Lockdown – Day Two
Hi Folks
Here comes day two of the evolving story, one comment from yesterday who has directed the tale a little. If you have any thoughts then do please get involved…
I may have the weekend off (can you blame me?) so let’s see what happens to John next…stay safe!
DAY TWO
I wake up quite late. I must’ve been more tired than I thought. I feel a bit weird after not having drunk any alcohol yesterday. I stretch in the back seat of the car, trying to get the kinks out of my body, caused by such an uncomfortable bed. The smell of the rubbish I brought back is starting to pervade the car interior a little too much. I get out and head around to the boot to grab the offending items and I take it to Sarah’s bin. Her bin is actually pretty full and it really smells. I have to cram my waste into it and force the lid down as best I can.
Only then when I stop does it occur to me that I haven’t heard any cars. I can hear the wind rustling the trees. Birds are singing merrily to each other from somewhere up there. The unmistakeable sound of the Tui singing its multi-faceted song lifts the spirits for a moment. Next door’s cat, Archie, a black tom with a real talent for avoiding people, darts from under the house and makes a beeline for under the car that is parked on his owner’s driveway. He makes me jump with the unexpectedness of his movement. He glares at me for having the temerity to be present in his world right now. He looks a little leaner than when I last saw him.
The street is deserted. It’s starting to feel a little disturbing. I take a deep breath and go to the front door of what was my house. I still have a key and, as a partial owner, I could rightfully unlock it and go in but I’m not sure I want to give Sarah more reasons to hate me than she already has. I admit it, I had an affair. I’m not proud of myself. I think perhaps on some level that my marriage was already over before I started going down this new path. Her name was Lisa. She was also married. There were no strings attached. It just kind of happened when we bumped into each other one morning, had coffee and one thing led to another. She knew Sarah. It was new, it was dangerous, it was exciting. And then it was also over. Her own guilt ended it. She told Sarah to make herself feel better. I’m not sure what she expected would happen but she lost a friend and a lover. I lost the dregs of my marriage.
I knock on the door. It goes unanswered. I knock again. After several minutes I decide that perhaps I should try my key. The door opens with a slight creak. I leave it ajar in case she chases me out of the house with a knife. You think I jest? That’s what she threatened me with after Lisa told her.
“Hello?” I ask as I enter. “Sarah? Are you home?”
Nothing. For the first time I check my phone. I never get that many messages anyway but I haven’t even had an email for a month now, except for automated marketing messages.
I need the toilet so I may as well go and use it. I could also do with a change of clothes. My khaki t-shirt and black jeans are not as clean as they could be. I could really use a change of pants and socks too, although at least they are made of merino wool so smells take a long time to fester. At least they are still in the wardrobe.
I’m sitting on the toilet, mainly so there is no risk of missing the bowl, when I hear a noise. It’s not a loud noise, more the sort of noise made by someone trying not to make a noise. Just a creak on the stairs. I quickly pull my clean blue jeans up and buckle the belt. I steal a peek around the edge of the door but can see nothing. I can’t hear anything now either so perhaps I was imagining it.
I flush the toilet and wash my hands.
Maybe I can find some food in the kitchen. I’ve just realised I missed breakfast.
The kitchen is rather well stocked. I pour a bowl of Sultana Bran and get the milk from the fridge, I pour the milk but it’s lumpy. It’s off. Yuck! There’s half a loaf of bread on top of the microwave but it’s clearly mouldy. Not like Sarah to leave things lying around. I manage to find some bread in the freezer and make some toast. I take it to the lounge. The door is shut tight. I forgot it sticks. When I open it and move inside with a mouthful of jammy bread, something catches my eye on the decking just outside the glass door. It’s Sarah. Not like I’ve seen her before. This time she is sprawled out on the deck. She stares at me without any eyes. They are gone. It looks like some other animals have been enjoying a feast also because maggots are crawling out of her facial orifices. I’m not proud but am sick where I stand.
She is clearly dead. There seems little point in going out there to endure the smell of decay. I’m not sure if I prefer this last image of her or the one of her brandishing a knife at me. I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and quickly return to the kitchen for some water, staring out of the window after I’ve thrown it on my face.
It’s only then that I remember the noise and that I left the front door open. But then I’m hit with some force across the back of my head and am out cold before I hit the floor.
