It Lies Beneath

"Wait a minute, you just started this job, Jacob, and they are already sending you away?" asks William a tall, dark skin male with straight jet-black hair.

"William, I didn't have a problem when it was you, and I was sitting in the house taking care of the home," replies Jacob as he stands before William with his hand on his hip.

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare make it sound like I made you stay in that house like a dutiful 1820's housewife. I worked, and you went to school," replies William walking off as Jacob follows him.

"Hey, why are we fighting?" asks Jacob as he touches William on his shoulder.

"Jake, I don't know. You always start this shit, by making it seem like my jingles don't do anything for the household, like we are struggling or something. The last time I checked, those very jingles helped us get this remodeled Old Victorian home in your hometown," says William as he begins unpacking boxes in the kitchen.

"Will, I never said that your jingles don't bring in any income. I just stated that my new job is going to make it so that we are comfortable," replies Jacob as he sits at a barstool.

"Jake, I understand what you are trying to say, but it doesn't make it any better. Those jingles put you through school, those jingles paid the down payment for this home and paid the first 4 months' mortgage and utilities so with all due respect we are comfortable. However, if you want to believe that this job is going to make everything wonderful, be my guest," replies William as he continues removing things from boxes placing them in the glass face kitchen cabinets.

"Bae, I'm sorry. I don't want you to think that I don't appreciate you. But as a man, I have felt very inadequate these last five years," said Jacob as he walks around to William and holds his hands.

"I understand that. I remember the days before my jingles started selling anything, and we held each other down. We can't let new jobs and disputes like this pull us apart," says William as he looks Jacob in the face.

"I know. I don't know why I started this. I guess. I am a little nervous," replies Jacob as he sits back in his chair.

"Well, you know what calms you down every time. Go pack your bag," says William as he opens another box. "I will start working in the office as soon as I am finished with this kitchen. You know I only need two rooms to be taken care of in a house. That's the kitchen and my office," William continues as he continues to unwrap plates and cups.

"Yes, that is exactly what I need. A project," replies Jacob as he jumps from his stool.

"Be careful, we still need to have an inspector come check out the home. It has been uninhabited for over 75 years," William screams up.

"I know, this land use to be the old insane asylum," Jacob says, laughing under his breath as he walks up to the old Victorian spiral staircase.

"He better be playing," says William as he opens another box.

Later that night.

"Hey babe, I'm about to shower. Holler if you need me," Jacob says as he turns on the bathwater.

William stands in the kitchen and looks around. The kitchen has been completely set up, and William smiles to himself. He then takes a glass from the cabinet and walks over to the new sterling silver refrigerator and fills his glass up with cold water. In the distance, William can hear Jacob singing to himself. He places the glass on the countertop and leaves the kitchen. As he walks up to the stairs, the glass begins to move slowly from one side of the counter to the other.

"Jake, did you get your bag packed?" asks William screaming in the hallway.

"No, but I will do it when I get out of the shower."

"Then what in the hell were you doing the entire time you were up here?" William asks as he walks into the room, designated as the office. He notices that everything is in its place. The computers have been set up, both desktop and laptop, his desk is in a position looking out upon the beautiful old garden in the backyard, and all the bookshelves have been filled with his sheet music, books, and notebooks. William smiles to himself and walks into the bathroom, undressing joining Jacob in the shower.

He wraps his arms around Jake's neck and kisses him.

"What is that for?" asks Jacob as he turns around.

"You fixed up my office. You know I have two huge jobs coming up, and you took care of that for me. So I just wanted to say thank you," says William as they embrace in a long kiss.

"Well, let me get the hell out of here before you get me all excited and shit," Jacob replies, gabbing his towel from the rack.

William stays in the shower and lets the water run through his thick curly hair causing it to fall upon his back. As William closes his eyes, he can feel two wet hands come up, grazing his sides, and cupping his pecs.

"I thought you said you were getting out of the shower," William says.

Jacob sticks his head back into the bathroom, "Did you say something to me?"

William's eyes jolt open, as turns to see a male with no eyes screaming at the top of his lung. William also screams as he covers his ears, in that instance, he notices tickling on the palms of his hands coming from his ears. He moves his hand, as they started crawling from his ears, a legion of baby spiders, stream from his ears, his nose, and his mouth. Riddled with fear, William moves quickly and slips backward on a block of bar soap, slamming the back of his head onto the water faucet. Jacob runs into the bathroom, as the bathtub blocked by Williams body slowly begins to fill with water, mixed with bright red blood.

Williams eyes open, but his vision is skewed. However, the screaming male figure still stands prominently behind Jacob, but he is no longer screaming.

"Will, baby, Will," screams Jacob.

William vision fades black.

After what seems like only moments, William slowly begins to open his eyes. As he moves in the hospital bed, through his blurred vision, he makes out a dark shadow standing in the corner. He begins to push himself up against the headboard of the bed.

William begins to scream.

"Will, calm down its Jack. Jake's little brother," says the figure as William's vision slowly begins to improve.

A male nurse comes running into the room. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I think something is wrong with his eyes," says Jack to the nurse, who has stepped halfway out of the door to flag someone down.

A doctor comes into the room quickly. "Oh my, we were sure it would be a lot longer before you woke up. The welling on your brain took a while to go down," he says as he begins to examine William.

As the doctor shines the light over William's eyes, his vision becomes stronger and stronger. "How long was I out?"

"Mr. Casey, you've been in a coma for about a week," says the doctor standing at the foot of the bed. "We will keep you under observation for another 2 days, and if everything is on the up and up, we will release you to your brother in law."

"Where is my husband?" William asks.

"Guys, I will take it from here," says Jack as he steps forward.

"Jack, where is he?" William says sitting up in the bed able to now see the face of the handsome Caucasian male standing before him with bright blue eyes and spiked strawberry blond hair.

"Will, he had to go on the business trip. He didn't want to lose this job, especially since we didn't know how long you would be in the hospital," he replies, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"He was supposed to be here," replies William as he wipes away his tears.

Jack gets up and scoots William over in the bed, he then places William's head on his shoulder.

"Hey man, he was here until yesterday, when I got here. We can skype him if you want," Jack continues.

"Yes," William says as Jack pulls a phone out of his pocket.

Jack unlocks his phone and pulls up skype. As he opens the app, he William places his head back on Jack's shoulder. There before Williams very eyes, Jacob comes up on the screen.

"Hey Bro... Baby!" Jacob says with excitement in his voice.

"Hey," says William as he takes the phone.

"Baby, how are you feeling?" asks Jacob.

"I'm okay, wish you were here," says William as a tear rolls down his cheek.

"Baby, can you tell me what you saw in the bathtub that freaked you out?" asks Jacob.

William closes his eyes as a tear falls, "Baby there was a man. I saw a man, but he didn't have eyes or a nose, just a blank face, and there were so many spiders," replies William.

Jack looks at William, "Are you sure?"

"Jack, I haven't been so sure about anything so much in my life," replies William.

"Baby, there was no one in the house, but us that night. When I got in the bathroom, I found you on the edge of consciousness."

"Jacob, I know what I saw, and I know what I felt touching me. I thought it was you, but it was this man. He was even standing behind you as you stood over me before I blacked out," replies William sternly.

"Have you been taking your medication?" asks Jacob.

"Jacob, are you serious? Fuck you!" screams William as he pushes the phone back to Jack.

Jack grabs the phone and walks out of the room as William on his side, looking out the window, a single tear rolls over his nose. "Bro, why do you always do that? Listen to him. He had to have seen something," says Jack as he looks at the phone.

"Jack, mind your business. I never told you he tried to write a book just a few years ago, and he became to immerse in it that he began believing the things that he was writing about. So, I am sorry, Jack, if I am not down with that his shit. His mental health almost destroyed our relationship."

"You are still a dick!" says Jack hanging up on Jacob.

Jack walks back into the room and lays behind William.

"Jack, I'm not crazy. I know what I saw. Things have been off since we moved into that house," says William.

"What house?" asks Jack.

"The Old Walter Plantation on Legion Street," replies William.

A memory of spiders crawling up his leg fills Jack with fear, but William doesn't notice the distant stare. Jack shakes it. "Get you some sleep," says Jack says as he tries to get out of the bed.

"Can you lay here with me? Hold me? I don't want to feel alone right now. If you don't mind?" William request as Jack wraps his arms around him tightly.

"William, I believe you," Jack replies, but he doesn't get a response. He looks over William's shoulder, he's asleep.

Jack lays his head on William's back. William opens his eyes.