Post by Hyde on Sept 3, 2015 20:19:10 GMT -5
Two years after moving to Biloxi, Mississippi...
The sound of music could be heard faintly as Amy lies in bed, flipping through a magazine. She looks at the clock on the nightstand, seeing it was almost 11:30. She lowers the magazine, letting out a sigh. She hadn't seen John for the past few hours, not since dinner. She knew he was home, down in the cellar, doing whatever it was he did down there. The same Led Zeppelin album had been playing since he went down there, starting over moments after it had ended at least twice. She couldn't tell due to the sound being muffled through the floor, but she knew it had gone through more than twice by this point.
Amy shoves the blankets off of her and stands up out of bed. She looks into the crib next to the bed, seeing baby Michael fast asleep. She smiles and walks out of the bedroom, moving down the hallway and to the kitchen. All she wanted to do was spend time with John. It had been so long since they spent a significant amount of time in the same room together. Tonight was one of the rare nights that Michael was peaceful and she wanted to make the most of it. But John was practically a stranger to her now, spending most of his time down in the cellar when he wasn't at work. She just wanted her husband back. She wanted the man that was with her before the war had come along.
She walks out of the kitchen door, standing on the sidesteps, looking at the closed cellar doors. The music was a bit louder out here, the sounds of 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You' floating up into the night air.
Amy King
John? John!
She waits a moment, looking around to see if any neighbors were peeking out of their windows. She rubs her arms, realizing she should have put on her robe before coming out. She pulls the shirt down, covering her thighs a bit as she calls out again.
Amy King
John, can you hear me?
She rubs her arms some more as she waits to hear something, anything from the cellar. A few more moments pass by before she decides to walk down the steps. She moves toward the cellar doors, running on her tip toes. She opens the doors and sticks her head inside, the music louder.
Amy King
John! JOHN!!!
She shakes her head when she still doesn't get an answer and begins to move down the steps. Each step creaks as she moves down slowly, the music getting louder. She had never been down to the cellar before. John had made it very clear that it was his own space and that he wasn't to be disturbed when he was down here. It was something Amy was willing to tread on for the first time in two years.
Amy King
John?
She reaches the end of the steps, looking around the cellar. Four light bulbs hang from the ceiling, barely lighting up the area. There were two long tables against the far wall, one of which had the record player on it, the other holding two crates of vinyl records. In the middle of the cellar sat a table that was covered in newspapers. The walls were completely bare, not even a single nail in them. Amy's bare feet walk across the dirt floor, shaking her head as she sees John wasn't down here at all. She moves toward the record player, reaching out to turn it off, but something about the wall catches her eye.
She leans closer to it, curiosity getting the best of her. There seemed to be a gap in the wall, like a door slightly open. She reaches toward it and gently pulls it open, seeing a cardboard box. Amy pulls it out of the wall, setting it on one of the tables and slowly opens it up as the music continues to play. The box was filled with scrapbooks, newspaper clippings hanging out of them. She raises an eyebrow, grabbing a few of them and pulling them out. She drops them on the table when several handguns come into view, a cloud of dust flying up into her face. She takes a deep breath, smiling to herself. Even though John served in the war, guns were something she couldn't get used to. Still... she didn't know he had any in the house. She tilts the box toward her, looking at the lot of them. They all seemed to be different sizes, some of them six shooters, some had clips. She shakes her head as she looks at all of them, not wanting to touch any of them. In the corner of the box sits a large hunting knife, gleaming as if it had just been freshly cleaned.
A thud from behind startles Amy, causing her to jump again. The sound of feet moving down the steps puts her in full panic mode as she picks the scrapbooks back up and shoves them into the box. The footsteps get louder as she picks the box back up and shoves it back into the wall, closing the panel all the way. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, her hands on the table as the footsteps get louder and finally stop. The song ends and the cellar is filled with nothing but the hiss and pop of the record spinning for what seemed like an eternity. Then the next song on the Led Zeppelin album, 'You Shook Me', started up. The bluesy guitar, drum, bass, and harmonica combo creates an eerie atmosphere as Amy's eyes open back up and she turns around, seeing John standing at the end of the steps. His shirt and pants was dirty and his pant legs wet almost up to his knees. He wipes a hand across his face, his eyes fixated on Amy as Robert Plant's voice fills the room.
John King
Amy? What are you doing down here?
Amy King
I... I was just coming down here to see when you were coming to bed. I was... getting lonely.
John King
I told you to never come down here. This is my space.
Amy King
I know... I know. It's just... I was calling you and you weren't answering. So I came down.
John King
So you defied what I had told you before.
Amy King
No, I just... I thought maybe something was wrong...
John slowly walks toward her, raising an eyebrow as a smile creeps across his face. He stops next to her, looking at the table as she keeps her eyes glued to the cellar steps. He looks at the record player, flicking a switch on it, the needle raising, the player still spinning.
John King
Okay. But you saw I wasn't down here... so you stayed?
Amy King
I was going to turn the record off...
John King
But you didn't. Did you enjoy going through my stuff?
Her breath catches in throat for the second time since coming down to the cellar. She could practically feel the blood drain from her face as she shakes her head, looking him dead in the eye, somehow speaking with not a single waver in her voice.
Amy King
Your records? Yeah, I looked through them for a moment. Then you came down.
John King
Is that so?
Amy King
Yeah.
John King
And that's all you looked through?
She smiles, looking around and shrugging her shoulders.
Amy King
What else is there to go through, John?
He stares at her for a moment, then smiles and chuckles. He gently brushes her hair out of her face and turns her head toward him. She looks into his eyes, smiling back at him as she leans back against the table.
John King
So you came down here because you were getting lonely?
He leans in, kissing her on the cheek. Her smile gets bigger as she tilts her head up toward him and closes her eyes. She nods as he kisses her neck.
John King
You just want to spend time with me?
Amy King
Yeah. It's been a long time, John.
She hears him chuckle as he moves down, kissing her arms. She giggles, letting her head fall back as she feels him lift up her shirt and kiss her stomach. His hand caresses her inner thigh and moves down, down, down to her ankle, stopping there.
John King
It has, Amy. But it's still no reason to lie to me.
Amy King
What?
Her head pops up as he stands back up, looking her in the eye.
Amy King
Lie to you? About what?
John King
You know what. You found my box, didn't you?
Her heart began to beat rapidly. She shakes her head slowly, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. John tilts his head and smiles, slowly raising up his hand, a bloody swatch of a shirt in his hand.
John King
Care to explain how this got out of my box then?
Amy stares at the swatch, confusion rising in her. She didn't remember seeing it when she was going through the box. And what exactly was it anyways? The blood on it looked like it had been on there for a very long time. She feels herself sliding down the table slowly, continuing to shake her head. The only thing she could think of was it fell out of one of the scrapbooks when she dropped them.
Amy King
John, I don't know what that is and I---
John slams his arm down next to her, blocking off her path as he continues to hold the bloody cloth up.
John King
Are you sure, Amy? You had to have seen everything else around it.
Amy King
John... I'm sorry. I did lie to you. I saw... I saw the opening in the wall and I got curious and... I'm sorry. But all I saw were the guns and, and, and, and the knife and... John, I'm sorry, but that's all I saw, I swear!
John King
So how did this get out then? You telling me you didn't see what else was in that box?
Amy King
No, I swear! I---
He slaps her across the face, sending her flying back into the table. The needle of the record player drops and skips across the vinyl, sending a sharp scratching sound throughout the cellar. The sounds of 'Dazed and Confused' fills the room as Amy begins crying, John staring down at her.
Been dazed and confused for so long, it's not true!
Wanted a woman, never bargained for you
Lots of people talkin', few of them know
Soul of a woman was created below yeah!
Wanted a woman, never bargained for you
Lots of people talkin', few of them know
Soul of a woman was created below yeah!
John King
All because you were lonely, Amy? You invade my space because YOU WERE LONELY?!
Amy King
John, I'm s-sorry. Please...
You hurt and abuse, tellin' all your lies
Run around, sweet baby, Lord how they hypnotize!
Sweet little baby, I don't know where you've been
Gonna love you baby, here I come again!
Run around, sweet baby, Lord how they hypnotize!
Sweet little baby, I don't know where you've been
Gonna love you baby, here I come again!
She begins to slide to the ground, her hand on her cheek. John grabs her by the shirt, yanking her up. The shirt tears in his hand as he shoves her against the table, pushing his hand underneath her chin.
Amy King
John, please! You're hurting me!
John King
Oh no! I don't want to do that! And I don't want you to be lonely anymore either! Because it's all about what you want, right?
Amy King
No! I'm sorry, John! I'm---
She lets out a yelp as he spins her around, shoving her against the table. He rips the rest of her shirt off and she feels a hand of his run down her spine and stop right at her hips. She shakes her head and lets out another yelp as the sound of cloth being ripped seems to fill the room. The sound of his belt coming undone follows it and she shakes her head, not believing this was happening. It couldn't be happening. This wasn't John. This wasn't her husband. She can barely breathe as she feels his touch again, her eyes widening as she realizes that this very much was happening.
Every day I work so hard, bringin' home my hard earned pay
Try to love you baby, but you push me away
Don't know where you're goin', only know just where you've been
Sweet little baby, I want you again!
Try to love you baby, but you push me away
Don't know where you're goin', only know just where you've been
Sweet little baby, I want you again!
-----
Months Later...
It was a beautiful day. The sun was high in the sky, not a single cloud around. The sky itself was more vibrant than usual, its blue resembling that of the endless ocean. Trees were full of life, playing host to flocks of birds singing their songs.
And John King hated it all.
He stares out of the hospital window, silently gritting his teeth as he loosely holds the hand of his two year old son, Michael. The little boy looks around, his eyes wide and curious as he takes in all the people walking through the hallway around them. John doesn't even notice the busy bodies moving around him, instead remaining focused on the vibrant blue sky.
Standing here, he felt like everything he enjoyed, past and present, was being ripped away from him. He knew that he shouldn't have felt that way, but he couldn't help it. There were things that he felt he couldn't let go of. Certain urges that had to be fulfilled so he could continue to wear the mask that smiled and said hello to people every day. If he couldn't fulfill those urges, that mask would fall apart.
Mr. King. You can come in now.
He turns slightly, looking a nurse dead in the eye. She gives him a halfhearted smile, her eyes looking at him in judgmental fashion. He doesn't even bother to force his own hollow smile, instead letting his inner feelings become painfully obvious as a grimace etches across his face. He kneels down and picks up Michael, remaining silent as he stands back up and follows the nurse down the hallway. She opens a set of double doors and waves him on through, leading him to another door. She opens it and steps aside, barely looking at him as he steps inside. He stands just inside the door as she shuts it behind him, leaving him alone with his wife, Amy, and a doctor. The doctor looks up at him from a clipboard, nodding at him.
Doctor
Well, Mr. King, I suppose you know why you're in here now.
John King
The inevitable happened.
Doctor
Uh... that's one way of putting it, I guess.
John looks over at Amy, who looked exhausted and ready to pass out. She stares back at him, a tense silence filling the room. The doctor looks back and forth between the two, noticing the awkward feeling that suddenly overtook the air. He clears his throat, turning to Amy.
Doctor
Would you like a moment alone with your husband?
Amy King
Yes please.
Doctor
No problem. We'll be right outside.
The doctor leave the clipboard at the end of the bed and turns toward the door, nodding at John as he walks past. John sets Michael down on the foot of the bed as the door shuts, looking his wife in the eye.
John King
We didn't have to do this you know.
Amy King
I wanted to.
John King
So because you want something, you put us in this position? You wanting something is how we got in this mess in the first place.
Amy King
Don't you dare! You...
She stops herself, looking at Michael at the foot of the bed, who smiles back at her. He lifts up a chubby little arm, waving his hand at her. She smiles back at him, taking a deep breath before looking back up at John.
Amy King
You and I both know the truth, John. We are here because of you. Maybe I should not have gone down there, but for you to do what you did... I'll never be able to forgive you for that, even if it has brought us to today.
John King
Then why don't we do what we discussed before? Just go our separate ways. It'll be better for the both of us.
Amy looks ready to explode, but stops herself and looks back at Michael. She calmly shakes her head, leaning back on her pillows.
Amy King
We didn't discuss that. You suggested it. And I said no.
John King
For reasons beyond me.
Amy King
I know the man I loved and married is still in there, John. I'm not giving up on you. And you're not going to give up on us or this family. Call me foolish, call me stupid, call me ridiculous. It doesn't matter. Even after what you did, after what I found in that box... I still want to be with you. And I want you to be here for us. And you're going to be. We can work through this Jekyll and Hyde thing you've found yourself in. I still love you. Through thick and thin, remember?
John King
You know this won't end well. It can't.
Amy King
It will, John. This is something both of us will make work. If you put as much work into our relationship as you do into your... hobby... maybe you'll find that fulfillment you're looking for. Just give it a chance, John. I'm willing to give you one.
He lets out a sigh, feeling like he wanted to scream. A soft knock is heard at the door and it opens, the doctor and two nurses walking in. One of the nurses carries a newborn baby, freshly cleaned and wrapped in a blanket. The doctor goes to the end of the bed and picks up the clipboard as John stares at the newborn baby as the nurse hands it to Amy. He watches as his wife's eyes light up as she takes the baby from the nurse, gently pulling it in close to her. So much love she had to give. She showered Michael with it. She was already showered the newborn with it. And she still wanted to shower him with it.
He didn't understand.
And maybe he didn't want to.
Doctor
So, Mr. King, have you two decided on a name?
John glances over at the doctor, unsure of what to say. He looks at his wife, wanting to slap her across the face for putting him in this predicament. What to name the baby wasn't discussed that much over the past nine months. At least, not when it came to him. He was always more interested in discussing the future of the marriage and trying to preserve what little freedom he had left. Amy's stubbornness held up to this very day. Not once did she waver on her stance when it came to their marriage. He had to admire that.
But he still didn't like it.
He smiles at her, then turns to the doctor, nodding his head.
John King
We sure have, Doc. This little guy is going to take after his old man. His name... will be John Hyde King, Jr.
Amy's head shoots up like a rocket ship, her eyes wide with shock. John turns to her and winks, giving her a huge smile. The doctor smiles and nods, raising the clipboard and beginning to fill in the birth certificate that sat on it.
Doctor
All right then! That settles it. On this day of January 4th, 1977, John Hyde King, Jr. has been born. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. King.
John King
Thank you, doctor.
Amy King
...thank you...
She looks down at baby John in her arms, smiling at him. John naming him after himself was a surprise to her. But it didn't matter to her. She still held hope that John would find his way out of the darkness he was lost in and become the man that she once knew. Maybe this was just the first step. Maybe John, Jr. would be his beacon of light.
And in the unfortunate circumstance that he didn't find his way back, that would be okay too. Because she wasn't going to let this wonderful little baby grow up to become like the man that called himself her husband. It would be a cold day in Hell before she let that happen.