Writing is my passion and I will continue writing for the rest of my days. I have also published some poems I wrote as a teenager in a book titled Rhymes of Nonsense. This is also available on Amazon, but be warned, these are very raw and unpolished, teenage meanderings.
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The Alternative Endings
As you are aware, Tortured Minds was the result of the collaboration of three independent authors. When it came time to write the final chapter, the finale, as it were, a decision needed to be made as to who should write that final chapter.
We decided, eventually, to all write a suitable ending to this tale and we would choose the one we preferred to end the book. As a special bonus, we have included these two chapters that didn’t make the cut, partly for your own interest, but also, because the two extra versions were so different to the one we ended up including. We felt it might give you a very different perspective of how this tale may have ended.
We hope you enjoy our possible alternative endings.
Alternative Ending Two by Rachel McGrath
Part One – The Reunion
Simon Reynolds was taking in the scene around him, still unsure what he was actually doing on the top of the Oceanic Shipping Building. Perhaps his head was a little skewed after an afternoon of passionate and vigorous lovemaking with Molly. It felt eerie being here, where Molly’s husband had fallen to his death just two months before. ‘Fallen’ was the formal statement that was given to police at the time.
Simon and Molly had been the first to arrive on that rooftop. For the first time since knowing Molly, he had sensed her unease, different from her usual confidence. She had disclosed a lot today, some of which Simon was still digesting. Whilst he was grateful to finally see Molly opening up to him, he was unsure now what to believe. Her story about Daniel being a ghost seemed far-fetched and he wondered if she was perhaps losing her mind amidst the stress and events she had experienced recently. Yet, Simon loved Molly. He had done so for as long as he could remember. Coming here tonight perhaps was his only way to help her, or perhaps it was the biggest mistake of his life. Time would tell.
Jake arrived soon after, escorting a woman who Simon didn’t recognise, a new girlfriend perhaps? But why bring her here? Jake walked stiffly over to Molly, where they exchanged a quick peck on the cheek. There was a definite tension between the two of them and Simon wondered how it had really all gone so wrong. Reflecting on Molly’s story and watching the pair of them, Simon could tell that they still cared for each other, but they had hurt each other too much to ever repair what had been damaged.
The woman nodded briefly at Molly who stiffened inadvertently beside him. Then Jake walked over to the edge of the building and laid down several photos, the woman shifting slightly away as if uncomfortable to be connected with anyone.
Molly leant over to Simon and whispered in his ear, “That’s Becky,” nodding towards the woman. Simon registered immediately that it was the same woman Daniel had been having an affair with, who had also borne his child. He understood the tension, but still couldn’t understand why she would be here with Jake.
Jake then moved back to stand beside Becky, taking her hand before, bizarrely, starting to sing an old Simon and Garfunkel song, as if it was something normal to do on the top of a building. Everyone appeared to be waiting for something. Simon exchanged glances with Becky who also appeared uncomfortable with this strange scene. She gave him a reassuring smile and he felt glad to have a comrade with him.
All eyes moved to the rooftop door as it swung open dramatically and Simon felt his legs wobble and his heart race at what he saw next. It was Daniel! Molly’s late husband, as though he had never died. Simon looked around at the three others standing on the rooftop, but no one even seemed surprised. Molly had been telling the truth, this ghostly presence of Daniel was certainly real. Everything Simon had ever believed suddenly came crashing down as his brain tried to reconcile what his eyes were seeing.
Daniel, who seemed quite amused by the group in front of him exclaimed, “And I thought this was supposed to be a private party!”
It was strange to hear him speak, as though he had never died. Out of the corner of his eye, Simon could hear a small gasp from Becky and he was even more astounded when he realised Daniel was holding a young child.
“I believe this sweet little man belongs to you. Guard him well Becky.” Simon watched as Becky took the young boy and the apparition leaned forward to kiss her cheek. He assumed that this must be the young Damien, Daniel’s love child.
Daniel then turned towards Molly and gave her the briefest of nods. The tension was obvious and Simon felt for Molly, clearly now an outsider. He watched tentatively as Daniel moved towards Jake, placing his arm around his shoulder.
“From the top again eh, buddy, just like the old days?” Daniel started to sing the Simon and Garfunkel song and Jake, a little lost in his thoughts, started with him. Simon shifted impatiently, confused by what this was all about.
Suddenly, as though pulled from a dream, Jake stopped singing. He turned away from Daniel, brushing the arm off his shoulders in disgust. Daniel stopped singing too, looking a little shocked. Jake walked away, positioning himself equally between both Daniel and Molly and folding his arms. Simon watched as Becky hugged her son tighter and he wondered if he should feel afraid. Daniel smiled back at Jake, in defiance, turning then to look directly at Molly, his expression changing quickly to something more malicious.
It was Molly who then broke the silence, “Okay Jake and Daniel, enough of the theatrics, let’s get this over with.”
***
Part Two – The Reminisce
Becky wanted to be anywhere but on top of the Oceanic Building, especially now that Daniel had decided to bring her innocent son to join this ridiculous reunion. Chills travelled up her spine as she thought of what had happened here two months ago. She was regretting her decision to accompany Jake, but at the time he had seemed so hapless and lost. She had left Damien at home, but Daniel surprised her by bringing him here. Now she felt vulnerable as she held her son tightly, contemplating whether she should just run and escape this ridiculous scene.
Molly had also brought with her a man, someone Becky didn’t recognise. Although she didn’t put it past the woman and this guy was clearly infatuated with her, she struggled with the idea Molly would have brought a boyfriend up here with her. Becky still resented her, regardless of any offer of money for Damien’s future. She didn’t trust the woman and never would. Becky considered that if it had been Molly who had fallen that night, none of this would ever have happened and they wouldn’t be standing here now, freezing, on the roof of this twenty-two storey building.
Becky wondered, what did they actually think they would achieve by being here? Would it really give them the closure they all needed?
Molly looked at both Jake and Daniel intently and then walked over to the ledge, looking over the gap where Daniel must have fallen. She then turned to the group and spoke boldly, “So, let’s talk about what really happened that night.”
Both Jake and Daniel turned towards Molly, their backs now to Becky and Simon. Becky moved next to Simon, feeling the need for some protection. Young Damien was still snuggled in her arms oblivious to the scene playing out before them. Becky introduced herself quietly to the man beside her and Simon gave her his first name in a short whisper. He wasn’t overly friendly to her, but she didn’t care, she was too interested in the scene developing in front of her.
“Okay Molly, you start…” egged Daniel. “What do you remember?”
“Oh, Daniel I remember everything,” Mo
lly said snidely. “But I’d like Jake to start first. Jake, tell us what you remember.”
Jake shifted his feet uncomfortably, he looked up to the sky as if in thought and a single tear fell down his cheek. Sucking in his breath he spoke, barely in a whisper. “We had jumped across from that building,” Jake pointed at the building that stood directly beside the Oceanic. There wasn’t a large gap between the two ledges, but the thought of it still scared Becky. “We ran across to this side and prepared to jump across to that building there,” he said pointing at an identical building to the Oceanic, right next to the ledge. It was about a three-metre gap, big enough, but surely they could have made it, wondered Becky.
“I went first,” Jake stated sadly. “Molly was right behind me and then it was supposed to be Daniel.” He didn’t look at them, he was just staring at the ledge where Daniel had fallen.
“What else do you remember Jake?” Molly probed.
“I landed on that building safely, I turned and Molly, you were already mid-air.” His eyes then widened as if he recalled something, “You stumbled, you never stumble!”
“Yes, I was always better than the two of you, you were both so unfit, probably from your drinking and cigarette binges,” Molly teased. Jake nodded in agreement but was still deep in thought.
Suddenly he turned to look directly at Molly. “Why did you stumble Molly?” Molly didn’t say anything, so Jake continued. “Daniel you came over quickly too, just as Molly landed you were mid-air, you hadn’t even waited for her to land? You grabbed her hand and I had to grab her other hand. You slipped, you missed the ledge.” Jake was blurting out his memories as though he was seeing it all for the very first time.
“Molly, what happened, why did you stumble?” Jake asked again, now stepping towards her.
Daniel also stepped closer to the two of them, his expression now taunting. “Yes Molly, why did you stumble?”
Molly turned to Daniel sharply, “You know exactly why, Daniel.” Both of them glared at each other intently.
Jake broke their tense silence. “Molly, I grabbed your hand, you would have gone over that edge with Daniel, but I pulled you back.” Jake’s eyes were frantic, searching both Molly and Daniel’s expressions for some sign. “I remember holding you, reaching out for Daniel’s hand too. His entire body was hanging from the ledge of that building.” Turning to point, Jake stared across the ledge as if trying to turn back time, forcing himself to remember.
“Yes, if it hadn’t been for you, Jake….” Molly trailed off mid-sentence. “It was your strength that pulled me to safety and you had Daniel’s too. You tried to pull his grip off me, because he was pulling me down. You held his wrist as he hung over that ledge.”
“Yes, but you could have saved me, either of you,” Daniel interrupted.
Becky and Simon stood in silence, watching this exchange, this confession. Simon had read the police report, it had been very basic. The recollection of the event from both Molly and Jake was hazy, but he had never questioned it. Things like this always happen so quickly, he had assumed it was all they could remember at the time. He should never have assumed.
“I tried to save you!” Jake muttered, he looking visibly distressed by the memory. “You had Molly’s hand so tightly, I was afraid she would go over with you.”
“You chose Molly over me!” Daniel accused.
“I didn’t!” Jake protested, his eyes wildly searching for more answers. “I tried to save you both!”
“You did save me,” Molly said quietly, “but you couldn’t have saved us both.”
“It all happened so quickly,” Jake wept. “I tried Daniel, I did try!” Daniel stepped forward and put a hand on Jake’s shoulder. Jake simply nodded sadly and then pleaded to Molly once again. “But why did it happen, Molly?”
Molly turned to Daniel, “Daniel, what do you remember?”
“I remember Jake grabbing my wrist, I had your hand too, you both had me, but I still died,” he accused. “Molly, you let go of my hand, you pulled it away.” His eyes were sharp and provoking,
Molly stood firm. “Jake couldn’t pull me up on his own.”
Jake shook his head sadly, remembering those moments as his late friend explained how in those last seconds Jake had looked into his eyes, admitting defeat as his hand slowly slipped, losing grip. His last words to Daniel were, “Bye-bye chap”. When Daniel finished, Jake fell to his knees, sobbing. For two months he had blocked that memory from his head, but tonight it was flooding back, every piece of those last moments.
“Yes, I remember that,” Molly said sternly but pointedly, “but what happened before that Daniel?”
“Why don’t you tell us?” Daniel dared her, a smirk forming on his face.
Molly’s teeth visibly gritted as she squared her shoulders. “Always gutless Daniel,” she sneered, then turning to pull Jake back to his feet. “Jake after you jumped and I could see you landed safely, I went to follow you,” Molly started her version of events. “I took the leap, but just as my feet left the ground I felt Daniel’s hand reach for mine. Mid-air, my jump was interrupted, I was almost pulled downwards. I only just made that ledge.” Jake was watching Molly intently, unsure of what she was actually insinuating. “What he didn’t count on was that I would grip his hand too and I pulled Daniel with me. He wasn’t ready for his jump but in trying to sabotage mine, he had sealed his own fate.” Molly smiled triumphantly. “He came with me, but he couldn’t make the leap without the right grounding.” Molly turned to Daniel. “So Daniel, the real question then is, why did you grab my hand?”
Daniel laughed, Jake was still staring in shock, Molly stood there resentfully, her hands on her hips, waiting for a response.
“Darling, it was supposed to be an accident of course,” he said simply. “Becky and I planned to get married. I had a family to support and you denied me that. No offence of course.”
“So a simple divorce wouldn’t have sufficed?” Molly demanded.
“Ahh, you would never have given me that and you and I both know it.” Daniel scoffed. “Hey, don’t look at me like that darling, I was the one who died, right?”
“You pulled her back? You wanted her to fall?” Jake interrupted them both flabbergasted by this new revelation.
“Yes, but he didn’t count on me keeping hold of his hand, did he?” Molly sneered.
“Becky, love, jump in here please,” Daniel called. “You knew exactly what I had planned that night. It was all for us! For Damien!” Jake and Molly both turned to Becky, who looked guilty and shocked by the revelation. She didn’t say anything, tears rolling down her cheeks as she held her small son close. She looked quickly to the exit door, wondering if she could leave and escape from this drama.
“You were in on this?” Jake accused Becky, who shuddered at his sudden attack. She just shook her head, looking at Daniel for help.
“I – I – I didn’t know we were being serious,” she stuttered. “Molly, you have to believe me, I hadn’t imagined he would really do something. I thought you had killed Daniel that night, honestly. I didn’t know what had happened.”
Molly just laughed. “So we all know now. Daniel tried to sabotage my jump, but I pulled him over the edge and in the end I let go of his hand... and Jake, in the end, you did too.”
Jake sobbed loudly, “So where does this leave us now?”
***
Part 3 – The Retribution
“Good question, where does this leave us now?” Daniel pondered out loud.
Simon cleared his throat loudly, trying to get the group’s attention after staying silent through the interlude he had just witnessed. All eyes turned towards him. “Surely it is time for you to move on Daniel? This turn of events, although enlightening, doesn’t change anything. You are dead, there is nothing you can do about it.”
“Don’t tell me what to do Reynolds!” Daniel shouted. “You may have fucked Molly today, but it gives you no right to comment. Perhaps you should leave?”
&
nbsp; “No!” Molly shouted. “He’s staying.” She nodded towards Simon, mouthing the words, “Thank you” to him. Simon started to walk over towards Molly, intending to comfort her.
“I think he has seen enough!” Daniel stated brashly. As Simon approached Molly, taking hold of her hand, Daniel moved forward, his hand sweeping suddenly, sending Simon tripping forward towards the edge of the building. Molly was jerked forward with him as he tumbled over the ledge.
It was Jake who jumped into action, grabbing Molly’s upper arm, pulling her backwards, Simon dangling over the side of the building, one hand on the ledge and the other gripping Molly’s.
“Well, isn’t this a little bit of déjà vu,” Daniel chuckled. “Let me help…” Daniel then stepped forward, his foot nudging Simon’s fingers which were gripping the edge of the building.
Tortured Minds Page 25