by Woods, Karen
Her fingernails surged deep into his face. “You bastard, you do love me. Why are you trying to hurt me?” She pulled away from him; her face was frantic as she stood behind the door blocking his exit. “What about Connie? If you leave now, I swear I’ll make sure you never see her again.”
He froze; he loved his daughter and couldn’t imagine his life without her. Marching about the bedroom he looked like he was suffocating, she’d just played her trump card. Maria hammered at the bedroom door, after a few runs at it she moved Kirsty out of the way. Darting her eyes at her son she spoke. “Come on then, I’m ready when you are.”
Dalton raised his eyes to the ceiling. “If I leave, she said I’ll never see Connie again,”
Maria growled at his wife. “You bitch. My son will see his child; I’ll make sure of that. No court in the land will deny a good father access to see their child. Dalton, come on, don’t listen to her, she’s bluffing.”
Kirsty was hysterical as she watched her husband pick up his bag to leave. “I’ll kill myself, I swear I will.”
Maria walked to her and they were nose to nose. “Do what you want love. You and your family killed my son years ago, so join the fucking club. He’s coming home with me where he belongs.” Dalton and Maria headed down the stairs at speed. Kirsty was running behind them screaming at the top of her voice. “Once you walk out of that door Dalton, you’ll never come back. I swear it.” Turning his head slowly he looked at her for the last time. He remained silent. The door slammed and Kirsty’s screams could be heard from inside the house.
Dalton left everything he owned in London, even his car. Sitting on the train back to Manchester he felt alive again. The black cloud that had been over his head was slowly disappearing. Maria was sleeping now and her head rested against his arm. Dalton dug deep in his pocket and located the silver necklace. Slowly he opened the clasp and fastened it around his neck. The corners of his mouth slowly began to rise. Closing his eyes slowly he looked at peace. Dalton knew he was taking the biggest chance of his life trying to win Fallon back, but was it too late? He didn’t care he just needed to try?
*
Fallon stood on the hospital ward chewing on her fingernails, she looked bored. Two more months and she would be a married woman. She’d read all of Dalton’s letters he’d sent her but decided that he was her past and that’s the way it was going to stay no matter what. Of course she was curious to see her first love again, but Beryl and Lesley had talked her out of it, telling her he was a waste of space. Her husband- to- be knew nothing about the letters. He would have gone ballistic, if he’d known. He was paranoid about Dalton. Fallon stood reading some patient’s notes when she heard the door open behind her. A man walked in carrying a large bouquet of flowers.
Dropping her head back down, she carried on reading without giving him a second glance. The man was stood at her side, smiling. “I’m looking for a lady called Fallon, such a nice name that is. Do you know where I can find her?”
Lifting her head up slowly she gazed at the sea of colours in the bouquet. Her heart was pounding as some other nurses come to join her. Inhaling the fragrance from the flowers one of the nurses took the small white card from the delivery man; she read the front of the envelope. “Oh, you lucky cow. They’re for you Fallon.”
The man looked relieved that he didn’t have to walk any further, his job was done. With a quick smile at the nurses, he left. Fallon opened the card slowly, her fingers were trembling. “Meet me tonight in the car park at eight. We need to talk,” it read.
Quickly shoving the card inside her pocket she looked white in the face. “Are they from John?” the other nurse asked.
Fallon nodded her head slowly, she was lying. Her words were stuttered. “Yeah, yeah, he’s so nice isn’t he,” she said.
Fallon wanted to be sick; her stomach was turning like a washing machine on full spin. Slowly she took the flowers into the staff room, she was alone. Sat down she held her head in her hands. She couldn’t tell anyone about this, not even her best friend Lesley. Lesley had already told her that if Dalton didn’t stop stalking her she was going to report him to the police, and she didn’t want that. Looking at the clock on the wall she played with her fingers as if they held the answers to all her problems. In her heart she knew she would have to do this. She would have to meet Dalton and end her torment. For months Fallon had been feeling strange, she always felt like someone was watching her from a distance. Weeks before she’d chased a man from the ward trying to see his face. He was watching her from afar, she knew he was. She never caught up with him.
Looking at the clock again, she made a decision. She was going to meet Dalton, it was now or never. She stood to her feet; walking slowly to the bin she shoved the flowers deep inside the black bin-liner. Returning back to the ward she brought the next patient to see the Doctor. Working on the burns unit had been hard over the years and on many occasion Fallon had gone home heartbroken. The children she’d treated always lay heavily on her mind. It was such a shame that their faces and bodies had been disfigured by the burns they’d received. Her job was emotionally draining.
Fallon’s shift finished. John was on a later shift that night and she wasn’t seeing him tonight. Sat in the staff room she gazed into the small mirror hung up on the wall. She looked tired. Searching her handbag she brought out a small hairbrush. She’d not seen Dalton for years, there was no way she was going to see him with her hair all over the place. Fallon squeezed her lips together as she applied her soft pink lipstick. Rubbing them together she was ready to leave. “See you tomorrow girls,” she shouted as she left. The sound of her feet walking down the deserted corridor could be heard.
Quickly checking her wristwatch she could see it was nearly five past eight, she was late. Darkness hit her eyes as she walked out of the hospital, it felt eerie. The winds went right through her, it was freezing. Heading to the main car park at the back of the hospital she looked edgy, there wasn’t a living soul about. Silence, the car park was deserted and her eyes were scanning the area for any sign of Dalton. Only the sound of her heels clipping along the concrete could be heard. Fallon sat on a brick wall waiting. Reaching inside her bag she grabbed her packet of cigs.
There were noises behind her. “Hello,” she shouted in a troubled voice. There was no reply. A branch cracked; Fallon stood to her feet and lit her cigarette. Blowing the thick grey smoke from her mouth she walked into the grass verge behind her. It was pitch black and she was unable to see properly.
“Fallon”
Her chest was rising now and she shouted in a panicky voice. “Dalton if that’s you, just come out. Stop fucking about, otherwise I’m going.” Fallon slipped into a pothole as she tried to walk towards the voice. She struggled to regain her balance.
“Fallon”
She’d definitely heard someone calling her name this time she was sure of it. Marching back through the thick mud she was struggling to get back to the car park. Her vision was poor and she regretted ever walking so far into the muddy field. Fallon quickened her step; she could hear someone behind her. The branches crunching nearby told her that she was not alone. Picking up speed she looked stressed. Warm breath was on the back of her neck. Fallon turned around near the edge of the car park and turned her head slowly, she could see a man dressed in black. A warm burning sensation could be felt on her head. Fallon sank to the floor and was barely conscious as her body was dragged back into the deserted field.
Fallon was coming round. Four white candles were burning around her. She was inside some kind of hut that a kid might have made. She tried to focus and she could see a man dressed in black in front of her. His hood was pulled up tightly around his head and a scarf covered his mouth. All she could see was his eyes. A small fire was burning brightly not far from where she sat. Trying to move she realised that her hands were bound together behind her back. The man coughed and cleared his throat. She could see him rolling a joint. Watching him she inhaled deeply. She tried to id
entify him; this wasn’t Dalton surely, he was too fat. The man walked near her; squatting down to his knees she could see his eyes for the first time. This man wasn’t Dalton. Inhaling deeply Fallon could smell alcohol.
“What do you want with me, just let me go, you fucking weirdo.”
Her head was whacked to the side and she fell onto the ground. Landing in some mud she was barely breathing, her chest was rising slowly. A hand now dragged at her hair and she was sat back up again. Fallon sobbed, she pleaded with her attacker once she could speak again. “If you’re going to kill me just get it over with. Go on, what are you waiting for? Just fucking do it.”
A menacing laugh filled the air and her attacker spoke for the first time. “No, you’re gonna suffer like I have.” Fallon wriggled about trying to break free. It was no good she was going nowhere. The man sat with his knees held up to his chest and rocked about slowly. “I’ve waited for this day for a long time. Every night when I close my eyes it’s your face I see. Do you know you ruined my life?” Fallon’s voice was low; she knew she needed to calm him down before he killed her.
Clocking the sharp silver knife at the side of him she started to shake. “I’ve done nothing to you. I don’t even know you.”
The man bolted up to his feet. “You do know me, you slag. My face might have changed but believe me, you do know me. How’s your brother Billy anyway? Got a good sentence in court didn’t he?” His cackling laugh could be heard as he stood over his victim. “It’s a good job he’s locked away, because he would have been first.”
Fallon’s lips were purple and they were quivering. “How do you know Billy, what’s he got to do with it?” The man bent his knees slowly and pulled his hood down. Fallon held her head back to get a proper look at him. His hair was thin and in places he was bald, his scalp looked burnt. Slowly he revealed his face. Fallon squirmed, he looked plastic. He had severe burns all over his skin. She looked at his hands, they were disfigured too. Standing up, he began dragging his t-shirt over his head.
“Look at me, go on fucking look.”
Fallon moved about on the floor, she was petrified. “I feel for you but what has that got to do with me? I only work at the burns unit.” Yeah, that was it. This must be some patient who’d she’d looked after at the clinic. She tried to calm him down as he ragged his t-shirt back over his head. Poking his finger into her face he spoke in a chilling voice that would haunt her for the rest of her life.
“It’s got a lot to do with you, slut. Does the name Craig Jones mean anything to you?” Fallon’s face dropped. How did he know about Craig? She rocked her body to-and-fro. Her eyes fixed on the man’s face again, but this time she studied it further. The sound of rustling bushes could be heard behind her. A voice in the distance was shouting. The man dragged Fallon and hid her away in the hut. An Alsatian dog stood wagging its tail frantically near the fire. Cocking its leg up, it pissed up a nearby tree. Fallon couldn’t breathe as the hand across her mouth pressed tighter.
“I swear, make one noise and I’ll slice you up,” her attacker whispered into her ear.
The beam of a torch could be seen in the field in front of them. It was moving along the grass not far from them. A security guard dressed in a black coat could be seen. “Milo, come on boy. Come on son.” The dog lifted its head and bounced back towards its owner. Fallon sank her teeth deep onto the man’s hand and shouted at the top of her lungs. She knew this was her last chance to get help.
“Help me,” she screamed.
Blood surged from her lips as her attacker pummelled his fist into her face. She was wriggling and trying to break free. The only chance she had of getting any help was walking away in the distance. She let out another muffled scream, and this time the man stopped dead in his tracks. Fallon was now held on the floor with her head pushed deep into the mud, she couldn’t breathe. Heavy breathing could be heard on top of her.
“What did I tell you bitch? You never listen do you?” his foot plunged deep inside her ribcage.
Fallon knew her life was going to end and pleaded with the man. “Why are you doing this? I’ve never harmed anyone in my life, so why me?”
The man rolled her over and sat on top of her chest. Bringing his head down, he stared at her face. You’re still pretty aren’t you? I thought you might have changed but I knew it was you working in the hospital as soon as I saw you. I’ve been watching you for years.” Fallon kicked her legs about but he was too heavy, he never flinched. “I hope you like the flowers and cards I’ve sent you over the years. It cost me a fortune you know.” Fallon looked at the man and her heart nearly stopped, surely not, it couldn’t be.
It was Craig Jones.
Fallon had heard on the grapevine he’d been badly burnt by her brother Billy, but she hadn’t heard anything about him for years. Remembering the rape she spat into his face. “You deserved everything that happened to you. You raped me, you sad bastard, what did you expect?”
Craig jumped up from her, he was pacing around the fire dragging at his hair, he looked demented. “I didn’t deserve this though, he left me for dead.”
Fallon rolled about the floor and sat up; tears were streaming down her face. “I didn’t deserve being raped neither.”
Craig’s eyes were rolling, he looked on the edge. A rustling sound of the bushes moving behind him could be heard. “I’ve waited a long time for this moment Fallon. I’ve hid away for years. You and your brother did this to me and now you’re both going pay. Let’s see how you deal with being burnt from head to toe like I was.” Fallon covered her face as Craig pulled a green petrol can from the bushes at the side of him. He was pouring the cold liquid all over her. Fallon’s mobile phone started ringing and he was frantic as he searched her coat pocket for it. Grabbing the phone in his hand he chuckled.
“Oh it’s your friend Lesley. She’s next on my list. Throwing the phone into the darkness of the night he carried on pouring the petrol onto her. Fallon was dripping wet and knew she was seconds away from death. Craig flicked the brass Zippo lighter, he held his head back and sniggered. “It all comes to those who wait, and believe me Fallon I’ve waited for you long enough. Burn in hell, bitch.”
His hand lifted the flame towards her, he stopped and listened carefully, his face changed. From nowhere two police officers jumped from behind the bushes. Grabbing Craig by the neck they pinned him to the floor. He was kicking and screaming and fighting back. More police officers came to assist and within minutes Craig Jones was arrested.
The security guard stood next to Fallon and rubbed at his arms. “I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner love. I watched you disappear from the CCTV in the car park and knew something wasn’t right. That man has been hanging around the grounds for months. I knew he was up to something. I’m so sorry I should have had him arrested months ago.”
Fallon was being helped up to her feet by a female officer. She was in a bad way, and unable to talk. She was in shock. Sirens were blaring in the area. The chilling voice of Craig Jones could still be heard as he was flung into the back of the police van. He was a dangerous man for sure.
*
Fallon sat with her mother and Lesley in the hospital. She had five stitches in her forehead. Beryl looked ill, she’d been outside smoking. “I hope they cut his balls off, the head case. All this fucking time we thought it was Dalton sending the flowers and it was him. My body shivers thinking about him the sick bastard,” Beryl cursed.
Lesley held her arm around Fallon’s shoulders. The doctor had finished with her now and she was just waiting for the police to come and see her to give her statement. John was on his way to the hospital. When Beryl told him what had happened he cried down the phone. He’s heard about the incident in the hospital, but he never thought for one minute it was his beloved Fallon who’d been attacked. Fallon sat shaking from head to toe. The thick pink blanket wrapped around her body was neither use nor ornament, her teeth were chattering together.
DCI Simpson walked into the roo
m and held a look of despair in his eyes. This girl was a mess and he knew she was never going to get over her ordeal, he’d seen it so many times before. Taylor Simpson had been on the force for years and men like Craig Jones made his blood boil. Sitting down slowly he gasped his breath. Beryl couldn’t hold her tongue and opened fire. “I hope that bastard gets a good kicking for what he’s done to my daughter. Just look at the state of her.”
Taylor nodded his head slowly. “I’m sure he’ll get what’s coming to him. Men like him always do.”
At that moment the door swung open and John ran inside. Seeing Fallon for the first time he melted onto the floor near her feet. “My God, what has he done to you?” He slowly stroked the top of her head with his hand. Tears ran down her face but still no words left her mouth. Fallon hadn’t spoken a word since she’d been in the hospital. The doctors had put it down to trauma but Beryl knew it was something more than that. Fallon could hear everyone speaking around her but she seemed to be in a world of her own.
Closing her eyes she seemed like she was in a trance. The vision of walking towards the altar was more than clear this time. She could see everything around her. Fallon could see her dress and she looked happy. As the vision continued she came to a halt, her face creased as she tried to see the man waiting for her at the end of the church. Her eyes opened quickly, she still couldn’t see his face. John put his head on her lap, he was a nervous wreck. His shoulders were shaking as he sobbed his heart out. Fallon stood up and slowly walked across the room. Everyone’s eyes were on her. DCI Simpson was worried she might collapse, she was wobbling and he stood to his feet ready to assist.
“Come on love, come and sit down. Do you need a drink or something?”
Fallon met his eyes; he was such a nice man and he reminded her of her grandfather who passed away many years before. “I’m fine. All I want is to go home.” The inspector told Fallon he wouldn’t be long and took his note pad from his pocket. Fallon was talking now and as she went over her ordeal, Beryl and Lesley cried. John sat with gritted teeth, his face was white. He tried to fight the urge to pay back his girlfriend’s attacker, he wanted to hurt him badly. He’d already told Beryl that he knew a few lads on the inside. He promised he would make sure Craig Jones got what was coming to him.