by Rob Shepherd
“You're very pale. You feel freezing too. Looks like you have a virus. It's probably flu related, so I want you to wrap up warm, get in to bed and I'll bring you honey & lemon tea later with a hot water bottle. But get some rest and some sleep, OK?”
Chapter 4
Judith watched Summer as she nodded and slowly turned back around and went back to her bedroom, clearly not herself as far as Judith was concerned.
After seeing Summer back to her room and placing a hot honey -lemon tea on the bedside table for her, Judith ensured that Summer was tucked in tight, just the same as she had done thousand times before when Summer was small. Judith kissed Summer on the head, stroking her hair afterwards before turning and walking out of the room, telling her goodnight and switched the light off as she left. She pulled the door closed tight until the latch clicked and walked back downstairs, she sat down with a slump on the sofa next to Andy who reached out and handed the glass of wine to her.
“Ooh, you read my lips.” Judith said with a breathy sound of relief.
“How's our little buttercup then?” Andy asked. Keen to hear Judith’s' medical opinion.
“Well, it looks like she has some flu virus, I think. She seems OK, looks fit enough except, she looks like a damn corpse, feels as cold as one and is sweating like on old piece of meat in a plastic bag. Yet she is bright as a button to talk to. It must be a virus. It must be a new strain of it, so be warned, we'll be next, soon enough.” Judith explained.
“Why do I get the feeling that there is a 'but' about to make an appearance about now?” Andy responded.
“But. Oh, I don't know. Something just isn't quite right. It's like she just needs rest and plenty of vitamin c and all the usual, but somehow, there is something else, something just not quite right, there is something just. wrong. But I just can't put my finger on what it is.” Judith went on to explain as best as she could.
“What do you mean? Like what?” Andy asked once again.
“That's just it! Like I just said, I don't know.” Judith snapped back a little. Getting a little frustrated with Andy's inability to understand her own state of confused concern. Or read her mind even.”
“Well, like you said, it must be a flu or a fever, surely. Sounds like it from what you said.” Andy spoke, trying to both reassure Judith on her diagnostic expertise and to extend an olive branch of apology.
“But if it were just a fever, then she should be feeling cold in herself. Shivering, then sweating it out, then cold again. She should feel like a hot kettle to the touch. Not sweat as though she is in a sauna yet feel icy cold to the touch on the outside. That isn't flu or fever, least nothing I have ever been taught about.” Judith replied.
“So, what do we do? Take her to the hospital? Or leave her in bed and hope that whatever kind of virus, thing this is, that it breaks, and she gets better come tomorrow?” Andy asked, unsure of both himself and what they do next. Worry had begun to seep into his facial expressions.
“I don't think the hospital has any space for her right now, besides, neither would they have any better idea than I do. We can only give her some time right now, to rest and keep an eye on her and see how she is come the morning. Hopefully, she'll either be completely over it or if nothing else, it will be easier to diagnose properly by then.
Chapter 5
Judith rattled around the kitchen, beams of warm morning sunlight cascade through the slats of the open blinds of the windows, reflected off the worktops and work surfaces in rays that warmed small spots on them that felt almost hot to the touch.
Andy walked into the kitchen, kissed Judith on the neck and held her close in a tight embrace before gently letting her go, not that neither he nor Judith wanted or were ready for it to end yet, but both knew it had to.
“Duty calls” Andy said softly, the sadness and uncertainty in his voice evident that he would rather be home today with her and Summer.
“Do you really have to go in today?” Judith asked. “We hardly get a whole weekend together what with me normally being called in to work, now the one time we actually have one and now you get called to go in. And now not to mention Summer coming down sick.”
“I know beautiful, but work wouldn't call me if it wasn't really important or an emergency.” Andy sighed, he no more wanted to go into work than Judith wanted him to.
“I know. It's just unfair, that's all.” Judith said as she followed Andy to the back door as he got a jacket on, rubbing her hands on his shoulders and hugged him one last time before he could leave.
Andy nodded his response and added “Call me if there's any problems OK?” He looked up to the ceiling, Judith following his gaze recognizing what he was referring to, in their sleeping daughter, who was yet to make an appearance.
Once Andy had left Judith began to tackle some of the chores around the house early so that she could make sure she had plenty of time for Summer. She remembered about the washing down in the laundry room and decided to retrieve the clean clothes that she had asked Summer to do yesterday. There had been no fresh clothes brought up to the rooms, so she realised that she would have to go down into the utility room.
No sooner than had Judith thought about Summer, than Summer appeared like a magician. She was still deathly pale but evidently feeling much better, with a warm, if not a little misplaced, smile on her face.
“Good morning sweetie. How do you feel now?” Judith asked.
“OK, thanks mum. Is there any coffee fresh?” Summer enquired, her voice soft and gentle to the ear.
Judith replied, both with suspicion and confusion at this, with a simple nod in the affirmative, smiling all the same. “Sure. Err, there's some in the pot, it should still be hot. Are you sure you are OK?”
“Yeah, I'm fine, I just fancied some coffee today, that's all. I think I need it this morning. Summer responded oddly.
“OK darling.” Judith answered, trying to hide any suspicions she had, from Summer. Something wasn't right about this and this type of thing was a big red flag warning her. If only she could know what it was that was wrong.
Chapter 6
“OK, honey. You make yourself a drink, I'm going to go down and retrieve the washing and bring it up from the laundry room.” Judith said softly. Her smile tender and motherly, yet not having lost any of its previous suspicions.
“NO!” Summer blurted out loudly. The sudden outcry though not entirely unexpected with Summer's slightly odd demeanour, still made Judith jump with surprising ease.
“Pardon me?” Judith returned in kind with a stern response, now becoming much more wedded to her suspicions around Summer's behaviour.
“Sorry. I meant don't worry about it, I'll do it for you. Summer quickly responded, adjusting her tone and trying to elaborate if only briefly on her earlier short-tempered sounding reply.
“I had hoped you were going to do it yesterday, but given how unwell you seemed yesterday, I thought it best to leave you and I was not in any mood and besides I was too tired to bother with it last night in all honesty. Judith continued.
Summer looked at her mother briefly with a blank stare, as though she had no idea what her mother was talking about, which created a few moments of slightly awkward silence.
“Oh. Uh. Yes, sorry mum. I forgot. This illness must have affected my brain” Summer said, laughing off the last comment as she spoke them.
Judith eyed her suspiciously all the time and even more so when this happened, leaving the conversation, telling Summer to bring them in to her to be gathered and put away.
Over the next few days, whenever Judith went to go into the laundry room (the cellar), Summer would appear and find some reason to prevent her, a reason for Judith not to go in there, instead going in the laundry room/cellar for her. Everything from offering to go down there, no matter what it was that Judith might want to go down there, right through to classic distraction techniques, such as suddenly finding something important to show Judith that would happen to take Judith away from the cellar
laundry room. Then going in there for Judith before Judith could get back to it.
Judith was becoming increasingly worried about Summer and her strange, overly helpful and sometimes downright sinister seeming behaviour. The behaviour alone, was not enough to be cause for concern, never mind referral for a doctor to check on her, even a brief appointment with a counsellor, just the once. As a doctor herself, she knew that Summers' behaviour, her general demeanour had to alter dramatically and border on the dangerous before she could consider for any kind of consultation with a doctor, counsellor or psychologist.
Andy had noticed as well and the pair of them had begun talking over what they could and should do about their daughter but had to ensure their conversations were private and unable to be overheard. Such as in the car on the way to and from work to taking to evening walks, just so they had that private time to talk candidly and openly with each other. They both agreed that on the face of it, Summer seemed anything but troubled, she was more helpful than ever. More polite. More generous, all the things every parent dreams their child would be. However, give the extent to which Summer would go to help them and that it always coincided with them going in the cellar. Every single time they would attempt to enter the cellar, Summer would magically appear and find a way to prevent them from going down there. There was something down there that she obviously didn't want them to see. It was either drugs or something else that she was worried they would not be happy about. But then, why keep it down there all this time when she had all the time, she wanted to get rid of whatever it was somewhere else where they couldn't find it.
Her actions were by now both, weird, nonsensical and now quite sinister. They had to call in help for her, but first they needed to check what, if anything it was in or about the cellar that was the reason for Summer working so hard to prevent them from going down there. There were ulterior motives at work here and the answers were all in that cellar. They agreed that one way or another, they had to get in inside the cellar. One way or another, they would find out what it was all about.
Chapter 7
After a couple of more days passed, with little success at distracting Summer nor physically making their way passed her, Andy & Judith decided to tackle it head on. They confronted Summer about the cellar and what it was that she didn't want them to see, find or know about down there, including drugs and even weapons.
But yet Summer skilfully dodged the conversation, gave open and vague answers that meant that she had technically answered her parents, yet at the same time gave them absolutely nothing to work with or to go on and even more frustratingly no new knowledge or information that would help whatsoever.
Eventually, they decide on a plan to wait until Summer was in bed or on one of the few occasions these days that she ventured outside any-more, to go into the cellar-come laundry room and find out for themselves once and for all.
After venturing down into the cellar, the pair of them looked around and yet they couldn't see anything of note, never mind anything incriminating. Nothing stood out as strange or out of place or having been disturbed in any way.
“Damn it!” Andy growled. “There has to be something down here, to explain what the hell is up with her. But I'll be damned if I can find what the fuck it is.”
“I know. I was sure Summer was hiding something down here. We'll need to keep working on it while we have the chance. Maybe keep working on her if we have to.” Judith added.
Just as they had started to rummage around again, they heard the front door open and close again. The pair froze for a moment, unsure whether to rush up the stairs and pretend they hadn't been down there, if they could or stay down there and try confronting her inside the room itself and get some answers finally, that way. They decided to make their way up the stairs and work on Summer a bit more, they couldn't confront her with nothing after all. They needed some real evidence, whatever that was and then confront her with it.
By the time the two of them got to the top of the stairs and closed the cellar door behind them, Summer entered the kitchen and was about to greet them. Summer’s sweet, fresh smile faded and dropped. Her light and calm demeanour changed altogether. They could see the change in her immediately. A grimace like expression began to form on her face. It was as though a darkness had taken control and was now in charge. Her eyes now looked almost entirely black. But that expression, that dark snarl, almost sent shivers through her parent’s bodies.
“What are you doing?” Summer asked. The tone of her voice was inquisitive yet one that was clearly laced with her own suspicions.
“Nothing much sweet-pea, the boiler was playing up, so we decided to look. That's all nothing to worry about.” Andy said, playing a perfect poker face.
“Are you OK darling? Are you feeling OK?” Judith asked, more as a distraction technique rather than enquiring after her well-being. She felt nervous. Like they were school children about to be scolded for exploring and area that was off limits to them.
“I told you not to.” Summer snapped.
“What?” Judith and Andy replied in unison.
“I meant, I said that I would take care of all of that, didn't I?” Summer said, her words acting submissively and explaining her position and yet she was finding it increasingly hard to hold back what she wanted to say in front of them.
“Yes, but you don't know anything about boilers, do you?” Andy's patience was itself waning.
“And, nor do you? But since when did you help with laundry? Argh! I can't take this shit. It's too much, I can't keep this up anymore. I've had enough. Don't go down there any longer. I'll go down there got it?” Summers rant didn't shock them that it came right then. But it did surprise them, as it was something completely out of character for her. Having watched Judith back up and almost sink in response to Summers reaction. No matter what was going with her, Andy could not and would not accept this from their own daughter.
“Who the hell do you think you are talking to? Now get back and go to your room. That's enough.” Andy roared at her. Had this been a normal situation, even though Summer wouldn't dream of acting and speaking to them like this, but Andy's response would have both terrified Summer and immediately caused her to cry.
“Shut your mouth! You pathetic excuse for a man. Never have I seen anyone less fit to give themselves the title of man, let alone 'father'. So, with all due disrespect, daddy dearest, Shut the fuck up!”
Judith regained her composure and raised her own voice, ordering her daughter to her room for a second time, pointing in the direction of the hallway.
Without warning, Summer raised her arm, and swiped her mothers' hand away, immediately following up by swiping her moving hard across the face with the back of her hand. The force of the blow caused Judith’s' head to sway back in the direction of the impact and recoil as the sound of the “crack” echoed throughout the home.
Andy reacted instinctively and grabbed Summers' arm and began to pull her away as he started walking from the room. No sooner had he started moving, Summer turned her attention to meet him face to face, following up with an immediate and devastating headbutt. Instantly breaking Andy's nose with explosive bloody results and causing himself to recoil from the pain and momentarily lose his senses as he tried to recover from the force of the impact.
“Well, fuck. Now you've gone and ruined it, haven't you?” Summer growled, her voice not meeting her sweet exterior. Her voice now dark, sinister and as though she were simply miming for somebody else, from some other vantage point.
“I told you, all you had to do was leave it to me. That's it. Well, there's no point in pretending any more. Now do as I tell you and we can all play happy fucking families. I promise I'll be perfect, happy Summer for you. We can all go out together and be part of the shiny, happy fucking people bullshit. But do as I say.” Summer sneered. The last statement not used as part of bargaining with her parents, but a clear order. The repercussions were already clear across the pair’s faces.
Cha
pter 8
Summer turned and walked out of the kitchen, out to the front door, locking it, placing the chain on and turning the drop lock so that now, nobody would be able to get out without undoing the whole lot and neither could anyone get in without smashing the entire door along with its frame, down.
“What happens in the home should stay in the home.” Summer said as she continued to move around the home pulling windows, blinds and curtains closed.
Judith waited for Summer to walk out again into another room, she didn't know what Summer was up to or what she had planned, but it gave her enough time to crawl over to Andy and check on his condition. She stroked his head as he came back to consciousness. Blood streamed from his nose still. She pulled at her top and tore a strip off at the seam so that she could use it to help clean Andy's injuries.
Summer returned with a glass in one hand, full of what looked like whisky, while the other sported Andy's baseball bat, that he would keep in the cupboard at top of the stairs in case of intruders and other emergencies. Judith looked back up at Summer who stood staring at the two of them. Holding on to Andy's arm as she cupped his still dazed head in the palm of her hand. Tears began to form and roll down her face. The shock was clearly now taking effect on her and becoming too much. The heartbreak of her once perfect daughter becoming a monster out of nowhere, tore at her inside. Whatever had happened, it had clearly changed her completely and utterly. Judith wondered if it was a mental breakdown, related to the fever, or something deeper and far more serious, some sort of psychosis that was incurable that develops suddenly. She wished that she only knew or understood what it was that had triggered it. Either way, it had turned her into a completely different person altogether.
