A World Apart

by Loui Downing

  ‘You sure you will look after your brother at Gill and Eric’s Neville?’ spoke Joseph after a few initial moments of silence.

  ‘Yeah sure’ replied Neville not taking his eyes of the television for one second, not even to eat as he misplaced the food on the end of his fork as came into contact with his right cheek, feeling embarrassed he quickly wiped away the mess, unknowingly going red in the process. Joseph cleared the tables and ordered the children to start making progress to go to their grandparents’ house soon. The night fell quickly as Joseph dropped his children off on the outskirts of Derbyshire; he then retreated back to his own home, taking just over two hours to complete the journey.

  The shaky hand lifted the clear glass from the cabinet and placed it onto the mahogany dresser below, clutching a bottle of whisky from the crosshatch doors underneath and beginning to pour an exceptional amount of whisky into the glass. The old sweater could only be seen as the man retreated to his seat, placing his drink beside him and letting out an almighty yawn. The old clock pendulum swung in the casing of the spoon-shaped clock on the wall as it chimed eleven times. The man’s face looked desperately into his glass, watching the highly potent dark yellow liquid swish as the glass was tilted from side to side. It was then that the face came into view. The man was holding a picture of Liona. The picture was a family holiday in Barcelona where they were all in swimsuits looking happily towards the camera. A tear blobbed onto the coated picture running down onto the hand holding it. Joseph held it intently as he drifted off to sleep, only to be awoken by a knock at the door. Joseph smiled and opened the door wide.

  ❖

  CHAPTER THREE

  Unfolding History

  By now Cindy was disturbed and shaking repeatedly, holding the piece of paper her mother had given to her moments before her death. She walked down the corridor trying to retrace her steps to the exit wondering where everyone was and what had happened earlier that night. The bleeping sound of heart monitors could be heard faintly in the rooms around the hospital. Cindy thought about looking in a room but refrained at the possibility of being attacked or discovering something she did not want to see. She decided to find a way out of the hospital as quickly as possible. The drafting gush of wind whooshed around the corridors, finally reaching Cindy and touching her bloodstained cardigan all over the upper arm area; making her shiver and her eyes stream.

  After what seemed an eternity of wandering around the hospital, Cindy eventually saw a green exit sign swinging dangerously from its attachment to the ceiling. As she looked around the corridor, she saw the cracked windowpanes of the doors to the accident and emergency department of the hospital. Cindy approached the doors expecting them to open automatically, although she was astonished to find it would not. She used her fingers to try and prior the door connects apart failing miserably. Cindy looked around the hall and waiting areas for something to use, she spotted a lose chair that had become disembowelled from its others. Cindy walked over and lifted the chair, only for the legs to separate, which made her jump and frustrated her even more at the realisation of how much time she was spending in the hospital that she wanted so incredulously to exit. She bent down to pick up a chair leg with the expression of her having an inkling of how it could be used. She lifted the metal brown pole and with an almighty cluck jammed its end into the door slits, slightly parting them, making her use her fingers to part the doors fully. The doors slammed viciously as Cindy exited the hospital and smashed as she looked back and realised how much that would have helped earlier. A short dash along the corridor and she was out of the building.

  Cindy thought to herself she had forgotten the whereabouts of her car, this thought vanished at the sight of her blue groggy hatchback, the only car in the car park. As Cindy opened the door, she pounced into her seat and began starting the vehicle for return to her home. The sky was a tinge of orange with a murky white that suggested more snow was to come. The roads were slushy Cindy noticed through the steamed front windscreen of her car, reaching for the heater whilst she waited for the hot air to clear the condensation before she set off. She turned the key a second time and the car started, the bonnet lifting a tad as the engine trundled happily. The cold conditions made the car let out a cough and a wheeze to clear its throat. The only area of road that was visible to Cindy was the tyre marks of both left and right wheels, along with the rest of the road being covered with sloppy ice that was once freshly formed snow. The drive lasted a lifetime for Cindy, or maybe it was her hunger to reach home as quickly as possible. An increasing amount of adrenaline pumping around here veins contrasted with the feeling of despair to curl up into a ball. Lines after lines, Cindy’s eyes drifting asleep as she tried to stay awake. A sign for her village appeared, reassuring her that it would not be long before she would be comforted in the firm arms of George.

  The glad but worried smile on Cindy’s face beamed; she was delighted to see George and Henry at the door awaiting her return. As she pulled up on the drive, the headlights were melting the light snow that had just recently formed on the garage doors. Her husband and father stood blowing hot air from their mouths into their hands trying to keep warm. She switched the engine off inside. She had barely reached the edge of her car when she was greeted by the presence of George and Henry.

  ‘Hi, are you ok honey?’ said Henry hugging her at the very moment George was about to hug her, he gave a glance at Henry before moving swiftly on and remarking ‘We were so worried about you, thought you may have been stranded’ said George wishing to reap the limelight as he felt scared and a sense of bewilderment on what exactly to do in these situations. Cindy glanced in George’s direction; her head slanted childlike on Henry’s shoulders.

  ‘Come inside and we’ll get you warmed up, you must be exhausted’ added George after receiving no response from Cindy. The three walked briskly towards the dark muddy door with a surprisingly broad brass letterbox.

  Henry rushed around the kitchen in search for apparatus, showing his lack of experience in the kitchen. Henry walks into the lounge where Cindy and George where Cindy lay on the settee with George; leaning on the armrest which comforted her.

  Cindy spent the next twelve minutes describing what she had encountered at the hospital earlier that night. George and Henry asking minor questions throughout, Cindy skipping a few of them as she could barely remember anything but her mother and the note that rustled gently in her cardigan pocket. Cindy gradually told Henry that she saw Mavis pass away he broke down. She rose quickly to comfort him, feeling disappointed in herself as if she could have prevented it. All three were in a terrible state of disbelief, both in what Cindy had saw happening in the hospital, refusing to accept the death of Mavis. Henry started to pace the lounge next to the disused fireplace, thinking of what he could do to change things. Everything went quiet as Cindy realised the note was still in her pocket untouched and unspoken. She pondered for a while, unaware about how long she was taking. She was looking at every possible eventuality, taking into account what she said and the look in her mother’s eyes. Cindy decided to keep quiet, as it was probably all random surges in the brain that maybe caused her to remember a particular nice memory thought Cindy. She headed for bed, escorting Henry his way around to the bathroom; handing him some pillows and a blanket for his night on the sofa downstairs.

  Cindy woke with a great burning sense of regret about not helping her mother, not getting there sooner and most of all she had now hidden something from her father. She straightened up, placed her dressing gown on and headed for the stairs to the kitchen, where she saw her father making something.

  ‘She gave me this Henry, I wasn’t sure whether I should say anything yesterday, or whether it would mean anything to you by any chance’ spoke Cindy finally after a long period of thought, but it came out in a rush and Henry didn’t fully understand the first time around. Henry immediately stopped pacing the kitchen and looked towards Cindy and down at the washed white note held in her grasp of a fist, t
he ink had run onto her skin but was perfectly readable. Cindy noticed him looking and held it out presenting it to him. Henry took the note and read the details under his breath.

  ‘Does any of this mean anything to you’ chirped Cindy before Henry had time to finish his second read.

  ‘Yes, it does actually, this used to be my house when I was a boy. How did she know that? What does all this mean?’ delivered Henry frowning as he looked high up in the clouds of his mind to find an explanation.

  ‘Oh, I didn’t think it would mean anything’ said Cindy feeling ashamed that she didn’t mention it earlier.

  ‘No, its fine it is probably just nonsense, your mother did like the house maybe she was implying that she wants you to have the same’ said Henry, firing a guess to Cindy.

  ‘I suppose so, she was talking the other day about how she’d love to see me happy and settled down’ beamed Cindy finding a method in her mother’s madness. The two looked at each other, still going through what Cindy had described to them earlier.

  ‘I think we should go back. Just so we know what exactly is going on’ said Henry putting his empty glass of whisky on the coffee table. George eyed Cindy as he entered the kitchen looking perplexed at the situation; giving Cindy a disenchanted look and then referred back to Henry and suggested ‘Maybe we should all get some rest and visit tomorrow morning. I’ll drive. I really don’t mind; I think it would be for the best’ said George unconvincingly. Henry looked at Cindy and Cindy appeared to be looking right back; for a split second the two were on the same wavelength.

  ‘I think it would be better for our minds if we saw her again and said our final goodbyes.

  ‘We can find out why the hospital is in such a state and report it’ said Cindy with a thread of authority. George backed down and accepted defeat, for they would be visiting the hospital later on that evening.

  Later on that evening, they all finished up their drinks and started to get ready for the conditions outside, placing gloves, hats and scarves on themselves as they headed for the car. By this time the snow was falling to the ferociously frosted ground. Cindy placed Jack into his portable cot and placed in the front seat with a seatbelt wrapped around his cot; he would always cry if he were in the back. Cindy always thought it was because of his father’s presence, but Jack just loved to observe the fast world go by and he also loved the snow drops.

  The drive back to St Jacklin’s seemed somewhat quicker than Cindy recalled from the night before, as she gazed out of the window eying the hospital building on approaching. Henry gave his hand out to Cindy from the back seat, of which Cindy only noticed out of the corner of her eye and placed her delicate and precious hands in the rough and wrinkled hands of Henry.

  ‘It’s going to be ok sweetheart. You do realise that don’t you?’ said Henry with a minor speckle of doubt itching his very neck as he spoke.

  ‘I dearly hope so’ replied Cindy as she looked amid the thick black night sky that hugged the car; making Cindy feel cold and alone.

  The car screeched as the Mann family approached the still deserted hospital car park. The three of them timely undid their seatbelts and stepped out of the car. Henry’s dirty brown boot clapped the ground as he made an aggressive exit from the car. By now the once light snow had transformed into falling bullets, several of which hitting Cindy’s naturally straight blonde hair as she closed the car door, making her judder with anxiety on impact. The family traipsed glumly across the half mud half dried out grass that was situated just in front of the main entrance to the hospital; along with hanging baskets, benches and flowers pots that the breeze had knocked over, making them spiral in a circular fashion. Henry and George were eying each other and accessing the surroundings whilst doing so, clearly appalled by the state in which the hospital was in and what had gone off here. Cindy walked casually holding Jack in his cot, reacting non-responsively to the sheer mess beneath her feet, having seen it later that evening her mind was distant right now.

  ‘What ward is she on?’ enquired Henry seconds after entering the hospital main entrance, climbing over the debris that once was a doorway.

  ‘Erm…twel.no it’s thirteen, bed number four’ replied Cindy, her eyes looking up to her right. Henry turned to see if there was any form of directions located around them, until Cindy instructed from one she used earlier.

  As the three figures walked down the corridor, they heard a clatter, something like metal hitting the ground. Henry’s eyes widened whilst George and Cindy held each other in a fit of fright. Jack beamed up at them and began with a soft cry out, which Cindy attended to at an instant, covering him with his racing car blanket.

  ‘There’s someone here, someone that can explain what is going on around here’ shot Henry at the others; heading towards the sound.

  ‘Maybe it was just a rodent or the open window knocking something over’ said George trying to prevent Henry from investigating what is was, reaching to grab his arm as he began walking determinedly. George missed the clutch of Henry’s arm as Henry swerved at the right second and heading down the corridor to the left. George looked towards Cindy who replied with a bewildered expression. Henry looked as though he had spotted something from George’s interpretation of his body language. Henry was stood pointing for a brief second; he then disappeared around the next corner, behind a room with glass observation windows and a nearby room. There was a sign swinging from its hinges informing persons that a certain doctor will be back shortly; Cindy snuffed at it. She proceeded to follow Henry on his route for something; George fumbling around to her distaste.

  ‘Henry, what’s the matter?’ bellowed George at the top of his voice even though Henry wasn’t too far away, although Henry was absorbed in something and didn’t acknowledge. They both continued along after Henry where they came across two large elevators; littered with health equipment. One lift was crammed full of electrical appliances and the other was scattered with cardboard and uniforms. An electronic sound buzzed around inside Cindy’s head giving her an agonising pain that seeped down to her eyes; she raised a hand as if to relieve the pain. The sound was coming from the elevator doors; the metal shutters were jolting to and fro, something was lodged in the mechanism. George noticed something inside as he peered around Henry who was positioned adjacent to the doors.

  Henry leaned forward, squinting to make out what was in front of him but he couldn’t see for the doors were blocking his view. Henry decided to get closer and to find something to jam the doors with whilst he looked inside. He searched the scrap heap that surrounded them all for a piece of metal. Henry chucked the first object he found over his shoulder, as it was easily bendable. As he paused for thought, George passed him a small cage that was perched nicely on top of a pile of used heart monitors. Henry glanced up and then lifted himself off the dusty floor; placing one hand on the floor to support his knees and hips. Henry, now normal height-level was able to take the cage from George and with careful precision he placed the cage in between the doors; allowing just enough space for one of them to climb through. The doors collided and the lift doors jammed creating a revving sound as they juddered, the sight made George feel slightly intoxicated.

  Several minutes passed and by this time Henry, George and Cindy had clearly all forgotten the main reason why they had returned to the hospital. To their relief the doors parted peacefully to reveal an object. The object took up a small proportion of the floor and was a pear shaped with a material covering. Henry bent down and reached the object inside to only find he was grasping a leg. Henry jumped out of his skin; his heart nearly popping out the edge of his mouth. Henry looked towards Cindy and George to speak; only the words could not be formed. Henry wondered why George and Cindy were not looking back at him and engaged with the object that scared the very life out of him. Henry turned around to be faced with a man figure that looked back at him then disappeared; transforming into a translucent form. The figure’s eyes shone a light green as they locked onto them all, luring them to him.
Before anyone had the chance to say anything, the moment had past and the lift was desolate.

  Kerry finally found herself being crowded around; many seemed to be just purely observing her as she watched a medic emerge from the small gathering on the plane isle. Her vision was blurry and her head bobbed from side to side like a seesaw controlled by the wind. When the faces came into focus properly she started to hear what people were saying, and in a flash of energy she adjusted the grip of her hand on the armrest and straightened up.

  ‘What…happened?’ catapulted Kerry whilst surprisingly gaining everyone’s attention. Rupert removed his supporting arm down into view from Kerry back to hold her hand.

  ‘You passed out for a while just after you spoke to me about calling out your mother and father’s names” planted Rupert with a sincere acquisition. Kerry heard the surrounding whispers asking if she was all right, although the people were merely reassuring themselves more than anything. A plastic cup came into view; holding it appeared to be a young airhostess who had gone slightly pale herself, feeling terrified. Kerry picked up the blanket that had receded to her shoes, folded it and then placed it on her lap.

  ‘Would you like any refreshments miss?’ asked the timid lady hostess with extreme caution. Kerry looked up and wagged her head from side to side horizontally as she watched the lady casually stroll out of sight. The onlookers returned to their seats as Rupert instructed for them to give her some space. Kerry held her head back on the headrest as her eyes unknowingly started to drift once more. Kerry did not want to go to sleep, as she may see what she had seen earlier and the thought frightened her even more.