Memories

Memories

Photographs, that was all she had left. Photographs and her memories. She began to recall them as she sat staring at the sheets of paper in front of her. A tear rolled down her cheek and splashed onto the writing causing it to blur. Hastily she took out a tissue and dabbed at the rapidly merging ink. She succeeded to a certain degree but she could not prevent some of the words vanishing into each other.
She moved the sheets further away from herself to prevent any more stray tears damaging them. Picking up some of the scattered photographs and gazed at them. Ironic she thought, Scattered on this table as my emotions are scattered within me.
She looked at the first photograph. There he was staring back at her, smiling and waving. She smiled slightly at the memory of the trip. Closing her eyes, she began to remember"¦

Carl took her hand and led her carefully up the steps. Her eyes were closed as he had instructed her promising wonderful things as a result. So she obliged and kept them tightly shut. She stumbled on an uneven step and he reached over to catch her. His strong arms encircled her and she felt as always, perfectly safe when he was holding her.
"I'm sorry, the steps are tricky when your eyes are closed."
"We're nearly there and then you can open them."
She surrendered herself to his guidance and he finally led her across flat stone.
"Now open your eyes and see."
She opened her eyes and gasped as the view took her breath away. Miles of vineyards dotted with red-roofed houses were spread out before them like a beautiful carpet. Tiny dots were moving in amongst the trees as the workers picked the fruit from the many trees ready to ship out to waiting manufacturers.
She fished in her bag for her camera and Carl waved as she snapped him and together they sat until the sun set in all it's glory causing them both to marvel at it's awesome beauty.

She was jerked back to the present by a knock at the door. Still holing the photograph, she made her way to the front door. She was relieved to see it was only the postman with a few letters for her. She thanked him and closed the door. She knew her face was tear-stained and although she was quite friendly with her postman, she did not wish to get into a lengthy conversation, not today anyway.

Returning to the table she sat down. More than ever, she wished he had said goodbye that morning. They had had an argument over something pathetic, she couldn't even recall what it was and he had finally left for work saying that he would be better off elsewhere rather than here listening to her rantings. She had regretted that parting ever since as he of course hadn't come back that day or the next. She was still hoping against hope that he would walk through the door. Even though she knew he wouldn't she still hoped he would. You heard all the time how evidence was wrong. What was to stop it being wrong now? She knew this was a foolish notion and she tried to put it to the back of her mind. He was gone, and he was never coming back.

Sighing heavily, her shoulders sagged and then began to shake as a fresh flow of tears began to fall. She made no attempt to stem the tide of grief that washed over her. She buried her head in her hands and wept openly.

The hours dragged by as they had every day since that morning. Time seemed to have slowed to a snails pace for her and she moved round the house like a living zombie. She wondered round within the four walls of each room that felt so empty, not really knowing why she just wanted to be where he had been. His scent was lingering in the air surrounding her as she stood in the bedroom they had shared so many blissfully happy nights in each other's arms, making love until the birds signalled the dawn chorus when they finally fell asleep.

She stood and closed her eyes trying to breathe in the very essence of him that was still lingering. Times spent in here had been so happy before things started to go sour and the arguments had begun to creep in, slowly at first and then more frequently and the weeks had gone on. Her tears gone for now she only felt sadness, which after a few minutes was replaced with a feeling of utter despair.
She sat on the bed, her body suddenly feeling too weak to hold her upright and she stared at a pair of his trousers which were hanging on the back of the dressing table chair. She could not bear to move anything and it was all exactly as it had been left on that morning.

She left the bedroom and returned to the kitchen. She knew she ought to drink something and maybe eat as well though neither held any sort of appeal to her. She settled on just a cup of tea for now and busied herself with making it. It took her mind off her turmoil momentarily, but it returned with a renewed vigour when she was once again seated at the table.

Her eyes fell on the bottle that she had bought yesterday. It remained untouched and exactly where she had placed it on her return to the empty house.
She hated the way the house seemed to echo whenever she did anything. It was as if it was trying to drum into her as loudly as possible that she was alone. She hung her head.
She was truly alone now, her parents having passed away a number of years before. She had no brothers or sisters and a few weeks before Carl and she had bought this house in a new town where no one knew them and so she had not the chance to find and make any friends yet. She was completely alone.
Sighing heavily again, she took the bottle in her hands and studied it for a moment before replacing it on the table and sipping at her tea.

Another memory surfaced. A wedding, her own to be precise and Carl had looked every bit the handsome groom in his suit. They had opted for something small and understated though Carl had said he wanted to show her off, she did not like large gatherings and so they had kept to just a few friends and Carl's family. His parents had made her feel very welcome, almost as their own daughter and the day had been one of the happiest days of her life. She smiled in spite of herself. The memories of that time were so special to her that she needed to re-live every little detail as it played out in her mind.

She finished her tea and once again her attention returned to the bottle on the table. Life she knew held no meaning for her anymore. Her desire to carry on living without Carl had ceased on the afternoon after Carl had left for work and they had argued. Two policemen had arrived on her doorstep to inform her that a car had been found in a ditch, burned out and the body of a male had been recovered from the scene. The car's number plate had matched Carl's.

She dimly recalled the rest of that day. Going to the police station to give a statement and all the while thinking that this couldn't be happening to her. Not him, not Carl who has always been so strong and protective of her. Any arguments they had had were instantly forgotten in her grief and it wasn't until much later when she was alone that the full force of it hit her.
Rising from the table, she fetched a glass of water. When she returned to the table, she unscrewed the lid from the bottle and emptied the contents into her hand. She looked at the heap of round white things in her palm before closing her eyes and filling her mouth with them. She swilled them down with the water and waited for them to take effect and end her miserable existence.
The last thing she remembered was his face on that fateful morning when he had turned and looked at her. It had been a long hard look but she knew he loved her and now she was on her way to join him wherever he was.
Darkness descended on her and death claimed another one.

Not far away a few days later, a man was helping a pretty woman out of the passenger seat of a new car. The radio news report a few minutes earlier, was that a woman had been found dead in her kitchen and would anyone with any information please come forward?
"Isn't it awful, that poor girl. I wonder why people take their own lives like that?"
Carl Bently smiled his handsome smile.
"I am sure I don't know my love. Now think no more about that, we have a party to attend."
They left the car and headed towards the house where a party was in full swing. Carl smirked as the woman held onto his arm. He detached it and placed it protectively round her shoulders. This one was even more willing to succumb to his every whim and would in time be joining the other one as another mysterious suicide. Carl enjoyed the power he held over these women. To make them love him completely and when it appeared he was "˜dead' they could not cope. He smirked again and looked down at the woman who already adored him
Ah well, a change is as good as a rest.

END

Hope you all enjoyed my little twist in the tale! I would be interested to hear if anyone worked it out before it was revealed :)