(Editor's Note: If you have not yet read "Part One - Five", please go to the Horror Archive and read those stories, first. Thank you, TDS.)

The next morning, it was Susan who awoke to find Justin’s side of the bed vacant and the sheets cold. Turning over to look at the alarm clock, she saw that it was just after eight in the morning. Lazily stretching her arms above her head, she sat up, threw back the covers and stepping out of bed, she wondered aloud, “Where could he be so early in the morning?” Susan grabbed her robe off the bed’s footboard and thrust her arms into the sleeves as she walked out the door.

She found her husband a few moments later; he was standing in the kitchen, leaning on the counter for support and staring at the coffeemaker. Susan cheerfully called, “Good morning,” as she moved to the cupboard to retrieve two coffee mugs.

“That would depend on your definition of ‘good’,” he mumbled in reply, turning to face his wife.

Susan looked up at Justin as she sat the mugs on the counter and gasped. “Jeez, Justin you look like sh…”

“Don’t say it, don’t even say it,” he growled, turning back to the coffeemaker. “It has been one Hell of a night and this damn coffeemaker is taking forever this morning,” he said in way of explanation, then slammed his fists down on the countertop.

She looked at the appliance and swallowing a giggle, reached past him to push the power button. “It helps if you turn the thing on.”

Seeing the look of outrage on Justin’s face, Susan crossed her arms over her chest and asked, “So, do you want to tell me what has you in such a pissy mood this morning? Or are you just going to be snippety all day?”

Expelling a deep sigh, Justin pushed away from the counter and slid into a chair. Raking his fingers through his hair and rubbing them down his face, Justin rested his elbows on the table and cradled his head in his hands. “Sorry baby, I didn’t mean to be such an ass this morning.” Shaking his head, he turned to watch his wife as she began pouring coffee. “I really thought I’d handle it better if it ever happened to me, but one look at Archibald and I was literally knocked on my ass.”

In shock from his statement, Susan fumbled setting the coffee pot down and nearly dropped the decanter on the floor. “What?! What do you mean, ‘One look at Archibald’?” She stumbled to the other kitchen chair as quickly as her shaky legs would allow her to move, and sat down.

Reaching across the table, Justin laid his hand on top of hers and squeezed. “Well, I wasn’t going to tell you this right away. I had planned to ease into the tale, so it wouldn’t be as much of a shock.”

Susan squeezed her husband’s hand, then got up and walked across the room to retrieve the coffee pot and mugs before returning to the table. “Then I came down this morning and opened my big mouth, huh?” she said, carefully pouring the coffee with hands that were not quite steady.

Looking at her with a sly grin, Justin said, “It’s not like you could’ve known I was in a bad mood.” Wrapping his hands around the mug Susan placed before him, Justin began his story.

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