The Fenton Saga: Never Say Goodbye / There Was No Body.

by Colin Griffiths

  His ex-wife, he can’t believe she was still alive, oh how he would have loved to had met up with her on that mountain that night. If only he had really been there instead of in his sons head. He had been trying for months to get into her head. But Daniel Fenton had done something for him that he couldn’t do for himself, somehow during that television interview he sent a subliminal message and it let him in.

  Marie Rose was difficult to get through at first, he was in her head but was failing to make a connection until she went out into the garden. Oh how he would have loved to have seen her ripping up all those flowers, come here my little dears let me dead head you…rip. How he laughed, oh how he laughed.

  He had got into her head and how he loved it, payback time, he just couldn’t wait to go and see her personally.

  Wendy well she had become easier the last 24 hours, ever since she hasn’t got that stupid Katy to worry about now. She’s locked up in some mental home, he wasn’t sure if he meant to turn her into a lesbian or not but it was easy to get into her head. He had the vision of her undressing, oh she has let her guard down big time, all this was just going to be a bit of fun until his head drifted back to almost a year ago. Back to the time when he was in his sons head controlling him, and then they took his son away from him and then they killed his son. He had a right to seek revenge and now he’s decided there all going to pay. He would thank Daniel personally one day, thank him for giving him his strength back, he was getting stronger every day, but he wasn’t strong enough yet, not yet.

  Even that nigger and her copper boyfriend, they’re going to suffer and anyone who gets in his way, Only two people had ever been as powerful or more powerful as him, one everyone thinks he’s dead and the other well in less than two hours she’ll be sat in front of him.

  William Fenton was having a fine time of it, the nurses and doctors all had noticed how friendly and well he seemed, they were well pleased with him. There was plenty of life in the old dog yet, and Edith had picked up too, William had become a tonic for her.

  Madison come down the stairs in a striking red dress split at the leg, off her shoulders, her hair up in curls looking like a Hollywood star, looking as if she could split the oceans, create an earthquake, looking as if… she could do anything she cared to. Chantelle looked on in awe as she walked down the stairs, Madison gave a twirl.

  “Well!” She asked.

  Chantelle gulped,

  “You look …,”she stuttered, cleared her throat took a deep breath “absolutely stunning!”

  Madison giggled, kissed Chantelle on her cheek, she stepped back when the gesture wasn’t reciprocated.

  “What’s up?” Madison asked noticing her friends face which now looked one of distaste.

  Chantelle took her by the hand led her into the living room, they both sat on the sofa, still holding her hand Chantelle said,

  “You look a zillion dollars,” she gave a weak smile, the kind of smile that tells you something is up.

  “But,” said Madison, she could tell by Chantelle’s expression that there was a but!

  Chantelle paused, her best friend did look a zillion dollars, the most beautiful person she had ever saw, she wasn’t envious she was in awe of her. She held her hand tightly.

  “You look like you should be going to a prom, or chauffeur driven to a ball by a millionaire,” she bit her bottom lip until it hurt,”2not to see an old pervert.”

  Madison licked her lips, let go off her friends hand, went over to the mantelpiece and the mirror above it, and looked at herself, she run her tongue around the inside of her mouth.

  “Cost me £500, dads paying for it but he don’t know yet.”

  Chantelle sniggered went over to the mirror stood by the side of her both looking in the mirror, Chantelle run her fingers threw her hair careful not to mess it up,

  “What about this?” She asked.

  “£80,”

  “Who’s paying for that?”

  “Mum,”

  “Only she don’t know it yet?” Said Chantelle.

  Chantelle looked away from the mirror and at Madison, Madison did the same, they both smiled at the same time though it was a sad smile.

  “Go put some jeans on then shall I?” Madison said as she walked towards the stairs.

  “Good idea.”

  They laughed as they drove, laughing at the idea of Madison having to dress up to make an old man in his eighties fancy her. She realised it was a stupid idea, she would take the dress back, the hair? Well she had straightened that out and now she looked like Madison, beautiful all empowering Madison. Morgan and Sue, Madison’s parents were not aware of this visit and had strictly forbidden it, they knew who the man was but rendered him harmless. Morgan didn’t want Madison to build up hope, she might be easily convinced that Todd was still alive, because Morgan thought Madison was young and impressionable, also vulnerable after what had happened to her. So no she wasn’t to see him again, he would not take her to see that man again. 30 minutes after setting off and defying her parents Madison and Chantelle arrived outside the elderly people’s home. It was still a warm evening, but the sun was getting weaker and casting an orange glow over the hills in the back ground. Drops of rain had occasionally splattered the windscreen on the drive here and the forecast was one of a storm brewing so Madison guessed she would be inside today. She got to the reception and was told to wait as they were still eating, but the wait wasn’t long and Chantelle stayed with her until they called her, then Chantelle went back into the car to wait.

  As she walked the corridors Madison realised she felt less frightened this time, a confidence had grown inside her, she had felt like this ever since Daniel had made his TV appearance, it had rejuvenated, no she wasn’t frightened, in fact Madison was excited. She would play it simple, just start talking as if they were old friends. She was sure something would happen tonight, she had a feeling in her stomach, something would change tonight. She would start to find some answers and find out what really happened to her brother, of that she was sure, she wasn’t going to be disappointed.

  William and Edith were sat on a sofa with a table in front of them which sat two coffees, if you didn’t know them you would think they were an elderly married couple seeing out their final years in this quaint old people’s home. There were another six sofas and about a dozen armchairs in the TV room, but only a few were taken. Most of the residents preferring an early night where they were allowed to smoke in their rooms and drink the whisky or vodka that some relative had snuck in. The carers knew this and chose to ignore it. The television played in the back ground, it looked like the news channel. Madison approached them in a confident manner showing very little nerves, if she had any nerves then she hid them well. Her heart however, was racing and her head was thinking off all sorts of permutations of what could happen tonight.

  “Hi.” She said confidently as she sat beside them on an armchair, she got her iPad out and pretended to find the stuff she had written the last time she had visited.

  “So where, were we?” She added. She smiled at them both.

  William Fenton stared at her not taking his eyes off her, it made Madison feel a bit uncomfortable.

  “We’ve met before haven’t we?” Said William,

  Madison looked a bit confused,

  “Of course I was here last week do you remember?”

  “Dafty.” Said Edith.

  But William Fenton just stared. You know what I mean.

  Madison licked her lips, chastised herself for leaving her water in the car, I’m not turning away from him, if I look away now he’ll think I’m scared.

  “Well shall we get on?” she said, still staring at him. I am fucking scared.

  William Fenton broke the stare out, he had tried to feel something, any avenue to let him in, just a crack and he could exploit it. She was a tough one, but she will crack they normally do. But William Fenton was not sure he believed that, maybe Madison would be a nut he couldn’t crack. Madison was g
lad he broke the stare and that gave her new found confidence, no way was she going to stare down first.

  “How are you Alison my dear?” Asked Edith in a creaky voice.

  Madison smiled, she liked this old woman,

  “I’m good Edith how are you?”

  “Oh the corns you know how it is, I’ve thought of some more stuff for you dear now sit close.”

  Madison smiled at this delightful old lady, and as Edith told her about the war and Madison pretended to write it down on her iPad, Madison was wary that William Fenton had not took his eyes off her. Madison could not hear anything not a thing other than Edith, no subconscious thoughts, not an inkling, and if William Fenton had not done what he did to Carol, Marie Rose and Wendy he would have thought he had no power at all.

  “Have you got anything to add Mr Fenton?” asked Madison.

  He took his eyes of her, he had a headache coming, she’s given me a bloody headache, he thought.

  “No Alison I haven’t.” he grunted, he wanted her away now, he thought he could crack her tonight, he felt so powerful, but he couldn’t and his head raged, he would have to think of something else.

  “Okay then, well thanks for everything and I’ll see you again soon.” Madison kissed the two of them goodbye even though she didn’t really want to, but she noticed that horrible aged pissy smell had gone from William Fenton, she was sure she could smell aftershave.

  She walked so far and just before the exit she turned around and waived.

  “Goodbye dear.” Edith shouted.

  “Goodbye Madison!” William shouted and grinned like a Cheshire cat.

  “It’s Alison you stupid man.” Said Edith.

  Madison heard it, heard it as plain as day, her heart went into her mouth and she sprinted out of the home. Chantelle saw her running out and got out of the car and ran towards her, in a state of panic,

  “What’s the matter?” She shouted as they fell into each other’s arms.

  Madison was panting she needed to get her breath back, she made a hand gesture to say she was ok, then she finally spoke,

  “It’s nothing…it’s just… he called me Madison.”

  “You sure you didn’t slip up and give him your name?” Asked Chantelle.

  “No never, I was too careful,”

  “Then he knows who you are.”

  Then there was a loud bang and a flash and the rain poured just like it did a year ago. Suddenly hammering the ground in a torrential downpour. The two girls ran into the car, it brought back memories of that day on the mountain and Madison instinctively looked up at the skies expecting to see a boy come and pluck her from a storm, but there was no boy there. There was no Todd.

  “Let’s get out of here.” Said Madison.

  “Did you hear anything?” Asked Chantelle as she started the car,

  “Only him calling me Madison.”

  William Fenton’s good mood had gone now, he went back to his room and lay on his bed having been given some paracetamol for his head ache. His small room was in darkness with the curtains closed, just the fading light trying to penetrate the thick curtains. There was a knock on his door, somebody asking if he was ok, he had answered with a positive, but he wasn’t okay, She had scared him and he didn’t know why.

  Got to find her weak link, he thought.

  He could hear the thunder outside as the heavens opened, the sound of the rain against the window felt comforting. Then for some strange reason he thought of the family home that he hadn’t visited in 50 years. He was never allowed to set foot in that place since the death of his younger sister after a horse riding accident, where the medics had told his father that if William hadn’t tried to move her and carry her home after the accident then she may have lived. William Fenton had inadvertently killed the sister he adored, and because of that he had been banished from his family’s life forever.

  He lay on his bed deep in thought, but his thoughts had changed now, they were back with Madison, the girl who scared him a little. He lay trying to think of the one weak link he could exploit, he raked through everyone he knew, it was two hours before he came up with an answer.

  Got it, he thought, Todd!

  Someone’s weakness can be another’s strength, William Fenton never quite got the meaning of that.

  But before anything else William Fenton needed a power boost, and if he was still alive he knew just the person.

  Chapter 19

  They were outside now. The May sunshine warm, it was going to be a nice summer, they were forecasting a record high for May. Cathy Brown loved a hot summer even though most of it would be spend in the basement where there was no windows and the air conditioning only worked half of the time, but she loved her Job, it paid very well but her true love of it was the secrecy. The declaration you signed when you joined, it was like she was a secret agent, much better than when she was in the army, in the army you were just another soldier, a dispensable private, here she felt like something, she was someone. She liked the young man that was now stood outside with her. Not so long ago she was scared of him, terrified, but after treatment he was docile, now she felt sorry for him. A young man shouldn’t be cooped up like this, she had thought, never mind how dangerous he was, he wasn’t dangerous now so why can’t they just let him go? She had thought.

  But this was part of her job, she knew that, to neutralise any potential threat, to disable any threatening weapon.

  Things had got a lot better for him. The young man with Cathy Brown, who always looked in a daze as if he was dreaming, he was not locked up in his room so much now, before he was locked up all the time. He was allowed out to go to an accompanied toilet, no nurses watching him now as he undressed to go to the bath when some would giggle at the sight of his nudity and asked him if he knew how to use it, had he ever used it, but they were mainly the younger ones. Cathy was never like that, he liked her, she was the only one he chose to speak to and how he was glad now that he could talk to someone instead of pretending that he couldn’t speak. He remembers Cathy brown’s shock when he spoke, the look of surprise on her face when he said,

  “I would like to start speaking now.”

  “That would be lovely.” Was all she said, it took another two days before he spoke to her again, now they talk whenever she is on duty.

  He could go to the toilet on his own now and they were not so eager to ensure that all the other doors were closed. Sometimes when he went to the toilet the doors would be open and he would look in but there was never much to see, mainly computers and some men and woman sat at desks. The man in black usually wore guns but they didn’t say anything though one waived at him once. He didn’t waive back but he was sure he recognised him and when he tried to think his mind had gone blank, they had taken the memories away from him. He would get them back one day, of that he was sure. It was quite nice here now that he could get out, and they had even given him his own cd player and Cathy brings in cd, s every week so he has different ones to play.

  He takes his tablets by himself, no one checking in his throat to make sure he swallowed them, still no TV but he guessed if he behaved that would come.

  Cathy had his arm through his as they walked around, it was a field like enclosure they were stood in and on three sides was a 10 foot fence with razor wire. Cathy had told him it was electrified but he wasn’t so sure, he couldn’t see further then the field as it was surrounded by woods on 3 sides with one side having what looked like a dirt track running through it. At the back was a cliff, too high to climb and at times Todd struggled to even see the top, and there was always a man on the gates, sometimes two. Todd loved it out here, he could hear the birds feel the warmth of the sun, the smell of grass and sometimes he could taste the freedom. The woods scared him a little especially if it was at night, they were creepy, full of shadows and strange noises and once he asked to go back in because he thoughts the woods were beckoning him calling him over, he thought he had felt that before, but guessed it was just a dream.
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  They didn’t have names in here just numbers and Cathy had told him that when they were inside he had to call her nurse or whenever anyone else was around, but when they were out here on their own they could use their real names. He liked Cathy she looked after him, he hoped one day he could thank her, thank her properly, then he would forget what proper was, for a moment he thought there was something else, then he realised this must be all there is.

  “What a lovely day Todd.” She said as they walked. She enjoyed this part, taking Todd out, seeing is face light up, he didn’t smile often but always did when he was out here. It still seemed strange her calling him that, when she first said it, he just stared not realising that she had said his name, or that he had forgot it. And at one time he thought it was one they just made up, but each time she says it the more real it seems and each time she says it it’s like a little bit more of him has come alive. A little bit more has been brought back from the dead. He couldn’t remember much but he did know despite what those giggling girls used to say when they watched him get undressed that he had loved someone and her name was Wendy, and she was the reason why he had to be here. He couldn’t remember what she looked like, but it was a memory all the same, they hadn’t taken it all away, he still loved her.