Dust to Dust (A UK Youtuber Story)

Chapter 6 - Past Trauma

Mara saw a figure lying next to her. She shook the individual causing them to stir.

"Ugh, what's happening" responded the groggy man.

"Oh it's you Will! What the hell is going on?" said Mara dazed and confused.

"You were really drunk so Ste and I brought you in here, sorry it was the only available space and I like to sleep in my own bed too!" replied Will, his face still buried into his pillow, muffling his voice.

"Oh ok... as long as there was no... funny business." said Mara in a worried tone.

"I can assure you nothing happened between us, I may be hungover but I am well aware of what happened last night." said Will assertively

"Thank god!" exclaimed Mara.

"Hey! I'm not that bad am I?" said Will accompanied by a cheeky wink.

Mara rolled her eyes.

"Men are so bloody predictable" she said, with a sarcastic tone.

"Not all men are" replied Will, again with a look of playfulness on his face.

"No that's true actually, but you're not one of the unpredictable ones" said Mara with a lighthearted tone.

"Ouch" said Will

"You've stung me there" he said laughing.

"Let's go and find Ste, I presume he's still here?" asked Mara.

"Nah he's not pet, he went home cause he was vomming heavily, not surprising as you two hit the bottle hard last night!" said Will chuckling to himself.

"Fuck sake. He's such a lightweight" replied Mara.

"I would go and see him as he's in London for a while but I feel absolutely shite and I need to recover for work tonight!"

"You're on the beat tonight? Jesus Christ, I don't envy you" said Will chortling away.

"Don't remind me mate. Anyway, can we find some way to get rid of these hangovers?"

"We could gather whoever's still here and get breakfast out?" suggested Will hopefully.

"Sounds like a plan, I'm starving" said Mara.

Will and Mara gathered the others still left from the party and they headed out for a very late breakfast. Mara had made numerous new friends at the party and made multiple connections, so she didn't feel uncomfortable around these folk whom she had just met. It boiled down to her, Will, Gee, Alex and George, all of who she had got know reasonably well, especially George as she had grown to appreciate his content the most through her new hobby of watching YouTube. They all discussed the party and what they had planned for the upcoming week, but as she found out at the party, people took an interest in Mara's occupation a great deal.

"So being a police officer must be pretty bloody difficult in London Mara?" asked Alex inquisitively.

"It's a very tough job, not going to lie. Long hours and I don't get a long time off and wit hit being London, there's a lot of incidents every day. But, I really enjoy it despite the challenges it throws up. No day is ever the same, my colleagues are all great and I feel like I'm making a positive difference every time I step out the flat." replied Mara sincerely.

The others then preceded to ask Mara more questions about her job as well as her interests and plans for the near future. They had taken a great shine to her and everyone who had met her the previous night had gone home with a good impression of her.

Then a question came that altered the atmosphere.

"What's the worst thing you've had to experience as an officer?" asked Will, without thinking.

This question unsettled Mara and brought back unwanted memories. She was visibly upset and everyone realised this, much to the chagrin of Will.

"Will, what sort of idiotic question is that?" said Gee in an irritated tone.

"You don't have to answer that Mara!" she said with a tone of apology

"Sorry Mara, that was a stupid thing to ask." said Will clutching his hands on his head, angry with himself.

"Do you know what guys, I might as well tell you. I don't think many people often hear the reality of what we have to experience in the force."

"If you're sure. Take you're time." replied Gee warmly, while being genuinely curious and not trying to show it.

"Well, I got the call to this house on the outskirts of London. Neighbours had reported screaming and loud noises and I was the first on the scene. It had gone quiet when I arrived, eerily quiet. I waited for backup and then we proceeded to knock on the door, it was answered by a man with blood all over his face and he gave himself up for arrest. He'd assaulted his wife. We went into the house and found her on the floor, in a pool of blood. What he didn't realise was... was..." Mara started to stutter and tears fell.

"He didn't realise that she was dead. That he had killed her, all over the fact that she had gone out with friends without telling him." Recounting such a traumatic memory brought Mara fully to tears, causing Gee to hold her tight in a deep hug.

A unison of "Fucking hell." is all the boys could muster. Shock and sorrow evident in their faces.

"I can't even imagine going through that. I'm so sorry Mara."

"Yeah, it's been hard to get over. I hadn't been in the job long and with everything going on in my life it just heaped even more crap on top of me. This is why I'm the way I am. I feel guilty for not having got there sooner and that's why I feel I have to make a difference every day I work as a copper. I'm not going to let anyone else get hurt. Never again."

The other four were amazed by and admired Mara's strength and determined character. She had not only gained their friendship, but their immense respect.

Opening up hurt Mara a lot, but in the people she had met, she felt she had a sympathetic ear, she had found what she had needed for a long time, people who would listen to her and empathise with her.

And that's chapter 6! I hope to update this book as much as I can! - Riak64 :)