Soak Up The Sun

With or Without You

AN: Warning physical abuse.

Sophie stood on the grey stark shores of Ayr beach. Liam wrapped his big fleece lined Parka Duffel coat around her. She breathed in his warm, comforting scent.

"Don't. You need it. It's freezing."

Liam shrugged.

"I'm 'ard me. Looks better on you anyway."

Sophie smiled at him weakly.

"So you grew up here?" He asked softly.

Sophie nodded.

"Lived here all my life till a year ago. Cold, soulless little hell hole on the edge of the world isn't it?"

Liam shook his head.

"There's beauty in it. Even really grim places can be beautiful. Manchester is grim too but it's home."

Sophie nodded.

"What should we do now?" He asked.

Sophie closed her eyes letting the acidic salt spray and the bitter wind lead her.

"I need to go home. The house. My old house."

Liam nodded. He took her hand as she led him up cramped deserted streets. It was close to Christmas and shoppers had headed to Glasgow or Edinburgh to get their things. The Christmas lights set an eerie glow across the ghostly town.

She froze at the faded, mould crusted front door. A deep, darkness settled over her. A chill settling right into her bones.

She swallowed thickly and Liam squeezed her hand. She knocked with shaking fingers. She waited her stomach in knots. No answer.

"No one's home. You just have to go in. But you have to do it alone."

Sophie jumped at hearing Thatcher's voice behind her.

Thatcher looked serious even regretful.

"Will this be bad?" She asked shakily.

Thatcher nodded.

"Yes. But it's something you have to face if you want a chance of being happy like you have been here ever again?"

Sophie nodded taking a deep breath.

She looked at Liam and his eyes locked with hers meaningfully.

"I'll be waiting." He said leaning down and pressing his lips against hers softly.

His lips a soft warm comfort against the biting cold.

Sophie took one last look in his blue eyes knowing that those eyes would haunt her forever in every life time.

Sophie left the safety of Liam and stepped forwards feeling the icy scald of the door handle against her palm as she turned the know and it gave way. The door banged closed behind her.

She gasped her heart pounding.

"Liam?!"

"Soph! Are you alright? The door won't open. I can't get in."

Sophie panicked in the pitch black as she tried to hold back the vomit threatening to spill forth at the back of her throat. Sour milk. Death. Blood. Oh no. It was happening.

"I'm...fine." She replied shakily lying through her teeth.

Sophie fumbled through the darkness her palms brushing against dusty cobwebs. Her eyes adjusted lightly and she followed the dim glow of a flickering bulb. A baby's piercing cry. She moved faster and faster almost running now the glow getting brighter as she moved on autopilot driven by a horrific, macabre need to unveil the darkness inside her.