Betty's Gone

Something has happened to Betty that Phil doesn't know about. Phil's flashbacks are his only hope to finding out what happened to her.

Phil pulled out his keys and started to unlock the door, twisting his wrist and pushing the door open with his leather, newly polished shoes. He walked in, his shoes echoing throughout the entrance way as he started to kick them off, using his other foot to peel them. He turned and sat on his couch, grabbing the half drunken liquor bottle that he had started this morning before getting called into work. He had dragged himself there, avoiding everyone and waiting for this moment to come home. He starting taking big gulps as the liquor burned down his throat, spreading a smile on his face like butter. He grabbed for the remote and turned on the T.V, the brightness from the channel illuminating his face in the dark of the room. He kicked his feet up on the unsteady coffee table, the same table he never finished because its the last table Betty told him to fix before she left. Before she tried to help him put down his bottle and pick her up in his arms, smiling, and kissing her on the forehead telling her she is going to be safe. But one day he picked up the bottle after a stressful day at work and hit her with it, once in the head as the bottle shattered. She had tried to tell him he needed to take his medication and to calm down, but that only made Phil angrier. Its when Betty's sister showed up and dragged her out that Phil was on his knees trying to keep Betty in his arms. But he knew she would not forgive him. So instead of picking Betty up it slowly turned into hookers, more meds, and more beer. Anything he could get his hands on. But the more Phil thought about this, the more he drank. He started to drift to sleep. The T.V had clicked off and he was laying in the darkness, the rest of his liquor bottle now spilled on his pants and seeping into the floor. He opened his eyes and saw Betty. Sitting at the kitchen table facing the window and talking on her phone. He could hear her sister on the other end, “Phil is not ready to raise your beautiful child! You need to come back here where you're not isolated.” “But you don't understand,” Betty said, tears in her eyes, “I didn't choose the isolation. Phil's new manager position is taking us everywhere and this house has so much to offer, it was practically a steal!” Phil watched her brown curls bob as Betty twisted her head and started rubbing her eyes with her free hand. He wanted to walk behind her and rub her shoulders, telling her that she is in great hands. He wanted to kiss her neck, and look her in the eyes as she convinced her sister that this house is only going to be a new beginning. So Phil got up off the couch and walked toward her, watching the sun in the window shine off her hair as he got closer. And then the T.V turned on and he looked back. Into the dark living room only illuminated by the static on the T.V. He saw the clock on the table reading 3:00 AM. He turned toward the kitchen table and was only staring at darkness. There was no Betty. Phil walked into the living room and picked up the remote clicking off the television and rubbing at his eyes. He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, plopping a frozen dinner onto the counter and poking a hole into the plastic with a fork. He was still blinking the grogginess out of his eyes as opened the microwave and put the dinner inside. Then he punched in four minutes and stared at the microwave. “Phil?” He turned over his shoulder toward the living room and searched the room with his eyes, seeing no one. Phil turned back toward the microwave and shook his head. “I'm just tired,” he thought and just shook it off. “Phil please, hold me again,” Now Phil knew this wasn't in his head as he started to search the dark house for someone who would be playing this sick joke. “It can't be Betty,” Phil thought, “She's dead.” Phil was checking each room until he heard the microwave go off which made him jump. “This is so silly,” he said, “scared over a tv dinner.” So he opened the microwave door and peeled the plastic off, mixing the mashed potatoes with his fork and then the meatloaf and sauce. He picked up the plastic tray and started shuffling into the living room. He looked up and saw brown curls, the moonlight shining against them. “Betty?” Phil said, as the dinner was almost falling from his hands. He placed it on the table and stared at her. Phil closed his eyes and put his head down, beating on his head with his palms. “This is not real!” Phil was repeating to himself. He then opened his eyes and Betty was gone. Phil proceeded to pick up his tray and reached for the remote. Just then he felt a warm breathe against his neck. He froze in place. He stared into the darkness, afraid to turn around. Afraid to move. “I know you think that me jumping was your fault. But it wasn't You have to find me.” And with that Phil turned and looked for the voice in which that came from. But there was no one there. Nothing. And he picked his dinner up and went into bed, hoping to dream of Betty again.

Work was hard for Phil. Phil and Betty worked long nights together at the toy store they owned together. But, it was always Betty's dream. Betty loved kids more than anything. It's where she felt the most comfort because for Betty, she would never be able to experience childbirth on her own. She could not have children due to a tumor that once grew on her spine. Many doctor appointments and risky operations later, the tumor would be removed but therefore scarring the tissue around her uterus making it impossible for Betty to have kids. And Phil felt awful. He held her hand through it all and watched her hope fall day after day. So, Phil took on 3 jobs when Betty was sick. When she got out of the hospital he took her on a long journey in their old Chevy truck. He opened her door and kept his hand over her eyes. “I have something for you, with all the love from me Bets,” said Phil, keeping the hope in her heart that she once lost. He walked her to the front of a small retail store and removed his hand. She looked up, scanning her eyes along the top of the building as it read “Betty and Phil's Toys” and she immediately stared at into Phil's eyes. He looked back at her, searching her eyes for any happiness. That's when she smiled. Small tears began to run down the sides of her cheek as she let out a quiet “Thank you,” as she quickly wrapped her arms around his body. He kissed the top of her head as he heard thunder rumbling. “We should go on inside.” Phil said, finally letting her fall back as he took her hands and smiled at the small tears that lay at the bottom of her eyes. They both hopped inside as they felt the small sprinkles of rain fall from the dark clouds. Betty was now walking on her own, slowly walking around empty shelves that should soon be filled with marvelous toys and childrens eyes hungry for more. Betty had scanned most of the empty store and came back to where Phil stood and looked at him. “How are we going to afford this...” Betty said, voice shaking. “Well Bets, the Cake and Bake across the street who sold this to me had heard about you and said we could take as much time as we needed to get this place to just how you've dreamed it to be.” Phil said, scanning Betty's face for any reaction. Maybe even the slightest, but to no avail. “But Phil, what if I'm...” she pauses and starts to stare off past Phil and at the rain hitting the side of the store. “Now Betty I know what you're going to say...and don't. You are not going to die. Not on my watch not ever. I love you too much to ever lose you like I almost did!” Phil boasts and now searched her face more frantically. Her shoulders drop and she seems a little more happy “Ok Phil. I can't express how excited I am to do this. Especially with you.” Betty says, and falls back into Phil' s arms again. He places his cheek on top of her head and closes his eyes almost as if he could feel happiness and joy seeping through her skin. It wouldn't be long before he would not see her like this again. Not after what happened. 

Author's Note

I used a random thought generator to come up with a theme for this story. It was: A character will read someone's diary, and they are surprisingly overenthused about it. A character becomes sick during the story. The story must have a ghost at the beginning. (I am not done yet?) I wasn't sure if this was good enough or not.