Rebecca Drouilhet
The Better Half
Barbara’s father, Tom, was a widower when he met Elaine, the woman of his dreams. She was old like him, but love conquers all and it didn’t matter. Barbara and her siblings were reluctant to approve the marriage, but the old people were devoted to each other and sincere, and at length the siblings’ quibbles about the union were resolved and the marriage took place.
December roses... she asks if I believe in miracles
At first all went well between the newlyweds. But, as time went on, strange things began to happen. Elaine reported that her aging husband could control things with his mind. At first, she found his gift benevolent, but later things took a darker twist. She claimed that her husband would send his cane across the room to trip her when she was walking. Once, during a terrible thunderstorm, he made all the lights go out just to terrify her. Time and again, Elaine turned to Barbara and her siblings to help her control her husband’s supernatural power. Behind Elaine’s back, they howled at her bizarre stories. But when it became obvious that Elaine was truly becoming deranged, Barbara and her siblings packed her up, clucking and soothing her, and sent her back to her adult children.
It was late when Elaine’s children pulled out of the driveway with her. Barbara stepped out onto the porch to wave goodbye, and then glanced back through the window. Her father was silhouetted through the curtain sitting very still. We’ll have to check on Dad more often now, Barbara thought. And, then the light went out inside the house. Wait a minute, Barbara thought. The light switch was clear across the room. Dad couldn’t possibly have crossed that distance in seconds with his bad legs. Maybe…
Samhain Eve... all the best stories never told
About the Author
Rebecca Drouilhet is a retired registered nurse who lives in Picayune, Mississippi, in the Deep South region. Her work had appeared in many venues and has won several awards. She likes reading, word games and listening to the rain.