The Hole

Mary’s husband had always been a lazy man known for never wanting to go very far from his recliner and computer, he really took the term homebody and ran with it — if he could run that was. Mary had never seen him run, outside of high school for a few minutes down the starting stretch, but once out of eyesight from the PE teachers, he slowed to a slow walk.

What should have been an easy four minute mile turned into a forty minute mile for Gary Alibang.

But lately, he had been asking Mary to accompany him on walks in the woods that surrounded their small trailer where they made their home. She had been finding used condoms, he had been pushing for sex less and less as the days stretched on, and now he wanted to get out and take walks.

Mary knew he was cheating on her. Family whispered that this was because of drugs, what drugs made you use condoms but not want sex with your wife and made you wanna get moving outside?

She wasn’t pained with the thoughts of him cheating, it kinda put her at peace in an odd way. He no longer studied her. He no longer counted her calories for her, no longer fought with her. He let her be as she was. They had been married for nearly six years, but it seemed he had found someone else.

Every day in the evening when they went for their walk, she’d always accompany him unless she was sick. It became their ritual and he seemed to enjoy his time in nature with his wife.

“So, on Tuesday, your dad and I are meeting with a new Client,” Mary said, breaking the dusk’s silence. His father was a lawyer. His father was a tall and thin man who had exquisite angular face. “The Client’s siblings sent him a threatening letter saying he has to move out of the house immediately even though his parents left it to him in their Trust.”

Gary gave her a slow nod as if he thinking about what she had told him. “I hope you and my old man get that figured out but I know that legal wheels turn slowly.”

“Sounds like an absolute mess of a case. Your dad, what he does for his Clients, is very remarkable.”

Gary glared at her. “Yes, he is.”

Mary looked at Gary, curiously. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

It was a perfectly reasonable question to ask him, just the other night, they had a major fight, over the stupidest reason ever; but that reason was no longer important, at least not to her. But it had made her confused on why he had been mad the other night and why he was acting so strangely now. He was being cold.

They were crazy thoughts. At least that’s what she tried to tell herself, that he was’t going to harm her from what he didn’t know. But she was still afraid of the man she wanted to divorce. A soft whisper of a breeze pushed past Mary’s face.

Even if she got him talking, he’d never explain his anger to her.

She had grown so scared of him, never sure of his next move, never sure if there’d always be an escape from him. He would continue to catch her, taunt her, kick her, hit her, scream at her, strike her. She would continue to scream for help. She was going to end up dying at his hands.

“How are you really doing, Gary?”

“I don’t know,” sighed Gary, something seemed to be on his mind.

“What’s wrong?” Asked Mary, was he going to finally admit to cheating? “Do you want me to leave?”

Gary shook his head. “No.” He inhaled. “I feel we agreed on possible means of going about our lives in the future and am slowly trying to work to the goals of leaving this state. I get you want to leave sooner than later but if its with me we have talked about this. If you though desire to advance those plans with out me. Well…I can’t stop you now can I?”

“Are you mad?” She asked, looking up at his over-fed face.

“Let’s turn back, I want to go back to bed for a bit,” said Gary. “I still feel a bit weak.”

But instead of turning around to head back, he opened a door in the ground, a bunker. Mary did not go into the bunker. She was shoved from behind by someone unseen and she fell into the bunker. She looked up and saw Gary looking down at her. “I hope to see you soon darling.”

“Gary!” Mary screamed. “Get me out of here!”

“If you’re scared of the dark, I had lights installed,” said Gary. “I love you. I wish I could believe that you loved me.”

“This is no way to get someone to love you!” Cried Mary.

“I love you and I hope too see you soon,” said Gary.

“Gary!” She felt her bowels pushed up to her throat.

He dropped the hatch, and Mary screamed louder than she had screamed before. Would anyone know she was locked away under the land of Silverado? No one would probably be aware for a long time. George would be the first to notice she was gone.

But he lived in another country.

He would simply think their wifi was down.

There had been times where they hadn’t talked. How long before he would grow suspicious?

Would her mother notice, she wouldn’t be able to be contacted but her mom also knew that the wifi in Silverado went down all too often. With her mom, she was likely to drive up after enough time. Give her a week and some change.