A/N: Hey guys! Thank you so much for sticking with this story, I love you all for it! Chapter 9, here you go!
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
I took slow steps to the 'Mad House' listening intently to the sound my footsteps made when they connected with the almost-pure snow.
Every step I took, the word 'gun' played in my mind on a loop.
Gun, gun, gun.
Kill, kill, kill.
Archie, Archie, Archie.
But first, I needed to find that gun, and I had a feeling it lay within one of the rooms in my Aunty Peggy's pub.
With my breath held, I slowly pushed open the door and walked in, only to be over-whelmed with greetings. Everyone came over to me; hugged and kissed me, and all I could think about was the gun and the woman – somehow they seemed to be connected...
The downstairs was decorated beautifully in festive greens, glorious reds and whites which resembled the snow outside. The table was glittered with confetti and candles were placed along the center, giving off a warm, happy glow.
If I wasn't so deluded, I might have actually thought it looked lovely.
Everywhere I laid my eyes upon, illusions of guns and blurry women jumped up at me. It was like a horror movie, and I was the star victim of dreadful nightmares. I tried to ignore it and search for Jack.
"Ron? Ronnie?" my senses flooded back and I felt Phil shake me slightly. I looked up at him in shock – I could have sworn I saw little guns reflected in his dark eyes.
"What?" I replied, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible.
"Dinner is ready." He groaned.
I turned round and saw beyond the illusions; my family were sat around the table, all of them looking so happy and excited. But then I looked at Jack, he was much like me, pretending to be happy. He wasn't very good at it though, I could see the sadness radiate from him. Our last conversation had been two days ago, and it was only very brief when I had staggered back from the beach. Ever since then we hadn't really spoken, and if we had – I couldn't remember.
I took the only seat left at the table – in between Billy and Archie.
Maybe Archie knew who that woman was – he was always afraid I would see, or go up to her. And it was only now that I found it very suspicious. Perhaps I could get information out of him. Maybe I could talk him round, pretend to be his little girl again. Or maybe I could hold him at gun point, blackmail him, hold the magnificent killer right to his temple, load the bullets, get the information I desired then that fateful moment of revenge would come, where I had him at his mercy and he was under my control. Then I'd do it. I'd pull the trigger. Lap the blood draining out of him and laugh at how pathetic he looked, how weak. Then I'd pull the trigger once more, destroying his cold heart as he destroyed mine.
Gun. Kill. Archie.
I snapped out of my 'trance' and noticed my heart was racing, and I was breathing deeply. I took the glass of wine in front of me, ignoring everyone else's stares and drank it all in one, but it didn't quench my thirst. I was dehydrating from something much more than water.
Gun. Kill. Archie.
I noticed that Jack was sat next to Roxy, with Amy on her lap and Dr Al on the other side of her, who was studying me. Maybe the Doc needed to be shot, purely for his infuriating nosiness. And in one split moment, Jack and Roxy shared eye contact – the kind that was filled with love. The kind that wretched open my heart.
I looked across to the Doc, who had also noticed. I felt sorry for him – he was off the list.
Peggy was reminiscing about Grant, Sam and Phil when they were younger; this was a good opportunity to slip in the obsession...
After all; I had nothing to lose.
"Remember that beach you took me to when I was younger, daddy?" I said enthusiastically, attempting to hide my hatred towards the evil man.
He seemed happy that I had even acknowledged him for once. "Of course I do Vee, very much so"
"So you remember that woman?"
Instantly his eyes became vicious, as if he could pounce on me and they also glistened with the same fear from all those years ago. I took the moment to smile, almost laugh at him, because now I knew he knew, and the only way of getting the answer would be to put him at his bloody mercy.
I took my cutlery in my hands; knives seemed so insignificant now compared to the power of a gun. I pointed the knife at him – towards his jugular to be precise, almost in a threatening way, but my voice joked; "I take it you don't. Oh well...I'll find out...eventually."
I looked around the people at the table who sat in awkward silence, particularly Peggy, who looked down, pushing her food around her plate with a fork.
***
"She definitely knows something. And something about her has certainly changed." I listened intently to Archie, with my ear pressed against the kitchen door.
"Well, what are ya gonna do about it? She can't find out Archie! She just can't!" Peggy sounded desperate, her fear mirroring Archie's exactly. So Peggy was in on this.
"We shall see how things unfold, but for now, we go on as if this never happened, we carry on doing what we have been for thirty four years."
***
Everyone was gathered around in the lounge, watching the kids open presents. I was now desperate to know what part Peggy played in this...And she was easier to break than Archie.
Jack sat next to me on the comfy sofa. I felt my body tense up – I didn't want him to touch me when I was like this. I was afraid he would hate me for the thoughts racing through my mind. I tried to avoid looking into his irresistible eyes, in fear that I would see the same guns I saw in Phil.
Even though we sat centimetres apart, I had never felt so distant from him, or so disconnected. It's a good job I never gave up on 'Ice-Queen Ronnie' otherwise I would have cried, right there, right then. I missed him. It was as if he was giving up on me, slowly, but surely. Now I had to compete with Roxy and Tanya, and I was losing.
Roxy and Tanya were so much more than me; both incredibly beautiful, and both came with a ready-made family. Whereas I had nothing but money to my name. My appearance was gradually deteriorating, leaving dark circles tattooed underneath my eyes, my hair was a long wavy blonde mess and I had little flesh to cover my bones.
I carefully changed my seating position so that I was further away from Jack. I knew that he looked at me differently now...Everyone did. Everyone expected me to spontaneously burst out in madness and mentality any minute. They thought I was going insane.
But then again, seeing illusions of blurry women and guns wasn't normal.
"I would like to make a toast" Peggy began, standing up, looking like an elf next to the tall Archie. "To Sam and Ricky on their engagement, to Roxy and Al who have moved in together, to Jay and Billy who have started their new business, to Phil and Ben who are going back to Africa on a trip next summer, to Archie and I and to Jack for being a wonderful father to Amy."
Everyone raised their glasses in a warm toast except me. I couldn't help notice how I'd been conveniently left out.
"And I would like to add..." said Archie, happy that all of the attention was on him. "To forgiveness, to letting go of the past, to leading normal, fulfilled lives, and a toast for this beautiful Christmas Day, and what a jolly day it has been, Thank you everyone."
"Merry Christmas!" They all chanted in festive unison.
Archie began talking some more about how grateful he was to be given a second chance. God, he loved his voice.
My eyes scanned the room, looking for every possible gun-hiding place. Then it clicked – my old bedroom, underneath the lose floorboard, in front of the dresser. Yes!
"I'm going to the toilet." I said shakily, interrupting his speech.
***
I ran into what was now Sam and Ricky's room, my eyes focusing upon the floor board. I tried lifting it up, but it was sealed. DAMN IT!
I ripped off my pointy heels, scratching my foot as I unbuckled the catch and started bashing at the wood, each hammer weakening the joints. I was getting closer and closer...
Bash. Bash. Bash.
Gun. Kill. Archie.
The wood was beginning to break and I felt my heart race, each bash making my new desire draw nearer to me. I could almost taste the metal...
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"
Petrified, I dropped the stiletto and gulped.
Mental Ronnie eh? So what has Peggy got to do with everything? And how is the gun and blurry woman somehow connected?
Oh yeah, don't worry I'm not going down the whole Roxy/Jack story line, it's just something to trigger Ronnie's psychotic behaviour.
Thank so much for reading and for all your reviews! Please review this chapter!!
Love Scarlett xoxo
