Scott P. Gill - ...And the End was the Beginning

Copyright 2015

Scott P. Gill

A ll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in anyform, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in review, without permission in writing from the author/publisher.

ISBN 978-0-692-52516-6

Printed in U.S. by IngramSpark

In Loving Memory of David L. Gill, Sr.

Chapter 1

A Day in the Life

The familiarity of his surroundings was noticeable, but distinct details of his life were missing. Not to say that something that was there before had been removed, but there was a subconscious feeling that there was more to the story than his present circumstances. He drove through the city, astonished by its architecture and enamored by its beauty. The buses stormed by, carrying passengers eager to arrive at their destinations. However, the pollution-producing exhaust that usually sickened him had no effect on him this particular day. Pedestrian traffic was normal and predictable, each individual consumed by their travel to their monotonous locations. Christian parked the car, and proceeded to travel via foot, in his most comfortable pair of blue slacks, dress shoes, and tan blazer. The compression sleeve he had been wearing the last few nights was apparently working, as he noticed the pain in his left shoulder was no longer inhibiting his progress as he walked. In addition, it became apparent that the Ibuprofen he has been taking has relieved the discomfort in that worrisome left knee of his; it has been bothering him for years.

On the way to work, he felt the normal gratefulness for his position in the world. His spirit of thanksgiving was still a bit forced, as he was commonly unfulfilled by his profession. However, he promised himself long ago that he would remain outwardly content, so as not to sabotage his own success. He mentally stumbled, as a passing ambulance reminded him of an upcoming doctors appointment that he had forgotten about. Oh, and I need to make that dentist appointment too, he thought. As he carried on, the sight of a young child laughing reminded him of how fortunate he was to have a stable family life. His wife Hannah, had been faithful, and loving since the day they had met.

While at times he had been a far less than perfect boyfriend, he had succeeded thus far in being a most caring husband and father. When she gave birth to their son Elijah, Christian noticed that it felt like a true turning point in his life. He was so proud of his son, and especially proud of himself for being able to valiantly declare his willingness to lay down his own life for the sake of his offspring. Still, the prayer was that these circumstances would never be presented in actuality.

He often reminisced on the security of his own childhood. Having grown up in comfortable surroundings, with both mother and father present, he felt a hint of entitlement with just a touch of good luck. With a college education and a job that he could be proud of, to the extent that it would buy him the occasional steak and ale on the weekends, Christian had little to complain about. He proceeded to work, to embark on another day at the office. But today, more and more he felt that something simply was not the same.

Chapter 2

Office Protocol

Christian answered the phone, Thank you for calling. What can we help you with today?

Hi Christian, how are you? inquired the investor.

I am well. I am doing very well. What can I do for you today?

Oh nothingabsolutely nothing Christian the investor replied. I was just calling to check on youbecauseyou knowI know this is probably veryI just wanted to check on you.

Uhok Christian confusingly replies. Are you sure you dont need anything? Would you like for us to wire some money, or execute a transaction for you?

The investor insisted yet again, Oh no. I just wanted to call and check on you. I know how big of an adjustment this can be so I just wanted you to know that I am thinking of you.

Adjustment? IIm sorry, but

Christian was cut off by the caller, who cheerfully proclaimed, Okay, bye now! The investor hung up.

Christian shook his head, took a deep breath, and looked around briefly. I need to get my coffee he said, and quickly walked to the break room for java and cream.

After a quick cup of coffee, Christian settled down at his desk. Rather than attempt to dive head first into Monday morning madness, he decided to surf the net for a while. Perhaps this will help capture the normality that he is used to, he thought. He visited his normal sites. Christian loved sports, so he browsed through the scores and standings of the previous weekends games. After checking the scores, his fingers were programmed to type the web address for local news. Christian enjoyed reading the crime section of the local newspapers. His rationalization for this was that it made him feel pretty good to not be featured in the local crime rundown, either as a perpetrator or as a victim. Somehow, he felt a sense of accomplishment in following the law, although no one ever actually recognized him for doing so. He was disappointed to find on this particular day, that the crime section of the local news website was down, so he couldnt read about crazy people stealing from discount stores and high speed chases. Oh well, he said, I should probably be working anyway.

Chapter 3

Routine Is a Verb

Christian completed his day and clocked out swiftly at 5:00 p.m. He was used to rushing away promptly as if he actually had somewhere to be. He said goodbye politely to the receptionist, and pressed the down button adjacent to the elevator door. He stepped on the elevator, and used the reflection on the door to adjust his necktie. He rocked back and forth as he rode solitarily to the ground level. He exited the elevator into the parking deck, and cranked up his car. There had been quite a few strange occurrences during the day, so Christian figured he would stop by the local watering hole on the way home, and grab a quick drink. It was his favorite place. The bar was called Levitate and it was close enough to his home that he could walk if need be. He had struggled a bit with turning one drink into five or six in the past, but he considered himself functional enough to handle the effects of the alcohol. He entered the bar, took his usual seat, and surveyed the tap selection for a fresh draft beer.

Hey Lisa, Christian said. What do you guys have on special tonight?

Lisa welcomed him with her normal greeting. Hey there! Its so nice to see you again. Well, tonight we are actually doing a juice bar. So, we arent offering any of our normal beer selections everythings natural now! We have an awesome pineapple and banana juice blend. We can add strawberry and spinach if you would like. We also have a mango punch that we are blending with fresh squeezed orange juice and Napa valley grapes. What do you think?

Uh I mean can I have a Bud Light please? Christian asks.

Lisa laughed. No silly, she replied. Only juices today.

So, wait a minute Christian began to respond. He looked around and noticed that no one else was drinking beer, or any other alcoholic beverage for that matter. Christian quickly forced himself into the understanding that there would be no drinking at the bar today.

Ah well. I need to be at home with my wife and kid anyway, he said. He left unsatisfied and noticeably annoyed.

Chapter 4

Panic: A Four-Letter Word

Ch ristian pulled into his driveway, still befuddled by the events of the day. He was tired, yet the fact that he was finally home provided just enough refreshing energy for him to maintain some element of positivity. He loved his family. Although his wife was demanding, she was the most stable factor in his life. And that little boy of his, he simply could not wait to see him. As Christian pulled into the driveway, he noticed that his wifes car was not in its normal spot. He thought, Hannah must be late picking Elijah up from day care. He pushed the button for the garage door to go down behind him, and located his house key. As he entered the home, he was taken aback by the cleanliness. He and his wife had never been especially tidy, and since the baby was born there was always toys, shoes, and clothes all over the floor. Christian was used to coming home to dirty dishes in the sink. He was accustomed to being greeted by his dog, Titus. Where the hell is the damned dog anyway? Christian cursed. He sat on the couch, dazed, and beyond the point of confusion.