The Pod

Having been deployed in Afghanistan for the past two years, I hadn't seen my father, and was excited yet anxious to go to my hometown and visit him. Leaving him responsible for his own medication, while i was away, I was nervous to come home and see what state he was in. I knocked on the door, but there was no reply. The film of dust on the door left a residue on my hand. I used the key from under the rusty neglected plant pot to open the door.

“Dad! Dad!” I yelled enthusiastically, but still no reply. I walked around the house. Everything seemed like it was in place, however, the air seemed hazy and thick. I started coughing as the dusty air entered my lungs. It looked as though no one had been living there for a while. Strange. Then I noticed that the basement door was bolted shut. I broke the bolts and took a deep breath and started walking down the creaky stairs. My coughing started again as i breathed in whatever mold and dust was floating around in the thick basement air.

I spotted a large pod. It was the only thing that didn't seem to have thick layer of dust on it. Strange. I walked over to open the pod, and I saw what looked like the inside of a spaceship. What was happening? Where was dad? What was this immaculate pod doing in his filthy basement? Trying to gather my thoughts together, feeling guilt for having left my father alone, I suddenly heard a strange woman's voice from inside the pod.

“Michael, what happened? Why do you look so young?” asked Beth who was very confused.

“Who are you??” I managed to ask.

“Michael, you aren't being funny come on! What are you doing?”

“`I'M NOT MICHAEL. I’M HIS SON! ‘Who are you and why are you in my father's basement? Get out now or I will call the cops.”

“Wait. Help me.Your father is nuts he has held me prisoner here. He thinks I am his wife and that pod he put together is spaceship on Mars. I have tried escaping so many times but he keeps putting me back in the pod and warning me that I wouldn't be able to breathe the air outside the pod.

That's when I realised how much my dad needed me at home. I apologized to Beth explained my dad’s schizophrenic condition, and sent her on her way. As she started going up the creaky stairs we could both see my fathers; tall figure at the top of the stairs. The three pairs of eyes met and we all started crying. Not knowing whether to be angry at my dad or sad for him, I froze. He ran over to Beth and gave her a big hug.

“Don't leave me sweetie. I can’t be on Mars alone”

“Don't worry darling, I would never leave you here alone.”

The two of them walked happily into the pod together.