Met in John and Sheila's newly decorated front room today. Votes were well spread as there were some good stories but Ann and Myself got three votes each and here they are.
Always A Relief
As
she crouched behind the tree, Alice listened intently to see if she
could hear any sounds from her pursuers.
She
had been on her way home from her evening class when a car stopped
and the driver asked her for directions. As she leaned over towards
the window, the passenger in the back had got out and she felt
herself being bundled into the back of the vehicle. After struggling
and screaming, she was pushed down and a blanket was thrown over her
and she was told to be quiet or she would be sorry. She decided that
maybe she would learn more about who they were and where they were
heading if she just lay quietly. It appeared to only be the two men
and they seemed to be heading out of the town and into the country,
but in which direction she had no idea. She managed to look at her
watch and found they had been travelling for just over an hour.
Suddenly the car began to slow down and they stopped. They were
arguing about where they were and had stopped to look at a map. The
man in the back had got into the front and the angry dialogue
continued. Being as quiet as she could she opened the door, slid out
and made a frantic dash for the trees she could see behind them.
Once in the shelter of the trees she ran as fast as she could hoping
to get as much distance between her and the men before they realised
she had gone. Not knowing where she was, she had no idea if she was
heading towards any habitation or going deeper into the forest, but
the sense of urgency spurred her on. After a while she stopped,
listening for any sound. Her heart sounded like a drum beating and
her lungs felt as if they would explode. In the distance she could
hear shouting and the snapping of twigs. This gave her added impetus
to keep going and she again set off through much denser undergrowth.
Branches and brambles slapped across her face and she stumbled over
tree roots, but she kept going. In the distance she could see some
moving lights and with an extra surge of energy forced herself
forward. She emerged onto a road and in the lay-by was a car. Both
doors were open and with horror she realised it was the car she had
been bundled into. She must have been going round in circles.
Terror gripped her. What was she to do? If she waited for a vehicle
to come along the road, her pursuers could come back first. However
not knowing which way there would be any houses was a risk she would
go in the wrong direction and end up being in more trouble if they
came back to the car and drove in the direction she had taken. If
she went back into the forest would she be able to avoid them again?
Desperately trying to make a decision she heard a persistent ringing
and suddenly realised it was her alarm going off. Clutching the
clock, she turned it off and lay in bed hardly daring to breathe.
Trying to calm herself and remove the terror of the intense nightmare
from her mind, she eventually felt more relaxed and more in control.
It was always a relief to realise after such a frightening dream it
was just that – a bad dream. Now it had been dismissed from her
mind, she got up and dressed, then going over to the window she
pulled back the curtains to greet another day and stared out in
disbelief. This was a living nightmare. She was on the edge of a
forest and there in a lay-by opposite was a car with both front doors
open.
My story
It's always a relief
The phone rang, its strident sound breaking the peace of a late summer's evening. John's wife Mary smiled as she saw John rise reluctantly to go inside to answer it. Julia is late ringing she said. Julia John's sister always rang once a week normally before eight. Mary looked at her watch Oh it's only eight-thirty I thought it was later.
John never looked forward to the conversation that would follow. He had nothing in common with his sister. There was only so much to talk about. Julia was a widow with no children and lived in a retirement home. Restricted by poor health her interests were not John's but he always listened to her when she told him about the other residents and very little else apart from the weather.
He did try to keep his tone of voice lively and interesting but it was getting harder and harder especially now as she seemed no longer interested in hearing what they were up to. It was always a relief when she finished the conversation.
Picking up the phone he said Hello Julia. There was silence then a voice said Is that John Julia's brother?
Suddenly feeling alarmed he replied Yes is Julia alright?
We aren't sure. As you know all residents have their own separate flats and I was told today that Julia hadn't been seen since yesterday so – I'm the resident care manager - I went into the flat to see if she was OK as she hasn't told anybody she was going away. But she seems to have gone.
It's very strange that she didn't tell anyone and as you are the named person to contact I thought you ought to know. She hasn't mentioned anything to you about travelling has she.
No, No she hasn't she used to travel a lot when she was younger but not for some years.
Please ring me if you hear from her.
Yes I will John said replacing the phone. That is weird John called out to his wife Julia's missing.
No she isn't she is coming up the path Mary exclaimed.
There she was as bright as a button full of smiles at seeing them. She greeted them with a hug.
Don't worry I'm not coming to stay I'm on my way to Southampton Docks to catch a cruise liner for a trip around the Caribbean.
But you were feeling so ill a few weeks ago what happened? John asked.
Yes I was until I stopped taking the damn pills the doctors kept giving me after I went to check my blood pressure. I've stopped all of them and feel much better. It's made me realize life is too short to waste sitting at home watching TV
She looked knowingly at her brother I'll have a lot more to talk about the next time we have a phone conversation.
