One Is Missing

I know there is one missing. I knew it from the first night I saw it, that procession walking up the road in the dead of night. But it doesn't make any sense. I know one is missing, but I don't know why or how I know it. I honestly think I'm going insane. I can't help it, the things I keep doing, saying, thinking. It's like I'm here, trapped inside my mind, watching it happen, and I can't do anything about it. I wonder if that is how all insane people are? Prisoners of their own broken mind, forced to endure the ravings and rants that they have no control over, though are fully aware of. But never mind that, it's not why I'm writing this down. I'm writing this down because if, or rather when, I finally lose my mind completely...I want people to know why.

Let me back up a bit, and give a little more information on myself, and what's been going on.

My wife and I moved to a trailer park almost a year ago. I know what you're probably thinking, trailer trash. But it's a nice little trailer park. It's clean, and almost all the residents are older and retired. I've seen more than a few luxury and sports cars parked out front of people's massive, mini-house RVs and fifth-wheels. It's cheap though, and that's why we moved here. My wife is disabled, needing a cane to walk after a nasty car accident. She can mostly take care of herself, but she needs a lot of help as she can't move around for long. When I wake up in the morning, I cook her breakfast, and in the evenings I make dinner when I get back from work. I'm a receptionist at a dental office, if anyone cares. Not that it matters anymore. Sorry, going off track again. It's a strong suit of mine. Rambling I mean. Sorry. I need to write this down.

Though we're close to the freeway, our park sits back on an old highway that twists and winds far out into the middle of nowhere. We're in a semi-rural spot, secluded, but not terribly far from the city. The highway sees a lot of traffic during the day, people always going back and forth to and from work. We have lots of birds chittering and chirping all day, starting bright and early. We hear the occasional barking dog, people talking to their neighbors, and sometimes TVs or music playing. I would consider it somewhat loud during the day, though not obnoxious.
But at night the area gets very quiet.

I noticed this pretty quickly after we moved in. Almost every night around nine o'clock, sounds die off outside. No more traffic. No more people. No more animals. The birds, crickets, everything just shuts up around that time every single night. Then a few hours later, around midnight, the wind will pick up. Not terribly heavy wind, but enough to rustle the leaves. The windchime in our neighbor's yard picks up, and makes a soft and soothing jingle-jangle noise. It happens this way every single night. My wife and I assumed it was just the location, just the way the area worked. We got used to it pretty quickly anyway, and it stopped being strange after just a couple of weeks.

Then came our first summer at the park. It gets very hot here in the summer time, and though we do have A/C it gets expensive to run a lot. We try to use it sparingly, and almost never run it at night. Unfortunately, I get pretty hot, while my wife tends to run cooler. While she'll be comfortable with the temperature, I'll be sweating by ass off in a tank top and boxers. I sweat a lot. The beads on my forehead. They're there now. I can feel them, but they don't cool me off. So I have a hard time sleeping some nights, even though it cools off a bit once the sun goes down.

One night, about a week ago, I was up pretty late. I couldn't sleep, I was sweating and all around uncomfortable. I stayed up watching a movie and when I finally looked at the clock it said it was one in the morning on the dot. I blinked in surprise that it had gotten so late. Or early or whatever. Either way I knew I needed to sleep. We had all the windows open to try and get at least a little bit of the cool night air inside. Our front door has a screen door attached to it so you can have the front door open and get some air circulation without letting the bugs in. The bugs get in anyway. These little flies, little gnats. I swear they're trying to kill me. Twice now I've been talking or just breathing and the damn things will fly right into my throat, and I've almost choked to death. Sorry. There I go rambling again.

Ok so the door. I got up to close and lock the front door, as I always do before bed. But not this late. Never this late. As I leaned out to close the front door I saw some movement that caught my eye. I looked out towards the road, the highway running in front of the park. Moving up the road in unison were robed figures. The robes were dark and long, with large hoods. Their entire bodies were completely covered by the robes and with their slow, monotonous movements it almost appeared as if the figures were merely gliding along the ground. There were two rows, with five figures in each. The wind was still blowing. The leaves and branches of the trees were swaying, singing, dancing. The wind chime chimed cheerly in my neighbor's yard. Ding. Ding-aling. Ding-ding.

Then something followed the hooded figures. I felt disturbed, fearful even. But I couldn't close the door. I couldn't look away. Damn it I wish I did. But there it was, rolling along. A large wooden cart, with huge wooden wheels. It made no sound, and it was not being pulled nor pushed by anything or anyone. It just moved on, rolling up the street behind the hooded figures, going at the same deliberate pace.
It was what was on the cart though. A towering statue. Another robed figure, the arms and hands folded in front of it. But it did not have a hood. Instead there was a great head that looked almost like the head of a wolf. It appeared to be a stone statue, but with great detail. The wolf's head had mangy wild fur, and two pointed ears. It's mouth was wide and gaping, with large teeth. It wasn't a typical canine snout, but rather what looked almost like a fleshy beak. It did not appear to have a nose, not that I could see anyway. Behind each ear a grotesque looking horn, or maybe an antler was protruding. It was a strange combination of the two. They started by twisting up like the horn of a ram, but then began to branch out like a deer's, with each horn spiking out into at least a dozen points. The most terrifying aspect though was the flames shooting out of the eyes, and the flaming forked tongue that wriggled and writhed within that beak-like mouth. I had never seen anything quite like it. The statue must be a good twenty feet at least. It's truly awe-inspiring. The craftmanship is incredible, beautiful even. Then as the cart carrying the statue moved on, there came more hooded and robed figures behind it. There were still two rows, only this time there was ten in one row, but only nine in the other.

One's missing.

I remember thinking it so clearly. I don't know why. But I can't get that thought out of my head. One was missing from the row. One is missing from the row. I stared at the strange parade until it was out of site around a corner up the road. Then suddenly I felt like I had snapped out of a trance. My hand was still on the door, and I was still half leaning out of the trailer to close it. I did so and went to grab my phone before going to bed. 3:07 A.M.

No way I thought to myself. No way in hell had I been standing there for over two hours. No way had that group of figures and their statue taken two hours to go by. Then I realized what it all meant. I was dreaming. I crawled into bed, laughing a little to myself. But I'm not laughing anymore.

When I woke up the next day I barely remembered the previous night. It really did feel like just a dream. I got up and made my wife and myself breakfast. She asked if I slept alright. I told her I had. She said she slept good. I slept good. I think. I got ready, kissed her goodbye, and I went to work. My boss and a couple other coworkers asked if I was alright, and said I looked very tired. I told them I was fine, I had slept very good last night. I asked how they slept. How did anyone sleep? How does anyone sleep at night? God, I just wanted to get home and make dinner and spend time with my wife.

When I got home my wife told me some bad news. Her father had been sick, and he suddenly took a turn for the worse, and she was going to have to fly out to be with him and her mother. She had already booked a last minute flight, and had scheduled a taxi to pick her up for the airport in the morning. I offered to go with her. I could take some time off work. I hadn't taken a vacation in over three years. They owed me a bit. Though I hated to do a last minute ditch like that. But she said no, it was fine, she understood I needed to be at work. I needed to work. I needed to be here. I needed to get good sleep here. I knew that of course, and so did she. We all know that.

I made us dinner. Isn't that nice honey? Yes dear thank you dear. Then we went to bed. I woke up around one in the morning. I couldn't go back to sleep. It was too hot. If only I'd known what I do now, I would have gone with my wife. But too late. One is missing. She woke up early and left for the airport. We kissed and hugged goodbye. I felt like I was going to cry, but I didn't. I didn't even know why I would. She'd be back soon. But would I?

Work was uneventful. I hope my boss and coworkers are sleeping good. I know I am. When I got home I made a little supper for myself, and then I decided to read a book. I ended up losing track of time, only realizing how late it was when I heard the wind start to pick up. There were the trees swaying, and the chime jingling. I decided I was going to go sit outside. I don't know what made me do it. Well I suppose I do now. But I didn't want to. And so I did it. I went out into our yard, listening to the crashing and thrashing of the trees, the wind rushing around me, the sound of the neighbors wind chime being ripped from their porch. So peaceful.
I checked my watch. 1:00 A.M. Time for the parade! I was excited, and terrified.
And sure enough here they came. The two rows of five hooded and robed figures smoothly shuffling along up the road. The massive cart with the beautiful and monstrous statue glided along of its own accord. The feelings it stirred up in me are still confusing to me. It was terror, horror, awe, sadness and happiness. At one point I almost felt giddy, like I could laugh and laugh for days. At one point I swear the head turned slightly towards me. I thought I heard my name over the howling wind. And following up the rear were the last two rows of hooded figures. Eleven in one row, and ten in the other. More than last time, but one was still missing. One is still missing. I watched them up the road once again, until they turned the corner. I stared after them until...

Ring ring ring!

My phone jerked me out of my once again stupored trance. I answered it. My boss. I was late for work. it was almost ten in the morning. Damn it. I rushed inside and got ready as fast as I could. I looked at my phone again as I got in the car. Two missed calls from my wife, and a voicemail. She was fine. Just calling to let me know she had gotten in safe and sound, and she'd call with any update regarding her father. Good. I hope she sleeps good. Better than I will.

I got sick at work. I threw up all over the hallway in a rushed attempt at getting to the toilet on time. It was awful. I think I passed out. They were going to take me to the hospital but I started feeling better. After much convincing that I was ok, they had me go home. My boss told me to take the rest of the week off, and to get some rest. I needed rest. but I knew I wasn't going to get it. I knew what the problem was.
The next few nights were much like the last, and the one before. I watched my favorite group of hooded figures and their mascot march up the road. But it wasn't a mascot. I knew it then deep down, and I know it better now. Each time it happened I found myself waking up later and later in the day. Each night, the rows of hooded figures grew by one, but one row was always one shorter than the other. One was always missing. One is always missing. I know that now. And I know what I have to do.

I just woke up about an hour ago. As usual I was standing in my yard. It was early afternoon. There was a package wrapped up in brown paper and string at my feet. I took it inside.

My phone has almost a dozen missed calls from my wife, and almost as many voicemails. But she can't hear me. I can't hear her. I know what I have to do, and I know she'll understand in the end. One is always missing, and she'll understand that in the same way I do now. I don't want her to understand, but she will. She will once she reads this. I think everyone will.

I just opened the package before sitting down to write this. Inside was a robe and a note.

You are one. We are one. He is one.