her.

  “Oh thanks, Daniel.” Comes her timid reply.

  We stop walking and stare into each other’s eyes

  for a moment. I place my hands on either side of

  her cheeks and stroke them softly. I look into her

  brown eyes, concentrating on the hazel pools that

  surround the black hole in the middle of her

  striking eyes.

  We cannot be interrupted here; I can do what I

  want and tell her anything without fear.

  I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I open my

  eyes and our stares meet. Her neck stretches

  towards me. Her red lips purse, reaching for

  mine. They stroke mine. After the first lip

  encounter, my lips are smothered until I push

  her off. I hold her mystified face in my strong

  grasp and whisper.

  “I love you, Lizzie.” As I say as I go down onto

  one knee…

  The smell of musk enters my nostrils. My

  face is cold. I come round, trying to

  remember the dream I just had.

  34

  I remember seeing Tanya. We were walking

  somewhere, somewhere dark. I saw the kids,

  they were playing. I looked to Tanya’s smooth

  skin, her thick blonde hair and her blushed

  cheeks... I looked over Tanya’s shoulder and

  saw a broad-shouldered figure. Tanya

  disappeared from in front of me. I looked to

  the kids, but they were gone too. I turned

  around to see the shadowy figure. He began

  to walk towards me, his face blurred. He

  stood right in front of me, the same physique

  and height as me. He stared into my eyes for a

  moment, until my thoughts stopped.

  I try to get the image of Tanya and the kids

  back into my mind, but I can’t.

  This happens every morning. I have had this

  same dream and similar thoughts almost every

  night for the last four years. I can always

  remember my dreams, as if they were events

  of the day before.

  I open my eyes and see under the dusty bed.

  Great, so I’ve been sleeping on the floor all

  night. No wonder my neck feels strained.

  I stand up and look to the bed; the covers

  haven’t been tampered with. I didn’t even

  make it into bed. Oh well, one less job to do,

  I guess. I shower, in an attempt to wash out

  this hangover, and get changed into a fresh

  shirt and trousers.

  I walk downstairs to properly evaluate the

  house. First, I go into the kitchen and put the

  kettle on, priorities. I walk out and head into

  the living room. I chuckle to myself, looking

  at the old fashioned layout and furniture. I

  35

  definitely need to do this room up, that’s for

  sure.

  I look at the dated green furniture then at the

  bookshelves and chest of drawers. The

  bookshelf is empty so I look to the drawers. I

  open each one, but they’re all empty except

  for the bottom one. It has a small, black metal

  box in it. I try to prise it open but it’s locked.

  I shake it in hope of a clue as to what it may

  be, but it makes an ominous, quiet, scratching

  noise. I shut the bottom draw using my foot

  and put the box on the top of the drawers.

  “There must be a key,” I say to myself.

  I go into the kitchen and look in the

  cupboard with my keys. I take the house keys

  out and put them in my pocket. There’s

  another set of house keys and a small key. I

  grab the small key and put it beside my cup

  and shut the cupboard. I’ll quickly make

  myself a drink then I’ll open that box.

  I make my tea and walk into the sitting room.

  Putting my mug next to the box, I insert the

  key into the padlock but the key doesn’t turn.

  “OH ffff,” I sigh to myself while I attempt to

  turn the key.

  I take the tiny key out and look at it. I can’t

  see what else it could bloody open. I leave

  the key next to the box.

  It’s bloody cold in the kitchen, there’s a

  breeze blowing lightly on my face. I look

  down to my tea, the swirling steam blows

  away from me. Where the hell is this draught

  coming from?

  I look to the window but it isn’t open.

  36

  “Oh shit.” I whisper to myself as I realise the

  back door is open.

  I must have been left open the whole time

  I’ve been here. I pull my keys out of my

  pocket, shut the door and lock it.

  I finish my tea and go back to the cupboard

  to grab the spare keys. I’ll just run them and

  my book over to Simon. He can have the

  spare key to look after the house if I ever

  need to go away for a while.

  I leave the house and walk over to the

  Cann’s’. As I do, I look to the trees where the

  figure was last night, no one’s there. I look to

  the grubby house, no activity over there

  either. That beaten piece of wood is still on

  the road though. That looks nice…not.

  “Do you ever not look smart?” I hear a

  female voice shout.

  I look to the Cann’s’ front door but there’s

  no one there.

  “Up here.”

  I look up to see Sandra looking down at me.

  She has wet hair and a towel around her.

  “Oh hi, how’s the head?” I ask.

  “Well, I’m not feeling one hundred percent

  but I’m okay. How about you? Simon feels

  groggy.”

  “I’m okay, actually,” I laugh.

  “Aww good. Guessing you want Simon?”

  Sandra smiles and turns her head to bellow

  into the house: “Simon! Ryan’s outside”

  She turns back to tell me: “He’ll be down in a

  second. See you soon.”

  “Great, thanks. See you soon.”

  37

  After a few seconds, Simon walks out the

  front door wearing a burgundy polo top and

  jeans.

  “Hello, mate,” he says.

  “Morning, Simon. How’re you feeling?”

  “Not too bad, bit rough, but that’s what

  happens if you carry on drinking after the

  guests have left.”

  “Yeah, I know that feeling. I’ve come here to

  give you this” I hand over the manuscript.

  “Oh, and I found this spare key. I wondered

  if you’d be able to stash it somewhere, just in

  case I get locked out or go away or

  whatever?”

  “Oh brilliant. I’ll read that soon.” He takes

  the manuscript from my grasp. “And we’ll

  happily look after the spare key. Me and

  Sandra can look after the house whenever you

  like. We’re here for you mate, remember

  that.”

  “Thanks, that means a lot. Got to ask quickly,

  is there a shop nearby? I need to get some

  food.”

  “Yeah, there’s one up the road, in the town.

  Do you want me to come with you and show

  you where it is?”

  “No, that’s fine, you’ve got your stuff to do

  and I don’t want to hassle you.”

  “Okay, well just go to the end of the road,

  turn left, go past the park and keep going till

  you come to an industrialised area. There are

  some shops there.”

  38

  “Okay, Cheers. Well, I’ll leave you to it, have

  a good day.”

  “And you. See you soon,” Simon says as he

  turns and walks back toward the house.

  As I cross the road to head back to mine for

  my wallet, I notice the beaten piece of wood

  has disappeared. I pause and look over to the

  house at the end of the cul-de-sac. I can’t see

  any movement at all. That house and the

  grubby man unease me, he gives me the

  creeps.

  I walk into my house and put my jacket on. I

  pat my pockets feeling for my wallet.

  “Oh where did I leave it?”

  I search the kitchen but realise that it’s in the

  inside pocket of my jacket.

  I leave the house and walk down the road

  along the tree line, looking through the leaves

  and branches and spot the park. As I get to

  the end of the road, I turn left and see a metal

  fence bordering a stretch of grass. As I walk

  further along the path, I get a full view of the

  park, with children playing on the climbing

  frames and adults chatting in a circle.

  I walk past a row of detached houses, calling

  ‘good morning’ to the men cutting lawns

  outside their homes, and occasionally waving

  to the wife standing at the front door. The

  people around here seem really nice and

  welcoming.

  Eventually, I find the shopping centre. There

  are quite a variety; corner shops, hardware

  shops and cafés. I’m able to stare down the

  39

  aged, cobbled road and see a ‘Tesco Express.’

  Perfect, that’ll do.

  After I’ve finished the food shop, I head back

  to Mulberry lane carrying three bags mainly

  containing ready meals and whiskey. What

  has my life come to, I miss my Tanya.

  I get to the park, which is empty now. The

  swings sway in the wind, the screeching noise

  echoes over the climbing frames and the

  fence.

  I look at the tree line which hides Mulberry

  Lane and see something moving from within

  the trees. As I try to focus, the sky darkens as

  grey clouds are forming. They turn from

  white to grey, then to a dark ash colour in a

  matter of minutes.

  The temperature drops. The sun has been

  smothered by the clouds for the first time in

  days. I look back to the trees and see

  movement again. I jog home awkwardly with

  my carrier bags, right up to the door and look

  back round to the trees, but this time I see no

  movement.

  I put the shopping down in the middle of the

  hallway, and run back outside in the pouring

  rain, towards the trees. I can hear the rain

  pattering on the leaves and slapping the

  concrete.

  I duck into the line of trees; it’s clogged with

  rubbish. The stench of urine rises to my

  nostrils, and my nose wrinkles at the stench. I

  look towards the park; I can hear the rain

  hitting the metal and the plastic there.

  40

  I search my surrounding, turning three

  hundred and sixty degrees on the spot, but

  there’s no movement. I make my way out of

  the tree line. Then I hear leaves shuffle and a

  branch snap just behind me. I turn around

  quickly but there’s no one in sight. I walk

  towards where the sound came from, pushing

  the branches and leaves out of my face. I hear

  another branch snap behind me. I turn again

  but once again can’t see anyone. Picking up a

  wet branch from the ground, I continue to

  walk, clutching it tightly, holding it up by my

  head.

  More branches snap ahead of me. I follow the

  sounds and charge out of the tree line, and

  end up back onto Mulberry Lane. There’s no

  one running away from me.

  “What are you doing?” A voice booms from

  within the trees.

  I turn around and see Simon exiting the tree

  line. I quickly drop the damp branch on the

  grass.

  “What are you doing in there?” I ask him.

  “I’m asking you the same thing. What were

  you doing?”

  “I felt someone’s eyes on me, so I went to

  see who it was. Was it you?”

  “I only went in there after you. I saw you

  running across the road, thought you were

  coming to ours at first, but then you ran into

  the trees.”

  “Oh.” I pause as I look at Simon, not sure if

  I trust him so much now. “How long have

  you been in there then?”

  41

  “The same amount of time as you. Do you

  want to come round for a drink and dry off?”

  “No, I’m okay, thanks though. Think I’m just

  going to head home. No idea what it was in

  there, though.”

  There’s more rustling from the trees, making

  us both look toward the sound.

  “What’s that?” Simon says.

  “I don’t know.” I say as I reach down to pick

  up the branch.

  A fox trots out from the tree line and sprints

  away from us towards the grubby house.

  “Jesus Christ!” Simon laughs. “Sure you don’t

  want to come round?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure, thanks for the offer. See you

  soon.”

  I nod to Simon and throw the branch into

  the trees and run home.

  I walk into my house and lock the door

  behind me. I fall back onto the door and

  slump down onto the floor. Breathing heavily,

  I look down at my hands. The hand I held the

  branch with is damp, the skin smeared with

  green moss.

  I go upstairs into the bathroom and wash my

  hands. As I finish drying them, I use the towel

  to dry my head and I take off my soaked

  clothes.

  I walk into my bedroom and change into

  clean underwear and my dressing gown. I put

  the damp towel back in the bathroom and go

  downstairs to unpack the shopping.

  I walk into the hallway and reach down to

  pick up the shopping I left earlier. Outside,

  42

  the rain has come to a stop and the clouds

  have begun to clear up. I can see the outline

  of the sun burning its way through the thick

  clouds. Hopefully, it will come out soon.

  I unpack the bags in the kitchen and finally

  sit down.

  Sitting at the table with a cup of tea, I pick up

  the local paper I just bought and the headline

  catches my attention ‘Missing Dr Myers’. I

  look at the article and read about the

  investigation, headed by Detective Samuel

  Cann. Wonder if he’s related to Simon and

  Sandy?

  The article reads: ‘We are still heavily

  investigating the mysterious disappearance of

  Doctor Andrew Myers. At this moment, there

  is no more news to report, but I plead to the

  local community to speak out if you have any

  information regarding the disappearance.

  Doctor Myers was last seen by his neighbours

  at his home, on the day he disappeared. There

  is some evidence that suggests his

  disappearance may be linked to a murder

  investigation. If you know any information

  which may benefit the investigation, please

  come by the station or call us on the number

  below. Any information will help.’

  So Andrew Myers was a doctor, Simon didn’t

  mention that.

  I continue reading the paper and see an

  article titled: ‘Mysterious behaviour of our

  local foxes.’ I immediately think of the

  grubby, old man. I wouldn’t be surprised if he

  captured that fox, and is capturing more.

  43

  Especially after the encounter I had with him

  last night, he seems unstable. The next article

  speaks about the crime rates in Surrey having

  dropped. Apparently, the areas within a 10

  mile radius of Mulberry Lane are the ‘safest

  areas to live’ in Surrey. The last major crime

  reported was the suspected murder of Doctor

  Andrew Myers. What an odd story to report

  on.

  I laugh to myself and throw the paper aside. I

  lean back in the uncomfortable chair and shut

  my eyes for a moment.

  “Ryan, darling what are you doing?” Tanya

  says as I attempt to clear the basement.

  “I’m cleaning the basement, getting rid of

  this junk.” I tell her.

  “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy,” Sammy looks at me

  with her big, sparkling brown eyes.

  “Yes, Sammy?”

  “Can me and Alex have ice squeam in a

  minute?” She says while looking into my eyes.

  “The ice squeam man is here Daddy.”

  “Did he play his music?”

  “Yeah, he did Daddy.”

  “Well darling you know what that means;

  he’s run out of ice cream.”

  “No, he hasn’t Daddy. I’m not that silly.”

  “Oh, really?” I ask and laugh. “Well I don’t

  know darling, I don’t think I heard the magic

  word.”

  “Daddy, please can I have a ice squeam.”

  “I’m not sure, baby, let’s see if I have some

  money.” I put my hands in my pocket. “Oh

  44

  no, I’ve lost that money I had for ice cream.

  Oh, wait a second. Did you steal it?” I look at