Silence filled the house. Not even the sound of a dripping tap broke the seemingly concrete silence in every room. Darkness crept through the windows and embraced the eerie silence. The one solitary person in that house did nothing to combat the darkness. No lights were turned on and curtains were left drawn back. A limp hand hung over the arm of the chair and unseeing eyes stared longingly at a telephone on an end table over by the wall.
Somewhere close by a car pulled up, the lights from it shone in through an unprotected window. Footsteps were heard on the gravel drive and the slightest farewell before a door was slammed shut and the lights drifted away carried by the sound of an engine. The footsteps continued down the drive and the scratching gravel gave way to a solid stone step. A patient finger pressed the doorbell and a patient ear waited to hear a response.
None came.
Forced by the cool wind blowing softly through the trees the visitor sought another entrance. It was late and the person within was most likely asleep. Hurrying their pace along the gravel path that ran along the side of the house the visitor opened the side gate and entered the back garden. Continuing to follow the path round they came to another solid stone step and tried the door there.
Still no response.
Pulling the hood of their coat further over their head the visitor looked up at the windows peering down at them. Their eyes detected no signs of movement and their ears no sounds. Bending down they picked up a handful of stones from the gravel. Aiming carefully they threw several stones at a time up at the darkened windows in hopes that the sleeper within would awaken and allow them entry.
No one stirred, no one answered the door.
Deciding to take drastic action the impatient visitor picked up a bigger stone, drawing their arm back further than before they aimed again at the windows. Taking a deep breath the visitor released their arm propelling the stone forward as they followed through. The stone struck the window with an almighty
Crash!
"Milford!" Bessie exclaimed when her partner managed to knock a silver tray over the edge of one of the kitchen counters, "You must be more careful and quiet. You'll wake Kit up."
The aforementioned guest walked into the kitchen rubbing his head, "Too late. I don't know if it was the tray hitting the deck that woke me up or the shout that followed it."
"I'm sorry dear. Go back to bed, we won't disturb you again."
Kit shook his head and bent down to pick up the tray, "I wasn't really sleeping, in fact I wasn't even dozing. Where'd this come from anyway? I haven't seen it around here before."
"To tell you the truth it's a wedding present for you and Robyn."
"Ah, well in that case I haven't seen it."
The Mayor smiled and took the tray from Kit's hands, "I know it's a little early but we wanted to get it wrapped up before we forgot about it. Is there any word on Robyn's condition yet?"
"Like the little boy who swallowed a pound coin, no change yet. She's still away with the fairies. They're going to turn her machine tomorrow. They've been easing her off the sedatives they put her on to induce the coma and all being well she'll be breathing on her own. Best case scenario is that she wakes up within the week and in three months we get married as planned and live happily ever after. Worst case scenario is she doesn't start breathing and…"
Bessie went over to Kit and hugged him when his words were broken by a sob. She knew how bad he felt about Robyn, everyone felt bad. It was the reason that she and the Mayor were wrapping wedding presents three months early at two in the morning. They hadn't been able to sleep well either and it was doing little things like that which gave them hope that Robyn would wake up and be fine. It helped them look forward to better times, something which took their minds off of the present situation. It stopped them sinking into misery.
When Bessie was sure that Kit was ok she stepped back from him. She didn't notice the tray yet again sitting precariously close to the edge of the kitchen counter and knocked it with her elbow. It fell to the ground with a terrific
Crash!
Surprised by the harsh noise the impatient visitor stepped back a few steps and waited for signs of movement within the house.
Still none came.
Increasingly discontent with standing out in the cold wind the visitor theorised on alternative forms of entry. Coming to a conclusion they picked up another stone and threw it through the glass in the back door effectively shattering it. Walking back to the stone step they stuck their hand through what had once been a window in the door and unlocked it. Pulling down the handle they opened the door and stepped inside.
Slowly the visitor crept around the kitchen looking for the person they sought. Finding no sign of them within the room they walked into the hallway and looked in every room. After looking in one room they almost walked away but walked back when their brain translated what the eyes had seen.
Someone had been in that room.
Not disturbing the immaculate silence within the house the visitor crept over to the chair by the window. A head peaked out over the back but no movement greeted them. Not concerned with what they might find the visitor walked round to the front of the chair. They saw the unseeing eyes looking desperately at the telephone across the room, the mouth hanging open in a silent scream, the hand hanging over the edge of the arm of the chair and its partner resting on the bloody stomach.
A tinge of sympathy lightened the eyes of the visitor as they looked into the pleading eyes that could not meet their gaze. Slowly they crouched and brushed the untidy hair from the furrowed forehead. They ran a hand gently down the pale cheek ending at the taut chin. Whispering a few words of unheard comfort the visitor closed the eyes that seemed to accuse them of doing some wrong.
When the chin refused to be lifted to close the open mouth the visitor sighed, "Oh Dominic. You should have learnt to be more careful. Danger comes to those who think themselves immortal, I told you that you wouldn't live forever and now you're dead. Don't worry though, I'll move on with the plans. We'll have our victory. I'll carry on without you; they won't know what hit them."
Trying once again to close the stubborn mouth the visitor stood up. Looking down at the restful corpse in the chair they shook their head before walking out of the room. Continuing on down the corridor they were about to let themselves out of the house but turned their attention to the stairs. They climbed them slowly; upon reaching the top they saw one room with the door flung wide open.
Entering the room the visitor looked about on them. On the bed was a green dress which had been carelessly flung onto the duvet cover as if the person had been in a hurry to get ready. Picking up the dress the visitor held to themselves and looked into the mirror. Shaking their head they threw the dress back as it had been, there was time for that later.