Runaway Halloween

Chapter 10

As Melanie removed Brian's belongings from the cupboards to decide which ones to discard, she thought back to the day she heard he would never be returning.

Once a month, Brian had gone for a drink with his work colleagues to a local pub. He had always wanted her to go, but she had always maintained they were his friends and she would feel like a spare part if she attended. He had always texted her to ensure she was okay, and inform her what time he would be home. Most of the time it was not much earlier than midnight, which meant she was normally in bed by the time he entered the house.

One night, Melanie had felt on edge for a few hours, worried about something happening to him. The deeper into the night she went, the more she was unable to stop thinking the worse. She paced the living room every half hour for five minutes and wanted to keep the light switched on. She wasn't scared of being alone in the dark, but this night, she didn't want to remain alone, and felt the light provide her with the comfort she sought.

She heard the clock on the mantlepiece slowly tick the seconds of her life. Each tick seemed to get louder as it approached time for Brian to return.

Melanie had to leave the living room for a while as the noise echoed through her mind, going upstairs to the toilet.

Coming back to the living room, she heard no noise. Had the clock stopped? She ran to it, seeing it had not, but the ticks had diminished. How long had she been gone from the room? Not even five minutes. It was 11.40 when she left, and now the clock showed 11.43. What had happened in those three minutes for the ticks to diminish?

Midnight, and no text or call from Brian. She would remain up waiting for him. As the room grew colder, she went into the kitchen to check the heaters. The thermostat was still on the required temperature, but it felt a lot colder. She turned the thermostat up, hearing the boiler re-ignite.

Back inside the living room, she went onto the settee, placing her head on the arm. Closing her eyes, she tried to sleep, but tossed and turned, unable to settle. Opening her eyes, she swung her legs to the floor, getting her mobile phone.

With the phone in her palm, she typed a message to Brian, 'R u going to be out much longer?' Throwing it onto the settee, she waited it for it to light to show her Brian had replied.

It did not.

12.15. This was not like Brian. If he was going to be much longer than midnight, he would normally text, or tell her before he went out. Had he told her this before he left? She was certain he had not.

12.30. Still no sign of him, or any text.

12.45. A knock at the door. He must have forgotten his keys. Opening it, it was not Brian, but the police asking her if they could come in. Her mind told her they were here to give her bad news, but her heart told her it couldn't be.

"Mrs Newsomer?" the policewoman asked.

She nodded.

"May we come in?" she asked, reaching out her hand in a suggestion she would prefer to enter the house.

Melanie moved back to invite them in, directing them to the living room.

Both of them took off their hats and asked her to sit.

Once she was, they followed.

The policewoman leant forward. "We've got some bad news for you," she said sympathetically. "It's about your husband."