Spiced Molasses

Chapter 6

Beth bit her lip and tried to resist the tug of consciousness. She could hear the quiet sounds of someone moving around outside and then the spray of water. Beth burrowed deeper into the sheets. The room was already starting to heat up, another blistering summer day in the making.

She endeavoured to tune out Daryl getting ready for work. She wasn't prepared to face reality and acknowledge that life had continued. Not just yet. She sighed with relief when she heard Daryl leave. Now she could get back to her sleep. But even though her eyes were closed, she couldn't achieve that blessed oblivion she so desperately craved.

A restless energy had crawled its way into her gut and it was hard to ignore. For the next hour Beth tossed and turned, throwing the sheets in every which way as she struggled to get comfortable.

Beth cried out in frustration, her eyes flying open. She inhaled sharply. The spices and the pine were still there but there was something else. Something stale and unpleasant. She could smell blood and vomit and despair. With horror she realised it was her.

Beth lurched out of the bed, her feet tangling in the bedding as she staggered upright. She was drenched in the scents of that night when her parents had died. Beth's weak legs carried her to the bathroom and she was shucking her shirt, violently throwing away her clothes until they ended in a tangled ball in the corner.

The bathroom was a decent size but bare like the rest of the house. She hastily turned on the taps, ducking under the water before she'd adjusted the temperature. Beth's body was hit with a blast of freezing cold. Her chest tightened and she gasped, frantically moderating the cascade of water.

When it eased into something more comfortable, Beth tilted her head under the spray, splaying her hands on the tiles. The memory of that night flashed in her mind. Beth's hair was lank and so she drenched it in water. Beth's eyes scanned the toiletries in the shower caddy. Shampoo, shower gel. Hoping Daryl wouldn't notice or mind; she popped the top off the shower gel.

The hint of spices overwhelmed her senses, driving the remnants of death away. It explained why the sheets smelled the way they did but not the hint of forest; that must just be Daryl. Beth rinsed her hair and her body, staring blankly at the non-descript blue tiles.

When her skin had begun to wrinkle she turned the water off and got out of the shower. Beth stood there for a long minute just dripping on the floor. For a second she contemplated helping herself to the grey towel on the back of the door but propriety held her back. Instead she made the proactive decision to find her own, even though it seemed like a gamble that Daryl might own more than two.

Her hand hesitated on the handle, even though she knew she had the apartment to herself. Her heart rate spiked as she stepped outside. Beth opened cupboards as quickly as she could, very aware of her own nudity. One small cupboard revealed a very small selection of linens and towels.

Beth tugged one out and wrapped it around her body. She had tracked water everywhere. Beth managed a weak smile at the unwitting destruction she'd caused. Some small part enjoyed the idea of annoying Daryl. She wanted a toothbrush and her own shampoo but yes, she'd settle for irritating Daryl.

...

Daryl walked into the crappy electronics shop and glanced around, searching for a specific person. The owner, Axel, was a man Daryl wouldn't trust to mind a pot plant but for some unknown reason he was a genius when it came to wires and gadgets. The Zombies had outsourced a number of jobs to him over the years and he'd yet to disappoint, much to Daryl's chagrin. Axel was too loud and had a habit of telling long, stupid stories.