Hybrid Trilogy

Chapter 28 Start of Return

Feeling drained Anthony just lay there breathing heavily looking at the ceiling in his mind's eye he watched Katy drive off in her gun metal grey Mercedes SLK with a raw, as he waved at her from her living room, finding the album when she was gone Written on the back of each of the pictures (me and Sage, me and Rosemary, me and Lavender and lastly me and Charlotte.) He could see the dates as far back as the early 18 hundreds, and he wondered how Thomas had known this. ("SO YOUR WHOLE BLOODY FAMILY HAS BEEN INTERFERING IN MINE FOR OVER TWO HUNDRED YEARS." He ranted on, Thomas in hot pursuit. "AND HERE WAS I THINKING THAT YOU AND YOUR DAD WERE MY FRIENDS, AND ALL THE BLOODY TIME, YOU'VE EFFECTIVELY BEEN KEEPING ME AS A PRISONER." Anthony shouted incandescent with rage "NOT EVER LETTING MY LIFE.....BE MINE!!" He added "no that's not true" Thomas shouted after Anthony "my dad loved you like a son, even on his death bed he asked me to look after you" Thomas pleaded. "SPY ON ME MORE LIKE" shouted Anthony..... He reach for Anthony's hand and brought it to meet his on his chest with the stake in, he made Anthony grip his hand "I can't do this alone, I need your help Tony." he stopped and coughed up some blood "Please don't let me become one of those things?" he begged gesturing to the piles of settling dust "BUT I CAN'T." said Anthony and began thinking back to when Tom and his dad had been there for Anthony following his parents deaths, and wondered if Tom had had to do the same, and then with tears filling his eyes he tightened his hold around Tom's hand holding the shard of wood, Tom put his other hand on top of Anthony's hand squeezing gently "Don't fret my friend, I will be with God.") Anthony's eyes snapped open "fuck no not again" he cursed, got up and got dressed going down stairs to the Deli, standing in the shop a vacant look on his face, the glass fronted display chiller that housed the cold cuts, cheeses and Mediterranean vegetable mixes, giving off a fog as the cold air of its refrigeration unit met with the warmer air of the shop, he took the till roll off the till, his mind awash with the thoughts of his dreams and his family. Just days before he died, Anthony's father had confessed to nearly having a romance with Kate's mum Daphne, before he and Anthony's mother had gotten together, but that Katy's mums friend Lavender had interfered and put pay to any such relationship, Anthony now knew that Lavender, was in fact Charlotte, and he wondered who, or what she was and weather all she wanted was to keep Katy for herself, or did she have a more sinister agenda. He settled down at the kitchen table, the kitchen, had a bread oven, built into the side of the huge inglenook Fireplace at one end of the room. A huge scrubbed wooden table running almost its entire length. thick wooden work surfaces only broken by the cast Belfast sink set in front of its big window looking out over the courtyard, Anthony switched on his laptop and tried to focus on his VAT returns.

Charlotte knocked on the door of Katy's flat, fully expecting it to be slammed in her face, as she answered "oh,....Hello" Katy said softly feeling a little awkward , as she was still in her pyjamas "hi Kate" she began sheepishly "can I please come in I owe you another apology" Charlotte finished as contritely as she could. "Look Charlotte" Katy began as they sat down in the living room "you don't need to apologise I told you, you are my best friend, I was just shocked is all" she paused "it was so unexpected, and I've known you my entire adult life, you'd think I would know you were gay" she added softly Charlotte looked at Katy "well I believe I do owe you at least some sort of explanation, you see I'm not actually gay, not even bisexual, she started "I've just got a thing for you" she paused "please don't ask me why" she shrugged " cos I don't really know, I just feel great when I'm in your company, I always have, but if I can't be with you" she began again holding up her hands defensively "then please let me be your friend" Charlotte pleaded. "you" said Katy firmly, taking Charlotte by the hands "Charlie will always be my bestest friend, you've no worries on that score" she finished "oh thank you so much replied Charlotte relieved as she stood up "now please forgive me but I must away" she finished taking up Katy's hands again and kissing her on both cheeks and leaving. Unbeknown to Katy whilst she had held her hands, Charlotte had cast a spell, making her baron, so even if the unthinkable happened, Charlotte knew that Katy would not fall pregnant.