For a short while, Shark trudged along the Black Pathway just behind Gary Ackley, and in front of Mary Broderick and Alex Crennell, lost in her own thoughts. I can't believe that I'm finally doing the Black Pathway Trail… though I always thought that the first time I'd actually walk it would be with Mike. Shark remembered Mike Gudden for a few moments, and then tried to push his image from out of her head; she couldn't. His grinning face wouldn't go away.
"You always were a stubborn bastard, Mike," Shark whispered. Yeah, and a violent, cheating nutter, too… not that I knew that about you, when we first got together, or even after I arrived in Coldsleet to be with you. Once you'd got me on my own though, away from my home and family, gradually becoming dependent on you, it didn't take long to show your true colours, did it, Mikey? Shark remembered how the first year together with Mike had been; as far as she was concerned, he was the most kind and thoughtful man that she'd ever met, and by a mile too. They’d first begun chatting to each other online, and then Mike travelled down to Shark’s hometown where they met properly. For the next few months, Shark and Mike met up regularly, usually at weekends. Then things got serious; Mike wanted Shark to move to Coldsleet and live with him. Shark had had no doubts about committing to her new boyfriend properly, agreeing to leave the home that she still shared with her parents, and moving in with Mike. In those early days, Shark was certain that Mike Gudden was 'the one' for her. She was wrong.
Three months after they had first met, Shark moved into Mike Gudden’s place, which was a small apartment near to Coldsleet's town centre. Mike had originally tried to rent a flat in Elman, which was where he worked, but there was nothing suitable at all. This wasn’t a major problem; Mike owned a car, and the drive to and from Elman each day didn’t take up too much of his time. More problematic was Shark’s inability to find any gainful employment in the small seaside town that had clearly seen better days. Even when she looked further afield, to Elman, Knighton, Hoffen, Hingley or Salegate, there was nothing. Since leaving college, Shark had always worked, in some capacity or other; now, she was sitting around the apartment in Coldsleet, day after day, bored out of her head. And she was slowly seeing another side of Mike Gudden emerge, too.
Shark Mako knew that Mike liked a drink. It wasn’t a problem; Shark loved alcohol too. It was the norm for the couple to spend their friday and saturday evenings down at ‘The Stagecoach’, meeting up with their friends, getting smashed. That was the done thing. But then Mike started drinking during the week too, sometimes down at one of the local pubs, with his mates, but more often than not, at home. Although Shark didn’t know it at the time, Mike had grown bored with her. He was seeing another woman, an Elman girl called Lizzy Denning, who he had met at work. Shark found out about this affair from a friend, but by that time, Mike had already dumped Lizzy, and was now secretely meeting up with a thirty six year old lady from Hingley called Sue. Shark confronted Mike about his infidelity, which he admitted to. But, he advised Shark, he wasn’t going to change.
“Then I’m leaving. I’m going back home, to my parents.” Said Shark.
“Oh no your not. You belong to me.” Came Mike’s reply. And that’s when the violence began… and the threats, too. “Leave this town, and I’ll come after you, and not just you, but your parents as well. I’ll kill all of you. Your brother and sister too.” And so it went on. The cheating increased. The drinking, and violence, got worse. The threats grew darker. But then one day, Shark had fought back…
Chapter Eighteen
The Black Pathway began to even out, and ahead of the group of walkers was a huge expanse of flat, marshy land, which the trail weaved its way across. To the left of the group was a large, rocky ridge that slowly rose from the flat-lands, running parallel to the trail.
"Some people that walk the Black Pathway do it the hard way." Advised Gary, pointing up towards the ridge, its rocky surface gradually sloping upwards, climbing above the trail. "Instead of sticking to the designated path, they'll take the ridge-walk instead. It's an interesting formation, the result of a huge glacier that pushed across this area back in the ice-age. From what I hear, the ridge gets really narrow at its highest point, which is what attracts the more hardcore loonies that decide to walk up it." He went on.
"Why would anyone want to do that?" Asked Alex, who was feeling generally pissed off and tetchy.
"Because some people enjoy an element of danger, Alex." Snapped Gary. "Not everyone likes a simple, easy ride."
"Yeah, well, they're bloody stupid if you ask me." Replied Alex Crennell.
“Nobody is asking you, buddy." Retorted Gary. Here we go again, he thought to himself, we're not even half a day into this walk yet, and already Alex is starting to get stroppy and argumentative… once the going starts to get really heavy, he's gonna be a real bundle of laughs… just like the last sodding time. Gary walked on ahead of the group, whilst Mary, who had been chatting to Shark, sidled up against her boyfriend.
"Is everything okay? You seem a bit grumpy this morning." Mary asked Alex.
"Yeah, it's like I said earlier, I've got a bit of a hangover from last night, that's all." He answered, before wiping sweat from his brow.
"Okay." Said Mary, satisfied with Alex's answer. "It's beautiful up here, isn't it?" She commented. Alex looked at his surroundings.
"Yeah, it's nice." He replied, telling lies. I'd much rather be in the pub, than doing this… a nice pint in front of me together with a chicken curry and a garlic naan… ah well, once this is all over, I won't be doing this stupid walk again, thought Alex.
Alex thought about home. Dad will be off down to the boozer for his lunchtime pint, right about now. Jammy git. He’ll get back, at around three this afternoon, half-pissed, and then just spend the next few hours slumped across the settee, watching the horse racing on the televison. He might be a bit of a drunken old fart, but he’s a good bloke, my dad. He struggled to bring me and my younger brother, Davey, up, on his own, after my bitch of a mom walked out on all of us when we were little, but we never went short of a thing. Well, apart from the love of a mother, obviously. But fuck her, wherever she is. We might have needed her back then, twelve years ago, when she first left, but we certainly don’t need her now. Me, dad, Davey… we do okay. We always have done. I just wish that dad could find someone to make him happy… but he’s never really seemed interested. Maybe he’s just content with being on his own.
Mary nudged Alex with her elbow.
“Hey, are you sure that you’re okay? You seem lost in thought.” She asked. Alex smiled.
“I was just thinking about my dad. He’ll be off down to the pub now.” Replied Alex.
“I like your dad. He makes me laugh.” Commented Mary. “His jokes are a bit crude, but they’re still funny.”
“That’s because you’ve got a mind like a sewer, Mary Broderick. You come across as all prim and proper, but really, you’re just pure filth. You should get thee to a fucking nunnery.” Joked Alex.
“But I’m as pure as the driven snow!” Protested Mary, in a fake, outraged voice.
“Yeah, right… I’m just remembering what you did to me up in your bedroom on thursday night… I don’t want you to be as pure as the driven snow… I like it when you’re a whore.” Grinned Alex. Mary hit him on the arm, playfully.
“Sshh! The other’s will hear you.” She said. Alex shrugged his shoulders.
“Like they’d care.” He replied. Alex looked towards Shark and Gary, who were not too far ahead, when something, briefly, caught his eye; up on the glacial ridge. There was another hiker. He nudged Mary. “Look… there goes one of those hardcore freaks that Gary was telling us about.” Alex said, pointing towards a figure that was moving fast, high up on the rocky outcrop above them.