The BIG Horror Pack 2

by Iain Rob Wright

  Ricky and Val handed out the ice cream cones, which all came with flakes; a subtle way for Val to show that she wasn’t short of money when it came to Ricky.

  Without word, they licked their treats and took a walk beside the river. Ricky ran around, dribbling his football. Blake and Liz held hands, enjoying the view. They had their problems, but they were still able to enjoy each other’s company.

  The river on their right was the type of backdrop found in watercolour paintings, inhabited by ducks and a family of juvenile swans. The fluffy grey birds were being watched carefully by their gleaming white parents. Every time a canal boat went by, Val and Ricky would stop and wave, often receiving a horn blast in reply. At one point, a barge went past with the name Lazy Liz and they all laughed deliriously.

  “They must have tasted your cooking, sweetheart,” said Val, but the barbed comment went unanswered. Not even her cranky mother could bring Liz down now.

  An hour later, they all had a bite to eat at the café. Blake was able to pay the bill without argument, which was refreshing, and meant that Val was starting to lose the chip off her shoulder. Then, once they were done, they headed out to the playing field. The grassy area teemed with families, friends, lovers, and people walking their dogs, but Blake managed to find an empty space for them to play. Ricky impressed them all immediately with a series of keepy-uppy flicks, before launching the ball at his father. Blake was able to head it down to Liz, who clumsily passed it to her mother. Val gave the ball a hefty kick and sent it directly to Ricky’s feet.

  Blake whistled. “I can see where Ricky gets his skill from now.”

  Val gave a thin-lipped smile, but it was obvious she enjoyed the praise. “I was always good at ball games, ever since school. Don’t know why Liz never took after me that way. She was always more interested in boys than balls. Then again, she had the looks to flaunt.”

  Liz rolled her eyes and carried on smiling. The next time she kicked the ball, Blake could tell she was concentrating. It still didn’t stop her from toe-poking it wide.

  “Rubbish,” said Val, giggling. “Don’t worry, I’ll go fetch it.”

  When her mother was out of earshot, Liz rolled her eyes.

  “Don’t worry,” said Blake, “I never married you for your ball skills.”

  Liz smirked. “I thought you did.”

  “Well, not these types of ball skills.” Blake gave his wife a squeeze on the rump.

  Ricky pulled a face. “Gross.”

  The three of them laughed.

  “Come on,” Blake shouted to Val. “I’m going grey here.”

  Val looked back over her shoulder and swatted at the air. She was near the river now. The ball had rolled down the embankment and reached the footpath. She stooped down to pick up the ball.

  Something black shot into view from further down the path.

  Blake saw immediately that it was a dog; looked like a Doberman. Its jaws foamed and it was racing right for Val.

  “Val, look out,” he shouted, sprinting across the playing field towards the footpath.

  Val looked up and spotted the big black dog rocketing towards her. She dropped the football and put her hands out in front of her, letting out a startled yelp. She braced herself for the bone shattering impact that was only seconds away.

  The Doberman sprinted like a thoroughbred, picking up speed.

  Blake ran as fast as he could, but he wasn’t even halfway there. He would never make it in time.

  The Doberman leapt into the air, jaws wide and foaming.

  Val wailed.

  Everywhere people stopped and looked.

  The Doberman attacked the football at Val’s feet, piercing it with a single powerful bite. Then it ran off again, as quickly as it had arrived, taking the punctured bowl-shaped ball with it.

  Val doubled over, sobbing with fright and relief. Blake carried on running until he made it over to her and placed an arm around her. Ricky and Liz were right behind him.

  “Mum, Mum, are you alright?” shouted Liz, moving Blake aside so that she could stand next to her. “Jesus, I thought that dog was going to kill you.”

  Val was huffing. She’d gone deathly pale and her eyes were streaming, but she had a grin on her face. She placed a hand on Liz’s shoulder for support and straightened herself up. “I think I bloody shit myself.” She bellowed with laughter until she was red in the face. All four of them joined in, standing in a huddle and howling with laughter.

  “I thought…I thought you were dog food,” said Ricky, trying to catch his breath.

  “I think Mum scared the dog off at the last minute and made him go for the ball instead,” said Liz.

  “He knew better than to mess with a bitch like me,” said Val, gasping between laughs.

  Liz hooted. “I’m glad…I’m glad you’re okay, Mum.”

  “I’m fine sweetheart. Don’t you worry about me. It’ll take more than a bloody mutt to—” Val staggered backwards, clutching her chest. Her terror-filled eyes darted between each of them. Suddenly she didn’t look like a tough old bird, but a frightened child.

  Liz screamed as Val collapsed sideways. Blake tried to catch her but wasn’t close enough. Val crumpled onto the footpath, her forehead clunking as it hit the pavement.

  “Grandma!”

  Blake grabbed Ricky to his side and turned him away.

  Frantic, Liz dropped beside her mother and tried to do something. Blood was already streaming from the wide gash where Val’s forehead had struck the concrete. “Mum, Mum, Mum! Blake, do something. Do something!”

  Blake was already reaching into his pocket for his phone. As he spoke to emergency services, he couldn’t take his eyes off Val’s blood-soaked face. It looked just like it had in the picture frame before he’d wiped it clean.

  6

  “I’m afraid your mother suffered acute heart failure,” the doctor said in a suitably low tone. “There was nothing we could do. I’m very sorry.”

  Liz wailed.

  Blake shook his head in disbelief. Ricky was in the relatives waiting room, being looked after by a nurse. It was utter shock hearing that Val was dead, even though Blake had suspected it from the moment she hit the pavement. At the hospital, a medical team had worked ceaselessly to get a heartbeat, but Val had shown no signs of response.

  Blake put his arm around his sobbing wife and pulled her close. She turned her face into his chest and collapsed against him. The doctor stood awkwardly, probably having seen this many times before. “Thank you, doctor,” said Blake, dismissing him. “Can we see her now?”

  “Of course. Just press the buzzer and someone will let you in.”

  Blake kept his arm around Liz and guided her towards the Resuscitation Room. He pushed the green button with his palm and waited. The door clicked and he pushed it open.

  Val lay on a trolley bed. Her eyes were open but they seemed more like the eyes of a porcelain doll. Her skin looked clammy and slightly grey, but otherwise she looked just like Val. The blood had been cleaned off her face and the gash on her forehead was dry and puckered.

  Liz broke away from Blake and stepped up to her mother, reaching out tentatively and stroking her cheek. “Hi, Mum. Here you are, causing me grief again, as usual. You’re a nightmare, d’you know that?” There was no malice in Liz’s voice. Tears fell with each word. “What am I going to tell Ricky? He loves you so much. You were supposed to watch him become a famous footballer. He’s going to be so mad at you.”

  Blake smiled. As much as Val had driven him crazy, he never doubted how much she’d loved his son. Ricky was going to be devastated, and with good reason. His grandma had been his biggest fan.

  Liz smiled glumly at Blake. “She doesn’t look like herself, you know?”

  He grabbed her hands and stroked them gently. “It’s all so surreal right now.”

  “I can’t believe we were all sharing ice cream just a few hours ago. Maybe it’s for the best. She would never have said it, but Mum would’ve hated a lon
g, protracted illness. She would’ve hated losing her independence. This was the best way for her to go, without her even knowing it was coming.”

  Blake understood. Val would have hated losing her dignity. She’d died on her feet, and that’s exactly how she would have wanted it. He didn’t know if that made things any easier for Liz, though. “Are you okay?” he asked her.

  “No, not really. She drove me crazy but she we had a lot of good times too. She did her best for me when dad left, and I guess I never really appreciated that as much as she wanted me too.”

  “You had your own life to live. You shouldn’t feel guilty.”

  “I know. I’ll be okay. I just don’t know what I’m going to say to Ricky.”

  Blake didn’t want her to have to worry about that. “I’ll do it. I’ll talk to him.”

  Liz smiled and squeezed his arm. “Thank you, but we should do it together.”

  And so they did. They headed into the waiting room and relieved the nurse who’d been looking after their son. Ricky was sitting on a scuffed leather sofa, sipping from a can of fizzy orange drink. When he looked up, it was clear he knew something bad had happened. His eyes seemed wiser than his ten years, but they were also full of fear.

  “Is Grandma okay?”

  Liz’s breath hitched in her throat, so Blake answered the question. “I’m sorry, buddy. Grandma’s gone.”

  Ricky stared at the worn carpet and nodded, as if he understood perfectly. “Like Bailey.”

  “Yes, like Bailey.” Blake wondered why his poor son was suddenly surrounded by death. “She had a heart attack, but didn’t suffer at all. She’s in Heaven now.”

  Ricky had never shown any interest in Heaven, or any of the fantastical stories of the bible, yet he smiled now. “Yeah, she’ll be okay. Wherever she is, I’m sure she’ll make friends.”

  Blake sat beside Ricky and leaned his elbows on his knees. “Are you okay?”

  There were tears in Ricky’s eyes, but none fell. “I feel sad, and I can’t stop thinking about the sound Grandma’s head made when she fell down.”

  Blake rubbed his son’s back. Liz sat on the other side of Ricky and did the same. They were all hurting, but at least they were together.

  “You’ll forget about it after a while, sweetheart,” said Liz. “It’s all just a big shock. That’s how these things happen sometimes, without any warning.”

  “Are you okay, Mum?”

  Liz wiped her eyes. “Me? Of course. Mummy’s fine, but thank you for asking.” She hugged him. “You’re a sweet boy and Grandma loved you lots, okay? She’ll be watching from up above, so make her proud, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Blake smiled to himself. Liz had zero belief in God, which was what made it such a kindness that she was pretending to have faith now, for Ricky’s benefit. Whether you believed in a higher power or not, you couldn’t deny that having faith was more comforting at times like this.

  Ricky sniffed. “What happens to her now?”

  Liz told him straight. “They’ll take her down to the morgue and we’ll have a funeral director collect her tomorrow. Then we’ll arrange a funeral where we can all say our goodbyes. We’ll bury her in town so we can visit her whenever we want.”

  “At the church where I was christened?”

  Liz nodded. “Yes, we’ll take her to St Martins. Do you remember it there?”

  “Not really.”

  “Well, it’s a very nice place, with lots of trees and a field full of sheep right next to it.”

  “When can we go home?” asked Ricky. He suddenly looked like a very tired little boy.

  “I’m going to stay here a while,” said Liz, “but Daddy can take you home.”

  Blake didn’t want to leave his wife at a time like this, but he didn’t want his son to suffer, either. “Are you sure, honey? Don’t you need me to stick around?”

  “I will need you,” she said, “but not right now. I need take care of things here first. You two get a burger on the way back. I’ll grab something here from the snack machines if I need it.”

  “Okay. Come on, Ricky, let’s go grab a Maccies.”

  Ricky stumbled after Blake like a yawning zombie. Blake had followed the ambulance in and parked up in the Pay And Display. His mind re-enacted the scene: Val being rolled across the tarmac, both paramedics working on her the whole time, Liz chasing behind, weeping.

  They stepped outside the hospital and Blake shuddered. “Come on, Ricky. Let’s get going. I’ll race you.”

  Despite his tiredness, Ricky bolted across the car park. The Citroen was three rows up, parked next to a boxy little Smart car. Blake ran as fast as he could, but he was no match for a ten-year-old boy. Ricky was waiting for him by the time he eventually caught up.

  “Come on, Dad. I’ve been waiting ages.”

  Blake was out of breath and felt his age. Being forty didn’t feel old until he tried to do anything quickly. “Alright, big head. You’ve got a few years on me.”

  Breathlessly, Blake unlocked the Citroen and they strapped themselves inside. Ricky started fiddling with the radio after a few minutes, and was dismayed when it wouldn’t work. They were heading up the A46, back towards Redlake—no reason for interference—but all the radio did, on any bandwidth, was hiss.

  “Stupid thing,” said Ricky, banging the display with his fist.

  “Calm down. I’ll look at it tomorrow. Just put a CD on.”

  Ricky played what was already inserted and sulked when it turned out to be Liz’s Mamma Mia soundtrack. He cheered up slightly when they stopped for a burger and fries, but by the time they got home he was exhausted. Ricky went upstairs, stripped off, and was asleep within minutes.

  Blake needed to get some rest, too; take his pill and wake up tomorrow with a little more emotional strength. His hands were shaking and he felt the need to cry, but he didn’t want to go to bed until Liz was home.

  Blake’s own parents had died eighteen years ago—one year before Blake was published. Enough time had passed that he’d forgotten quite what the pain was like, but he knew it was bad. He remembered how his father had died of a heart attack at fifty, and that his mother had succumbed to weakness and killed herself a month later. His brother, younger by four years, went completely off the rails then. Blake had lost track of how much money he’d given his brother to pay bills after he chosen to drink instead of work.

  Liz was an only child, her father gone before she was eight, never to return. Val was the only family she’d had other than Blake and Ricky. She was probably feeling pretty lonely right about now.

  When Blake left Ricky asleep, he went into the bedroom and changed his clothes and freshened up in the en suite. When he reached the downstairs hallway, he heard buzzing. It sounded like white noise through a subwoofer. He assumed he must’ve left the television on, but when he stepped into the family room he was engulfed by a black cloud.

  The buzzing grew ferocious.

  Blake swatted at the air and choked against his hand. There were hundreds of flies, swarming in an angry cloud, hitting his face and trapping themselves in his mouth and eyes. He spat them out and hurried across the room, waving his arms in a panic. He quickly opened all of the windows and ushered the flies outside, absurdly yelling at them to leave.

  Every handful he swatted away was replaced by two more. It was like trying to catch sand. When he dared open his eyes, he was immediately blinded, but not by the flies; by a bright light. It took his disorientated mind a second to realise that it was the headlights from a taxi outside, creeping down the driveway between the trees.

  Through the open window, Blake heard Liz thank the driver before heading towards the house. He quickly swatted as many flies as he could out of the window, but was forced to give up. He had no idea what had attracted them, but he had visions of finding a dead mouse rotting away behind a skirting board. It wasn’t something he wanted to have to deal with right now, so he hurried into the hallway to head Liz off before she saw; but he ne
edn’t have bothered. Liz headed straight into the kitchen, where he found her in front of the wine rack, pouring herself a glass of supermarket Cabernet. She grabbed a slice of cold pizza from the boxes stacked on top of the cooker.

  “I’ll join you,” he said, wanting a drink now more than ever.

  Liz poured a second glass and passed it to him. They both took a sip and ate some pizza before speaking.

  “How’s Ricky? Did he go down okay?”

  “Out like a light as soon as we got home. No kid should have to go through what he has in the last two days.”

  Liz leaned against the worktop and sighed. “I know. I hope it doesn’t affect him. I mean, in a bad way.”

  Blake knew what she meant. Kids were easily screwed up if you weren’t careful. It was a parent’s job to steer them through dark situations and back towards the light. The very essence of parenthood was being a guide and mentor, using hindsight to help naive children prevail as better adults than they had been. “He’s still young,” said Blake. “We just have to keep him busy. You too, Liz. Are you doing okay?”

  “I’m coping. It happened so suddenly that I haven’t really had time to dwell on it.”

  “I can’t believe your mother had a heart attack. She was the healthiest person I know. I don’t think I ever even saw her eat a steak.”

  Liz took a big swig of wine, leaving her lips blood red. “I guess you can never tell what’s going on inside a person. She appeared healthy, sure, but maybe she had a weak heart or something. Maybe there’s nothing any of us can do at the end of the day. We all have to die somehow.”

  “You should get yourself checked out. It could be something hereditary”

  “I’m not even going to worry about that right now.”

  Blake placed his glass down on the counter and nodded. “Of course not, sorry. I’m not trying to add to your troubles.”

  Liz topped up her glass and went to top his up, too. He placed a hand over it. “I’m okay. Red gives me a bad chest if I have too much.”