The Return of David Stone by Chloe S.

The sun slipped lazily beneath the horizon as Jim Stone strolled across the town common. He was out for a walk that evening, like every other evening. The air was fresh and a soft breeze whistled by his face. Faded golden light bathed the area around him. Times like these were, in Jim’s opinion, the best times in the world. When the earth seemed to stand still and everything was silent. Until the silence was shattered by a man’s voice.

“Excuse me sir!”

Jim turned to see who had called out to him. It was a young man, maybe twenty, with dark hair and eyes.

“Yes?” Jim squinted at him through the sun’s rays. The young guy laughed and opened his arms wide.

“What? Don’t you recognize me?”

In truth, Jim did recognize him, he had from the beginning, but he didn’t want to.

“What are you doing here David?”

The man put his arms down and shifted uneasily on his feet.

“I can’t visit my own father?”

Jim glared at him for a moment.

“Three whole years,” he replied through gritted teeth. “Three years without a phone call, a letter. You really expect me to welcome you like nothing happened?”

David glared back.

“I came here because I wanted to apologize. I wanted to see you.”

There was a long pause. Then Jim spoke slowly.

“Well. Here I am.”

David laughed again.

“Aren’t you even going to let me see the old house?”

Jim sighed. He was still angry.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

They turned and began to walk the way home. The leaves crinkling beneath their feet were the only noise that could be heard, neither of them was talking. Then David cleared his throat and said,

“I’ve been in Wyoming, working on a ranch.” Jim did not acknowledge him. David picked at his fingernails and continued.

“I wasn’t alone, I had friends.”

The silence continued. They arrived at Jim’s old brown house, with peeling paint and a dead front porch that looked as if it were going to cave in. Jim half wished that he’d fixed it up a little, just so he wouldn’t seem so pathetic. But then he remembered that he was angry at David, and didn’t really care what his son thought of the home he’d abandoned three years ago.

“Looks exactly the same.” David remarked, kicking dirt between his feet.

They went inside. Jim watched the news as David explored the rooms he’d once lived in. David could sense the anger from his father, and was leaving him alone. Jim didn’t know what to do with the situation. Part of him wanted to forget the past three years, but the rest of him knew that he would never forget.

He flipped to a different channel in time to see something about a murder case. A man had been killed in a fight in Wyoming, in the town where David had been living the past three years. There was one suspect. He was twenty years of age and had dark hair and eyes. Jim turned quickly to the stairs and saw David standing there just as the reporter on television said, “The suspect’s name is David Stone. If anyone sees David Stone of Wyoming, please alert the authorities.”

Jim gaped wordlessly at David for a moment. Then he said in a hoarse, strangled voice,

“What did you do?”

“Hold on.” David held up his hands. “Hold on, okay? It was an accident. He attacked me. I was just defending myself. But he had a lot of friends. Okay?”

“No it’s not okay!” Jim yelled, clenching his fists. “Do you understand that you are wanted for murder?!”

“Of course I do!” David yelled right back. It sounded just like old times.

“Is the only reason you came back here because you wanted me to hide you? Because I can’t do that.”

As soon as Jim had spoken these words, there was a knock at the door. Jim and David froze. It was terrifyingly silent for a moment, then Jim breathed,

“Get upstairs.”

David backed up the stairs as Jim went to the door and opened it. Two men in suits were standing there.

“Jim Stone?”

Jim nodded slowly.

“We’re detectives, here looking for your son David. He is a major suspect in a Wyoming murder case. Have you seen or heard from him?”

Jim regarded them blankly. There was a lengthy, quiet pause. Then he said,

“I haven’t seen David in three years.”

Later, long after the detectives were gone, Jim went upstairs to find David sitting hunched over on his bed, face in his hands. Jim sighed.

“I think I might help you.”

David looked up sharply.

“Why?”

“Because I’ve decided to forgive you.”

David said nothing for a moment. Then he smiled sadly.

“Thanks. But there’s only one way that you can help me.”

So they went outside, and got in the car, and drove for a while. And then stopped.

Facing forward, with his hands gripping the steering wheel, Jim said,

“You don’t have to do this. I could bring you anywhere else.” He watched the wind ripple across the trees.

“I know.” David still had the sad smile on his face. “But I do have to do this.”

He got out of the car and closed the door. Jim drove off and looked back only once. David had been waving. Then, he’d turned and walked slowly up the police station steps.