Next Summer

Part 7

In the darkness there was the sound of running footsteps, then a scuffle followed by the sound of a single gunshot. Luke could still see nothing, but a few seconds later a light appeared as Townsend turned on a torch. 

Townsend ran to the back door where a uniformed police officer was standing holding a pistol in his hand. He looked dazed. "I- I'm sorry, Detective," he stammered. I'd just reached the door and she ran right into me. My gun went off. I didn't mean to."

Luke finally managed to get his left hand free. He quickly untied his feet as he heard Townsend on his phone calling for ambulances and back up. Luke staggered to the back door and saw Summer lying on her back on the floor of the next room which was a laundry. There was a large red stain on her dress.

 "Is she dead?" he asked.

"Still breathing," Townsend replied, "but she took a shot to the abdomen. It looks serious."

The uniformed officer was checking on Max. "This one's dead," he announced. "Serious head injury."

"Are you all right, Mr Paterson?" Townsend asked. You have blood on your head."

"I think I'll live," Luke muttered. He sat down on the floor next to Summer.

"The paramedics are on their way, just take it easy. They'll get you to hospital. Sorry we didn't get here sooner, we might have been able to save your friend," the detective motioned towards Max's body, "but the rain caused us to have to make two detours around flooded streets to get here."

Luke was glad he had called Townsend while Max was bringing his car up to the front door of his flat, and luckily he hadn't mentioned it to Max as they were driving, otherwise things might have happened very differently, and he himself would probably be dead by now.

"Lukey?"

The sound of Summer's voice weakly murmuring his name made him look down at her. Her eyes were slightly open and with great effort she lifted her left hand to weakly grasp Luke's hand. 

"I'm so sorry, Lukey," she whispered, "I'm so sorry for everything. I love you, Lukey. I just wanted to be with you. I....love...you...so...much. Lukey? Don't..leave...me. Don't...leave..me...Lukey."
Her hand went limp and she closed her eyes. As Luke looked at her face she looked just like an angelic child lying on the floor sleeping.

Twenty minutes later an ambulance was racing her to the hospital. She was still alive. Luke was taken to the same hospital where he had stitches put in his head wound and treated for a concussion.

Detective Townsend came to see him early the next morning. "Ms Bannister died last night on the operating table," he informed him. He paused for a few seconds, giving Luke time to process the news, then he continued. "When they release you from the hospital I'll get you to come to the station and make a statement about what happened in that house last night," he said. "We did some investigating over the last few days and finally found out a few more details about Ms Bannister. She was orphan living in a children's home until the age of five when a couple from Townsville adopted her. She was a troublesome child, running away from home on several occasions. When she was sixteen she just disappeared one day and no one heard from her for several years until she finally sent her foster parents a letter telling them she was living in Brisbane and getting married. This was to your late friend Steven Mills. Well you know the rest after that. Give me a call when you're able to come into the station to make that statement."

*****

Luke stood in a cemetery in the drizzling rain watching Summer's coffin being lowered into the ground. Unlike Max's funeral, which he had attended the previous day where there were many mourners, today the only other people there aside from the minister and himself was an older couple, presumably Summer's foster parents.

When Luke had made his statement to the police a few days earlier he deliberately omitted Max's part in helping Summer that night in the house. He told the police Summer herself had knocked him out. He felt he owed it to Max's family not to know the complete truth. Summer with her persuasive charms had taken him in, just as she had done to many before him.
The police officer who had shot Summer in the dark was cleared of any blame. Her death was ruled an accident.

When the funeral was over, as the older couple walked past Luke on their way out, the woman stopped for a moment and took Luke's hands. She looked into his eyes with tears in her own eyes and murmured, "Thank you for coming. At least our daughter had one friend." Then she hurried on to catch up with her husband.

Luke stood in the rain next to the grave for a long time thinking about what could have been before he slowly walked back to his car.

Epilogue

Luke had just about got himself back together. It was summer again, the days were hot and the nights were warm. After a further break he was back at his job again. It had been twelve months since that terrible night when Max and Summer had died. He still had nightmares, but they were becoming less now. In some of his dreams Summer was lying naked next to him in bed whispering, "I love you Lukey, don't ever leave me." In others she was coming at him with a knife, or a plank of wood. But his last dream about her was over two weeks ago now. She was lying on the floor of the laundry in that terrible house holding his hand whispering she was sorry, while the dark red blood stain increased over her dress as he looked at her.

It was a hot Saturday afternoon and he decided to go to the beach. It had been over a year since he had had a swim at the beach. It was crowded but the water was so pleasant and cool. He couldn't help but notice the dozens of pretty girls on the beach in their brief bikinis. Summer had looked fantastic in a bikini. He mentally told himself to stop thinking about her, but it reminded him that he hadn't been out with a girl since....since....Summer.

As the sun dropped low towards the horizon he went to the change rooms where he showered and changed into jeans and a black shirt. There was a hotel and bar across from the beach. He wandered over and ordered a steak and vegetables. Afterwards as he sat in a booth enjoying his third beer listening to music from the juke box and watching some couples dancing, someone sat down at his table and placed a beer in front of him. "You looked a bit lonely so I bought you a beer. I hope you don't mind," said a girl's voice.

He looked up. She had the face of a fairy princess with soft features framed by long hair, black as night, and beautiful pouting lips just begging to be kissed. Luke sat back with a gasp of horror.

The girl looked alarmed, "Is something wrong?" she asked.

Luke closed his eyes and then slowly opened them. It wasn't Summer. The girl resembled her a little, but she had blonde hair, she was very pretty and she gave Luke a genuine look of concern.

 "No, nothing is wrong at all," he said with a smile, "Thank you for the beer. I'm Luke."

"How about a dance?" the girl asked, but without waiting for an answer she took his hand and led him out to the dance area.

As they danced Luke felt happy and relaxed for the first time in over a year. "What's your name?" he asked over the music.

She gave him a mischievous smile, "I'm Aurora," she said.

The end?

Author's Note
Thanks so much for reading my loyal readers. I tried to make "Next Summer" scarier and deeper than the first story. Was I successful?
Please vote and comment. I would love to hear your opinions and I will answer your comments.

Due to several requests I have written two sequels to this story.
The first sequel "A Summer Sunset" takes place one year after Summer's demise, just as Luke is getting his life back in order again. How could this evil woman possibly come back from dead and stalk poor Luke again?
Read it and find out. It's a short two part story.
https://www.wattpad.com/story/146179710-a-summer-sunset

Details on the second sequel at the end of "A Summer Sunset".