Edging Past Reality
By David Fingerman
Whoa,"
Jacob whispered. "This is too crazy."
Whipping
around to get the hell out, he didn't remember having closed the door when he
entered. The knob turned but the door wouldn't budge. With a surge of
adrenaline, Jacob shook and rattled the wood almost off its hinges. Panting and
heaving, he pulled. A scraping wood sound made the skin on his arms turn to
goose bumps as the door flew open.
"I trust
everythin's ta yer satisfaction," the hotel keeper said.
Jacob gasped
and grabbed his chest as he saw the old man smiling, his body filling the frame
of the doorway. He held a tarnished silver tray with what looked like a peanut
butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of milk. Peanut butter fingerprints
marred the top of the bread.
"Ya
looked like ya might be a bit hungry," he said.
Catching his
breath, Jacob gave a nervous smile, "I thought you locked me in."
The man
chuckled, "She warps when it gets humid, but just rattle 'er a bit and
she'll be fine. Samwich?"
There was a
glint of craziness in the man's eyes. His smile showed tobacco stained, rotting
teeth, and his breath smelled foul.
"If
you'll excuse me, I have to be back on the road," Jacob said. "I have
a presentation at nine in the morning."
The old man
made no move to get out of the doorway. "I took all these pictures
myself."
"Very
nice," Jacob said.
"Developed
'em, too. Gots me a darkroom down the basement."
Just the
thought of this guy's basement gave Jacob the creeps.
The man
balanced the tray on one hand and with the other took Hardaway's arm and led
him across the room.
"Tha's
my first wife, Doreen." He pointed to the black lace bra and panties.
"An' over here is our daughter, Ruth. Named her from the Bible." It
was a shot of a small torso wearing a Wonder-Bra.
This guy's
gone way over the edge, Jacob
thought. "A nice family," he said. "But I really do have to
go." He started for the door.
A hand
grabbed the back of Jacob's collar and flung him across the room. Jacob
slipped, landed on his ass, and slid the rest of the way to the wall. This man
was a hell of a lot stronger than he looked. Hardaway sat stunned as he looked
up at the crazy old fool. The tray still balanced on one hand; he hadn't
spilled even a drop of milk.