Jack Part 4
By the time Jack had returned, the sun had fully risen above the mountains, basking the landscape with light and heat. Heading inside, he found the table unoccupied. Placing the water down by the door, he went into the small den just outside the kitchen, the room dark despite the time of day. Reaching out and turning on a old lamp, he settled into his old routine as he reached for glass and bottle and poured himself a drink. He hated to drink, but he hated more where his mind went when the alcohol wasn't there to take the edge off.
After a couple of drinks and some time, he at last felt the familiar film come over him. Finally finding himself in a state of relaxation, he reached for a old carving knife and began to go to work on a nearby hunk of wood, which at this point was a rough representation of a wolf. After a hour had passed he put down the carving, satisfied with the work he had done on the face which was now a leering maw of teeth and aggression. Jack removed himself from his chair and headed to the kitchen, only to find Loyd staring at him from across the table. Walking took some doing, and he could feel his legs protesting.
“I don't have time for you Loyd,” he murmured as the cat watched him cross the kitchen. Reaching the sink, he felt a chill run up his spine, just as a warm haze crept its way over his eyes. Settling himself on the counter, he allowed the cold steel of the sink to sap some of the heat from his arms and face. After a few minutes he managed to regain some semblance of stability, only to be interrupted by the blaring of a phone.
Crawling his hand across the counter, he found his way to his cell phone, absently answering the call and bringing it to his ear.
“Jackie,” he whispered.
“Hello Jack.” The voice was almost as small as his own, only softer. “Is it okay that I am calling?”
Jack nodded against the edge of the metal. “Its fine. What's up?”
There was a long silence.
“Are you there?” he grumbled.
“Yeah I am here,” the voice replied. The sound was feminine, almost defensive. How long had it been since he had heard a woman’s voice? Anyone's voice?
“I just wanted to check in on you. You have been gone so long...”
“You knew I was going to be gone a while. Wasn't like I dropped it on you.”
“I know that...I just...want to know your okay.”
Jack was about to let loose when he felt his vision clouding over again, a thick pain settling behind his temples as the room began to spin. The best he managed was a hoarse grunt, and a thick yelp as the pain grew stronger.
“Jack?” said the voice on the other line. “Jack are you ok?”
A deep ringing filled his ears. The best he could manage was “I'm ok Ma...” before the phone slipped from his fingers and he felt himself tumbling to the floor.
“Jack,” came the voice on the line. “...Jackie?”
