Matthew’s inner voice begins tormenting him with destructive and cruel words, telling him, screaming at him, that he needs more of the toxic substance. He begins searching the office, but all he finds is empty bottle after empty bottle. As if his body is punishing him, Matthew suddenly feels as though he has been hit by a bolt of lightning. His stomach begins to hurt. All of his internal organs, one by one, are cramping with great intensity. Curled over, he falls from his chair and vomits in the metal bin at the side of the desk. Wiping his mouth on his sleeve and pulling himself back up onto the chair, he has never felt so poorly. As the strength of the cramps continues to grow, each one contracts quicker than the last with every second that passes.
The strong, acid tang of the vomit takes over his taste buds. Matthew begins searching for anything he can eat or drink to remove this awful flavour burning through his oesophagus. He’s even willing to settle for something non-alcoholic. Searching the drawers of his desk, he finds an old sweet shoved at the back. Without even thinking about the use by date, he unwraps it and shoves it in his mouth. Relived as the fruit juices take over, he closes his eyes and breathes deeply so he doesn’t vomit.
“Mind over matter, Matthew, it’s just mind over matter.”
As he opens his eyes, he looks at the dusty picture frame on his desk. The image is of him, Lauren and Evelyn Jade. Picking this up, he wipes the dust and cobwebs off with his hand. As tears instantly form in his eyes, he says, “How did we get here?”
Kissing the image, his tears land upon the glass. Bringing this close to his chest, he speaks once more, “I will not let you down any longer. I will be the man I should have been. I will get our daughter back or I will die trying.”
With his pep talk over, Matthew switches on his computer and gets to work. He downloads the most recent image of Eve from her social media account before she went missing, smiling as he reads the caption she wrote on the image: #nofilter. These words of truth begin warming his heart. Eve’s such a naturally beautiful young girl, with her striking long golden hair flowing down her face. He sees his princess. This is exactly how he remembers her. Cropping the image and placing it against a black background, Matthew begins designing the text for his leaflets. In huge bold white letters, he types: “Have you seen my daughter? Please contact me on…” and he leaves his mobile number at the bottom.
Content with this simple yet effective leaflet, Matthew hits the save button and then print. As the leaflets print the pain continues to travel around his body. Unable to ignore it any longer, Matthew surrenders and goes on the hunt for any pain relief he might be able to find.
Holding his stomach and hunched over in a crippled state, he enters the kitchen area. Searching all the cupboards, he manages to locate the first aid box. Thankfully inside he finds a box containing strong pain killers. With his hands continuing to tremble from the alcohol withdrawal, he struggles to pop two of the tablets from out the packaging. No longer having patience, he bites through it and shoves two of the pills in his mouth. He then wraps his lips around the tap at the sink and swallows the pills in one go.
Slumping to the ground, all Matthew truly desires is an alcoholic drink. Just one drink. After all, that’s not going to get him drunk, and really, how bad could one drink truly be? Without needing much convincing, Matthew lifts himself off the ground and heads back into his office to collect his leaflets.
Pulling up outside the entrance to his derelict looking building, his thoughts racing at a hundred miles per hour, Matthew releases a deep sigh. He knows this is it. There’s no going back. His time is now!
He loads four boxes, that are sitting at the entry way, into the foot well of his car, grateful that he was able to transport it all downstairs with only two trips on the lift. Each one’s filled with Matthew’s distinctive leaflets. As he slowly drives towards the exit, Matthew reflects that, with the recent changes to his life, this gateway isn’t so inviting anymore. The barrier which was once in place to protect the grounds has been completely ripped off. Stopping at the exit of the car park, Matthew glances out at the empty booth where Eric once sat. He’s no longer greeted by his bright-eyed chirpy security guard. Saddened by this, Matthew closes his eyes for a moment.
Determined to win his life back, he’s ready to face the unknown. He puts the car into gear and makes his way out of the car park, empowered by a strong sense of bravery. But as soon as he is driving down the road he quickly reverts to being nervous and unsure. Matthew’s mind once again begins taunting him, feeding him words of destruction. He pulls up at the side of the road, his hands trembling. Once again he feels a huge bolt of pain shoots through his stomach. In excruciating agony, Matthew opens the car door and vomits on the pavement. He feels momentary relief as his body releases the acid that was building. Desperate to soothe his pain and satisfy his addiction, Matthew racks his brain to locate the quickest route to the off license. The only desire he has at present is to stop the nausea, the jitters and the agony he feels. But, whilst he’s solely fixating on this, Matthew fails to notice the black minivan containing DCS Terry and DC Flores pulling out from a side road and following at a brief distance.
Chapter Thirteen
Let Me Help You
“What’s that you’ve got, dear?” Dorothy asks, standing in the kitchen doorway.
Her back to the door, Alice jumps. She was obviously completely unaware that her mum was there watching her. Wiping her eyes, she quickly shoves the piece of paper she was reading into the drawer and replies, “Oh nothing – it’s nothing.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing.”
Alice wipes her face once more. Her cheeks turn a slight shade of pink. She wears a smile from ear to ear, but her eyes are sad, as if she is holding back the remainder of her tears. She makes her way to the cupboard and grabs their favourite mugs. Looking back at her mum, she says, “I’ll make us both a nice hot drink. Yeah, a hot drink, that’s just what we need right now.”
Unluckily for Alice, her mother has uncanny intuition when it comes to her daughter. And, even though Alice is a mature adult, Dorothy doesn’t for a millisecond believe her words. Remaining suspicious, whilst at the same time attempting to keep the peace, Dorothy smiles back and replies, “Sure, my dear, that will be lovely.”
Dorothy walks over to her daughter, who’s rustling around the kitchen, and as she’s taking the milk out of the fridge she stops Alice in her tracks and holds her gently by the shoulders. Gazing at her precious girl with nothing but sheer admiration for her courageous strength, she begins tucking the lose strands of Alice’s hair behind her ears as she says, “Do you remember that time when we went fishing with your uncle Tony?”
Alice laughs, sniffling a bit at the same time, and replies, “Yes.”
“And you looked like you were struggling with your line, so I said, ‘Alice, my dear, do you need any help?’ And what did you say almost instantly?”
Alice smiles and rolls her eyes as she answers. “I said, ‘I’m fine.’”
“Yep – ‘I’m fine’ is what you said. And then what happened?”
Trying her hardest to hold back a smirk Alice says, “I fell in the pond.”
They both break out in huge grins as they relive this memory. Dorothy continues, “Yes, you fell in the pond. Now, what was the moral of the story, my dear?”
Alice hesitates, as if reluctant, then says, “It’s okay to ask for help, or to accept help, from others.”
“So, I’ll ask you again – what was that you were reading?”
As the joyful memory fades, tears slowly begin to form in the corners of Alice’s eyes, “It’s just a letter, Mum. Honestly, I’m okay.”
Unconvinced by Alice’s attempt to hide her feelings and stay strong, Dorothy guides her towards the kitchen door and says, “Why don’t you go and put your feet up with Hope, my love. Come on, while the children are in school. Lewis and Eve are at college. And, he who s
hall not be named is out I’ll...”
Interrupting, Alice says, “Please don’t start Mum.”
“I’m not starting anything Alice.” Looking at her daughter and seeing her physical appearance is deflated and her eyes have dark rings around them Dorothy surrenders. With her hands up, she says, “Okay, okay, While the kids are at school and college and Jesse is out, is that better?”
“Yes it is, thank you.”
Holding Alice by her shoulders once more, Dorothy begins guiding her daughter out of the door.
“Good. Now, let me look after you. I’ll finish cleaning up and make us both a cup of tea and a sandwich. How does that sound?”
“That’ll be great, thanks, Mum.”
“It’s fine, that’s what I’m here for. Now go and squeeze that precious baby girl of yours.”
As soon as Alice leaves the room, Dorothy makes her way to the kitchen drawer and retrieves the piece of paper her daughter was trying to hide. Aware she’s on limited time, she doesn’t attempt to read the contents and shoves it inside her pocket for fear of getting caught. Just as she is about to place the tea bags in the mugs, she hears a high-pitched scream coming from the front room. Instantly dropping the mugs on the floor, Dorothy runs to her daughter’s aid.
“Alice! Alice! What is it?”
Her baby in her arms, Alice is screaming, “No, God no! Please no! She’s not breathing, Mum! Please do something! Help me, she’s not breathing.”
“Oh my goodness!” Frantic, Dorothy runs for the phone and calls the emergency services. “Ambulance, please! We have a six-week-old baby and she isn’t breathing. Please hurry.”
“Please try and stay calm for me. Do you know CPR?” says the operator.
“No – Alice, do you know CPR?”
Crying heavily, Alice replies, “No.” Whispering to her daughter she says, “Come on, baby girl, everything is going to be alright. Hope – please – please – please don’t leave me. I need you.”
Dorothy’s attention returns to the phone as the operator says, “I’m going to talk you through CPR until the paramedics arrive, okay?”
“Yes, anything, please hurry!”
“Right. Lie the baby on his or her back on a flat surface. Let me know when you’ve done this.”
“Alice, you need to lay her down on a flat surface.”
Alice brings Hope over and lays her down next to Dorothy.
“Okay, we’ve laid her down.”
“Now, using two fingers in the centre of the chest just below the nipples, give thirty chest compressions rapidly. Try and be as gentle as you possibly can. I will count with you. Are you okay to do this for me?”
“Yes, I’m doing them now. Ten, eleven, twelve… Come on, Hope.”
When Dorothy reaches thirty the operator continues, “Now that that’s complete I need you to tilt the baby’s head and lift the chin, then give two effective breaths directly into the mouth.”
Dorothy does as she is instructed. “I’ve done it but she’s still not breathing!” she says, panicking.
“Please just keep repeating the CPR procedure until the ambulance arrives. Continue to count your chest compressions and give effective breaths.”
At the sound of approaching sirens, Alice runs straight out the front door to flag down the ambulance.
Now alone with baby Hope, Dorothy continues to give her CPR. Midway through, Dorothy loses the connection on the phone and the speaker begins blasting a fuzzy interference sound. Confused and frantic with worry Dorothy shouts, “Hello?! Hello?!”
But there is no reply. Feeling unready for the challenge she is now facing alone, Dorothy suddenly sees Hope’s eyes flash open. She drops the phone and stares at her granddaughter in disbelief. All is not as it should be. Dorothy freezes. Hope’s once pure eyes are jet-black! Not a trace of her natural blue shade or even a fraction of white can be seen. Her eyes are like gaping holes in her face. Without making a sound, Hope slowly turns her head to look directly at her grandmother. Dorothy throws herself back with force in sheer shock at this horrific image, banging her spine on the frame of the sofa. She gasps and shouts, “Hope!”
Closing her eyes, Dorothy prays that her mind is playing cruel tricks upon her. But when she opens them she sees that her prayers haven’t changed a single thing. The truth is clear and the image before her is horrific!
As she stares in total shock at her granddaughter, a drop of black liquid appears in the corner of the baby’s eye. It slowly descends Hope’s cheek like a tear.
Overcome by fear, Dorothy unexplainably begins to choke. She gasps for air, coughing in an attempt to dislodge whatever is lodged inside her throat. But it doesn’t work, and now her tongue begins to swell. Dorothy is struggling to breathe No matter how hard she tries to free herself, she is unable to catch her breath. Curled over, Dorothy falls onto her back. She’s slowly giving up, surrendering to the powerful energy controlling her body.
In the distance, Dorothy hears a familiar nursey rhyme of playing: “Ring a’ Ring o’ Roses”. Gradually getting louder, the eerie children’s melody travels through Dorothy’s ear drums, sinking deep into her mind. The haunting tune slows down with every second that passes until its final dulcet note sounds. A brief silence ensues.
Suddenly, an ear-piercing screech shoots directly through Dorothy’s brain. Desperate to shield herself from the excruciating sound, Dorothy places her hands over her ears. But it’s as if the sound is not coming from an outside source – as if it has already been embedded in the darkest depths of her mind. Growing weaker with every second that passes, Dorothy becomes more lifeless.
As the final molecules of oxygen drain from her body, Dorothy wheezes loudly. Lying rigid and flat on her back, she drifts in and out of consciousness for milliseconds at a time. Dorothy is very aware that at any given moment her life could end. She prays for a release. No sooner has she started to ask for help than, like a punishment for praying, her internal organs begin to shrivel as the blood and oxygen circulate no more. Protruding from her sockets, her eyes immediately turn bloodshot red. The internal pressure too much for her body to bear, Dorothy lies motionless.
Baby Hope’s lips have turned grey. She’s now a reflection of her new owner. Her existence has been claimed. This innocent baby girl no longer belongs to the human race. Captivated and cursed before her thoughts were her own, baby Hope has surrendered. The dark force at work has gained the newest member of her demonic empire. Staring directly at her dying grandmother, Hope smirks.
Suddenly, like an alarm, Alice’s frantic voice is heard shouting “Hurry!” as she enters the house alongside the paramedics.
Content with the acceptance of her possession, the evil entity releases her hold over Dorothy and Hope. Turning her head once more, baby Hope slowly closes her eyes. Instantly, her skin tone resumes its normal rosy shade. The black substance is absorbed into her skin, as if it never existed. And Dorothy’s body is freed from the shackles of this sadistic and possessive takeover.
Dorothy is slowly regaining consciousness. Her hands still placed around her throat, she suddenly feels the blood begin to pump through her heart and travel around her body once again. At the same time oxygen rapidly circulates in her system, and Dorothy feels her lungs expanding as they fill to maximum capacity.
“Quick, she’s in here!” Alice shouts as she enters the front room.
She runs straight to her daughter, who is lying on the floor. The paramedics enter the room straight after Alice and kneel at the side of baby Hope, pushing Alice out of the way. Alice turns and looks over her shoulder, spotting Dorothy,
“Oh my goodness! Mum, Mum, are you okay?”
Unable to speak properly Dorothy mimes, “Yes. Help baby.”
Alice gives the paramedics, who are armed with all the essential tools required to save this baby girl’s life, the space they need. She rushes to her mu
m and kneels down at her side.
Having regained her composure and regulated breathing, Dorothy finally has ownership of her body once more. She’s unsure whether to tell Alice and the paramedics what has just happened. Looking to her distraught daughter, Dorothy decides it’s best to keep the truth to herself. Instead, gathering her strength, she does the only thing she truly desires and grabs her daughter. Holding her tightly in her arms, Dorothy places her head close to her heart. Clutching Alice as if this is the last time she’s ever going to see her, Dorothy begins breathing in her daughter’s sweet scent. Distraught, she closes her eyes as her tears drop one by one onto Alice’s hair.
Across the way, the paramedics are doing everything they can to save Hope. Fearful of the unknown, but desperate to reassure Alice, Dorothy says, “Everything’s going to be alright.” Her voice is husky, her throat raw. Coughing and in a lot of pain, she’s petrified not only by what has just happened, but by thoughts of what is yet to come. Closing her eyes, she whispers to Alice, “Shhh, my dear, I’ve got you. Mum’s got you.”
Seconds pass, though it feels as though time has stood still. Waiting for what feels like an eternity, Dorothy suddenly flinches as she sees Alice beginning to wretch. Alice’s body then begins to sway.
“Mum, I feel like the room is spinning.”
“Alice darling, I’m right here.”
“Mum – please, help me everything’s moving very, very slowly.” Placing her hand to her head, Alice very faintly says, “Please make sure they save Hope. Mum, I think I’m going to...”
Interrupting, Dorothy pleads, “Alice, just stay with me.”
Alice whispers, “Mum, I think I’m…” Slumping toward the floor, Alice passes out.
The Broken II: Tainted Trail Page 9