Reaction Time- A Tal Fishman Fanfic

The Cold Arms of the Dark

You looked to Tal for some form of explanation but you knew that he wouldn't have an answer in response to your wide eyes. "What do you mean? I don't really think that's possible, mum" You tried to probe your mother for a meaning to what she had just said but she couldn't give one either. Instead, she just sat on the sofa and wrung her hands together in a futile attempt to get a reign on her nerves that ran wild like a fugitive escaped from prison. He looked to you desperately for some kind of movement but you, like his mum, could only stand still in the stunned silence. 

A few moments passed and still nothing had been said until a light knock on the door resonated through the empty hallway. With a sharp snap of her head, your mother looked up from her position on the floor and her eyes filled with the purest of dread. Knowing that she didn't want to move from her established spot of safety, you managed to mutter the words "I'll go" before you felt Tal's warm grip around your wrist. You looked to him and saw his eyes filled with hesitance, mirroring what you felt building up inside of you. Giving a gentle smile, you began to walk away from your boyfriend and towards the shadow in the glass of the front door. Your hairs were standing on their ends but still you pressed forwards and ignored the growing sense of cold that began to gather around your body.  Reaching your hand for the golden doorknob that mounted the wood and twisted it slightly, pulling it ajar slightly as you did so. Looking through the parting of the door frame and its wood, you saw a man waiting silently though his face was painted with creases of fright and trepidation. With growing confidence, your adjusted your grip on the door and pulled it closer to you, revealing an elderly man with his hands hanging in front of his torso. "May--May I come in? I don't feel too safe out here and I'm not all too sure where my son's gone..." His voice was laced with fear and his words shook as they left the small parting in his mouth. You stepped back and pulled the door closer to chest to allow entrance to the man that quaked before you. He shuffled past you and quickly looked up at you before snapping his head back down towards the ground. He stood to the side to let you pass and you lead him into the living room where Tal was looking nervously through the hallway. Quickening your pace, you walked into his arms and he wrapped them around your shoulders and you suddenly felt a lot safer. Tearing away from him, you saw as the old man lowered himself onto the sofa, his frail hand clutching the arm as he left dents with his fingers in the leather. 

A while passed before he seemed to gather his breath and take everything in. He began to explain that he had seen something move in the gloom and his son had gone to see if he could find it. It was after this that his voice began to shake more than his voice at the thought of his child never returning home. He told you that he'd walked miles to try and find him but now he was tired and weary of his uncertain future with his son, Finn. He fought so desperately with his mind as to whether he should carry on into the blackness or rest but eventually he could walk no further- Tal's house was the only one with lights in the window and he had seen too much black for one day. Tears began to collect in his eyes and clouded any sense of direction as to where he might walk next until he hung his head in his hands and began to sob. They echoed around the empty house but nobody could fill the silence that was left in between the gasps for air. "You can stay here for the night or I could get my daughter Robyn to drive you home- whichever you prefer. I can't imagine to think of how you feel and if there's anything we can do, please just let us know." Typical of your mum- in a time of increasing desperation and loneliness, she only thought of others. The old man, who had revealed himself to be Wilfred, looked up and gave the only smile that he would offer that night. "I best be going... Finn might have found his way home." His tired eyes began to light up at the thought but then they lost their sparkle as he realised that it probably wasn't the case. With a nod her head, your mother gestured to your car keys that had been strewn on the table. Understanding what she meant, you padded over to her and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "I'll come too, ya know- just in case" Tal was quick to offer his company and you could hardly refuse; you needed the comfort that he could so easily offer when he spoke to you and you needed his warmth when he cradled you in his arms. You clutched your keys in your hand and wandered outside, your surroundings only being lit by the dim glow of your phosphorescent porch light. Hastily jumping into your car with Tal right behind you, you waited for the slam of the car door as Wilfred clambered in before starting your trek to his house. 

The journey was a quiet one before Tal began talking, with Wilfred looking blindly out of the window as he looked for his son- as he looked for hope. "So much for a prank then", he began whilst he looked to you. He saw your smile as you focused on the road, encased by a mist of grey, and continued. "I don't know if this is real or not yet though. I've seen a lot of dodgy videos and who knows- this could totally be a conspiracy coming to life." You turned your head and saw him run his fingers through his hair, not caring for the tiny knots that pulled at the strands and got caught in his hands. "Yeah, but it's a little messed up don't you think? And anyway, who would they be trying to fool? We're hardly the entire Prank'd audience are we? Besides," You lowered your voice and looked in the mirror at the man that was still searching frantically for some sign that his son might be okay "I don't think Wilfred is that much of an actor, do you?" Tal giggled lightly before resting his hand on your thigh and squeezing gently. Taking your eyes off the road for a second, you looked at him for a moment and saw that, in his eyes, everything would be okay in the end. Once more, a smile played on the corners of your lips and you couldn't help but grant the urge to giggle and you felt the chime as it left your throat. Just then, Wilfred cried for the car to stop and you had no choice but to slam the brakes down and lurch forward with the vehicle as it came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the mist-covered road. "My son!" was all that could be heard as you felt a change in weight as the old man leaped from his seat and into the dark. Quickly following, you and Tal found him hunched over a figure that was thrown carelessly like a ragdoll onto the cold, hard mattress of the road. Frantic cries emanated through the silence as the man before you clawed at his son's face, coating his hands in a crimson blood. "Finn, my boy! My little boy" Was he said whilst all that you and Tal could do was cuddle up and hide each other's faces in the crook of your necks.