A World Apart

by Loui Downing

  ‘Right then kid, it’s just you and me’ said George, disappointed that Jack couldn’t reassure him. He looked down and Jack was feeling that confident that he would fall asleep, which made George feel even more insecure. He looked in between the flight of stairs and the stairs went on for around four or five floors more.

  As he finally finished the last step he peeked onto the floor, only to walk away. He saw nothing but a pitch-black corridor and all of the other rooms were the same too. George bravely placed his left hand on the door and pushed open, taking care as he did. George had pulled the door open around three or four inches, listening for a sound, when he was astounded to hear a scream coming from upstairs. Not feeling confident but a real sense of adrenaline, he grabbed the handrails viscously and proceeded up the floors, stopping at the third floor, which had lighting that reassured George and he entered. He moved closer to the doorframe as he heard a distant knocking, which sounded like footsteps and mutterings. He looked right and saw Cindy and Henry heading for him, they were running at a staggering speed when they halted and looked at George.

  ‘George, don’t move!’ shouted Cindy and George now had his head stuck out of the doorway. As humans are alike and are intrigued when someone says something like that, similar to when a child is told not to do something, they do it. George turned his head to the left and saw the body that they saw earlier gliding towards the closed window that opened as the body reached it. The three stood in complete panic, George ran over towards Cindy as Cindy looked at him, seeing a figure freeze George in his tracks and take Jack from his clutch. Cindy screamed as they both ran after the figure that disappeared and shot through the windowpane; causing the glass to smash.

  Henry began shaking George repeatedly in a state of blame, as Cindy tried to restrain him. George was still transfixed although he did come around to be held by his neck up against the wall.

  ‘Henry let him go, it wasn’t his fault’ howled Cindy, looking up at Henry with her pleading eyes. Henry loosened his grip and dropped George to the floor. As Henry turned away to calm himself down, George was full of rage and adrenaline so launched at Henry in disgust for what had happened and partly because he has always wanted to do it. Henry fell, tumbling into the opposite wall, where they both left him and Cindy attended to the fact that her child had been kidnapped.

  ‘We must go, now!’ echoed Cindy to them both.

  ‘Go where, we have no idea what is going on?’ shouted Henry, struggling to make eye contact with George as he felt that he shouldn’t have attacked him like that. Henry headed further along the corridor that he and Cindy were at where he accidentally came across the one they were looking for. The inside was not visible, for there are blinds extracted the full length of the window. Henry waved to Cindy, gesturing for her to come and take a look. She and George ran over just as Henry opened the door. The bed was empty, only a bloodstain was visible at the top of the bed. Cindy held her hand to her mouth as she moaned and gasped, slowly finding it harder and harder to breath. Henry spoke clearly to Cindy asking where she wanted to go earlier, as she replied it all hit home for Henry; feeling the energy drain from his eyes as she spoke. She felt wrong for suggesting or even showing him the note, but now that Jack is missing they really have to start taking some action.

  ‘My old house in London then?’ announced Henry, as the figures parted from the scene.

  ❖

  Rupert searched the cluttered desk, pushing pens; papers and all his father’s contents around, sifting through and placing it back down again. Francesca let out a wobbling cry which made Rupert look above him into the ceiling, as he began to search quicker and attend to his wife and child. He gave up after around ten minutes and decided that it was better if he let them in as he saw the weather diminish. Rupert dropped his father’s work and headed through the kitchen, where the door slammed shut aggressively behind him from the open window in the dining area. He returned up the stairs and out onto the porch area where Kerry was singing to Francesca, although to the shame of Rupert she stopped as soon as she saw him, purely out of embarrassment. He opened the door wide and informed her that it was safe and for her to come in and warm.

  ‘Come into the office, I’ve noticed some very strange documents, official ones from government and the L.I.A. formerly the known as the Central Intelligence Agency, but this didn’t grab her attention, as he realised she refers to its enunciation as li-ar so Rupert tailed off, mumbling to himself. Kerry followed as he entered the office again but then she retreated to the kitchen where she opened the fridge to smell some milk for Francesca, it seemed ok so she warmed it up by placing a saucepan on the hob and lighting as the underneath turned a blood shot colour the milk began to boil after a few minutes.

  Kerry went over to the sink to test the milk on her skin whilst Francesca was playing with her pet rabbit that she called ‘rar-russ-but’ in her cute little voice. The milk was quite hot so she left this on the side as she went into the office to see what Rupert was talking about a few moments ago.

  ‘Take a look Kerry, it’s not good’ said Rupert, handing Kerry some yellow and pure white documents, accompanied by a few photographs that were exceptionally good photos of grounds, planes, buildings and certain people. Kerry flicked through the documents, still unaware about what this meant, as she handed them back to Rupert uninterested.

  Rupert took the documents and located relevant pieces of the papers and photographs that would mean something to her. He extracted a document of official order requiring his participation in the NuOb, which Rupert assumed was an abbreviation for basically a field observation of some kind. The document went on further to say details about his transportation and the items that he needs to bring with him. Rupert then realised himself where he was going, as he looked closely, bending towards the photograph as he saw the name on a uniform of an official that had attachment notes specifying that he was a primary target.

  ‘He’s in Iran…on an observation mission at a nuclear plant’ declared Rupert out of the blue that finally diverted Kerry’s attention fully on him and the documents he was holding under his arms and in his hand.

  ‘What? He told me a few weeks ago that he was researching in London for something dangerous he said…how can he be in Iran’ replied Kerry analysing the details she was given. Rupert agreed, although had a sneaking suspicion that he was more likely to be in Iran. They both moved into the kitchen for more light and to keep an eye on their daughter, who had been propped unfavourably in a chair that made her look microscopic as she bounced her toy rabbit around on her knee, making noises and stories up that Kerry found hilariously funny and bright. The spaced out kitchen that they were in had a dining room attached to the left of them which led out onto pink patio followed by lawn and a gigantic field that was being grazed by a few angry and moaning cows. Kerry looked longingly out of the windscreen-like windows in front of the sink, her eyes distant with the hills and the trees blowing kindly across, calming her. A cow moaned just as Rupert was about to speak, which muffled what he said, causing Kerry not to react. Thinking about saying it once more, along with chuckling to himself he now decided to keep it from her and to make her wonder rather than worry about Frankie, thinking this would be the best thing to do. Rupert observed the field, saying a thank you to a Mrs Daisy as he walked over to the doors leading out to the garden and unlocking the door with a swift turn and clunk of the key that was still in the keyhole. Kerry turned and seemed to have heard what he said under his breath, although she ignored it. The beard-like wall plants that have appeared next door gave Rupert a shock, as they were untidy and overhanging, even not his own garden Rupert hated lazy gardening. It was late December and quite frosty as if it were to snow although the wind was very piercing and too cold to. Rupert viewed the oncoming clouds, deducing that there is maybe a downpour coming due to the navy clouds approaching over the horizon to the northwest of him. A crow angered in the distance and the sky dropped a notch in brightness, making the feeling of
nightfall loom. It was getting on now as Rupert saw Kerry yawning whilst making themselves some quality assured food, having been travelling all today or yesterday rather according to Greenwich Mean Time. After taking a short breather, Rupert returned to the kitchen where Kerry was nestled in a slightly warmer atmosphere.

  ‘Maybe we should get some rest after these?’ announced Rupert, on taking a unanimous bite from his sandwich, which he struggled to fit in his mouth, forcing a chopped tomato to slide from the bread and bounce onto his plate.

  ‘I’m not sure if I feel comfortable her though, with the door ajar and the weird disappearance of Frankie’ replied Kerry lifting her drink on saying so, looking frightened and anxious. There was nothing better Kerry wanted right now and that was for them to find a hotel and come back to the house tomorrow.

  ‘Yeah…ok…I understand. We could go and see Jim for a while and get a hotel there, I remember there being quite a few when he first moved there’ realised Rupert, even though this involved more travelling and his legs really did feel like jelly. Kerry grabbed Francesca’s cot and they all headed for the side exit door of the house. Rupert located Frankie’s keys he had picked up whilst adjusting his overcoat as he proceeded to the car, opening the door for Kerry to place Francesca in the back. Frankie’s car was left on the drive positioned erratically across the drive, which created an atmosphere of wonder for Rupert and Kerry. They decided to take the car, as it was getting late and plus they would have somewhere to sleep if they couldn’t find accommodation.

  ‘I think it’s a left here isn’t it?’ said Rupert to the rear of the car to Kerry. Kerry looked at Rupert and their surroundings, trying to figure out their position and where they were heading. Kerry had always been better for directions compared with Rupert which always makes her worry as he is the one in control of the vehicle.

  ‘Erm, yeah I think that’s right’ replied Kerry in a droning unsure voice.

  After around forty-five minutes of swaying around London, they managed to reach the outskirts and head north for Manalan Nursing Home in Oxford to visit Jim. Rupert slowly started to drift occasionally when he took to the wheel, frightening himself, as Kerry and Francesca had their heads way up in the clouds by now. Rupert spotted the digital green clock within the cars dashboard as the numbers faded when he looked, making him strain his eyes to read properly, it was getting close to eight as the darkness fluctuates above them all, preparing to settle in. Kerry’s eyes opened as she was woken by a strong odour of coffee weeping its way through the ventilation of the car. She could see a white hut-like house or trailer in front of the car, as she noticed the driver’s seat was vacant. Francesca was still asleep in the back tucked up against her tiny rug, one of which had twisted and was incarcerated amongst her, keeping her tightly in position. Kerry waited a while and a figure was getting closer to their car, it was Rupert who had come back loaded with refreshments. He got into the car silently, being thoughtful not to wake Francesca up and paced the cardboard cub stations on the seat next to him. He then handed Kerry a white polystyrene cup, full of hot coffee that steamed immensely from the frosty weather. Kerry hugged the cup, feeling like it was the warmest thing she had ever discovered she began taking a sip, although it was too hot so she carried on holding it for a while.

  ‘Why have we stopped?’ asked Kerry, slowly becoming aware of their whereabouts. Rupert was still drinking, so he hurried himself to answer.

  ‘I was falling asleep so I parked up here for the night, then I woke up and it was half six so I thought I would leave you to sleep and not set off again’ replied Rupert with coffee essence dripping from his lips.

  ‘When we are ready, we can go and see Jim, book a room and find out where Frankie actually is’ added Rupert looking straight ahead of him at an eager family on a day out getting their greasy bacon sandwiches that really did smell gorgeous. Rupert decided to equip them all with food as he told Kerry and slid from the front seat. Kerry opened the wound the window down and shouted to Rupert to purchase some milk for Francesca. She quickly removed her head from the bitterly cold weather and wound the window up in desperation. They had stopped in a small in small old fashioned service station, providing them with toilets, refreshments and a tiny area for children recreational activity, along with the dire cleanliness of a modern day pond, which Kerry noticed a few swans gliding along, their heads looking left to right on occasion. There is a grassed area over to their right from where they had parked, which Kerry gloomily stared at wishing she could be greeted by a huge bath and dynamite of sun. The leaves were being bullied across the car park as she searched for her coat to assist Rupert in carrying all the drinks and snacks across to the car. The sun was now emerging from hiding and it was delivering a consistent band of warm that could be seen reflecting on the dodgy tarmac. Rupert dished out the snacks for everyone and they all began eating. Kerry woke Francesca, who became annoyed and let out a high pitch cry, until she was given her milk that Rupert had warmed for her using the hot water taps in the gents. Rupert loved the sandwich he was given, he loved English cuisine especially on the side of the road, none of this fancy stuff he thought just purely value for money. It wasn’t long before they were making tracks, which somehow they managed to end up in Cambridge town centre, cyclists scurrying by risking their lives through the horrendous traffic. They proceeded past the University which was on their left, full of scholars obviously on a short interval between lectures. Over to the right near Francesca was the glamorously built swimming complex which Rupert was fond of profoundly. As they queued in the traffic, about to approach an incline and then a small bridge they had time to plan their route better and get back on track as it was getting closer to brunch, so Rupert felt as his stomach equated inside him, letting out a rather poor sign of digestion.

  Finally, they had found a consistent set of sign posts and Rupert now knew where he was going so it wouldn’t be long before they were at the Nursing home. Rupert heard his phone calling, so he asked Kerry if she could take it for him, disappointingly for her she found out it was Rupert’s work calling him about something incomprehensible to her. She placed the phone in the compartment between the handbrake and cup holder and informed Rupert of the calls contents, although something made her smile and it was Rupert’s assiduousness to reveal unintentionally that he didn’t care.

  ‘I told the commissioner that I was away with you for the weekend, if they call again I’m having that O’Neil sacked’ eventually spoke Rupert getting angry which aroused Kerry feeling safer than she has done in a while. She had always resented the job because he would always have to be away from home, travelling and doing reports and on call, which made her feel insecure and unloved, although this all came back when he stamped authority for once.

  The wrinkled face of the weather man poured with delight as he was greeted by a young blonde slender woman that was very attractive. Her eyes glistened as she walked, the hair dancing on every foot step. The man couldn’t keep his eyes off her; he thought he recognised the woman in front of him. Suddenly he awoke; he had been dreaming, but of whom he thought. The proud smile soon left his face to be replaced by the usual look of desperation and sadness that has stuck with him for a while now.

  ‘Jim…Jim…’ repeated the matron Henchworth ‘You have guests waiting for you. They are in the lounge area waiting for you if you wish to go through’ added the matron, walking away attending to other calls from the annoying buzzing sound of the patient call alarms coming from above them both. Jim thought inquisitively about whom to it could be. He looked over to the young nurse who escorted him through into the lounge, through the narrow corridor and past the stench of placid washing detergent coming from the laundry room in the basement. Jim’s heart raced as he anticipated who he was about to meet in the next room. As he was wheeled into the spacious lounge that was to the front of the building he scanned the room looking for someone familiar, only there was no one to be seen. The light was shining dominantly through the tall sachet window
s, making everyone’s eyes squint on entry. Jim noticed that the person’s present were a few families, people alone and a few members of staff that are spending one-to-one contact with the patients. The small nurse with a look of utter dullness placed him next to a master chair, a stool near an open window that blew into Jim’s face making him feel more awake than normal, as this never happened to him, he is so used to the usual routine that to him now seemed a blessing, feeling disorientated and overwhelmed. He sat patiently for around a minute and then a familiar face appeared at the doorway, making a clogging sound on the wooden floors which made Jim’s eyes focus on them. The face of Rupert was apprehensive as it all came flooding back to him on their last meeting with each other, which ended in them never speaking. Rupert deemed that his father was to blame for his rugged regimes covered with anomalies, which had torn away at Rupert for most of his childhood, running into his young adult life, resulting in the move that miraculously altered his perception on life, letting him explore for himself at last. He looked at his father expecting a stubborn complexion although he could hardly recognise the old man before him. Deep inside his father leapt this cowering creature desperate to take back the things he had done to his son. This was however swallowed down and digested as Rupert and Kerry sat down, placing Francesca on a stool next to her as she sat in between father and son, creating a tiny space between them as she was unsure of the tension between them both and wanted to prevent any initial awkwardness. Jim and Rupert were silent, both nervous expecting the each other to begin the conversation, when Kerry chirped in just as Jim looked about to mummer something as best he could since he was struggling after his stroke, paralysing some muscles in his face, arms and legs.