Chapter 6 Chapter 6
Audrey
“Audrey?” Bethans shrill and far to loud voice pierced my brain like a white hot needle and forced my eyes to fly open.
“Audrey.”
“Fuck sake Bethan.” Rolling onto my stomach I smashed the pillow over my head to try and muffle the sound of her screaming voice. Not that it made any difference and truthfully I should be used to it. Bethan didn’t get hangovers, she could drink until she was unconscious and still be full of beans and bouncing the next morning.
“Have you heard, I mean it’s all over the news and-“ She paused and cranking open an eye I peered at her from under my pillow shield.
She was already dressed and had makeup on her face like we hadn’t drunk ourselves silly last night.
“Ugh.”
She was a psychopath. I was pretty sure of it. It was the only possible explanation as to why she could be so … glamorous right now.
“How drunk were you last night?”
“What? I was wasted. So was you.” Sitting up felt like a marathon but somehow I did it. Looking around I frowned. “Jesus.” Pinching the skin between my eyebrows I groaned. “I don’t even remember coming upstairs. I had a pretty vivid dream of marrying some guy and him carrying me over the threshold of our beautiful home but -“
How the hell had I even gotten up the stairs. I had been too pass out drunk to even stand without help which was why I hadn’t followed Bethan when she went to bed and yet here I was in my own king size bed and not on the sofa downstairs.
“I must have crawled up.” I muttered.
“And done a side quest to the kitchen.” Grabbing the apple I had just noticed on the bedside table she tossed it at me. I didn’t even try and catch it. I could barely see let alone expect my hand to eye coordination to be working. It fell all ruby red into my lap.
“Do you have a weird fetish about apples I don’t know about?” Laughing Bethan shook her glossy hair around her face as she jumped up next to me on the bed.
“No.” My fingers closed around it. It was cool but somehow it burnt my skin to touch it. How had an apple appeared on my bedside? How had the painkillers? They had just magically appeared just like in the kitchen.
“Random.” Bethan shook her head. And I had to agree with her. If was random. But more than likely it was just me forgetting things. Both nights I had been drunk and drunk Audrey was a forgetful Audrey.
“Anyway did you see the news.”
“I’ve literally just opened my eyes because you were screaming my name.” I pointed out to her with a low chuckle as she climbed across my outstretched legs and settled on the pillows next to me. “So no I haven’t seen the news.”
“Someone was murdered.” Reaching for the remote she flicked on the tv and the news blared to life , making me wince back.
“God sake turn it down.” She was torturing me with all this noise. “And people get murdered all the time. Or do you mean around here?” The thought perked me up. If someone had been offed in this small sleepy corner of the world then it would be news.
“In London.”
I rolled my eyes. “There’s like million murdets a day in the city.”
“That’s a slight exaggeration.”
“So you woke me up to tell me someone was mirdered in the city. I could have been sleeping this god awful hangover off Bethan. It isn’t news. And you’re a bitch for waking me up to tell me-“
“He was found hanging from the windows of his office.” She mumbled and there was something in her wide eyes that made my heart skip a beat. “Rumours are that his -“ she paused hesitation pinched her eyebrows together. “Manhood was found shoved into his mouth.”
“What ? Who? What kind of sicko does that kind of thing?”
Bethan gave me a one shoulder shrig. “The man was Jeff Bugler.”
The breath left my lungs in a whoosh. Turning to her I saw the pain in her eyes. “Your boss?”
“Yeah, the one who shoved his cock in my mouth. Looks like someone beat you to killing him. Huh?”
“Someone’s at the door for you.” Opening the front door wide Bethan stood back enough to let a frigid swoosh of air into the hallway. “And he comes baring gifts.” Her laughter filled the air just like the cold breeze.
It was strange how happily she had been since the men who had sexually assaulted her had been found dead hanging from his office window with his dick shoved in his mouth. Bethan seemed to be relishing how much the man had been tortured and it was all kinds of weird.
But then again I’d not lived through what she had. Maybe if I had I would have been dancing as well. I didn’t know and I didn’t want to know. I was glad he was dead though. Men like that shouldn’t get to breathe the same air as good hard working people.
And my best friend was a good person. Now she didn’t have to leave her dream job either. She could work her way up and try and put what had happened to her behind her.
Not that it would be easy. I knew that. She did as well even when she pretended she was fine.
Wiping my hands down the sides of my jeans I moved towards the door and she was right. There was a man there. An elderly man who was a good three inches shorter that I was.
“Are you Audrey?” His voice was mumbled from behind the flowers that blocked his face from my biew. “Corals granddaughter?”
“That’s me?” Frowning I reached to take the bouquet from his arms. What a strange way to greet me? Usually a delivery man would just use my last name and not mention my grandmother at all.
“These are for you.” His eyes lifted to mine and raked over my face. “We are sorry for your loss. The whole village will miss Coral.” He muttered.
My frown deepened. They were all so sorry that not one of them could be bothered to turn up for her funeral. “Thanks.” Awkwardly I moved the flowers into the crook of my arm. Scratching my cheek with a rogue rose thorn. “You were her friend?” I eyed him thoughtfully. They were the same age roughly.
The lines around his eyes deepened as his glanced away. “We knew each other but I wouldn’t say we were friendly. Still.” He amended quickly seeing my confused face. “She was a member of our community and she will be missed.” He nodded again. “Again I’m sorry for your loss miss.”
“Thank you and thank you for the flowers they are beautiful. Did you also bring the apples? I’m planning on making a crumble and -“
He froze midstride. “They aren’t from me Audrey. They are from -“ again his eyes darted away. This time to the heavy tree line that was in the distance. “The family who own the big house.”
“I have neighbours? There’s someone living there full time again?” Honestly I hadn’t even thought about it. “Oh well that’s very sweet of them. I’ll have to go and thank them in person.”
“Don’t do that miss.” He hissed and his eyes were wide and terrified. “You stay away from that house.” His eyes flickered upwards. “If you know what’s good for you you will stay away from him.”
Pie in hand and scarf wrapped around my throat I didn’t look up at the building that loomed high above me like some kind of monster. It was beautiful in its own way. Especially if you loved the spooky gothic vibe it gave off but I wouldn’t call it a house. More a mansion that had a baby with a castle.
There was even a turret. A perfectly circular tower with stained glass windows and-
Movement above me made me freeze. Straining my neck I stared upwards. And saw nothing but I knew I had seen something. Some small movement like someone had flicked aside the curtains to look down at me.
I could almost feel their eyes still on me.
“Hello?” Stepping back I stared even harder. And there it was again. The movement. There was somewhere up there. Watching me. It was strange because it was clear that they were trying hard not to be seen but not quite hard enough.
Goosebumps erupted over my flesh under the thick cable knit sweater I was wearing. Goosebumps that had nothing to do with the chill in the air and everything to do with the eyes that were watching me. The strangest thing was that I had felt this way before. In the storm after my nannas funeral I’d had the same uneasy gut clenching feeling.
Had the same person been watching me even then or was I being a complete head case?
Head case I told myself as I shook the unease away and stepped up the heavy front door. Knocking loudly.
Nothing.
Nothing moved but the fallen leaves that rustled in the wind behind me.
“Hello.” I tried again. My hand pounding harder this time. The door swung open an inch and I peered inside. Or at least I tried to. It was just too dark to see anything at all. “Hi it’s Audrey.” I called into the perfectly still house. “I’m Corals grabddaughter. We are neighbours.”
Nothing.
“I wanted to thank you for the flowers and the apples.” Using my free hand I pushed my way inside. “I made you an apple crumble as a thank you-“ the words died on my lips as I looked around.
It was like stepping into a library. You automatically wanted to be quiet. My voice felt too loud even before I had said anything.
“Hello?” I tried again in a whisper. “Is anyone here? The door was open?”
I knew someone was here, I had seen them. Or at least a glimpse of them.
“I’ll-“ sliding the casserole dish onto the nearest table I hurriedly took a step back.
There was a movement ahead and above me. Coming from the top of the stairs. It was nothing more than a whisper of cloth, a ghostly sound that made me want to run away screaming. Every cell in my body was telling me to get out of there.
I’d been warned not to come here , that I should stay well away and I was beginning to figure out why.
I didn’t believe in ghosts. I didn’t -
Stumbling back I took off towards the trees at a half run and I didn’t dare look back. There was definitely something in that house. I was certain of it.
I didn’t believe in ghosts but crazy axe murderers? Yeah I believed in those.
