《Comfort Blanket》


 01 - Utterly gazeboed

    Alice¡¯s heart raced as the room swirled. She was drunk; more than drunk, she was ¡°utterly gazeboed¡±. She tried to stifle the snorted giggle with limited success.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were ticklish,¡± came the breathy response in her ear. Robin? Kevin? Man providing gin? His name continued to elude her. His hands didn¡¯t though. Alice¡¯s rear pressed heavily against the centre island in her modest kitchen as they pawed at her skin. His thigh wedged between hers, pinning her in place with ease as he planted wet kisses up her neck.


    ¡°I think we should¡­¡± she stammered, losing momentum. It was so hard forming words! She planted a palm on his plaid shirt, urging him to stop¡­ or at least slow down until her brain caught up. He pulled back a little, hands now resting on her hips, his fingers coarsely caressing the delicate curves beneath her underwear.


    ¡°I think we¡­¡± she attempted a second time, but it was difficult choosing which set of eyes to focus on. She blinked heavily, trying to regain control. Man-providing-gin seemed to finally understand. He raised a hand to her cheek, caressing her jawline. The gesture didn¡¯t stop the world from swirling, but at least there was only one of him in the room with her now.


    ¡°I think we should take this upstairs,¡± she finally managed to say, attempting (and missing) a coy smile.


    Man-providing-gin grinned, his eyes full of hunger and lust as he led her towards the stairs. With equal support from the banister and his strong arms, Alice finally managed to reach the top of that carpeted climb. Her bedroom door lay open at the end of the hall, sheathed in protective darkness. She rocked back unsteadily against the doorway of the bathroom behind her as she reached for the cord to turn on the light, blindly grasping for leverage and unintentionally pulling in her companion. He embraced her tightly, lips seeking contact with hers, but she pulled her face awkwardly away to the side. Her stomach rolled unpleasantly, and she panted a little more heavily. Heat on the back of her neck suddenly running cold as she fought against the urge to vomit. Man-providing-gin didn¡¯t seem to notice or perhaps it was simply that he was beyond caring, his wants replaced by animalistic needs.


    ¡°Just let me freshen up first,¡± Alice insisted, her voice husky and hushed. Another wave of nausea hit, and she forced a smile, ¡°You go make yourself¡­ comfortable.¡±


    Man-providing-gin¡­ No¡­ Austin. His name was Austin. Austin pulled away, pouting, before eyeing up Alice seductively. ¡°Don¡¯t take too long,¡± he chided gently before turning and walking towards the bedroom. Alice closed the door gently, before the darkness of the bedroom swallowed him whole and remained standing behind the door, listening. Her breathing was heavy, deafening as she strained her ears waiting for the inevitable.


    A heavy thud sounded from the room beyond, the weighty impact of a body hitting the floor, or perhaps into a wall. The noise made Alice jump bodily like a jolt of electricity sent straight up her spine. She clasped both hands to her mouth, terrified that she might make a sound. Her breathing was more ragged now, adrenaline coursing through her body, demanding that she take in more oxygen. Her fight or flight response was in full motion, and she fought to silence the voice in her head screaming for her to run, howling that she should throw open the door and flee into the night, away from this place. Away from it.


    Seconds passed that felt like hours.


    More noise from across the hallway reverberated through the door. Muffled gasps and thumps that seemed too loud in the silence threatened to overwhelm Alice¡¯s senses. She could feel the prickle of tears forming, anger and fear refusing to stay bottled up.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Glass smashed outside the door.


    She squeaked, creeping back towards the wall behind her. It could only have been the picture frame on the wall, halfway between the bedroom and where she stood, trapped. Her back made contact with the white tiled wall behind her, startling another peep from beneath her clasped hands. She sank to the floor, wedged between the peace lily in its white ceramic pot and the chrome towel rack, unmindful of either as she fixed her eyes upon the tiny sliver beneath the door. Her jaw was beginning to ache from clamping her teeth for so long, but she steadfastly refused to relax. She stubbornly blinked to clear her vision, but the tears that streamed down her cheeks were quickly replaced. No shadows danced in her line of sight in those scant millimetres below the door.


    More listening. More waiting. The only sound to be heard was Alice¡¯s ragged, shaky breathing. She would not have been surprised to see dawn¡¯s first glimmer of light creeping through the high window. Her joints began to ache, complaining about the lack of movement, muscles straining without release.


    A new sound trickled through the door. Insidiously quiet, it could have easily been missed had Alice not been waiting for it; the softness of something being dragged across the carpet and the delicate click of the catch when the bedroom door shut fully.


    With the ordeal over, Alice slumped over onto her side, sobbing. Despair and self-loathing wracked her as deeply as the terror had. She let the tears flow unimpeded, soft wails mewling unheard in the night.


    She stayed that way for at least an hour, letting her grief run its course. She could not remain there however, there was work to be done. She hauled herself unsteadily to her feet. The night¡¯s events had temporarily given her the illusion of sobriety, but her liver had not yet finished toiling. At the small mirror above the sink, she observed her countenance with disgust. Hair that normally fell as golden curls was plastered wetly to red, puffy cheeks. Her blue eyes were also flushed red, angry and stinging whilst what remained of her make-up was smeared messily. She ran the taps, filling the sink with warm water, and forced herself to breathe deeply and slowly. She took great care removing the last of her make-up and brushing back her hair. She could do nothing about the redness of her eyes and face but after a while, she looked considerably better. ¡®Like I have a bit of hay fever,¡¯ she mentally observed, knowing the words were a lie even as she thought them.


    She quickly stripped out of her evening dress and pulled on the soft pajamas that she had previously placed in the bathroom, removing the last traces of evidence that she had been out and brought anyone home. It took a few more moments before she could summon up the courage to open the door and peer outside but when she did, she found the hallway to be empty and clear of glass. The bedroom door also remained shut.


    Alice assumed that she would find the family photo on her nightstand in the morning. A similar incident had occurred previously and although the frame was never found, the photographs always seemed to be rescued with great care.


    Alice stepped outside and began to descend the stairs on shaky legs. Again, she was thankful for the support of the thick wooden banister. She remained on high alert, watching for movement, and listening for suspicious sounds but the house was still, feigning innocence. She turned her back on the kitchen and headed towards the living room which was mostly shrouded in darkness. A small amount of light from the streetlamps outside bathed a patch of grey carpet in an amber glow. She flicked the light switch hesitantly, poised to react to any hidden danger.


    The room, now brightly lit, offered no surprises. A glass of water sat beside the old leather armchair that was Alice¡¯s favourite seat in the house. Her childhood comfort blanket sat neatly folded on the seat. With great relief, and almost needily, she padded towards the chair and lifted the blanket. She held it to her face, bathing in the familiar safe scent. She plopped heavily in the chair itself, clutching the blanket to her chest, and took a deep breath to steady herself.


    ¡°The other night¡­¡± she croaked, nervously, before reaching for the glass of water supplied. The cool water was soothing on her raspy throat. Partially renewed, she began to sing again in a quavering voice. Her eyes remained tightly shut as she clutched the soft blanket. ¡°The other night dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms. But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken so I hung my head and I cried. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You''ll never know dear; how much I love you. Please don''t take my sunshine away.¡±

 02 - Fated introductions

    Alice wasn¡¯t sure when she had begun to fear the dark. Truthfully, she felt as though the fear had always been there, as much a part of her being as her blonde hair or the freckles upon her face. After all, didn¡¯t all children share this same trait, even if short-lived? Throughout her childhood, so many films and children¡¯s tales normalised the terror. Children are taught to beware of the bogeymen that lurk in the night, lest these hidden nightmares creep from under the bed or out of their wardrobe to steal them away forever.


    Alice¡¯s parents had accepted her young terror as natural and, being the kind and sensible parents that they were, followed the sage advice of their elders. ¡®Don¡¯t close the bedroom door at night¡¯, Grandpa had advised. ¡®Give her something special, that she can sleep with, to keep the monsters at bay¡¯, recommended Grandma. ¡®She¡¯ll grow out of it eventually¡¯, assured her aunts and uncles. It¡¯s just a phase.


    It had been shortly before Alice¡¯s 6th birthday when she received ¡®Blankie¡¯. Toys could not defend her from the evils that lurked, untamed. The light of the hallway could not banish the dark that sat menacingly in the corners of her bedroom. She was assured though, that Blankie was special. Blankie had once belonged to Great Aunt Shirley. Blankie had experience in protecting little girls from monsters.


    She had been sceptical, of course. Her small hands had unfurled the neatly folded pleats of material with equal parts curiosity and lingering doubt. The blanket itself was soft with a repeated crochet pattern. Muted tones of dusky pink and sage green repeated in intricate designs on the surface. Rabbits and flowers alternated within squares, giving the illusion of bunnies frolicking and leaping through a summer meadow. The blanket was backed with a light woollen felt. It was gentle on her delicate skin, but reassuringly heavy.


    With some difficulty she had hauled the blanket over her head, disappearing as though swallowed by a colourful shroud. The engulfing weight had felt like armour on her small frame, and she lifted her arms experimentally.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± her mother asked tentatively.


    ¡°I love it!¡± Alice replied with glee.


    The evening had later, gradually descended upon them and Alice¡¯s nightly ritual had been completed. Hair had been combed, teeth had been brushed, lullabies had been sung and Alice was now comfortably on her bed. The blanket had been gently tucked around her, leaving only her face exposed as she waited expectantly for the final recital of the evening.


    ¡°Night, night,¡± her mother said softly as she gently stroked her cheek, ¡°sleep tight, don¡¯t let the bedbugs bite¡­¡±


    She then leaned in conspiratorially and Alice¡¯s grin grew wide as she itched with anticipation for her mother¡¯s final line, ¡°¡­but if they do?¡±


    Alice¡¯s answer was jubilant: ¡°Bite them back!¡±


    She burst into giggles at this, and her mother smiled warmly in response, smoothing down the bed covers once more. ¡°Love you, Pumpkin,¡± whispered her mother as she leaned in to kiss her on the forehead.


    ¡°Love you more,¡± replied Alice as she watched her mother walk away towards her bedroom door. With one final glance and soft smile, her mother flicked the light switch before walking through the open door. It felt to Alice as though all the warmth in the room left with her. Even with the door left ajar, shadows churned unseen. Jagged edges and claws, bathed in darkness, rippled out from behind toys and furniture.


    She pulled the blanket over her head and curled into a ball on her side. Her small form was tensed. Her breath came in fast plumes of heat, rapidly warming her small pocket of air. The increasing humidity and cloying scent of fruity toothpaste enveloped her senses.


    Unexpectedly for Alice, after a few minutes, the fear abated somewhat. Whatever atrocity lurked outside her woollen castle seemed unable to penetrate the soft folds. The usual creaks and strange tapping noises that echoed eerily through the house at night were dampened by the blanket¡¯s thickness. She relaxed a little, though remained suspicious. Her small ears strained to hear the warning of a monster¡¯s advance, but none seemed forthcoming. The small hairs on her neck, usually standing to attention, remained flattened. She was shielded. She was safe. The dark couldn¡¯t reach her underneath the blanket. It remained outside the walls of her shelter like a rabid dog locked outside the castle gates, ineffectually sniffing for an entrance point or weakness but finding none.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Content, she finally drifted peacefully into sleep.


    This simple, but effective, aid would continue for several years. The need for a child¡¯s comfort remains an unquestioned rule. The adults in Alice¡¯s life understood this implicitly, and so, as though she were the tiniest monarch of the land, her evening needs were catered to without the need to demand such. The rabbits on the blanket served as silent vassals, ensuring the lands of her dreams were no longer invaded by outside evils.


    This acceptance of roles may have continued indefinitely, but Alice¡¯s perception of events was skewed by a simple act of fate. It was one of many Friday film nights. Alice sat curled between her parents. Takeaway boxes littered the coffee table and lingering scents of sweet and sour pork and savoury fried rice hung thick in the air. The screen before them flickered and Alice was entranced, the handful of popcorn in her hand forgotten. Instead, she greedily absorbed the tale as it unfolded before her. A boy who died and became a friendly ghost. He was not much older than herself. Her young heart clenched in sympathy. Her hands clenched in fear.


    ¡°If it¡¯s too scary, we can watch a happier film?¡± her father had gently prompted.


    Though truthfully, the film had scared her more than she dared admit, she had admonished him.


    ¡°I want to see!¡±


    The saccharine ending to the film did nothing to quell the concerns rising within her.


    When at last, she lay beneath the comforting embrace of her blanket, these worries returned with greater force. Loneliness. That had been her biggest take from the film. Loneliness for such an inconceivably long time. Her thoughts wandered and she considered the darkness that lay beyond her cocoon of safety. What if the rabid wolves that lay outside her castle, were not rabid after all? Her thoughts strayed to Miss Jones¡¯ dog. She recalled vividly the moment that they had met.


    She had watched Miss Jones move in through her bedroom window, nose pressed against the glass in wonder. So many boxes had been unloaded that she had lost count. The new lady on the street had been smiley and animated, reminding her of the nice lady at the hairdressers who gave her a lollipop each time they visited.


    When at last, the movers and vans had vanished from outside the house, a new car pulled up outside. Alice¡¯s eyes had widened in delight, and she had run headlong downstairs to share the news.


    ¡°Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! The lady has a doggy! There¡¯s a doggy!¡±


    They had gone to introduce themselves shortly afterwards. Alice had pulled at her father¡¯s hand as they walked, tugging with urgency when she laid eyes upon the dog romping in the fenced gardens.


    Words were exchanged between the adults; casual greetings were offered, and friendly introductions were made. Alice remained enraptured by the joyful creature throughout.


    ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± she blurted excitedly.


    ¡°Mika, Mika¡¯s a she.¡±


    The dog had approached the fence, eager to see what new friends lay beyond. She was a large mixed breed hound, with the colouring and hefty structure of a rottweiler but sporting large ears that didn¡¯t seem to know whether to lay flat or stand up. She wedged her wide nose through the gaps and snuffled audibly before displaying a smiling face with a lolling tongue.


    Alice¡¯s hands shot to her face, hiding her mouth as though her delighted giggle might frighten the animal.


    ¡°Can I stroke her?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Of course! Mika loves new friends,¡± had been the welcome reply.


    Alice had approached the dog with caution, desperate to make contact but overwhelmed by nerves that warned of the unknown. She held out a hesitant hand before pulling it away at the last moment.


    BOFF!


    The dog¡¯s loud bark seemed to reverberate through her, immobilising every fibre of her body, like a shockwave. The unexpected jolt of sound froze her only momentarily before shock gave way to tears. She had surrendered, bawling, into the welcome embrace of her father. Apologies and placations sounding from both adults above her.


    Alice knew now that Mika had meant no harm on that day. She had, in time, grown to love the animal¡¯s giddy exuberance and often pocketed small offerings during mealtime that she could stealthily offer the dog through the fence whenever they walked past. On rare occasions that tokens of friendship could not be offered, Alice would wave cheerily at her through the window as the animal¡¯s muted ¡®BOFF! BOFF! BOFF!¡± could be heard through the glass. A rallying cry of friendship, demanding attention from all who might choose to pass without offering their affections. Not like the snarling yaps of Mr Peterson¡¯s dog that offered only warnings and threats.


    Alice¡¯s brow creased as she contemplated this. What type of dog paced the darkness outside her castle walls? You¡¯re a Stupidhead, she thought to herself. But the need to know remained, like a glinting treasure demanding to be found.


    She pouted, hands clenched, as she steeled herself. She could hear her parents¡¯ chatter downstairs, snippets of conversation drifting to her ears. There was no way that anyone else would hear her. If she was being silly, there would be no one to remind her of her folly.


    ¡°Hello?¡± she whispered hesitantly, before licking her dry lips. She could feel embarrassment heating her cheeks but backing out prematurely was out of the question.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for hiding¡­ Do you¡­ Would you like to be my friend?¡±


    Even at that moment, she had not expected the darkness to respond.

 03 - Hello darkness, my old friend

    Muted canned laughter and mumbled voices from the TV that played downstairs continued to chatter in the background. The air in Alice¡¯s bedroom remained ominously still.


    She had dreaded the idea of hearing hushed shuffles or haunting whispers. Images of creeping toys, brought to life by malicious forces, scuttling like spiders in the shadows had flashed through her mind.


    Alice¡¯s breath hitched in her throat. Somehow, the reality seemed so much worse than what her young mind could conjure.


    It had been nothing more than a brief touch; the gentlest of pressures applied through the blanket onto her small shoulder. Harmless and yet¡­ the touch terrified her. The blanket was supposed to shield her. She was supposed to be hidden and protected. The illusion of her sanctuary had shattered like a pane of safety glass. A myriad of pieces held together, seemingly by willpower alone, promising to fall and break into uncountable pieces with just the smallest bit of applied force.


    She lay trembling, unsure of what to do. Would the unknown fiend be angry with her if she stayed quiet? She had offered to be friends. She would be upset if a friend ignored her and yet, the courage to speak up continued to fail her. What if she said something that enraged it? Would it gobble her up like the big bad wolf threatening to eat the little piggies?


    I¡¯ll huff and I¡¯ll puff and I¡¯ll blow your house down, came the unwelcome words in her mind as she recalled the bedtime story. Was her castle as sturdy as the third pig¡¯s house of bricks? What if the blanket was only as reliable as the house of straw? She imagined herself exposed, clinging to her bed frame as bitterly cold winds blew all, save her nightdress, away into the void.


    Tears were forming now. Her face felt hot and clammy.


    Big girls don¡¯t cry, she scolded herself. She didn¡¯t feel very big though. She desperately wanted to run downstairs to her parents, to tell them of the monsters in her room. Let them come slay the beast. Let them comfort her with hugs and kisses and promises of sugary sweet dreams.


    Her castle had become a prison. The doorway into the light was an empty promise of hope. How could she possibly reach it without being caught first? Worse still, what would happen to her parents if the monster did decide to eat her? Large, heavy tears rolled brazenly down her cheeks, further fuelled by her guilt.


    She must do what was necessary. If the monsters in the darkness were her friends, then everyone would stay safe.


    ¡°W-Will you b-be my friend?¡± she stammered. She felt as though the ability to speak had been forcefully drained from her. Her voice was barely audible, even to her own ears.


    No answer came. The room remained overwhelmingly still. Alice sniffled quietly, unsure of what to do next. She still did not dare to move.


    Desperate to appease the skulking horrors, she whispered once more into the night.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She waited, stricken, before her efforts were finally rewarded. The gentle pressure returned, though this time it stroked her head softly. The sensation continued and for a moment Alice¡¯s stomach churned, believing that it was one of her parents trying to comfort her. Under her blankets, no doubt they would believe she was sleeping, crying fitfully in a nightmare of some sort. Terror turned to embarrassment. Stupidhead, she angrily admonished herself. She wondered briefly whether to lift the blanket but reconsidered this idea. Her parents wouldn¡¯t mock her for her childishness, but the idea of acknowledging her mistake made her feel small and humiliated in a way that she didn¡¯t understand. She decided that it would be better to stay covered. If her parents mentioned it in the morning, she could claim that she had been asleep and remembered nothing.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    A soft voice called out from the bottom of the stairs. ¡°I¡¯m putting the kettle on. Do you want one?¡±


    It was her mother¡¯s voice. Her father murmured in response, presumably from the living room. The distance ate at the clarity of his words, but it was unmistakeably his voice.


    It felt as though ice were flowing through Alice¡¯s veins. A dread chill swiftly replacing the warmth that had finally begun to spread through her. The gentle stroking continued without pause, unperturbed by Alice¡¯s confirmation of an unknown presence in her bedroom.


    After a while, she realised that her jaw had been hanging open a little. Her soft panting had considerably dried her mouth and throat and so she gulped heavily, seeking relief. The conscious action brought her back to her senses and she truly considered the situation she was in. The monster had never actively harmed her in the past. Even now, if she were unaware of who stood in her room, she would be comforted by the action. She imagined writhing purple tentacles piled around her bed, emerging from the shadows beneath and moving to slowly smooth her hair as her mother would often do when she was upset. She shuddered at the image and frowned. Was she being fair? The ghost in the film was also frightening but he didn¡¯t mean to be. Curiosity began to overtake her fear and she was emboldened. Her whisper was stronger this time.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The gentle stroking paused for a moment, before continuing. Alice chewed on her lower lip, carefully considering her next question. Maybe he¡¯s shy, she thought to herself, maybe he doesn¡¯t have friends. An idea occurred to her.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Alice,¡± she whispered, hoping that an introduction might help. Her mother had always told her that you should introduce yourself when meeting someone new. ¡°You can tell me your name,¡± she prompted again, her reassuring tone similar to one that would be used to tempt a kitten from its hiding spot, ¡°it¡¯s ok.¡±


    A small pause in the stroking motion, but again, not a sound was heard.


    A small knot of concern began to grow in Alice¡¯s chest. Maybe he doesn¡¯t have a family either. What if he doesn¡¯t have anybody? It felt to Alice that there could be no worse fate. Had she dried her eyes, they would have been filled anew with tears. Finally, her thoughts rested on one last question that caused her empathetic heart to ache with pity. What if no one ever gave him a name?


    ¡°Do you¡­¡± she broke off, unsure whether to ask the question. Her heart demanded to know. Images in her mind of twisting and creeping tentacles had been replaced with a far more sorrowful sight; a small teddy bear laying forgotten in the shadows beneath the bed, limp and unwanted, with large button eyes that gleamed hopeful yet forlorn.


    She tried again, softly, ¡°Do you¡­ have a name?¡±


    Again, the stroking paused, but this time it did not resume. The light weight removed itself from her completely before two light touches were felt on her shoulder, as though someone had tapped her with a finger through the blanket.


    Alice¡¯s brow furrowed as she puzzled over this new reaction.


    ¡°Can you tell me?¡± she asked hesitantly. Her tone had lost its previous strength, confidence sapped by her perplexed state.


    This time she felt only a single tap on her arm.


    ¡°Please?¡±


    Another singular tap was felt on her arm.


    Alice knew her visitor was trying to communicate but could feel herself becoming frustrated by her lack of understanding. This was only compounded by the uncomfortable itching of her face. The dampness had started as an inconsequential detail but as time went on, became increasingly distracting. She reached to pull up her nightdress and wiped her eyes and nose with the hem. As she did so, an idea blossomed, and she began to consider a new line of enquiry.


    ¡°Can you talk at all?¡± she queried the darkness in earnest. This time when the single tap was felt, Alice felt a sense of hope. Is it like twenty-one questions? She debated how to phrase her next question carefully.


    ¡°Does that¡­ mean no?¡± she probed gently. There were two gentle taps on her arm this time. Alice felt victorious.


    ¡°One for no. Two for yes?¡± she asked quickly, keen for a confirmation of her deductions. Another two gentle touches were felt upon her arm and Alice grinned broadly.


    ¡°Will you be my friend?¡± she asked the silent entity again. Worry crept back into her voice as her excitement for this game was momentarily lost. She held her breath as she waited for the wordless reply.


    Tap Tap.

 04 - The Morning After the Night Before

    Ring ring ring! Ring ring ring! Phone call! Phone call!


    Alice startled awake, eyes squinting against the harshness of the morning light. The uncomfortable seated position of her sleep had caused her muscles to tighten, and she winced at their aching complaints.


    Ring ring ring! Ring ring ring! Phone call! Phone call!


    The phone was nowhere in sight and yet the jaunty tune seemed overwhelmingly loud as it bludgeoned her senses with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. As she hauled herself up from the chair, Alice hissed through her teeth. Pins and needles arced up her leg from her left foot.


    My handbag, she realised, before stumbling towards the kitchen with all the grace of a three-legged giraffe. The blue clutch lay discarded on the countertop. Half of the contents lay sprawled beside it as though caught mid-escape.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well?¡±


    Alice¡¯s face screwed up in confusion at this unexpected response.  ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on! Don¡¯t play coy now. Wait¡­ Is he still there?¡±


    Realisation finally dawned on Alice. She glanced at the clock on the wall and her heart almost skipped a beat.


    ¡°Jess, it¡¯s six-thirty?!¡±


    ¡°I know! I¡¯ve been up for what¡­. A whole hour now and still no gossip. It¡¯s shameful really.¡±


    Alice smiled, unable to hold back in the face of her friend¡¯s absurdity. ¡°You know¡­ Some people actually sleep in on Sundays¡±. She switched the phone to speaker and laid it on the countertop so that she could grab some breakfast.


    ¡°I know. Maniacs, right? Deets girl. Come on. Stop holding out. How was he?¡± Jess replied without skipping a beat.


    The silence was palpable as Alice hesitated. She stared blindly into the cereal cupboard with her bowl in hand. She didn¡¯t want to lie, but how could she possibly tell the truth?


    ¡°Alice?¡± The worried question startled her out of her stupor.


    ¡°Sorry. Sleepy. He¡­ well¡­ He didn¡¯t stay over,¡± Alice replied, cursing herself at the vagueness of the answer.


    ¡°Eh? What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°He just didn¡¯t stay over,¡± she replied dismissively as she grabbed the open packet of Weetabix more roughly than she had meant to.


    ¡°Did something happen, Alley-cat?¡±


    Ah shit, thought Alice before sighing softly. It was rare for Jess to use her childhood nickname.


    ¡°Nothing happened.¡±


    ¡°If that dick did anything, so help me I¡¯ll¡­¡±


    Alice interjected quickly. ¡°Woah! Nothing happened!¡±


    The reply from Jess dripped with sarcasm. ¡°So what? He dropped you off at the door and just¡­ bid you farewell?¡±


    Heat began to rise in Alice¡¯s cheeks. Her head still thrummed with pain from both her lingering hangover and lack of sleep. All she wanted was a quiet morning to recover¡­ and maybe a little sympathy.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that. Look. I don¡¯t know what happened. I woke up and he was gone.¡± Just a little white lie. It¡¯s close to the truth, she thought to herself.


    ¡°Uh-huh¡­ and you waking with no memory is supposed to make me feel less suspicious?¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°I woke up still dressed if that counts for anything?¡± Alice added, ¡°with a blanket wrapped around me.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ I suppose I feel a little bit less suspicious.¡±


    Alice sighed inwardly with relief. ¡°I guess I had a little too much to drink.¡± She headed to the fridge to grab some milk.


    Jess chuckled on the other end of the line. ¡°You lightweight. Did he leave you his number or anything?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Jess answered, closing the fridge door, ¡°I¡¯m making breakfast now. No note in the kitchen.¡±


    ¡°Ah well. How¡¯s your hangover?¡±


    ¡°My skull feels like it¡¯s in a vice,¡± Alice replied honestly. She twisted the lid off the milk and drank from the jug. Even though she lived by herself, the act made her feel guilty. Thankfully, the refreshing coolness of the liquid was worth it.


    ¡°You got paracetamol?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer morphine¡±


    There was a snort of a laugh. ¡°Will ice cream work instead?¡±


    Alice poured a generous splash of milk over the Weetabix, though it was far less appealing when compared with the idea of ice cream. ¡°You buying?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Get some sleep. I¡¯ll head over later this afternoon after I get some errands done.¡±


    ¡°You are an angel,¡± Alice said gratefully.


    ¡°Wings and all,¡± Jess joked, ¡°Speak soon.¡±


    ¡°Speak soon,¡± Alice agreed before she watched the call end. She left the phone where it was and plodded through to the living room with her food. Paracetamol would be useful, but Alice still felt too exhausted to head upstairs to the bathroom where the medicine box was stored. She moved the discarded blanket out of the way so she could sit in her chair and then smoothed it over her knees. Even watching the TV seemed like a poor idea when her headache continued to rage unchecked, so she sat in silence while she ate.


    Without distraction, her thoughts returned to the conversation with Jess. She would need a more concrete explanation for what had happened to Austin. She was thankful for the lack of security cameras in her area. Her, mostly elderly, neighbours were only interested in protecting their own properties. Most cameras only pointed towards their own garden plots and driveways. Even if anyone had physically seen them enter the building together, there was nothing to suggest that he hadn¡¯t left later or through the rear of the building. The insurance company¡¯s tracker box in her car also showed that she hadn¡¯t left the building by vehicle either. Surely anyone looking for him wouldn¡¯t assume that she had done anything anyway. Just a one-night stand. No motives to chase, thought Alice as she chewed thoughtfully on her spoon.


    Who else knows?


    Now that was a worrying thought. Jess and her friends were obvious witnesses, but what about his friends? Had he been out with friends? A pang of guilt flashed through Alice as she realised that family members might be looking for him. He¡¯d be considered a missing person soon. Shit.


    She trudged to the kitchen with her blanket wrapped around her shoulders and deposited the empty bowl and spoon in the sink. I didn¡¯t do anything though, she thought bitterly.


    She glanced out of the window at the grey, overcast sky. June skies were supposed to be bright and sparkling with sunshine. Thoughts of bad omens flitted through her mind despite her efforts to quash them. She continued to watch the clouds despondently for a while, before coming to a decision. I¡¯ll just tell the truth, she thought; not the truth in its entirety, but enough that her story wouldn¡¯t be questioned.


    Alice went over the story in her head. He came home with me. Everything was going fine. I went to the bathroom, but when I came out, he was gone. No note. Not sure where he is now. It wasn¡¯t a lie. She truly didn¡¯t know where he was now. Her eye flickered in the direction of the stairs and she swallowed hard. Please be gone.


    With gritted teeth, Alice padded softly towards the bottom of the stairs and peered up them. She gathered the blanket around her so that she wouldn¡¯t trip on the soft folds as she carefully made her way up each step, before stopping at the top. Nothing appeared to be out of place except for the missing photo frame from the night before. The bedroom door remained ominously closed.


    She huffed softly in frustration before creeping slowly towards the door. Her heart was pounding almost as fiercely as her headache by this point. With a sharp intake of breath, she placed her hand on the handle and yanked it open.


    A wave of simultaneous relief and worry washed through her. There was nothing. The room appeared exactly as it should, bathed in muted light through the pale curtains that remained drawn from yesterday evening. The photograph, sans frame, sat upon her bedside table as expected. The rest of the room was tidy, except for hastily discarded work clothes on the back of her desk chair in the corner of the room.


    Dissatisfied with this preliminary inspection, Alice took the time to open both her small wardrobes and even peer uncertainly under the bed. The room was reassuringly devoid of hidden menaces.


    Finally content, Alice removed the blanket from her shoulders and left it loosely piled on the bed and then headed to the bathroom. It took her only a short time to locate the box of paracetamol and she deftly popped two from the foil-backed tray. She realised that she had forgotten to bring up a glass so instead, she cupped her hand under the tap for a mouthful of water to aid with swallowing the pills.


    Alice had originally planned to head downstairs and vegetate in front of some mindless daytime TV show but a quick glance in the mirror dissuaded her. She took the time to examine her face, turning from left to right to fully observe her exhausted visage. Get some sleep, echoed Jess¡¯s earlier instructions in her mind.


    Alice returned to the bedroom and wrapped herself back in the blanket before lazily flopping on the bed. Within minutes, she was asleep once more.

 05 - Strike-out Sundaes

    It was great reluctance that Alice slowly pried her eyes apart. The room still seemed curiously shady, signifying that the weather had not cleared outside. She arched her back, forcing stiff muscles to move against their will. The satisfying popping noise of her vertebrae sent ripples of joy through her frame before realisation flooded her system. Jess would be arriving at some point soon. Alice collapsed heavily against the bedcovers, deflated. She craned her neck to the side to check the time, but the clock face was angled awkwardly away from her.


    ¡°Fuck-a-duck,¡± she muttered under her breath before pulling herself wearily upright. The clock read that it was a little past eleven in the morning; not as late as Alice had been expecting. Her bladder screamed for attention, so she rolled her shoulders as she quickly headed through to the bathroom.


    After seeking relief, Alice made her way downstairs to seek out food. She was thankful for the cereal she had eaten earlier. Without it, no doubt her hangover would still be raging unabated.


    Comfort foods¡­ Alice thought as she grimly observed the refrigerator contents, regretting the healthy yet dissatisfying choices that stared back at her.


    Is it too early to order pizza? She pondered before unenthusiastically deciding against the idea and opting to grab some yoghurt and leftover fruit salad instead. The belated remembrance of Jess¡¯ promise of ice cream later soothed her misgivings a little too.


    In the back of her mind, the worrying thought that Jess may uncover her secret niggled unpleasantly. Too late now, Jess thought. The words could be applied to both her promise to see Jess today, as well as the occurrence of the night before, she thought wryly. She considered texting to find out when Jess would arrive but chided herself for the idea. The last thing she needed was for Jess to sense something was wrong because she foolishly gave the impression that she was feeling needy or desperate for her to come over sooner. After stewing uncomfortably, unsure of what to do next, Alice decided to make herself busy. She was hardly a lady of leisure, able to languish on some silken chaise-longue whilst being serenaded by songbirds or whatever other bullshit noble ladies of by-gone eras entertained themselves with.


    It took less effort than she had expected to find chores and cleaning projects to help fill her day. So little effort that, when she heard the front door open, Alice was genuinely surprised. Her eyes darted to the clock on the wall, and she registered that over three hours had already passed since she woke. She also realised, with a twinge of guilt, that she hadn¡¯t even bothered to dress in fresh clothes yet.


    ¡°Special delivery!¡± hollered Jess in a sing-song voice. Alice heard her close the door behind her and move through to the kitchen. Plastic rustling indicated that she had probably brought a little more than just a tub of ice cream.


    Alice padded through the house to catch up and saw her friend unloading an arsenal of goodies from two large carrier bags. Jess accidentally knocked a small cylinder on the floor and rainbow sprinkles exploded everywhere. She stooped quickly, hands extended, but the damage was already done.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realise you were redecorating too?¡± joked Alice as she stood watching at the door.


    Jess glanced up and grinned through her long, dark hair. ¡°You¡¯re not the only one to make an effort, Sleeping Beauty¡±. Alice had always been slightly jealous of her friend¡¯s glossy, straight locks. It was sleek and shiny like in shampoo commercials and seemed to Alice as though it would be far easier to maintain than her tangle-attracting curls.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Alice feigned insult with an exaggerated shocked face and Jess laughed as she straightened up. ¡°You got a brush or something for these?¡± she asked off-hand as she wrinkled her nose at the mess.


    ¡°Only if you tell me why you brought them in the first place,¡± said Alice, tiptoeing around the colourful chaos towards the cupboard where the dustpan and brushes were stored.


    Plastic rustlings recommenced as Jess returned to emptying the bags onto the countertop. ¡°Strike-out sundaes!¡± she informed Alice with childlike excitement.


    ¡°¡­and those are?¡±


    ¡°The clue¡¯s in the name, Aurora,¡± replied Jess with a smirk. She started opening and closing cupboard doors, clearly in search of something.


    ¡°Look at you with your references¡­ What¡¯re you looking for?¡± asked Alice curiously, before gingerly starting to sweep around her friend¡¯s feet. It was ridiculous how thick the coating of sprinkles was from one small container. She debated whether grabbing her Henry Hoover might be an easier option than chasing down the multitudes of sugar strands.


    ¡°Watched the new Maleficent last night. Where¡¯s your pint glasses?¡±


    ¡°Cupboard by the sink,¡± Alice answered, pointing to the cupboard in question before adding in a confused tone, ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a new one?¡±


    Two empty pint glasses were retrieved and placed triumphantly beside the pile of brownie chunks, marshmallows, squirty cream tubes and other assorted treats.


    ¡°Yeah, not new. But the newest. It was alright,¡± Jess said, giving a small shrug. She quickly wiped her hands on the grey gym leggings that she was wearing before starting to tear open plastic wrappers. She had never been bothered by how others might judge her appearance, which was yet another thing that Alice was envious of. In truth, Alice knew that Jess had only highlighted her current clothing as it amused her to see Alice take things that she considered inconsequential so seriously. She had done the same when Alice had first started moving home and apologised profusely about the mess. Jess¡¯ sarcastic response of, ¡°God, imagine leaving the place looking like a shit-tip when you¡¯ve had a full two hours to unpack your whole life. Shameful¡± still echoed in her mind when she recognised that she was worrying over ¡®the small stuff¡¯ as Jess would say.


    Jess stole an inquisitive look over her shoulder, eyeing Alice carefully. ¡°Something¡¯s bothering you,¡± she said accusingly.


    ¡°She says while making strikeout sundaes,¡± replied Alice, hoping that a little humour might distract her from the topic even if for only a short time.


    This time her friend fixed her with a longer stare, as though silently challenging the statement. When Alice offered no further explanation, Jess returned to sundae prepping. Her tightened jaw and hint of a concerned frown gave away her thoughts as clearly as shouting them would have. Alice¡¯s mood drooped considerably, and guilt gnawed at her insides once more. She hated hiding things from her friend.


    The clock ticking on the wall punctuated the oppressive silence between them until Jess grudgingly relented. ¡°Since you¡¯re not going to tell me what the deal is with this guy¡­ I suppose I might be willing to drop the subject on one condition.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± said Alice hopefully.


    An ice cream covered spoon was pointed threateningly in Alice¡¯s direction. ¡°We¡¯re going to go out this week after work,¡± Jess demanded. Alice grimaced and she began to sputter her excuses, but she was cut off brusquely by her friend who smugly added, ¡°and I get to be your wingman.¡±


    With a sigh, Alice protested the request. ¡°Can¡¯t it wait until the weekend? You know I hate drinking if I have to work.¡±


    ¡°No can do. Them¡¯s the demands, Missy. Take it or leave it.¡±


    Alice huffed unhappily in response, but Jess¡¯ next statement quickly shocked her into agreement.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to come out, we can always girl-talk about your latest failed conquest.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Alice agreed begrudgingly, ¡°We¡¯ll go out.¡±


    Jess grinned brightly, extending her offering of the sundae to Alice. She had to admit, it looked impressive despite the lacklustre glassware it was in.

 06 - One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, Whore.

    The bass of the music thumped rhythmically in Alice¡¯s chest. Normally, she would enjoy the sensation but tonight, it brought her no joy. Tomorrow was a workday but, a deal was a deal and so she found herself at Jess¡¯ mercy. The bar she had picked was one of the busiest in the area but given that it was a Tuesday night, it was still relatively empty. She pulled nervously at her short black skirt, surreptitiously tugging at the bottom hem as though the action might magically lengthen it.


    ¡°What¡¯re you having?¡± Jess asked in a loud voice to be heard above the music. She was already shimmying towards the bar, body keeping time with the music as the sequins on her short dress glimmered in the flashing lights.


    Alice hesitated as she considered her options before settling on a decision. ¡°O.J.¡± she called back, almost apologetically. She hadn¡¯t had the chance to eat after work and the idea of alcohol on an empty stomach sickened her. She felt as though she were still recovering from Saturday night, though truthfully, she knew that to be an exaggeration. Jess¡¯ reaction was less dramatic than she had expected. Double finger-guns before half dancing, half walking to the bar.


    The corners of Alice¡¯s mouth twitched in a hint of a smile. Maybe this will be good for me, she pondered.


    It did not take long for Jess to return. Alice looked confused as a cocktail was gleefully thrust towards her. The eye-catching drink was an orange colour on top and changed to red at the bottom with an even gradient. A slice of orange and a pink paper umbrella decorated the rim of the glass. The fact that Jess held a twin of drink didn¡¯t escape Alice¡¯s attention either.


    ¡°You asked for orange juice, didn¡¯t you?¡± asked Jess innocently, fluttering her heavily mascaraed lashes. Alice raised an eyebrow, her eyes flitting from her friend to the drink and back again.


    Jess shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s mostly orange juice.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me that it¡¯s a virgin cocktail.¡±


    That earned Alice an eye-roll.


    ¡°Tonight¡¯s theme is the opposite of virginity¡­ remember?¡± Jess said snarkily. She beckoned Alice to follow her, ¡°Come on. There¡¯s seating outside.¡±


    Together, they made their way through a short but narrow corridor and emerged outside through a set of double doors. Alice masked her surprise as she looked around at the cosy nook. Whether purposefully or by accident, the buildings around had formed an enclosed area of space that was left without a roof and therefore open to the elements. There were several wooden picnic tables with benches for seating. A cheap awning dangled precariously over some of them, potentially offering cover from the rain. It wasn¡¯t a classy arrangement and the smell of cigarette smoke hung cloyingly in the air, but at least it was substantially quieter outside.


    ¡°It¡¯s slim pickings inside so you better get your phone out,¡± Jess stated mysteriously.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Phone. Now.¡± Jess held out her hand like a child demanding a toy. Her eyes gleamed with mischief as Alice dutifully handed it over. They slide onto the bench at one of the tables and Alice peered at the screen curiously. Her stomach knotted over as she realised that her friend was downloading Tinder onto the device.


    ¡°Oh God¡­¡± she mumbled under her breath in horror, ¡°Can we just¡­ not?¡± She was suddenly very thankful that they were currently alone outside.


    Jess cackled in delight, fiendishly ducking the phone away from Alice¡¯s prying hands as she attempted to sabotage the download. ¡°Come on. Just a bit of fun. You don¡¯t have to message anyone unless you want to,¡± she offered with an exaggerated pout.


    After one last failed attempt to recover her phone, Alice reluctantly agreed. ¡°Fine. Just for a short while though,¡± she warned.


    She hadn¡¯t expected to enjoy the experience as much as she did. The pair of them giggled at the absurdities of online dating profiles and swiped repeatedly until Alice realised that at some point, she had finished her drink. The light had also begun to fade as the evening progressed.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Go on! He¡¯s cute!¡± Jess prompted, showing Alice some photos from the most recent profile they were viewing.


    ¡°It said he¡¯s looking for someone outdoorsy!¡± Alice waved off her suggestion with a laugh, ¡°I don¡¯t even look outdoorsy if you squint.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re outdoors right now!¡± Jess said with a grin, gesturing to the area around them.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this isn¡¯t what he meant,¡± Alice replied, pushing herself to her feet, ¡°This round¡¯s on me. Please don¡¯t message anyone while I¡¯m gone!¡±


    ¡°No promises,¡± teased Jess, not even looking up from the screen.


    The short walk into the bar reminded Alice of how loud the music was inside. Thankfully, few people stood at the bar and she was served quickly. The barkeeper was about the same age as Alice, roughly mid-twenties but with blonde spiked hair that reminded her of classic boybands from the nineties. She hollered her order of two more tequila sunrises, and he nodded, flashing her a wink as he moved further down to prepare the drinks.


    While she waited, she gave the room a cursory glance and a man at the other end of the bar caught her attention. He was staring openly at her, glaring even, as though offended by her presence. She stood awkwardly averting her gaze, not wanting to be seen as staring back but also not daring to allow him out of her peripheral vision. She didn¡¯t recognise him, which only made the situation more alarming. His non-descript dark denim jeans and hooded coat offered no reprise from her disconcertion. If anything, he reminded her of the many ¡®stranger-danger assemblies that she had sat through at school. She doubted that this thug would approach with lures of candy or puppies in his vehicle though.


    She stood nervously tapping her fingernails on the bar top as she waited for her order to be served. The feeling of being alone and exposed made her pulse race, despite the groups of people that stood chatting and dancing nearby.


    It was a short-lived sense of relief when she had been given her drinks. From the corner of her eye, she watched the ominous stranger quickly finish his drink before beginning to approach her. Panic began to rise in her chest as she realised that he had been waiting in anticipation of this moment, timing his approach so that he might catch her somewhere quieter than directly in front of the bar itself.


    She wondered whether she should stay where she was, eyes flitting from the dancers nearby to the man behind the bar. It felt as though she were invisible. No one looked in her direction. No one noticed her distress. She fled.


    Her goal was to reach Jess before the stranger reached her. She rounded the edge of the bar and headed towards the door, narrowly missing a man in a blue shirt appearing from the door to the gent¡¯s toilets.


    ¡°Woah! Watch it, Lady!¡± he uttered in shock as she whimpered, ¡°sorry, sorry, sorry¡± in return. She didn¡¯t dare look back to see if the man was still following and continued fitfully towards the seating space with her heartbeat thumping in her ears, punctuating her panic.


    Jess looked up from her phone as Alice burst through the doorway, raising to her feet with a frown of concern creasing her face. With her tremulous grip on her composure quickly weakening, Alice strode in her direction, desperate for the comfort of her friend¡¯s company.


    A male voice shouting, ¡°You!¡± stopped her in her tracks. Like a rabbit caught in the headlights of oncoming traffic, she froze, eyes wide with fear.


    ¡°Where the fuck is he?¡± The stranger demanded aggressively.


    Unable to think clearly, Alice turned slowly to face him with her mouth agape. The stranger¡¯s expression was both cold and furious. His steely, unwavering gaze was as unnerving as his oppositional stance. He reminded her of a bear, standing tall to assess and threaten the enemy in the moments before barrelling forward to attack.


    ¡°Where. Is. He?¡± he growled, punctuating each syllable with menace.


    ¡°Hey! Back off!¡± commanded Jess as she arrived at Alice¡¯s side to provide support.


    The stranger didn¡¯t appear to be impressed by Jess¡¯ brazen stance. He looked her up and down and sneered. ¡°Piss off, Love,¡± he warned her before turning his attention back to Alice, jabbing an accusing finger in her direction. ¡°I saw you with him you fucking whore. Where¡¯s Austin?¡±


    ¡°You mean the arsehole that ditched her?¡± Jess snarled, ¡°We don¡¯t know. Why don¡¯t you jog on?¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a good idea,¡± called a voice from the doorway behind the stranger. It was the man that Alice had bumped into earlier, as well as another taller gent beside him with crossed arms and an austere expression. They warily maintained a safe distance from the aggressor.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you and your boyfriend head back inside, dick lips,¡± was his contemptuous reply.


    ¡°Give it up, mate,¡± warned the taller of the two, calmly. ¡°It¡¯d be a shame if your night got ruined by a copper turning up and asking for a chat.¡±


    The aggressive stranger ground his jaw, visibly frustrated by the thinly veiled threat. He turned to Alice and glared at her darkly.


    ¡°You¡¯re a thieving, lying bitch!¡± He hissed, then turned and stormed away. He feinted an attack as he passed the smaller, blue-shirted man who flinched away in response.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Jess whispered over her shoulder in a voice heavy with concern.


    Alice realised she was still holding their drinks and hurriedly placed them down on the table beside them. Her hands were trembling uncontrollably as she turned to her friend, genuinely puzzled by the stranger¡¯s statement. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± she started before shaking her head in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

 07 - Five-Finger Discount?

    ¡°Alice took it,¡± the young girl insisted. She practically spat the words at young Alice, who flinched away from them as though struck. Tears tracked down her cheeks as she stood trembling behind the other girl¡¯s mother. Her small hands were balled into fists by her sides as she sniffled pitifully. Her eyes remained fixed on the floor. She didn¡¯t dare raise them, not if it meant meeting the hostile scowl of the girl before them.


    ¡°Bethany,¡± her mother warned her in an exasperated tone, ¡°we¡¯ve already talked about this. Alice does not have the necklace. Her pyjamas don¡¯t have pockets and we¡¯ve checked her bag together. She does not have your necklace.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she does! She stole it!¡± Bethany cried angrily as she stamped her foot.


    ¡°Bethany!¡± her mother hissed through gritted teeth. The anger in her tone was evident now. ¡°I will not have you behave this way towards guests. Either you apologise, now, or I will phone the parents of all the girls upstairs and they will all go home. Is that understood?¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s not ¨C ¡° Bethany started to argue but stopped as her mother¡¯s stance changed. Alice did not see what caused Bethany to stop her argument, but she did glance up for long enough to see the girl¡¯s petulant glower in her direction. She bit her lip nervously, clenching her fists harder as she quickly averted her gaze. She could feel her nails pressing painfully into the soft skin of her palms.


    Bethany¡¯s mother slowly crossed her arms. Her authoritative stance left no room for further arguments.


    The girl deflated, shoulders dropping as quickly as her argument had. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°You can do slightly better than that.¡±


    The girl huffed an annoyed sigh. Her next response was less curt but still lacked integrity. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for saying you took it.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± said her mother curtly, but Alice didn¡¯t feel particularly comforted by the outcome. She felt even less comforted when they were both sent back upstairs with Bethany leading the way but refusing to acknowledge her presence. She had been delighted to be invited to a sleepover at Bethany¡¯s birthday party at first, but now it was clear that this had been a mistake. She was the youngest of the girls as she was the only one who had not yet had her ninth birthday, but it felt as though there was a cavernous gulf between them and her. She had just wanted to fit in with the cool girls at school; to be recognised as more than just nice, quiet Alice who sits in the corner and reads. She hadn¡¯t expected to be the butt of the jokes when she didn¡¯t understand the references to films she hadn¡¯t seen. The way that Alicia and Bethany had been telling them to dance had made her feel awkward and embarrassed too, though she didn¡¯t understand why; like they would be caught and punished for sharing a secret that they weren¡¯t supposed to know.


    ¡°Make sure you keep that door open!¡± Bethany¡¯s mother called up the stairs sternly. No footsteps followed those words. The girls were once again unmonitored. Quiet, idle chatter could be heard from the bedroom ahead from the remaining sleepover guests. Alice expected to be left out in the hallway, perhaps even to have the door slammed on her so was surprised when her host came to an abrupt stop ahead of her. She turned to face her with a saccharine smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. ¡°After you, Alice.¡±


    Cautiously, Alice obeyed and stepped forward through the doorway. All eyes turned to face them, and the room dropped into silence.


    ¡°Backstabber,¡± Bethany spat, just loud enough that Alice was sure that all the other girls must have heard her clearly. She flushed red with embarrassment before skuttling to where her blanket marked her sleeping spot in the room. There was giggling from some of the girls but the girl next to her, Jess, gave her a sympathetic smile. Alice recognised her from school but had never spoken to her before tonight.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The door clicked shut. Darkness and suffocating silence flooded the room.


    Alice clutched her blanket tightly in her small hands.


    Thankfully, it was one of the other girls who spoke up. ¡°Didn¡¯t your mum tell you to leave the door open?¡±


    Bethany harrumphed in front of the door. ¡°Don¡¯t be such a loser,¡± she mocked. The faint shape of her crossing her arms could only just be seen in the rapidly fading light. ¡°Maybe we should give you Alice¡¯s blanket if you¡¯re going to be such a baby,¡± she added in a scornful tone. Mean-spirited Olivia could be heard snickering in the darkness.


    The girl quietened, giving no reply but another nervously spoke up on her behalf.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so mean. Kadie is right. Your mum did say that she¡¯d send us home if we didn¡¯t follow the rules.¡±


    ¡°Blah blah blah. My big sister was right. You are all weirdo losers. She said I shouldn¡¯t bother inviting any of you because you wouldn¡¯t even know how to do a sleepover properly.¡±


    Olivia snickered once more. ¡°I bet they¡¯ve never even played truth or dare before,¡± she said in a mocking tone. The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned tense. Alice bit her lip nervously. She had played truth or dare with her cousins but the weighted tone that Olivia used caused her to go pale. Something about the way that the other girls stayed silent warned Alice that this wasn¡¯t going to be an enjoyable experience. She considered speaking up, going downstairs, and asking to go home, but the idea was quashed quickly by her fear. What would the other girls think of her? What would they say at school?


    ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to teach them,¡± Bethany said as she walked over to Olivia. She stood for a moment before sighing dramatically. ¡°See Liv, they¡¯re so stupid. They don¡¯t even know they¡¯re supposed to go sit in a circle.¡±


    It was Jess that spoke up this time, emboldened by her anger. Even in the gloom, Alice could see how Bethany¡¯s statement had caused the girl to bristle. ¡°We¡¯re not stupid. You didn¡¯t even say we were starting the game.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re not sitting either,¡± added Kadie accusingly.


    ¡°And you¡¯re not sitting either,¡± copied Olivia in a high-pitched mocking tone, ¡°Everyone knows the birthday girl doesn¡¯t have to sit in the circle, dummy.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to move, or what?¡± demanded Bethany, her questioned aimed at the group before her. The girls reluctantly shuffled their sleeping bags and blankets into a rough circle. A gap was left for Bethany, but she stood aloof and refused to join them on the floor.


    ¡°I think we should all take it in turns,¡± said Bethany coyly, ¡°¡­ but who should go first?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we¡­¡± a voice began but was abruptly cut off by Olivia. ¡°Alice should start.¡±


    There were no words from the other girls. Singled out, Alice shifted nervously but did not dare argue. Her eyes stayed glued on the game instigators as she warily awaited some nefarious plot. The reply that Bethany gave stung more than she expected it to.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I know what truth Alice should tell. She¡¯ll only spoil the game by lying again.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just being mean, Beth,¡± announced Jess angrily, ¡°We all helped you look for the necklace and Alice emptied out all her things. She doesn¡¯t have it.¡±


    ¡°What would you know?¡± said Bethany with a sneer, ¡°You¡¯re only here because my mum feels sorry for your mum. Everyone knows about your dad.¡±


    Jess jumped to her feet, causing the gathered girls to scatter like leaves in the breeze. They hovered uncertainly around the edges of the room, unwilling to step between the two warring monoliths. All save for Alice who, despite her better judgement, had stood but stayed in place. She gripped her blanket in her hands, clutching it like a lifeline.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t s-say th-that,¡± she stammered.


    ¡°You don¡¯t ¨C ¡° Bethany began, but Alice wasn¡¯t ready to back down yet. Something within her was fired up, like an engine that had finally roared into life and it refused to be quietened.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take your necklace and you know it,¡± she said, her voicing rising in volume. She could feel tears starting to build once again but pressed on regardless. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault you lost it.¡±


    ¡°Lost it?!¡± shrieked Bethany. She took a threatening step towards Alice, but Jess put herself between them.


    ¡°You¡¯re a bully,¡± Jess stated to Bethany coldly.


    ¡°Yeah? Well. You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re¡­¡± Bethany said before hesitating. She looked angry enough that she might hit Jess. ¡°You¡¯re a bitch,¡± she finished fiercely.

 08 - Alley Cats and Unwelcome Gifts

    What happened next occurred so quickly that Alice was caught off guard. Jess suddenly launched forward towards Bethany and the two fell heavily to the floor. Two of the girls observing started screaming. One was a high-pitched shriek of surprise whilst the other¡¯s shrill cries of warning burst through the night.


    The two fighters tussled heavily on the floor, kicking blankets and sleeping bags away from themselves whilst hair and limbs flew wildly.


    Anguished cries, begging the pair of them to stop, rang through the air. Impossibly loud to Alice¡¯s ears, before the realisation hit her that the words were hers. Camaraderie for Jess, the only girl in the room willing to defend her, kicked in. She dropped her blanket to the floor and rushed forward. She wasn¡¯t sure how to help but it seemed most important to stop the fight before anyone was seriously hurt. She was able to pull Jess away mere seconds before the door burst open and Bethany¡¯s mother appeared at the door. The light was flicked on and the group rushed to shield their eyes from the overwhelming influx of light.


    ¡°What on Earth is going on in here?¡± Bethany¡¯s mother demanded with wide, frantic eyes.


    A second of silence seemed to stretch for hours before the room erupted into chaos. A cacophony of voices clamouring for attention, each girl seeking validation or absolution for what had just transpired.


    ¡°Enough!¡± she yelled, ¡°One at a time.¡±


    Alice looked around, too nervous to speak up for herself after the earlier accusation that had been made. The other girls appeared to be just as nervous and unsure of who should speak first. Worried exchanged glances were shared between them. Kadie had begun to cry. Big wet tears were running down her cheeks as her friend Isabelle held her hand to offer some comfort.


    It was no real surprise when Bethany spoke up first. Her eye looked to be going puffy in the light whilst the white of her eye glowed an angry red. ¡°Jess attacked me!¡± she said with a wail.


    Alice glanced at Olivia but was surprised by the way she held herself back, away from her friend. She considered it odd that despite them seeming to be best friends, she wasn¡¯t offering Bethany a hug or support ¨C not even a kind word for her!


    ¡°You said a swear!¡± Jess retorted, glowering angrily at the girl. The words, ¡®the only thing injured was her pride¡¯ sounded in Alice¡¯s mind. Her mum¡¯s voice, repeating a saying that she had heard often throughout her youth when the family had shared stories of her misadventures in the past. Truthfully, Jess did look uninjured on the outside. Alice wondered about what the consequences would be for throwing the first punch.


    ¡°I did not!¡± ¡°Yes, you did!¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± ordered Bethany¡¯s mother, motioning with her hands at the two arguing girls before her. For a brief moment, she reminded Alice of a mime she had seen on TV. The stern expression and two open palms feeling for an invisible wall before her might even have brought a smile to her face on any other day.


    She snapped back to reality with a start when she realised that Bethany¡¯s mother was speaking to her.


    ¡°Alice, what did you see happen?¡±


    Unsure if she was merely the first to recount what happened or whether her testimony would be viewed as the most truthful, Alice hesitated for a moment. She knew that if she was honest now, she certainly wouldn¡¯t be invited back to any other sleepovers. Maybe the other girls would also avoid her in future too - all except Jess.


    Her eyes swept over to see Jess standing forlornly. Her anger had seemingly evaporated, but Alice wasn¡¯t sure what she was feeling now. Jess''s eyes were fixed on the ground and a small frown marred her face. Is she upset about the fight? Or is she still thinking about what Bethany said about her dad? Alice wondered. Her mind was made up though, she knew that she couldn¡¯t betray Jess. She would rather have one honest friend than a room full of so-called friendships like the one that Olivia and Bethany seemed to share.


    Alice took a deep breath to steady her resolve before her eyes met with those of Bethany¡¯s mother.


    ¡°Bethany was calling me a liar and being mean to everyone ¨C ¡°


    ¡°I was not!¡± interrupted Bethany shrilly but her mother shushed her with a single glare.


    Alice hesitated again, uncertain of whether to continue, but was motioned with an encouraging smile to continue.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°She was being mean to everyone except Olivia. Jess told her to stop but she wouldn¡¯t. She said¡­ Beth said something about Jess¡¯ dad and how she¡¯s only here because of you or something,¡± Alice continued, her voice becoming quieter and more timid. She didn¡¯t want to offend Bethany¡¯s mother but also didn¡¯t really understand what had been said earlier.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, just say exactly what happened. You won¡¯t get into trouble for telling me what someone else said,¡± Bethany¡¯s mother prompted her gently.


    ¡°Well¡­ When Beth said that. Jess called her a bully. Then Beth called her a¡­¡± Alice paused, her insides squirming at the thought of repeating the word in front of an adult, ¡°she called her a bad word.¡±


    ¡°She called me a bitch,¡± Jess added morosely. She hadn¡¯t raised her eyes from the floor, but Alice gave a weak, thankful smile in her direction, nonetheless.


    ¡°I see,¡± said Bethany¡¯s mother flatly. She gave her daughter a flinty stare and, surprisingly to Alice, Bethany seemed ashamed. Her mother gave her a small, disappointed shake of her head before turning back to Alice. ¡°¡­ and then what happened?¡±


    ¡°And then Jess¡­ erm¡­¡± she glanced again towards Jess but there was no response. ¡°and then Jess started to fight her,¡± she finished lamely, feeling guilty that she might be getting her companion into trouble.


    The sleepover had been officially ended at that point. Parents were called and one by one, the girls were sent home until only Alice and Jess remained. Jess had remained silent throughout, silent in her melancholy brooding.


    Whilst Bethany was restricted to her bedroom and Bethany¡¯s mother was in the other room, attempting once more to get in touch with Jess¡¯ family, Alice took the opportunity to talk to Jess. She shuffled over on the sofa, shaving inches off the distance between them. In a timorous voice, she finally managed to speak. ¡°I thought you were pretty brave earlier.¡± She didn¡¯t dare look up at the other girl and instead, focused solely on her toes which she was flexing within her shoes.


    After a ponderous delay, Jess finally replied, ¡°My Mama says that only alley-cats start fights.¡±


    ¡°Wish I was an alley-cat then,¡± Alice said honestly.


    Jess huffed a short, quiet giggle. Though Alice didn¡¯t understand what was so funny, she was glad that the awkward silence between them seemed to be broken.


    ¡°Alice the alley-cat,¡± Jess said to herself, with a short-lived mischievous smile on her face. Words drifted through from the kitchen. Another voicemail being left asking for Jess to be collected.


    Alice tried to think of something to say that would dispel the incoming gloom but was surprised when Jess asked her a question.


    ¡°Did you take the necklace?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take it,¡± said Alice bitterly. She had hoped that Jess thought better of her.


    ¡°I knew you hadn¡¯t,¡± Jess said, affirming Alice¡¯s hopes, ¡°I bet it was just an excuse to be mean to you. She does that a lot. Not saying people stole. Just being mean to them.¡±


    Unsure of what to say, Alice merely smiled in return.


    There was a sudden knock at the door which caused the pair of them to startle. Bethany¡¯s mother answered and Alice was encouraged quickly to leave with her father. Before she left, she waved a solemn goodbye to Jess and was led out to the car to head home.


    During the drive, as she stared out of the window at the passing lights, she reflected on the evening. Though the night hadn¡¯t gone as expected, she was pleasantly hopeful that at least a new friendship may be blossoming due to it.


    Once home and happily snuggled in her bed, Alice pulled the blanket over her head out of habit. She was just beginning to feel drowsy enough to fall asleep when she heard a small metallic tinkle on the mattress beside her. With a frown, she reached an arm out and blindly groped for the source of the noise. An icy pang of dread speared her as her fingers met with the delicate jewellery chain. She scrunched her eyes tightly shut as she gently felt the shape of the pendant attached to the chain. There could be no mistake, it was Bethany¡¯s, but Alice couldn¡¯t understand how it had ended up on her bed. She hadn¡¯t taken it. She had been honest throughout the evening.


    How? Wondered Alice, puzzled. An insidious thought wormed its way into her young mind.


    What if? She questioned herself, debating whether she dared ask the question. Was she brave enough to hear the answer?


    She knew the darkness would be listening. It was always waiting, ready to respond.


    ¡°Do you know how Bethany¡¯s necklace got here?¡± she asked quietly, whispering into the night.


    Tap tap.


    Alice pouted. She had expected the answer but was nonetheless displeased by it.


    ¡°Did you take it?¡±


    Stifling silence followed the question, followed by a hesitant tap tap.


    ¡°Why?¡± was Alice¡¯s heartfelt question, which went unanswered.  Stupidhead, he can¡¯t answer that, she chastised herself. She wracked her brain, trying to put her feelings into words.


    ¡°Was it a present?¡± she asked. A single tap was offered for this question. Still confused, she continued her questioning. ¡°Did you think it would make me happy?¡± There was a rapid taptap this time.


    ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s not a present but you did want me to feel happy,¡± Alice mused out loud, trying to make sense of this conflicting information. A flicker of guilt washed through her, and she asked another question of the darkness. ¡°Did Bethany make you mad?¡± Again, a rapid tap tap was felt, radiating a feeling of increased energy from the unseen companion, though whether it was excitement or anger was anyone¡¯s guess. This was a sleeping bear that young Alice was unwilling to prod. ¡°You need to give it back,¡± she implored.


    Tap.


    ¡°You have to,¡± Alice asked again of the darkness. She hesitated, unsure of how to persuade the malignant entity which had clearly taken a dislike of her new enemy. ¡°If you don¡¯t then I¡¯ll get into trouble for taking it. Friends are supposed to protect friends. We are friends, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    She pushed the necklace out from under the blanket and heard it slide over the edge of the bed and hit the floor. Alice hadn¡¯t realised that she had been holding her breath until she felt the final reassuring tap tap.

 09 - Shock, Shock, Horror, Horror

    ¡°Well, that explains why Prince Charming pulled a disappearing act,¡± said Jess flatly. The two women were now sat in a cramped staff cloakroom. Though the room was clean enough, the filament bulb above them hummed in a high-pitched key and the area smelled strongly of cleaning solutions. A tattered poster of the World War Two ¡®We can do it!¡¯ woman was taped to the back of the door in front of them. At some point, someone had given her a scribbled eye-patch over one eye and doodled a cigarette hanging from her pouting lips.


    Alice dragged her focus away from the image and frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked cautiously.


    Jess¡¯s head was resting on the wall behind the bench they sat on as she stared up at the ceiling. She listlessly turned her head towards Alice and explained further. ¡°He was probably hoping that you would be an alibi or something. Or maybe he thought that the guy from earlier would follow him home, so he needed to go to someone else¡¯s.¡±


    Silently, Alice considered this. It made sense after what had just occurred but then an uncomfortable thought arose, does that mean he knows where I live? She chewed her lip pensively.


    ¡°I think I should stay with you tonight,¡± Jess stated, unbidden. Her eyes had returned to staring blankly at the ceiling.


    ¡°What about your mum?¡± asked Alice. Jess¡¯s home life had always been¡­ complicated.


    Jess wrinkled her nose. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± asked Alice.


    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s, well, it¡¯s just been one of those weeks,¡± she answered vaguely.


    Alice smiled sympathetically, taking Jess¡¯s hand in hers. Jess smiled weakly in return, glancing quickly in her direction but avoiding making eye contact with Alice.


    ¡°Just us alley cats then,¡± Alice stated softly.


    Another few minutes passed as they sat together in the stillness of the whitewashed room before the door creaked open slowly. The shorter of the two men, who had since introduced himself as Mark, poked his head through the opening. He had a kind face with just a hint of stubble, medium brown hair with brown eyes to match.


    ¡°You two alright?¡± he asked conversationally. Most of the concern seemed to have left his voice but a hint remained. Jess was still staring at the ceiling above, so Alice replied for the pair of them instead. She gave a quick nod before adding a hasty, ¡°thanks.¡±


    ¡°Davey¡¯s called a taxi for you. They¡¯re going to let us know when it arrives so we can walk you out,¡± he informed them. ¡°They should come quick with him being a bouncer. He¡¯s got all the contacts, you know?¡± Alice could tell that he was trying to keep the tone light and good humoured. Not just a pretty face, rose the thought in her mind.


    ¡°Honestly. You¡¯ve done more than enough to help. You don¡¯t have to go through all this trouble for us,¡± she told him meekly. Jess might deserve it, but I don¡¯t.


    Alice was surprised when Mark flushed slightly, lowering his eyes in embarrassment. He still hadn¡¯t fully entered the room either. Instead, he hovered awkwardly at the door as though worried about intruding.


    ¡°Yeah, well. That arsehole has caused you enough problems tonight. I¡¯ll feel better knowing that you get home safe,¡± he replied earnestly. ¡°If it makes you feel guilty, just say I¡¯m doing this out of selfishness. I¡¯ll be proper cranky if I¡¯m up for the rest of the night worrying.¡± He flashed her a mischievous wink and disappeared from the door before she could argue.


    Perhaps another 10 minutes passed before Mark appeared again. They were informed that the taxi had arrived and, despite offering multiple times, Alice firmly refused his offer to pay for their ride home.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    When they were both seated in the back of the taxi and Jess was explaining their destination to the driver, Mark apologetically held out a scrap of paper towards Alice.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to give the wrong impression or anything. It¡¯s just that¡­ you know. If you need to go to the police or anything, I¡¯m happy to give a statement as a witness,¡± he informed her before giving her a wry smile.


    After a moment¡¯s consideration, Alice accepted the offering. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said simply before he closed the car door for her and thumped his fist twice on the roof of the car to indicate to the driver that they were ready to go.


    The drive itself was a sombre one and the endless stream of ballads of unrequited love playing through the speakers did nothing to lift the mood. Alice had never been more thankful to escape from Sinead O¡¯Connor singing ¡®nothing compares to you¡¯ as hastily shoved notes into the driver¡¯s hands and staggered out of the car door in her high heels. Given the look of pure relief, it seemed clear that Jess felt the same way as she called out her thanks as the driver pulled away from the curb to leave them alone in front of the house. Alice watched it drive away before casting suspicious glances up and down the street.


    ¡°You¡¯re still worried about that guy?¡± Jess asked, though her tone indicated that she already knew the answer.


    ¡°Just gives me creeps that he¡¯s out there and I don¡¯t even know who he is,¡± she answered honestly. A tingle ran down her spine and she shivered visibly, both from the thought and the chill night air.


    ¡°Yeah, I get that,¡± Jess replied, wrinkling her nose with displeasure. ¡°Come on, unlock the door before your curtain twitcher neighbours start complaining about us youth.¡±


    Alice led the way up the garden path towards the door and, after a concerted effort to locate her keys in her handbag, opened the door. She had barely stepped over the threshold when Jess nudged past, kicked off her heels and began to run upstairs.


    ¡°Is it ok if I borrow some of your pyjamas for the night?¡± she called down.


    Alice¡¯s heart was in her throat, and she went rigid with worry. She hadn¡¯t expected Jess to head straight upstairs. What could she say at this point without alarming her friend?


    Footsteps padded down several steps.


    ¡°Did you hear me?¡± Jess¡¯s voice rang through the house again, louder this time.


    ¡°Keep it down Jess! I have neighbours,¡± Alice chided, hoping that she could mask the worry of Jess¡¯s location as concern for the noise.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes. Also, your neighbours are deaf old goats anyway,¡± Jess called back.


    Alice staggered back against the wall as she listened to the footfalls climbing the stairs. Panic threatened to overtake her. It¡¯ll be ok. It¡¯ll be ok. It¡¯ll be ok, she repeated in her head. Praying that the mantra would hold true. Jess had been in her bedroom in the past, both alone and when it was dark, but each time shook her to the core.


    ¡°Why are all your pyjamas fleece material? Central heating is a thing,¡± Jess called down the stairs. Alice breathed a heavy sigh of relief. All was fine. They were both safe.


    With heavy footfalls, Jess plodded back downstairs. Alice was surprised to see that her friend had opted to wear some of her old gym gear instead and was sporting a tank top tee with cotton shorts. Even more surprisingly, she wore Alice¡¯s blanket draped around her shoulders. Jess must have noted her confusion as she smirked.


    ¡°You know we can¡¯t have a sleep over without old faithful here,¡± Jess explained. ¡°I know you still sleep with it. It was on your bed.¡±


    Still drunk with relief, Alice said nothing. Instead, she watched Jess pad into the living room before quietly heading upstairs to change. Regardless of Jess¡¯s jibes, the warm caress of fleeces was a welcome feeling that helped banish some of her anxiety.


    When she returned downstairs, Jess was curled on one end of the small sofa in the living room. The TV was flickering from image to image as she scrolled through the available movies with a disgruntled look on her face.


    ¡°We could watch a romcom?¡± suggested Alice as she settled onto the sofa next to her friend.


    ¡°If I wanted a slow, painful death then I¡¯d have gone home with the prick at the club,¡± she replied drily, without her eyes leaving the screen.


    ¡°So¡­ Just someone else¡¯s slow, painful death?¡± queried Alice as horror movie after horror movie swept before them.


    That caught Jess¡¯s attention and she turned to flash Alice a grin. ¡°Everyone loves a classy horror!¡±


    Alice glanced again at the TV¡¯s current movie offering before raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°Is Zombeavers a classy horror?¡±


    ¡°Classy enough,¡± Jess said, snickering. She started the film before shuffling along the couch to sit closer to Alice. ¡°What¡¯re you doing about your work tomorrow?¡±


    Good question, thought Alice numbly before coming to a quick decision.


    ¡°Sick day. I¡¯ll call in the morning,¡± she stated simply as the pre-film credits began to roll, silencing them both.

 10 - A Rude Awakening

    A shrill shriek and the sound of breaking glass woke Alice. She looked around the room dazed and confused, the sleepy fog in her mind refusing to clear. The movie was no longer playing, and the TV showed only a paused title screen offering suggestions for the next film to play. Alice turned to Jess to ask what the source of the noise had been but found only an empty seat beside her.


    ¡°Jess?!¡± she called out, alarmed. Unconsciously, her hand grasped for the blanket, knuckles locking white when her fingers reached the reassuring touch of wool.


    She was about to call out again, having had no reply when Jess stormed into the room wielding a large breadknife. She was pale as a ghost, eyes wide and panicked as she looked past Alice towards the window. No view was available, they had closed the curtains before the movie had begun to play.


    ¡°Jess. What the fuck is going on?¡± Alice asked in a distressed tone. She considered arming herself, but the only weighty object in the room was the table lamp beside her. The light it cast was currently more useful than the hefty weight it would provide as a club.


    Jess was currently poking her head behind the curtain, peering out into the night. In a conspiratorial tone she hissed, ¡°I saw him outside.¡±


    Alice rose to her feet, still clutching at the blanket as it slid from her knees and piled around her feet loosely. ¡°Who?¡±


    Retracting her head from the window, Jess warily glanced around the room and through the door she had left open behind her. They stood, frozen and in silence, listening for the sounds of an intruder. Thankfully, the house also remained silent.


    Jess¡¯s shoulders lost some of their hardness and she seemed to relax a little. ¡°I caught him staring through the kitchen window when I went to get a glass of water. Damn near gave me a heart attack.¡±


    The same couldn¡¯t be said for Alice. The news that a potential intruder could still be outside her home only fuelled her anxiety further, especially given how aggressive he had acted before with an audience present.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Alice in a choked voice, ¡°What if he gets in?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your phone?¡± asked Jess, searching the shelves, ¡°I left mine in the kitchen.¡±


    Alice jumped up into action, scurrying towards the TV unit where she had left it. She was relieved to find that there was still plenty of battery life left and she handed it over to Jess after unlocking it. Jess took no time to quickly dial the emergency services. While she was asking for the police, Alice had a worrying thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make sure the windows upstairs are locked,¡± she said, gently taking hold of Jess¡¯s arm to make sure she had her attention. Jess nodded her response as she continued listening to the operator on the call.


    Once at the doorway out of the room, Alice peered suspiciously around. The house was dark upstairs and a light from the kitchen could still be seen. Jess must have switched on a lamp rather than the main lights, Alice surmised. That¡¯s probably how she saw his face outside the window, she realised. The thought that simply turning on a different switch would have left them unaware of his presence sent an uncomfortable shiver down her spine.


    She paused at the bottom of the stairs before heading up them, feeling exposed and unprotected. After a momentary pause, she opted to grab a nearby vase. It wouldn¡¯t do much damage, but at least it would leave a greater dent than her bare fists would. With great trepidation, she made her way slowly up the stairs, trying her best to avoid making noise. Silently, she cursed herself for her lack of observation as it felt as though she was hitting each creaking step on her way up.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    After a cursory glance around at the top of the stairs, she scuttled into the bathroom. She felt more like a mouse than some suave secret agent as she kept herself hunkered down, hoping to stay out of sight. She snaked up the wall, keeping herself to the side of the window before carefully reaching over to make sure it was locked. The frosted glass made it impossible to see outside but she didn¡¯t wish to make it obvious what she was doing.


    Confident that the bathroom was no longer an easy entrance, she made her way across to the bedroom, anxious about the fact that the door was closed and therefore potentially hiding a threat beyond it. She laid her hand on the door handle, patiently listening for any hint of movement in the darkness beyond. Downstairs, she could hear Jess giving her address to the operator on the phone.


    She took a deep, shuddering breath before easing the door open slowly. Light from the streetlamps shone dimly through the window, casting a plethora of elongated shadows across the floor. Alice timidly peered around, taking great care in evaluating spaces in which someone would be able to hide. She took no chances, making sure to check areas in which a child may struggle to stay hidden, let alone a fully grown male. The door was left open behind her, both allowing her an escape route as well as being able to listen for any worrying changes downstairs.


    She held the vase aloft, ready to bring down on any hidden assailant as cupboard doors were thrown open. When no hidden marauder emerged, her attention turned to the window. She ducked down and made her way toward it in an awkward squatting position. With her thighs screaming at the uncomfortable position, she gingerly peeped out of the window at the street beyond. Nothing seemed out of place and so she took the opportunity to check the window itself; thankfully, this too was locked.


    Content that upstairs was as secure as she could make it, Alice returned downstairs to the living room to re-join Jess. Jess was agreeing with whatever was being said on the phone. She gave a forced smile when her eyes met Alice¡¯s and silently mouthed ¡°they¡¯ll be here soon.¡± Then, to whoever was on the other end of the line, Jess said, ¡°My friend is back. Hold on.¡±


    She lowered the phone for a second so that she could speak to Alice more easily. ¡°She wants to know if all the doors and windows are locked,¡± she stated calmly and quietly. Her eyes betrayed her worry though.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s locked,¡± Alice assured her.


    ¡°We need to stay inside until the police get here,¡± Jess told her. Alice nodded her affirmation. She had no intention of wandering around outside like some damsel in distress.


    They huddled together quietly as minutes slowly ticked by. The operator stayed on the call with them throughout, which Alice was very grateful for. Eventually, they were informed that officers were present outside. Alice hurried to the window and pulled back the curtain to see that there was indeed a patrol car outside. The siren was off, but the lights were flashing brightly across the street. Some of the neighbours had already been disturbed and she could see nervous faces peeking out from behind curtains of their own.


    Two officers could be seen stepping out from the vehicle. The first was a man, the second was a woman, though Alice struggled to make out any other details. The woman raised a radio to her face and spoke into it, the words lost in the darkness.


    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± Alice said over her shoulder. She remained stationary at the window, watching the officers outside. Part of her was relieved by their arrival, but equally, their presence somehow confirmed the apparent danger that they had both been in. Tears that held been previously held in check began to well up. A nudge to her shoulder made her jump in fright, she hadn¡¯t sensed Jess¡¯s approach.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Jess comforted her, ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to them. You just stay put in here.¡±


    Alice watched from her post as Jess left the room. The sound of the front door being unlocked felt unnaturally loud in the silence of the house. One of the officers, the woman, could be seen approaching the front door through the window. She gave Alice a small wave which Alice returned with a tight smile. She was unable to hear most of the exchange between Jess and the Officer so she made her way to the hall, peering around the doorway like a child in her own home.


    Jess had crossed her arms angrily, clearly unimpressed by the officer¡¯s words. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t feel like she¡¯s in danger in her own front garden.¡±

 11 - A Daring Venture

    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t feel like she¡¯s in danger in her own front garden,¡± whispered Alice¡¯s mother in a hushed berating way. The tone of her voice made Alice curl up with guilt inside, though she knew that she wasn¡¯t the cause of her mother¡¯s ire.


    ¡°There¡¯s not much we can do about it, Kate,¡± replied Alice¡¯s father wearily. The sound of a spoon tinkling against the edges of a cup seem to peal through the quiet like cathedral bells. Alice remained silent and still, hidden around the corner. She hadn¡¯t meant to eavesdrop, but now seemed inexplicably caught. Lured by the promise of freshly baked cookies, she had padded softly downstairs and headed towards the kitchen only to find her parents in heated debate. Unwilling to interrupt, she had stayed outside the room, quietly listening for an opportunity to enter without drawing undue attention to herself. Now though, the argument seemed to have fallen quickly away into silence and she feared that she would be in hot water if her parents heard her softly retreating footsteps.


    ¡°What about the police?¡± asked her mother, softly but plaintively.


    ¡°And what would I say to them? That I don¡¯t like the neighbour¡¯s dog being in his own garden? They¡¯re more likely to charge me for wasting police time,¡± was her father¡¯s dismissive reply.


    There lay the crux of the argument, Alice knew. Even at ten years old, she could sense that there was something not quite right about the dog next door. It wasn¡¯t just the fact that it barked at people that walked by that set her on edge. It was the aggressive manner in which it stalked the perimeter of the fence, low and sinister like some fabled jungle beast preparing to strike, that concerned her most. She had taken to crossing the road to walk down the road past the house next door, wary of the low throaty snarl the creature warned each passer-by with.


    It had taken Alice by surprise when her mother had also begun the same ritual. She had assumed that she would be chided gently, that her parents would have questioned her folly, but no such repercussions had occurred. It had watered the seed of doubt in her mind until it had blossomed into a monstrous entanglement of worries and anxieties.


    Unable to hold back any longer, Alice decided that she would risk discovery by entering the kitchen. Her parents looked up, but nothing was said about their prior conversation. Her mother gave her a strained smile, clearly seeking to appear jovial.


    ¡°Finally smelled them, I see,¡± she stated. She held a washcloth in her hands and was distractedly wiping down surfaces that had already been made spotless. Alice recognised the behaviour as something she regularly did when upset or annoyed by something. The atmosphere in the room was tense and cloyingly heavy.


    In an effort to alleviate some of the unease, she went over and wrapped her arms around her mother¡¯s middle, hugging her softly. ¡°They smell good,¡± she affirmed, relieved to feel some of the tightness in her mother relax somewhat.


    Her mother¡¯s free hand rose to cradle the back of her hand lovingly, but no other words were said. Alice worried that perhaps her parents were more concerned than they were letting on, perhaps even to each other. A glance in her father¡¯s direction revealed him to be staring blankly at the newspaper on the table in front of him. Alice normally delighted in watching how his eyes danced back and forth whilst reading the paper, but their stillness seemed a poor omen this evening.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Alice asked, hoping that her question wasn¡¯t too direct.


    ¡°No, Pumpkin,¡± her father replied quickly, as though startled to life like a doll whose string had been pulled. ¡°Just us silly old folk worrying about silly old things.¡± He flashed her a tired and unconvincing smile.


    Alice turned her attention to her mother, looking up with eyes that were wide with worry. Her mother¡¯s hand slipped from behind her head to cup her cheek. She also gave Alice a weary smile, but Alice revelled in the warmth in her eyes. ¡°We were just talking about that nuisance dog next door. Don¡¯t you worry your heart,¡± her mother comforted. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. Since you¡¯re down here, why don¡¯t you help me with a couple of things? That¡¯ll help ease both our hearts.¡±


    Alice was in two minds about her mother¡¯s proposal, but the need to please sang more strongly than her dislike of chores and after a moment¡¯s consideration, she grinned widely.


    Her mother¡¯s smile lost a little of its tired sadness. Like the rising sun on a misty morning, it grew in warmth to dispel cold, lingering uncertainties. ¡°You¡¯re a good girl, Alice,¡± she said, causing Alice to beam proudly.


    Alice hadn¡¯t been wrong about chores and there were many to be completed. It baffled Alice how there seemed to be so many small jobs that needed to be completed when, to her, the house already seemed spotless. She wafted the feather duster around in the top corners of the bathroom, displacing yet another spiderweb. She wasn¡¯t yet tall enough to complete the task unaided, so her father had helpfully sellotaped the handle of the feather duster to a broom handle that had been unscrewed from the broom itself. It felt like she was spearing the webs as a knight might thrust at the heart of a fierce dragon.


    She wandered to her bedroom, pretending as though she were stalking her prey, both hands clutching at her weapon tightly. With glee, she spotted her next opponent. An errant web that had been strung from the centre light shade to the ceiling beside it.


    ¡°Take that!¡± she said, harpooning the web. The room seemed to spin a little as the duster connected with the light and sent it wheeling in circles. Erratic light and shadows danced on the walls around her as she shrunk on herself, warily eyeing the door in case her overenthusiastic attack had been noticed. No scolding words materialised and so she grinned before running excitedly down the stairs to share news of her various victories.


    When Alice reached the kitchen, she found that her father had left to watch TV elsewhere in the house. It loudly blared from the other room with lines and canned laughter. Her mother was tying up a bag of waste that had been pulled from the interior of the bin.


    Alice danced about, skipping from one foot to another whilst she waited for her next chore to be allocated.


    ¡°Alright, alright, you little jumping bean. Here, do me a favour and take this out,¡± said her mother, laughing. She held out the bag by the ties and indicated towards the door. Alice grabbed it gleefully and dashed out of the room, heading towards the front door to exit the house.


    Brazenly, Alice stepped out into the cool night air, only to freeze momentarily. The sudden realisation that she had abandoned her fears finally caught up with her and she peered out into the dark. The garden next door was quiet and still. There was no pawing at the fence nor any threatening murmurs. Maybe the dog¡¯s inside? she thought cautiously before stepping out further from the safety of the warm light.


    Emboldened by her decision and the continued silence of the night, she continued onwards towards the large household bin at the bottom of the garden. The lid was lifted and the bag was deposited within. Alice turned, wiping her hands on her trousers to dry the dew that had formed on the plastic lid. It was then that she came eye to eye with the shadowy form that had planted itself between the house and herself. Lips drew back as it uttered a guttural, menacing growl.

 12 - Teeth and Terror

    Alice froze with her cold, bare feet planted firmly on the ground. The beast before her rattled out another low growl. Its sharp white teeth could be seen clearly in the dark, giving the illusion of a sinister Cheshire cat grin that Alice could only hope would vanish into the darkness. It seemed far bigger on this side of the fence. It was waist high, with a thick stout body with muscles that rippled in the light under its dark fur. The creature¡¯s ears were pinned back as it snarled with a lowered head. It seemed ready to pounce at any moment.


    She glanced towards the door but couldn¡¯t see either of her parents. She didn¡¯t dare turn her back on the large dog in case it dared to attack her. The street was silent, and no footsteps or voices could be heard.


    Alice could see her breath forming mist as she exhaled, catching the light from the open door of the house. She knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to reach the open door, so a new plan formed in her mind.


    She took a hesitant step back, slowly raising her foot from the floor, as she watched the dog carefully. It growled once more, a deep rumble that spilled from its glistening jaws. It lowered its head, the outlines of its wide shoulders moved a fraction, but it did not approach her at all.


    Sensing that there might be a glimmer of hope, Alice took this to be a good sign and took another step back. This time, she wasn¡¯t so lucky. The creature let out a terrifying bark that seemed to reverberate through her core, shaking her bones. Like a young filly frightened by fireworks, she lost her nerve and fled towards the street in terror. Young legs kicked in an ungainly fashion, propelling her without grace. The garden gate had been left open and she dashed towards it, desperately seeking an escape, uncaring of what might lay beyond and too afraid to look back at the beast and whether it had given chase.


    A heavy hit on the backs of Alice¡¯s legs was the first indication that her escape had failed. The added force knocked her forward and she was unable to regain her balance. Her arms reached out automatically, her body on autopilot as it protected her from the fall. A heavy weight pressed down suddenly on her lower back but was removed quickly when she squirmed in panic, rolling onto her side. Blood-curdling screams echoed through the night as Alice kicked relentlessly at the darkness, straining to defend herself. Her palms slapped painfully on the garden path as she sought out stability, her young mind dismissing the hope of escape but fraught as it clung to the chance of survival.


    Teeth snapped at Alice¡¯s thigh, grazing her skin and her defensive kicking renewed in intensity. Her foot connected painfully with fur and underlying bone. An angry yelp erupted from the beast and Alice panted heavily, relieved to have even this little space between her and it. It wheeled away from her, head down and snarling before slinking back towards Alice. To her horror, she saw the creature pause and now, with her back towards the lights of the house, she watched the beast roll its shoulders, preparing to strike.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Alice scrambled once more to her feet. She twisted away from the dog once more to flee towards the safety of the house. No longer seen as a reckless move, she knew that the dog¡¯s aggression could not be avoided, and it would hunt her no matter how she chose to react.


    Sharp teeth sank deep into her calf as she ran. She screamed again, both in terror and pain, as she faltered. Her leg was pulled out from under her, and she hit the ground hard. Her scream cut off abruptly as the air whooshed from her lungs on impact. Blood and tears flowed freely as Alice fought for breath. The dog refused to let go of her leg and clamped down harder. Fresh agony coursed through her as she sobbed and whimpered, too afraid to kick at the dog lest it roughly thrash her like a chew toy from side to side.


    A large shadow loomed over her and the pressure on her leg suddenly dwindled. Tears blurred Alice¡¯s vision, but the angry shouting of her father was piercing. She was far too upset to heed the words but his fury rang clear. Vicious snarling turned quickly to yelping howls.


    Her mother reached her side as the conflict between her father and the dog intensified. She felt herself being scooped up awkwardly in her mother¡¯s arms and dragged towards the house. They landed heavily on the carpet. Her mother¡¯s panic had caused her to trip and fall as she scrabbled to put more space between the creature and her injured daughter.


    The world was spinning now. Alice felt her leg glowing hot but the rest of her felt ice cold. Though her mother was shouting and calling out her name, the world slowly faded to darkness.


    When Alice awoke, it was to the noise of her mother sobbing and car horns blaring.


    ¡°She¡¯s waking up. She¡¯s waking up!¡± her mother¡¯s relieved voice proclaimed. ¡°Oh Sweetheart, can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Where are ¨C¡° Alice began to ask before the world suddenly jolted to the side. Her head hit firm cushion roughly.


    ¡°Out of the fucking way!¡± her father cursed from nearby. His voice sounded hoarse and strained. More car horns blared.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK, Sweetheart,¡± her mother comforted with shaky words. ¡°It¡¯s OK.¡±


    Alice felt her mother¡¯s hand softly stroking her cheek, but the feeling was almost completely drowned out by the pain in her leg and arm. She cried pitifully, unable to find the words to describe her feelings. Everything felt like it hurt. Lights were streaking over them, misleading her thoughts. She was twisted uncomfortably. The world made no sense.


    ¡°We¡¯re nearly there, Pumpkin. You hold on,¡± her father reassured her haltingly.


    Fear flared in Alice¡¯s stomach. ¡°Where?¡± she asked tearfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Sweetheart. You¡¯re going to be just fine,¡± her mother¡¯s voice soothed.


    ¡°I want to go home,¡± cried Alice through heartfelt sobs.


    ¡°Oh, Sweetheart. My poor, brave girl. It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s alright,¡± her mother wept, clutching her firmly.


    Their vehicle continued to rush headlong through the night towards the hospital. The fears of the attack were left behind, but this reassured Alice little.

 13 - Over the Rainbow Bridge

    Alice had hated the car journey, but the prodding and poking at the hospital had proved to be even worse. Her injuries had required anaesthesia and many stitches, but the doctors seemed to be pleased with the outcome. She wasn¡¯t sure why. She had caught a glimpse of her leg whilst the nurse was changing her bandages and it didn¡¯t seem to look much better than it had before the nurses had gently, but firmly, held the gas mask over her face to prep her for the procedure. The skin was angry and red, puffing uncomfortably under tight, dark stitches. The nurse had been full of praise, telling Alice how brave she had been for staying so still and how it looked so much better already. Alice had smiled weakly in return, unconvinced.


    ¡°Won¡¯t that be nice?¡± asked Alice¡¯s mother, cheerily.


    Alice¡¯s attention had been elsewhere. Her father was outside the room speaking to one of the neighbours. The glass panels at the end of the ward prevented them from hearing the words being spoken beyond. The conversation was animated and angry, though not at each other. The neighbour was holding a coat as well as wearing one, which seemed odd. A baby blanket hung limply over his shoulder. She turned from the scene to face her mother with a blank face, uncomprehending of what had been asked. ¡°huh?¡±


    ¡°I said, you¡¯ll be able to ask Jess to sign your cast. Won¡¯t that be nice?¡± repeated her mother gently.


    ¡°I suppose,¡± said Alice quietly as she raised the cast on her wrist delicately. Her skin itched beneath it already. She had tried wriggling her pinky finger down to scratch the offending itch, but her efforts had proved unsuccessful. ¡°Why is Mr Hatfield here?¡± she asked abruptly, looking back out to the corridor and the men within it.


    ¡°We left the house in a hurry. We didn¡¯t have time to grab very much so your dad phoned Richard to let him know what had happened. He¡¯s been dealing with the police at home and offered to bring us some warm clothes too,¡± her mother explained. Alice nibbled her bottom lip nervously.


    ¡°You know that you¡¯re not in trouble, don¡¯t you Alice?¡± her mother asked gently, laying a hand on her shoulder.


    Alice gave a small nod. She hadn¡¯t expected to be in trouble but, despite all that had happened, a small part of her didn¡¯t want the dog to be in trouble either. It wasn¡¯t the dog¡¯s fault. Not really. She figured that she¡¯d be pretty angry at people too if she was stuck in a tiny, square garden and only ever got shouted at. She couldn¡¯t even remember there being toys for it to play with.


    Still, her sympathy didn¡¯t stop her from worrying. In a small voice she asked, ¡°Will the dog still be there?¡±


    Her mother sighed a long, drawn-out breath. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    They sat for a while, watching the conversation outside continue. Her father¡¯s weariness seemed more pronounced now, but he also appeared to be slightly relieved. A few more words were swapped before both men looked in their direction. Mr Hatfield waved cheerily, his smile evident despite his thick beard. Alice shyly waved in return when she saw her mother raise a hand to politely wave.


    The extra items were dutifully handed over to Alice¡¯s father and he returned to the ward through the glass door, wishing Mr Hatfield a farewell. Smalltalk was made while they waited for a doctor to discharge Alice and she knew better than to ask about the details of what had transpired between the two men. Her father had never approved of ¡®adult business¡¯ being discussed with children.


    A nurse¡¯s arrival signified the end of their wait and Alice was unimpressed to find that she was expected to shuffle into a wheelchair. I¡¯m ten, not one hundred and ten, she thought sullenly. Her complaints that she would be able to walk were sternly admonished by her parents and the nurse alike.


    Alice was surprised once more when, at the car, her mother opted to sit in the back seat beside her. She fussed over her whilst Alice gingerly transferred from the wheelchair to the car and clicked Alice¡¯s seatbelt into place with a warm smile. Alice forced a smile in return. She felt like they were treating her like an infant, though she didn¡¯t dare make her observation out loud.


    The car ride home was tense. Though the radio played, it did little to soothe Alice¡¯s nerves about returning to her home and the scene of the attack. Her parents made the journey in stoic silence which only served to dampen her mood. Her mother¡¯s infrequent distracted pats on her leg felt more perfunctory than soothing. The impending dread built slowly as they travelled. By the time Alice began to recognise familiar streets and buildings, it felt suffocating, as though callous hands were slowly tightening around her throat.


    Her home street seemed mercifully quiet when their car pulled up beside her house. Though well into the early hours of the morning, the sun had yet to make an appearance and all was still in the darkness. However, the peace was short lived. Their neighbour, the owner of the dog, burst out of his front door at the sight of the car. He was shouting and gesticulating wildly as he approached the car like an angry wasp that was ready to lash out and sting anyone within range.


    ¡°Shit,¡± said Alice¡¯s father under his breath, before opening the car door to confront the man.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± The angry accusation was aimed at Alice¡¯s father who gaped incredulously at the question before slamming the door angrily. The unexpected volume of the slam made Alice jump in fright and she reached out for her mother reflexively. Her mother was already scooting across the seat with an anxious expression on her face. She wrapped her arms protectively around Alice, stooping at an awkward angle to better watch the exchange that was ongoing outside the car.


    ¡°What did I do? What did I do?¡± her father shouted back vehemently. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you¡¯re not in jail right now. Or worse!¡± he added, rolling up his sleeves and squaring up to the man.


    The street erupted like an ant nest that had been disturbed. Neighbours began to pour out of doors hidden in the darkness, descending to defend the colony. Alice¡¯s breath hitched in her throat as it suddenly felt as though the street was teeming with people. Please stop shouting, Daddy, she prayed desperately. The night had already been too awful, and they had suffered too much. The idea of her father upsetting the neighbours with this argument was more than she could bear.


    Alice was left dumbfounded when the neighbours rallied around her father. Three men, including a very tired looking Mr Hatfield, stood beside him in solidarity. They spoke in low voices that were muffled by the car and the heavy thrumming of Alice¡¯s heartbeat in her ears as she was pressed hard against her mother in fear.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my dog?¡± demanded the angry neighbour, which caused a stir in the men. Voices began to raise, each shouting and yet none being heard.


    A polite knock on the window caught both Alice and her mother off guard. They both jolted at the proximity of the sound and whirled to see the cause. Mrs Hatfield grinned at them impishly with an apologetic wave. Her blonde curls seemed to glow like an angelic halo in the coarse street light.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we get you two indoors? A nice hot cup of tea for Mum and a warm bed for you, Alice, eh?¡± she offered warmly.


    Alice looked to her mother who was smiling gratefully at the gesture, nodding her agreement. The car door was opened, and Alice¡¯s mother scooted back across to open the door on the other side to exit. ¡°There¡¯s a wheelchair in the car boot. She¡¯s too big now for me to carry,¡± said her mother as she skittered around to the rear of the car.


    ¡°You just focus on me, poppet,¡± said Mrs Hatfield with a beaming smile. She was crouching now so that Alice no longer had to crane her neck upwards to see her. ¡°I see you have a new pot on your arm as well.¡±


    ¡°Mummy said that I can get people to sign it. Like Jacob in school did,¡± replied Alice quietly. She liked Mrs Hatfield, but the noise of the ongoing argument was frightening. Her brain felt like scrambled eggs. Messy and unable to form words.


    ¡°Won¡¯t that be lovely? Tell you what. I¡¯ve got a nice pack of glittery gel pens in my house. I¡¯ll let you borrow them if you promise to look after them,¡± said Mrs Hatfield.


    ¡°Glittery ones?¡± Alice asked.


    ¡°In every colour of the rainbow,¡± replied Mrs Hatfield, ¡°and some extras that aren¡¯t even in the rainbow.¡±


    The two women helped Alice into the wheelchair and towards the house while Alice continued to ask about what colour pens Mrs Hatfield meant. The challenge to get Alice upstairs was more difficult and they ended up with Alice awkwardly straddling her mother¡¯s back and being hoisted up the stairs with Mrs Hatfield following closely behind in case Alice began to slip.


    Once in Alice¡¯s room, Mrs Hatfield darted ahead to close the window which was wide open.


    ¡°Blooming freezing in here! Can¡¯t have you catching a cold,¡± she chattered merrily as she leaned over to shut it. Alice frowned, confused by the sight. She hadn¡¯t opened the window today and she couldn¡¯t understand why her mother might have opened it. Leaves had blown in at some point and were scattered on the bedroom floor.


    She continued to ponder this as she was gently lowered onto the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go pop the kettle on,¡± Mrs Hatfield announced as she headed back towards the door, ¡°Sleep well, Alice.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Mrs Hatfield¡± replied Alice as she reached for where she had left her blanket. She looked around, perplexed when her hand found only empty space. ¡°Where¡¯s my blanket?¡±


    ¡°Not sure, Pumpkin,¡± said her mother, unconcerned, ¡°You¡¯ll need it tonight though. Why on Earth did you leave the window open when it¡¯s so cold out?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Alice started to speak but found herself hesitating. She knew she hadn¡¯t opened it and could testify as such, but if her mother knew this, what would happen? Would she consider other alternatives? Would she question Alice about who may have opened it instead?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Alice finished weakly. Her mother studied her carefully with a worried crease in her brow.


    Eventually, gently her mother said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s been a long day. Can¡¯t be expected to remember every little thing.¡± Something caught her attention on the floor, and she glanced down, away from Alice. ¡°Oh! Here it is!¡±


    The blanket was pulled out from underneath the bed. Her mother tutted as she pulled a couple of errant leaves from the wool, before laying it over Alice carefully. She tucked her in and kissed her forehead. ¡°No bedtime story tonight. You just get some rest.¡±


    ¡°Is Dad ok outside?¡± Alice asked.


    Her mother smoothed Alice¡¯s hair, gently teasing it away from her face. ¡°He¡¯ll be just fine. You make sure that you will be by getting some sleep¡±. She kissed Alice¡¯s forehead once more before heading to the door and switching off the light.


    Alice listened to her mother¡¯s footsteps slowly decreasing in volume as she headed down the stairs. She kept her eyes tightly shut, not trusting herself in her fragile condition to be able to move the blanket to its customary position over her head. She would prefer not to tonight anyway, not after the leaves that had been stuck to it. How had they made it under the bed? The question felt redundant even as she thought it. There was only one realistic cause.


    Nervously, she whispered into the darkness.


    ¡°Are you there?¡±


    The familiar tap tap to indicate yes was felt on her good arm and she breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worried that perhaps her midnight friend had left the house to seek her out, knowing that she was injured. Whether a ghost or a ghoul, she had been concerned that this might cause him problems. She had read books on ghosts at the library, and they all agreed that they were bound to one place. What if he had become unbound and lost forever?


    ¡°Did you see what happened?¡± she asked. A lingering single touch was felt. Not quite a tap, but a sympathetic no.


    ¡°It was awful,¡± she said simply and shivered at the memory. There were no words that seemed to do justice. The blanket was pulled up a little higher around her neck and tucked in once more around her small frame. The kind gesture warmed her heart.


    ¡°Did you open the window?¡± she asked. Tap tap.


    ¡°Did you¡­ go outside?¡± Tap tap.


    She felt guilty at that, though she couldn¡¯t place why. It hadn¡¯t been her fault and yet she worried about the pain it had caused her friend.


    ¡°Were you¡­ looking for me?¡± she asked hesitantly.


    A single tap was felt this time.


    ¡°Then¡­ why?¡± she asked out loud. She was unsurprised by the lack of response her question received. Twenty-one questions again, she thought to herself as she tried to make sense of the information she had so far. Her mind went back to what the neighbour had shouted. Something about his dog. Where is the dog? This realisation curdled her blood.


    ¡°Did you go looking for the dog?¡± she asked. Her heartbeat was rising. It was difficult to speak the words aloud.


    Tap tap.


    ¡°Did you¡­ let the dog out again?¡± she asked, terrified that the beast may be outside threatening others. What if she wasn¡¯t the only one attacked? A single tap this time. Alice breathed a sigh of relief. But then¡­ where is the dog?


    ¡°Did you hurt the dog?¡± she asked. Her voice cracked as she forced out the question.


    A pause. A single tap. Was that guilt or Alice¡¯s imagination? She couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°Is the dog ok?¡± she asked, her concern unabated. There was no answer.


    She refused to be dissuaded and redirected her questioning. ¡°Do you know where the dog is?¡±


    There was a lengthy pause before a single, gentle tap. Alice¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion. Voiceless doubt plagued her. Had she misinterpreted the answers earlier? She realised belatedly that although she knew he had gone looking for the dog, she never confirmed that he found it.


    ¡°Do you know why the dog is missing?¡± she asked tentatively. Tap tap.


    ¡°Was it someone else that did it?¡± she asked, desperate for a yes. The delicate tap on her shoulder to signify a no felt more painful than any knife. It cut Alice to her core and although it had been a long time since she had really felt fear of the darkness, the terror was awakened in her now.


    What did you do? How could you? The questions rose unbidden and felt treacherous, though the true betrayal had not been hers.


    ¡°Do you know where the dog is now?¡± she asked fearfully. The leaves under the bed. What if? The thought seemed too terrible to finish. A single tap brought sweet relief.


    ¡°But you still made the dog¡­ disappear?¡± she continued. Tap tap.


    ¡°Will it come back?¡± she asked. Tap. She clutched at the blanket with her good hand, unsure of what to do or say. She felt overwhelmed. This was so much worse than spitefully taking a necklace. What else can he disappear?


    ¡°I think that it¡¯s time for us to get some sleep,¡± she stated simply. Too exhausted and too upset to wish for an answer to her question. She was answered by a light stroking sensation on her arm.


    Unable to settle her nerves, she began to sing a lullaby that her mother enjoyed singing to her so that she might calm herself.


    ¡°When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother, what will I be? Will I be pretty? Will I be rich? Here¡¯s what she said to me¡­ Que sera sera¡­¡±

 14 - Hello... Is It Me Youre Looking For?

    Jess paced the living room floor angrily. ¡°What are they doing out there?¡± she asked, not for the first time, as the spotlight of a torch briskly leapt across the curtains from outside. It had been about twenty minutes since the officers had arrived.


    ¡°They need to be thorough,¡± Alice answered. She knew the words wouldn¡¯t soothe her friend but ignoring her wouldn¡¯t help either.


    ¡°All they¡¯re doing is checking the gardens¡­ like he¡¯s a damned hedgehog or something. Are they expecting to lift up a plant pot and then Whoops! You got me coppers!¡± she ranted, pulling the curtain away from the window and glaring out into the dark. ¡°They should be checking for CCTV or calling for backup or something. Knocking on neighbours¡¯ doors to see if they saw anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they know what they¡¯re doing,¡± Alice replied, unable to keep the worry from her tone.


    ¡°Pfffft,¡± was Jess¡¯s response as she waved a hand as though fanning away the noxious idea.


    Alice rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not a TV show, Jess. They can¡¯t just kick down Doris¡¯s door just because you saw a face at the window,¡± she chided her friend.


    ¡°That¡¯s what they¡¯d like you to think. Everyone knows that they can just bust in shouting about probable cause,¡± Jess retorted.


    Alice pulled herself up from the sofa and joined Jess at the window. The blanket was draped snuggly around her shoulders but the slithering feeling of the cold seemed to etch itself into her bones as she peered out into the night. She knew that Jess had always been distrustful of the police, but she couldn¡¯t shake the nagging feeling that maybe her judgement was correct this time. They were taking a long time out there but didn¡¯t seem to be doing very much. The frequent swings of the light across the curtains showed that they hadn¡¯t strayed far from the garden. What criminal is going to stick around when they know they¡¯ve been spotted? She thought. Worse still, what if he¡¯s watching from a distance until they leave?


    Alice winced as the light from the torch passed the window once more, the brightness stinging her eyes in the process.


    ¡°Amateurs,¡± hissed Jess. Her nose was wrinkled in distaste. Alice was inclined to agree by this point. The scene reminded her of ridiculous hunters on the search for Bigfoot, trampling their way haphazardly through the wilderness whilst scaring off anything that might be living in a three-mile radius.


    ¡°I bet they don¡¯t even believe us,¡± Jess continued in a clipped tone, ¡°probably don¡¯t even give a shit.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± said Alice gently, ¡°They wouldn¡¯t be here if they didn¡¯t believe us. Would they?¡±


    ¡°Then why are they just walking backwards and forwards. Stevie Wonder could do a better job of searching at this rate,¡± Jess muttered, waving a frustrated hand at the window. Alice couldn¡¯t help but snicker at this suggestion.


    ¡°Or that other guy; Lionel Richie,¡± Jess continued.


    Still snickering, Alice turned to her friend bemused. ¡°Why Lionel Richie?¡±


    ¡°Because of that song he did,¡± Jess replied, looking to Alice with a confused frown.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°What song?¡±


    ¡°The one where he was blind,¡± she explained further before singing a rough rendition. ¡°Hellooo¡­ Is it me you¡¯re looking for?¡±


    The absurdity of this made Alice laugh out loud. Unperturbed by this response, Jess continued, ¡°I can see it in your eyes. I can see it in your smile. Something something something, and my arms are open wide!¡±


    Still laughing, Alice raised her hands and motioned for her friend to stop. ¡°Lionel Richie wasn¡¯t blind!¡±


    ¡°Of course he was,¡± said Jess dismissively.


    ¡°No, he wasn¡¯t!¡± laughed Alice. The situation outside was momentarily forgotten.


    ¡°There was the video and everything though?¡± questioned Jess with a confused look on her face.


    ¡°Yeah, it was the artist lady that was blind,¡± said Alice, smirking.


    Jess snorted a laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t be a dick. You¡¯re not seriously expecting me to believe that he sat and sang ¡®is it me you¡¯re looking for¡¯ to a blind woman?¡± She crossed her arms with a determined look on her face.


    ¡°You can look it up if you want,¡± said Alice with an amused shrug.


    Jess turned back to the window with a contemplative look on her face. Tiny splashes of rain were starting to hit the window, shimmering in the light like specks of glitter. The officers outside were no longer in sight, leaving only a dismal view of the darkened street in the oncoming rain.


    ¡°They won¡¯t stick around now it¡¯s raining,¡± Jess noted out loud.


    A polite knock on the door seemed to prophesize that this statement would soon be true. The pair walked through to the front door, Jess in front and Alice following nervously behind. The opened door revealed both officers smiling cheerfully.


    ¡°Evening ladies,¡± started the female officer cheerily, ¡°We¡¯ve had a good look around, but we haven¡¯t been able to spot any evidence of suspicious activity in the area. The house looks secure though. No tampering around any entrance points.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d like to ask you two to stay vigilant. Usually, in situations like these, it¡¯s unlikely that people will return. What we¡¯re going to do is we¡¯ll return in the morning to have another look around the property, if that¡¯s alright? A better look during daylight hours just to make sure everything is as it should be,¡± continued the male officer. He was the younger of the two, but still clearly older than both Jess and Alice. He gave them both a friendly reassuring smile.


    Alice timidly nodded her acceptance of the offer. Jess, however, seemed unimpressed.


    ¡°And then what?¡± Jess asked curtly.


    ¡°We noticed that some of your neighbours seem to have CCTV cameras around their properties,¡± the female officer offered, ¡°plus you mentioned that there was a witness at the club who offered to give a statement. If you¡¯re able to provide his number, we can contact him, and we¡¯ll also be able to speak to the club as they should have video footage we can review as well. Provided that they¡¯re willing to share it of course.¡±


    Jess grunted a non-committal response.


    ¡°What happens if he does come back tonight?¡± asked Alice nervously.


    ¡°There will be officers on stand-by all evening. All you need to do is make a call and we¡¯ll be straight back here,¡± the male officer said with a reassuring smile.


    ¡°Keep the doors and windows locked. Don¡¯t answer the door unless you know who¡¯s on the other side and make sure you keep your mobile phones nearby all evening in case of an emergency,¡± the woman added.


    Alice looked to Jess but her friend¡¯s face was expressionless, carefully masking her feelings. Not that she needed to show them as Alice knew full well that her friend would be furious on the inside. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time that either of them had felt let down by the authorities. Alice recognised that this was an unfair judgement, given the current situation. There would be little else that could be done at this late hour, but the lack of action still stung.


    ¡°Thank you both,¡± Alice said meekly with a wan smile.


    The officers nodded an acknowledgement before turning to leave and Alice closed and made sure to lock, the door behind them. When she turned around, Jess started to pad off in the direction of the kitchen, shaking her head with a tight-lipped expression on her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± Alice implored.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Jess replied over her shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± Alice repeated, slightly louder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t need to say it,¡± Jess called back as she reached the doorway, ¡°You already know I¡¯m thinking it!¡±

 15 - A Man by Another Name

    The next few days seemed to crawl by. A sluggish stream of events that seemed to blur into one uneventful passage of time. True to their word, the officers had returned and taken statements. These came not just from Jess and Alice, but also from neighbours. Alice could only guess at what her neighbours may have offered. The loud music that often erupted from houses on the street could be mistaken for students¡¯ wild antics for anyone unaccustomed to the area. In actuality, it was merely a symptom of worsening hearing due to old age and an unwavering resistance to modern technology, including hearing aids.


    One blessing that Alice was thankful for was that she wasn¡¯t expected to return to work until the following week. She had requested only a day or two of respite but upon hearing her ordeal, her line manager had insisted that she take extra time off. The luxury of working for a small family-run business. Accounting wasn¡¯t exciting, by any stretch of the imagination, but any perk was better than no perks.


    Jess had remained at Alice¡¯s home throughout. Her presence was both uplifting and chaotic, like a hurricane that howled song lyrics and brought audacious offerings of pizza, cake, and experimental non-alcoholic cocktails. Normally, this would be considered an unusual choice by anyone who knew Jess well. Alice could only assume that Jess had reconsidered her drinking patterns in favour of sobriety in order to stay alert to the danger that seemed to loom in every shadow around the house.


    The smell of baking chocolate wafted through the house. A bitter shadow of burning chased the sweet scent. Jess, for all her efforts, had never been an accomplished chef.


    ¡°I think they¡¯re burning, Jess,¡± Alice called through the house. She continued to scroll through the videos and updates on her phone as she waited for a response. When there seemed to be no answer or movement, she sighed and walked to the door to call out again. ¡°Jess. The cookies are burning.¡±


    Tendrils of worries and doubts began to tickle. The house was too quiet and much too still.


    ¡°Jess! Can you hear me?¡± She called out, louder this time. Music was loudly playing upstairs, an upbeat indie rock band that seemed to feature often on her friend¡¯s playlist. Was it drowning out her voice? If so, why couldn¡¯t she hear Jess? No singing, no dancing, no movement could be heard from where Alice stood. The house felt eerily empty, save for her.


    The sound of the front door opening put Alice into an instant fight or flight response. Without realising, she lifted her phone as though she might use it as a weapon, spinning to face the intruder.


    She relaxed at the sight of Jess¡¯s startled expression. One which was quickly replaced by a guilty one.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Jess apologised, ¡°I should probably have told you that I had nipped out.¡±


    ¡°Where were you?¡± asked Alice, concerned now. If her friend had simply left the house without her noticing, what else may have slipped under her radar? More importantly, how long had the door been left unlocked?


    Seeming to sense Alice¡¯s fraying nerves, Jess gave a wry smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I wasn¡¯t out long, and the door never left my sight.¡± She locked the door behind her and tested the handle as though proving her competency. Without warning, a look of panic spread across her face and she darted past Alice towards the kitchen.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I was looking for you. I think your cookies are burning,¡± Alice called after her. She gave a distrusting final look at the locked door, as though it might seek to betray them, before padding through to where she assumed Jess to be.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    As she walked, Jess¡¯s voice called back in an annoyed tone, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you save them if you smelled them first?¡±


    Alice rounded the doorframe to see Jess frantically waving a kitchen towel over the cookies. The kitchen smelled much more strongly of smoke but there was no haze of smog in the air. The cookies themselves were a dark colour, clearly burnt on top.


    ¡°I was more worried about you than those,¡± she answered, pointing to the cookies, ¡°I shouted twice but you didn¡¯t answer.¡±


    Jess said nothing, instead, she inspected the cookies at a cautionary distance.


    ¡°They might be ok. Cocoa can go a bit dark before tasting really burnt, can¡¯t it?¡± Alice offered gingerly.


    ¡°They¡¯re not double chocolate,¡± Jess answered with a deflated sigh. ¡°They were supposed to be vanilla choc chip.¡±


    Alice grimaced. So much for her attempts at raising Jess¡¯s spirits. Rather than putting her foot in her mouth again, she opted to return to the previous topic. The need to know why Jess had been out of range was still gnawing at her insides.


    ¡°You still didn¡¯t answer my question. Where did you go?¡± she asked. She avoided eye contact with Jess, attempting to appear casual, but she suspected that Jess would see through her act. They had been friends for far too long for such subterfuge to work.


    ¡°I just took the pizza boxes out. The guy across the road was out front though. He was asking how you are,¡± Jess replied. Her attention was still mostly on the cookies. She had retrieved a spatula and was attempting to lift one from the greased parchment with difficulty. ¡°He said that the police hadn¡¯t been back for his CCTV footage.¡±


    ¡°I can understand why,¡± said Alice, smiling slightly.


    Jess paused her extraction process to look at Alice with a bemused expression. A raised eyebrow requested more information.


    Alice obliged. ¡°He¡¯s got three cameras on the outside of his property and all of them point at his greenhouse.¡±


    ¡°What the fuck is he growing? Weed?¡±


    Alice laughed, ¡°Not even close.¡± She paused while Jess lifted the freed cookie and tentatively sniffed it. ¡°Apparently, he grows prize-winning cucumbers.¡±


    Jess snorted a laugh as she threw down the hazardous smelling cookie. ¡°Why are your neighbours all so weird? It¡¯s honestly like the twilight zone out there but with people in their twilight years.¡±


    ¡°His wife supports it so¡­¡± Alice broke off and shrugged.


    Jess snorted another laugh. ¡°I¡¯m sure she does,¡± she replied, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.


    With an exaggerated grimace, Alice waved away the lewd suggestion but seemed only to fuel Jess.


    ¡°He¡¯s still got enough hair to be considered a silver fox,¡± Jess continued with a smirk.


    ¡°They¡¯re in their 70s, Jess,¡± said Alice, shaking her head. She couldn¡¯t hide the smile on her face though.


    Jess sighed in a wistful way. ¡°I know. Imagine being able to retire with your own Christian Grey and an endless supply of prize-winning cucumbers. If that isn¡¯t the secret to a long and happy life, I don¡¯t know what is.¡±


    It was a ridiculous sounding scenario, but Alice had to admit; her friend had a point. The words ¡®different strokes for different folks¡¯ came to mind.


    Their shared reverie was broken by a firm rap on the front door.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Mr Grey that you¡¯re not interested in the threesome with his wife then¡­ yeah?¡± Jess joked as she made her way to the front door.


    Alice hung back as the door was opened, just out of sight. She didn¡¯t expect it to be anything ominous, but they couldn¡¯t afford to be complacent. She listened in on the conversation and realised that it was the two officers that had visited them previously. Their tone was sombre and serious. Not a good sign.


    ¡°Alice,¡± called out Jess, ¡°We need you up here.¡±


    She was hesitant, but Alice couldn¡¯t refuse. The tension at the door was palpable. Jess gave her a sympathetic smile and offered her a hand to hold. Not a good sign.


    ¡°Miss Shepherd. We were hoping that we might be able to ask you a few more questions,¡± stated the female officer politely.


    Alice reached for Jess¡¯s offered hand and clutched it tightly. ¡°Did you find some more information about the guy?¡± she asked nervously.


    ¡°Unfortunately, no. These questions are relating to a man named Justin Crossley. He¡¯s been reported by his family as a missing person. We have reason to suspect that he may be the man that you referred to as Austin in your previous statement. May we come in?¡± the officer explained, her voice calm and sympathetic.


    ¡°Shit,¡± said Jess under her breath as she squeezed Alice¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Not this again.¡±

 16 - Perfume and Parties

    ¡°Do we have to?¡± Alice whined. She clutched at the ruffled skirt of her party dress, painstakingly avoiding making eye contact with her own reflection in the mirror.


    ¡°You look fine,¡± her mother dismissively replied in an exasperated tone. Her focus was elsewhere. A mascara brush deftly swept across her eyelashes as Alice watched on.


    The words didn¡¯t alleviate Alice¡¯s worries. Her eyes flickered towards the mirror once more, catching a quick glimpse of her pigtailed blonde locks. Alice hated pigtails. She hated the pouty look on her face as well.


    ¡°But, what if-¡°she started to say before her mother cut her question short.


    ¡°No buts,¡± her mother warned, lowering the mascara brush to fix Alice with a stern expression. ¡°You can take your blanket and your book. Just find a quiet corner and read.¡±


    Alice scowled darkly as her mother returned to applying her makeup. She pulled a red lipstick from the drawer beside her, eyes flitting between her own reflection and that of Alice.


    ¡°Come on now, Alice. It¡¯s a birthday dinner, not an execution,¡± her mother said. The words were gentle, but Alice knew that there was no room for argument on the subject. She remained silent and, for her mother¡¯s sake, tried to maintain a neutral expression.


    Alice wasn¡¯t sure why it felt like such a bad idea to go. She had an inkling. An insidious feeling like a dark shadow twisting its way through the recesses of her mind. The problem wasn¡¯t the event itself as Alice had suffered through numerous ¡®parties¡¯. The idea that adults even considered them a party seemed laughable. All they seemed to do was sit around and talk to each other. That and drink alcohol, which Alice also didn¡¯t understand. She had been offered a sip of red wine at a previous dinner by her tipsy Aunt and had leapt at the opportunity to feel grown and accepted as a peer rather than just a child. She had, however, instantly regretted the decision as soon as the burgundy liquid touched her lips. The tartness of the liquid made her face pucker as though she had bitten down on a lemon. Her Aunt had assured her that it was an ¡®acquired taste¡¯ and that she would change her mind as she got older. Alice hoped that it wouldn¡¯t be necessary. After all, why on Earth would anyone repeat the experience?


    No, the real cause of concern for Alice was the location. More specifically, the hosts of the party at the occasion. Alice had been delighted when she was told that her grandfather would be having a small party to celebrate his birthday with family. A pit of cold ice had quickly developed in her stomach when she had learned that it was to be hosted at her aunt and uncle¡¯s house.


    The aunt was likeable enough. She was a quiet, reserved lady that was always soft-spoken around Alice. They had rarely spent time together before the injury that Alice had sustained when attacked by the dog. It was during her recovery afterwards, that they had spent quiet afternoons together at her aunt¡¯s home while Alice¡¯s parents worked.


    Alice¡¯s uncle was a different story. He was anything but quiet and reserved. Truthfully, Alice had always been a little afraid of him and as she got older, his criticisms of her only seemed to become sharper and more withering.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    When first sitting with her aunt, Alice had been delighted when offered the opportunity to learn embroidery. Her Aunt¡¯s clothes were adorned with beautiful flowers and petals that seemed to grow from within the fabric itself. Some pieces even sported iridescent sequins in all manner of colours. Her Aunt had promised that, with time and patience, Alice would learn how to embroider all these patterns herself using only coloured thread and a needle.


    It was during one of these blissful sessions that her uncle had come in, only to shout angrily at Alice. She had been sitting on the edge of the sofa. The doctor had requested that she should keep her leg elevated if sitting for prolonged periods of time and so her aunt had instructed her to rest her foot on the coffee table while she worked. Alice had been so engrossed in the fiddly work that she hadn¡¯t even realised that her uncle had entered the room, let alone noticed the irate expression on his face.


    ¡°What on Earth do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± he had roughly barked. The shock of his volume had caused Alice to prick herself with the needle and she sat paralysed by his words.


    ¡°In my house, you will respect my rules!¡± he then bellowed. Fearful, Alice had cried at those words. She hadn¡¯t been sure then of which rules she had apparently broken. She had merely been sitting in the space that was allocated to her, working quietly.


    Her aunt had rushed into the room at that point. Although she had explained why Alice was sitting with her foot resting upon the table, her uncle remained unimpressed. He scowled darkly at Alice for the remainder of the day.


    Alice had continued to feel uncomfortable around her uncle. She had never enjoyed his company prior but had always felt as though she were furniture in her uncle¡¯s eyes. Merely background noise to be overlooked until she was deemed old enough to have an opinion.


    Her mother finished applying her makeup and, happy with the final result, turned to Alice.


    ¡°You can wear a little, if you want?¡± she offered with a smile. An olive branch in the form of a tube of lipstick.


    Alice pouted. Not because she didn¡¯t appreciate the offer, but because she wanted to wear the lipstick but was afraid to. The innocent pop of colour might be just another string to her uncle¡¯s bow. A weapon designed to slice deeply into her self-esteem.


    She gave a quick shake of her head to indicate her response. Her mother watched her for a moment and Alice was worried that she might have to explain herself. Thankfully, no such questions came, and her mother turned her attention to the bottles of perfume instead. She liberally spritzed her neck and wrists before offering the golden vial towards Alice.


    Alice¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Can I?¡± she asked, awed.


    Her mother smiled warmly. ¡°Don¡¯t tell your father,¡± she whispered conspiratorially.


    Alice grinned and took the precious vial with glee. Though she was often offered her mother¡¯s body sprays and cheaper perfumes, she had never been granted permission to use her mother¡¯s special perfume. It was an anniversary gift, and an expensive one at that. Alice had no idea how much the sacred scent had cost, but her father had lamented frequently at the price when he thought that both Alice and her mother were out of earshot.


    She sprayed the scent on her neck and then on her wrists as her mother had done before inhaling the scent deeply. Spices and exotic mysteries. The delicious aroma made her think of Jasmine, the Disney princess. It wasn¡¯t flowery and sweet like most of the other perfumes she was accustomed to.


    Her mother moved to stand and kissed Alice on the forehead as she did so. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s see if he¡¯s finished wrestling with his tie yet,¡± she said with a smile, leading Alice from the room.

 17 - An Unfavourable Favour

    The gathering at her uncle¡¯s house was larger than Alice had anticipated. Smoke hung thickly in the air, clinging to the inside of her nostrils, and invading her lungs. A great number of her aunts and uncles most regularly. The scene of adults at various heights on different seats often reminded of her of old Victorian paintings. Each person representing another building huffing plumes of smoke in the wizened cityscape.


    She had, so far, avoided her uncle. Her aunt had opened the door to greet them, and it was far busier inside than the supposed ¡®evening meal¡¯ that was described. Alice couldn¡¯t imagine how any of them would be able to sit in a single room to eat, never mind a single table.


    She had tried to evade the worst of the smoke and noise by sitting on the bottom step to read, but people continued to walk past her and jostled her as they did so. Each new person that spotted her would strike up a similar conversation.


    ¡°My word, look how big you¡¯ve grown!¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you grown tall? And still reading, I see?¡±


    ¡°Good book? I remember reading to you when you were just a little tyke.¡±


    Alice would nod politely to each one, agreeing and making polite conversation until they stumbled past to continue up towards the vacant bathroom. She patiently endured, mindful that leaving her spot would inevitably lead to further intrusion by well-meaning family members. Eventually, her rumbling stomach could no longer be ignored, and she left the relative safety of the stairs to seek out her parents.


    Her mother was the first to be spotted, nestled in between several other women like a gaggle of hens in a roost. Her face lit up when she noticed that Alice had appeared at the doorway. She beckoned her towards the group with a hand that held a half-empty glass of red wine. Her other hand held a cigarette resolutely still.


    Her approach caused the gaggle to croon and coo. Waves of embarrassment flooded her as she stood before them awkwardly. Her hands grasped at the pleats of her dress and she wished that she hadn¡¯t decided to leave her blanket at home.


    ¡°There you are!¡± announced her mother, as though she wasn¡¯t aware of Alice¡¯s preferred hiding spot during these events. ¡°Aren¡¯t we lucky! All the family from Lancashire have come over to surprise Grandad too!¡±


    ¡°Look at you, Alice. You¡¯ve got so big!¡± one of the older women added.


    ¡°And so pretty as well,¡± commented an elderly lady to Alice¡¯s left with a wink.


    ¡°The spit of her mother,¡± said the heavyset woman beside her mother as she laid a hand on her mother¡¯s arm, smiling warmly.


    Alice said nothing but could feel the heat rising in her cheeks.


    Alice¡¯s mother introduced her to each of the women in turn. When she introduced the heavyset woman as Julie, Julie waved her hand in a shooing motion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± she interrupted. ¡°You remember me, don¡¯t you Alice?¡± she asked with an expectant smile.


    ¡°Stop mithering, Julie,¡± chided the elderly woman. ¡°You can¡¯t expect the poor bairn to remember. She was still in nappies, for Heaven¡¯s sake.¡±


    Julie pouted, clearly hurt by the statement. It seemed ridiculous that an adult would be bothered by such a small thing, but she had Alice¡¯s sympathy.


    ¡°Of course I remember you, Auntie Julie,¡± Alice confirmed, despite having no idea who this sweet woman was or whether they were even related by blood. Then, taking a leap of faith, ¡°You used to read to me when I was little.¡±


    Julie¡¯s beaming smile could have competed with the sun rising. She gushed with joy both to Alice and the women around her. ¡°Isn¡¯t she a good girl? I knew that she¡¯d remember me.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Alice¡¯s mother flashed her a knowing wink whilst Julie¡¯s attention was focused away from her. It made Alice grin, especially as she was feeling more at ease now that the women were clucking amongst themselves. This was despite the fact that much of their talk was still about her. It was easier to feel detached from the conversation when they were regaling tales from her infancy. Something which, despite her white lie, Alice certainly didn¡¯t remember.


    A rumble from her stomach casually reminded Alice of why she had sought out her mother to start with.


    ¡°When are we eating?¡± she asked quietly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a buffet, Sweetheart. You can help yourself in the kitchen. Food¡¯s all laid out,¡± her mother replied before drinking deeply from her glass. ¡°Take this to your father. Ask him for a top-up, please,¡± she added, holding out the glass for Alice to take.


    With a nod, Alice left for the kitchen. The glass wasn¡¯t quite empty so she kept it clasped to her chest in fear that someone might knock it from her hands. Though even with an errant bump, she felt sure that there was too little to actually spill.


    Raucous male laughter erupted from the kitchen as she approached, and her nose scrunched with displeasure. Her uncle could be heard, braying loudly, amid the noise. All appetite that she had immediately abandoned her. Alas, the near-empty glass remained in her hand, and she knew that she couldn¡¯t return without fulfilling her mother¡¯s request. Besides, her father was in the kitchen too. Surely her uncle would be unwise to make any of his usual foul comments in his presence?


    Hesitantly, she peered around the corner, still hoping that she might be able to creep in unnoticed. Disappointingly, her father was at the far end of the room. Worse, he was standing shoulder to shoulder with her uncle as well.


    Her heart twisted as she approached as it was her uncle that spotted her first. He nudged her father, then pointed in her direction.


    ¡°There she is now. Without her blanket. Will wonders never cease?¡± her uncle commented dryly before taking a swig from the can of beer in his hand. Alice¡¯s mother called them ¡®louts¡¯ when they were people from other families. She wondered if other people pointed out her uncle as a lout when he stood making unwelcome comments at passers-by with alcohol in hand.


    Pointedly refusing to acknowledge her uncle¡¯s remark, she handed the near-empty glass to her father. ¡°Mum asked if you¡¯d be able to top her up. I can take it through for her.¡±


    ¡°Glad to see your wife is teaching her good manners,¡± commented her uncle sardonically.


    Her father chuckled and shook his head wryly as he reached for the offered glass. ¡°Ignore him, Pumpkin. Nothing but a bad-tempered old goat since his team lost the game.¡±


    Alice forced a wan smile.


    ¡°Surprised that she¡¯s not all dolled up. Feels like they all want to grow up too fast with makeup and short skirts,¡± her uncle said. ¡°Though Alice won¡¯t want to show off her pins, will she?¡±


    The hairs on Alice¡¯s neck prickled angrily and she gritted her teeth. What business did he have deciding what she should and shouldn¡¯t wear? He wasn¡¯t even bothered about her leg when it happened.


    ¡°Let her alone. She¡¯s still just a girl,¡± her father responded gruffly. Alice took comfort in the was that he seemed equally as disgusted by this line of questioning by her uncle as she did.


    ¡°Though, to be fair, you wouldn¡¯t even know anything had happened unless you were really looking for it,¡± her father then informed him smugly. ¡°Show him, Pumpkin,¡± he asked Alice with enthusiasm.


    So much for fatherly support. Alice could think of nothing that she wished to do less, but she acquiesced her father¡¯s request. Grudgingly, she lifted her skirt to just above her knee and awkwardly thrust her leg slightly in her uncle¡¯s direction. She wasn¡¯t expecting him to dip suddenly and grab her calf. The feel of his fingers on her warm flesh made her skin crawl. Like slugs clinging to her skin, they were cold and faintly wet from the condensation of the can he held. Alice felt locked in place, as though his grip had severed her control of her limbs, paralysing, and preventing her escape.


    ¡°Got to thank those doctors. Miracle workers really,¡± agreed her father, oblivious to her discomfort.


    Her uncle let go, but the feeling of unease remained.


    ¡°Why not leave her here with us next weekend? Save you finding a sitter,¡± he asked her father. Alice balked at both the sudden change in topic as well as the offer itself. Why would she ever want, or need, to sleep over?


    Her father laughed. ¡°She¡¯s 12. Practically a young woman now. She can manage an evening on her own.¡±


    ¡°A second ago, she was just a girl,¡± her uncle replied with a smirk.


    Alice didn¡¯t like the direction that this conversation was heading in. She didn¡¯t like the tone her uncle used when he described her as ¡®just¡¯ a girl. She especially didn¡¯t like the way that they just talked about her while she was standing right there.


    Her father seemed to ignore her uncle¡¯s snide comment.


    ¡°Would that be alright with you, Pumpkin?¡± her father asked her with a concerned look on his face. ¡°Just for the night so me and your mother can head out for our anniversary?¡±


    Alice wanted to tell her father exactly what she thought of the idea. She wanted to stamp her feet and storm from the room. She wanted to tell the whole room that she¡¯d rather eat dirt.


    All that she managed to say was, ¡°That¡¯ll be fine, Dad.¡±

 18 - Fitful Dreams

    Alice was dropped off at her aunt and uncle¡¯s house with barely a backward glance in her direction. She watched her parents excitedly climb back into the car with a face that was flat and expressionless.


    Her aunt waved from the doorway as the car pulled away before ushering Alice inside. She followed her aunt in without comment, with her blanket in her arms and her backpack holding things that she deemed essential for surviving the night. Her plan was to make her excuses early and then spend the evening reading in bed. A torch, carefully hidden between the folds of her pyjamas, had been prepared earlier in the day for this purpose.


    On entering the building, Alice realised that her uncle wasn¡¯t currently home. His chair in the living room was empty and her aunt¡¯s music was playing softly in the kitchen, something which she had learned to recognise early as being a positive sign. Alice wasn¡¯t much of a Rod Stewart fan, but she couldn¡¯t fathom having to live with someone so grouchy that they wouldn¡¯t even let you play your own music every once in a while.


    ¡°Your uncle is going to be out for most of the evening,¡± her aunt said as she walked through the house. There was the smell of baking in the air and her aunt seemed more chipper than usual, even giving a little dancing wiggle as she headed towards the kitchen.


    ¡°I thought we might be able to watch a movie or something,¡± she added from the next room. ¡°Have a little girl¡¯s night in.¡±


    Alice smiled. Perhaps tonight wouldn¡¯t be so bad after all.


    Her aunt returned to the living room carrying a silver tray laden with biscuits and two generous slices of chocolate cake on individual plates. Alice eyed them suspiciously. She had been expecting a meal, but not one that was quite as sugary as this.


    ¡°Go on now. You get comfortable. That blanket of yours is ideal for a movie night,¡± her aunt said, fussing over the layout of the biscuits on the tray. She finally set the tray still on the coffee table before looking up at Alice¡¯s bemused face. Her aunt blushed slightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell your mother,¡± she warned, then gave an impish smile.


    Alice couldn¡¯t help but giggle as she gladly leaned in for a slice of cake. She couldn¡¯t recall ever seeing her aunt look so¡­ girlish? She realised guiltily that as soon as her leg had healed sufficiently enough that she no longer needed daily supervision, she had stopped coming over entirely. Perhaps her aunt had enjoyed her quiet company more than she had realised.


    ¡°Now, you¡¯re going to need something to wash that down with,¡± her aunt continued. ¡°Tea or hot chocolate?¡±


    Alice smiled nervously. Abashed, but emboldened by her aunt¡¯s cheeriness, she asked, ¡°Are there any marshmallows?¡±


    ¡°Hot chocolate it is,¡± her aunt answered in a gleeful tone. ¡°Do you want cream too?¡± she asked over her shoulder as she headed towards the kitchen.


    ¡°Yes please!¡± Alice called out before settling onto the soft sofa. She carefully set aside her cake and pulled her blanket out from her bag. Once nestled comfortably in the many folds of fabric, she set her cake back upon her knee and tasted the frosting. The light airiness of the sugary cream melted deliciously on her tongue. As it did, the last of Alice¡¯s nervous tension seemed to melt from her shoulders with it.


    She wondered idly, which movie would her aunt have chosen for this evening? Had she even decided upon a film? Her aunt had a particular fondness for old black and white movies, especially romances. The various plots rarely interested Alice, but the novelty of them always piqued her interest. It always felt as though they were watching something otherworldly and uniquely special. Almost as though she were duty-bound to watch them in their entirely, lest they be lost in history forever.


    She prodded once more at the frosting of her cake, scooping a little onto the end of her finger before sucking it clean. The cake tormented her, begging her to be eaten. Alice knew that her aunt wouldn¡¯t be bothered if she did begin to eat before she returned, but it felt sacrilege to start without her.


    Luckily, the softly playing music in the kitchen fell to silence shortly afterwards. Her aunt returned with a second tray with two cups upon it; one proudly topped with a generous amount of whipped cream and mini marshmallows, whilst the other was a more reserved cup of black tea.


    ¡°I¡¯ve chosen a slightly different film this evening,¡± her aunt explained as she carefully placed the cups on wooden coasters that she retrieved from a drawer within the coffee table itself.


    ¡°Thank you, Auntie,¡± Alice said as the hot chocolate was placed before her.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re not one for romances and whatnot, so I¡¯ve chosen one that¡¯s a bit more¡­ exciting,¡± her aunt further explained.


    Alice smiled. The last time that her aunt had said they would watch something more exciting, they had watched ¡°Seven Brides for Seven Brothers¡±. A far cry from ¡°Die Hard¡± and other action movies that her father preferred.


    The pair settled in the living room to watch the movie which, unsurprisingly, turned out to be in black and white. The credits read as ¡°Gaslights¡± and, despite herself, Alice was quickly engrossed. A shady ¡®gentleman¡¯ marrying a woman for her money and convincing her that she was going mad.


    Each scene was punctuated by her aunt hissing her distaste. ¡°Ohh, that dastardly man. He¡¯s a wrong ¡®un¡±.


    It was only as the movie ended that Alice realised that she was still nursing a half-full cup of now cold chocolate. She guiltily gulped down a few mouthfuls, not wanting to appear wasteful. She caught her aunt¡¯s eye and to her relief, her aunt merely laughed.


    ¡°Oh sweetheart, you don¡¯t want to be drinking that. It¡¯ll be like ice by now!¡± she gently chided Alice as she gathered up the used plates and her own cup onto the stacked trays. ¡°You pass it over now, I¡¯ll make us a fresh one,¡± she added.


    ¡°I can help,¡± said Alice, rising from her seat, ¡°if that¡¯s ok?¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright then¡±, replied her aunt with a mischievous smile. ¡°Since you¡¯re twisting my arm, you can wash the plates while I make the drinks. Deal?¡±


    It was as Alice was drying the dishes that the night took a turn for the worst. The front door audibly slammed shut. The unexpected noise seemed to rattle the house and both Alice and her aunt startled like birds at the noise of a cat.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Where you at?¡± called out his gruff voice. His tone sounded accusatory, as though he were already disappointed that the pair of them were not ready and in awe of his arrival.


    ¡°We¡¯re through in the kitchen,¡± called out Alice¡¯s aunt pleasantly. She reached to retrieve an extra cup from the cupboard beside her as she called out, ¡°I¡¯m making tea, Dear. Would you like one?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Alice¡¯s nose wrinkled at his abrupt response. A word came to mind that she wouldn¡¯t dare utter in front of her mother; what an arsehole.


    When the pair of them returned to the living room, this time each carefully cradling their own drinks, they found Alice¡¯s uncle had taken control of the TV. Horse racing played on the screen but muted. The scenes playing seemed brutal and utterly unnecessary without the ecstatic sounds of the commentator overlaid. The whipping movements of the jockeys and foaming mouths of the horses conveyed no joy in Alice¡¯s eyes.


    Her uncle¡¯s eyes narrowed as he tilted his head to view her. At first, Alice assumed that his ire was focused on her painted fingernails. It was impossible to hide them now without spilling the hot chocolate that she gingerly held.


    ¡°She¡¯ll get fat,¡± he finally grunted, before turning his attention back to the moving screen.


    ¡°A bit of sugar will do her no harm as a treat,¡± her aunt offered as a soft rebuttal. Alice¡¯s uncle offered no acknowledgement to show that he had even heard her.


    Alice tiptoed as silently as she could around the back of the sofa to sit on the far end, leaving as much space between herself and her uncle as possible. She cursed her luck of being laden with a fresh drink, especially one that was still too hot to take more than tentative sips from. Her earlier plan of escaping to the guest room would simply have to wait a short while longer.


    Oppressive silence descended on the room. Neither her aunt nor uncle spoke a word. The tense atmosphere made Alice want to curl up within herself. Her aunt simply sat with her usual blank smile upon her face. The smile that Alice hated. The smile that never seemed to reach her eyes.


    It felt like an age had passed before Alice was finally able to finish the chocolate. It stuck in her throat and the sugary goodness that she had enjoyed before seemed sickly sweet now. She rose quietly from her seat and her aunt glanced over with a look that seemed full of concern. Her worried wrinkled quickly soothed when she realised that Alice had merely finished her drink.


    ¡°Pass that over, sweetheart,¡± Alice¡¯s aunt asked as she began to rise from her seat. Her uncle grunted disdainfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Auntie,¡± Alice reassured her. Her eyes flickered towards her uncle and she gave her aunt a brief smile in the form of a forced tug at the corners of her mouth. She wondered briefly if her smile looked as fake as her aunt¡¯s did. The idea twisted her stomach and she turned away, heading towards the kitchen whilst trying to avoid any further eye contact.


    Alice eyed the clock in the kitchen as she washed and dried her cup. It was almost nine o¡¯clock. Easily late enough that she could make her excuses and escape to the peaceful sanctity of her designated room. She¡¯d even have enough time to read before getting tired. She needed something to work the anxiety out of her system. The awkwardness of the living room had her feeling rattled.


    She carefully returned the cup to the cupboard where it belonged and padded through to the living room. At the doorway, she paused, rehearsing the words in her head before clearing her throat.


    ¡°If it¡¯s alright¡­ I¡¯m feeling a bit tired,¡± she asked quietly. Her aunt turned to face her, but her uncle seemingly remained indifferent. ¡°Would it be OK if I headed up to bed?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The bed is all made up for you,¡± her aunt said with a nod.


    Alice gingerly approached her uncle to grab her bag that lay nearby him and forced herself to walk at a sensible speed up the stairs. The urge to run, whipped into action by the callousness of her uncle was overwhelming and once more she felt a stab of pity for the horses that played on the screen.


    The box room that she called hers was small, but sufficient for her needs. There was a wardrobe in the corner that was rarely used, and a small radiator squeezed by the foot of the single bed. The radiator sometimes clanked and groaned in the night. A condition that her aunt had described as ¡®the old bones of the house resting¡¯. Alice could overlook the noise for the small gift of heat that it offered her toes if she wiggled down into the bedcovers at night.


    The duvet on the bed, patterned with lurid paisley that seemed to defy fading despite its age, was thrown back and replaced with her old thick blanket. Alice quickly changed from her day clothes into more comfortable shorts and tee that served as her pyjamas. The book, and torch, were pulled from their hiding place with reverence and Alice gleefully hit the light switch before curling up in the bedcovers.


    She could have read for hours if undisturbed. Here and there, she would read the story aloud so that her nightly companion might also enjoy the story. The escapist and dramatic stories unfolding before her were better than any movies on a screen. Tonight, she cheered on Reepicheep the musketeer mouse whilst still straining her ears for the tell-tale sounds of feet ascending the stairs. Her aunt generally would not disturb her unless she caught sight of the torchlight beneath the door or overheard her words.


    When, at last, the dreaded signal came, Alice turned off the torch and decided that she too would sleep. The book was good, but the hour was late. She was sure that she would be tired the next day and then there would be questions, if not a full-blown interrogation from her parents.


    The torch and book were slid under her pillow, and she felt sheets being gently tucked in around her, sealing her from the outside world that lay beyond the covers.


    Water in the bathroom flowed and the sounds of her aunt and uncle moving between their bedroom and the bathroom caused the floorboards to creak accusingly. They seemed to take an age and Alice lay quiet, waiting for the house to become still so that she might attempt to sleep.


    When the house did finally silence, Alice was disappointed to find that sleep did not come as easily as she had hoped. She tossed and turned uncomfortably, as though she might find the answer in a different posture.


    Eventually she decided to attempt to recite the words from songs that she knew, singing them in her head. If her mind didn¡¯t want to switch off, she may as well think of something pleasant rather than stewing in her own annoyance. That was until a small noise outside her bedroom caught her attention.


    She worried for a moment that perhaps her companion had gone to stretch their legs, or whatever appendages he might have. She still had not seen him, nor was she entirely sure whether it was indeed a ¡®he¡¯. She knew that he didn¡¯t sleep, but the question of gender had perplexed him entirely.


    The blanket twitched around her, confirming that she was not alone in the room.


    So, who was outside at such an hour?


    The muffled noise of the door handle turning seemed to echo around the room and Alice lay prone on the bed. She didn¡¯t dare move. Who would enter? Was it a burglar?


    Minutes ticked by and still, Alice remained statue like. The effort of keeping her breathing slow despite her panic was causing her to sweat. Her teeth were clamped, jaws tense, as was most of her body as she lay waiting for a noise or any indication of who the looming presence at her door was.


    Was it another being like her friend?


    The sound of a floorboard indignantly creaking at the door made her assume otherwise. The blanket tightened around her on the side nearest the door, causing an opening to appear on the side of her nearest the wall. This was new behaviour. The realisation alarmed her enough that she found no relief in the cool air that was now offered for her lungs.


    More time passed. More than scant minutes. Perhaps more than fifteen minutes. Not a long time during the day, but impossibly long in the darkness. Too long to lay in fear.


    ¡°What on Earth are you doing?¡± quietly hissed an angry woman¡¯s voice from beyond her room. A shouty whisper as Alice¡¯s mother would call it.


    ¡°Checking on her,¡± whispered a man at the doorway. No, not just a man. Her Uncle. The realisation caused Alice to seethe with anger.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Close the door. Now.¡±


    Alice realised now that it was her aunt that was hissing outside. She couldn¡¯t remember ever hearing her aunt when she was angry.


    The door slowly closed and although the whispered continued outside like insects chittering in the night, Alice was no longer able to make out the words. The anger refused to leave her, and it fizzed like an angry beast in her chest.


    How dare he, it raged.


    What right does he think he has? The words bubbled over and over in her mind.


    The room was silent until her internal storm finally brewed and boiled over. With only the darkness to hear her, she uttered only three words.


    ¡°I hate him.¡±

 19 - Things That Go Bump in the Night

    Alice watched her parent¡¯s car drive away once more. Abandoned once again at her aunt and uncle¡¯s home for an overnight stay.


    She hadn¡¯t spoken of what had happened the week before. She hadn¡¯t known what to say about it. Part of her insisted that she should drop the issue entirely. After all, nothing had actually happened. Her uncle had opened the door to check if she was sleeping and her aunt had been annoyed at him ¨C rightfully so! Yet the niggling doubts persisted, worming through her subconscious, and gnawing at her nerves.


    Too late now.


    Without having raised her concerns, she had no reason to deny her parents when they asked if she could stay again this evening. She had pouted and moaned, but her stubbornness was waived as mere childishness. It was easier if she stayed with family, they had assured her. After her next birthday, then she can stay home alone for the evening, they had promised her. Finally, when her sullen attitude had persisted, they had resorted to bribery. She stood on the doorstep with three new hardbacks in her hands. They had felt heavy when she was first given them. They seemed heavier still as the car disappeared around the corner at the end of the street.


    ¡°Come on in, Alice,¡± her aunt beckoned from within the doorway.


    Could Alice refuse? The thought occurred to her that she could try. She could camp in the garden instead of the house. Perhaps she could wander the streets, wrapped in a blanket like some arctic explorer. Better yet, she could be whisked away like some heroine in one of her books. Life was no fun as a muggle.


    Wearily, she turned and entered the house. The sombre note of the door locking behind her caused her to grimace. No music played within the home and the silence seemed to have a life of its own, taunting Alice and stealing away any light or joy that might have entered with her.


    Her uncle sat in the living room. The TV before him flashed images of different sports. Again, the sounds were muted, as though even the celebrations of the crowds were unwelcome in his abode. A drab castellan taxing the masses of their childish delights and doling out cruel punishments in monochrome grey livelihoods.


    ¡°You¡¯re not turning it over when the golf is on,¡± he stated accusingly as she entered the room.


    Alice opened her mouth to reply but thought better of it. The oaf wouldn¡¯t be interested in her words, only that she had opened her mouth to question his.


    ¡°Alice is a reader anyway,¡± her aunt said on her behalf as she busied herself, hanging Alice¡¯s removed coat. ¡°Aren¡¯t you, Sweetheart?¡±


    ¡°Filling her head with nonsense,¡± he grunted in response, eyes firmly on the screen.


    With a tensed jaw, Alice clutched her books to her chest protectively. Any nonsense seemed better than staring at a silent screen.


    ¡°Actually, Alice,¡± her aunt said, tone suddenly switching. ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind, I have a little favour that I¡¯d like to ask.¡± She approached Alice and laid a soft hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got myself into a bit of a pickle. I was wondering if you could help me tidy the skeins of yarn upstairs?¡± she asked gently.


    Without hesitation, Alice nodded. She would have helped her aunt, regardless of the task, but at least this would be that her uncle was out of sight and her hands would be busy.


    She followed her aunt up the stairs, making sure to take her books and bag with her. With any luck, she wouldn¡¯t be expected to return downstairs and could retreat to the guestroom when the tidying was completed. She¡¯d already eaten before her arrival, carefully timed to be as late as possible to avoid any need for snacks. This had been a point of contention with her mother who had prepared a family meal earlier in the day, which was promptly refused, but then reheated later in the evening.


    Once upstairs, her aunt pulled open the hatch to the attic and stepladders were carefully pulled into position. The attic was solely her aunt¡¯s domain and the tasteful decoration within shouted this fact with pride.


    In earthy notes of natural wood and dusky greens, the attic offered a calm environment that seemed perfect for her aunt¡¯s preferred activities. Baskets of unused yarn were neatly stacked against one side while cupboards lined the opposite side offering drawers to store any odds and ends.


    At the far end was a wooden rocking chair that was generously padded. Beside it, a woollen pouffe that had been knitted by her aunt sat as an offering for Alice. She sat upon this, waiting for further instruction while her aunt pulled out one of the baskets of wool.


    It turned out that her aunt truly did have a job at hand, not just an excuse for Alice to flee the oppressive atmosphere downstairs. The basket was teeming with small balls of wool, all of which were too small to start any significant project with. Alice stared into the basket with a puzzled expression. She knew her aunt was against waste, but this seemed excessive. Thankfully her aunt seemed to expect this and chuckled softly.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not expecting miracles,¡± she said warmly as she reached into one of the cupboard drawers beside her. From within it, she withdrew what looked like a misshaped babies¡¯ hat. Alice frowned at the peculiar, multi-coloured item. Everything about it seemed to be haphazard and completely at odds with her aunt¡¯s usual style of knitting. The item was offered, and Alice accepted it with a puzzled expression on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s a nest,¡± her aunt finally explained.


    ¡°A nest?¡± Alice repeated, still confused.


    ¡°For the wildlife centre nearby. They get abandoned birds every year¡­ and other animals of course,¡± her aunt explained further. Alice turned the nest over and a sense of awe spread through her now. The hollow that she mistook for the interior of the hat was indeed like that of a nest. The thick wool would offer both warmth and support and the idea of tiny chicks nestled within it warmed her heart.


    ¡°It¡¯s fiddly when the balls of yarn are so small. Unravelling, then winding, is a tedious job too though,¡± her aunt explained apologetically.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK auntie,¡± said Alice with a smile. ¡°I can help.¡±


    Her aunt was right in that it was a tedious job. She was comforted by the feeling that at least the work had real purpose. There would be real benefits, rather than combining the small balls into multicoloured larger ones simply for ease of storage.


    Her aunt asked her questions about the books that she was reading while they worked, and the time passed more quickly than Alice had expected it to. By the time that it was late enough that her aunt deemed it more appropriate for Alice to go get some sleep, they had a small stack of football sized balls rather than a basket of golf or basketball sized ones.


    ¡°In the morning, can I help you make some nests?¡± Alice asked as she descended the ladder from the attic.


    ¡°Of course. They¡¯re simple enough to make. You¡¯re a clever girl, you probably won''t even need the pattern once you get going,¡± her aunt replied. The words were stated simply, her aunt was not one to patronise, and Alice felt the glow of pride within her chest at the words.


    It took only a short amount of time for Alice to ready herself for sleep and she quickly found herself in bed, curled beneath her blanket and content. Even her initial anxiety seemed to have drained away, after all, her uncle had shown no interest in her beyond their first words. He hadn¡¯t even glanced in her direction when she had retrieved her bag from downstairs, not even when she had wished him, ¡°Goodnight¡±.


    As she lay in the darkness, the blanket around her shuffled; a small flutter here, a small adjustment there. It was tucked around her feet, closer and more tightly than was usual. Clearly, her nightly companion was not feeling quite as relaxed as she was. In order to soothe him, she began to sing a song. She found that a lullaby would often ease her friend¡¯s fidgeting when he was riled up or excitable.


    She hummed through the beginning of the song, not quite sure of the lyrics until she reached the chorus, ¡°You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are grey. You''ll never know dear; how much I love you. Please don''t take my sunshine away.¡±


    The fidgeting continued long after the song was completed, and Alice gave up on a peaceful night¡¯s sleep. The noise of her aunt and uncle outside the door, readying themselves for bed preventing her from questioning her friend to work out the source of his anxiety this evening. His continuous restlessness made her uneasy, as though he warned of an impending danger that she couldn¡¯t see.


    When, at last, her aunt and uncle also went to bed and the lights beneath the door had clicked off, still the flutters continued, mirrored by a fluttering of Alice¡¯s stomach. She lay still, contemplating her options. If she were at home, she could get out of bed and stretch her legs. She could sneak downstairs for a glass of water or a bite to eat. But then, were she at home, she supposed that her companion would not be so perturbed.


    Alice was so engrossed in her thoughts that, at first, she did not notice the intruder in the room. A sudden, silent weight around her pulled her from her thoughts, like a protector standing above her. The atmosphere felt thick enough to cut with a knife and she could almost imagine teeth bared above her, warning any danger to approach with caution.


    The room was still, but still the prickles crept up Alice¡¯s neck as her hair began to stand on end.


    At last, she could stand it no longer and she whispered out into the darkness, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still awake.¡± The soft reply made her flinch. She realised belatedly that it was her uncle¡¯s voice, but something in his gentle tone put her on edge.


    ¡°A noise woke me,¡± she lied, thankful of the blanket and darkness masking her guilt.


    There was a lengthy silence. Alice chewed her lip nervously. Had her uncle retreated from her room? The tension around her suggested that this was not the case.


    ¡°I wanted to say sorry for earlier,¡± her uncle then said.


    No. The word was tapped with some force on Alice¡¯s shoulder. Forbidding her. Or warning her?


    Alice heard her uncles¡¯ footsteps then, slowly approaching the bed.


    ¡°You came to say goodnight, I should have said goodnight back,¡± her uncle continued in the same soft tone. His footsteps continued to approach as he spoke.


    Alice¡¯s companion was emphatic in his response. A litany of taps was showered repeatedly across Alice, some of them with heavy enough that Alice was worried that they might leave a mark. The message was clear; No, no, no, as many times as was needed. She did not dare to move from her curled position, unsure of which of the two beings in the room she feared angering more. She remained facing away from her uncle, towards the wall, hoping that he would simply choose to leave her alone.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I pull back the cover a little so I can see your face?¡± her uncle crooned.


    A whoosh of air and suddenly Alice was cold and exposed. She clamped her eyes tightly shut, terrified, but no hands were laid open her. Muffled thumps and noise seemed to reverberate around the room from the floor. There was a thump on the mattress behind her back and she whispered in surprise, scooting over so that her forehead was pressed against the grainy texture of the printed wallpaper.


    Something collided with the frame of the bed. The dull thump had a sickly, wet sound. Still, Alice lay with her eyes closed, praying that she would come out of this unscathed. To look upon the carnage with her own eyes seemed like a sure-fire way of inviting the same level of violence upon herself.


    Eventually, the blanket was draped across her once again. Her uncle¡¯s voice no longer spoke in the dark. Alice curled up in the soft wool seeking warmth and safety. She knew she could not sleep now. If she could stop herself from shivering, whether from fear or the cold, she would consider that enough as she lay and waited for the dawn.

 20 - Repercussions

    ¡°Shit,¡± said Jess under her breath as she squeezed Alice¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Not this again.¡±


    There was a change in the atmosphere and Alice wished that the ground would swallow her whole. To their credit, the officers¡¯ expressions didn¡¯t change at Jess¡¯s statement. Regardless, Alice felt as though she had suddenly been put under the microscope as all eyes turned in her direction. Her own lowered to the floor as she desperately avoided eye contact. This exchange would be difficult enough without being reminded of her past.


    Alice¡¯s uncle was never seen again after his introduction to Alice¡¯s nightly companion. Alice could have comfortably lived with that. The man deserved what happened to him. On the other hand, the guilt of seeing her aunt distraught would haunt her forever. She could still hear her aunt¡¯s plaintive questions repeating in her head when she thought back to that day.


    ¡°Why did he leave? Wasn¡¯t I good enough?¡±


    The police had been called when her aunt had arisen early and found his side of the bed empty. No evidence of foul play had been found within the home and the incident was written off as unusual but no longer a police matter. Family and neighbours had rallied around her aunt, putting up ¡®missing person¡¯ posters around town and adverts in as many local papers as they could. Their efforts amounted to nothing. Alice never told a soul about what had happened that evening, merely repeating her story that she had gone to sleep and had woken to her aunt shouting her uncle¡¯s name around the house.


    They had never crocheted again together after that day. Her aunt had done very little of anything afterwards. Instead, she would spend most of her day by the window, as though expecting him to return at any moment. It was considered a small blessing, though none of the family would admit it, when she passed away at a relatively young age. A heart attack claimed her life. Alice had always considered it no small coincidence that her aunt had quite literally passed away due to a broken heart.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Jess exclaimed. Alice supposed that she must have realised how suspicious the statement sounded when out of context.


    ¡°Alice¡¯s uncle went missing when she was younger,¡± Jess explained simply, giving Alice a sympathetic look. ¡°It was¡­ well,¡± Jess continued, struggling for words, ¡°it was an ordeal.¡±


    An ordeal sounded about right to Alice. How else could it have been described? Alice had withdrawn from as many people as she could after it had happened. Her uncle had been an arsehole of epic proportions, but she hadn¡¯t expected even him to act as he did. She knew the rumours of what could happen to little girls from school, even at that age. Even now, there is always at least one teacher in each school with a reputation for paying a little too much attention to their student¡¯s physical assets.


    What if she had misjudged other people? What if other loved ones were hiding something dark and terrifying within themselves? Her parents had passed the test. Upon her return home, they had not been disappeared into the unknown. Nor had Jess, not ever, despite their frequent fallouts and arguments. Even when they were teenagers and Jess had swiped a bottle of vodka from her mother¡¯s house, she had been judged as trustworthy. Even when they had fought like angry cats, spitting and hissing whilst so drunk that they couldn¡¯t remember why they had begun the fight, Jess was declared safe and trustworthy.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Others had not been disappeared, but their failings had been unearthed by other means. Phones had been hidden when expecting a call from a date only to reappear on Alice¡¯s nightstand where she had left it earlier in the day. Keys, either for the house or the car, went mysteriously missing when needed to go visit particular friends or potential boyfriends.


    Alice trusted in the better judgement of her companion implicitly. He would protect her from the darkness in people as he had always had.


    People were now moving, and Alice¡¯s attention shifted. The officer had spoken but she missed the words, too caught up in her own thoughts. Jess was pulling her inside and inviting the officers with them. It would seem she would have the chance to protect him once more as well. Not that the officers would believe her even if she told them the truth. She felt that as strongly as she had back in her aunt¡¯s house when the kind-eyed officer had asked her all those questions about her uncle.


    It felt a little like a dream when Alice was sat on the sofa. She noticed that Jess¡¯s eyebrows had knit together with concern, and she had that soft, worried look on her face again. She needn¡¯t worry. Everything was going to be fine.


    ¡°Alice?¡±


    The question jolted her. She glanced up at the officers, wide-eyed with shock. There were papers in her hand that she didn¡¯t remember picking up. People and faces that she didn¡¯t recognise. Except she did recognise one of the men. The one who had gone missing was in some of the photos.


    ¡°That¡¯s him,¡± Alice said softly, tapping her finger on one of the photographs that showed him standing with two men who were strangers to her.


    The officers remained silent, and Alice glanced up once more but was confused by their concerned expressions. She felt Jess gently put a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Are you OK, Alley-cat?¡± asked Jess softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± replied Alice dismissively. She pointed once more at the man she recognised in the photo. ¡°That¡¯s the guy.¡±


    ¡°We can come back again tomorrow if she needs more time,¡± one of the officers said gently. The words were directed at Jess.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± insisted Alice with exasperation.


    ¡°They asked about the other men, Alley-cat,¡± Jess whispered. She tapped a finger on the two other people in the photograph. Alice followed her finger hazily. Her cheeks felt warm. How had she missed that question? Why was it so hard to focus?


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± Alice started, before bringing her hands up and rubbing her eyes wearily. ¡°I don¡¯t know them.¡±


    The words must have sounded as hollow to Jess as they did to Alice¡¯s own ears. She felt Jess¡¯s finger gently squeeze her shoulder in reassurance.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± asked the female officer.


    Alice nodded and held out the photographs towards them.


    As they were about to take them, Jess interjected with a request. ¡°Would it be alright if we held onto them for a bit? Maybe, when she¡¯s less tired, she might remember more?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, ma¡¯am, we¡¯re not allowed to leave them,¡± replied the male officer apologetically.


    ¡°GDPR and all that,¡± added the female officer, ¡°you know how it is these days.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± replied Jess weakly. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°We could come back in a couple of days though?¡± offered the female officer with a friendly smile. ¡°Just to be sure?¡±


    Jess gave a grateful nod and led the officers out, leaving Alice on the sofa. Bullet dodged. Home safe. Or at least, that¡¯s what Alice assumed until Jess returned and stood at the doorway. She crossed her arms and gave an unimpressed pout, watching Alice intently.


    ¡°I really am fine,¡± Alice assured her. ¡°I just need a cup of tea¡­ and maybe a paracetamol.¡±


    ¡°You, Madam Spacey, need to go to bed,¡± replied Jess in a stern voice before shaking her head with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll make the tea and bring it up for you. Shame you¡¯ve no decaf.¡±


    Alice grimaced, though Jess had already left the room. Decaf tea. May as well serve witch piss.

 21 - Code Red

    So many notifications. Shit.


    Alice wiped her bleary eyes as she hauled herself into a sitting position. Her boss would only call her on her sick days if it was an emergency, especially given the current situation. To have four missed calls before nine AM indicated that maybe it was worse than an emergency. Maybe it was a disaster? She headed through to the bathroom, dialling the office as she walked.


    Three calls went unanswered. Perhaps it might even be a full-blown catastrophe.


    An internal crisis warred within Alice, but eventually the need to help overcame her fear of heading out. After all, it had been several days and there had been no sightings of the stalker arsehole who had been lingering outside. It was also early(ish) morning and bright outside. Surely nothing untoward could happen to her on a short trip to the office. If she drove, she could be there and back within the hour.


    She told herself that the fresh air would do her some good as she grabbed a pair of jeans out of the wardrobe. Her boss had always been so supportive of her. It wouldn¡¯t be right to just ignore them in their hour of need. Would it?


    A casual blouse was then selected from a drawer and Alice threw on a navy, woollen jumper over it. Best not to look too business dress. If she walked in wearing casual clothes, no one would judge her for it. She wasn¡¯t supposed to be in work, and she didn¡¯t want people to assume that she would be staying for the full day.


    It was just an errand. She would be in and out like a shot.


    Alice crept down the stairs with a pair of running shoes in one hand while her other held the banister. Jess would be somewhere downstairs, but if Alice could avoid her this morning, it would be for the best. She didn¡¯t want to worry her friend, not after everything that was going on. Jess was worried enough about her last night that she had woken Alice in the night by opening the door a crack to check on her.


    The feeling had been an unpleasant reminder of the past, but Alice knew her friend only meant to help. She shook off the thoughts and tiptoed around the bottom of the stairs. The realisation that she couldn¡¯t just sneak out dawned on Alice in the form of a loud growl from her stomach.


    The shoes were left by the front door and Alice stealthily made her way towards the kitchen, popping her head around the corner of the door to the living room. As expected, Jess lay sprawled upon the sofa. She wore only a pair of briefs and an old t-shirt and there were no covers to warm her. Alice shivered on her behalf. As Alice turned to leave, she realised that the curtains were also wide open. Not a great start when even the local postman could catch an eyeful just by walking towards the front door.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Three steps into the room and Alice froze. She stood, poised mid-step as a groan wheezed from the direction of the sofa. To her surprise, there was no further movement and so Alice continued her mission. The curtains were pulled with slow precision to avoid making a racket that might wake her friend. The metallic hiss of the rings on the curtain rail set Alice¡¯s teeth on edge, but she was thankful that the noise had no effect on the sleeping beauty behind her.


    A quick preparation of buttered toast and Alice was soon ready to leave the house. She had considered making a cup of tea to take with her but decided against it. The kettle rumbling had put her off the idea. A decision that she wholeheartedly stuck with after the sound of the toaster popping had just about made her jump out of her skin.


    With her buttered toast gripped between her teeth and her car keys in her hand, she stood for just a moment by the front door. No sound. No stirring.


    She locked the door behind her, without completing her customary wiggle of the door handle just to make sure it was truly locked before she hopped into her small car. There seemed to be no one lurking in the shadows around the house. No hidden offenders jumped out as her as she pulled away from the curb either.


    A neighbour waved cheerily as she reached the end of the road and Alice smiled, giving quick lift of her hand from the wheel in a returned greeting.


    It was only a short drive across town to get to the office where she worked, yet despite the brevity of the journey, Alice felt her anxieties melt away as she drove. It was as though they had been left at home with Jess to babysit them. Alice supposed that they would be in good hands; it took a lot to ruffle Jess¡¯s feathers ¨C if she had even woken at all. She would definitely be annoyed that she had gone without warning, that went without saying. A brief pause at traffic lights gave Alice the opportunity to pull down the car¡¯s sun visor and pop open the mirror. She should have worn makeup. She pulled at the dark circle beneath her left eye with her pinky finger with a grimace.


    Perhaps it would work in her favour, she mused. Poor Alice with her dark circles and her pale face. Poor Alice who should still be at home after all that¡¯s happened. Isn¡¯t she a saint? She locked eyes with her own reflection and blushed. It wasn¡¯t a saint that she saw in the reflection.


    The sudden blare of a car horn startled Alice. She realised that the light had turned to green without her noticing. With frantic motions she released the handbrake and moved to drive, almost stalling the car as she did so. The small car juddered uncomfortably into motion as Alice regained her composure. She glanced once more in the mirror before slamming it shut and flipping the visor upwards with more force than the task would normally require.


    Once she had turned a few more corners and the car that had honked was no longer behind her, the panic in her chest stopped fluttering. She gave an exasperated sigh at the next set of lights, but this time remained focused on them. What else could possibly go wrong today?

 22 - No Place Like Home

    Alice twisted the key in the ignition and gave a deep sigh. The car idled with a soft purring noise as she considered what her next options might be. It made more sense to go straight home, but home after so many days of being locked indoors was beginning to give her cabin fever.


    Her quick trip into her workplace had turned out to be less of an emergency than she had expected. Upon entering the office, she had been greeted by shocked expressions on the faces of her workmates who had been engaged in conversation rather than working. Her boss wasn¡¯t even on site when she had entered the building.


    What she assumed to be an issue with an upcoming audit turned out to be a missing key for the office petty-cash tin. A tin that was only needed today as the office air conditioning had shorted out and they had agreed on compensatory ice creams to stay cool while working.


    A pigeon walked around on the paving near her car, occasionally pecking at unseen morsels. It felt like a metaphor for her life. Was she really so desperate to return to normality that she had rushed into work based on a few missed calls? Surely it would have made more sense to wait until she had spoken to someone before setting off.


    Still, the ice cream and friendly catch up with friends at the office had brightened her day.


    A thought occurred to her that Jess was probably feeling the same way. She had been out of the house for nearly an hour and a half now and Jess still hadn¡¯t called or texted to see where she was. Alice tsked out loud and leaned over to the glove box. She hadn¡¯t brought her purse with her but perhaps she might be able to find some emergency parking change. She rooted around until she heard the familiar rustle of the plastic sandwich bag with jingling coins within.


    ¡°Score,¡± she whispered aloud before pulling it free.


    She jangled the meagre offerings to separate the coins for counting. It wasn¡¯t enough for the nice ice cream parlour in the town centre, but it was enough for a pair of drive-through sundaes.


    It took only a short drive to be able to claim the frozen confections, and the drive home from there felt shorter still.


    Alice balanced the two large ice creams in their cardboard cup holder as she locked the car. Her mood was still sunny as she reached the front door, keys in hand. She was beaming with a grin as she stuck the house key into the lock. It was a rare thing for Alice to be able to surprise Jess with goodies. So often it was the other way around.


    She turned the key, but the door wouldn¡¯t unlock. With a grunt and a deepening scowl on her face, she turned the key to-and-fro, attempting to unlock the door again. Nothing. She banged on the door hard, hoping for an answer.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°Jess?¡± she called out, before ducking down and lifting the letterbox cover. ¡°Jess. Open the door,¡± she hollered through the opening.


    ¡°Shit,¡± whispered Alice. She darted back a couple of steps and surveyed the garden and front of her home. Now was not the time to be locked out of her own home. Bad enough that she was standing with steadily melting ice creams, but when there was a stalker on the loose? Her breath came in quick pants as the tightness in her chest intensified.


    Should she run back to the car? Her phone was in her back pocket. She could call the police for aid.


    Alice forced herself to take deeper, slower breaths. All she had to do was get inside and she hadn¡¯t tried the back door yet. She sucked in one long inhale of breath until she thought she might burst, before letting it whistle out slowly through pursed lips.


    She scuttled around the edge of the house, making sure to continuously check back over her shoulder in case she was being observed or followed. The garden was clear and remained devoid of threats. A pair of sparrows flitted from the grass and over towards the roof of a neighbour¡¯s home as she rounded the corner. The sudden movement made Alice jump back a step and she fumbled with the ice creams, almost dropping them.


    As she adjusted her grip on them, she noticed the quiet gurgling of her drain indicating that water was running in the house. Sure enough, when she looked up, she could see that the light of the bathroom was on, despite the hour of the day. The window was open a crack and steam rose gently out from it.


    Alice huffed an exasperated laugh, realising her folly. She hoped that Jess hadn¡¯t left keys in the back door as well when she went in for her shower.


    The key chinked with an unpleasant grating noise as Alice forced it into the lock, but with some effort the door was unlocked. She stepped through and set the ice cream down before relocking the door behind her, then breathed a soft sigh of relief.


    With a bit of luck, Jess would be almost done in the shower and not indulging in some extended pamper session. Alice contemplated leaving her ice cream in the freezer but decided to carry it through instead. It was always nicer to eat when a little bit melted anyway. She exchanged the terrible plastic spoons for metal ones out of a kitchen drawer before making her way through the house.


    ¡°Jess! I¡¯ve got ice cream waiting for you when you¡¯re done!¡± she called up the stairs. She cradled Jess¡¯s pot in the crook of her arm to free up a hand so that she could eat a spoon of her own. There was no answer, but Alice ignored this and made her way to the living room.


    As she rounded the doorway, the ice cream pots both hit the carpeted floor with a wet thud. Spatters of the melted cream arced across the plush material towards the focus of Alice¡¯s attention.


    Jess.


    She sat bound and gagged upon a wooden chair from the dining room. Her face was mostly hidden under thick wadding of cloth and duct tape, but her eyes, wide and reddened with tears streaming from them, were left clear.


    Alice stood in the doorway. It felt as though time had frozen in place.


    She tried to raise her arms, but her muscles felt sluggish, as though she were caught in tar. She could feel her heart thudding in her chest. A sensation that only seemed to make everything else seem painfully slow by comparison.


    Jess¡¯s eyes flitted from Alice¡¯s face and focused on the space behind her. She tensed, readying herself to turn and face her opponent, but it was too late. A strong hand clamped over her mouth, jolting her head back painfully until it hit the shoulder of her attacker. Something sharp touched her neck and she flinched away from it, yelping in fear into the palm of the aggressor.


    ¡°Glad that you could finally join us,¡± a sinister, male voice whispered into her ear.

 23 - And Ill Huff and Ill Puff...

    Alice staggered as she was forcefully pushed into the room towards Jess. The sharp item was removed from her neck, and she felt her phone being pulled loose from her back pocket. A clattering noise down the hall indicated that it had been tossed away.


    ¡ê50 excess. The thought rose unbidden.


    A forceful shove and unexpected release of the strong grip on her sent her sprawling to the floor. Pain seared up her side as her hip and elbow hit the ground hard. She scooted back, away from the towering figure in the doorway. The strong, nauseating scent of petrol hit her senses, leaving her confused.


    ¡°Now that I have your full attention,¡± the man growled through gritted teeth, ¡°Where is the money?¡±


    ¡°Money?¡± Alice repeated, bewildered.


    The man smiled in a predatory way, then raised the knife he held so that the sharp blade pointed in Alice¡¯s direction. It was a brutal looking thing that reminded Alice of hunting knives. The serrated edge gleamed wickedly in the light.


    ¡°You¡¯re good. I¡¯ll give you that,¡± the man chuckled. ¡°Got that innocent doll thing down to a tea.¡±


    His face then hardened. Alice lay trembling, unsure of what to say. Jess wasn¡¯t far behind her, and Alice could hear her struggling against her bonds. Muffled words peppered the air, indistinct like background noise.


    ¡°Where is the money?¡± the man asked again. His voice was staccato, each syllable formed as though he meant to wound Alice with them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± wailed Alice with wide eyes. The room felt too hot, like the thermostat had been turned all the way up. Her hands felt clammy, and her head was swimming, making it difficult to concentrate. Where was the smell coming from?


    ¡°I¡¯m running out of patience,¡± the man growled. Alice could believe it from his steely expression. He was all hard lines with zero sympathies.


    He took a step towards her, and she shuffled back to stay out of his range. Her shoulder blades connected with Jess¡¯s knees, and she was unable to retreat further.


    She realised belatedly that the carpet was wet beneath her. The overpowering smell of petrol was stronger as well. Jess was sobbing.


    ¡°No!¡± Alice exclaimed, raising her hands off the floor in panic. She could see two empty plastic canisters laying on their side beside the door. Her eyes flittered between them and the unyielding face of her aggressor. It felt as though her lungs were slowly clamping shut.


    ¡°Now you get it, right?¡± the man said, tilting his head to the left. ¡°Two choices. Two outcomes.¡±


    Alice sat, dumbfounded. Who would even do something like this? How much money had Austin owed this lunatic?


    Her panicked mind ran through her limited options. She couldn¡¯t possibly fight her way out of this. If she tried to reach the window or scream, she¡¯d probably end up bleeding out on the floor before help ever arrived.


    Unless¡­


    He¡¯s never answered during the day before.


    ¡°Tick tock,¡± warned the man, taking yet another step towards Alice.


    ¡°Help!¡± Alice yelped, looking past him towards the doorway.


    The man scowled. ¡°Pull the other one. You think ¨C ¡°


    Alice cut off his words with another plea, louder this time. ¡°You have to help us!¡±


    ¡°Game over,¡± the man answered, but then froze in place. A noise from upstairs had grabbed both their attention; A door handle rattled.


    He looked back to Alice, pointing the blade at her threateningly. ¡°Stay!¡± he ordered, half turning and walking back towards the doorway. Alice was frozen in place. Her legs felt like jelly, and she was sure that she couldn¡¯t run to escape even if she dared leave Jess behind.


    He stayed there for a few moments, listening. Alice listened too but she couldn¡¯t hear any other sounds from outside the room. The man shook his head and turned back to Alice.


    ¡°No more funny business. Where is it?¡± he spat at her.


    Alice couldn¡¯t speak. Terror flooded her, rendering her mute. She raised her shoulders and shook her head. Tears began to track down her cheeks. It was all over and there was nothing that she could do.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    With a snarl, the man moved to stride towards her but staggered. His foot caught on something.


    Time seemed to slow as he looked down and saw his foot caught in Alice¡¯s blanket. His face contorted in confusion as he studied the obstacle that had mysteriously appeared.


    Alice forced herself to speak. In a voice that threatened to crack, she begged, ¡°Don¡¯t let him hurt us.¡±


    The man shook his head in disbelief and moved to kick the blanket away.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± he uttered as the blanket refused to come loose. He grabbed the doorway with his free hand and kicked again, harder this time. Again, the blanket refused to come away. Instead, the bottom billowed out as though blown by invisible gusts of winds.


    A sudden strike and suddenly the heavy material wrapped around his other leg, twisting around his ankle and lower leg like a python. The fabric writhed and bulged as it moved with sinewy grace. He lost his footing and fell to the ground backwards, still kicking his legs.


    The knife bounced on the carpet and both he and Alice locked eyes, realising that each of them would grapple for the weapon.


    Alice scrambled but the man was quicker, having the advantage of less distance to cover. As his hand went to grab the blade, he was suddenly yanked back away from it with a yelp. The blanket gripped the doorway and his legs tightly, twisting to pull the two together. Alice didn¡¯t waste the opportunity and grabbed the blade, scurrying back to Jess and relative safety.


    The man was thrashing desperately now as the blanket slowly wound its way up to his thighs, threatening to engulf him entirely within its soft folds. The motion reminded Alice of that of a snake, gulping at victims much larger than themselves until they were swallowed by their expanding maw. She turned her back on him and started cutting at Jess¡¯s bindings.


    ¡°We have to get out, Jess,¡± she squeaked. Jess¡¯s wide eyes were fixed on the writhing mass before them. Alice wasn¡¯t able to tell if her friend had even heard her.


    ¡°Make it stop!¡± the man cried out.


    Alice tensed but didn¡¯t turn around, continuing to cut at the cords at Jess¡¯s wrists.


    ¡°Please!¡± he begged in a breathless, strained voice.


    Alice clamped her jaw shut. She would not. She could not. Not now.


    Jess jolted as her hand was suddenly free. The spell seemingly broken, she started pulling at the gag in her mouth, working to remove the duct tape while Alice started on her second wrist.


    The door behind them slammed shut, causing both Alice and Jess to jump with fright. Alice realised that she¡¯d nicked the skin on her friend¡¯s arm and swore, cutting with renewed care at the bonds. Jess¡¯s muffled cries suddenly became more intense, and Alice¡¯s tears began to flow again.


    ¡°I know, I know! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll ¨C¡° Alice apologised, trying to stop her hands from shaking so violently. Her words were cut short as a hand curled around her ankle and gripped tightly.


    Alice shrieked with fright and slipped, twisting to face her attacker. He was covered in the dense fabric up to his waist now but had a determined look in his eyes as he snarled wordlessly at Alice. She kicked at his hand, sobbing, desperate to be out of his clutches.


    ¡°Let go! Let go!¡± she screamed at him, continuing to kick.


    The blanket billowed once more, releasing the waist of the man and flicking out away from Alice like a whip, twisting around the doorhandle and gripping tight. It wound together like a coiled spring, dragging at the man and poising to strike. Alice pulled in the opposite direction and with another well-placed couple of kicks, the man lost his grip with an angry shout.


    ¡°Fucking bitch,¡± he growled, struggling to haul himself back towards Alice.


    ¡°Alice!¡± Jess exclaimed, ¡°The knife!¡±


    Alice looked up to find that Jess had managed to free herself from the gag and was tugging desperately at the ropes that still held her to the chair. Still panting, Alice struggled to her feet and grabbed the chair itself. The loosened ropes looked like they had just enough slack that Alice could wriggle the smooth legs out with a bit of force.


    ¡°Grab something. Lean forward!¡± Alice ordered between laboured breaths.


    Jess complied, leaning awkwardly against the wall. She cried out in pain when Alice shook the chair hard, but a few bruises were a small price to pay for freedom. The chair begrudging came free and was promptly dropped to the ground.


    Now for the problem of getting out of the house with the ongoing battle blocking their only exit.


    The attacker realised that his prey was now free, and his face contorted. Not just angry, but pure fury seemed to pour from him. He stopped trying to pry the blanket from contorting around his limbs and instead, reached for something in his denim pockets.


    Alice stood watching in horror as the flash of something silver and rectangular appeared in his hands.


    ¡°No!¡± she cried out.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one going down,¡± he roared, twisting violently as he lost his grip on the smooth metal lighter.


    A heavy thud drew Alice¡¯s attention and she wheeled around to find Jess hitting the dining chair against the window of the room. The curtains were still drawn shut, making aiming difficult. Alice scrabbled to pull open the curtain nearest her, exposing the glass for Jess.


    ¡°Legs first!¡± Alice shouted, hoping that Jess would understand her meaning.


    Jess was also panting heavily now but she nodded, turning the chair so that she could strike at the plane of glass. The first hit bounced off but left a tell-tale crack. The second hit shattered the pane and she set to work hitting at the more dangerous shards to move them.


    Alice darted and grabbed a cushion from the sofa, leaping over the angry mound of fabric and kicking limbs and stuck it over the worst of the broken shards. There was no more shouting from him now. The blanket¡¯s seemingly limitless stamina was no match for a mere human, and he was beginning to lose the battle. His face was covered by the fabric, smothering, and attempting to subdue him.


    ¡°Out! Out!¡± she ordered, screaming the words. Jess began to climb through but not fast enough. A quick glance over her shoulder and Alice realised that the man had regained hold of the lighter. All that was left uncovered were his two arms, groping and flexing in the quest to ignite his last line of defence. Alice panicked, shoving her friend roughly through before falling out on top of her.


    Alice never heard the lighter, not over the crunching glass as they landed. What she did hear was a whooshing noise, like a giant inhaling deeply and afterwards, the world seemed to shake and all she could hear was a ringing in her ears.

 24 - The Smoke Clears

    Loose smoke tendrils hung in the air, slowly dissipating in the soft breeze. Acrid smells of singed plastics remained. The pungent scent was an assault on the nostrils. Unidentified ash seemed to coat every surface around them in damp smears and splashes.


    The house was no longer ablaze, but throes of people remained. Firemen in thick, protective gear gathered around the silenced engines that blocked the narrow street in both directions. The whirling blue lights remained on, flashing warnings to the many residents that had gathered in whispering groups. Some firemen held mugs in their gloved hands, blowing at the hot liquid or merely cradling the soothing liquid gifts that had been bestowed upon them by thankful neighbours.


    The paramedics that had administered aid had disappeared from sight and had instead been replaced by uniformed police. Officers in hi-vis jackets patrolled and ushered onlookers further away from the area. Other officers cordoned off the surrounding gardens and road. The obnoxious yellow and black tape danced in the breeze like macabre bunting. The bright lines of colour were echoed on Alice and Jess¡¯s faces. Clean streaks cut through the ashy grey smears where tears had left their tracks.


    Jess¡¯s hand tightened around Alice¡¯s as two men in white protective overalls carried a stretcher from the remains of Alice¡¯s home. The long, black bag that lay on top remained still, but uneasiness prickled up the back of Alice¡¯s neck. In sombre silence, it was loaded with care into the back of an ambulance that had accompanied the one that they were currently sitting in. No siren called through the air as the vehicle drove away. No lights flashed. The scene was disquieting, hitting Alice like a punch to the gut. How close had they been to sharing that same fate? Silent and faceless. Muted hunks of singed meat.


    Do not go gentle into that good night. What had it mattered in the end? He had been stronger, had fought harder than any of them only to be loaded like cargo in the back of a van. A shiver rippled through her at the thought.


    ¡°It¡¯s over now,¡± Jess whispered beside her. Her grip was still fiercely tight, strangling the circulation to Alice¡¯s fingers.


    No, Alice thought. He was over. Her eyes flitted between the congregated groups of spectators. Phone cameras flashed and words flowed freely. The rumour mill would no doubt have begun turning.


    A white van pulled up further down the street. Most of the lettering across the side of it remained obscured, but it was clear that it was a news van. Soon there would be more than camera phones flashing.


    A niggling thought burrowed its way into the forefront of Alice¡¯s consciousness as she watched people climb out of the van.


    ¡°You knew?¡± she asked.


    The question hung in the air and for a moment, Alice doubted herself.


    ¡°I knew.¡± Jess¡¯s reply was quiet and resigned.


    Alice swallowed hard. It felt as though the ash in her throat had suddenly solidified. ¡°How long?¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡± The accusation came unbidden, and Alice winced at the sharpness of her tone. Her hand remained clasped in Jess¡¯s, but the hold went slack and limp.


    Jess sighed softly. ¡°Your uncle didn¡¯t run off, did he?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re dodging the question,¡± Alice replied.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was this¡­¡± Jess started before trailing off and giving a quiet, rueful laugh.


    Alice frowned but remained silent.


    ¡°I thought you were a witch. That you were so lucky,¡± Jess continued. Her grip on Alice¡¯s hand tightened again. ¡°We must have been¡­ what? 12? Maybe 13? I was staying over and woke up in the night. Wanted a glass of water. I figured I¡¯d borrow your blanket so that your dad wouldn¡¯t see me in my underwear. I guess I must have missed the top step in the dark. Scared the shit out of me.¡±


    Alice¡¯s stomach tightened as Jess paused, gathering her thoughts.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t fall. The blanket caught on something, so I managed to steady myself on the wall. Didn¡¯t really think about it until I tried to shake the blanket free,¡± Jess said before pausing. ¡°It had been tied around the bannister. Not caught. Not looped over. A solid knot.¡±


    Pieces and memories began to click together for Alice. Jess had never questioned her continued use of the comfort blanket, even into her adulthood. It had never been a simple piece of childhood memorabilia, but Jess had accepted it though it were as natural as the sky being blue. More than that, Jess had welcomed it. Movie nights and sleepovers had been frequent during their teen and adult years as Jess sought refuge from a difficult home life. Alice had assumed that her friend had appreciated the familiarity of the blanket or that it was somehow a symbol of their closeness to share something so sentimental. It hadn¡¯t occurred to Alice that there might be a deeper acknowledgement.


    ¡°Are you a witch?¡±


    The question took Alice by surprise, and she frowned, turning to Jess. Her friend¡¯s eyes were wide and full of worry, like those of a child asking if Santa were real. Alice wasn¡¯t sure whether or not she hoped for the truth.


    ¡°No,¡± Alice answered, looking away quickly. It was true but, nonetheless, her stomach churned with guilt.


    They sat in silence, side by side. The fire engines were slowly making their way away from the address. Officers waved pedestrians out of the way and forcibly escorted less amenable onlookers out of the way of the heavy vehicles.


    ¡°Did they deserve it?¡± Jess asked in a heavy tone.


    Alice mulled over the question before answering. ¡°Yes.¡±


    She had expected more from Jess, but there were no questions. There was no shocked outrage. She gave only a content nod.


    Alice lipped her dry lips before forcing herself to ask the question, ¡°So, what happens next?¡±


    ¡°You should get in touch with the guy from the bar,¡± Jess replied.


    Alice gaped at her friend. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Not our friend Mr Crispy. The nice one,¡± Jess explained. Her eyes remained on the engine that had finally freed itself from the crowd, ¡°You still have his number, right?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea,¡± said Alice, bitterly.


    Jess sighed before explaining in a wistful tone, ¡°What¡¯s done is done. You still deserve better.¡±


    Alice¡¯s focus moved from her friend to the ruins of her front garden. Water pooled in ashy puddles amid congealed clods of turf and mud. It would take days to clear the wreckage of what had happened, literally and figuratively. It felt like her fragile peace lay shattered like the many shards of glass on her lawn.


    Her eyes focused on some colour amid the trampled grass, and she leaned her head gently against Jess. The wool was dirty and torn, but unmistakable. It lay unmoving and unnoticed. A shadow, walked over and stepped upon, but present. Always present.


    She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Jess¡¯s fingers untwined from hers and her arm wrapped around Alice¡¯s shoulder. Her movements were stiff, and Alice heard the soft grunt she gave as the motion pained her.


    ¡°At least think about it,¡± Jess said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Alice lied.