“Yes, Alex, you will. If you thought that the Black Pathway was difficult to walk in the summer, then you have no idea what it’ll…”
“I promise, I won’t whinge or moan… plus you wouldn’t be playing gooseberry, either. In fact, this could work out very nicely for you.” Hinted Alex.
“What the fuck are you talking about, Alex? How could traipsing along the Black Pathway in the middle of winter work out nicely for me?” Asked Gary.
“Because it just so happens that a certain young lady, with whom you're somewhat enamoured, mentioned to me earlier that she’s always wanted to walk the trail, when I was telling her about me and Mary going up there… I reckon that she’d jump at the chance to join us.” Revealed Alex.
“Who? Shark?” Replied Gary Ackley, a grin spreading across his face.
“Yes, Gary. Shark.” Answered Alex Crennell.
***
Kate Williams looked up at the clock on the lounge wall. It was eight thirty. He’s not coming… Alan’s stood me up, she dwelled, angrily. Kate checked her mobile phone again; there were no new text messages in her inbox. She dialled Alan’s number again, and, as it had been doing all evening, Kate’s call went straight to voicemail.
“Alan, will you please return my messages as soon as you can. I need to know where you are, and why you didn’t turn up earlier.” Spoke Kate, into her phone. When she’d finished leaving the message, she flung the phone down onto the settee. Maybe he hasn’t stood me up after all. Perhaps he’s been in an accident or something? Or what if Alan’s wife has somehow found out about the pair of us? She could be on her way around here right now, hell-bent on having it out with me, for all I know, considered Kate. No, Alan’s too careful to get caught out. I bet that his bottle has gone… can’t stomach any more cheating on his precious Deborah. I shouldn’t have bothered getting involved with him, I guessed that it might come to this sort of… Kate’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock on the front door.
“Ah, finally, he’s here.” Kate said out loud, with a feeling of relief. Steady on… it could be Deborah… nah! It’ll be Alan. He’s probably just been held up or something, probably at college, thought Kate. She got up from the sofa and walked through the lounge, into the small hallway. She reached the front door and opened it, expecting to see Alan. But there was no-one there.
Kate stood on her front doorstep, and looked up and down the road where she lived. There appeared to be nobody about. Kate frowned. That was definitely someone knocking on my door, I definitely didn’t imagine it. A thought crossed Kate’s mind; maybe Alan was playing some sort of practical joke on her.
“Alan? Are you out there, Alan?” She called. There was no reply. “Alan, come on, if you’re out there, can you just drop it with the stupid pranks? It’s too fucking cold to be stood out here on the doorstep.” Kate went on, but her plea was met with silence. She walked up the front pathway, to the gate. Again, Kate looked up and down the road. It was empty. “Alan? Alan?” She called. Nothing. I give up. I must have imagined that knock on the door after all. Weird, thought Kate, before heading back down the front path, and into the warmth of her home.
Kate Williams went into the lounge, and sat back down on the settee. Let’s try calling Alan again. Kate reached for her mobile phone; it was no longer on the sofa.
“I don’t understand. This is where I threw it down.” Puzzled Kate. She looked towards the floor, in case the phone had fallen off the sofa. It wasn’t there. Kate ran her fingers along the gaps between the settee seats, thinking that the mobile might have slipped into them. When that produced no result, she stood up, and pulled the seats away from the sofa. There was nothing underneath them. Kate got down onto her knees, running her hands along the back of the settee. Again, there was no sign of the mobile phone.
“I didn’t pick it up again after I threw it down… did I?” She said. “Or did I? No, I’m sure that I didn’t.” Kate stood back up, and scanned the lounge floor once more. She sank back to her knees again, this time looking underneath the sofa. The mobile phone wasn’t there. Kate was just in the process of getting back to her feet, when someone knocked on the front door again.
This time, Kate ran through the lounge and the hallway to the front door, yet when she opened it, once again there was nobody there. Kate lost her temper.
“Hey! Whoever you are out there… and I know you’re there somewhere… if you knock on my door one more time, I’ll be calling the coppers.” She shouted. Her voice echoed a little around the empty road, followed by a stubborn silence. Fucking kids… I bet it’s those fucking kids… the ones that are always hanging around down at the bottom of the street, outside the telephone box… the little bastards, guessed Kate. “If I find out who you are, I’ll string you up, you annoying little toss-pots.” Kate warned. She stood on the doorstep for a few more moments, before going back inside again, this time slamming the front door behind her. Kate bounced, angrily, back into the lounge. She turned off the light in the room, and then peered out, from behind the curtains, staring at the road outside. Come on… just try it again, you smelly little street rats… I’m waiting for you this time. Kate stood at the window, peeking out from the gap in the curtains, for five minutes, ten minutes, a quarter of an hour. Then she gave up her vigil.
“It’s probably past their bedtime now. Tossers.” Said Kate, as she switched the living room light back on. She was just about to resume her search for the missing mobile phone, when Kate heard its ringtone begin to play, from somewhere in the distance. “What the fuck?” She muttered. Kate walked in the direction of where the ringtone was sounding. This led her out of the lounge, down the hallway, and into the kitchen. Kate flicked at the kitchen light-switch, which failed to come on. “Fucking light-bulbs.” She cursed, continuing forward, towards the sound of her ringing mobile phone.
Kate followed the ringtone, and found herself at the fridge. She pulled open the door. Her mobile phone was inside, on top of a pizza box.
“How the hell did it get into here?” She asked, reaching for the phone. Kate pulled it from the fridge. It was Alan calling. She put the phone up to her ear and answered the call.
“Alan? Where are you?” She asked, in a stroppy voice.
“I’m upstairs.” Came a whispered reply. Then the line went dead. Kate froze for a few seconds. Whatever Alan’s up to, he’s freaking me out now. This joke has gone on far enough. Thought Kate. She walked away from the fridge, back through the darkened kitchen, and into the hallway. Kate reached the bottom of the staircase and looked up to the upstairs landing.
“Alan!” She shouted. “Alan, stop fucking around, and get down here now!” Kate ordered. A little jingle came from her mobile phone, indicating the arrival of a new text message. Kate opened up the phone’s inbox; there was a message from Alan, that read,
I’m in your bedroom. Hurry up. I want you. X. Kate grinned for a moment. The saucy bastard… she thought, but then something else crossed Kate’s mind, hang on… how the fuck did Alan get inside the house? She decided to ask him, by shouting up the stairs.
“How did you get in here, Alan?” Kate wanted to know. There was no reply from her lover. Another message pinged into Kate’s phone inbox. It was from Alan again.
Come upstairs, and I’ll reveal all. But only if you reveal all to me, first. X. Kate giggled, and shook her head.
“Alright, Alan. I’m coming to get you!” She shouted, before climbing the stairs. “I hope that you’ve got a good excuse for being so late, too. I thought you’d stood me up…” Kate Williams continued. She got to the top of the stairs, and walked along the landing, to her room. Before Kate went inside, she undid a couple of buttons on her blouse, revealing a fair bit of cleavage. A warm, pleasant sensation began to spread between the top of Kate’s legs. She entered the bedroom…