ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
I'm a part time waitress looking through the window at the life I couls have [September 2006]
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (2) Life Force (Short Stories) Please please can you tell me what you think? Starting chapter of a horror novel - may be a bit cliched so suggestions would be great! [603 words] Perspex Dreams (Poetry) My first submission about looking back on my youth and wanting it all back. [88 words]
Dark Past - Chapter 1 Caleigh Jepison
Why did it always have to rain near home? Sheets and sheets of it lashed against the car window as the wiper blades swished backwards and forwards. The landscape shimmered and blurred then became clear, shimmered the cleared. Vanessa’s eyes felt heavy and stinging as she drove down the long motorway. Home. A thousand images crowded in on her tired brain and made her stomach lurch and twist, swirling up the acrid coffee which was all she had had for a day. She saw a road sign and a warning for taking breaks and she flipped her indicator on. Welcoming a justifiable delay to her return to home she pulled into the car park and sat, wondering how it had all come to this.
This morning had started like any other, drowsily waking up in her room to the click and tick of her old fashioned alarm clock. Putting her hand on the top she pre-empted the alarm as her feet found her battered slippers. Pushing the curtain aside she drew in the fresh air and stunning view. Five years of living here and the beauty of the green grass running all the way to the sky still never failed to lift her spirits. Padding down the corridor she was greeted by her cats happily miaowing at the promise of food. Yawning and slopping coffee on her kitchen floor she walked to the office where she curled in the oversize chair and flicked to her emails. There it was; the email.
‘It’s started – you have to return’
The cup fell from her hands and bounced on the floor sending a spray of coffee. Her heart pounded and threatened to beat out of her chest. Hands shaking she moved the mouse over the delete button then hesitated. She had to go, she had made the pact. Stumbling into the toilet her head reeled and spun with a thousand thoughts. She thought how she could possibly avoid going back, back to face it all, back to the terror. There was no way she could get out of it. She had to go. Pulling herself together she walked, on unsteady feet, to the phone to make arrangements to cancel her life…possibly forever.
Hundreds of miles away Davey was sitting on the end of the bed with his head in his hands. Turning slightly he surveyed the woman in the bed; tall, blonde, total hardbody lying on her side and snuffling slightly in her dreams. He tugged the satin sheet lightly and exposed her pert breasts and it slid down to her thighs. He licked his lips. Looking at his watch he cursed slightly and stood up wondering where his clothes were. Shrugging into his jacket minutes later he took his wallet out, threw a handful of dollars onto the prone figure and let himself out of her apartment. Walking down the stairs and into the garden he was offered a dozen tempting offers from various genders, builds and races but expertly declined them all. He had things to do today, drugs to deliver and people to hurt. Jumping into a cab he flicked his Blackberry open and logged into his mails, smiling to himself at thoughts of what was to come. The screen flicked up and promised a new mail, opening it his smile froze on his face and the hand gripping the Blackberry went pure white. ‘Stop the cab’ he shouted and lurched from it, throwing up all over the sidewalk and his expensive shoes. Thumping hard onto the concrete he put his head in his hands and bawled. He would have to go back, back to what he ran away from all those years ago, back to the terror. Dragging himself from the floor he clambered back into the cab and told the bewildered cab driver to take him to the bank, then the airport. Ashen faced he prepared to return.
Sprinting the last hundred metres or so he then skidded to a halt outside the cottage. Whistling then checking his time he waiting on the two dogs to come bounding round the corner. ’25 minutes’ he smiled to himself, ‘not bad Jase’. Trigger and Delboy came pounding round the corner, tongues hanging out, almost pushing him over with their excitement. Forcing them back down he walked briskly back to the cottage door they had bounded from and headed to the kitchen. They trotted along, gazing up at him as they did and almost tripping over their own feet. Piling food into two bowls for them he then headed to the diner to start work. The dogs snuffled and pushed the bowls over the floor as Jase cooled down and waited for his PC to log in. Today was a great day, he decided. The sun was shining and for the first time since….well the first time in 5 years he might have met a woman who he could be with. He hadn’t really been close to anyone in years and she made his heart race. The fear he felt at being exposed went with her, she could make him at ease with a smile or a tinkling laugh. He could see her throwing her head back and flashing her teeth as she ran through the stream with her shoes flung far into the air. Smiling he checked his mails and passed out. Waking to the dogs licking his face he threw up and curled into the foetal position. Moaning and whining he stayed that way for hours. His head throbbing, his tongue feeling too big for his mouth and his eyes glazed over. What seemed like an age later he managed to crawl to the sofa. Looking down he realised he had pissed all over the floor. Angrily brushing tears from his face he staggered to the shower and cried. Tearing at his own skin with his fingernails he howled and howled.
Hours later, with a face of frozen marble, he tugged his huge bag onto his back. With a wry smile he dropped it again and dragged out his money and passport. That’s all he needed he thought with dread, throwing them in with the food, bowls and blankets. He tried to whistle for the dogs but his mouth was dry. As if sensing it, they trotted up to him and whined. They all headed out of the door and back to the terror of the past.
READER'S REVIEWS (2) DISCLAIMER: STORYMANIA DOES NOT PROVIDE AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEWS. ALL REVIEWS ARE PROVIDED BY NON-ASSOCIATED VISITORS, REGARDLESS OF THE WAY THEY CALL THEMSELVES.
"Well, not bad its a good story but you do have some grammatical errors. I want to know what happened so you MUST continue this. I like the way this is going so far! Good job! " -- Aura, NYC.
""Professionalism" is the first word that came to my mind when I read this work. It was as if an experienced author was telling the story. The mystery that is unrevealed in the story leaves me in suspense. Can't wait to see where this escalates to!" -- Majen, PA.
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