The Separation

  Charlie Pronovella stood there in a tattered T-shirt and stained boxer shorts, his hair in corkscrews from sleep. He glared down at us with darkened, bleary eyes.

  “Something’s happened,” he said. “Something’s happened to Gloria. I can feel it in my gut.”

  I opened my mouth to speak but could not find my voice.

  “She took a part of me with her when she left,” Charlie went on.

  “Hey, Charlie-boy,” Jerry managed, though his own voice sounded small and sickly.

  “I feel more displaced than ever, Doc,” Charlie said to me. He had a fine growth of beard across his face. “It’s like I’m only half here.”

  “Charlie.” It was my own voice this time, though I did not know where I was going or what I wanted to say. Was I dreaming? Was this a dream?

  “I’m going back to bed,” Charlie said, turning on the landing, and disappearing back into his bedroom.

  The three of us remained in the foyer for what seemed like an eternity, staring up at the space on the landing that had, just moments ago, previously been occupied by someone who may or may not have been there, like biblical kings gazing heavenward at the North Star.

  About The Author

  Ronald Malfi is the award-winning author of the novels The Ascent, Snow, Shamrock Alley, Passenger, and several others. Most recognized for his haunting, literary style and memorable characters, Malfi’s dark fiction has gained acceptance among readers of all genres. He currently lives along the Chesapeake Bay where he is at work on his next book. Visit him online at www.ronmalfi.com.