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The Man on the sidewalk: chapter 4

by Qwill R. Brennan

By Qwill R. BrennanPublished 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago 18 min read
1

That morning Brian got up, Toad's sleepy face by his side as the two got ready for the day. The only one who knew what was happening around them. Brian found himself unable to stop staring, from the moment they got up, to when they got on the bus. Luke tapped Brian on the shoulder, a cheery smile on the boy's face.

"Hey, have you figured out who to ask to the dance?" Brian looked at Luke confused.

"Dance?" Luke nodded, handing him a school pamphlet.

"Yeah, you know, the dance." That's right, Brian had seen school dances on tv his excitement built as he looked around the bus. Luke shook his head excitedly.

"I'm gonna do it this time! I'm gonna go for it, man! I'm gonna ask her out! Brian looked at Luke confused.

"ask who out?" Luke stuttered surprised by Brian's question.

"Janni Wilsberry, you know! She's one of the prettiest girls in school. you normally talk about her all the time." Brian looked around doing his best to calm himself.

"Oh, yeah, Janni, she's a pretty grill."

"You mean pretty girl?" Luke corrected Brian nodded looking around for anyone who could be deemed the prettiest girl. In the end, he didn't really find anyone. all of the girls on the bus seemed to look the same.

"Where is she?" Brian asked anxiously, Luke peered around the bus.

"oh, her stop should be coming up soon, you sure you're feeling okay, you seemed pretty frazzled yesterday." Brian nodded again fully knowing he wasn't okay." The bus door opened revealing a small girl with curly blonde hair and a red cardigan.

Brian felt his stomach flip upside down as the girl's grey eyes scanned the bus. He recognized her, in the tunnels, he saw a girl falling, but that didn't make sense. that girl called him "dad.'' Time seemed to slow as she entered the bus, her curls draped behind her like a veil. all the junior high boys stopped their eyes focused on the young girl. She sat herself in the seat behind Brian her eyes seeming to stare at him.

Luke took a deep breath.

"It’s her! Okay, I'm gonna do it! I'm gonna do it man! okay!" Luke flipped over to The girl Brian could only assume was Janni Wilsberry doing his best to look suave. Janni looked at Luke slightly nervous.

"I like your sweater!" Luke said his nervousness seeped through the cracks in his voice. Janni looked around at the other students before smiling awkwardly.

"oh, thanks."

"I bet if you had a date to the dance, it'd look good, because, you know, the dance is outside, it's cold outside!" Luke barely managed to get out a scared expression on his face. Janni nodded,

"I guess, I mean, it's summer." Luke nodded

"Right, so, DANCE! you, me, 50 other people, in a room, probably a couple of chaperones!" Janni sighed slightly annoyed. Luke pointed at Brian desperately.

"BRIAN'S GONNA BE THERE!" Luke screamed Brian looked at Luke confused.

"I am?" Luke nodded, the anxiety starting to creep into the larger boy's tone.

"Yes, you are, because you have a date, and I don't, so it'd be weird if, you know, I didn't" Brian rolled his eyes. Luke was just talking out of his butt at this point unless Brian DID have a date and didn’t know. Brian looked at Toad who shook his head as his big eyes watched the awkward spectacle of Luke's attempted flirting. Janni's eyes went wide, she looked at Brian somewhat annoyed.

"really? with who?" Brian looked at Toad, realization hit him, this may be his chance. his only chance. Brian pointed to Toad. Toad looked at Brian annoyed about being dragged into this mess. Janni smiled happily with the answer Luke looked at Brian shocked.

"Wait, what, seriously? you two are- does your mom know?" Toad shook his head reluctantly playing along.

"No, and if you tell her I'm gonna tell your mom about your red bull addiction!" Luke put his hands up defending himself from a possible attack.

"It's cool man like you guys go! it's just, Brian? and you? not that that’s a bad thing, it's a good thing it's just, weird, you know?" Toad sighed reluctantly, cutting Luke some slack as he put his book down. Luke turned back to Janni.

"So would you wanna come with?" Janni looked at Brian and Toad before looking back at Luke, her grey eyes lost in thought.

"Yeah, okay, but as friends, cool?" Luke nodded

"oh yeah, cool." The bus stopped. Janni got off her hair flowing behind her and she looked back at the group.

"See you then." with that Janni Wilsberry made her exit. Luke looked at the other guys with the largest smile on his face.

"Okay, you guys gotta back me up on this!" Toad sighed nodding as his glaring eyes looked at Brian. Luke grabbed his bag excitedly hopping off the bus. Toad and Brian looked at each other.

"What the hell was that?" Toad asked Brian shrugged

"Luke wanted to ask her out." Toad pushed his book into his bag.

"I meant about us going together? Dude, at least ask me!" Brian looked around before meeting Toad's eyes.

"Do you want to go to the dance?" Toad sighed nodding happily.

"Better, and, yes, I'd love to. Word from the wise though, DON'T TELL YOUR MOM!" Brian looked at Toad confused.

"why not?" Toad sighed as he and Brian left the bus.

"I've been through this enough times to know your mom hates me." Brian looked at Toad surprised.

"Nuh-uh!" Brian said

"Yah huh!" Toad retorted in a mocking tone. Brian looked at Toad confused.

"If she hates you, why does she let us hang out!" Brian objected, Toad sighed holding the door open for Brian.

"because we're FRIENDS, not romantically involved. every time we get in a relationship-

"What do you mean 'every time'?" Brian interrupted, Toad shut his mouth, his face went red as he hurried to his class room.

"Oh, it's the bell time for class!" Brian watched Toad run away. The bell rang as Brian began to correct Toad. Brian rushed after the toad into his class along with the multiple other kids.

"Well done, mr. Otten. I assume you actually studied this time?" Mr. Fork said as Brian handed in his paper. Brian shook his head. Mrs. Fork sighed as she reluctantly threw the paper in with the millions of others. Brian looked at Toad. Toad avoided eye contact, not wanting to address the elephant in the room.

What did he mean 'every time' this wasn't the first time? they'd gotten into a relationship more than once? Maybe Toad was lying, maybe Brian himself was a continuous loop, one only Toad was aware of. Brian focused back on his paper doing his best not to give himself an existential crisis. A crumpled ball flew into Brian's head landing perfectly on his desk. Brian looked toward the throwiee. Janni looked at Brian, her grey eyes focusing on his hands. Brian opened the note slightly scared of what was inside.

"Have you seen it?" The note said, underneath were two checkmarks one labeled "yes" one "no" a picture of a long black rope sat in the center of the photo. Brian looked at Janni surprised, she knew, Brian checked the box rolling the paper under his desk back to Janni. Janni looked at the paper nodding before writing a new one, waiting a couple moments before tossing it to Brian.

"Has He seen it?" the note said an arrow above pointing to Toad. Brian hesitated before checking the box, repeating his first action of rolling the paper away. Janni looked at it while writing something else. Brian read the new note.

"meet me at the hideout." Brian looked at the note confused. class finished soon after Brian ran after Toad clutching the note in his hand.

"she knows about the place." Toad looked at Brian confused.

"who?"

"Janni, Janni knows about the 'place'" Toad's neutral face turned to panic as Brian continued.

"she wanted to meet us there." Toad sighed, grabbing Brian's hand the two passed through time finding their way to the large building. Toad rushed forward unlocking the door. Janni sat inside her blue eyes looking at the screen. she turned to Brian and Toad a content smile on her face.

"Hi daddy, hey Pa," Brian's eyes went wide, it was her. He knew it, Brian sat down looking the girl in her eyes. She motioned for Toad to sit down, Toad did so reluctantly as he grabbed one of the many weapons from his hideout. Janni smiled as a relieved sigh came from her mouth.

"I'm not here to hurt you, I just wanted to make sure you're okay. things have gotten quite odd as of late. very odd, very scary, I can hardly keep up." Toad looked at the girl, slightly terrified Janni sighed slightly annoyed.

"I know Pa, I'm not supposed to be here, am I? I have to be here though, don't worry, I have to leave soon. I just needed to warn you... it's almost over, the times are almost here. I know you don't want to but the door's going to close soon, we have to leave." Toad looked at Janni with an oddly serious look on his face.

"I'm not ready." Brian looked between the two confused. Janni read Brian's confused gaze.

"He hasn't told you then? you have to grow up now daddy, you have to leave, I know it's painful, but you have to remember, remember and let go, hurry, or it's all over!" Janni's body began to fizzle, her face turning too static as she began to vanish. her voice became jumbled, humming as she vanished into the air. Toad sighed looking at Brian ready for the questions to begin.

"Toad, what just happened?" Toad sighed again, putting the gun back on the shelf.

" I really didn't want to talk about this." Toad sat down doing his best to breathe.

"Toad what did she mean 'the door's closing'?" Toad rearranged the photos he kept in his hide-out.

"Something happens at the end, Brian, something really bad. I've been trying to avoid it. It's painful Brian, so painful you never remember it." Brian looked at Toad shocked. This whole time, he assumed this was his first time in the loop. Toad pulled out a file filled with photographs of two grown men in front of Mount Rushmore. three children surrounding them. a chubby little boy, a deathly thin little girl, and Janni, who sat in the middle. They were all smiling, Toad looked at the picture longingly.

"That's us, not now, later. we're so happy, aren't we?" Brian looked at the larger of the two men and something about him reminded him of himself. a wedding ring on his finger.

"I don't want to go Brian." Toad said sadly, looking at the photo.

"I want to stay here with you, where things are happy and safe." Brian stared at the picture. Everything began to come back to him, these were his kids, HIS kids, Ricky, Vivi, Janni. They were happy, Brian, Toad, they were married, everything was happy, perfect. They owned a brewery, because, who in Boise didn't? Everything was perfect until it wasn't.

They attacked them, who? Brian couldn't say, they were wearing masks, Brian and the kids got away, but- Brian flips the photo over, unable to remember the rest he held Toad, his friend, his partner, his love. Toad cried as Brian embraced him.

"Okay, we'll stay here, like this, for as long as we need." Toad smiled through his teary eyes. His body shook as a large weight was lifted from his shoulders.

"thank you" he muttered as they sat. Brian looked at his kids, a part of him wondering how they were doing.

Brian looked around at his surroundings realizing he moved forward once more. Brian's dad looked back at him smiling proudly.

"Brian how did you enjoy your old man's reading today?" Brian nodded, praying he could convince his parents he knew what they were talking about.

"it was good, very enlightening, definitely the Sh*t!" Brian's mama looked back at him shocked Brian completely forgot he was 13 again.

"Brian Judis Otten! where the HELL did you learn that word." Brian thought of an excuse not wanting to get Toad in trouble.

"I heard it from some teenagers." Brian's dad shook his head laughing.

"calm down honey he was bound to learn it eventually. Besides, he's right, lovin thy neighbor is the sh*t!" Brian's mama glared at his dad.

"don't encourage him! honestly, I wish you were more careful with that 'God loves everyone stuff. that's what encourages them to go into the church and infect the childeren." Brian's dad shook his head.

"you aren't talking abou-"

"the gays, and yes I am!" Brian's dad looked at his mama anger in his eyes.

"the correct term is LGBTQ+, dear." Brian's mama rolled her eyes.

"oh, whatever, the point is it's enough there in our schools don't get them in our churches too! It's awful and those poor kids suffer for it. take that one kid. Emily Grace, she has two moms and what happened? she thinks she's a boy now!" Brian felt a mixture of astoundment and anger in his heart. He always thought his mom was loving, a person who cared about him no matter what. He'd never seen this side of her then again, he only knew her for a couple of years. Still it hurts to see a sliver of his mama's true form. Brian's dad looked at his wife just as surprised.

"She can't help it, honey, she was born that way. and the Frickersons are lovely people!" Brian's mama sighed trying to focus on the road.

"Oh, of course, they are, I'm just saying they don't know how to raise a kid! If Emily Grace were my daughter, I'd tell her to man up... metaphorically. I mean you'd think after-"

"TOAD'S NOT A SHE, LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Brian yelled Brian's mama looked back at Brian then at her husband's shock on her face. Brian's dad shook his head half to be disapproving the other half to tell his mama to stop.

"I knew this would happen eventually." Brian felt the world flash forward once more, his car seat turning into the living room couch as his mama and dad stared at him. Brian's mama nudged her husband's arm who sighed as he looked at Brian.

"Brian, do you know where babies come from." Brian nodded awkwardly, this was one of the subjects Toad taught him about. Brian's dad looked at him surprised.

"where do they come from?" Brian's dad asked Brian to look at his dad scrunching his nose.

"I can't tell you."

"why not?" His dad asked, Brian, looked over at his mama.

"I don't wanna get in trouble." Brian's dad shook his head.

"You're not gonna get in trouble." Brian took a deep breath repeating the speil Toad taught him.

"well, when a man and a woman like each other too much, they F**k, you gotta ask first though or you go to jail. a lot of weird stuff happens, the woman gets fat and crabby. Then after 9 months, a baby pops out." Brian looked at his parents who looked down at him, slightly horrified Brian's mama glared at Brian.

"am I in trouble?" Brian asked, trying to read his parents' odd expressions. Brian's mama opened her mouth quickly, being stopped by Brian's dad.

"no, you're not in trouble." He said Brian looked at his dad unsure what to do next.

"so, that's it?" Brian dad's nodded as he started to stand up Brian's mama grabbed her husband's shirt. Brian's dad sighed as he sat back down.

"Do you know what homosexuality is?" Brian nodded

"Like Toad's parents?" Brian asked, an uncomfortable feeling started to build in his heart as his parents looked at him. Brian's dad nodded trying to avoid his mama's gaze.

"well, when a woman and a woman love each other very much they-"

"Disown the bible." Brian's mama finished, his dad ignored her as Brian continued.

"they get married, because they love each other, and their love's just as valid." Brian's said more to his mama than to his dad. Brian's dad nodded a proud smile on his face.

"D*nm right they do!" Brian's mama glared at her husband before turning to Brian.

"Of course, we respect them as people, but everyone's a sinner, right?" Brian nodded, he felt confusion in his heart as he looked between the two. His mama continued.

"well, Toad's, moms ain't no different. They are wonderful people, but we do NOT approve of their sin, the sin of homosexuality." Brian looked at his mama confused.

"so we gotta love them," Brian's mama nodded Brian continued

"but we hate that they love each other?" Brian's dad looked at his mama agreement on his face.

"you see, this is what I mean honey. That's not love, God says to love and accept EVERYONE we can't cherry-pick" Brian's mama glared at her husband

"I'm not cherry-picking I'm just saying-"

"what if me and Toad got married, would you still love me?" The room went silent as both the parents looked at Brian surprised. Brian's dad smiled calmly.

"Of course we would, you're our son, and if you love him, who are we to stop you, right honey?" Brian's mama looked at Brian. Brian felt his skin crawl as his mama's stare burned into his heart. Brian's dad nudged his wife's arm.

'`right, honey?" he repeated, Brian's mama's face twisted into a look he'd never seen on his mama's face before, a look of pure hatred. Brian's mama leaned towards Brian her eyes digging into his little soul.

"why?" Brian backed into the couch trying to desperately escape.

"I'm just asking." Brian lied looking away, his mama's face went red. Brian's dad looked at his mama anxiously.

"hon-" Brian's mama pulled out her phone with an infuriated look on her face.

"go to your room Brian!" Brain opened his mouth to retort. Brian's dad shook his head leading Brian upstairs. He looked at his dad scared as they stopped at the top of the stairs.

"Does Mama hate me?" Brian's dad sighed

"of course not, she's just learning, even adults have to learn things." Brian looked at his dad surprised.

"But you're okay with it." Brian's dad sighed his eyes drifting to the ring on his finger,

"well, something happened that made your ol man learn a little quicker. you like Toad?" Brian thought for a moment making sure he was certain before nodding. Brian's dad patted him on the shoulder.

"then go for it, it's not gonna be easy, but I'll support you as much as I can." Brian hugged his dad, tears running down his face. Brian wiped his tears away as he looked at his dad.

"Just don't tell your mama, okay." Brian nodded rushing into his room as he did his best to ignore his mom's angry yelling. He grabbed his iPad turning on Kung fu panda again. Brian poked his head through the door before getting on youtube secretly searching for bootleg looney tunes episodes. Brian drifted off to sleep as daffy duck yanked Elmer fud's gun towards himself like an idiot.

Brian looked at the tunnel, for the first time all seemed calm. the bodies being dragged through the halls had vanished as the tunnel sat in the white. An older woman wearing a green coat exited the tunnel and she looked around frazzled. Brian approached the woman, her bone-thin face looking down at him.

"Who are you?" She asked surprised, Brian looked up at her not responding his surprise overriding his ability to speak.

"Have you seen John? I think we're married." Brian shook his head.

"Nope, just me." The woman nodded as she wandered past the boy further into the white. Brian continued his own search into the white hoping to find the next way out. Two men playing chess sat together looking at the little boy confused. Brian looked at the men.

"Do you know the way out?" He asked, the two shook their heads.

"You could try that," The thinner of the two men said, pointing to a broken hole in the white. Brian looked through it, Toad stood at the bottom of the hole waving to Brian. Brian jumped down, his skin burned slightly as he plummeted into the black.

Brian's eyes snapped open, he was wearing a tiny suit, his hair slicked back. Brian checked the calendar, THE DANCE! Brian heard the door ring. He quickly rang downstairs hurrying before his mom could reach it. Toad stood in a dark green suit, his large eyes lit up by the lights of the house. Toad smiled,

"Welcome back, how was the trip?" Brian looked at the ceiling, the burning feeling had subsided.

"weird, really weird," Brian said honestly. Toad held out his arm to Brian who accepted it happily. Brian looked back at his house. He looked at Toad.

"What do you think our kids are doing right now?" Toad shrugged his shoulders as they entered his mom's car.

"if there anything like us, probably something really cool."

Brian and Toad sat in the car making theories about their kids. Did they ride horses? Did they own a sweet shop? How much did they enjoy looney toons? Were they in love with someone? Did they do things like swear and drink? where we're they now? Were they anywhere? It was odd knowing you had kids. Brian thought as he stared out the car window. After the conversation with his dad, Brian knew one thing for sure. Whoever they were, whatever they were doing. Brian decided he'd support them every step of the way.

Horror
1

About the Creator

Qwill R. Brennan

I write stories, not much to say. I enjoy playing with reality. Writing more weird stories like twilight zone-type stuff. I’ve recently been diving into horror as of late.

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