Comfortable Madness First PDF 4-13-18

A Comfortable Madness
Middle of the night. Purple air heavy with the smell of
lilacs. Tayla and I sat on the patio smoking. The baby slept in the
living room.
“Do you think this’ll work?” Tayla asked.
I shrugged. Nerves made Tayla antsy. Her eyes darted
around the night like mice looking for the door out of a trap.
“This isn’t good,” Tayla said. “I know he’s real. To you.
But…”
When Gid came out of the shadows, I was ready for him.
He came and he stopped with his back to the porch light. His
shoulders were lined with hard, indigo light and his hair hung
around his head like a halo.
“There he is,” I said.
Tayla’s head snapped around.
“I don’t,” she said. “There’s nothing there.”
“So,” Gid said.
I shook my head. I stood, tall and strong.
“I love you,” he said.
“No.”
“Butter…” Tayla said.
“No.”
I stepped up and I grabbed his chin. His chin was hard and
sharp. He jerked away but I grabbed him again. Light flickered.
Everything went still, as if the world were waiting to see what was
going to happen.
“Son of a bitch,” Tayla said, kicking her chair back and
nearly toppling over.
“See?” I asked.
“No,” Gid said. “She’s blind.”
“Fuck,” Tayla said, terrified.
“Look at me,” I said.