Emily (847 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.86 on 28 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by girlintheworld (View user info) at 2005-02-23 12:44:00 EST
Emily Hunter wakes up and tells herself immediately that today will be different. She lays in bed for approximately 15 minutes, a fact she only knows because she has been watching the clock tick. tick. tick. She sees the crumpled side of the bed where her husband had been. Perhaps he was so busy he had forgotten to kiss her goodbye. She tries not to dwell on this. She then gets up and looks at herself in the full length mirror. Her silken nightgown seems less glorious and frayed. Washed too many times? She turns sideways and sees how her once flat stomach has protruded ever so slightly. She must fix this.
She gets dressed—her apparel is not particularly stunning, just jeans and a nondescript white t-shirt—but it gives her a youthful glow. She brushes her long brown hair back into a bun, washes her face and brushes her teeth. Everything about her seems a little more faded these days. She convinces herself she has been working too hard. She puts a little mascara, eyeliner and lipstick on to make herself feel better.
She goes back to the bedroom and makes up the bed, smoothes out the ruffles and the worries from the night before. Today will be a better day.
Emily steps into the kitchen and sighs barely audibly at the piles of bills on the table. She sees one particular envelope right away, and it makes her hands tremble. She covers it up with a card from her husband's mother. Maybe, she thinks, if he sees that and opens it, he will pay the rest of the debts underneath.
The hours pass and Emily has done all the organizing she can. She has vacuumed and dusted, done the laundry and the dishes. Things are empty and hollow. She has a car but doesn't feel like going anywhere. It won't make her feel any better. It won't make her feel at all.
Her husband arrives home at 6:00 p.m. Emily is sitting at the kitchen table, but he has not noticed her yet. He carelessly throws his suit jacket down on the couch, and places his briefcase on top of it. He begins to take his tie off.
"Honey?" Emily says. She is aware of the tiny quiver in her voice. Is he?
He walks into the kitchen, but says nothing, doesn't look at her. Pours a glass of vodka, drinks it up, and leaves the glass in the sink.
"I just washed those dishes," Emily says. "Can you—can you wash—?" but he has gone to the living room. His cell phone rings and he answers it. At first, he whispers so Emily can't hear what is said. Then louder. "I can't. I can't do that. She's here all the time! What do you want me to DO? Fine. Fine then. I'll see you soon."
"What was that all about?" she calls. She begins to worry. "Who was that?"
He ignores her and gets in the shower. Emily goes in the bedroom, closes the door and sobs. She is crying so loudly she does not hear her husband come in. She looks up momentarily, mascara running down her face. "Please, talk to me," she whispers hoarsely. He gives her a cold, hard look. But there is something in his eyes that resembles sadness. Emily says no more, and the doorbell rings.
Her husband opens the door to a lovely woman with blonde curly hair. She has a black knee length v-cut dress on. Her hair cascades over her brown eyes and she has far too much makeup on. She is dressed to go out.
"Hi," he says. "I'm not quite ready."
"That's ok," she nods. "I know I called on such short notice. Was I interrupting anything?"
He hesitates. "No, everything's fine. Would you like something to drink?"
"Whatever you'll have," she smiles. She then takes his face in her hands and kisses him. "Don't worry, ok?"
Emily watches this transpire from the bedroom doorway and can't believe what she is seeing.
Her husband merely glances over to where she is standing and passionately kisses the woman back. They forget about the drinks just then.
Emily continues to watch in horror. Why is this happening?
"Baby," Emily whines. "Please, please don't do this. I—I know I've been distant lately..."
No response. The blonde giggles at some joke and the scent of her perfume now permeates his clothes.
Emily Hunter can't take his sickening behavior any longer. "Why did you bring her here?! THIS IS MY HOUSE TOO!" she yells to no one.
She goes in the kitchen and takes the wine glasses that unbeknownst to her have been set out. She takes the glasses back into the bedroom and throws them at the wall. Her husband hurries in.
"Emily!"
"What? You don't like this? What is it?! Tell me! Now you want to talk to me! Afraid I'll ruin your glass dishes, your fucking perfect life? Who is that? Who is she? Do you SEE the piles of bills on the table? Are you taking her out to dinner on the nights that you're working late? Is that why we don't have money?"
"Emily!" he says again. But he is not looking at her tear-stained face, her defeated body filled with anger and pain, so much as he is looking through her. "I can't take this anymore. You need to go!"
"Everyday I wake up. Everyday I clean this house. Everyday I want you to notice me! What happened to me, remember, your wife?"
"EMILY. STOP." He is livid, and she doesn't know what is going to happen next. She becomes fearful. She loves him and she knows he loves her. She doesn't know what to do. So she leaves.
"Was that your wife?" the blonde asks. In her hands she is holding a picture of happier times.
She sobs all the way down her driveway, goes to get in her car and stops. She turns and runs. Keeps running, keeps crying out. Wondering why.
She sees a field up ahead and lays in it, content to nurse her wounds until dawn.
In the morning, her husband comes and finds her. He sits by her and tries to soothe both of their aching hearts. "Emily," he says. "I'm sorry. I know this is tough on both of us. I really wanted to tell you about her. She's nice, you know? Sometimes, when you're not there, she helps. She really wants to know about you. I'm still trying to pay off your bills. I'll get it done eventually. I hope—I hope that someday you can be happy, truly happy. It saddens me, the state you're in all the time. But don't ever forget—I love you and I always will."
He gives her flowers, and walks away.
User Reviews
Submitted by gimpy9780 (user info) at 2005-02-25 09:21:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
this was a kick ass story. even though i figured out half-way through the story, i still read the rest of it intensely second, and even third guessing myself about the ending
keep it up
Submitted by kimmy02721 (user info) at 2005-02-24 12:25:24 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
i loved this.
Submitted by Gizmo (user info) at 2005-02-23 23:38:20 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
That was damn fucking good.
Submitted by ThineJericho (user info) at 2005-02-23 23:35:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I really enjoyed this.
Thanks.
Submitted by corn_nugget (user info) at 2005-02-23 23:29:03 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Fantastic.
Fan fucking tastic.
Submitted by girlintheworld (user info) at 2005-02-23 21:43:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Yams (user info) at 2005-02-23 18:19:22 (#)
Ranking: 2
See Emily play...
____
I should do a series of Emily posts, where she 'comes back' in the most random situations. hahaha no, nevermind.
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-02-23 19:12:38 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
yeah, really good, I'm a little freaked out about it, actually...
Submitted by Yams (user info) at 2005-02-23 18:19:22 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
See Emily play...
Submitted by polyamorousaj (user info) at 2005-02-23 18:17:42 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Saxon (user info) at 2005-02-23 18:05:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Even though i felt the ending this was still a good read.
Submitted by girlintheworld (user info) at 2005-02-23 17:36:52 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by Faithless_Whisper (user info) at 2005-02-23 14:05:59 (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm reading it a 2nd time, and I think the photo at the end really cinches the story in tightly.
______
It took me FOREVER to find a good picture. I was actually looking for one that fit the name, but that didn't happen and I didn't feel like changing Emily to something else.
However, a lot of people died in the 1860s. So there ya go.
Submitted by AwesomeJohnson (user info) at 2005-02-23 16:18:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
didn't see it coming till the end.. .nice work!
Submitted by jumpinjellyfish (user info) at 2005-02-23 15:57:51 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
good stuff
Submitted by UrbaneMischief (user info) at 2005-02-23 15:57:41 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Stin (user info) at 2005-02-23 14:24:02 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
It was well written, but I knew what the twist was going to be. Unfortunately, The Sixth Sense kinda opened everyone's eyes to that one.
Submitted by Faithless_Whisper (user info) at 2005-02-23 14:05:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm reading it a 2nd time, and I think the photo at the end really cinches the story in tightly.
Submitted by awj002 (user info) at 2005-02-23 13:12:20 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
good call
I got a little confused, from time to time, by vague pronouns, but the concept of the story was good and it unfolded nicely without giving away the twist. So, nuts to mechanical difficulties--this is a great little piece of fiction.
I [Heart] You
Submitted by Kre8rix (user info) at 2005-02-23 13:08:03 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice.
I can't think of anything else to say, but this was good.
Submitted by thecaes (user info) at 2005-02-23 13:05:14 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Nice work! I really liked the twist...I started to clue in about halfway through. It was a good concept, moving, and nicely done all around. Poor dead bitch.
Submitted by DJMattB241 (user info) at 2005-02-23 13:02:59 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
holy CRAP.
good thing i read this in the morning rather than right before bed.
Submitted by TigerLilly (user info) at 2005-02-23 13:02:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
This was good.
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-02-23 13:00:18 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
girl
Don't get me wrong I liked it just that the scene where she is throwing things and him calling out to her reminded me very much of the Sixth Sense.
The whole idea gives me chills
And I don't get moved much by what I read here at UBER.
Submitted by Faithless_Whisper (user info) at 2005-02-23 12:53:36 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Interesting. But the wording is a bit confusing at times. But a good story.
Submitted by girlintheworld (user info) at 2005-02-23 12:52:13 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
It does have a "Sixth Sense" feel to it. The point I was trying to make here was that she's dead, she knows it, but she keeps trying to 'live', hence the "Today will be different" etcetc
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-02-23 12:50:08 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Good writing it drew feelings for Emily...
However...The Sixth Sense
Submitted by Adamdidit2u (user info) at 2005-02-23 12:48:58 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Some parts don't really make sense
Submitted by WhatTheHell (user info) at 2005-02-23 12:48:18 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
So..... it was about blow jobs right ?
???
Submitted by tidalfae (user info) at 2005-02-23 12:47:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
i would have hit him with the wineglass.