Beth’s Eyes
Prologue
Black. My whole world was a dark mystery. I blinked rapidly in the inky night and could see nothing. I drifted off into an abyss and found my mind was unable to find focus. As pain filled my system, I left my current place. The last image in front of my closed eyes was a pair of bright, crystal-blue eyes which were staring down at me intently. I went to sleep; content they would be there when I awoke.
Chapter 1
‘Time of death; eleven forty-five,’ Dr Anderson May muttered quietly, staring down at the woman before her.
I gaped at the woman dressed in black as she wiped her brow with the back of her hand.
‘Get a stretcher out here, Thomas,’ she instructed, bending down and shining her torch closer.
I felt frozen to the spot, literally. I stood by a tree, watching the scene before me. I couldn’t comprehend what was happening, I couldn’t understand it at all. Was it really me who lay on the forest floor before me? It looked like me, and was completely familiar and yet I was looking at myself from the outside.
‘Lacerations,’ the woman was saying to herself, ‘looks like strangulation…no signs of sexual abuse. Deep cuts to the abdomen and the arms and hands. Looks like you put up quite a fight,’ she said, staring down at the dead woman who I believed to be me.
I slowly walked towards them and sat down beside myself. I felt feather-light, and of air, although my body lay before me. It was so clearly me that I felt the scene horrifying. What had happened to me? My body was covered in blood and I was broken and torn. It was at that moment that I realised I had died. But why was I back?
‘Let’s get you out of here,’ the woman spoke, her voice shocking me in the quiet, eerie forest.
I looked up in surprise and saw her eyes. They were a bright crystal-blue; so clear they were almost translucent. There was something other-worldly about them.
‘Come on,’ she instructed, talking to the men behind her.
I watched on as my lifeless body was loaded into a stretcher and zipped into a black body-bag. I couldn’t contain my fear as I watched the paramedics load me into the ambulance with the woman.
Stumbling over my own feet, I hurried to the ambulance. Hyperventilating, I climbed in and began crying hysterically. No-one around me noticed me or saw me and as I sat on the seat on one side of the ambulance, I dropped my head in my hands and sobbed. I couldn’t be dead. I just couldn’t! I was still here. Why couldn’t they see me?
As I cried, my head began to pound. As my breathing became more and more ragged, I felt my head swim with dizziness and I dropped, losing myself into unconsciousness.
Everything was black when I next woke. I felt suffocated and struggled to breathe. Everything hurt badly and when I tried to move, I felt constricted. I tried to moan and couldn’t find my voice. Struggling against my confines, my breathing came in short, shallow gasps.
‘What the…?’ a voice came from outside the blackness.
Light suddenly poured in and my eyes closed instinctively. I screwed my face up against the intrusion of light in my dark world and tried to breathe normally as intense pain hit me hard.
‘Oh my God,’ the woman breathed, her voice barely a whisper.
I couldn’t open my eyes; I was becoming lost in the pain I was experiencing. The only thing I did think in those quiet moments was the fact that I was back. I had been dead, and now I had returned. I didn’t understand it, nor did I know why it had happened. Sinking into oblivion, I floated back into the world of the unconscious.
‘Can you hear me?’ a voice floated into my head.
I tried to open my eyes, but again, the light was too bright.
‘Open your eyes,’ the voice said again, more insistently now.
I blinked against the light and tried to open my mouth to speak. Nothing came out, just the sound of my ragged breathing.
‘Stay with me sweetheart,’ she murmured, her hands checking my vitals, reassuringly warm on my cold, cold body.
I tried to groan, I tried to talk and tell her what had happened to me but I couldn’t. I felt myself sinking off into unconsciousness yet again and could do nothing about it. I simply fell into a deep slumber, unable to function.
The next time I woke, my surroundings were different. I knew instantly that I was somewhere else-probably hospital I thought to myself as I lay there against soft material. The place smelt sterile and the steady beeping around me indicated I was attached up to machines.
I tried to open my eyes and found it was slightly easier now. I blinked against the harsh light but eventually found I could see again. The wall before me was white and I realised I was definitely in hospital.
Turning my neck very slightly, I was surprised to see that I wasn’t alone. A woman lay sleeping in the upright chair, looking decidedly uncomfortable. It was the woman from the forest. The woman from the ambulance. I stared at her as she slept, taking in her strong features. She looked like a very capable doctor, I mused, and not only that-she was absolutely, breathtakingly gorgeous. Her soft, blonde hair fell against her forehead. A few tendrils were lying against her eye and I found I wanted to stroke her hair away from it. Her long lashes rested on her pale cheeks and her delicate, straight nose fitted perfectly with her features.
As I stared at her, she roused slowly. She shifted in her seat, moaning slightly in sleep. I watched as her brow furrowed and she moved again, seemingly uncomfortable. I wondered why she was still here and found myself more and more intrigued by her-and the circumstances which had brought me here.
I opened my dry mouth and tried to say something. The trouble was, all that came out was air. I exhaled loudly, frustrated I couldn’t make any noise to alert her to the fact I was awake.
I turned my attention to the ceiling and stared at the white squares. My mind was working overtime, trying to remember the last time I had been alive and going about my day to day life.
‘You’re awake!’ a voice by my side said, stunned.
I turned my head and met the most beautiful, blue eyes I had ever seen. They were wide and intelligent, and staring at mine intently.
‘How are you feeling?’ she asked, moving closer to the bed and peering down at me more closely.
I opened my mouth to speak and found only a hiss of air came out.
‘Trouble talking?’ she questioned.
I nodded my head with a gentle movement.
‘I’ll get you some water,’ she said, rising from her seat and stretching her back as she walked over to the sink.
I watched her fluid, confident movements and once again noted internally how attractive she was.
When she returned, she held the cup to my mouth, placing the straw against my lips for me to drink. Her touch was strangely intimate and her eyes were on mine the whole time which made it even more intense. I sipped as I held her eyes and a moment passed between us which made the breath catch in my throat as she pulled the cup back.
As she sat down, I opened my mouth to try and speak. ‘Aaa,’ I managed croakily, my voice trying to break through.
‘Take it easy…there’s no rush,’ she said to me kindly, her serious expression belying the fact that she was desperate to know what had happened to me.
I swallowed hard and tried again. ‘Eh,’ I managed this time.
She tilted her head slightly, her patience remarkable.
‘Beth,’ I said, managing the name at last; my voice sounded foreign to my ears.
‘Your name is Beth?’ she asked, leaning closer to me, her eyes intense.
‘Y…yes,’ I just managed, croaking still.
‘Beth, my name is Anderson,’ she told me, eyes wide. ‘You’re safe…in hospital,’ she told me.
I was safe? Why had she chosen that turn of p
hrase, I wondered. Staring up at her, I watched as her eyes scanned me from head to toe…it was only then that I noticed I still wore the clothes I had been wearing the night before. They were dirty and mud stained and as I lifted one hand, I saw that it was covered in blood.
‘Beth…’ Anderson said in a warning voice. ‘You’re safe…you don’t need to freak out,’ she said gently, her voice calm. ‘I’m going to take care of you. I’m a doctor-it’s my duty of care,’ she said, holding my eyes. ‘And…and…’ she shook her head, unsure of what to say next.
‘I died?’ I managed, shakily, looking as baffled as she did.
She nodded, swiftly, before lifting her gaze to mine again. ‘I thought so…I mean, I must have got it wrong,’ she said, swallowing visibly. ‘I didn’t think…you were gone...I…’ she shook her head, not knowing what else to say.
I reached out with one hand and she took my blood-stained palm in hers. ‘I did die,’ I told her, as clearly as my broken voice would allow. ‘So why am I back?’ I questioned.
Chapter 2
The doctor beside me stared at me long and hard. She didn’t seem to want to accept the truth we both knew-I had been dead, and now I was not.
‘I must have got it wrong,’ she said, looking at me closely. ‘I’ve never…well, never in my career have I ever found someone dead and they’ve actually still been alive. You must have…I don’t know, stopped breathing for a time,’ she murmured, still shaking her head with confusion.
‘I died,’ I said again, sure I was right.
The doctor stared at me.
‘Dead,’ I said again, for emphasis.
‘How are you…I mean, are you in pain, Beth?’ she asked.
I screwed up my face a little, unwilling to focus on the pain I was feeling.
‘Where does it hurt?’ she asked, standing. ‘The other doctors are on their way but if you remember any significant injuries or feel anything important, it would be good if you told me,’ she said gently. ‘We’ll have to take evidence too; Beth-we believe you were attacked viciously.’
‘I was,’ I managed softly, my voice coming back a little.
‘What about injuries?’
I swallowed hard. ‘It hurts…’
‘What does, Beth?’ she asked.
‘All,’ I said simply, trying to indicate that every single inch of me hurt-not just one place. I felt like I had been beaten black and blue.
‘Is there someone I can call for you, Beth?’ she asked then, her eyes the most wonderful shade of blue I had ever seen.
‘No,’ I murmured.
‘What about family?’ she asked.
‘No.’
‘Partner?’
‘No,’ I said, feeling very much alone.
‘You don’t have anyone in your life, Beth?’
‘Not really,’ I said again. ‘Alone,’ I said softly.
‘You’re all alone in the world?’ she questioned, her saddened gaze an indication of how this made her feel.
I nodded slowly, unable to look away.
The moment was soon interrupted by the arrival of more medical professionals; after they had introduced themselves, Anderson sat beside me to explain what needed to happen next.
‘Beth; you’ve been through a terrible ordeal. In order for us to find answers and to arrest the person that did this to you, we need to take the evidence from your body. We need to remove hairs, fibres, blood, fingerprints…’ she paused, ‘and do a rape kit.’
I felt my eyelids lower in shame for a moment.
‘We’ll be as gentle as we can and get it done as quickly as possible for you. Once that’s happened, you’ll be free to get cleaned up and we can patch up any cuts or lacerations you’ve sustained.’
I nodded, keen for it to be over already.
‘Are you okay for us to get started?’ she asked.
‘Yes,’ I managed, looking away and back to the ceiling. I would have to zone out for this process. I couldn’t bear to think about it right now.
Over two hour later, they were finally gone. It had been agonisingly painstaking going through the process Anderson had described. First they had removed my clothing and bagged it up for the retrieval of evidence, next they had dealt with some stab wounds which were bleeding excessively. After that I had had to answer a barrage of questions about my medical history, including any medications I currently took. After that came the examination to determine whether or not I had been raped. The medical professionals had photographed every inch of my body and also performed an oral, vaginal and anal exam. They had taken blood samples, urine samples, clippings of my nails and the material underneath and also swabs from wounds. When they were finally done, I had been helped to clean up and then had cuts and wounds stitched and dressed too. Finally finished, they all left apart from Anderson.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said, standing beside the bed.
‘What are you sorry for?’ I asked her, having found my voice in the hours which had passed by.
‘I mean I’m sorry this had to happen to you, Beth.’
‘I’m sorry it happened too,’ I told her, ‘but there’s not much changing it,’ I said softly.
She looked at me, her blue eyes wide and concerned. ‘There’s no-one I can call for you? Maybe a friend who would come and be with you?’
I shook my head. ‘I’m new to the area,’ I revealed softly. ‘I don’t know anyone here yet.’
She nodded, looking troubled.
‘I’ll be fine. I’m safe here, right?’ I asked her.
She nodded again. ‘Of course you are.’
‘Will the police want to talk to me?’ I then questioned.
‘Yes, they do. I’ve been holding them off until you felt up to it,’ she told me.
‘Oh, I’m ready now. I’d rather get it done.’
‘Okay, well I’ll go and get them now. Is there anything else you need?’ she questioned.
‘Yeah,’ I said, my face serious.
‘What’s that?’ she questioned.
‘How about a mars bar?’ I smiled, ‘I’m absolutely starving.’
Her face transformed in that moment into a wide smile. It changed her completely and what I thought was an attractive face became stunning. It delighted me to see her gorgeous eyes twinkle with humour.
‘A mars bar it is,’ she grinned.
I watched her go feeling a strange sensation in the pit of my stomach, and it was nothing to do with the wounds I had suffered at the hands of a deranged psycho using a hammer.
‘Beth?’ Anderson called, opening the door.
‘Yes?’
Anderson opened the door and came in with a kindly looking police officer. ‘Beth, this is Detective Trent. He needs to ask you a few questions. Is that okay with you?’
‘Yes, that’s fine,’ I told them.
‘Okay, well I’ll leave you to it,’ Anderson murmured, suddenly looking uncomfortable.
‘Do you have to?’ I questioned.
‘You want me to stay?’
‘I, uh…well, yes please…I mean, only if you can?’
‘I…yes, that’s fine!’ Anderson replied and then turned to Detective Trent. ‘I’m Doctor Anderson May,’ she explained. ‘I was the first on scene after Beth was found in the forest.’
‘Ah, right. I may well have questions for you too, then,’ he said, smiling in a friendly manner.
I turned to face him as he sat down in the seat beside the bed. Anderson pulled another seat from the other side of the room over to sit and listen.
‘Beth-do you know your full name?’ Detective Trent asked first.
‘Yes. I’m Beth Ellison,’ I replied, holding his dark, brown eyes steadfastly.
‘Good. And what is your address?’
‘I live at 35a Wilton Road in Crafting, Merryson,’ I told him earnestly.
‘How long have you lived there, Beth?’
‘Oh, just one week, actually. I’ve just moved.’
‘Where did you live before and why
did you move here?’ he asked.
‘I lived in Brighton before,’ I revealed slowly, ‘and I moved here after…well, I broke up with my partner and just…well, I wanted a fresh start. I found a new job and just transferred.’
‘What do you do for work, Beth?’
‘I’m an artist,’ I told him.
‘Okay, good,’ he said, writing notes on his pad of paper. ‘So, going back to the night in question-yesterday evening-can you go through what you remember from start to finish in your own words. I’ll record them and also stop and ask questions if we need any more detail. Okay?’
I nodded. ‘Fine.’
‘So? Last night?’
I sighed. ‘Last night I was working late. I was the last one at the gallery in town I sometimes work at,’ I told them
The detective was nodding and writing quickly on this pad. Anderson was watching me with intense, blue eyes.
‘I locked up just after seven and walked down the high street towards the car park where my car had been left…’
‘Was it dark by this time? Were there many people about?’ the detective asked.
‘It was dark, yes,’ I told him, ‘and the high street had a few people outside one of the pubs but it wasn’t particularly busy.’
‘Okay…so what next?’ he questioned.
‘Well, I had just reached my car when it happened.’
‘Tell us in detail,’ the detective instructed.
‘I was fishing in my hand bag for my keys and I accidently dropped them. I bent to pick them up and then suddenly, a massive pounding happened on my head and I dropped to the ground. He had hit me with something!’
‘He?’
‘I fell on my side and he bent beside me. I could see it was a man and the way he lifted me onto his shoulder showed his strength.’
‘What did he look like?’ Trent asked.
‘It’s hard…it was so dark,’ I replied, trying to think how to describe the darkened face I had glimpsed in the moonlight.
‘Try,’ he instructed.
‘Well, he was tall…and strong,’ I told him, ‘I think he had a beard…and maybe dark hair. Features wise, I haven’t got a clue…I was too out of it by that point. If I was staring at anything, it was the hammer in his hand.’
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