She could not understand how he did not get bored with life, but then, when she thought about it, she was starting to live the same kind of boring routine life.
That sealed the deal for Tatum; she took her phone out and messaged Jacqui.
I’m in for the party on Friday! So over this boring life! :)
She didn’t expect a reply anytime soon though. Jacqui took cheerleading seriously and had probably turned her phone off. Tatum returned her focus to her school work, glancing out at old Mr Wild one last time before diving back into Accounting and the wonderful world of calculating balances.
She had only been at it for a few minutes when she heard gasps downstairs. She leaned forward to look through her window and saw Mr Wild at one end of his garden, staring down the length of the lawn to the other end. His eyes were wide and his hands visibly shaking.
Tatum scanned the grass and shrubs, but didn’t see anything that could have caused his fear. Worried he might be having a heart attack, she leaned further out and called, “Hey, Mr Wild? You okay, sir?”
Mr Wild didn’t seem to hear her. He stood frozen in place, and then he dropped the trowel he had been holding and took a step back. Tatum frowned and looked around his garden. She had the perfect view of it and there was nothing there that could be scaring him. Maybe he had heat stroke or something and was seeing things.
She raised her voice. “MR WILD? ARE YOU OKAY?”
He looked up at her and back down his garden. Blinking, he wiped his balding head on the sleeve of his shirt before glancing back at her. “What are you yelling for, young lady?”
Tatum blushed scarlet and said, “Sorry, sir, it just looked like something had you worried.”
He glanced around the garden, as though checking that everything was in place, before he said, “Well, just a bit too much sun for today. Go on and do your homework and stay out of trouble.” With that he turned and walked towards his garden shed, stopping to get his trowel from where he had dropped it.
Tatum snorted and sat back down, mumbling under her breath, “See if I ever try to help you again, you old dingbat.”
She looked at her accounting homework and sighed. Knowing she had to finish it, she shook the strange feeling that had crept into her thoughts loose and shoved it aside to make room for accounts.
After she had showered and was in bed, Tatum sat with her back against her headboard and read her set work for English. All the days’ worries melted away when she fell into the beautiful words of Jane Austin while following the wonderful story of Pride and Prejudice. She had always loved reading and Pride and Prejudice was quickly becoming one of her favourites.
She was just falling in love with Mr Darcy all over again when she heard a clatter come through her window.
Setting her book down, she went to look out. It was a balmy summer night and the small breeze was welcome. Goosebumps rose on her arms and she gazed towards Mr Wild’s house. The only light on was from his bedroom, but the curtains were drawn and she couldn’t see what was going on. She listened quietly for a while to see if she could hear the strange sound again, but didn’t hear anything.
About to withdraw her head, she noticed someone standing in Mr Wild’s garden. Tatum couldn’t make out a face, but from the profile she could see, it had to be a woman. She simply stood in his garden staring up at his bedroom.
Feeling as if she was drenched in cold water, Tatum quickly moved back inside and ran for her mother’s room. “Mom! Mom! There’s some creepy woman standing in Mr Wild’s garden!”
Her mother frowned. “Are you sure, Tat?”
She nodded so vigorously that her mother left her bed and moved to the window. She shifted the curtain aside slowly and peered into Mr Wild’s garden. After a moment she pulled the curtain open completely and looked down.
“Nope, I don’t see anyone, Tat. Maybe you imagined it?”
Tatum shook her head. “I didn’t, mom. I couldn’t make out her face, but I swear she was standing there.”
Luell put her hands on her hips. “And then you wonder why you have nightmares? Psyching yourself out like this before you go to sleep? Really, Tatum. There is no woman in Mr Wild’s yard and you should be asleep already, it’s a school night.”
Tatum tried to argue, but Luell cut that short.
“No buts, young lady. Off to bed with you.”
Tatum reluctantly returned to her room. She went to her window and looked at the yard again, but didn’t see anyone. She glanced up at Mr Wild’s bedroom, but he had shut the light off. There was only darkness behind the curtains now. Tatum took a deep breath and let it rush out before she shut her window and went back to bed
Chapter Two
Tatum had the nightmare again that night and every night of the week. By Friday she wasn’t sure if she was able to stay awake to go to the party, let alone to dance or anything else.
She slept through her last two periods of school to try and rest up before the party, but when Jacqui shook her awake as the bell sounded, she felt more tired than before she had dozed off. It was a sluggish tired, every move she made felt forced, as though she was moving through water. She looked at Jacqui with eyes half closed and her friend was concerned,
“Maybe you should skip this party?” she asked as she walked beside Tatum to her locker,
“No, I really don’t want to skip it. It’s fine, I’ll get an energy drink on my way home, which should perk me right up.” She shoved her books into her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “So I will meet you there, right?” She tried to stifle a yawn.
Jacqui smiled. “Hell, yeah, and you better look fly as anything ‘cause Roger is going to be there, remember?”
Tatum nodded, not even embarrassed at the mention of his name.
Jacqui walked her about halfway home before she turned into her road. “Something sexy, okay? Try showing off some cleavage!”
Tatum waved her off with a yawn.
She stopped at the corner shop near her house and bought an Inkdrink Energy drink. She seldom drank energy drinks, they tasted rubbish to her, but she had really set her mind on going out tonight and didn’t want to pass out within the first half an hour. The drink tasted horrible. Tatum likened it to the taste of something you used to clean wheels, but she forced herself to drink it all before she even reached her house.
Tossing the can into the dustbin outside, Tatum slowly climbed the steps to the front door. It opened before she could even touch the handle.
Kalli stared at her. “Wow, who woke the living dead?” She wore tights with a rather flimsy looking long shirt over them. “I’m going to Claire’s house.” She didn’t even say goodbye as she skipped down the stairs and into the road.
Tatum ignored her and went upstairs.
After a slice of toast for lunch and a nice warm shower, she felt a million times better. Standing in front of her cupboard, she pulled a face at all the boring average clothes she owned. She wanted to wear something with a bit more POW to it and she knew exactly where she would find clothes like that.
In Kalli’s wardrobe.
She glanced around like a mischievous little imp before going to Kalli’s room and throwing her wardrobe doors open. Kalli had so many clothes that there was hardly any room. Tatum was scared to pull out anything in case she pulled the whole wardrobe down with it.
Placing one hand on the pile of what looked like dresses, using her free hand she slowly inched one out. Sexy was not how Tatum would describe it; pointless was more accurate because it was barely anything, and it wouldn’t cover anything of importance at all. She pulled out another one, and another after that and, after a few tries, she finally found something she was sure would pass as ‘sexy’ for Jacqui, and maybe even Roger, and she went back to her room to finish dressing.
Tatum refused to wear heels, no matter what Jacqui might say and opted for a pair of black pumps. The party was a few blocks away and she was not going to be crying over sore feet tomorrow when she had to help her mother wi
th the household chores.
The makeup she applied was light, merely some eye shadow and eyeliner, and after scrunching her hair up with curling mousse, she checked her reflection in the mirror from as many angles as she could before she strolled out of her bedroom.
The party was already pumping when Tatum arrived and tried to find Jacqui in the mess of bodies that filled every room. She couldn’t believe how many people were there even though it was still early.
Tatum approached each room and stood on her toes to spot her best friend in the chaos, avoiding entering the room itself, afraid she might get stuck there for a couple of hours trying to find her way out. It started to feel too closed off and too tight in the house and, instead of looking for Jacqui, Tatum started searching for the nearest exit.
The house was bigger than she anticipated though and a panic built up inside of her as she struggled to move. Sweat ran down the back of her neck and her hands were clammy as she turned around and around on the same spot, trying her best to recall which way she had just come from.
“Hey, Tat, you okay?”
She heard Roger’s voice, but before she could turn to speak to him, the room spun and everything went black.
Of all the embarrassing things that could have happened to her, passing out in front of Roger had to be at the top of the list. When she came to she found people whispering around her while Roger pressed a cold cloth to her head.
Nearby, Jacqui hovered, her tone also quiet. “Tatum? Are you okay?”
Tatum sat up slowly and put a hand to her head. “What happened?”
“You looked confused, so Roger came to check on you and you just, well, you passed out, sweetie.”
Tatum groaned softly and could feel the heat on her face as it turned scarlet. “I’m fine, I just got turned around and it got really stuffy.”
She moved to get to her feet and found her petite hands engulfed in Roger’s larger ones as he took them to help her stand. She felt fine now, the dizziness and discomfort long gone, leaving plenty of room for the embarrassment of having everyone see her pass out.
Soon enough it was known throughout the house that she was fine, so the music was cranked up once more and the party resumed - teenagers never wasted an opportunity to party if they could help it.
Roger put a hand on the small of her back and smiled. “You sure you’re okay? I might not be around to catch you again.”
The blush spread throughout her body as she realised what he had said. “Um … well …” she stuttered over her words, bashful that she had fallen into Roger’s arms.
Tatum stopped trying to speak and Jacqui took over, lacing her arm through Tatum’s. “It’s just ‘cause she hasn’t eaten, Roger. She’s fine.”
Her best friend steered her away from her rescuer and took her to the backyard for some fresh air.
“I thought you were going to pass out all over again if he kept talking to you,” Jacqui commented, trying to stifle a giggle. “But for reals, my friend, I’m glad you’re okay. What happened? It’s not like you haven’t been to a party this big before.”
Tatum shook her head and shrugged. “I don’t know, Jacqui. I don’t know why, but I suddenly felt like the rooms were too small and there were too many people and I just wasn’t going to get out.”
Jacqui rubbed her friend’s back. “Well, it’s nothing a beer won’t fix. I’ll go get one, you wait here.”
Before she could even think to object, her friend made a beeline for the door they walked out of. Tatum sighed, knowing she shouldn’t drink, but feeling like she needed to now, to calm her nerves and help her forget what just happened.
She stood up, feeling awkward sitting alone in the middle of the garden while others around her were either making out or chatting quietly in small groups. She glanced around at the garden itself to distract herself.
It was small, like their garden, but seemed even smaller with the way couples and small groups of people were littered here and there. Tall trees along the back wall created eerie shadows. Tatum assumed it was because of the moonlight or perhaps there was a streetlight behind the trees she couldn’t see.
She tried to look at everyone inconspicuously, as she didn’t want them to think she was some kind of pervert who got off watching people flirt or make out, or feel each other up as one couple was doing.
Calm again at last, she looked past the couple trying to have sex with their clothes on and saw she wasn’t the only one watching people tonight. In the shadows cast by a tree, she noticed what looked like a girl alone. Tatum couldn’t see much of her face, but she could make out her body. The girl was standing still, watching the couple in front of her.
Tatum realised she must be feeling awkward as well and went towards her, intent on making a friend who, at the very least, she could watch people with. She walked as quietly as she could between the various teenagers and reached the end of the garden without causing a scene or drawing attention.
She took a deep breath and moved to the girl now two metres away. She approached her from behind, not wanting to scare her, but not wanting to let the horn dogs in front of them know that she was watching them. She didn’t want to cause the girl any embarrassment.
Tatum reached out her hand to softly touch the girl’s arm to let her know she wasn’t alone. Instead, her fingers went through thin air.
Tatum looked around quickly and didn’t see anyone anywhere. There was no way the girl could have moved that quickly or quietly and yet she was gone. She had been there a moment ago. She had seen her blonde hair from behind; it was short and gelled back stiffly.
Standing there with her hand outstretched, she was confused as to what had just happened, when suddenly a voice in front of her yelled, “HEY! PISS OFF, YOU FREAK! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WATCHING US?”
It was exactly what Tatum aimed to avoid. Couples and friends across the garden turned to see what the skinny teen boy was shouting for and saw Tatum standing, her arm outstretched towards his partner’s breasts, and her curled up hugging herself.
Tatum didn’t know where to put her face. She saw Jacqui at the back door with two beers in her hands staring in her direction, a confused look on her face. Tatum turned and ran.
If this garden was just like theirs, she would find a gate to get out. She slammed through the gate with a force so great that it slammed shut again after she was through. She bent and took her shoes off and ran in the direction of her home.
Rounding the last corner, Tatum saw the flickering blue lights of a police car and the twirling lights of an ambulance by her house, and panicked. Her chest burned with anxiety as she imagined the worse.
It wasn’t until she was close that she saw her small family standing in their front yard watching the house next door; she allowed herself to breathe.
She approached Luell and took a deep breath. “What happened?”
With an arm around Sylva, her mom looked at her and shook her head. “Mr Wild from next door fainted.”
Tatum nodded and said, “Oh … okay …” Her mother shot her a puzzled look and she quickly added, “I’m sorry to hear it, but I was worried something had happened to you guys.”
Luell’s face softened and she nodded. “We are all okay, thanks. Let’s get inside now, girls, it’s way past your bedtime.”
Tatum was the last to walk to the door, glancing back at the ambulance where they were loading Mr Wild into the back. His eyes were wide as though he was staring at something horrific. Tatum followed where his gaze was fixated and, as her eyes rose to the second storey of his house, she saw her for the second time that night - a skeleton girl, staring down at the scene below her.
When Tatum blinked she was gone, and she shivered, quickly going inside and slamming the door shut behind her.
Chapter Three
“I can’t explain it, Jacqui,” Tatum said again as she and her friend walked to school on Monday. “One minute there was definitely a girl standing there and the next she was gone and I was left looking
like some sort of pervert.”
Jacqui looked at her friend with a puzzled expression on her face. “But no one else remembered seeing a girl out there, Tatum. Are you sure you weren’t just overtired?”
“She was there,” Tatum insisted, feeling like she was going stark raving mad, “and I think it’s the same girl I saw in Mr Wild’s yard last week. She was about the same size. I feel like she is up to something.”
Jacqui chewed on her bottom lip and Tatum knew she was sounding more and more like a crazy person. She ran her fingers through her blonde hair and said, “You have to believe me, Jacqui, please.”
She was begging and she hated it, but she couldn’t carry on feeling like she had lost her marbles and was hallucinating about a young woman standing around. The nightmares didn’t help. She had them every night. She was so exhausted that her mother was starting to notice the dark bags under her eyes and constantly asked if she wanted to see a doctor.
Of course, her mom believed this was all a delayed reaction to her father’s death, but Tatum had dealt with his passing last year when it had happened, and had moved on with her life. Still, her mother had a point. The lack of sleep was adding to Tatum’s edginess and the fact that her best friend was questioning her made her snippy.
“Is Mr Wild okay?” Jacqui asked quietly, afraid that she would set Tatum off on another rant about the shadow girl.
“No, he’s still in hospital. They said it was a stroke and it isn’t looking good.”
Jacqui nodded before changing the topic. “There’s a fayre this week. Do you want to go? It’ll be a great way to take your mind off of things.”
Tatum followed her through the front doors of their school. “I don’t know. After what happened last time …”
Jacqui held her hand up. “Before you finish coming up with an excuse, Roger asked me to ask you … as in, he wants you to go on a date with him.” Jacqui smiled brightly, her eyes full of hope and love with the news that she was hooking her best friend up with her lifelong crush.
The Butcher Box Set Page 2
