Douglas stepped tentatively out of the car. “Are you sure this is the right place? You wanted Douglas Wensley, right?”
The driver frowned, but did not answer. He pointed up the walkway towards the massive double doors, climbed back into the car, and pulled away. Douglas walked slowly towards the front door, and pressed the button on the intricately decorated doorbell. Faint jingling could be heard echoing through the building. A few moments later, and the door flew open, opened by another grave-looking man, with a very sharp black suit. This man didn’t say anything for a moment, but just before Douglas could say anything to interrupt the awkward silence, he heard a voice from inside.

“Son! You made it! Well let him in, Smith!”

The man at the door nodded, and gestured for Douglas to enter. Behind the door, the source of the voice, was Douglas’s father. He was slightly shorter, rounder, and much more gray than Douglas remembered him, but was otherwise the same. They embraced, briefly, and then Douglas was shown around the sprawling building. Most of the rooms were empty, or seemed pointless to Douglas, but his father acted very proud of each room, showing him the decorations he had picked out, and the purpose behind each one. He seemed very much like a child who was showing off some work of art he had made. Douglas took everything in silently, with an occasional nod or smile, but he could not describe what he was really feeling.

Suddenly, they were back at the first room again, and Douglas’s father said: “Well? We can start bringing your belongings here as soon as possible, and-”

“Wait, what?”

“Your belongings… well, anything you think you want to keep, anyway.”

“I’m not living here.”

“Sorry?”

“I said, I’m not living here. I don’t understand why you decide to show up after all these years – where were you when mom died? Where were you before that? I don’t even know you! You were never home! How do you think I would want to live in the house of a total stranger?”

Douglas’s father looked shocked for a moment, and then opened his mouth to say something… he opened and closed his mouth, and then said, “You’re right. I’m sorry I wasn’t there… there was… I was never… well… “

“I don’t want to hear it. You’re gone for most of my life, while mom and I live in poverty, then you show up suddenly and show off this mansion! I don’t appreciate it! I don’t care how much money you have now, you’re no father to me.”

Douglas turned and sped out the front door. The rain had begun, and he ran through the Downpour, down the gravel road, shielding his eyes from the pelting rain. Lightning crashed overhead. A bright light lit up the ground in front of him, and the crunch of tires over the gravel made itself heard over the rain as the black car pulled up next to him. The window rolled down on the drivers side, and the well-dressed driver called out: “Please enter the vehicle. I’ll return you to your home.” Douglas started to refuse, but was already soaked to the bone, and decided not to protest. He climbed in, not caring about the seats getting wet from his clothes.
“Can’t have you wandering around here by yourself,” said the driver. Douglas shrugged, and shivered in his wet clothes all the way home.