Thank you for your ongoing support of my story, it really has helped me to keep motivated and keep writing some more - especially when I get a little stuck on what's going to happen next.
I just wanted to let you know how much what you tell me, means to me and means for the progress of this story. (I have never managed to get as far as this in a piece of writing before, although it probably helps that I'm really enjoying and feeling what I'm writing as I'm writing it. As sad and perhaps "Cliched" as that sounds)
Thank you very much, if you read what I just said to Don, then I mean it exactly the same for the both of you; you have been very helpful to me.
Words simply cannot express how much I appreciate all the time, effort, energy and thought you've put into reading my story and leaving me excellent feedback
And, I'm sure that, without a doubt I will begin a new story for you all. However I might need some time to sort things out in my head and come up with some sort of semblance of plot and a plan first. That okay?
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Anyway, on with the posting!!!
Part 12
It was 3am when Ben woke up. The wind had picked up and whistled as it battered against the window panes. Emilie groaned sleepily as he tried to gently slide his arm out from underneath her, and woke up.
“Where you going?” She whispered, breathing in sharply through her nose and rubbing her eyes.
“Toilet.” Ben whispered in reply. “I’ll be back in a minute, you just go back to sleep.” He got up off of the couch and tip-toed around all the sleeping bodies.
*
Once in the bathroom he switched the lights on, the extractor fan started up loudly and he quickly switched the light off again so as not to wake up his friends; if he made a mess he would clean it up in the morning. He unzipped his fly and began to relieve himself in the toilet when, all of a sudden a came out of nowhere and wrapped itself over his mouth. He tried to yell out but he couldn’t make a sound. A flash of silver and Ben began to struggle with all of his might, he tried to bite his attacker to free his mouth, he kicked out behind him but it had no effect. Finally, an elbow connected with a rib and the assailant let go. Ben yelled out and bent over struggling to catch his breath. When he looked up his assailant was gone. He breathed a sigh of relief but something icy cold was pressing against his throat. With a quick swipe Ben fell to the ground his fingers closed tightly around his throat as the blood oozed out from between them, a dark pool of red coated the floor.
*
Emilie was the first to wake up as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the easterly facing windows. Immediately she felt around for Ben who wasn’t there. She smiled dumbly to herself before heading to the kitchen where she thought he might be.
She came wandering back out a second later with a thoughtful look on her face.
“Have you seen Ben?” She asked, shaking Leona awake who shook her and groaned.
“What time is it?”
Emilie ignored her and wandered off to the bathroom, the door was locked. She knocked.
“Ben, are you in there?” She called. No answer. She tried the handle; she could turn it all the way. It wasn’t locked. “Leona.” She called. “Can you help with this door? Something heavy is stopping it from opening.”
Leona got up quickly and they both began to push the door gently inwards. Leona suddenly jumped back and gasped in horror, pointing at the floor just inside the door.
“Is that blood?” Emilie squealed and pulled the door shut again. “It’s Ben!” She cried. “Ben’s dead!” She screamed, collapsing onto the floor in a flood of tears. Sobbing hysterically, she promptly threw up. Leona held Emilie for a second.
“You don’t know that that is Ben, and what’s more, you don’t know that whoever that blood belongs to is dead.” She whispered in her ear. “Now, I’m going to get Barry and Kevin to open the door and see okay? I’ll be back in a minute.” Leona made to get up but Emilie was clutching desperately at her wrist.
“Don’t leave me.” She croaked, barely able to speak, her face glistening with tears. Leona smiled glumly.
“I won’t. I’ll stay right here.”
Paige wandered in then, clueless as to what was going on she bit into an apple and went to sit down.
“Paige.” Leona said, just before Paige managed to get comfortable. Leona beckoned her over when she looked back.
“What is it?” She asked worriedly, looking at Emilie’s tear stricken face.
“Nothing. It’s nothing.” Leona lied. “I need you to get Kevin and Barry for me okay? Just bring them over here.” She added. Paige looked at her sceptically.
“Seriously, nothing’s wrong?” She whispered.
“Nothing’s wrong.” Leona confirmed. “Will you just get them for me please?”
Paige nodded, clearly not believing any of it.
*
Kevin and Barry hurried over to where Leona and Emilie were crouched on the floor, Kevin wiping a little drool from the side of his mouth and Barry wiping a little from his neck.
“What’s wrong?” Kevin asked, still not fully awake.
“I need you and Barry to open the bathroom door and take a look inside. Something is behind the door stopping it from opening. Don’t ask questions.” Leona added as Kevin opened his mouth to speak. “Just do it.”
Barry nodded and pulled Kevin along with him to the bathroom door. “Look.” He said pointing to the blood under the door. He began to push the door with urgency. “Kevin, help.” He grunted.
Kevin joined him in pushing the door open, horrified by the amount of blood he could see as the door inched open. Barry twisted his arm in and flicked on the light. Blood was everywhere; it had splattered all over the lengthy bathroom mirror, dribbled down the sink and spread in a huge puddle on the floor.
Kevin gasped and clapped his hand to his face covering his nose and mouth; the smell that filled his nose was ghastly, the smell and the sight of the blood was making him woozy and Barry pushed him away and went in alone. He twisted his head behind the door, took one quick look at Ben’s mangled body lying there in a twisted heap and stepped quickly out, almost slipping on the congealed blood on the floor. Kevin ran to him as he collapsed on the floor sobbing.
“It’s Ben… h-he’s… he’s gone. He’s dead. He’s been fucking killed!” He cried, pressing his head into Kevin’s chest. Kevin wrapped his arms around his boyfriend and sobbed into his hair.
“We need to get out of here.” He whispered. Barry looked up at him tearfully and nodded.
*
They all sat in the living room, once more, huddled together. Kevin pulled the red scarf out of his pocket once more and twiddled it between his fingers. Paige looked at it warily looked away quickly as Leona looked up at her.
“It’s you.” Leona snarled standing up and pointing a shaky finger. “You’re doing this to us.” She snatched the scarf out of Kevin’s hand and waved it in her face. “This is your scarf!” She yelled. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
Kevin sat up attentively. “This is your scarf?” He asked her, more calmly than Leona was.
“I’m telling you Kevin, that’s her fucking scarf! I knew I recognised you from somewhere Paige, I just couldn’t quite place it.” She laughed hysterically. “I can’t believe that this geek is the one doing this to us all!” She looked at Kevin as if he should know what she was talking about. Emilie sat with her knees pulled up to her chin, looking bewildered. Barry was lying with his head on Kevin’s lap, fast asleep, with Kevin running his fingers through his hair.
“Geek?” Kevin questioned.
“Yes, do you remember that loner girl in the year above us, with huge glasses and this red scarf?” She waved the scarf in Kevin’s face this time. “She was really spotty. Well, this is Paige. Not ugly and geeky anymore, but still…”
Kevin looked over at Paige. “Do you deny that this is your scarf?” He asked her. She shook her head no, looking at her feet the whole time.
“Ha!” Leona yelled triumphantly. “We’ve caught her!”
Paige shook her head no, again. “It’s not me.” She said quietly. “I wish it were for your sake, but it’s not. Sure I’m not the nicest person – and you have every reason to jump to conclusions, but it’s not me. I recognised the scarf as soon as you showed it to us…”
“Then why didn’t you say anything?” Kevin interrupted.
“Because you would have thought it was me!” She said quickly, her eyes wide. “If I had told you that was my scarf, I would have been accused of putting it up there and then Emilie,” She cast Emilie a wary glance, who was watching her intently, “would have blamed me for Ben falling down the hill. I promise you though,” she added, close to tears, “it wasn’t me. I didn’t do this to Ben; I couldn’t do it to anybody.”
Barry suddenly woke up. “I thought all the doors were locked.” He said, sitting up quickly.
“They were.” Kevin replied.
“Then it must have been one of us. It had to have been one of us who killed Ben; nobody else could’ve gotten in.” Leona said, not taking her eyes of Paige in case she tried anything.
“As willing as you can imagine I would be to assume that it was Paige that did this, I don’t.” Emilie said suddenly, putting her feet back on the floor. “And it’s not strictly true that only one of us had access to this house last night. We know, full well, that Bella has keys to this place…”
“Right.” Barry said suddenly, standing up and running his fingers through his hair. “We’re going to see her. No, not all of us.” He added when they all made to get up. “Kevin and Leona, I want you to wait here and keep an eye on Paige. I’m not sure if I trust her yet. Emilie and I will go.”
“But I can’t.” Emilie pleaded. “Don’t make me go; besides it’s silly for just two of us to go. If whoever did that to Ben is in that house then they can surely do it to two of us… we should all go.”
“But what about Paige?” Barry asked desperately. “I don’t know if we can trust her.”
“Well I know that we can.” Emilie retorted. “I woke up when Barry went to the bathroom. How long does it take one of you lads to pee? None of us got up and followed him to the bathroom I would’ve heard you. And it definitely wasn’t Paige because she was on the floor right next to me.” She added. “We should all go.”
“Though, that does increase the body count if the killer is in there.” Paige muttered under her breath.
I love the way you've ended this. It leaves me aching for something more. I seem to recall you mentioning an epilogue? Perfect. I truly would like to thank you for sharing such a wickedly suspenseful story with us, from the bottom of my heart. Cheers mate! 