Fairy tale Of Fenchurch Chapter 4
Sam knew this was the last time he would be here in The Railway Arms. It was gone midnight, but he had to make sure no-one knew he was here. He sat there for an hour straight, writing and re-writing this letter, enclosing a picture of the bastard who was behind this and locking it up in the box which, when the time was right, Gene would come and find. Reports from London said that he had a new DI who claimed to be from 2008. It was this information that prompted Sam to leave this information. If she was anything like him, she would come to Manchester, and she would do so with Gene. She would find out the truth without putting Sam in danger. He hid it in the backroom of Nelson's pub and left quickly. Sam had one place he needed to go. He knew his old flat was left empty, as no-one felt it should be used. He had a feeling Gene left it so he had a place to come back to. Walking up them stairs to his flat, thoughts of Annie flooded back. Tears again fell from his eyes, but were brushed away by thoughts of Hunt calling him a soft, Nancy boy. A smile cracked out on his face and as he sat on his old bed he would do anything to return to his life with Hunt and Annie.
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She uttered the single word softly, fear dense in her voice and her heart sinking.
'Gene?'
His eyes wavered from hers, and instead focused on the door. His mind was racing. He never did like the slimy git, but what Sam was saying was ridiculous. How did he know this much about Alex? About what would happen and how. How did Sam know he would come here, and do so with Alex? Sam was sharp and in tune, but this was taking it further than even he would think. Gene couldn't be who Sam was saying he was. He was aware that things had changed, but this was stupid.
'Is it true Gene? What he is saying?'
'I don't know Alex.'
She looked him in the eyes.
'Is this world just the halfway house? Are we just stuck here now? Gene, He knows about the stars! We've all seen them. Shaz and Chris and Ray have heard the music! All clues to the bigger mystery, Sam knew what it was and he was forced to leave. It happened to him and now it's happening to me…to us.'
She was scared shitless, and he could tell. Sam had everything for him here, she was always talking about going back to this 'daughter' of hers. Gene was sure he would lose her to this. All the time he thought he was protecting here, but all he has done has bolted her to this world. She should be mad, furious, but she seemed to be intrigued, scared all the same.
'He says he found the truth, that our body is on its last chance in the 'real world' but our mind has left. Back to the time where the world as we know it was formed, my parent's death, the disappearance of Sam's dad. Why did you come back Gene? How long have you been here, do you even remember?'
The silence was killing her and he knew it. Alex knew this didn't answer all the questions. What about the Copper she keeps seeing? Keats, is he trying to 'reclaim' her mind from Gene's hands? Why the stars and music, is that their clues that they have been cleared of all 'real' memories? Seeing stars. There was so many more questions here she needed to know.
'Alex, We don't even know Sam wrote this.'
'Yes we do Gene, Don't deny it.'
He pursed his lips. 'I'm not keeping you here Alex. You can leave whenever you want.'
'You know I can't.'
Alex spoke again.
'What year did you die ,Gene?'
He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He couldn't think straight, it was too confusing for him. He isn't keeping anyone here. He knew it was Sam who wrote that. Gene turned back to Alex. She looked close to tears. Alex remember back to last year, when she told Gene the truth and he brushed it away without a doubt. Was he scared then?
'Do I mean nothing to you, Gene? Can you not even tell me, even when I know the truth?'
Her voiced cracked at the same moment the door creaked open and Chris, Ray and Shaz walked in. All looked startled and shaken up, as if they, too, know the truth. Shaz ran her fingers through her hair several times and opened her mouth as if to talk, but decided against it. Chris stood there like a melon while Ray leaned on the wall, puffing on a cigarette. Gene walked past the and through the door, Alex followed him, eager to find out more from him. Only when she was walking past him did it struck her. She was dead. If what Sam was saying was true, she would never speak to Molly again. She would never get home. Nothing was bleeding through from 2008, like before she 'returned'. It was the same with Sam. A short-lived stay before you are plunged back to the place you are supposed to be. You may fight, but she knew it was helpless. She wouldn't stop though. Only when she rubbed her eyes did she feel the water collected there. Alex didn't try to stop herself. She sat on the stool by the bar and cried her eyes out, until her heart no longer felt so heavy and the great weight in her stomach was gone. She felt as if someone had sucked out her insides and replaced them with water, gushing around. Alex was going to be sick, so she rushed to the door, as she did not know where the bathroom was. She flung it open and was sick before she could even look around. The sound startled her, the loudness of it.
'Not on my bloody shoes Bolly! You better get it off!'
This was joined by laughter from Ray and Chris. Silenced by a glare from the Guv. Shaz rushed up to her, and rubbed her back.
'Come on, let's get you back inside and sit you down.'
She guided her inside and sat her on the chair closest to the door. Shaz produced a glass of water; it was warm but Alex still drunk it without complaints. Her mind was swirling with a thousand and one things. How could so many people, suffer such life-turning events that they are forced back here? Alex was focused on learning each person's secret troubles and finding out where they are from.
Gene sat down opposite Alex. The others were at the opposite end of the room, helping themselves to Nelson's stash of booze. He looked at Alex with a strong gaze. Gene's mind was racing with so much information, but he dealt with it one thing at a time.
'So, according to Sam, Shaz, Chris and Ray all suffered a turning point in their lives and when they died they returned back to it?'
Alex nodded her head.
'Bullshit. He's playing games with your mind Bolly.'
'I don't think he is, it's true for both me and Sam. And I know it is true for you too. Gene, Do you think you can haunt yourself?'
He looked at her with a blank expression. He downed the glass in front of him and looked behind Alex.
'Oh Shit. It looks like we have a visitor.'
Alex swivelled in her chair and looked in the direction Gene was staring. You couldn't make out who it was from the outline, but it was defiantly a girl. She turned and fled. Gene stood and ran after her, everyone else following suit. Bad day to wear heels, Alex thought to herself as she slowly followed behind them. Chris, slightly in front of her, yelled forward to the Guv.
'Can you see who it is yet?'
No answer followed but Alex slammed into Chris, as he just stopped in the doorway of a room to look at the person Gene now had in his hands. The words Ray muttered summed it all up.
'Holy Shit.'
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Keats stood with his back to the door in his office. He thought it had been quite recently and when he had walked into CID to find most of them gone, he knew that his plan had worked. He thought Alex had gone to look at the grave he had shown her. He thought Gene had gone running after to her to stop her finding out the truth. Little did he know she had gone instead to Manchester. Instead of Hunt's world falling to pieces, it would be his. And it would be so sweet for Alex to watch him go.