They were all geared and ready to head on by ten in the morning. They ate breakfast in silence, sitting in the living room together. Last night felt weird, all being in different rooms. They were so used to being together.
Alex decided to write on the living room wall of Jane's house with her consent before they all left. He found a black marker and wrote in the neatest handwriting he could. He stood back and admired his work. A sad smile on his face, he dropped the pen on the ground, picked up his bag and followed the others out the door.
Annie Richards fought and died on the 4th of August. Rest in peace.
The rain stopped early in the morning so there were many fresh puddles on the ground. They all stood at the end of Jane's driveway. Courtney took a deep breath and said it before she could change her mind. "I want to go to my house." The others looked to her like it wasn't a big deal but Jane stared at her, asking her telepathically if she was sure. Courtney nodded at her. "It's just up the road, it'll take 20 minutes." She turned and walked up the road not caring if the others followed or not.
The journey seemed to take hours when in reality it took ten minutes since they were walking pretty fast. Jane and the others held back. She told them to keep their distance as they closed in on Courtney's house.
When Jane could see it she whispered to the others. "No matter what, don't say anything and don't look at her with pity. Just act normal." Confusion flashed across their faces and started to feel nervous about what they were going to find. Before they could ask any questions, Courtney came to a stop and Jane hissed at the others. "Just do it! Just...hang back, okay." Her hissing voice changed to more persuasive, calm tone.
Courtney walked into the rickety old house. It was the odd one out on the street. Its rotten wood that was once a healthy brown was now green and mouldy. The panels hung off and looked as if a soft tap would snap them in half. It was as if the house had been sitting in this position for hundreds of years. The windows were dusty and grimy, a few had been smashed and were closed up with duct tape.
Jane headed inside and stood in the entrance as Courtney looked around the unfilled, wasted, blank room. The smell of alcohol and cigarettes were thick in the air and the kitchen was a mess. Full of dirty dishes and bottles of so many types of alcohol, some Jane had never even heard of. The staircase to the left was rickety and damaged. Jane could feel the presence of others behind her. Courtney had her back to them all.
"The door was locked." She stated blankly, staring at the wall head of her. A couch sat in the centre of the room, covered in stains and holes. "She started locking the door after some guys just walked in a stole her stash." She closed her eyes as she remembered that day. "God," She whispered, "The beating after that was...brutal."
Jane could hear her voice shake and waver. She saw that Courtney's jaw was clenched that she was trying to contain her anger, but Jane knew it wouldn't work. "She must have gone out, probably trying to find Dennis." She turned around and looked at Jane as if it was a big joke. "That's her dealer, by the way." She said with a tight smile. "Dennis." She mumbled, the smile falling from her face. She turned and walked around the couch to the wall by the stairs.
The others stayed in the doorway, watching. They never knew how her life was. They all guessed she had a perfect life. She seemed so care-free and happy. Ross clenched his jaw and his fists in anger at what she'd been through.
"What else?" Jane asked, wanting Courtney to get all her anger out. She stepped further into the room, feeling the cigarette smoke encase her body and cling to her skin.
Courtney laughed humourlessly and sighed, looking up at the wall. "You see this?" She pointed to a red stain on the wall. "That was the time she threw her glass of red wine at me." She said with a happy tone but the anger was clear on her face. Jane knew what she was doing, she was acting as if it was all okay.
YOU ARE READING
The Rain (Book 1 - The Unprotected)
Action**DISCONTINUED** Rain in the UK is common, an everyday thing. So, when it rains one afternoon, no one is shocked or surprised. But when that rain burns the skin off peoples bones and causes their flesh to dissolve, it's no longer looked at the same...
