Invisible Man Ch. 02

Thanks to Blackrandi1958 and her magic editing skills. All and ANY errors are MINE

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KELLY SIDE OF THE STORY

When the shotgun blast ripped through the door, the lady behind me screamed and the child started crying.

The old man who had taken my bra went down like someone had hit him with a baseball bat, he tumbled into the big lady behind him.

The door swung open to silhouette a man with a big black vest holding a gun.

I knew I was gonna die and made the long forgotten sign of the cross taught to me in my youth. .

Suddenly, from out of nowhere in the darkness, Eric pounced on the gunman.

It was like watching some jungle animal as Eric emitted an ear splitting growl that chilled my bones. His lips were peeled back against barred teeth like a primitive beast.

Eric leapt forward sinking the serrated shard deep into the open V of the gunman's exposed neck. He clamped onto the guy, as they both fell entwined to the floor.

There was blood everywhere, but Eric would not stop stabbing. The shard broke off, but like a berserk madman, Eric grabbed the shotgun and started beating the lifeless gunmen with it.

"POLICE! FREEZE! DROP THE GUN! NOW!!" a voice screamed.

Eric never even slowed down his frenzied thrashing of the prone figure.

Two shots rang out, and Eric was knocked off the gunman's body, but like some zombie, he crawled back and began hammering the body with his fists.

"STOP! HANDS UP!" one of the officer yelled as they circled Eric with guns drawn.

The big lady stumbled out the door and covered Erics body with hers. "Don't SHOOT! It's not HIM! HE IS NOT THE SHOOTER!"

All hell broke loose as about a million men in every police uniform with every weapon swarmed the area.

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Three days later

"No, Kelly," said JoAnne

I was in the convenience store where Eric got his God awful coffee every morning. I was standing over JoAnne who was kneeling down putting packs of donuts in a display rack.

"God damn it, you dyke!" I shouted at her. "You cannot just break into my house and steal my animals! That is all I have of Eric!"

JoAnne stood up and put her face so close to mine. I almost gagged on her cigarette breath.

"Listen you cheating scum," JoAnne began. "Number one, I did not break in, Eric gave me a key. Number two, It is not your house, it is Eric's house and Number three, just the fact you left Eric's pets with no food or water for two days shows you cannot be trusted to take care of anyone or anything Eric cares about." She waved a finger in my face. "We all know happens when anyone trusts you with something important like marriage vows."

I took a step back. "It is not my fault. You know how crazy the past few days have been. Do you know how embarrassing it is to have to break into your own house because your husband changed the locks?"

JoAnne took a step toward me. "Was is it as bad as the embarrassment Eric went through when I told him his wife was a cheap gutter slut screwing a third rate actor?"

I took another step back. "That... that is between me and Eric. You had no business getting into our marriage affairs."

JoAnne laughed. "Good one, 'affairs' is a word that suits you. Seems to me your marriage ceased to be between you and Eric when you started fucking other men."

I stiffen my back. "It was only ONE guy...and I... I was in a bad place then."

"Bad place Kelly? Last I heard your place was face down in the back seat of an old car with you head on the armrest, while some random loser guy stretched out your asshole with his cock. Or was that your 'Good Place'? "

I balled my fists by my side. "God damn it JoAnne! You don't know shit!"

She snorted at me, "You're short on ears and long on mouth aren't you?"

I could feel my blood pressure rising, "You have any idea how hard this is for me!"

JoAnne sneered, "To quote actor John Wayne, 'Life is hard, but it's even harder when you are stupid'." She then added sarcastically, "Oh, I am sorry, when you said 'hard', you are probably talking about all your extra marital hard dicks."

Just then the chimes above the store door rang and two Metro Police officers walked in. "Hey, JoAnne, you got any Dark Roast?"

JoAnne waved toward a bunch of coffee urns. "Sure, Dereck, the last pot is fresh and just the way you like it."

I lowered my voice. "Give me back my animals or I swear to God I will have the cops haul your lesbo ass to jail."

JoAnne smiled widely. "Really? You want the cops?" She waved to the two Metro officers filling up travel coffee mugs and said in a loud voice. "DERECK! PETE! Can you please come over here and throw this whore out of my store."

The bigger officer walked over. "What's the problem, JoAnne?"

JoAnne pointed at me. "This hooker wants to turn tricks in front of my store. Can you get rid of her and make sure she stays away. I don't want her bothering any more of my customers for sex."

The officer put his hand on his handcuffs. "I need you to leave immediately and not return. Do you understand?"

I was going to protest, but saw the look on his face. I turned to that damn bull dyke JoAnne. "This is not over!" I hissed.

JoAnne dismissed me with a wave of her hand. "Yes it is over, bitch. Just like your marriage is over."

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ERICS SIDE OF THE STORY

"Eric, you gonna need to let her come in at some time," the nurse informed me while she changed my IV bag.

It had been a week since they had taken out my trach & piss tube, so at least I was could eat what passed as food at the hospital, I was a not a big fan of the bedpan, but the maze of tubes all around and in me ruled out any trip to the can.

"Thank you, Florence Nightingale, but I prefer not to be reminded what an ass I was and why I am in your tender care."

My nurse shook her head. "It was pretty bad the first thing you asked for out of surgery was banning your wife from the room. She sits in the waiting room every day. I know she hopes you will call and let her come in."

I tried to get comfortable, a constant task. "Yeah? Well I lay here in this damn bed everyday too. At least she can go get up and piss in a toilet or see her boyfriend, or have her boyfriend piss on her. Either way keep her away from me."

The nurse checked another IV line. "That is just the drugs talking, I know what a nice guy you are. Let me give you a hypothetical situation where you spoke to her for just a second."

"How about this, what if there were no hypothetical questions?"

Just then there was a knock at the door and the janitor from the shooting event limped in. He was aided by a young slender lady in her mid-twenties with long straight black hair. The high cheekbones and other facial features they shared made them relatives.

The girl helped ease him into a chair as the nurse left. He had a brace on one leg and an eyepatch over one eye with an assortment of bandages "How are you feeling, Eric?" he asked

I lifted my arm with its web of tubing. "Like Spiderman without any superpowers."

He chuckled. "I spent two tours running in the jungle with a green face and got nary a scratch. Now in my golden years, a door kicks my ass."

The man turned toward the girl. "Eric, this is my granddaughter Starlite. They won't let me drive all banged up so she is my chauffer for now."

I waved at the attractive girl, and addressed the older guy in the chair. "I feel embarrassed, but I do not even know your name."

"Tonto," he said

"Seriously? Like the Lone Ranger Kimosabi Tonto?" I asked.

"Yep, Tonto," he laughed.

Starlite punched his shoulder. "That is not his real name"

Tonto grinned. "Okay, but I got that name 'Over There' and it stuck. No one ever forgets it."

He turned to his granddaughter. "Starlite, Honey, will you go to the vending machine downstairs and get your old Grandfather a big cup of coffee. Lots of sugar."

Starlite gave Tonto a kiss. "Sure Grandpa, but you are not old. You are going to live forever."

I watched her shapely behind walk out the door. Tonto caught me looking at her.

"Sorry." I said sheepishly.

Tonto waved his hand. "Well, at least I know you are not gay. Now, Eric, between us men, what is your five year plan?"

"Five Years? I do not even know what is going on five hours from now. My life now feels like I test I dinn't study for."

"How big a family do you want?"

"Tonto, are you asking for a date?"

The old man laughed. "Nope, but hope she is" he pointed at the door Starlite had just exited. "She just got out of a bad relationship. Ole Grandpa had to remind her guy that I had killed people I did not even know and would not lose any sleep adding him to my tally. I suggested he best depart this part of the country and never return, as I own 25 acres of land, with a backhoe, and no one would ever find his body."

"Tonto, remind not to date your granddaughter."

He slapped his good leg. "Just the opposite Eric my boy. I want Starlite to be with a real man. A guy who will stand by his lady and allow her to stand by him. I see that man in you."

I shook my head. "Tonto, I wet my pants when that guy with the gun opened the door."

Tonto shrugged. "All battles are fought by scared men who'd rather be someplace else. On my first mission, I would have had to change my underwear twice if I was wearing any." He pointed at me "When it came time to step up, you did. That is all that counts, and it counts for a lot. Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway"

I was trying to find a graceful way out of this. "Your granddaughter barely knows I exist."

Tonto tapped his finger to the side of his head. "Leave that to me."

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KELLY SIDE OF THE STORY

"Tommy, STOP calling me!"

I was almost shouting into the phone and people in the hospital waiting room looked at me, so I got up and walked out to the parking lot.

"Sure Kelly, but have you thought about what I said?"

"Tommy, the only time I think about you is how I wished we never got involved and how I wish you would die."

"Whatever, Kelly, but this is a big opportunity. A movie about what happened to us could be my big break, but we gotta strike now while the iron is hot."

"Tommy, I am hanging up now. DO NOT call this number again or I will stab you myself. I need to keep this line clear in case Eric calls."

"I did not hear a 'NO' in that sentence Kelly."

"No, NO, NO, Nyet, Nada, Nee,Votch, Nox, is that clear enough?"

"Wait, wait. The producers have a couple of story arcs we can go with. Like one where Eric realizes how strong our bond is for each other and gives us his blessing in hospital before he dies."

"ERIC IS NOT GOING TO DIE!" I screamed into the phone

"He is not? Damn, okay then another story arc we have in works where I go to therapy with you guys and help heal the pain. You guys are so grateful you name your first child after me. It has chick-flick bait written all over it."

"You prick. You know I can't have children."

"Kelly, it's a movie, you can give birth to an elf if you want. Otherwise we will have you guys adopt some foreign kid from a third world country, the place all the Hollywood crowd gets their foreign jobs from. A takeoff on that story is you can adopt a puppy or pony and name it after me. Later, the pony grows up and wins the Kentucky Derby."

"You ass, ponies do not grow into horses."

"Really Kelly? Okay, we will fix it in the script."

I put my hand on my forehead as I felt a pounding headache starting. For the millionth time I cursed myself for ever talking to this man child, let along fucking him. Tommy was not worthy to carry Eric's socks.

"Tommy, please just go away."

"Kelly we got a bunch of other story ideas in the works for every genre. But they really need you to sign on to get some clout. I mean how about this one where it turns out Eric is really a robot from the future come to the present to save you and I..."

I pressed END CALL and put the phone back in my purse.

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ERICS SIDE OF THE STORY

Tonto and Starlite became a daily fixture in my hospital room. Tonto was not subtle about his matching desires and after a while, both Starlite and I became more and more amused at his attempts.

Finally Starlite stood up. "Eric, my Grandfather is NEVER going to let up, so we may as well set a date to go out at least once."

"Okay, Starlite" I said. "But you will need to drive that first date."

Tonto sat back with a smile on his face. "My work here is done."

As he got up to leave, there was another knock at the door and the middle aged lady who had been with us at the shooting walked in.

Tonto, Starlite and the lady greeted each other warmly. I felt like an outsider in my own room.

Tonto made the introductions, "Eric, this Allie. She is CEO at the Tallen firm, and granddaughter of the founder." He rubbed her shoulder. "A women with a set of brass balls as big as her brains."

Remembering her crouched by the wall with a jagged piece of glass gripped in her hand, I had no doubt that Tonto's description of her was accurate.

Allie grabbed a finger of mine warmly. "I, and everyone at the firm owes you a debt we can never repay. I hope you will accept compensation from both us and the city, but I will not insult your sacrifice by offering only mere money for what you have done and endured..."

Tonto interrupted, "You can insult my sacrifice by offering me mere money."

Allie waved her hand at him. "Oh hush, Tonto, everyone knows you got more money than King Midas"

Starlite added, "You only work because Grandma was going to poison your coffee if you did not get out and stop bothering her."

"Damn women," Tonto grumbled. "Man has gotta have a purpose to get up in the morning."

Starlite rolled her eyes. "You get up at FOUR IN the FRIGGIN MORNING every darn day!"

"Old habits die hard" Tonto huffed.

Allie shook her head. "Eric, I know the circumstances that brought you to our offices and I am very sorry for the grief and suffering that was caused in your marital life. However I cannot express how glad I am you were there, whatever the cause." She pointed at Tonto. "We both owe our lives to you, as well as my granddaughter."

I felt myself blush. "As I understand it Allie, I owe my life to you, so we will call it even."

Allie shook her head again, "Hardly a fair trade Eric, the firm is more than willing to do whatever it takes to make you whole."

I thought for a second.

"Does your firm have a family law division that can handle a divorce?"

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KELLYS SIDE OF THE STORY

It had been eight months since the divorce was final. I again sunk into a deep depression, it was only in the last three months that I had come to grips with what I had done and the consequences.

Today I was at a crossroads, but it was something I had to do as I learned that 'Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday', so I had to talk to Eric.

I knew just where to find him, which is why I was at the Friday night car show standing a few spots from him and my Seanathair car.

Taking a deep breath, I walked forward and tapped Eric on the shoulder.

Eric spun around and our eyes met.

I was prepared for hate, disgust, indifference, but I should have known better, Eric was too nice a guy.

"Hey Kelly!" Eric said with a big smile. "How have you been?"

I could detect no sarcasm or indifference, it was like Eric was almost happy to see me. Dare I get my hopes up?

I knew what I had to do, but I stalled, instead saying. "Eric, I am well, I see your movie is on Netflix now."

Eric laughed (Oh how I missed that sound.) "So I heard, Kelly. It was just a little indie production, but I had a lot of fun being on set. The leading man was really cool."

I nodded. "He had you mannerisms down pat."

Eric laughed again. "Sure except for the fact he was a foot taller, had better hair and a body built like a Greek God, we could almost be twins."

He struck a pose. "Did you see my cameo appearance? I was the Uber driver, even had a line. 'Have a nice day sir' was my big speech."

I felt better just being in Eric's company. "Oh it was not that bad."

Eric grinned that goofy smile. "What part did you like the best? When my character made a gunpowder bomb out of cigarette charcoal filters and dried poo to blast a hole in the wall so everyone could escape? Or was it when I used the Ninja skills taught to me by my grandfather to scale the wall, disarm the gang of terrorists while holding the puppy and then bringing the shot up orphan boy back from the dead with a heart massage using my car keys?"

Eric's humor was contagious and I felt myself laughing along. "Well at least you got the girl."

"GIRLS" Eric corrected me. "Triplets to be exact, who were from the Swedish National Bikini Team. Each one of the three sexy ladies who pledged to be my love slave forever." He got a bit more serious. "I am sorry your character was so harsh."

I was feeling better than I had in a long time, and joined in the self-deprecation. "Harsh Eric? They made me downright EVIL. All that actress who played me was missing was horns, with a tail and pitchfork."

Eric shook his head. "The Law firm's entertainment division that handled the contract told me the movie is a hit in Asia. It is the 19^th most illegally downloaded movie in China."

"Well that is something," I said laughing

There was a pause as I took a deep breath. "Eric, I need to ask you something."

"Shoot Kelly," Eric said, then he winced. "Sorry, bad choice of words."

I managed a weak smile. "Eric, I have been living on disability and the money from our split since the shooting event. I can't go back to work at the law office, everyone acts like I am some cartoon villain that betrayed Batman. I hate what happened between us. I don't know who that person was. "

I took another deep breath. "But through therapy I have learned I need to forgive myself. I need you to see me for the person I really am."

Just then a slender dark haired women with an obvious baby bump came up and put her arms around Eric.

Eric pointed at me. "Oh Kelly, I am sorry this my wife, Starlite."

Our eyes met, there was a challenge in both our eyes.

Starlite's eyes narrowed. "I heard what you said." She squeezed Eric tighter. "It is all Bullshit. You don't hate the affair as much as you hate the consequences. And telling the world that you've forgiven yourself is grotesquely narcissistic, and irrelevant to the people you've hurt like Eric. It probably makes God sharpen his lightning bolts at your hubris."

Starlite's voice dropped to a baritone."Hey, you nitwit, I believe I, the Almighty, dish out the forgiveness here. Who made you God?"

Starlite turned to Eric. "I cannot believe you and my Grandfather almost died trying to protect this conceited delusional excuse for a human being. You should have used her as a human shield."

I was stunned into silence. Nothing prepared me for this little firecracker's spiel. This was not at all how it went when we practiced it in therapy.

Eric broke the tension. "Put away the Momma Bear claws Starlite. I am sure Kelly meant no harm."

I forced a smile to my face. "Ah, Okay. Well I better be going. Thanks for talking to me Eric. Good luck with the baby to both of you."

As I walked away I knew Eric had found the woman that would have been standing by his side shoulder to shoulder the day that gunman opened that door,

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I dropped my car keys in the bowl as I walked in the door

"Kelly, how did it go? Did you talk to Eric?" my mom called out from the kitchen

I sat down at the table. "Yes, I talked to Eric, and also his wife."