by H E Joyce
Twenty One
The road leading out of town was empty; all of the buildings were in darkness and the enormous waves were smashing into the sea wall and spreading foaming water across the road. The heavy rainfall that flowed down the hill from Brooksville Heights, along with the high winds, made driving conditions extremely hazardous. Michael struggled to keep the car under control, and to see where he was going. Leaving the town and driving up the hill against the torrents of rainwater made his progress painfully slow.
The further uphill he went, the more dangerous conditions became. Except for some trees that grew on the cliff’s edge to his right, there was virtually a sheer drop down to the ocean, and under such conditions it was difficult to see where the roadside ended. He began to question the wisdom of venturing out on such a night. After all, he thought, Laura had her sister and Jody with her; she wasn’t alone.
It occurred to him that turning up at the house might do more harm than good and that perhaps he was doing the wrong thing. Maybe she needed some space? In fact, the more he thought about it, if he had been able, he would have turned the vehicle around and returned to the Merryweather’s. But given the weather conditions he continued the journey. If he felt the same way when he arrived at the house, he thought, he could always turn the car around there.
What would normally have been a ten-minute drive had turned into a forty-minute nightmare. As he was lost in his thoughts, he also lost his concentration, only for a moment, but that was all it took to find himself veering slightly too much to the right and the wheels lurching into the gulley at the side of the road. He could not regain control and correct it, the wheels were firmly stuck, and the vehicle began to slide perilously close to the precipice. He panicked, rammed his foot hard on the throttle pedal; it only made matters worse as the back wheels span in the mud and the car slid further towards the edge.
He released the pedal and sat perfectly still for a moment, wondering what he should do next. The car, now at an acute angle, slid a little further. Was this how it was to end for him? he wondered. He felt blind panic as the car shifted still more, then stopped. He breathed a deep sigh of relief, just before the car slid again. It seemed to go on forever, he was sure he was going to die, but then with a heavy thud, it stopped dead. Michael breathed again. Visibility was non-existent; he had no idea how far the car had slipped down, or what had stopped it, but he guessed it had been some trees.
The car was at a forty-five degree angle to the road, and his driver door, as he suspected, was jammed completely shut by whatever had stopped the car rolling further down. He sat perfectly still for a few moments, unsure whether to move or to stay until help arrived. ‘I could be here days, weeks, before anyone finds me,’ he said to himself. And then: ‘oh well, here goes nothing.’ He manoeuvred himself from the driving seat, taking care not to make any erratic movements as he clambered across to the passenger door. To his relief, it opened easily, though pushing the full weight of the door upwards was difficult.
The car shifted slightly again and he froze for a moment. He created enough space to crawl out of, but as it turned out, that was the easy part. He now found himself trying to find something to hold onto and to pull himself up. Water cascaded onto him from the road above, the mud made it difficult to get a grip and make any progress; it was only the occasional protruding tree root that gave him any purchase.
Eventually, he found himself clambering up the last couple of feet and onto the road. He was soaking wet and the flowing water washed over his feet like a mountain stream. He was covered in mud, windswept, and freezing cold, but he didn’t care, he was alive. He started to walk the remaining few hundred yards to where the long driveway led to Brooksville Heights.
*
‘Come along, Laura, drink up, there’s a good girl,’ Beth said. ‘Don’t you want to raise a glass to Michael and me? We’ll be able to get married soon.’
‘Yes, why not,’ Laura said. She glanced at the unguarded knife.
‘That’s better, that’s much better.’
Laura said submissively. ‘I guess a person has to know when they’re beaten.‘
Beth gave a quick nod of her head, the delight shining in her eyes. ‘I’m glad you finally accept that, Laura, I really am.’
‘The better woman won. I know that now.’
‘That’s right, the better woman won. So how does it feel, having everything you’ve ever had taken from you?’
Laura simply shrugged and edged her way a little closer towards Beth. As if sensing Laura’s intention, Beth grinned, and teasingly slid the knife out of reach.
‘You do realise, I suppose,’ Laura said quietly, ‘that I never knew you even existed, Beth. Patrick never once mentioned you to me. Don’t you think that’s odd?’
Beth glared at her for a moment, then chuckled. ‘I don’t believe you. My father loved me.’
‘Yes, maybe he did, but you must admit, it’s strange how he kept having a daughter quiet for so long. Don’t you think that’s really strange, Beth? That he never told me about you in all those years.’
She gritted her teeth. ‘He must have had his reasons.’
‘Oh, I’m sure he did. I wonder what they were? Could it be that he was ashamed of you perhaps?’
Beth flinched. ‘Shut your mouth, bitch!’
‘So ashamed he couldn’t even tell his wife about you.’
‘I said shut up!’
‘You were ill, Beth, he shouldn’t have been ashamed. And now you want to go to prison for a man that disowned you, just because you needed some help?’
‘I won’t tell you again, shut your damned mouth!’
Laura took a step closer. ‘Did he ever visit you in the institution? Had I known about you, I would have visited, tried to help you. It’s not too late you know, I could get you the help you need to get better.’
‘Help?’ she yelled. ‘They’re animals in those places. You have no idea what it’s like to be locked up, treated like dirt, made fun of by the so-called nurses. I won’t go back to that, not for anything, do you understand me?’
Laura’s face was motionless. ‘Not everywhere is like that. I could get you in somewhere nice, where they would take care of you properly.’
Beth picked up the knife and slowly made her way to the table. She sat down, her movements measured, almost premeditated. ‘The red, white and blue. It’s the red, white and blue,’ she said, over and over.
‘The red, white and blue? What’s the red, white and blue, Beth?’ Laura asked curiously.
Beth looked at her, her brow furrowed, tears forming in her eyes. ‘It’s the red, white and blue.’
Laura took a seat next to her and tried to reach out to comfort her. Beth, still gripping the blade, pulled her hand away abruptly, her persona changing in an instant from being pitiful to that of someone deranged.
‘Don’t touch me,’ she said, thrusting the knife into the table.
‘I’m sorry, I just wanted to…’
‘I know what you wanted. Do you think I’m a fool?’
‘No, no, I don’t.’
‘I’m getting bored with this. You’re beginning to bore me; do you know that?
Laura waited a moment before speaking again. “Beth, I need to ask you, where is my sister? What have you done with her?’
‘You’ll find out soon enough.’ She laughed, the spite in her voice filling the air. ‘Actually, why don’t we go and see her right now.’ She stood up, took hold of the storm lamp and gestured with her knife to the kitchen door. Laura obeyed her instruction and made her way into the hall. ‘Stop!’ said Beth, as they reached the basement door. ‘Now open it.’
Laura pushed the handle and pulled the door open. She looked to Beth. ‘Now what?’ she said.
‘You’re not too bright are you? Down the stairs.’
Laura made her way carefully down the stairs, with Beth close behind. As she approached the bottom, and in the dim light given by the storm lamp, she could just make out Sall
y’s motionless body lying on the floor. She gasped at the sight of her sister, her head bleeding badly, then fell to her knees. She cried, grief stricken, as she cradled her sister’s head and stroked her blood soaked hair.
‘I take back what I said, you don’t need help, you need locking away for good. You’re a monster, nothing but an evil, fucking monster!’
‘Yeah, but what you gonna do!’ Beth said, grinning inanely.
It was then, perhaps stimulated by the sound of voices, that Sally regained consciousness, coughing uncontrollably at first, and then opening her eyes. The grin on Beth’s face disappeared; now she had a look of shock and disappointment as she stood above them in stunned silence.
Laura smiled at her sister with tears of joy and relief. ‘It’s okay, Sally, everything’s going to be okay.’
‘Very touching, but it’s not going to save you, Laura.’
Laura looked up. ‘She’s alive, don’t you see? Nobody’s died, it’s not too late to stop this, Beth.’
‘Why would I want to stop? You just don’t get it do you? This won’t stop until you’re dead, Laura, and unfortunately for you, that time has finally arrived; I’ve lingered long enough. It’s time to die, Laura!’
Laura backed away as Beth came down the final few stairs. She stepped over Sally; she was not fully cognisant and helpless to do anything to help Laura, as Beth edged closer, the knife gripped tightly in her hand.
Beth placed the storm lamp down so that when the moment came to strike, she had both hands free. Laura continued to back away, tripping occasionally on the items she had boxed but had not got around to disposing of. Eventually she found herself backed into a corner with nowhere to go, with Beth, slowly, and silently, inching her way ever closer. The steel of the knife which Beth held, twisting it menacingly around in her hand, glimmered, as amidst the darkness, it sporadically caught a shaft of light from the storm lamp. Frozen with fear, there seemed nothing Laura could do against someone so emotionally charged; yet she was resolute she would not go without a fight. It wasn’t just her life at stake; she had to think of Jody. It was that which kept her focused.
‘Any last words, Laura? Any more smart remarks?’
‘No, no smart remarks, except this – Look behind you!’
Beth laughed. ‘Is that the best you can think of, Laura? Pathetic.’
‘Hey!’ It was Sally’s voice. Beth turned in horror and immediately fell to the floor as the old can of paint swung and hit her squarely on the jaw. ‘Get out of here, get Jody and run!’ Sally yelled.
‘I’m not leaving you!’
Beth had only been stunned; she began to stand almost immediately, still clasping the knife.
‘It’s you she wants, just go!’ Sally said.
Laura ran up the basement stairs and into the darkness of the hall. She felt her way to the stairwell and went as quickly as possible to Jody’s room. He was still fast asleep. She found the flashlight she had left by his bedside, switched it on and shook Jody frantically. He woke with a gasp, startled by the sudden awakening and obvious terror in his mother’s voice as she told him to get out of bed.
‘What’s going on? What’s happening?’
‘There’s no time to explain, honey, just get up, okay? We have to go, right now.’
‘Where to? It’s night time.’
‘It doesn’t matter, come on.’
They made their way down the stairs and she quickly grabbed the bunch of keys from the hall table and opened the front door. She looked towards the basement and heard footsteps climbing the stairs. They were not Sally’s.
Laura and Jody ran to the truck that was only yards away; they were soaked to the skin before they reached it. Laura virtually pushed Jody in and quickly followed. She struggled to insert the ignition key, and once she did, turned it furiously, simultaneously pressing her foot hard down on the throttle pedal. It had never let her down before, but now it stubbornly refused to start. It was then she noticed the light from the storm lamp appear on the porch. She could see Beth’s features clearly.
Twenty Two
Laura turned the key once more in a desperate attempt to start the truck, but it was no use. She told Jody to get out, grabbed the keys and got out herself. Taking Jody’s hand, they ran from the vehicle, Laura occasionally looking over her shoulder. Beth was following, also running, and catching up fast. Laura had not formed a plan, there had been no time, she and Jody simply ran through the darkness into the wind and rain.
Disorientated, with only sporadic bolts of lightning giving momentary bursts of light showing where they were in relation to the house, they found themselves at the cliff’s edge where the steps led down to the boathouse. Laura hesitated for a moment, there was no time to think of an alternative. She made a split-second decision.
She firmly gripped Jody by the shoulders. ‘Okay, honey, we’re going down to the boat.’
‘Why are we running, Mom? Who was that lady?’
‘No time, honey. Come on, let’s go, and be very careful.’
Laura kept a tight grip on Jody’s hand as they made their perilous descent. With her free hand she grabbed onto the railing, sudden gusts of wind making a usually difficult descent even more treacherous. The steps were extremely slippery, and a number of times Laura almost lost her footing. Half way down she stopped and looked back up the steps, listening for any sign of Beth, but it was far too dark to see. There wasn’t a chink of light; in her panic she had left the flashlight in the truck. It was too noisy to hear anything above the howling of the wind and the waves crashing against the rocks below them.
Laura was hopeful that they had lost her; that they had started their way down the steps without her realising where they had gone. In the darkness she would be unaware of the steps that led down to the boathouse and hopefully look for them elsewhere. They could then sit it out until the morning if necessary.
They finally made it, although conditions were far worse than Laura had imagined. The swell of the sea was horrendous: massive waves smashed constantly into the boathouse, drenching them in foamy water every few moments, and the boat itself was becoming waterlogged. Laura wondered how much longer it could stay afloat in such horrendous conditions.
They crouched and hung on to the ropes that were tethering the boat. Laura had to shout to be heard as she gave Jody instructions.
‘Honey, if that woman comes, you have to get back up to the house, do you understand? Get back to the house and hide somewhere until I get back, okay?’
He shivered, partly from the cold and partly from shock and fear. He simply nodded.
Laura knew it was madness, but if Beth had followed them, it was the only plan she could think of. She told Jody to wait while she tried to start up the boat’s engine. The boat rocked wildly as she attempted to board it, several times almost losing her footing and ending up in the water. Eventually, she managed to scramble aboard, holding on to anything she could to avoid falling over the side. She had only a basic knowledge of how to handle the boat; in any case it all seemed academic, and judging by the amount of water that lapped around her feet, it would almost certainly sink very soon. She was doubtful the engine would even start. She primed it a few times and turned the key. The engine turned over but didn’t fire, so she primed it once more and tried again. There was nothing; the battery sounded sluggish. She guessed the next attempt would be the last before the battery finally gave up. She said a little prayer before turning the key and holding it on once again, the engine begrudgingly turned, faltered for a moment with diminishing battery power, and then to her disbelief, roared into life.
‘Yes!’ she shouted, followed by a heartfelt, ‘thank you!’ at her prayer being answered. She clambered over the stern to get Jody on-board, but it was too late. At first, it was only the faint glow of a light rounding the bend of the steps that Laura noticed. She quickly reminded Jody of what he had to do, and then told him to hide in the shadows as best he could until the right moment came for him to run. Laura unt
ied the boat just as Beth appeared.
‘You can’t win, Laura,’ Beth shouted.
‘Oh yeah? Why don’t you climb aboard and we’ll see.’
‘Where’s Jody?’
‘He’s safe; you’re not going to get your hands on him,’ Laura shouted, the seawater and rain beating her face.
‘I will have him, Laura. Once you’re gone, he and Michael will be mine and there’s nothing you can do to stop that.’
‘You’re crazy if you really believe that.’ Laura pulled on the throttle and the boat began moving slowly away from the boathouse. The swell meant the boat progressed extremely slowly, going forward, and then being pushed back. Laura increased the throttle to full power. Beth discarded the storm lamp, but not the knife as she clambered aboard.
Laura steered the boat away from the boathouse and out to the bay. She shouted to Jody. ‘Run, Jody! Remember what I said!’ She had no way of telling if he had heard her, she could hear no response, but was certain he would do as she had said.
Beth looked back to the blackness of the boathouse, angry that she had been outwitted. ‘So, it’s just you and me now,’ she shouted menacingly.
‘Yes, you and me,’ said Laura defiantly.
*
Sally, nursing a bad cut to her head, managed to crawl up the stairs and find her way out of the basement and into the hall. The door to the front porch was wide open and flapping around in the wind. With some effort, she managed to close it, and from there, felt her way to the kitchen where she located one of the flashlights. She bathed her forehead with some water and took a drink of wine to steady her nerves. She called for Laura, though she had already sensed that neither she nor the mad woman was in the house. She went upstairs to Jody’s room and saw his empty bed. Her only hope was that they had both got away to safety, but when she returned downstairs, she noticed that Laura’s truck was still outside. Its presence gave no reassurance.