Portal House - Chapter 3
Hi, My Name is Rita, and...
Ruby’s nails clicked against the pavement, her tail wagging to their rhythm like a happy little dance. For a second, I smiled, forgetting the reason behind this walk.
“Rita, are you even listening? You’re acting so weird tonight.”
“I’m listening,” I responded automatically. “I just...kinda...missed everything you said.”
I looked up from my feet to see an eye-roll as he glanced my way. “Hm. You must’ve gotten started earlier than usual, then.”
“Yeah, I wish. Right now I’m the most sober bartender you’ve ever seen.”
“Well, that answers my second question,” he said, nodding in acknowledgement to the man I wasn’t aware he could see. He ignored us.
I glanced behind me after a beat, making sure the man passed up our driveway. “I figured you already knew where we were going. Unless you have some candy on you or something?”
Gary shook his head. “I gave you my last two the other night, remember?”
I shivered as I kicked a fallen pine branch out of my path and chuckled at Ruby for sniffing at it. “Wait, what was your first question?”
“It-uh…doesn’t matter.” Gary pulled his navy blue hood over his head and picked at one of the drawstrings. I watched him silently repeat the word “matter” three times.
I frowned, but didn’t push it. We continued quietly on the closed highway, assaulted by the scents of ditch water and old take-out containers. Today, it was sun-spoiled barbecue sandwich bits discarded by the construction crew pretending to repair our decrepit bridge. Ruby scarfed down the meat and carried the bun in her teeth while she pranced between us. I wished I could remember ever being so easily delighted.
“Come on, old girl,” my brother said as he guided Ruby through the barricades we assumed were only meant for vehicles. She backed away, tightening the slack of her leash, and Gary tugged at her harder.
“Give it here,” I said, taking control of the leash. I remembered this as a lesser used precaution of hers. Like any good food-hoarder, she needed to bury this remnant in her safe spot for later in case she needed a snack on the way back home. She did this when she was feeling anxious at the start of the walk, especially when we took a right out of the driveway instead of a left. Something about crossing the barricades spooked her.
“God, this is gonna take forever.” Gary folded his arms, watching as she nosed the smallest little layer of dirt over the bun, over and over, contributing to the callous on her snout that never quite healed. She stamped it down, still using the tip of her nose, and swiped one more dusting over it. She snorted with a finality that communicated more than words, then sniffed forward on the path with a half-tucked tail.
“See? She just needed to season, I mean, bury her food. No big—”
The leash ripped out of my hand and I tripped over a broken cinderblock. The knee that caught me throbbed and my ears rang.
“RUBY!” I heard Gary’s footsteps quicken and then stop. “What’s wrong with you, girl? What happened?” His voice faded from my hearing.
I looked up to find them, but the center of my vision was blocked by what looked like TV fuzz with purple flashes. It started as a slim line and grew into the shape of Texas. Sort of. If I’d tried to draw it with my toes.
“Jeez, Rita, you scared the crap outta her. We should just go back home. Forget the liquor store.”
“No!”
Look, I’m not an alcoholic, if that’s what you’re thinking. I know, I know. All the signs are there. But unless you look at every stranger you pass and have to wonder if they’re alive or dead, you have no idea how much a good buzz is worth.
To Be Continued…