“Perhaps I will. I shall add it to the long list of things I have to do today,” she said, smiling ironically. Their lives were ones of luxury. In his life Edward had made some smart investments and Amelia was now reaping the rewards. He had also been an only child and the sole beneficiary of his parents' estate, so Amelia and Tom had no worries of running out of money. “Are you going into town today?” she added.
“Probably. I was thinking about stopping by my parents' house and running a few errands.”
“I may join you. It has been a while since I have journeyed into town and I feel as though I should make an appearance now and then, just to remind everyone there that I'm still alive.” The idea was said with good humor but Tom's eyes flinched a little, and Amelia noticed immediately.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“No, not at all, I'm just surprised. Usually you like to stay here,” he said. But Amelia thought it was something more than that. Perhaps there was some truth to the rumor that he was meeting this other girl. Well, it would be fun to see this girl for herself and see if there was any truth to it. They bathed and ate breakfast and then Amelia got dressed. Ever since Edward's death, Amelia had incorporated something black into her attire, which again gave her a gloomy air. When she emerged and was ready to get into the carriage Tom sighed.
“Is something the matter?” she asked.
“No. Let us go. The day is growing short,” he said. But Amelia could tell that something was bothering him so she pressed the matter as she climbed into the back of the carriage. The driver yelled at the horses and soon enough the carriage was rumbling along the road to town.
“Tom, if you have a problem then we must talk about it. It does us no good to let these things fester.”
Tom looked out of the window at the world rolling by and chewed his finger before he answered.
“It bothers me that you are still wearing black,” he said. “I know that losing Edward was traumatic for you and that you still mourn him but it wounds my pride when we appear in public and you wear something that brings up memories of your old husband. We both know that there are those in town who think that our relationship is not real, and I know that I will never garner the same affection that you held for your husband, but I feel it is disrespectful to me to make such a show of your grief. It has been a year now. Will this ever change?”
“I am sorry you feel that way. I had no idea that it affected you so deeply.”
“I merely dislike the fact that people see our relationship as a joke, and that Edward's death hangs over our happiness like a shadow. I had hoped that by now you would see that there is another chapter of your life and you do not always have to be so concerned with the past.”
“I do Tom, perhaps when you are my age you will understand how much the past can haunt you.”
“There you go again, speaking to me as though I am a child! Sometimes I wonder if you married me for desire or to fill a gap in your life, to be a husband and a son to you.” There was a bitter tone to his voice and Amelia was aghast at what he was saying. Had she really been so cold to him? A chilly wind blew through the carriage and Amelia remained silent. Tom could be a brooding figure sometimes, and it was best to let things lie. There was much to occupy her thoughts though. Perhaps it was time to finally let Edward go. He wasn't coming back, and grieving over him for too long would only push Tom away, and she would be left alone again. The feeling of complete isolation she had experienced after Edward had died was something that she never wished to feel again, and as she looked across at Tom she knew that she didn't want to lose him. She reached over and took his hand, then squeezed it affectionately as they rode into town.
Chapter 3
Since Amelia's forays into town were few and far between her arrival was met with whispering murmurs from those who recognized her. Her withdrawal from society meant that those who still maintained strong contact with each other saw her as outside their circle, and she was subjected to the same disparaging remarks as anyone else they deemed worthy of such attention. On top of that the marriage to a man practically half her age was ripe for discussion among the people she used to call friends, so when she arrived in town more than a few people glanced her way. Some came up to her and mentioned that it was good to see her again, although she took these comments as false, as she knew that behind her back they must have been gossiping about her.
Still, she walked around town with Tom, who still seemed tense after their earlier dispute. But she wanted to make it up to him so linked her arm in his and never left his side. They went to a number of stores and gathered up some supplies. Many people met her with kindness and told her that she was looking well, and she appreciated their kindness. As their trip wore on she noticed that Tom was becoming more and more agitated, and when they entered the final store she saw why.
The girl in the store lit up when she saw Tom. She was beautiful and young, with a heart-shaped face, wide blue eyes, and soft, full lips. Her smile was radiant and she skipped over, quickly losing face when she saw that Amelia had joined him. Tom introduced the two of them but his voice was terse. Amelia was amused more than anything. They were two children playing childish games. Soon enough the young girl would realize the pain of heartache and numb herself to it, just as Amelia had done. The intense swirl of emotions was a game for the young and she had no time for it now. And Tom, well, it was only natural that he would be attracted by such beauty, especially if he felt neglected by Amelia, but she knew him well enough to know that he would not have jeopardized his standing with her. It was evidently harmless flirtation on his part, and in fact he probably quite enjoyed the attention, which Amelia mentioned mischievously as they left the store. Tom did not seem so amused, however, and wore a grim look on his face as they made their way to his parents’ house.
Tom was very close with his family, which Amelia admired because she and Edward were not. Edward's parents had died a long time ago, and Amelia had left hers behind when she had married Edward. When she and Tom had revealed their plans to be wed, it had been met with a bemused response from his parents since they were the same age as Amelia, and even now they found it rather strange to be contemporaries of their daughter-in-law. But their son seemed to be happy and that was the most important thing to them. Amelia appreciated their kindness. They were good people and lived in a completely different world than Amelia. Their home was small and humble, and they didn't have much in the way of material things. Both of them worked to maintain their home even though Amelia had offered them a small stipend to help pay the bills, but they had declined on the grounds that they didn't want to accept charity. The meal they offered was in no way extravagant but it was made with care and love, and Amelia appreciated it a lot. It was also good to be around people and have a conversation again. Often she and Tom would separate in the house and tend to their own things, but here Amelia felt wanted and loved. They began by speaking of normal things. Tom updated them on the house and a few little projects that he had begun, and Amelia told them of some of the latest books she had read. There was a slight tension in the air, for Amelia knew that Tom's parents were disappointed that they would not have grandchildren. Edward and Amelia had never been blessed with the joy of children and now she feared that she was too old to be a mother, which was another reason why she was wondering if, at some point, Tom would look elsewhere for a younger wife who could give him the things that she could not. But soon matters turned to the latest happening in town.
“Have you been keeping up to date with the news?” Tom's mother asked.
“No, I can't say that I have. I don't visit town that often anymore so the news often passes me by. But I don't mind that too much, I often find that it's depressing,” Amelia replied.
“You mean that you haven't heard about the terror that has been lurking?” Tom's mother said, her eyes wide with fright. Amelia met her question with a look of confusion.
“You didn't tell her?” Tom's mother said, turning to h
er son with a look of admonishment.
“I didn't want to worry her. It's probably nothing. People just like to think the worst,” he replied nonchalantly. His mother gasped and looked disappointed.
“Nothing! There's something strange going on and you should have told Amelia! I hate to think of the two of you so far out there alone when things like this have been happening.”
“Oh mother,” Tom said, rolling his eyes, “You are too quick to believe everything you read. Have you actually seen this thing?”
“Seen what thing?” Amelia asked, intrigued by this sudden argument. Tom and his mother looked at each other, while his father remained silent. His mother went to speak but Tom quickly interrupted her.
“There's been some chatter about a terrible creature that has been skulking around the outskirts of town. But nobody has actually shown any evidence and it's probably just a story that people are telling to frighten their children. I thought we lived in an age where we were past all these silly superstitions.”
“They are not silly superstitions and there have been some very reputable men and women who have declared that they have seen this thing,” his mother replied indignantly.
“All in the dark and none of them can offer any corroborating details. Some of them say that this thing is a hairy beast who is at least twelve feet tall with big talons, others say that it's more like a tall man, around seven feet, with beady eyes, some say there are more than one creature-”
“Then how do you explain the disappearances?”
“Disappearances?” Amelia asked, sitting forward in her chair. Her skin began to tingle at the prospect of a mystery. The excitement and fear rippled through her and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. Tom rolled his eyes again and folded his arms in a huff while his mother lowered her voice, as though even speaking of these occurrences was enough to place them in danger.
“People have been going missing for weeks now and there has been no trace of them. There's no denying that fact,” she said, making a point to glare at Tom.
“With no reason? Who has been taken? There's really no trace?” Amelia asked, a thousand questions on her mind.
“None. Which is why people are so baffled and the only explanation seems to be a creature of the night.”
“A creature upon which nobody can agree what it looks like. I'm sure there is a simple explanation to all this. Perhaps all these people merely grew tired of the town and left, or it's some kind of practical joke. Either way, it's not for us to worry about. There is nothing we can do about it. The only thing to do is to make sure we do not go out at night. And mother, if you really are so worried about this then you are more than welcome to stay with us. There is plenty of room and it would save you worrying.”
“Yes, you must come,” Amelia added, but Tom's mother shook her head.
“I cannot leave work now. And I will not leave this city in a time of crisis. If we are under attack then my place is here.”
“Mother you are so melodramatic,” Tom said.
“I've seen it,” his father said in a low, grim voice, interrupting the argument that was about to take place between mother and son. Everyone looked at him, shocked. There was a haunted quality to his eyes as he seemed to look past them all and back into the maw of that horrible beast.
“When?!” Tom's mother yelled.
“The other night. I was coming home from work. I heard a sound, heavy breathing, and I was filled with dread. I quickened my pace. Before then I didn't think anything of it either. There are too many people in this world with fanciful imaginations but there was definitely something in the air. The streets were deserted and I felt a strange fear overwhelm me. I walked as quickly as I could but I didn't think it would be quick enough. I saw something out of the corner of my eye, but it disappeared before I could see it properly. I carried on walking, and then I saw it properly. It was far away, and hard to make it out in the darkness, but it was definitely no man. It was a hulking beast, something called from hell itself. It stared at me but I could not speak, and then it left. I do not know why it spared me but I am one of the lucky ones. All I know is that something terrible is coming to this town and none of us can be sure of our safety.”
The words were damning and all of them felt dread flood over them. Amelia's throat ran dry, and she could tell that even though Tom was skeptical, he was still worried in case his father was telling the truth. They departed after that, eager to get home before the sun dipped below the horizon. When the night came they both looked out of the window and wondered if something was out there, hunting the people of the town, and if so, how long would it be until it found their mansion?
Chapter 4
As it so often did when she was alone, Amelia's mind turned to the past, to Edward's funeral. With no body it had been a strange affair. A small box stood in for the coffin, and Amelia didn't even get a chance to properly say goodbye to her husband. Many had turned out for the funeral and the priest had said some lovely words about her husband. So had she, and she had refrained from letting the resentment and festering anger out. He had taken the trip against her wishes, and his stubbornness had cost him his life. There had been an unsettling, eerie feeling that shrouded her as soon as he left and it had made her sick to her stomach, but there was nothing she could have done to prevent it. At the funeral she had been teary and secretly she had bemoaned him for leaving her a widow, and with no closure. He had sailed to Europe after hearing news about a sought-after antique that he had been scouring the world for. He left in pursuit of it even though people had warned him that it was not the season to cross the oceans, but he remained undeterred. His shipmate told of how they had braved the storms to find an island upon which the antique was located. Edward had ignored all tales that had been told about the curse of the antique and had foolishly taken it from its rightful place. There was an unholy rumbling on the island and a high-pitched scream that pierced the air, then Edward was buried under a pile of rocks.
Amelia couldn't imagine what the last moments of his life must have been like. His obsession drove him to ruin and she blamed herself for not standing up to him more, for not forcing him to stay at home. Instead he had died alone, on some godforsaken island halfway across the world and he hadn't even been able to say goodbye to his wife. There were so many things that she wished she would have said to him, and often she yearned just to be held by him again, to breathe in his scent and wash this all away as a bad dream.
Tom had asked her to stop mourning Edward but Amelia knew she could not, and she was ashamed that she could not give Tom what he deserved. If Tom had requested a divorce to go and be with the pretty young girl in town, Amelia would not have had any right to deny him that chance at happiness because she had lived that part of her life, she had been in love and had experienced all the joy it could bring, and part of her wanted Tom to have a chance at that as well. But then she would be alone again. She didn't fancy her chances of marrying for a third time, and she couldn't bear to be in that house all by herself. So Tom was stuck with her, although she had an impending sense of doom that inevitably he would tire of what she had to offer him and would look elsewhere for pleasure. But that was all in the days to come and Amelia was not going to lose herself to what could be, especially not when there was some sort of monstrous creature roaming the city.
She was sitting in the drawing room, looking out of the window when Tom came in.
“That was some far-fetched story my father told us today. I think working that hard has finally broken his mind,” Tom said.
“You didn't believe him? Even after other people in the town have been talking about the same thing?”
Tom shook his head. “I imagine it began as a prank and word spread and people now see what they want to see whenever they look in the shadows. It's all superstitious nonsense. Think of it, are we really to believe that somewhere out there a monster is prowling the area?” he said, walking up to Amelia. He stood by her side and rested his arm along he
r shoulders. His fingers began to dance against her slender neck and played with her soft brown hair. A smile played across her skin as the warm feeling spread through her body.
“That girl was pretty today,” she said. Tom paused for a moment, then continued the tracing of circles on her skin, slowly pulling the fabric of her clothes away.
“She is a friend. We speak often whenever I go into town.”
“I don't mind, you know.”
“Mind?”
“If you find other women attractive. It is natural for a man of your age and with such strong passions to be drawn to girls like that, especially when compared with an old widow like me. You may look, but do not touch. That is all I ask.”
Tom's hands moved around her shoulders and began to massage them. His long fingers curled around her neck and reached down to the top of her chest. He stood directly behind her and she leaned her head back, resting it against his body, which was burning with desire. Amelia breathed in deeply as she prepared herself for the onslaught of passion. It was only in these moments where she allowed herself to forget about Edward, because the heady delights of Tom's body were primal and savage, and her body screamed for him. His hands made erotic sensations tingle throughout her body and she soon found her eyes closing. He cupped her chin in his hands and tilted her head up, bending down himself to plant a strong, deep kiss. Their tongues began to dance and a muffled moan escaped her lips. His hands drove down further beneath her clothing and began to fondle her voluptuous breasts. Her nipples were already hard and she winced with anguished delight as he teased them with his fingers, pinching them. Sharp waves of pleasure coursed through her body as her burning wetness tingled and twitched.
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