The Fenton Saga: Never Say Goodbye / There Was No Body.

by Colin Griffiths

  Marie Rose came in a few minutes later freshly bathed.

  “Did you see the flowers?” She said.

  “Yes, um looks, looks nice.” He wasn’t sure how he was going to deal with this, he wasn’t sure what was happening, he was concerned for his cousin.

  She smiled went to the sink, still oblivious to what she had done.

  “You still up for that walk?”

  “Sure, tell me again what Carol said when you phoned her?”

  She turned around at him looked startled,

  “Who?”

  “Carol, your daughter in law, Daniels mum.”

  “Oh her, I haven’t spoken to her for years.”

  Chapter 16

  Daniel was sat in the armchair, he was hot and sweaty, and he was still trying to comprehend everything. He looked at his two friends sat on the settee, one with a cut that required eight stitches and the other who lost her career because of him and his family. He knew he owed them a lot, more so he owed them an explanation but how was he going to explain this. He wanted to be someplace else, everything was in a mess, and he was in a mess. He had pretended everything was ok, that his brother had passed on and they were trying to come to terms with it, but it had been almost a year now, and recently things had got worse.

  He shuffled in his seat nervously, he sipped his drink, his best friend looked on seeing his anxiety and it unnerved them both.

  Daniel leant forward, you could clearly see the sweat on his brow, the anxiety in his face, and his eyes looked sunken,

  “Don’t interrupt me!” He demanded “because if you do I’m not sure I’ll be able to start again.”

  They nodded in agreement. Tracy didn’t like this, she didn’t like it at all.

  “And I’m not sure where I’m going to start,” Daniel added.

  “How about the beginning.” Said Tracy and Jezz immediately told her to shut her up,

  “Take you time bro,” he said, Jezz too thought he wasn’t going to like it.

  Daniel continued nervously,

  “And no questions until the end because if you start asking to many questions we could be here all night and I don’t think I could cope with that,”

  They both nodded looking scared for their best friend.

  “You just took a beating for me Jezz so the least I owe you is an explanation,” he looked at his friend, his expression said I’m sorry, “I do know those two men,” Jezz’s eyes widened but he didn’t say anything.

  “Well not those two, but I know of them,” he continued.

  Tracy and Jezz sat in silence, Daniel looked at Jezz “I’m really sorry about the black thing but I needed them right off the scent,”

  Jezz waived his hand as if to say it don’t matter,

  “Even if we went to the cops they would never find them, they wouldn’t be allowed to, they work for the government, Special Forces or something, I’m not really sure who they are, or what they do,”

  “Fuck!” Said Jezz, despite his promise of silence the word just came out. Daniel continued.

  “I first met them when I was about 12, I was a big lad in those days, fight anyone I would,” he took a sip of his whisky, the bite in his throat felt good, he wanted the scotch, he needed it, anything to help him forget, “I had been called to a brook on some wild goose chase about a dog drowning, when I got there two men dressed exactly like them, were there,” he paused, “they didn’t hurt me but they threatened me, they told me I had to look after Todd and get him to stop what he was doing,” Daniel paused once more he was expecting them to ask what Todd was doing, Tracy and Jezz remained silent waiting expectantly, They could see their friend was hurting, Daniel went on,

  “They told me if I stopped, and stopped Todd, then we would both be okay, so I parked it and eventually it went away, I taught Todd how to park it, but he could never manage it, he was weak,” a tear came to his eye when he said that. He sat in silent for a moment, looked at the contents of his glass, he then emptied his glass, the listeners could see the sadness and regret etched in his face, Daniel felt an emptiness inside him,

  “We done okay until that night,” he said as the sadness engulfed him.

  Jezz and Tracy just looked at each other, Tracy wanted to call a doctor thinking he had a bang to the head or something, the man she once wanted as a lover and now loved him like a brother was sat on her settee, looking dishevelled and speaking utter nonsense.

  “Hey man,” said Jezz, “I know you said just listen but…; he paused not really wanting to say it, Jezz stood up downed his drink “we aint got a dam clue what you on about dude.”

  “Is that it?” said Tracy’ not out of disappointment more in concern for her friend.

  “Of course not!” said Daniel, he still looked nervous, Tracy took his empty glass off him went to the drinks cabinet and poured 3 more large ones, they all sat down again, same seats, same anticipation, the same anxiety shown of Daniel Fenton’s face.

  “When I was four I was in Malta with my grandparents I ran away tried to catch a plane home, I had a feeling my mum was pregnant.”

  It hadn’t hit home to his listeners, they looked more confused,

  “I knew Todd before he was born,”

  Tracy rolled her eyes, Jezz looked on in pity, sorrowful for his friend,

  “Ok ok, Todd used to hide things,” he shook his head in confusion “no I mean kids used to hide things and Todd would find them,”

  “You sure you aint had a bump on your head man?” asked Jezz,

  Tracy got up walked over to Daniel put her arms around him affectionally, she kissed the top of his head.

  “Are you okay sweetheart, do you want to go and have a lie down?”

  Daniel brushed her away his voice growing louder he said “ok, ok, I’ll start again, just sit down will you,” he was shouting now,

  They both sat, one after another they took turns in sipping their whisky until Daniel spoke, and his tone was one of passion.

  “Don’t say a fucking word, Todd did fly that night, he can levitate, he can find things, he’s got other powers that I’m unsure of, My grandmother is a genuine physic, James her cousin can smell death on people and knows before them that their going to die, Madison my sister can hear peoples thoughts and me…………!”

  He walked over to the window holding his drink, stared out into the night, Tracy got up and joined him, Jezz stayed sat.

  “And you?” Tracy asked.

  Daniel didn’t answer for a while, as he stood staring into nothing.

  “You were there that night, you got sacked for it, how many people did they say Tracy? 100 thousand, a million, no one really knows because they’re scared of it, that’s how many came. Todd done that and why?” Tears came to his eyes as he recalled it all,

  “Because I asked him to. Todd gathered an army can you imagine what kind of weapon that could be if it got in the wrong hands?”

  Then the tears really flowed. “Were a family of freaks.” he sobbed.

  It was fifteen minutes and another whisky before they settled down again. Daniel had told them a few more instances of his and Todd’s powers and how Madison had heard the voices on the night and Madison had saved Katy. The two looked and listened in amazement, if it had come from any other mouth then Daniels neither Jezz or Tracey would have believed it, but they did believe it, it kind of made sense now. After all they had seen some of it, they were there that night.

  “Wendy was dead when we got to her.” Daniel added.

  “How was that possible?” Asked Jezz believing now that anything was possible.

  “James pronounced her dead, no pulse, nothing, then…” he paused and wiped a tear away, “Todd saved her,”

  “How?” Asked Tracy,

  “Madison saw Todd he was screaming and falling to his knees and as he did so Wendy came to life, he was giving up his life for her,”

  “So he really is dead?” Asked Jezz

  “I think they took him and then killed him!”

&n
bsp; “If you have these powers then use them,” said Jezz,

  “They’ve gone, none of us has had them since that day, they died with Todd.”

  Tracy stood again and paced the room,

  “How do you know?”

  “Know what?” Asked Daniel,

  “That he’s dead, Madison says there was no body, you’re saying she doesn’t believe he’s dead, I didn’t know she was the only one to see what happened, maybe he’s alive!”

  “And what if he is dead, I put everyone through that again, no that can’t happen, I won’t let it happen.”

  Jezz had not said nothing until now, he put his hand on his friend’s shoulders,

  “Dude,” he said, “the first time I seen you on that mountain, I saw a man who had just been through one hell of a fight and had come out the other side,” he gripped his shoulders tight as if wanting to shake him, “I didn’t see no guy who had just lost his brother.”

  Tracy put her arms around Daniel again, hugged him then withdrew from him,

  “You say all this is your fault and that you loved your brother!”

  “You know I loved him,”

  “Then I think you owe it to him and the rest of your family to find the answers, and were going to help.”

  Daniel stared at her, there was rage in his eyes and fire in his belly,

  Dammit, he knew she was right.

  Chapter 17

  Wendy sat next to Katy on her bed, the room was pleasant enough with a single bed, a dressing table, a wash stand, small wardrobe an armchair and a table. It had a flowered wallpaper and carpet on the floor. It was certainly better than some of the places that Katy had lived in. It looked out onto the road but was hidden by shrubs and bushes, however, you could still hear the traffic. The blinds and the window was open blowing in a soft breeze on this warm evening, it was a single room as were all the other rooms but it was still noisy. They could hear someone shouting in a room down the corridor, it was a female voice and she was shouting that someone had stolen her gun. Wendy looked at Katy, Katy just shrugged her shoulders

  “She’s mad as a hatter.” She told Wendy.

  Wendy laughed, “What is a hatter exactly?”

  “Dunno but that’s what they say aint it?”

  “So what have they said?” Wendy asked, changing the subject.

  Katy shuffled her feet, she didn’t look Wendy in the eye, she found she couldn’t, after all she had done for her she thought she had let her down.

  “Doctor came around this morning and I spoke with someone, told them all that had happened, got to see her again tomorrow, they’re going to start giving me some tablets, they say there just to relax me.”

  She glanced at Wendy, then stood, walked towards the window,

  “But we both know there happy pills!”

  Wendy went to the window, she stood next to Katy and put her hand on Katy’s shoulder.

  “The doctor asked me if I wanted some,”

  Katy turned to face Wendy,

  “You mean you went and saw her?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” said Wendy.

  “You’re normally so stubborn.”

  They both smiled and sat on the bed,

  “Told her I didn’t want any, that I was okay,”

  “And are you?” Katy asked.

  “I think so.” she gave an uneasy smile.

  “I’m so sorry.” said Katy.

  Wendy looked at her somewhat confused,

  “For coming onto you the way I did!”

  ‘She hugged her, Katy reciprocated,

  “Don’t be sorry, I know it wasn’t really you,”

  Wendy stayed for 2 hours, they chatted about things avoiding anything to do with that night on the mountain. The doctor had visited her whilst Wendy was there and she told them that as soon as they can find the right medicine that suits her in helping her to sleep, and calm her anxiety then there will be no reason why she couldn’t go home and lead a normal life, and with counselling after her trauma, there would be no reason why she could not put that behind her. Both girls were happy to hear that, well almost both. Wendy didn’t seem to take it all in, her head was on another planet today and she wasn’t sure what that planet was.

  Wendy had said her goodbye, Katy hadn’t noticed that Wendy was in a bit of a dreamland. Katy was still trying to get used to her new surroundings. Wendy was now stood on the pavement across from where Katy was staying waiting for a bus to take her to Newport. From there she would catch a bus home to Ashbourne. She waited alone, it was still a mild even as she waited. 10 minutes later a bus came and the doors of the bus opened to let Wendy on, but Wendy didn’t move, the bus driver could see her staring her eyes vacant.

  “Are you getting on miss?” he called out to her. By this time the other passengers were staring at the girl in the bus stop, who didn’t appear to see the bus, she was just staring, motionless, not moving, not flinching just staring into nothing. 2 hours later Wendy was still stood there, 4 busses had gone past each one had stopped expecting her to get on, but she didn’t. And still Wendy just stood there and when the bus was gone she still just stood there. Wendy hadn’t seen the buses, she didn’t even realise she was waiting for the bus, inside her head she wasn’t at a bus stop, she was on a mountain and the storms pounded her body as she lay dying, and she was saying goodbye to her boyfriend as he transferred life out of his body and into hers, and her eyes still stared as she wished it was her who died instead, or at least she died with him. No there was no busses, just the nightmares of that mountain that tried to kill her. The same mountain that killed her Todd.

  Eventually her mind was drifting from one place to another. From the mountain, to the café, to the pub, to the time Katy tried it on, but every time she would drift she would always come back to Todd, how am I going to live without him?

  People walking past would stare at the girl with the vacant expression, a young man asked her if she was okay, but she didn’t answer. She didn’t acknowledge that anyone was there, she just stared, and carried on looking into nothing, just these feelings roaming around in her unexplained vacant head. Her head was full of things she no longer understood.

  What if I can’t ever love again?

  What if I never make love again?

  What if I die all alone and no one’s there?

  Where are you Todd, why did you leave me?

  I need to love again Todd, I’m so sorry.

  Then for the first time in two hours she moved, with some urgency. She ignored the pain in her body where she had stiffened up due to standing so still for so long. She knew what she had to do, she walked back across the road into the grounds of the hospital. She looked for a place to hide, there wasn’t anywhere really so she went behind the bushes at the side, it was as private as it was going to get. She took of her shoes and her socks and continued to undress until she was completely naked. She smiled to herself, she felt good now. She stretched her arms out and took a deep breath, leaving her purse and clothes on the ground she emerged from the bushes naked and walked towards the hospital entrance. Two visitors were just coming out and looked at her in bewilderment, guessing that she was a patient having a bad time.

  Wendy didn’t hide her nakedness, that wasn’t where her head was at, as she walked into the hospital a passing nurse seen her and hurried towards her, Wendy went up to reception which was manned by a young lady.

  “I want you to teach me how to be a lesbian.” She said.

  Chapter 18

  He sat on his bed laughing to himself;

  Oh how I wish I could have seen that one, he thought. He lit a cigarette.

  This is the best fun I’ve had in years, he put his feet into his slippers and took another puff on his cigarette, it would be dinner time soon and then a game of draughts with Edith, and then hopefully their visitor would arrive. He couldn’t wait to tell Edith of his latest episode and what made it even better was that Edith had no idea what he was on about.

  Her heads on a
nother planet, he laughed again.

  The past nine months had been good for him, despite smoking to many cigarettes and occasionally drinking too much he felt in fine fettle. The visit of Alison or shall I call her Madison he had thought spurred him on another notch, he had tried to get into the head of Alison/Madison last time she was here but she was too strong, something was blocking him getting into her head, but ever since that programme on the tele with Daniel, it was like a subliminal message had been sent, helping him.

  Ever since that day on the mountain when his Grandson had supposedly died, slowly but surely he became stronger, but Madison was a difficult nut to crack even when she was in his company. And Daniel? Well he hadn’t tried him yet.

  Everyone associated with that night up on that mountain had become an easy target for him, no one really realises that it was him controlling his son, and when his son died all they removed was the outlet. He still had the power, it was very hard at first to generate the power of thought to make other people do things that were hundreds of miles away, but he done it before and it made him stronger. As an 83 year old he was as strong as an ox. Wales Today, and his Grandson Daniel had made him stronger, only they didn’t know that they had subliminally empowered him they had killed his son, and someone had to pay.

  He liked his life the way it is, living in that home with his friend Edith. The freedom to come and go and that first time when he got into the head of Carol Fenton he didn’t know what he was going to do. His victims needed to show a weakness he knew that, they had to let their guard down, become defenceless and let him in. Grief can be a weakness and as they grieved they were letting him in, their defences were down. Carol had done that on the morning she woke up, feeling really down, alone, missing the son she deeply loved, hating what those events that night had done to her family, and those words by her son, oh those words There was no body! Those words let him in. The same words that Daniel used on the TV programme, he knew it wasn’t strong he knew he couldn’t get her to commit murder or anything at all like that. One small step at a time he had thought, and when Carol Fenton coughed on her first cigarette in 22 years he laughed like he hadn’t laughed before, why? Because by putting some thoughts in her head he made her do that, he didn’t know she was going to smoke, but he knew he was in her head, soon he would control it more, he would control them, and now she was his. Grief can let your defences down and now there must be more grief.