Read an excerpt of my short story, “The Visitation.”
The Visitation
Originally Published in Midnight & Indigo/ Speculative Fiction Issue (vol. iv/issue 12)
Joanna
Not much had change about Travis Atkins’ appearance since he showed up on Joanna’s doorstep a year ago. His golden-brown skin illuminated under the fluorescent kitchen lighting, those wide brown eyes pulling her in with tenderness, reminding her of their past life together before his death. She reached across the wooden table and grazed her thumb across his cheek. Gratitude and angst swelled within until her eyes watered with joy and sadness. His presence still floored and mystified her. She would never get tired of these bittersweet annual returnings.
Joanna reached for his hand and pulled him toward her. “Let’s get comfortable,” she whispered. He nodded, stood to his feet, and followed her steps to the plaid brown sofa in the living room. She stifled a yawn as she settled onto the cushions. She never slept well the night before his return. She surrendered to the insomnia chasing after her, staring up at the water stain on the bedroom ceiling all night, awaiting his arrival in anticipation. Knowing she would set her eyes on him and spend twenty-four hours in his presence filled her with something she couldn’t quite explain.
Unfortunately, her husband Calvin also sensed her joy, yearning. He tossed and turned beside her all night, grunting frustrated noises in his sleep, thrashing his restless legs underneath their cotton sheets. Calvin dreaded these annual visitations from her deceased husband, rising early in the morning to head to the Watch Tower hours before his shift started, keeping himself busy with yard work and unnecessary home repairs until the midnight bell tolled in Liberty Square signaling Travis’ departure.
She tugged on the hem of her new white linen dress, hoping the wide pleats camouflaged the few extra pounds she picked up over the winter. She always asked Bernadine to design something nice in time for his visit, something that made her feel pretty and hugged her womanly curves. The village seamstress went out of her way to make last-minute adjustments to accommodate her weight gain as long as Joanna promised her a cherry pie for her troubles.
Travis eyed her carefully. He never uttered any words during his visits. She missed hearing his voice, but she stayed focused on the miracle. They were together again, even if it was temporary. He listened intently as she updated him on her life over the past year, nodding occasionally during their one-sided conversation. Joanna struggled to quiet her curiosity about his whereabouts in between their visits. She wondered if he had any memories of the dreadful day that still plagued her. But she learned it was pointless to bombard him with questions about the past. His blank stare and furrowed brows indicated he remembered nothing about the tragedy that occurred in their village seven years ago. The seventh of June meant nothing to him.