Shifting Tides

Chapter 2

The gun was pointed directly at me, and it was close enough that even an inexperienced person like myself could tell you- there was no way the mystery man was going to miss. My breathing quickened, and I glanced over at my dad nervously. Beads of sweat began to roll down my face- we had turned off our AC unit before we left, and the air inside the house was stifling.

Even still, I didn't dare blink an eye. After a few agonizing moments, my father spoke, still aiming his own weapon at the intruder.

"Who are you and what the hell are you doing in my home," he demanded. Mentally, I cheered him on.

The mystery man began to lower his gun, and spoke for the first time since we encountered him. But instead of answering my dad's question, he surprised us both by saying my dad's name and asking a question of his own.

"David? Is it really you," he asked. I didn't think to wonder why he was here, or how he knew my dad's name- at the moment I was just glad the gun was no longer pointed at but the floor instead. My father, who was much quicker than myself, and smarter too, immediately grabbed the gun from the mans hand. However, the intruder offered no resistance.

"David, it's me, Eddy! Calm do-" he began, but was interrupted by a swift kick to gut from my father. Eddy was sent sprawling onto the ground.

"Get into the light, where I can see you," My father yelled angrily, although his tone had softened somewhat. Eddy stood up and stepped over to the pale sliver of moonlight offered by the window. It still wasn't enough to get even a somewhat decent look at him, however, so my father motioned for me to go turn on the light.

As soon as I did, my father's face lit up in recognition. Though the anger was still there plastered over his features, he lowered both guns he was holding.

"Eddy! What in hell is going on here?!"

Eddy lifted himself off the ground slowly, wincing a bit as he tried using his left arm to get up. I looked over at my dad, and he seemed to be sizing Eddy up. I decided it would be prudent to do the same.

Eddy was alright height-wise, about 5'9, as best I could guess. I wasn't one to judge people by their weight, but it looks like Eddy was no stranger to food. He looked to be somewhere upwards of 220- although I could see not all of it was flab. There was some muscle there too (Or just really convincingly shaped fat).

His face was so comical it nearly made me laugh, but I held it together- somehow. His beady eyes were like two tiny black marbles glued into a muffin, and his eyebrows looked like two hairy caterpillars had decided to take up residence on his forehead. His beard was (kind of) impressive, but the glare coming off the top of his head both indicated his extreme baldness and and instantaneous desire for a pair of sunglasses.

"David, listen I can explain this-" Eddy began.

My dad glared at him. "Go ahead then. Give us an explanation- and it'd better be a good one."

Eddy ran a hand through his non-existent hair and sighed.

"Well, it all started about six months ago..."