The Busker: A gripping psychological thriller

by M. J. Patrick

  ‘You’re talking about Ashley?’ Charlie asked, and Sally nodded, avoiding his eyes. ‘I said it in the car, and I’ll say it now, I think that’s a good thing. She’s dragged you down with her into mediocrity.’

  ‘You keep saying that. I’m sorry, but it’s rude.’

  ‘It’s true,’ Charlie said, shrugging. ‘She’s left you now as well. I don’t know why you’re even thinking of her.’

  ‘Please, let’s not talk about it.’

  ‘You’re the one who brought it up.’

  ‘Let’s just not. That cheap vodka’s gone to my head,’ Sally said. She closed her eyes and laid on the ground. ‘I regret I’ve mentioned it now.’

  ‘Do you want to hear my secret?’ Charlie asked.

  ‘What?’

  ‘You know the other night? The other night when we met?’

  ‘Yeah, on the cliffs.’

  ‘It wasn’t a coincidence that we ran into each other up there,’ Charlie said.

  Sally opened her eyes and sat up, looking at Charlie. It had to have been a coincidence they’d met again, what was he talking about? ‘What do you mean?’ she asked.

  He took another drink of the bottle. ‘I was following you,’ he replied.

  ‘What?’ That’s when the realisation hit Sally. Maybe it was the cheap vodka flooding her head, but what he was saying scared her. He was saying that the meeting on the cliff hadn’t been random, he’d been following her. That meant he’d been following her since the harbour in the morning. That’s why she’d felt someone was watching her. It had been Charlie all along.

  He’d been stalking her.

  It all made sense now to Sally. It was right for the drunk woman at the party to have an odd feeling about him. Charlie had been following Sally. That explained everything.

  Did he think he was proving his devotion to her? His passion?

  Sally’s breathing accelerated. The man sitting so close to her was unhinged.

  And she was in the middle of nowhere. No escape.

  ‘And you want to know my other secret?’ Charlie asked her, his voice low.

  ‘What?’ Sally was so afraid of what he was going to say next. She couldn’t guess what it could be, but it wasn’t going to be good.

  Charlie held the bottle close to his face, but he didn’t take another sip, instead he stared at Sally, his face unreadable. He stressed each word. ‘My other secret is that I like you, Sally.’

  Sally faked a laugh, but inside she was panicking. ‘Right. We’re friends.’

  ‘No,’ he said, leaning in close with only the bottle between them. ‘I really like you, Sally.’

  ‘What?’

  ‘Do you like me?’ Charlie asked. Sally’s hands were shaking. She was in shock. ‘I want to kiss you, Sally. I need to know if you like me. Do you like me?’

  ‘Charlie. I don’t know. This is very sudden.’

  She wanted to stop him. She wanted to run. Her eyes darted around, but it was only trees and darkness. No escape. The car was too far away. She was trapped with her own stalker. His face was so close now. Their lips were almost touching. She could smell the alcohol lingering on his breath.

  He paused, ready to say something else. Sally was stuck. She didn’t dare move.

  Then he spoke.

  ‘I love you.’

  Sally didn’t move, but inside she was having a panic attack. ‘Stop,’ she said weakly.

  ‘I love you, Sally.’

  ‘You have to stop, Charlie. Stop this.’

  His hands shot out from his side and gripped Sally tight. He had her arms pinned. ‘Let’s make love,’ he said. ‘I want to fuck you.’

  She couldn’t process what he was saying, what he desired from her. The vodka dulled her reflexes, but she knew one thing. He was dangerous, and she had to get away from him.

  ‘Let go of me, Charlie,’ she said. She wrangled her hands free from his grip. Standing, she took a few steps back. ‘What are you doing?’

  He stayed sat on the ground like a dog, his face blank. ‘I thought you liked me,’ he said, emotionless.

  She had to stop this. ‘Not in that way,’ Sally replied.

  ‘I’ve done a lot for you, I drove you out here, I set up camp. I got you this drink. I bought you drinks back in the city, and I even brought a spare tent for you,’ Charlie pleaded. He was begging. He was begging for sex.

  ‘That doesn’t mean anything,’ Sally said.

  His pleading hardened to anger. ‘Tell me why you’ve come along if you didn’t like me?’ he demanded.

  ‘It’s a lot more complicated than that.’

  ‘No, it’s not,’ he said. ‘You owe me, Sally.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘You owe me. I did all this for you.’

  ‘Charlie, you’re scaring me,’ Sally said, trying to steady her voice. She didn’t dare show any weakness in front of him. ‘I don’t owe you anything.’ She needed to let him down so that he wouldn’t turn bitter. Softly. She didn’t want risk an outburst from him in the middle of the bush at night.

  ‘Sally,’ he said. ‘I thought you were different from other girls. On that balcony last night you seemed so sure, and so did I. I thought that we connected more than I've ever had with someone else. I thought you were the one for me. But all you girls are the same. I’ve been so stupid. Why did I think you’d be different? I’ve screwed up.’ He turned to the fire and covered his head in his hands.

  Sally glanced around, searching for anything to help her. But she was stuck here. It was night, and the quiet bush surrounded her.

  She was afraid, but she couldn’t leave. She was in danger, but she couldn’t escape. She had to deal with this, but not now, not when he was in this state.

  ‘You’re drunk, Charlie,’ Sally said. Charlie didn’t reply. Sally took a step back, away from him. She spoke slowly and deliberately like she was explaining something complicated to a child. ‘We can sort this out tomorrow. I’m going to my tent now. We can figure it out in the morning.’

  She had no other choice. There was nowhere she could run.

  Charlie didn’t say anything, he kept his head hidden in his hands. Watching him carefully, Sally walked over to her tent. She stood outside it, staring at him. She was afraid he was going to lunge at her, that’s what Jim had done, and that’s what Charlie could do.

  ‘We can sort this out in the morning,’ she said again, making sure he could hear every word. ‘Is that okay with you?’

  Charlie didn’t move, but she heard him say a faint ‘okay’ from within his hands.

  With the answer, Sally zipped up the tent’s door flap securely behind her and lay on top of her sleeping bag. Her heart was beating so fast.

  She didn’t go to sleep, she couldn't until she knew she was safe. She counted her breaths.

  This wasn’t safe. She wasn’t safe.

  It had been all a mistake. Charlie was a mistake. She needed to get back to the city, back with Ashley.

  She could hear him. From inside her tent. He was still sitting next to the fire.

  He was crying.

  She needed to get away from him.

  But she would have to wait until morning.

  35

  Sally’s eyes blinked open.

  ‘Shit,’ she said to herself.

  She was an idiot.

  She hadn’t meant to sleep. Not now.

  Lying on her sleeping bag, she watched the inside of the tent’s canopy above her flutter in the breeze. Her hand reached for her neck, feeling how tight her throat was. Stress had gathered during the night, and now she found it hard to swallow. Her head hurt. A hangover. Great. She could do with a paracetamol pill, but she didn’t pack any. Ashley had those.

  Ashley. Where was she? Sally wished she could see her again, be with her instead of here with Charlie.

  She touched her hair. She was doused in something wet. Sweat. She couldn’t remember her dreams but had the feeling of them being erratic, tense. Nightmares. The hangover t
hrobbed. The vodka had been cheap stuff, and it’d gone straight to her head.

  The night before. The alcohol on Charlie's breath, the pain as his hands pinned her arms, the shock when he’d said he wanted to fuck her.

  She grabbed her phone resting on the side of the sleeping bag. Checked the time. She’d been asleep for an hour. An hour too long. She swore at herself again. Outside her tent, the native birds were laughing from their places among the tree branches. Light fought to make its way through the tent’s cover.

  Morning.

  Pushing herself to her knees, Sally scrambled inside the tent, searching for any traces revealing if Charlie had forced his way in. She couldn’t see anything incriminating. There were no signs of the tent flap left open nor his phone, shoes or keys were left anywhere. Relief flooded through her. She sat back on her sleeping bag. She had to get back to the city. She wanted to leave. She didn’t feel safe here. Charlie could be unhinged or aggressive, and she could be his next target.

  But how to escape? She could steal his keys, dash to his car, and drive back to the city, that could work. But she’d seen where he kept his car keys, hidden, in his pocket. To wrangle them off him would be very difficult, likely impossible.

  Sally rummaged through her bag for a fresh set of clothes.

  She could sneak off now while he was asleep. She could head through the bush and reach the dirt track, follow it to the roads leading to the nearest town. If he noticed she was gone there was a chance he could chase her down in his car. But maybe he didn’t have it in him to attack her like that. Other than pinning her arms Charlie hadn’t shown any major signs of violence, though she didn’t trust her instincts when it came to Charlie. She’d misunderstood him so much last night. She had brushed off the drunk woman at the party who said she had an odd feeling about him. Sally was wrong then as well. She couldn’t trust herself.

  She could persuade him to drive her back to the city. She could charm him into doing it, coax him. But she’d have to be smart about it. She’d have to act friendly with him and go along with whatever he wanted. Smile. Pretend. Make him feel it was his decision. She’d have to endure the drive back, the endless hours through the empty countryside.

  But maybe this morning, now sober, he was a different person to the night before, maybe he’d be reasonable.

  By now Sally had changed into a fresh set of clothes. She put her hands on the tent flap, sighing, readying herself to face Charlie. Unsure, she unzipped the tent.

  The morning air was crisp. The campfire, so bright and strong a few hours earlier, was now a smouldering lump of ashes in the middle of the clearing. Charlie was sitting, cross-legged, next to the simmering cinders. He stood, startled when Sally emerged from the tent.

  ‘Sally,’ he said, his voice raspy.

  She hushed him by raising her hand, speaking apprehensively. ‘Charlie, you don’t have to say anything. It’s fine. Let’s forget about last night.’

  He rubbed his forehead and sucked in air. ‘Yes, let’s do that.’

  Charlie was a wreck. Like Sally, he hadn’t slept properly, judging by his gaunt appearance and hollow eyes. Most likely she looked a mess as well. How long had he waited outside her tent? All night?

  ‘There’s no need to worry about it,’ she said to him calmly.

  ‘Look, I’m sorry for what happened.’

  ‘You don’t need to apologise,’ she said. ‘It’s okay.’

  ‘Good.’

  Sober, he seemed more sensible now to Sally. Now was the best time to ask him. She had to get it done. She had to leave. ‘I want to go home if that’s okay with you,’ she said.

  ‘Today?’

  ‘Yeah, this morning, if that’s possible.’

  Charlie nodded, thinking. She smiled at him, hoping he couldn’t tell she was faking. He smiled back. ‘I was actually about to make some tea,’ he said, cheerfully. ‘Would you like some?’

  ‘Yes, please.’

  ‘Milk?’

  ‘Yes. No sugar, thanks.’

  Charlie motioned Sally closer. He took out a small portable electric kettle from his bag. In silence, Sally sat while he made the tea. Charlie squatted over the kettle. He glanced over to her and smiled. She felt uncomfortable, but she reminded herself she needed him. She needed him to drive her back to the city, and then this will all be over. The ground was charred black around the remains of the fire. This was where, last night, he'd declared his love for her. This was where he’d told her he wanted to fuck her.

  Charlie offered her a steaming mug of tea. ‘Here you go,’ he said.

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘I hope it’s good,’ he said.

  Sally took a sip. The hot tea burnt her tongue. She smiled at him again. ‘It’s nice, thanks.’

  ‘Thank goodness.’

  He wasn’t drinking. ‘Aren’t you having any?’

  ‘I’m not thirsty,’ he replied.

  That was strange. ‘Okay.’

  ‘So,’ Charlie said, standing with a grunt. He stood over her and clapped his hands together. ‘If you want to leave today, I guess we should start packing now.’

  ‘Right.’ She sipped the rest of the tea and cleaned the mug.

  Sally helped him disassemble the tents. The awkward silence returned. Charlie only broke the unease by giving her brief instructions on how to fold them correctly. Once they’d finished with his tent, they began disassembling hers. One of the tent pegs wasn’t budging when Sally pulled at it. She knelt to get into a better position to use her strength. Her fingers wrapped around the peg.

  A pain shot through her head. She let go of the peg and grasped her forehead with both her hands. The pain originated in her head behind her eyes. It wasn’t a hangover. It was much, much worse.

  ‘Are you okay?’ Charlie asked, bending down so they were the same height.

  ‘It’s nothing,’ she said, brushing him away politely. ‘I’m getting a headache, that’s all.’

  Then she felt his hand, rubbing her back in the way she hated. He moved his face closer to hers and pouted his lips in concern. ‘Actually, you don’t look well, not well at all,’ he said, his eyes scanning her up and down.

  The world was spinning, so Sally closed her eyes. It was like she was drunk, but she hadn’t had any alcohol since the night before. This wasn’t a hangover. The stinging in her head throbbed stronger. ‘I don’t feel good,’ she said. Drowsy, her words formed slowly, like her mouth had to chew them out. Her head grew heavy, so she had to balance herself with her hands. ‘Why do I feel like this?’

  ‘There’s an easy explanation,’ Charlie replied. ‘That’ll be the drugs I put in your tea.’ Sally took a moment to translate his words. He’d said them so coldly like they were a punchline to a joke.

  She opened her eyes. Charlie was still bending over at her level, smiling. She started to slur. ‘What are you talking about? What drugs?’

  ‘Some to help you sleep. Some to make you sick. It’s a little cocktail I made,’ Charlie replied. He grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to face him. She reached out limply to push him away. Her reflexes were slowing. She was weakening. He battered her attempts away with ease and tutted at her. ‘Look at you, Sally, you’re affected already.’

  ‘Stop,’ she whispered, her energy was gone now.

  ‘I’m sorry it’s come to this, Sally. I’m sorry I’ve had to do this. You have to understand. I had to take control. I thought you liked me. I really, really thought you did. And I still do, and I know you like me. It’s buried in you. But I need you to show it. I know you like me, and I know how to make you.’

  ‘What’s going on?’

  He rummaged in her pockets until he found her phone. He took it out and held it in his right hand. ‘Perfect. I’m going to need this,’ he said.

  She reached desperately for the phone and Charlie pulled it away from her. ‘Give it back,’ she rasped.

  ‘When I saw you at the harbour, I could see something special in you.’

  ‘What?
’

  ‘I was watching you when you gave your things to that homeless man,’ Charlie said. ‘Do you remember that? It was just before I bumped into you. Ashley was trying to take you away from him, yet you offered that man food and water. That’s when you got my attention, and you really got it.’

  For Sally, it was getting harder to digest what Charlie was saying. She was fighting a battle within herself. Her body was reacting slower and slower, but her mind was yelling danger. She couldn’t focus. ‘Give me my phone back,’ she said.

  ‘Are you listening to me, Sally? The way you treated that homeless man, I fell in love with you right there on the spot. I told myself I needed to get your attention any way I could, and that’s when I came down and bumped into you.’

  ‘You were stalking me?’

  ‘I watched you. I could see every part of you, the insecurities you have and the inner strength. I watched you when you went to the bar with Ashley’s cousin and how you’re nervous in social situations. I can fix that. I can fix your flaws, and I can make you perfect.’

  ‘You don’t know me,’ she replied, her lips feeling heavy. She could barely speak.

  ‘I do, Sally. You looked easy if you know what I mean. You looked lost, and you need someone to guide you. I can be that someone, Sally. I can erase your past. I followed you to your hostel, and I waited for you. I saw you with those guys at the club. Why would you degrade yourself to be with them? I saw them flirt with you. They’re filth, and you know it. I can see your friend, Ashley, has been no good for you. You need someone to make you a better person, not her. I went through her entire Instagram profile. I know everything there is to know about someone like her. You don’t need her vacuous thoughts in your life. You need someone strong to guide you, and I can be that someone.’

  ‘What are you saying?’

  Charlie ignored her. ‘Okay, Sally, listen to me. If the drugs work as I expect them to then you’re going to get very tired now, but, don’t worry, I have a plan. This plan means I have to go away for a little while now, but I will be back. So, don’t panic and stay here, stay in your tent and sleep. The drugs will mean you won’t be able to go anywhere. You should have taken enough to last the time while I’m away. Go into your tent and sleep them off, and I will be back in no time.’ Sally fell back to the ground as Charlie let her go. He towered above her, his outline blurry in her vision. ‘Sorry I’ve had to drug you, Sally. I’m sorry I’ve had to do this. There wasn’t any other way. Last night I thought I could talk some sense into you, that was my original plan, but you made it so hard. Why, Sally? I had to resort to this, I had to. I needed to make sure you wouldn’t fight back, that you’d stay here. And I have a good plan, you’ll see. When I come back this will all be fixed, trust me. Stay here, stay in your tent. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back soon.’