Write Now Prompt: April 29. 2014

She was suddenly aware of her surroundings. It is home, but not home. It looks that same but different. That was the only way she could describe what she was seeing and feeling.

Her husband sitting across the table from her, a distant look in his eyes. He looked right at her as if he did not even see her. It was a strange look she thought. She knew he was worried about the loan he had taken. Who takes a loan from a guy named Louie she thought. And who the hell was Louie anyway. He would say anything to her anytime she asked him. He would just tell her not to worry about it. Still she had that strange feeling about her, like she missed something. An odd eerie feeling almost like a chill on your back.

Still he just sat there staring, not at her but almost through her. She turned around to see what was behind her. Just to coffee pot on the counter. A coffee. she thought I should have another cup of coffee. She got up and went over to the counter and became aware of a weight in her pocket. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a coin from a country she had never been to. She looked at it intently, an Italian Euro. She knew she had never been to Italy. It was a dream from the night before, her and John had been in a gondola taking a tour of the Venice waterways. It was very romantic, she was resting her head on Johns side, his arm around her neck. The gondolier serenaded them with a beautiful song of love and hope.

As they were getting off the gondola she saw the moonlight reflect off something on the ground, she bent down and picked it up, it was a Euro, she put it in her pocket and walked on.

Then she was in her kitchen that looked like her kitchen but did not feel like her kitchen, holding this coin and staring at it. She broke out of her spell, put the coin back in her pocket and immediately forgot about it. She made a cup of coffee as John got up, put his dirty dishes in the sink that was filled with far more dirty dishes than she would normally have, grabbed his lunch bag and walked out the door without a word.

Mandy went over to the window and watched as John came out the door and started his walk to work as he did everyday. As he walked out of sight she just looked out into the distance. Out over the quiet little town of Bridgeton, past the fields of Camden farm to the woods just past the fields. Her eyes became fixated on the woods, a feeling of comfort came over her as she stared at the woods and a desire to just go out to Hell’s Home came over her, one so strong and undeniable.