The Colour of the Soul

by Richard T. Burke

  She knew that Mark opposed her goal of pursuing a university education. He had never been academically orientated and left school at sixteen to work as an apprentice builder. During that time, he learned the trades he would require to become a property developer when his inheritance finally matured. The prospect of Annalise spending three years of study at the other end of the country had been a bone of contention between them. Even though he stated that he was prepared to wait for her, it was clear he was not keen on the idea.

  Annalise took one last look in the mirror then closed the bedroom door behind her. She descended the stairs to await Mark’s arrival.

  ***

  The tension in the lounge was palpable. Annalise sat in an armchair checking her watch every few seconds. Dan Becker tapped his fingers against his legs and stared sightlessly at the television. The sound was down low as an attractive female weather presenter cheerfully explained that the cold snap was due to last another two days. Sophie flitted in and out of the room at regular intervals, asking if anybody wanted a cup of tea. On the third occasion, she moved to the mantelpiece and started to reorganise the ornaments.

  Finally, Annalise could take it no longer. “Look, I know you’re both worried about me going in Mark’s car, but I promise you nothing will happen.”

  Dan gave a wry smile. “We’re your parents. We’re allowed to worry.”

  Sophie replaced the china cat she held in her hand and turned to face her daughter. She folded her arms. “Just make sure he drives carefully. I don’t know what we’d do if anything else happened to you.”

  Annalise sighed. “Actually, I was the one behind the wheel at the time of the accident, not Mark. He’s a responsible driver, and he never drinks alcohol when he’s driving. I’ll be fine.”

  The sound of the doorbell spared her from more platitudes. She hauled herself out of the chair and hurried to the front door. The frosted glass blurred the outline of a solitary figure wearing a blue coat. Annalise fumbled with the latch. The door swung open bringing with it a blast of unseasonably frigid air.

  “It’s damned cold out there,” Mark said. “Isn’t it supposed to be spring? You’d never have guessed it. It must be just above freezing. You’ll definitely need to wear something warm. Are you ready?”

  “Hang on a sec.” Annalise debated for a minute whether to invite him in but instead left him standing on the doorstep while she retrieved a black woollen coat from the cupboard under the stairs.

  Sophie emerged from the lounge. “Are you sure you won’t come in, Mark?” She seemed to be about to add something else then thought better of it.

  Mark peered nervously through the doorway. “Ah, that’s okay Mrs Becker. I’m a bit nervous of dogs.”

  Sophie’s smile dropped a fraction. “Bisto isn’t well. He’s still at the vet.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Is he—?”

  Annalise interrupted the conversation. “He’ll be fine. See you later, Mum. We won’t be back late.”

  “Drive carefully,” her mother said with a slight tremble in her voice.

  Annalise shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Come on, let’s go.” She grabbed Mark by the arm and dragged him towards the road.

  Mark raised a hand. “Goodbye Mrs Becker.”

  The door clattered shut behind them. He hunched his shoulders against the biting wind and led the way to a sporty red hatchback. He clicked the remote. A chirrup accompanied the blink of the indicator lights.

  As Annalise drew closer, she spotted a jagged white line running the length of the shiny metalwork. “What’s this?”

  Mark scowled. “Some bastard scratched it with a coin last night. In fact, they did the same to both sides. You can’t see it now, but just for good measure, they also slashed all the tyres. I had to get one of those mobile companies to come out and change them all. The whole thing will cost me hundreds of pounds.”

  Annalise ran a finger over the blemish. “Did you contact the police?”

  “They’re not interested. Nobody witnessed it. They told me to claim on the insurance.”

  “Did you do that?”

  Mark stood beside her and opened the passenger door. “No, because it’s third party only. After the crash, the premiums were so high, I couldn’t afford comprehensive. It would have cost almost as much as the car. If I catch the tosser who did it, I’m going to beat him to a pulp. I’m paying a visit to the garage tomorrow to get a quote for the paintwork. Anyway, it still drives alright.” He waited until Annalise was seated then nudged the door closed with his hip before circling to the driver’s side.

  Annalise turned sideways in the seat. “How long have you had it?”

  “I bought it about a month after ... you know. It’s not quite as sporty, but I suppose it’ll do.”

  “Well, I like it.”

  “That’s what you said about the last one.”

  Annalise’s forehead creased in a frown. “I still don’t remember anything about it.”

  “Oh, okay. So none of your memories have returned yet?”

  “No. Everything about that day is a blank.”

  Mark started the engine. “Are you up for the pub or would you prefer to go over to my place? Most of the usual crowd will be down at the Jolly Farmer.”

  “I’ll give it a try. Is it alright to go back to yours if I don’t feel up to it when we get there?”

  “No problem. See how you get on. Just let me know if you want to leave.”

  Mark flicked a switch, and the headlights cut through the darkness. He selected first gear, indicated right and moved off. He paid no attention to the car pulling away from the kerb behind them.

  ***

  An uneasy silence developed between the driver and his passenger. Mark’s eyes darted to the left then back to the road.

  “Is everything alright? You’re not saying much.”

  Annalise shrugged. “I’m just a bit nervous. People must have been talking about me. I feel like an animal at a zoo. I don’t want to be the centre of attention with everybody staring at me.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure it’ll be okay.”

  “I hope so.”

  The rest of the journey took place in silence as the houses and brick walls gave way to open fields and hedges. Fifteen minutes after leaving Annalise’s house, the welcoming lights of the pub lit up the roadside. Mark pulled into the car park. It was almost full, and he passed three narrow spaces before selecting a wider one at the furthest end.

  “Shall I call a taxi?” Annalise asked, raising a hand to her forehead as if looking out to sea.

  Mark turned off the engine and grinned. “The walk will do you good.”

  The breeze felt even colder after the warm confines of the vehicle. Annalise pulled the collar of her coat tighter and leaned into the freezing wind. Her gaze rose to the crescent moon fogged by high cirrus. “So much for global warming,” she muttered.

  Together they hurried across the tarmac towards the sanctuary of the lounge bar. The distinctive smell of Tandoori curry drifted from the kitchens as they neared the rear entrance. They were forced to stop as a car reversed into one of the spaces Mark had rejected. Heads down, they skirted the vehicle’s front bumper and pushed their way through the solid wooden door.

  Annalise withdrew her hands from her pockets and rubbed her cheeks with the palms. “I’m frozen. I can barely feel my face. It’s like winter, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe they’ll have the log fire on.”

  They followed the narrow corridor and emerged into a crowded room. The faint scent of wood smoke and the wall of heat confirmed that the grate was in use. Annalise shrugged out of her coat and draped it over her arm.

  “What are you having?” Mark asked, raising his voice to be heard above the hubbub of conversation.

  “Just a grapefruit juice and soda, please.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want a Bacardi Breezer?”

  “I’ve only been out of hospital a couple of days. I need to take it e
asy.”

  “Fair enough. I’ll be back in a minute. Can you hold my coat?”

  The colours surrounding the occupants blended together, infiltrating the edges of Annalise’s field of vision. Wherever she looked, the pulsing fragments of light were a constant distraction. It was difficult to isolate any one individual, the auras of the drinkers combining into a melee of shifting pigments.

  She focused her gaze on Mark as he worked his way to the bar and joined the three deep queue of people trying to buy a drink. The Jolly Farmer was always crowded on a Saturday night, but tonight the place was busier than usual. Her eyes roamed across the room, but she didn’t immediately spot anybody she knew.

  A loud peal of laughter rose from the corner. The distinctive whooping sound was familiar. She peered around the jam of bodies and identified a group of school friends and another couple she didn’t recognise sitting at the table in the alcove. Her pulse rate increased, and she ducked her head out of their line of sight before they spotted her. Maybe I’m not ready for this just yet.

  She directed her focus to the wooden counter. Mark was leaning forwards and speaking to an attractive blonde-haired barmaid. It seemed he still had the knack of being served before his turn. A man standing a pace to his left glared at his back. The barmaid turned away and returned moments later with two glasses filled to the brim with a yellow liquid. Mark grinned and handed over a note. He grabbed the drinks without waiting for the change. Perhaps that was his secret.

  He weaved his way through the crowd to Annalise. “I got you a pint. It took ages to get to the front, so I thought I’d get double measures.”

  “What are you drinking?” Annalise asked.

  “The same as you.”

  She handed the blue ski jacket back and sipped her drink. The ice clinked as she tipped the glass.

  “Did you see anyone you know?” Mark asked.

  Annalise hesitated. “There are some people from school by the alcove. Well, they used to go to school with me—I suppose they’ve all left by now: John and Mac and that girl, Alison. I don’t really want to talk to them though.”

  “Mac—he’s the one with the loud laugh, isn’t he?”

  As if in response another guffaw of laughter rose above the raised voices.

  They smiled at each other. “Unmistakable,” Mark said.

  Annalise downed more of her drink. “I’m not sure this was such a good idea. With so many people in the room, I’m finding the colours really hard to ignore. It’s starting to give me a headache.”

  “Let’s finish these at least, and then we can go if you want.”

  “Okay. Sorry to be a pain.”

  “It’s not a problem.”

  The heat from the open fire was becoming uncomfortable. Mark’s gaze wandered across the sea of flushed faces. A hand clapped him on the back.

  “Hey, Mark, who have you got in tow tonight?”

  The speaker was a tall man in his early twenties. His hair was an unruly mop that half covered his ears. A pair of frameless glasses reflected the flickering flames. He turned to face Annalise. His mouth dropped open in shock. “Oh hi, Annalise. I didn’t know you were ...”

  Annalise recognised him as a friend of Mark’s but couldn’t recall his name.

  “Yeah, she only got out of hospital two days ago.”

  The man hopped from one leg to the other. “Right. Ah... You'd probably rather chat to each other. I’ll catch you later.” Before either Mark or Annalise could respond, he had backed away and slipped through a gap in the crowd.

  Annalise was glad of the buzz of conversation as her eyes swept the room. She took a sip from her drink and avoided Mark’s gaze. She didn't want to play the part of the jealous girlfriend; it was too much to expect him to put his life on hold just because she had been unconscious for the past year.

  Mark’s voice jerked her out of her thoughts. “So has the place changed?”

  Annalise turned back to face him. “It's about the same, maybe a little busier.” She swallowed another mouthful of the tart, yellow liquid. “You brought them here, then?”

  “I’m sorry. What was that?”

  Annalise cursed herself for giving in to the temptation. “It’s nothing.”

  “It’s what Chris said, isn’t it?” Mark hesitated for a moment before continuing. “I came here a few times. It wasn't anything serious. Nobody could say whether you were ever going to wake up. If I’d have known, I wouldn’t have done it. You know I love you, right?”

  Annalise shrugged. “I suppose.”

  Mark sank the rest of his drink. “This was a bad idea. It’s too early. I wasn’t really thinking. Let’s go back to my place.”

  Annalise took another sip and handed the glass over. “Could you put that somewhere, please?” It was still half full.

  Mark deposited the glasses on a nearby table. As she turned towards the exit, Annalise sensed a sudden reduction in the light level. She glanced sharply to one side and then to the other but couldn’t spot anything among the kaleidoscope of colours radiating from the pub-goers to explain the shift. Despite the warmth of the room, she shivered. Seconds later, they were once again standing outside in an unseasonably cold April evening.

  Chapter 26

  Mark Webber unlocked the front door of his building and held it open for Annalise. She entered then stood aside to let him pass. At the top of the first flight of stairs, he selected a key and slipped it into the lock. As the latch clicked, the aroma of newly fitted carpets wafted into the hallway. The corridor extended ahead to where the end of a cream leather sofa jutted out beyond the doorway to the lounge. He stepped back and waved Annalise inside.

  “Wow, this is all brand-new,” she said, surveying the recently decorated flat.

  “Yeah, I keep forgetting you haven’t been here since it was all done up. I’ll show you around. Let me take your coat.”

  Annalise slipped out of the black overcoat and handed it to Mark. He opened a wooden door on the right of the passageway and hung it on a hook in the shallow cupboard. Annalise followed as he led the way into the first room on the left.

  “This is the kitchen.”

  A range of shiny, slate-coloured appliances mingled with the stark white of the cabinets. A black, double-sized hob occupied centre stage. Above the sink, a long window ran the length of the wall. The glow from the crescent moon illuminated a view across open fields to a distant copse.

  “The last time I was here, it was all empty,” Annalise said. “Do you have any clue how to use this stuff?”

  Mark laughed. “I’ve read the manuals, but I’m still learning new things every day. Here, watch this.”

  He pressed an icon on the surface of the cooker. A monolithic slab of glass rose from the rear accompanied by the low whirr of a motor. Blue light pulsed along its width below the upper rim.

  “Very sci-fi,” Annalise said, “but what does it do?”

  “Damned if I know. Actually, it’s an extractor fan.”

  “Right, of course.”

  Mark tapped the icon a second time. The unit began its slow descent.

  “Well, I’m expecting five star cuisine with all this high-tech gadgetry.”

  “Don’t raise your hopes. Come on, I’ll show you the rest of it.”

  Mark retraced his steps back to the hall and pushed open a door on the right. “Here we have the guest room.”

  Annalise followed him inside. She gestured towards the double bed. “Who’s going to sleep here, then?”

  “Well, as you know there’s no family, so friends I should thi—”

  Annalise gasped.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  Annalise rubbed her forehead. “It was something you said, like déjà vu. It’s tickling the edge of my brain, but I can’t quite get hold of it.”

  “You mean a forgotten memory?”

  “Yes ... no ... look, I don’t know. Can you repeat what you said?”

  Mark frowned. “I can't remember: something about
friends sleeping in here.”

  “No, that’s not it. What did you say before that?”

  “I was showing you the kitchen and told you not to expect too much from my cooking.”

  “No, it wasn't that. God, you’ve no idea how frustrating this is.”

  An unreadable expression flickered across Mark’s face. Annalise angled her gaze away to study him. A flicker of muted pastel colour pulsed above his right shoulder.

  “Maybe it’ll come back to you later,” he said. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

  “I just saw a bit of your aura for the first time.”

  “Oh, I see. Do you want to sit down for a minute, or even lie down?”

  Annalise gave a small shake of her head. “I’ll be okay. Let’s continue the tour.”

  Mark pushed open the next door. A sleek black computer sat on a wooden desk below the window. Bookshelves lined the walls. “The second spare room. I’m using it as a study.”

  “Dining room,” he said, pointing through a doorway on the right.

  Annalise took in the solid oak table and matching chairs. “Okay.”

  “And the guest bathroom.”

  Mark carried on walking and gestured towards the door at the end of the hall. “Lounge. There’s quite a view in daylight.”

  Annalise twisted the rotary dimmer switch and stepped inside. Two cream-coloured leather sofas occupied each of the side walls. Straight ahead was a floor to ceiling window covering the full width of the room. A huge flat-screen television hung on the opposite wall. Scattered between the wall-mounted lights was a variety of framed prints. She peered at the nearest picture of a garlanded man kissing a woman with flowers in her hair.

  “The Kiss by Klimt,” she said. “Very tasteful.”

  Mark grinned. “There wasn’t room for the original, so I had to settle for a print.”

  “Cheapskate.”

  “Yeah, I know. That just leaves the master bedroom.”