‘That’s my fucking car’ Peter shouted, pointing to the Avensis in the yard, Tony grinned,
‘So it is’ Tony said, still grinning.
This angered Peter even more, ‘You got no right to sell it, it’s not even yours’ he screamed, ‘it’s worth a lot more than that’ he added, ‘I paid a fucking fortune for it’
At which Tony burst out laughing and couldn’t speak for a few moments, money had no meaning to Tony, he had no idea how much the car was worth, nor did he care, Peter just calmed a little and stood watching the man laugh,
‘What price do you want me to put on it’ said Tony through the giggles, ‘and I tell you what, whatever I get I’ll give to you’ his laugh turned into a grin,
Peter now realising how daft the situation really was, took a deep breath, he was in control of his emotions once more,
‘I just want the keys’
‘if I let you in and give you the keys are you going to do anything stupid’ Peter just shook his head and Tony opened the gates, Peter walked in cautiously, even though he could see all around the yard, wondering why a Town that does not allow cars had a car lot, the car lot was full of vehicles.
Tony walked to the workshop at the back, Peter followed, looking around all the time, as if someone or something was going to appear from nowhere, he was on edge and anxious, then he realised he had been ever since he had arrived in Underwood, this was the same bloke who helped him escape punishment, now why was he stealing his car.
‘Here’ Tony said, throwing him the keys, Peter caught them and looked at them in his hand as if they were forbidden fruit, his eyes went from the keys to Tony, back and forth as if he was expecting one of them to change.
‘You’re not gonna stop me’ he said,
‘I’m just the mechanic, anyway that things way over my head, I didn’t know they made cars like that’ he laughed as he said it,
‘I could do you a deal on a Capri’ Tony added, tears came to his eyes from his own laughter, Peter didn’t respond, he found it strange, could not see the joke, the car lot owner seemed as mad as a hatter, and still Tony laughed.
Peter walked slowly over to the car, Tony watched him as he did so, Peter kept turning around to check on him as he walked, the gates were still open, he could just drive out, pick up his family and drive ‘where will I go’ he asked himself ‘I got in here, I’ll get out’ he grew excited, his heart began to race, having his car back, would give him a sense of normality, maybe even an escape route.
He got into the Avensis, put the key in the ignition and turned the key, there was nothing, Tony just looked on with a grin on his face, he watched Peter get out of the car, open the bonnet and then slam it straight shut, he walked briskly towards Tony as if he meant business, Tony was now sat down with a beer in his hand,
‘Where’s the fucking engine gone’
‘Tony burst out laughing again, he hadn’t laughed so much in years, ‘Grab a chair and get a beer’
Peter did.
Philip Lenan watched from the distance, eyeing the activities of the two men, he puffed on his cigarette and threw the dog end on the floor ‘it will give the cleaner something to do ‘ he thought, Philip very often went out at night, a creature such as he would find no need to sleep, at least not until his creator did, he would often patrol the streets, looking through windows, trying to remember the names of the family’s that lived in the houses, trying to think up more rules, trying to find someone committing crimes so he could administer the punishment, trying to think of a suitable ending for Underwood ‘but that’s not my job’ he told himself.
There were very few people on the streets this time of night, except the occasional drinker walking home from the pub, should they see Philip on their way home, they would change direction and find another way home.
The street lights would be off soon, then the town would be lit up by the moon only, and the tree’s would dance as the creature walked through them, the two men he was watching were laughing now, he didn’t like that, not that he didn’t want people to be happy in Underwood, he did, that was his goal, that and to feed the trees, but to many happy people made for a boring existence, there had to be rules and sacrifices to make people understand how lucky they were.
He didn’t like the confidence of the man he looked at, he didn’t like the friendship that those two created, he stroked his chin, he needed a shave, soon he would have to go home and have one, he stood and stared at the two men for a while, before walking to Woodland road, where Allan Herapath lived, he needed a shave, he couldn’t be seen looking like this.
‘How long have you lived here’ Nathan asked Samuel, they were in his bedroom at no.13, a single bed and furniture, no toys adorned the room, no pictures on the wall, except the ones that Samuel had drawn himself, Nathan thought it looked nothing like his own bedroom at home, that was full of games and TV’s, PlayStation, his walls was full of posters, no this didn’t look like a bedroom at all, not a boys bedroom
‘Samuels mind drifted back, he knew how long he had lived here, but the question had brought back memories, the memories he didn’t want, the ones that wouldn’t go away, they both had paper and pencils the only activity they could find to do, there was a few board games, Ludo and snakes and ladders, but Samuel was fed up of them, his sister had taught him a paper game.
‘I was born here’ he eventually answered ‘anyway it’s your turn’
Nathan took the paper off Samuel and drew an x in the box, ‘I win’ he said,
Samuel threw the paper across the room ‘silly game, Rebecca always beats me’
‘Where’s your dad’ asked Nathan,
‘Why all the questions’ Samuel shot back at him, he raised his voice and Nathan noticed his fists clenching, he grew a little nervous, Nathan didn’t like violence, he didn’t understand at that time why his new friend had got so angry,
‘I’m just trying to be friendly’ he told him,
Samuel sat on the bed, his anger seemingly gone or at least calmed, but Nathan noticed his eyes still held it, that or the eyes of pain,
‘They killed him when he tried to stop my mum having their babies’
Nathan seen the tears on his cheeks, shocked at the answer, wishing he hadn’t asked.
‘That’s what I am’ he added ‘one of their babies, so is my sister’ he was fighting not to cry, tears trickled down but he held his composure, Nathan didn’t ask any more questions, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answers now, he just sat on the end of the bed, he wanted to put his arm around Samuel, but it didn’t seem the right thing to do,
‘They took 3 babies away’ Samuel continued, ‘into the woods’
Nathans heart went into his mouth, then he done something he didn’t want to do, he put his arm around Samuels shoulder,
‘I’m sorry for asking, he paused looking for a way to take the tension out of the conversation,
‘We had fun today didn’t we?’
‘Yes but it won’t last’
Nathan had a look of confusion on his face,
‘Why?’ he asked, not really wanting an answer,
‘Soon it will be my sister and mum says she’s not going to let it happen’
His words chilled him to the bone as he took his arm away from Samuel, and as he thought of his sister, he needed a shoulder to cry on, he didn’t want to be the shoulder that someone else cried on.
‘Let’s sneak out’ he said ‘see what’s in the woods’
Lily and Ivy were sat on the outside patio, it was still pleasantly warm, Lily had been showing Ivy her tablet, but the battery had faded and Ivy wasn’t really comprehending what she was saying, as Lily tried to explain the technology, Lily wondered how Ivy could be so beautiful and clever, living in a place like this, but all her knowledge was historical, and Lily realised she knew nothing of the modern world.