The Fat Tabby by Laura Ann Joice (books to read in your 30s TXT) đź“•
Excerpt from the book:
A story about a life brought into focus.
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- Author: Laura Ann Joice
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had already stepped out. That was fine with him, Frank was no longer wanted.
***
It was two in the morning and there was a banging noise outside the house, startling Harold awake. He jumped out of bed and looked out his window. It sure is windy outside, he thought. The banging seemed to get louder causing goose bumps to shiver down his spine.
He was about to look away when he saw the black shadow swing across the yard. Placing his hand on the window, he strained to see more. Silent and somber, the world seemed to come to a halt, then he saw it again. Something or someone was definitely out there. He threw on his jacket and ran out the back door. Where did it go?
Grabbing a wooden board, he ran out to the middle of the yard. The banging seemed to come from all over. Turning round and round, he didn’t spot anything. Then she appeared. Lisa ran out and away to the neighboring labyrinth of houses. Harold tried to give chase, catching sight of her here and there screaming, “Lisa! LISA come back! Lisa!”
The neighbors were starting to come out of their homes, “Have any of you seen a woman, please, I need her! Have you? Please, help?”
It was then he saw the red and blue lights. The police had never been friendly with Harold and he knew he had lost Lisa. Hiding back into the shadows, he left the area. Back at home, Harold began preparation for her return and the fat tabby circled around his feet following every step he took, growling and crying.
***
Harold turned off his phone in order to stop his work from calling, Lisa never called it anyway. Refusing to leave his home in case of her return, the day progressed slowly. Harold had not slept a minute and had not showered. He knew Lisa would come home tonight and every minute was spent waiting for her. The only sound was coming from the ticking clock. As the evening began to settle, a light flurry of snowflakes started falling to the Earth. Each hour, at the sound of the chimes, Harold did rounds throughout the house and inspected the yard out all the windows.
At the six o’clock chime, Harold got from his chair and saw the tabby sitting on the mantel piece directly under the old wooden clock. It stared at Harold offering up what appeared to be a Cheshire Grin in his imagination. Shrugging off the ominous feeling, he continued forward through his rounds. Again he found nothing, but in coming back to the front of the house he heard a noise in the kitchen.
His heart hammered in anticipation. Taking little tiny steps, he found his way to the hallway where he noticed Lisa’s black pumps were missing. She was here and upon reaching the kitchen he saw she stood next to the counter, drinking red wine.
“Hello, Harold,” she said and turned to look him directly in the eyes.
He just wanted to grab her, to hold her, but now there was so much distance between them. He walked to the counter and said her name, “Lisa,” and choked on his own words.
“Harold,” Lisa began and he noticed she was wearing the missing black skirt.
“Listen sweetie, I have important things to tell you,” she said.
“Shhh. There’s no need to say anything,” Harold replied with a high pitched whine.
“No, you’re wrong Harold there is,”
“Hush, hush, now if you wait you’ll see everything is perfect, we’re perfect, just wait with me.”
Harold was beginning to feel panicky, but he had planned for this moment.
“No! Harold, now listen to me!” Lisa shouted, “Listen, I’m leaving you!”
Harold grabbed his steak knife and stabbed her in the gut. She gasped at his reaction to her statement.
“You should have just loved me Lisa, that’s all I ever asked from you,” Harold sobbed, “why wouldn’t you wait?”
She began to wobble, “Harold,” she said, “what did you do?”
Her knees buckled and she fell to the kitchen floor. Harold then felt a soreness down his spine, perhaps twisted in the process, but determined to finish his plan he turned around and walked straight out to the back yard.
***
The chimes rang seven o’clock and Harold found that waiting for Lisa had become tiresome, after drinking some alcohol he found himself lying on the kitchen floor. Getting up he felt his stomach cramping. Grunting and struggling, he forced himself to stand up, the alcohol is getting to me, he thought. Feeling parched he opened his cupboard doors, got a glass for water and forced himself to drink it.
Instantly, pain shot up from his stomach and, screaming out, he dropped the glass in the sink causing it to shatter. Looking down he saw the knife in his gut and, with his legs growing weak, he lowered himself back to the floor. Oh my god, how did she do it, how did she stab me? My God she stabbed me!
Looking down at the wound, Harold saw that he was also wearing the little black skirt, My god I’m the one who’s gone crazy, Lisa thought, I am Lisa, Harold stabbed me! I am Lisa. I…I must be dreaming…I must be trying to escape from myself. Oh God this is horrible! I’m DYING!
Lisa sobbed loudly then gasped and covered her mouth, Where’s Harold now? She wondered, he must be digging my grave or something. Jesus I need help.
Pushing herself up on her elbows, Lisa began slowly edging over to the hallway. As she neared the hallway she heard the front door open and close.
Oh God, I slept for too long, he’s here!
Covering her face, Lisa silently sobbed and prayed for her dying life. When nothing seemed to happen she opened her eyes and in the mirror she saw Frank.
“Oh thank god, Frank, it’s you,” she whispered to him, “You gotta help me, call 911, get me outta here.”
Frank was lying on the ground and simply continued to stare right back at her.
“Frank why, why are you on the ground like that, please,” sobbing now, “please I don’t want to die, Harold he, please you must understand Harold is crazy!”
Lisa was beginning to feel frantic. Slowly, she recognized a soft chuckle coming from Frank’s gruff voice.
“Look at you, you finally killed yourself didn’t you.”
“What?!!?” Lisa whispered, “Frank you’ve gone mad, please help.”
Laughing louder Frank continued, “All these years I spent helping you two, all these years. I’m tired of you two loving each other, but never me. Always there, but ignored. You never loved me, Lisa.”
“Frank, no, I always loved you.”
“I’m just the man, alone, in the mirror.”
“Frank, get up please, why do you lie there like that, mocking me, please, I don’t want to die.”
“I’m ready to die as well. At least we’ll all die together, the three of us.”
Raising her voice in panic, Lisa spoke, “Frank, you’ve gone mad, you need to call for help! Harold isn’t even here!”
Laughing maniacally, Frank yelled back to her, “But you are Harold!”
“What!” screamed Lisa and looking in the mirror she saw his face, she saw Harold rather than her own.
“Frank,” Harold began, “oh god man, I think that bitch stabbed me! You gotta get help! She left me, then stabbed me.”
“Harold,” Frank interrupted, “I love Lisa, but you wanted her more didn’t you. You couldn’t let me have her, could you? You just kept me locked up, always, silently watching from the mirror.”
Harold looked down at the knife in his stomach and then Lisa spoke, “Frank, please you aren’t making any sense, please, I love you. I always have. Please, help me, we can leave Harold behind.”
“What! Don’t listen to her, Frank!”
Laughing, Frank responded, “Neither of you ever listen, do you.”
Harold sat up and pulled himself closer to the mirror, the pain pushing back even more, “Arrggh,” Harold screamed, then yelled at the mirror, “Harold you are me! You are Frank! You are Lisa!”
Face to face with the mirror, Harold stared into Frank's eyes. He knew that look, Frank was telling the truth, he knew because those eyes were his eyes. He looked down at the stab wound and saw Lisa’s missing black skirt. He knew then, it was Lisa’s black skirt but his legs underneath it.
They all three began to laugh. Both Frank and Harold laughed, even Lisa was laughing.
“What a trifecta we make. Look at us,” Lisa said, “Two of us are dying, but the only one who can walk for help is stuck in the mirror.”
Harold continued to laugh when the fat tabby walked up to him. Starting to feel tired he thought, when was the last time I fed that fat cat? The world began to fade in and out and he had lost a lot of blood. Looking down at the cat, the tabby began licking at Harold’s stomach wound.
“Damn it, Harold! You said you’d take time to care for my cat.”
Harold looked over at the empty bowl under the mirror.
“That’s always been the problem hasn’t it,” he started, “we were all feeding the cat.” Imprint
***
It was two in the morning and there was a banging noise outside the house, startling Harold awake. He jumped out of bed and looked out his window. It sure is windy outside, he thought. The banging seemed to get louder causing goose bumps to shiver down his spine.
He was about to look away when he saw the black shadow swing across the yard. Placing his hand on the window, he strained to see more. Silent and somber, the world seemed to come to a halt, then he saw it again. Something or someone was definitely out there. He threw on his jacket and ran out the back door. Where did it go?
Grabbing a wooden board, he ran out to the middle of the yard. The banging seemed to come from all over. Turning round and round, he didn’t spot anything. Then she appeared. Lisa ran out and away to the neighboring labyrinth of houses. Harold tried to give chase, catching sight of her here and there screaming, “Lisa! LISA come back! Lisa!”
The neighbors were starting to come out of their homes, “Have any of you seen a woman, please, I need her! Have you? Please, help?”
It was then he saw the red and blue lights. The police had never been friendly with Harold and he knew he had lost Lisa. Hiding back into the shadows, he left the area. Back at home, Harold began preparation for her return and the fat tabby circled around his feet following every step he took, growling and crying.
***
Harold turned off his phone in order to stop his work from calling, Lisa never called it anyway. Refusing to leave his home in case of her return, the day progressed slowly. Harold had not slept a minute and had not showered. He knew Lisa would come home tonight and every minute was spent waiting for her. The only sound was coming from the ticking clock. As the evening began to settle, a light flurry of snowflakes started falling to the Earth. Each hour, at the sound of the chimes, Harold did rounds throughout the house and inspected the yard out all the windows.
At the six o’clock chime, Harold got from his chair and saw the tabby sitting on the mantel piece directly under the old wooden clock. It stared at Harold offering up what appeared to be a Cheshire Grin in his imagination. Shrugging off the ominous feeling, he continued forward through his rounds. Again he found nothing, but in coming back to the front of the house he heard a noise in the kitchen.
His heart hammered in anticipation. Taking little tiny steps, he found his way to the hallway where he noticed Lisa’s black pumps were missing. She was here and upon reaching the kitchen he saw she stood next to the counter, drinking red wine.
“Hello, Harold,” she said and turned to look him directly in the eyes.
He just wanted to grab her, to hold her, but now there was so much distance between them. He walked to the counter and said her name, “Lisa,” and choked on his own words.
“Harold,” Lisa began and he noticed she was wearing the missing black skirt.
“Listen sweetie, I have important things to tell you,” she said.
“Shhh. There’s no need to say anything,” Harold replied with a high pitched whine.
“No, you’re wrong Harold there is,”
“Hush, hush, now if you wait you’ll see everything is perfect, we’re perfect, just wait with me.”
Harold was beginning to feel panicky, but he had planned for this moment.
“No! Harold, now listen to me!” Lisa shouted, “Listen, I’m leaving you!”
Harold grabbed his steak knife and stabbed her in the gut. She gasped at his reaction to her statement.
“You should have just loved me Lisa, that’s all I ever asked from you,” Harold sobbed, “why wouldn’t you wait?”
She began to wobble, “Harold,” she said, “what did you do?”
Her knees buckled and she fell to the kitchen floor. Harold then felt a soreness down his spine, perhaps twisted in the process, but determined to finish his plan he turned around and walked straight out to the back yard.
***
The chimes rang seven o’clock and Harold found that waiting for Lisa had become tiresome, after drinking some alcohol he found himself lying on the kitchen floor. Getting up he felt his stomach cramping. Grunting and struggling, he forced himself to stand up, the alcohol is getting to me, he thought. Feeling parched he opened his cupboard doors, got a glass for water and forced himself to drink it.
Instantly, pain shot up from his stomach and, screaming out, he dropped the glass in the sink causing it to shatter. Looking down he saw the knife in his gut and, with his legs growing weak, he lowered himself back to the floor. Oh my god, how did she do it, how did she stab me? My God she stabbed me!
Looking down at the wound, Harold saw that he was also wearing the little black skirt, My god I’m the one who’s gone crazy, Lisa thought, I am Lisa, Harold stabbed me! I am Lisa. I…I must be dreaming…I must be trying to escape from myself. Oh God this is horrible! I’m DYING!
Lisa sobbed loudly then gasped and covered her mouth, Where’s Harold now? She wondered, he must be digging my grave or something. Jesus I need help.
Pushing herself up on her elbows, Lisa began slowly edging over to the hallway. As she neared the hallway she heard the front door open and close.
Oh God, I slept for too long, he’s here!
Covering her face, Lisa silently sobbed and prayed for her dying life. When nothing seemed to happen she opened her eyes and in the mirror she saw Frank.
“Oh thank god, Frank, it’s you,” she whispered to him, “You gotta help me, call 911, get me outta here.”
Frank was lying on the ground and simply continued to stare right back at her.
“Frank why, why are you on the ground like that, please,” sobbing now, “please I don’t want to die, Harold he, please you must understand Harold is crazy!”
Lisa was beginning to feel frantic. Slowly, she recognized a soft chuckle coming from Frank’s gruff voice.
“Look at you, you finally killed yourself didn’t you.”
“What?!!?” Lisa whispered, “Frank you’ve gone mad, please help.”
Laughing louder Frank continued, “All these years I spent helping you two, all these years. I’m tired of you two loving each other, but never me. Always there, but ignored. You never loved me, Lisa.”
“Frank, no, I always loved you.”
“I’m just the man, alone, in the mirror.”
“Frank, get up please, why do you lie there like that, mocking me, please, I don’t want to die.”
“I’m ready to die as well. At least we’ll all die together, the three of us.”
Raising her voice in panic, Lisa spoke, “Frank, you’ve gone mad, you need to call for help! Harold isn’t even here!”
Laughing maniacally, Frank yelled back to her, “But you are Harold!”
“What!” screamed Lisa and looking in the mirror she saw his face, she saw Harold rather than her own.
“Frank,” Harold began, “oh god man, I think that bitch stabbed me! You gotta get help! She left me, then stabbed me.”
“Harold,” Frank interrupted, “I love Lisa, but you wanted her more didn’t you. You couldn’t let me have her, could you? You just kept me locked up, always, silently watching from the mirror.”
Harold looked down at the knife in his stomach and then Lisa spoke, “Frank, please you aren’t making any sense, please, I love you. I always have. Please, help me, we can leave Harold behind.”
“What! Don’t listen to her, Frank!”
Laughing, Frank responded, “Neither of you ever listen, do you.”
Harold sat up and pulled himself closer to the mirror, the pain pushing back even more, “Arrggh,” Harold screamed, then yelled at the mirror, “Harold you are me! You are Frank! You are Lisa!”
Face to face with the mirror, Harold stared into Frank's eyes. He knew that look, Frank was telling the truth, he knew because those eyes were his eyes. He looked down at the stab wound and saw Lisa’s missing black skirt. He knew then, it was Lisa’s black skirt but his legs underneath it.
They all three began to laugh. Both Frank and Harold laughed, even Lisa was laughing.
“What a trifecta we make. Look at us,” Lisa said, “Two of us are dying, but the only one who can walk for help is stuck in the mirror.”
Harold continued to laugh when the fat tabby walked up to him. Starting to feel tired he thought, when was the last time I fed that fat cat? The world began to fade in and out and he had lost a lot of blood. Looking down at the cat, the tabby began licking at Harold’s stomach wound.
“Damn it, Harold! You said you’d take time to care for my cat.”
Harold looked over at the empty bowl under the mirror.
“That’s always been the problem hasn’t it,” he started, “we were all feeding the cat.” Imprint
Publication Date: 05-07-2010
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