Category : Stories
Sub Category : Suspense/Mystery
Chapter Six
David was a good husband, and an even better father to their only child, Trevor. When they found out they were expecting, David was between assignments. He was a freelance writer, selling articles to different papers. Together, they both decided that it would be best if one of them stayed home to care for the baby. Since Marnie had just started a job, with great pay and benefits, it just made sense that David would stay home. He could still work on stories here and there, to earn some extra cash, or really, to just to keep his sanity. Staying home with a small child daily can result in the loss of yourself if you're not careful.
For years this arrangement worked.
They were all very happy, even discussing having a second child from time to time. Marnie was ready to try for a girl, but with life getting in the way, they were having a difficult time conceiving. With David toting Trevor around to swim meets, helping with homework, the laundry, cooking, and trying to save some time for himself, he seemed to be making less and less time for Marnie.
They first met in college, and hit it off immediately. Marnie knew then, that she would marry him some day. He was funny, and kept her laughing nonstop. It was one of the things she loved most about him. He always joked that his humor came from his dysfunctional childhood, although he didn't like to talk about it much. The only story that he ever shared is when he was about eleven, David and his younger sister were removed from their parents home, things had gotten real bad, and they were forced into the foster system.
The first couple of homes they lived in, David and his sister stayed together. Then one night, he woke up to his sister screaming bloody murder, she was only seven at the time. Being the big, protective brother, Trevor jumped out of his bed, to rush to her side. His door was locked, he was trapped and he couldn't save her. He didn't understand what was going on, it had never been locked before. His fists were bruised from banging for hours, until his body gave in, and he passed out on his floor.
The next morning he checked to see if his door was still locked, and this time it was open. He cautiously tiptoed to the room where his sister slept only to find her bed empty. Not only was it empty, it had already been made up. He hurried into the kitchen, then on to the living room where his foster father sat in his chair, wearing his overalls, and reading the paper. When David finally mustered up the courage to ask about his sister, the man simply grumbled under his breath, very matter of fact and completely void of any emotion, “She had an accident, she's dead.” Nothing else was ever mentioned of his sister. They acted as if it was an old alley cat they just buried in the backyard. No love lost, no funerals, no last goodbye, just like that she was just gone. The only person he had left in this world. He was truly alone.
A few months after her death, things had finally begun to look up. David was adopted into a loving and wonderful family. He prefers to keep the earlier chapters in life on the shelf. When he speaks of family, he speaks of his adopted family. Even though David had a rough start, he was able to heal, due to all of the love and support he received from them.
Marnie got creative, hoping to snag some much needed husband and wife time. Their romance needed a good rekindling, she missed him. The him that would come up from behind her and squeeze her ass before kissing her on the back of the neck. Or the him that would be spontaneous and surprise her with a weekend getaway to Catalina island. Although Marnie didn't need to be necessarily whisked away, she needed him to need her. She missed his hands caressing her body ever so lightly, making her want him.
One morning she had an idea to surprise David. She called up his parents and asked them to keep Trevor this coming weekend, to which they were overjoyed. He had a swim meet, and they agreed to take him to that as well. Trevor loved his grandparents, so she knew he'd be thrilled. Once that was all settled, Marnie booked a room at a quaint bed and breakfast in Malibu.
With everything all set, Marnie decided to tell David about their romantic getaway. She gave Trevor his bath and tucked him into bed, while David finished up with a few emails in his office. She was quick in the kitchen, hoping to make his favorite drink and change before he surfaced.
Wearing a black silk robe, with nothing underneath, she grabbed his glass off the counter and knocked on his office door.
“yes,”
Marnie pushed the door open, smiled her flirty smile, with his drink in hand, she sat up on his lap and handed him the glass.
David was surprised to see her waltz in, wearing the satin robe he got her for their anniversary one year.
“What's this?” he said sounding less than thrilled.
Marnie chalked it up to him being tired. So she slipped off of his lap and onto the love seat on the opposite wall facing him.
“I have a surprise, we are going away this weekend. Well, more of like a staycation getaway,” she teased.
David stared at her in silence, looking more and more confused before he spoke up.
“What do you mean? Trevor has his swim meet this weekend,”
“I know, don't worry. I spoke with your mom-”
“You spoke with my mom?” David interrupted briskly.
Marnie paused a bit, before slowing down to explain it.
“Look, we have both been so busy, and we haven't had any time for, you know, us,”
By the look on his face you could tell that he was sorry for reacting like that, well at least that's what she thought she read in his face until he spoke up.
“Okay, I get it. But this weekend isn't going to work. I promised Trevor that I would be there for him,”
Marnie just stood there, she felt her face get hot. She wasn't angry or anything, she was embarrassed. She reached out to make a loving gesture, and he turned her down.
“I understand,” was all she said before leaving him to stand there all alone. She wanted to cry, then she wanted to yell, but she didn't. Instead she took it like a champ and just went to bed. The night was brutal. Laying there, longing for the person she missed so dearly, even though he is literally sleeping so soundly right beside her.
Over time, it had become clear to her that there wouldn't be another baby. She even began to wonder if they were even still in love, or just going through the motions. It was later that week when she would find out.
Marnie was at work with a throbbing headache. She tried some tylenol, but it wasn't letting up. She decided to leave work early and surprise the boys at home. Pulling into the driveway, looking forward to seeing her husband's face, she jumped out of the car, and tossed the keys in her purse.
The door was locked. Odd, but ok. When she was digging through her bag to find her keys, David unexpectedly opened the door, startling them both.
“Oh, hey, what are you doing home so early?” David asked sounding a bit strange.
“I wasn't feeling well, I decided to cut my day short and surprise you guys,” she barked. “Can I come in now?”
David had been standing in the doorway, as if he was heading out, or worse, trying to hide something.
“Were you guys leaving? Where's Trevor?” she asked, sounding increasingly more anxious.
“I was leaving, not Trevor,” he realized what he said made absolutely no sense, especially by the look on his wife's face.
“I am leaving to go get Trevor,” he finished, feeling confident with his story this time around.
“What? Get him? Where is he?” she asked while frantically going through her calendar in her head. Had she forgotten something? A playdate? Swim practice? Nothing came to mind, so she waited to hear what David had to say.
In an almost accusatory tone, acting as if Marnie was just being paranoid, “He had a playdate, why the third degree?” he rolled his eyes, and then pushed his way right passed her. With just a quick nod, he backed out and drove away.
Fifteen minutes. She had fifteen minutes to figure out what the hell he was up to. She sat her stuff down, and began looking for a sign, something out of place. So far, it all looked normal, and that's when she found his phone. He left it on the counter, above the drawer where we keep our car keys.
She stared at it for a few minutes, then she walked away. She didn't want to do it this way. She was above that. If there was something going between the two of them, they would talk it out, like grown ups, like married grownups. Marnie ended up down the hall, where she entered her room, slipped off her heels and fell into bed.
The next few days turned into weeks. Then the months following consisted of quick pecks on the cheek goodbye, to not even talking. Not out of anger, it felt more like a punishment. Like she was being punished, for accusing him, without even really accusing him.
She was stubborn. She didn't want to play his games. She decided to carry on with life as if everything was just fine. She became her normally bubbly self, cracking jokes with Trevor at the dinner table, then randomly stealing a kiss when David passed by. She was acting like everything was okay. She talked herself into believing that she wasn't playing his games, when in fact, she was. This only drove them further apart.
It was a Friday evening. Marnie had had a long day at work. She wanted to blow off some steam before going home to play the good wife role to David. So she shot him a text saying that she was having dinner with Tina, a friend from work. She expected the exact response she thought she'd get, “K”.
That was it. So, she grabbed her purse and went to the ladies room to freshen up a bit before heading out.
She hadn't been to a bar alone since freshman year in college. She almost put her car in reverse and left, but, she didn't. Marnie walked straight into that bar and placed her order. After about two drinks in, a gentleman came up and offered to buy her drink. She accepted.
It only took two more drinks for the both of them before they got up and left together. Marnie never even asked him his name. She had no idea who's name to call out while she was cheating on her husband in the backseat of their car.
Marnie was ashamed. The wall between her and David grew taller, when one night they started arguing, then they talked, and soon they were both in tears. Somehow through all of these years, starting their family and having Trevor, they forgot about themselves. They just stopped communicating.
Marnie was hell bent on doing whatever she could to mend what was broken and to heal old wounds. She thought they were making progress. They made love a few nights before. He was sweet with her. He took his time. They were going to the park as a family again. Things were looking up.
Marnie pulled into her driveway, it was November, so it was already dark by four forty-five. She noticed that all of the house lights were off. Odd, she thought but continued her way to the door. That's when it hit her. The stench, like a smack in the face, and she began to dry heave. Panic set it and she was slapping the wall searching for a switch to turn on the lights. She lived her for six years, and still couldn't find the correct light switch.
She called for David, and for Trevor. No one answered. She tried to tell herself that they probably went out, but she knew better than that. She found it, she found the switch, but she paused. She had to mentally prepare herself, trying to swallow back the vomit that was lingering at the base of her throat. One..two..three, she squeezed her eyes shut before she flipped the switch, she knew, knew without looking what she was going to see.
Standing there, frozen with fear, until she couldn't stand anymore. Slowly, she opened one eye, and then the other. At first it was blurry, then her vision cleared after a few blinks. She bent over and hurled, completely sickened by the gruesome scene. There was so much blood, it was everywhere. Marnie screamed, ran out the front door of her house screaming for help.
