The Cabin

Layla/ Mr. Williams: Movie Marathon Pt.2

Layla

Mr. Williams and I started walking around the cabin counterclockwise. I noticed right away that Mr. Williams kept a consistent 3-step pace behind me. I walked on and tuned out his presence. I wanted to process everything. The air around me was crisp and cold. I could feel the wind against my cheeks and knew they were going to be bright red by the end of this walk. Breathing hurt, it almost seemed unbearable, but the pain woke me up. Breathing through my nose was difficult. I felt as though I was snorting water up my nose with every breath. When I breathed through my mouth, my throat felt like tiny razors slid down the sides with each breath. I loved every second of it.

I was able to feel something again. I felt discomfort. I felt the wind. I could smell the cold. I smiled to myself as I recognized myself awake in this winter wonderland. It felt like Mr. Williams and I were the only ones in this world, but I was reminded that we were not the only things alive. In the distance, snow slid off branches and landed on the ground with a plop and a crunch. I turned in the direction of the sound and saw a squirrel. The squirrel looked at me, and I stood still. Mr. Williams took a step toward me and the squirrel darted away. Mr. Williams held the gap between us, but I could hear him shift his weight. I could hear the snow crunch and compact underneath his feet as he stood behind me. I didn't turn around, but I could tell that Mr. Williams was nervous. I could almost feel his anxiety radiating off of him.

Enough time had gone by since the squirrel left my view so I started walking around the cabin again. I could only hear Mr. Williams' hesitating footsteps behind me, I knew that Mr. Williams was nervous and was building up to something. I tried to prepare myself for it, but I didn't know what to prepare for. The last time Mr. Williams was this anxious, he tried to convince me to be drugged so that I couldn't make a sound when the washer and dryer were being installed. I waited a few minutes, but Mr. Williams said nothing.

We went around the cabin once, then twice and Mr. Williams still lingered behind me. Then I heard Mr. Williams cough to clear his throat. I took a sharp breath in, this was it. "Layla love, may I talk to you about something?" I heard Mr. Williams softly ask. I took one more step, just a bit more distance to help me get through this. I turned around and tried to keep my tone light, "What would you like to talk about Mr. Williams?" My innocent question and soft tone must have caught Mr. Williams by surprise because he looked shocked when I met his gaze. Mr. Williams looked at me intently, but he softened his gaze. Mr. Williams didn't answer my question so I continued to keep things light. "If you are trying to get out of the last movie, you're going to be disappointed Mr. Williams. We have to finish the trilogy." I watched in real-time as Mr. Williams took in what I said. Mr. Williams was processing everything so slowly. A faint smile crossed his lips, but his smile quickly faded. This must be serious if he is this off. Mr. Williams was always so cool and collected, this just wasn't him at all, and I knew right then that everything was about to change.

"It's so cold out here Layla love. Would you like to talk inside?" Mr. Williams asked after he looked me over. "I think I would like to stay out here, I miss the cold," I said, fear was starting to take hold of me. I kept the feelings at bay, but my voice betrayed me. "Are you sure?" Mr. Williams asked almost pleading. Mr. Williams took a step toward me and I took a step back. The distance between us was the only thing protecting me. Mr. Williams looked confused at my recoil.

"I have something to tell you Layla love, then I have something to ask you." Mr. Williams stated. Mr. Williams took a deep breath and regained his confidence. "When you moved in here, I told you that my wife and I were divorcing" Mr. Williams started to say. Mr. Williams lingered too long trying to gather his thoughts after this statement that I asked, "Are you not anymore?" Mr. Williams' eyes darted to me so quickly. "No, it's not that. I am a divorced man Layla. I wouldn't ever put you in that position. I am a divorced man, everything is as it should be. Everything is proper." Mr. Williams quickly explained. "The thing is, Emily and I have nearly finalized our divorce. We are splitting assets and trying to split everything equally between the two of us." Mr. Williams said. I remained still and quiet. Why was he so nervous about his divorce? I knew about this a while ago. Mr. Williams dropped his gaze on me and instead looked at the ground between us. "I am retiring in one week, Layla. I technically only have 4 shifts left and then I'll be done." Mr. Williams explained the sudden shift in conversation topic confused me so I waited for Mr. Williams to continue. For some reason, Mr. Williams lifted his gaze again to me. It almost seemed as though from those two pieces of conversation, I was supposed to connect them and figure out what he was anxious about. It was almost as though if I connected the dots myself, it would be easier for both of us.