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pascal_curious) wrote2009-08-13 01:35 pm
Chapter 18 : Scotch and Skellingtons, Part Deux
Amber went to the cupboard, poured me a glass of scotch and sat it in front of me. I downed the entire glass in one and pushed the glass back to her across the island counter.
“Another please,” I croaked.
Amber looked apprehensive.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “You still have to go to work.”
“I’m sure.”
While Amber poured, I picked up the next item from the yellow envelope. It was a ragged, faded envelope addressed to my father. It was post marked December 1978.
Amber handed me my second glass of liquid sanity and I drank it down. Bolstered by artificial sense of bravado that comes from drinking fine 15 year scotch, I emptied the tattered envelope of its secrets.
It was a hand written note with an old photograph nestled inside its folds. I read the note first.
I had put the photo face down on the counter, not sure if I wanted to look at it. Frank had scribbled onto the back of the photo “Chloe and Lola Singleton, Eighth birthday, December 1978”. I turned the photo over and was at a loss for words. My shock must have shown plainly on my face. Amber had taken my glass and poured me some more scotch, this time only a half as much. She sat the glass in front of me. Unable to formulate a sentence, I simply handed her the photograph.
“Oh my,” she gasped.
Amber looked from the picture to me and back to the picture again.
“They could be Andy’s sisters.” she said in amazement.
“Or my sisters,” I said quietly.
“Do you think this is them? You think your father was...”
“Taken too,” I finished for her.
There was a stunned silence between us. I stared at the photo on the counter. There was no denying the family resemblance. Looking at the picture of the twin girls was like having a glimpse into the future; a glimpse of what my Andromeda would look like in a few years.
“Should I tell Vic and Lazlo?” I asked rhetorically.
This was a real conundrum. Dad obviously hadn’t wanted us to know, but shouldn’t they know that we weren’t the only ones (and that aliens definitely seem to have preference for Curious men). If we have two sisters out there, two half-alien sisters, shouldn’t we try to find them? Maybe I should keep it to myself so I didn’t tarnish Vic and Lazlo’s memory of Dad. Perhaps that’s what Dad had wanted when he hid the box.
I took a sip from the glass and sighed. I looked to Amber, hoping for a suggestion. She was standing on the other side of the counter, absently picking at the label on the bottle of scotch in her hands. She looked up and seemed surprised to see me looking at her. He face was lined with worry. She chewed her bottom lip and thought for a few seconds be fore speaking.
“Maybe you should go through the rest of the stuff in that box. Maybe you fill find some answers in there and then you will know better what to do.” She looked as though she was ashamed that it was the best advice she had to offer. “I’m sorry I brought all of this to you,” she said, glancing at the sinister cardboard box. “I almost wish I hadn’t found it.”
I tried my best to smile.
“Don’t worry about it. You would have found it eventually. I’m actually kinda glad you found it. Now I know that we aren’t the only ones.”
She gave me a weak smile in return.
I put everything back into the large yellow envelope. I placed the envelope back into the box and glanced at the clock.
“Damn!”
It was fifteen minutes until three.
“I’m going to be late.” I siezed one of the bundles of cards and letters and shoved it under my arm. The other I tossed into the box.
Amber was watching me, whiskey bottle still in her hands, with an expression of concern. I smiled again in an attempt to put her at ease.
“Do you think you could clear this stuff up for me?” I asked.
“Sure,” she said. She put the bottle down and circled the island and began clearing away the lunch dishes.
“You can just cram the box in the bottom of my wardrobe or something. I don’t want Lazlo and Vidcund to see it…not yet anyway.”
I opened my briefcase on the coffee table and shoved the bundle of letters inside. I grabbed the case and went back to the kitchen. I took my glass and swallowed the last little bit of scotch. Amber was beside me putting things back into the box and looking a bit forlorn. I put my hand comfortingly on her arm and she looked up to me.
“Thanks, Amber,” I said “for everything.”
“Don’t worry about it,” she told me, this time with a full smile.
I put the glass down and headed for the door. I was almost to the door when I realized that I hadn’t looked in on Andy to say goodbye. It was getting too late and I didn’t really have time. I bounded back across the living room and planted a kiss on Amber’s cheek.
“Give that to Andy, and tell her I love her,” I said as I dashed back across the living room and out the door.
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I'm working on a Strangetown story of my own, but I'm pretty convinced we're doing different things with it, so you don't need to worry about me lifting ideas.
May I add you to keep up with your story?
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Thanks. I will have to check out your story this evening when I get home from work. I love the Curious boys andd seeing what they get up to in other people's games.
No worries about story ideas, It's all for the fun of it, right?
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It certainly is all for the fun of it though. And your story is really fun.
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Thanks for saying my story is fun. That perked me up quite a bit this morning. Sometimes I worry that I am losing my snarkiness in my old age.