Reprisal

Prologue

When someone you love deeply, passes away you don't just feel sad but you feel empty. A sense of guilt. I would think about my dead boyfriend as I stomped through the slush, of the bitter winter ice that seeped into my boots, as I made my way to the corner shop. The Christmas lights dangled from building to building, brightening the dark and crisp winter air.

I never liked the winter sludge. We never get any of that nice fluffy snow here in Cedarwood Town. It is a bath of slush and sometimes and I mean very rarely, it is sprinkled with settled, fluffy snow. But gladly the Christmas spirit has not dimmed in the slightest and the town thrives. The flush of refreshing warm air flurried into my frosted face and I grasped a couple of snacks and drinks to take home.

The moonlight ominously shone through the green-tinted windows. I waited in a queue at the till and once I paid for my snacks, the warmth was snatched out of my body and was replaced by the devastating, cold wintery air. The chatter and murmurs of townspeople filled the silence of the night as I passed by many. I checked the road, slid into my driving seat and headed home.

My tyres struggle on the sloppy snow and escape the squidgy slush. I exit my car, rummage around my pocket for my keys and open the door to my cosy and small house. I rest my bag next to me on the sofa and call my sister.

"Hey. Do you reckon you can chat? We need to talk."

I leave a voicemail. I throw my phone into my bag and shut my eyes tight with my hands covering my gentle and warm face. I decided to start decorating my house and I attached Christmas lights around the creases of the roof and wall. I switch them on and as I admire them I hear a thud at the door. For some reason, anxiety pounds at my chest as I slowly reach for the door handle.

I look through the peephole and see a mailman waiting patiently. I pulled on the door, took the mail and slumped on the couch. It was the bills I needed to pay. However, it wouldn't be too much of a problem this year as I will have a new job. A fresh start. Losing my boyfriend Xavier was dreadful and it has had a toll on me. I tried to sleep on the sofa and rest my head on the sinking, comfortable and warm pillow. Not much can work.

Without warning, I get rang on the phone by someone. I rummage around in my bag and answer the call. It was my sister Katie. Katie Smith.
"Have you got the job?" Katie asked with warmth.

"No, I haven't had an interview yet. Should tomorrow. Have you been okay?" I ask with a sweet tone.

"Yeah. The job is good. How have you been getting on." Katie yawns almost with a slight exaggeration.

I knew instantly what she meant. The grief.
"I've been trying," I say with honesty.

"He would want you to push, Skyler." Katie tries to bring the mood back to life.

"Yeah. I'm going to get ready for bed girl." I sigh and walk upstairs to the bathroom clutching at the comb as I brush my smooth, medium, blonde hair.
"See ya then. Have a nice rest. Tomorrow is going to be big. It's not long until Christmas." Katie says goodbye.

The clocks upstairs tick in the deafening silence. I grab my pillow from downstairs, take it to my bedroom and cushion it at the back of my bed. As I lay down I realised that Katie was right. Christmas is close. I've never had a bad Christmas. Neither would Xavier want me to have a bad Christmas. I dress myself into my soft sleeping gown and fall into a sorrowing slumber. With a tear falling on my cheek.

***
Xavier, Katie and I celebrate my birthday at my old home. We end up in a chaotic pillow fight and Xavier takes another shot of whiskey before losing his mind completely. He rushes to the kitchen and vomits at such a speed it looks like he is puking bullets. Katie dropped her glass by accident and I knew instantly that I was going to be the next drunk in the small, tight bungalow. Before I knew it, I was smashing glasses and tumbling over television screens. Xavier walked out of the kitchen with a sharp knife in his hand. I was drunk but unlike the others, I still had some consciousness inside of me to try and take the knife off of him. Xavier storms out of the house and everyone follows him. The room in a blink of an eye, transitions to a bloody mess. Nooses dangle from the ceiling and wrenches are scattered around the crimson-stained floor.
*

It was three in the morning when I looked at my clock. I had one of those dreams again. The nightmares. I opened the bathroom door and I splashed tap water that numbed my face. It reminded me of the weather last night when I was walking by myself and shivering in the biting, searching freeze. I took myself downstairs to make sure I had locked the door last night. I pulled down the handle with haste and to my shock it opened.

Someone had either snuck into my house or I hadn't locked the door. I had hoped it was the second possible cause. Because if it wasn't, someone could've been in here the whole night. Shivers travelled down my spine when I remembered that I had an interview with a millionaire today. A popular one of that. I walk out into the misty, sun-kissed street and plunge the house rubbish deep into the bins.

The thought of someone lurking in the house at night while I was asleep was daunting. I put it to the side and focused on the matter at hand. The interview. That worried me so much more because working for a millionaire, especially Alexander Rodgers is certainly going to get me better pay. I grab a suit out of the closet in my bedroom and tuck the white T-shirt into my jet-black trousers. By the time I had gotten ready, it was almost time to leave and get my new job. A fresh start to everything...