The Journal, Chapter 1

The days were slowly changing, as the cold started to set in.

Just a few kilometers from the sea there stood a lonely house on the top of a hill, it was surrounded by a forest and could only be accessed by a lonely road. At the back of the house there was a small path leading to a cliff at the sea.

The old wood of the house was cracking under the terrible weight it had to carry.

In one off the rooms, there was an old man laying in his bed, a woman sitting by his side.
The room which was usually filled with light and brimmed with life was now dark.

The man coughed and slowly spoke to the woman in a slow soft voice: ''It seems my  time is coming... It's sooner than expected... Finally these old bones will be put to rest... I only regret... Not fulfilling the dream we had...''

The woman gazed with tears welling up in her eyes and said: ''Don't say that... The doctor will be here soon and you will get better.''

The man slowly turned in his bed so he could see the snowflakes slowly fall out of the gray skies that were gathering over the house.

''He will not make it in time... Do not fret I'm ready for it... Soon I will be there... Once more...'' The man said slowly closing his eyes and leaving  out when last sigh of relief.

''No... Don't leave me here...'' The woman said slowly started to cry.
A young child walked into the room slowly, ''Mommy? What's wrong with grandpa?''
The woman looked up: ''N-Nothing... He's just sleeping my dear.. Now go off to bed... Mommy wants to be alone right now with your grandfather...''

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Even though spring started to set in, the house was still shrouded in its dark cover, the lights were always dimmed and the curtains were always closed.

Every corner, every corridor and every room inside the house held a memory.
A memory of a better time, a memory of when the house was full with happiness, with tunes coming from the piano in the study.

The death had a huge impact on the family, as well as the house that now not only stood there lonely on top of the hill, but now also made the area look a little grim and depressing.

The child who was once playing happy in the study seemed to have disappeared from the house, but actually sat in his room all day, not wanting to face the truth.

He now once again sat in his room, tears welling up in his eyes once again as he looked down at the ground.

He had finally decided to go to the study, where he and his grandfather spend most of their free time, once more.
The door slowly cracked open revealing a dark and cold room, nothing like the warm room full of light just a year ago.

He slowly walked into the room, letting his fingers slide over the keys of the piano that was gathering dust.
He remembered the tune his grandfather used to play.

He walked by the bookshelves, filled with books his grandfather used to read him,  to the desk his grandfather used to write letters to some of his friends who moved away years ago.

A small book was laying on top of the desk, with an old, worn out pencil on top of it.

The young  child walked towards the desk and sat down on the old wooden chair.
He dusted of the old book and saw the handwriting of his grandfather on the cover.

''Grandpa... What happened...'' The child thought to himself.

He wanted to know how it could happen, so he opened the book and started at the end.

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Nate just took his painkillers, just a few minutes after he came to.
''The doctor will be right with you sir'' The nurse said before she went off to help another patient.

''Urgh... What happened?'' Nate said rubbing  his head.

The hospital room was getting darker as the sun started to set behind the hills in the distance.
The sky was slowly turning gray and a few drops were starting to fall soon turning into a heavy storm creating a deafening noise as the drops clattered on the windows.
It did not take long before they started to hear the sky rumble in the distance.

Nate looked at the woman who was sitting by his side wiping tears away from her eyes.
He then slowly started to realize what happened.

''It... It happened again didn't it?'' He asked waiting for a response from the woman sitting by his side who was trying to avert her eyes.

She slightly nodded still sniffing, her eyes were red from crying all night.

''Where this time?'' He said feeling that the painkillers were just starting to do their work.
''Y-You know where...''  The woman said burying her face in her hands.
''Oh no... Of all places I hoped it wouldn't have happened there...''

Somebody knocked on the door and then slowly opened it.

Two men walked in, one was wearing a long white doctor's coat with a stethoscope hanging around his neck, his name plate reading ''Chris Beckert'' was hanging on his doctor's coat which he wore with pride.
He was quite a nervous type and was fiddling with his glasses as he finally walked towards the bed.

The other man was an older man wearing an brown rain coat and was wearing a hat that he quickly put down on the table in the corner of the hospital room.

The older man was even though the unfortunate circumstances still very calm when he spoke: ''Well how are you old friend? Feeling any better after your incident?''

Nate slowly responded: ''Yes, I'm feeling any better, it's unfortunate we had to meet under these circumstances and for that I do apologize.''

''Well my friend it's good to hear that you feel fine now, and this must be the lovely Anna, I haven't seen you in some time as well my dear, I trust you yourself are doing well''

The woman looked at the man still crying a bit and then slightly nodded.

''Come on my dear, let's give Nate some time alone with Chr- I mean Doctor Beckert.'' The man said as he took her hand and slowly let her towards the door.

Nate gazed at Anna and his old friend as they slowly walked into the corridor of the hospital and softly closed the door behind them.

Doctor Beckert was still fiddling with his glasses stuttering a bit as he spoke: W-well uhm.. It... As it seems...''.

''There's no need to be worried Chris, I know what's wrong... What's my current situation?'' Nate said sitting upright in his bed.

Doctor Beckert put his glasses back on and took a deep breath before he spoke again: ''Well Mr. Malloy it seems your situation has become worse since your last visit to our hospital. I will write you a prescription for some medicine you will need to take on a daily base so we can prevent you from having another one of those attacks, We will keep you here a few days for observation and we must ask you to take it easy for a few weeks okay?''

''...I think I will be able to do that Chris.'' Nate said looking at the ceiling listening to the rain clattering on the windows and the thunder rumbling in the distance.

Doctor Beckert was polishing his glasses again ''He was always a little neurotic'' Nate thought to himself. ''He's just like his father when he was a kid''.

''Well I guess I should leave now''. Beckert said with a slight smile on his face, he was of course relieved.

Nate always looked after him when he was a kid so when Beckert heard he would need to give Nate his treatment he was heartbroken.

Soon after Doctor Beckert left, the old man and Anna rejoined Nate in his room.

The old man sat down next to the bed and slowly spoke: ''I hope Chris wasn't too hard on you, he's a good kid, but he needs to get control over his nerves.''

Nate looked at the old man and replied after a while: ''You shouldn't be so hard on your son Michael, he reminds me of you''

Michael grinned. ''I guess you're right my old friend, I guess that after 60 years you still know me the best.''

Anna let out when final sniff before she slowly spoke in quite some time: ''...I heard you were getting out soon...''

''Ah yes, Chris told me that you should be back in top shape in a few days my old friend, if only you take it easy.'' Michael replied to Anna's question before Nate could even open his mouth.

''You are quite aware of what's going on Michael'' Nate said. ''But you always were the first to know what was going on I suppose.''

Michael smiled at his old friend and then looked out the window: ''Oh dear, the storm is getting worse''.

Nate looked out the window as well and then turned to Anna: ''Anna did you drive here with the car?''

Anna looked up surprised: ''N-No I was in town when I got called on my cell phone so I took a cab to get here as quick as I could...''

''Well then, Michael, I don't suppose you could drive her back home. I need my rest anyway, at least that's what your son said.'' Nate asked with a smile on his face like nothing ever happened.

''I suppose I could, but then we would have to leave now, otherwise I myself won't be back home in time, and you know how the old lady is'' Michael said as he stood up and took his hat.

''Are you coming Anna?'' ''Y-Yeah I'm coming'' Anna replied slowly getting up.

''We will drop by again tomorrow Nate'' Michael said as they left the room.

Nate now was all alone in his room and stared at the rain clattering on the windows.

''Don't worry dear... I will be with you soon...''