreed.
    "So it’s possible for someone like us to hide
like that?" Brad asked.
    Mort rubbed his temples. "Very. It takes a
good bit of skill, but it’s entirely possible."
    "So he could be out there right now and we’d
never know it? He could be right outside my door , weapon in
hand, and we’d never know it! That has to be it, then. Why none of
us sensed any danger back at your house. Why Laura can’t see him
out there now."
    "No," Mort shook his head. "Well, yes, that’s
probably why we didn’t know he was at the Henderson’s. But maybe
Laura doesn’t see him now because he simply isn’t out there. He may
not have followed you, or maybe he just hasn’t made it here yet.
Maybe seeing you scared him as badly as seeing him scared you and
he ran."
    Brad frowned. "I don’t know if that makes
sense. Why would suddenly seeing me