29.10.08

an echo of the past

Chris thought it was best not to call Max when he was coming to the church. He'd just go over and take a look at the furnace before work. Tinker a bit, hope it would be something easy. Do it and let it got at that. Simple.

Naturally, the church was open. It still looked rather beaten down. He remembered coming here for dances with his sister. Back when their mother wouldn't let her go alone, and she was a senior in high school while Chris was a kid. It had perhaps been their mother's form of birth control for his sister or the thought, two less kids at home.

There had been some wild times here. Of course, it wasn't a church then. Just this building they called the church and you could get high here and someone always had booze. He looked around at the soft wooden floors lined with old pews. Yeah, this was where he'd started drinking and getting high at the tender age of eight. And he'd been sleepy-eyed ever since. It felt like a wake up call today.

He looked around a bit as if an old ghost might slip up on him. Chris had said they'd been good times. Now he wasn't so sure. He felt rather sinful to be here. Maybe he shouldn't be here at all. It made him feel slightly weepy, but he went on down the hallway toward the classrooms and the kitchen, finding the furnace midway.

Lord knows, when the furnace actually ever worked. It was full of cobwebs. Really, it needed a good cleaning for starters. Then probably a new switch for the pilot light to come on. He took a look at the mechanics of it.

He wasn't thinking about Dayton not coming home last night. Instead he kept examining the wires, where they connected. If he spent enough time with the machine he was sure he could figure out. But he couldn't be late for work. He'd never been late for work even if hung over...Chris always made it to work.

His cell buzzed then. He looked at the number. It was Dayton. Honestly, he didn't even want to take it.

"Where in the hell are you?" Naturally, Dayton would want to know.

"I stopped off at the church," he heard his voice echo through the vessel of the building. He felt a chill run through him as he listened to his own voice.

"Church? What the fuck?"

"Its nothing."

"You need to take me to work, jerk-off."

"I thought-"

"Get back here and pick me up, ass-wipe."

"Sure thing." Chris squinted and clicked off his cell. Chris wasn't so sure just how much longer he could work at the same place with Dayton. He suspected one of them would have to go. Or he'd just have to wait it out.

4 comments:

ellie said...

I liked the history of what the church was as well as Chris' life too.

I feel bad for him, getting the phone call from Dayton.

dawn said...

the setting of the church is genius!

BiLLiON $$$ said...

i am just going to come out with it
your story is one of my favorites :)

BiLLiON $$$ said...

actually i had to try a lot of keywords like colorful or fashion and things like that :)