Horror Stories from Horrified - Volume One (2)

it was my job to walk Din-Dins, and I did it alone. I don?t know w hat happened to
Gr andpa - w hether he?d had a fall, or w hatever - but I don?t think I saw him
standing after that. He always seemed to be sitting in a chair , like he was shr inking
in on himself.
When Autumn came, he was moved to a nur sing home. It wasn?t long befor e Dad
took me to visit. The lobby smelled of gr avy gr anules and disinfectant. Ther e was a
communal hall w ith pr etend car pet laid dow n in squar es, and the ar mchair s w er e
like the ones in a hospital. Ther e was something about it that made me uneasy, so I
held back ner vously.
?Come on,? said Dad impatiently.
We found Gr andpa watching snooker w ith the sound tur ned dow n. Dad r eminded
him of all the things he?d done ther e, like fish on Fr iday, r oast beef Sunday. They?d
watched a tape of Brief Encounter. Ther e was even a chess set by one of the
w indow s, though one of the paw ns was a cor k stood on end.
?It?s not bad, is it?? said Dad. ?I mean, all things consider ed, it?s not too bad.?
Gr andpa smiled but not w ith his eyes.
?It?s not too bad,? he agr eed.
When w e got back in the car , w e sat ther e quietly for a moment.
?Gr andpa?s not all r ight,? I said at last.
Dad looked at me in the r ear view mir r or.
?What do you mean, ?not all r ight??? he said in alar m. ?He was smiling, wasn?t
he??
?Well yeah. But not pr oper ly.?
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