Zanna sighed, closing the shop door with a knock of her hand. She turned the key in the lock and then began to walk back towards number 42 Wayward Crescent. These days she would normally be returning to number 41, the home of Henry Bacon before his demise. Zanna thought about him every day on the journey back. Even now, she could feel tears threatening to fall at the corners of her eyes. Alexa had been staying with Liz and Arthur while Zanna had been sorting out some important business with the store financially.
Knocking politely on the door, she wiped her gothic black boots across the mat lying by her feet. After a short pause she heard the door unlatch and out stepped David Rain.
"And what are you doing here?" she said, clearly oblivious to her daughters presence.
"Zanna, when will you give this up? In case you hadn't remembered, I live here," he said.
As he looked at her, Zanna thought she had caught a glimpse of the old David- the one she used to love.
"It's been 5 years," was all she said before barging past him, knocking him into the door.
David was hesitant to reply. He took his time collecting his thoughts together, contemplating how they might be received. He eventually settled with a very simple, "I didn't know."
Though she was nowhere near ready to admit it, he did look honest enough. She turned to face him but couldn't get any words out before she fell to a heap on the floor, partly covering David's feet. It was all too much for her now. She had loved this man. Any time Arthur and Liz had tried to talk to her about it, she had passed it away. She didn't have the strength to talk about David's 'death'.
"Whatever will I do with you?" said David. He cradled his arms around her and bought her into him. He gave a final kiss to her foreheard before leading her indoors, only to see his daughter standing there open-eyed.
"5 years," she said, lost in thought.
"Yes Lexie?"
"Mummy s-" said Alexa before being interupted.
"There's nothing you need to worry your pretty little head with."
She seemed happy enough with this answer as she ran back into the garden. Bonnington and Gollygosh were waiting patiently by the bushes at the back of the garden.
David went through the hall and up the stairs to his room. Pulling down the covers, he fluffed the pillows then carefully set Zanna down to rest. After hearing the commotion, Gretel was already in the corning of the room fixing up a potion to try and cool the situation down.
During Zanna's restless sleep, David sat by her side. He stroked her hair, letting his hand fall to her face. An array of noises and voices broke out as he placed his hand to her forehead, watching her dreams. This was a skill he had managed to possess during the space of his disappearance. He didn't try to hide the tears that began to flow. There was nobody there to see them anyway. Seeing his whole life with Zanna certainly touched a nerve. He loved her but she just couldn't see it. Before he knew it, his face had turned red and his cheeks were damp.
Zanna opened her eyes, peeking through her half closed lids. She didn't believe what she was seeing. Reaching out to him, she whispered gently, "I love you," before quickly falling back to sleep.
With nothing to do, David dozed off himself. When he awoke, everywhere was quiet. It wasn't the peaceful kind, but the silence that cropped up in horror movies, the silence that always occurs when something, anything, just isn't right. His gaze shifted to the empty bed. Calling out her name, David ran down the stairs.
"Lexie, have you seen mummy?" he asked. Alexa shook her head then ran off to play with Gadzooks, whom she had just spotted flying through the window to land on the windowsill. Gadzooks looked at David with a knowing glance before disappearing round a corner.
If David had only stayed in the room for a moment more, he would have caught sight of a single speck of dark fire appearing for a split second before leaving again.
