by Robert Brumm
“I just asked if you could pass the rolls.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She picked up the bowl of dinner rolls and handed it to Ed.
“You feeling all right?” he asked.
“Sorry, guys. I’m a little out of it.” She covered a yawn with her hand and jabbed a carrot with her fork. “I just can’t seem to get a decent night sleep. Feels like I’m on fumes.”
“Is your new mattress comfortable enough? They have a thirty night guarantee or something like that I heard,” Sue said.
“The bed is great, I love it. Just lots of nightmares lately, I guess.”
“Maybe you should think about seeing a doctor.” Ed took a sip of his beer. “Jimmy, down at the shop, always had problems sleeping and the doctor gave him a prescription. Ambi-something. He swears by ‘em.”
Keegan pushed his mostly uneaten plate off to the side. “Can I open presents now?”
“I’ve told you a dozen times, not until tomorrow morning.” Kelly smiled at her son despite his instance of early Christmas presents. She was looking forward to him opening them in the morning as much as he was.
Ed checked his watch. “It’s pretty early. I don’t think Santa has even left his workshop at the North Pole yet.”
They heard the front door open and close, followed by a hearty “Ho Ho Ho!” from the living room. Keegan’s eye lit up and he spun around, only to be disappointed as Paul entered the dining room.
“You’re not Santa,” Keegan scowled.
“Sorry, Squirt.” Paul bent down and spoke quietly into Keegan’s ear. “I’d keep an eye on Ed over there, though. Look at his big tummy and white hair. What if he’s Santa?”
Keegan considered it for a moment but resumed his scowling, since he wasn’t any closer to opening presents.
“Have a seat, Paulie,” Sue got up. “We were just about to have dessert.”
“Sounds great.” He sat down next to Kelly and tossed a black olive into his mouth from the relish tray.
“How’s Ailene doing?” Ed asked.
“Same as usual, I guess. She had one too many glasses of wine at dinner. Fell asleep on the couch and I covered her up. She’ll be fine there.”
“We invited her over here but she said she wasn’t up for it.”
Paul nodded. “My mom,” he explained to Kelly. “She’s had a hard time with holidays ever since dad died.”
“Here we are.” Sue returned with a pumpkin pie and set it on the table.
They ate their dessert and Kelly looked around the table at her new extended family as they chatted. She couldn’t help think of Christmas Eve last year. She’d worked all afternoon on a dinner much like the one she helped Sue prepare that evening. Turkey, homemade stuffing, mashed potatoes, the works. Don stumbled through the door late after spending most of the day at the bar. He ate a few bites barely saying a word and passed out on the couch. Later that night, he finally came to bed still reeking of booze and was all over her. She didn’t resist, just laid there while he groped and pawed at her. It was better sometimes to just let him do it instead of risking a big fight. Especially at Christmas.
She turned to Paul, his eyebrows raised, still waiting for an answer to a question she hadn’t heard.
“What?”
“I asked if you were done. I can walk you guys back to your place.”
She looked down at her empty dessert plate. “I guess I am. Sorry, zoning out again.”
They said their goodbyes to Ed and Sue and walked down the trail to the cottage. Large fluffy snowflakes fell lazily to the earth, blanketing everything with a fresh white blanket.
“It’s beautiful out here,” Kelly said.
“Yeah, snowing on Christmas Eve,” Paul said. “Just like in the movies. Can’t remember the last time it’s happened in real life.”
“Now can I open presents?” Keegan whined.
“Argh!” Kelly threw her hands above her head. “You’re driving me crazy!” She ran down the path, waving her hands. “Crazy, crazy crazy!”
Keegan laughed and ran after her, joining the chant. “Crazy, crazy, crazy!”
Paul shrugged his shoulders and followed, having a hard time keeping up with his prosthetic leg but compensating by shouting louder than the others. He reached the cottage, out of breath and laughing right along with Kelly and her son.
“I think my sleep deprivation really is making me crazy,” Kelly laughed.
“Hey, I didn’t want to say anything, but…”
“Craaaazy!” Keegan jumped up and down.
“Oh God,” Kelly groaned. “I’m never going to get him to sleep now.”
The smile on Paul’s face faded as they got closer to the front door. “What’s that?”
Kelly turned to look, frowning at something dark attached to the white door. “I have no idea.” She squinted in the darkness, regretting to forget to leave the porch light on yet again. She got closer and stifled the shriek trying to escape her lips when she finally realized what she was looking at.
“What the hell?” Paul muttered.
“What is that?” Keegan asked.
“It’s nothing, baby.” Kelly scooped him and turned him away from the door. “It’s just a mess, that’s all.”
Paul quickly opened the door wide, hiding the decapitated rabbit nailed upside down from Keegan’s view. “Come on guys, let’s get inside.”
“I wanna see,” Keegan whined.
Kelly rushed him inside and clicked on the lights. “Santa is never going to come unless you get to bed, you know.” She shot Paul desperate glance.
“Sit tight. I’ll be right back.” Paul flipped on the outside light and shut the door. He pulled out the single nail driven through the rabbit’s back legs and tossed it into the trash can on the side of the house.
The blood puddle on the steps below the body was still tacky. Paul guessed it had been hanging there for less than an hour. He scanned the darkness beyond the house but saw nothing. A few old footprints led away from the house up the driveway. Drops of blood led away from the door toward Kelly’s truck. Paul followed them and discovered what happened to the head. He removed it off the hood of the truck, placed where a hood ornament would have been, and tossed it into the trash with the rest of the carcass.
He went inside and locked the door behind him, nodding at Kelly as she tried to get Keegan into his pajamas. A VHS copy of The Grinch playing on the television already stole his attention from the mystery at the door.
Paul washed his hands at the kitchen sink as Kelly hurried over. “Is that what I think it was?” she asked.
“Some sick bastard’s idea of a joke. On Christmas Eve of all nights.”
“Oh my God.” Kelly stared blankly out the window. “It couldn’t be.”
“What?”
Kelly lowered her voice and glanced over at Keegan. “What if it’s Don? What if he found me?”
“Your ex-boyfriend?”
“I could see him doing something sick like this, just to scare me.”
Paul grabbed the dishtowel and dried his hands. “It’s probably just some punk kids screwing around. How would he even know where you are?”
“Tammy found out. All she had to do was ask at the diner where they sent my last check.”
“Even if it was him, the lights are on, door’s locked, and I’m here. You guys are safe. I can stick around as long as you’d like.”
*****
Kelly turned off the TV and hit rewind, sending the Grinch back in time and ready to start all over again. “Sorry I don’t have any grown up holiday movies. This is the first year I can remember not seeing It’s a Wonderful Life.”
“If you think anything can top the Grinch then you’re nuts,” Paul said.
“I’ve been meaning to get satellite TV ever since I moved in but now that it’s been a few months I’m not so sure. I kinda like not having it.”
Paul sat up and stretched. “Yeah, it’s nothing but two hundred channels of garbage anyway.” He got up and
placed another log in the fireplace. “I’ll take a nice fire over TV any day.”
“It’s getting late. It’s okay if you get going.”
“But that look in your eye tells me it’s not.”
“Is it that obvious? God, I’m such a baby.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself.” Paul squeezed her hand. “Besides, I don’t want to spend Christmas Eve alone either.”
Kelly glanced at the wall clock. “Christmas Eve has been over for three minutes.”
“Ah well, mission accomplished. Merry Christmas.”
They sat in comfortable silence on the couch, enjoying the glow from the fire and Christmas tree lights. Paul took Kelly’s hand and she let him.
“I hate to admit it,” Kelly finally said, “I’ve got it so good here and Ed and Sue have been so generous, but I just haven’t felt safe here lately.”
“What do you mean?” Paul frowned and pointed at the door. “Has anything else like this happened?”
“No, nothing like that. It certainly isn’t helping, though. I’ve been having such bad dreams lately and getting creepy feelings whenever I’m in the house. The dreams are about the house, too. Like it’s haunted.” Kelly looked Paul in the eyes. “You probably think I’m nuts, right?”
“Not at all. You’re living on your own with a young kid down by the river in the woods. I think a lot of people might find it a little scary.”
“It’s not just that, though. It just feels…wrong. Evil.” She glanced over at the wall where the basement door in her dream had been. She’d inspected every inch of the wall earlier, looking for any sign of a door and was relieved to find none.
“Hey, you know what?” Paul put his arm around her. “I’m no ghost expert, but assuming they are real, I don’t think they can hurt you. Probably doesn’t make you feel much better but I think it’s the truth.”
“You’re right.” Kelly looked him in the eyes again. “Sitting here with you makes me feel better.”
Before she knew it, their lips touched, their bodies seeming to melt together. Paul’s tongue in her mouth. Her hands on his body. His hands on her. She grabbed his hair with both hands, trying to pull him closer, trying to completely wrap herself in his warm touch. Somehow they made it to the floor, both of their shirts coming off in the process.
Her head spun, a million thoughts swirling together, trying to take hold at the same time. Was is it too soon? Was is it a mistake? Paul pushed against her and she moaned, arching her back and pulling him closer. Her doubts vanished as she fumbled for his belt buckle with one hand, running her nails down his bare back with the other.
*****
Kelly rested her head on Paul’s chest, swirling her index finger around the light patch of hair on his stomach. His heart beat thumped in her ear and she enjoyed feeling the rise and fall of his chest.
“You okay?” he asked.
She lifted her head and kissed his bare chest. “Never better.”
“Not bad for a gimp with half a leg, huh?”
“What can I say? I’m a sucker for a freak.”
“Ouch.” Paul laughed.
Kelly slid her hand down Paul’s thigh. “Does it still hurt sometimes?”
“Nah, just gets sore after a long day standing on the prosthetic. Beats hopping around or using crutches, I guess.”
Kelly put her head back down and rubbed his leg. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like to go through that. I just can’t wrap my head around it.”
“It happened so fast, I barely remember myself.”
“Was it a bomb?”
Paul sighed. Kelly lifted her head again and looked him in the eye. “I’m sorry. You probably don’t like to talk about it, but I get curious sometimes.”
“It’s okay. I probably should talk about it more. It was from mortar shrapnel. I don’t remember, but they said my leg just above the knee was only held together by a couple strands of muscle and some skin after the hit. It completely pulverized the femur.”
“Oh my God,” Kelly whispered.
“Here, give me your hand.” Paul placed her palm on his side just above his pelvis and pushed on her fingers. “Feel that?” Just below the skin she felt something hard move under her fingertips.
“What is it?”
“One of the souvenirs I still get to carry around. They say removing some shrapnel can do more harm than good, so they leave it in there.”
“You poor thing.”
“Yeah, I think I need extra attention.” He pulled her on top of him and kissed her.
“What else happened?” She asked. “Did anybody else get hurt?”
“Come on, it’s Christmas. Do you really want to hear about this crap?”
“I do, really. How can I ever get to know you if won’t tell me about it? It was a big part of your life.”
Paul sighed again and rubbed his eyes. “Our company commander was killed by a rocket attack one night. We’d been at a crummy little forward operating base on a ridge in the Korangal valley for about a month. The whole area was crawling with insurgents and they lobbed mortars and rockets at us on almost a daily basis. They couldn’t aim for shit and most of the time they’d take a few shots that would land short and we’d open up on them with the fifty cal machine guns and mortars of our own. They’d run off and try again from a different spot the next day.
“One night the captain was walking back from the latrine and the bad guys got lucky. A round landed right in the middle of the base, practically right on top of him. It took out the shitters and one of the bunkers some of the guys were sleeping in.
“In the chaos after the hit we didn’t even realize the captain had been killed until we moved some of the rubble and found his body. All of the guys took it really hard. He was a hell of a leader and we all looked up to him.”
“Nobody else was killed?” Kelly asked.
“Not a scratch. I think that’s what shook up so many of the guys. Captain Taylor was the best. We all turned to him for answers when things got tough and just like that, he was gone. If it could happen to him, a real pro who knew what he was doing, then what chance did a lowly private have?”
Kelly nodded but didn’t say anything, relieved to have Paul open up to her but at the same time not wanting to hear anymore of the horrors of what he encountered.
“A week or so later we left the FOB and humped it back to base to get relocated to another part of the valley. That’s when we met our new captain. You know in war movies there’s always some fumbling ignorant officer making bad decisions all the time?”
Kelly nodded.
“There’s officers like that in real life and we got one. Captain Deets. He was new to the battalion and our company was his first command. While Taylor was a down to earth guy that talked to us as equals, Deets came off like an arrogant jackass from day one. I’m sure he had to be nervous. By then, most of us had seen our share of combat and he knew he had big shoes to fill. Instead of being humbled by that fact and taking advice from his senior non-coms, he just puffed out his chest more and worked on being as big a hard ass as possible.”
Paul ran his fingers through Kelly’s hair. “You still with me or did I bore you to sleep?”
She rested her chin on his chest and smiled. “Keep going.”
“Well, I could drag this story out all night, but the short version is Deets is a dumbass and I contradicted him in front of his men. Officers aren’t a big fan of that.”
“What happened?”
“We were out on a typical mission, patrolling the valley on foot, talking to the villagers, following leads on hidden weapon caches, that kind of thing. Usually, we’d only go out a platoon at a time, around thirty guys, but things had been really heating up so the whole company was on the move that time.
“The thing about the Korengal valley is, you can see for miles if the weather is clear and if you’ve got a good vantage point. Somebody was always watching us and it wasn’t a matter of if we’d get ambushed but when
.
“We got hit hard on the third day just outside a little village on the edge of a field when most of the company was exposed out in the open. We took machine gun and mortar fire from both sides. My squad was on point when we got hit. While we tried to lay down suppressive fire, Lieutenant Ajack got on the radio to call in air support.
“Deets came running up to our position like a mad man and hollering like an idiot. By that time, when shit hit the fan most of us remained calm and just did what we were trained to do. Probably sounds corny, but you don’t have time to be scared in a situation like that.
“The captain wasn’t handling it well. Poor Ajack knew what he was doing but Deets shouted in his ear and told him to call in a fire mission on a hamlet just up the trail. He was convinced that’s where the mortars were coming from.
“Lieutenant Ajack already told him they had a couple of Apache gunships on the way, probably just a few minutes out, but Deets insisted he wanted artillery on that hamlet. Ajack was a fine platoon leader but he’s the last guy to disobey an order from his commanding officer. Still, we both knew the mortars weren’t coming from the hamlet. It was full of innocent civilians, and on top of that, it was beyond danger close.”
“Danger close?” Kelly asked.
“Calling in artillery to a target 600 meters away is considered danger close and is risky. It’s only used as a last resort when things get really hairy because there’s a good chance of getting hit by your own arty. The hamlet Deets wanted destroyed was only about 250 meters away. That’s practically right on top of our heads. Lieutenant Ajack didn’t call it in but he also didn’t point out the captain’s mistake. Me and at least three other guys were in earshot and he knew we’d heard the LT ignore his order which really pissed him off.
“A mortar round hit just thirty feet away or so at that moment and it only encouraged the captain even more. He shouted at Ajack to call it in and that’s when I lost it.”
“What did you do?”
“I don’t remember my exact words but I said something along the lines of ‘Lieutenant, don’t even think for a second of calling in that retard’s fire mission. He’s going to get us all killed.’