The Augustus Files

I lay asleep in my huge double bed. The ambience of the room was deep purples and turquoise. I had lit a candle earlier that evening. The scent still wafted over the room in a senseless time warp. I had gotten into bed wearing silk pyjamas, but it had gotten too hot during the night, waking me up. I took them off and got back into bed, falling sleep as soon as I hit the pillow.

The telephone rang and woke me up with a start. I looked at the clock. It was half past one in the morning. “Hello,” I croaked.
“Heather….” The soft drawl sounded in my ears. James! What the heck was he doing calling at 1.30 am? Something must have happened.
“Sorry to call you so late but I would like to come and see you tomorrow,”
“But, but you can’t…” I started.
“And why not? What is the problem? What are you afraid of?”
God he sounded so sure of himself.
“I’m working…” I lied.
“No you’re not,” he waited.
“Well…”
“I will come round about 10am. Be ready.”
The phoned clicked dead. He hung up! The rat!
I humphed at the thought of him hanging up like that and so demanding! Who did he think he was a lone ranger, prince or something?
I could not sleep for the rest of the night. He had gotten me into such a tizzy.


As I combed my hair in the mirror next morning, I noticed some bags appearing under my eyes. “Oh my god! Oh well, take it or leave it,” I thought and carried on.


Before I knew it there was a knock on my door. “Actually,” I thought, “it was odd that when I was half way down the stairs he was standing in the hallway. Like I had an invisible butler or something. He was weird that man! That was for sure.” I was pulling up the strap on my dress as I approached him. I had chosen a red dress today with a bomber jacket. Very trendy I thought.

“Very nice,” He admired.
“Good morning,” I eyed him, “James,” I put on a silky voice.
“Would you like a coffee?”
“Milk, two sugars please, no arsenic.” He smiled sweetly.
“Ha, ha, ha!”

I made my way to the kitchen. He followed like a cat in heat.


When I had moved into this house, I decided that I had to refit my kitchen. I rather liked the old cottage feel with the pine dressers. It reminded me of my grandma. The wooden floor gave warmth to the room and uplifted it. I had put a vase of lilies on the counter. I thought they gave it a special glow.

“By now you are wondering what it is with me, am I correct?”
“Oh sure.”
“Smarmy git!” I thought
“Why am I smarmy?” His earcharched up knowingly
“What is it with you to know all of my thoughts anyway?” I protested handing him his cup of coffee.
“I surpass myself. Let’s just say, protective ego,” He quirked.


I had the feeling he was biding time to tell me something. Waiting for the right moment. I floundered and bit my lip.
“No need to worry, you are safe with me,” he looked directly in my eyes.
“I see the old spark is still there after all this time,” he thought, “these people nowadays have such crass memories tut. I will have to jog her memory for her soon.”


He pondered at the idea. This could be fun and old old times sakes. He remembered the love they shared and was pleased the spark was still alive. Hmmm, it was interesting that she remembered about the lemons because that was when it all started to happen for them before.


His eyes strayed to the lemon sitting on the countertop. It had fallen out of the wooden fruit bowl. He was pleased to see that she still used them in baking. He cleared his throat, “So,” he approached her, holding a lemon up to her, “what do you use these for?”
“I am not sure what you are implying.”
“Come, come Heather.”
He came closer to me and placed a hand on my face. I tilted sideways at the touch. I could smell his aftershave and the scent of his body, hard against mine. His hand slid down my cheek, to the neck stroking downwards to the chest. I sighed. “Magda,” I said, my voice croaky.
I hadn’t noticed his casual clothing. My eyes fell onto his jeans and I drooled. His white polo top was scented with his body smell.
“Yes my dear, I have returned.”


“James!”

“Time to disappear,” he looked at her. He held me with one hand on each shoulder. His azure blue eyes bore into mine. Like he could read my mind or what. I still thought he was a smarmy git.
“Why?” I was suspicious
“No need to be suspicious Heather. I have business to attend and I will be back later.”
“Sure. No doubt I can say no!” I replied sarcastically.
“In answer to your question…I think that you are smarmy because you are a know it all.”
“But of course.”
His eyes twinkled in prospect of things to come.
“Be good. I will be back. No doubt about that.”
With that he turned on his heal after giving me a knowing look and let himself out.


The nerve of that man! How dare he waintointo my house and try to take possession of me! Well! We will see about that!

That night I decided to be a devil and went out with my best friends Claire and Sarah. I chose a very low cut sparkly top and tight hot pants. I left my hair loose and had tied in a silver strand within a small braid. We went to the local disco and to a restaurant after, one of those all night places with dancing. We had a riot. I was trying to drown James out from my head. With out much success either! Damn him!


If I didn’t know any better, I would say he was playing mind games with me, the little toe rag. “Well, he wants mind games, its war!” I declared, looking at myself in the mirror.

I thought I saw his eyes looking at me through the glass but ignored them. I heard faint murmurings, like a breeze in the house, “I know what you are up to, Heather!”

“Oh you do, do you?” I said aloud, “we shall jolly well see about that!” I stood proudly in front of my long mirror, my arms folded.

In my proud moment of glory I did not hear the faint whispers of Herishma. I heard a whoosh of a flame and saw a glowing torch in the mirror. My hair blew back with the force of the whoosh; candlelight was dancing on my face, leaving it glowing in the dimness as my light flickered out...

*****************************************************************************