“Oh, okay? Is something wrong?”
“No! It was just a more complicated bug than what I originally thought. I figured you’d want to be back to your normal self sooner rather than later.” She laughed lightly.
Even though there was no need to be anxious, Harmony could feel discomfort bubbling in her stomach as the last 3 cars in the parking lot began making their way to the main road. “Yes, I really appreciate that. What time?”
“10 am!”
“10 am, got it. Thanks.”
They said their goodbyes and Harmony started her car so she could drive home. When she opened the door to her A-frame house not a few minutes later, the reminder that Rufus was gone hit her again. She decided that before anything else, she would walk around the neighborhood again to look for him. Grabbing the leash, she walked out her front door and made her way to the sidewalk. The sun had already set but it was surprisingly comfortable outside. The wind blew gently lifting a few small curls from her forehead and causing her pant legs to stick to her thighs. A group of preteens rode their bikes past her laughing and playing music on their phones which temporarily distracted her. She forced herself to focus on finding Rufus.
“Hello!”
Harmony glanced over where the greeting came from and saw a young girl staring up at her, bright-eyed.
“Hello?” Harmony responded uncertainly.
“Can you help me find my mom?” Her speech sounded as though her tongue was putting in a lot of extra work but her smile melted Harmony’s heart and all she could do was nod.
“I can definitely do that. Is your family in this neighborhood?”
The young girl didn’t respond but instead asked, “Where is your doggie?”
The girl had beautiful wavy white blond hair that reached her shoulders and her almond-shaped eyes were deep brown. She looked to be eight years old and Harmony wondered briefly what kind of parents would let their eight-year-old wander the neighborhood at night.
“He’s missing. Can you help me look for him while we look for your Mommy?”
She nodded vigorously.
“Well, let’s walk around the block.” Harmony bent down and cocked her head to the side to peer down sweetly into the girl’s face. The girl turned her face up towards Harmony’s and flashed her a goofy smile.
“What is your name?”
“Harmony.”
“That’s the most beautiful name I have ever heard.”
They began to walk together and Harmony said, “Thank you. What is yours?”
“Haven.”
“Your name is also beautiful.”
“Thanks.” Haven hung her head bashfully and giggled.
Harmony continued to be the adult and glanced around for a woman frantically looking for her baby girl. Haven filled the silence by talking about some of her favorite things. When it seemed like Haven had listed everything as her “favorite”, Harmony began to get concerned that she hadn’t seen anybody yet.
As she peered down the sidewalk and glanced over at the house to her left she asked, “Where was the last place you saw your mom?” Silence. “Haven?” She glanced over and there was nobody beside her. “Haven?” She looked behind and there was still nothing. A chill ran down her spine and she cried out louder. “Haven?!”
Nothing greeted her but the rustling of autumn leaves.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT. Pat could feel the difference. His brain had spent years being conditioned to function normally with aid from the microchip, but now that it had been jostled around, he was dissolving into darkness. When he woke the next morning, he could clearly hear Justice going through her getting-ready routine in the bathroom.
On his nightstand, Dr. Clive Evers’ business card sat glaring at him. “I will not be calling that pompous…”
“Patty!” Came the lilting voice of Justice as she slipped into the room in all her glory. She was wearing just a long-sleeve shirt and jeans, but it was everything he wanted. To his shame, the tears came quick and fast. It was like every moment he was breaking and he didn’t like it. “Oh, Patty.” Justice swept in and wrapped her arms around his small frame and squeezed the life out of him.
“Please. Please.” He sobbed uncontrollably, unable to communicate what he wanted.
“I’m here.” She cooed.
That was exactly the problem. She persisted and it continued to make him feel unsettled. He couldn’t move on because she still existed, but he couldn’t find her real form because the beast had taken her. This hallucination he kept having was barely keeping her memory alive and tormenting him in the process. She was all he could think about and, whenever the opportunity presented itself, he had used vulnerable women in the hopes of bringing her back.
Justice backed up just then, holding his shoulders at arm’s length. She studied his face as she wiped his tears away in a very motherly way. She was the only person that had ever cared for him like that. He barely knew anything about his real mother.
“I just need a moment.” Pat said simply.
Justice let go of him and continued to examine his face for deceit. When she found nothing, she said, “Okay, Patty. I love you.”
“I l-love you too.” He gave a long shuddering breath as Justice disappeared from the room reluctantly.
As he disentangled himself from the sheets, he reached for the business card on his nightstand and unplugged his phone from the charger. Dialing the number before he lost his nerve, he placed the phone to his ear as it rang. His heart quickened and his breathing became shallow the more times it rang. He was torn between being terrified about having to speak with Dr. Evers or possibly not getting ahold of him at all.
As he was about to lose all hope, the phone clicked and he heard a jovial voice say, “Hello? This is Dr. Clive Evers.”
“Pat…this is Patrick Sherwood.” He cleared his throat realizing how hoarse he sounded from all the crying.
