Unedited sample from part 2
Chapter 49 – 29th September 2023
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Richard took another picture from the tin box, which held his memories. It showed Leeny on top of a hill in the highlands, her smile as wide as her face.
A picture had escaped the box. On it, a bold Leeny was sitting on a hospital bed. The Chemotherapy had claimed her beautiful blonde hair and her strength, but it could not steal the sparkle in her eyes. She had never lost faith that she would beat the cancer, but, in the end, it had defeated her iron will, and she had died only days before her 41st birthday.
More tears ran down his face, and he quickly put the picture back into the box, burying it deep under all the happy memories.
It had been Leeny who had kept the bond alive between them and their foster children. With her gone, he had lost contact with the world. First, he had thrown himself into his work to dull the pain, but everything around him had reminded him of her, and he had moved down South, as far away from his pain as he could. This had destroyed the little contact which had been left.
Settling in Cambridge, he had kept to himself, unwilling to have anyone else in his life apart from his Leeny. With time, he had started to spend all his evenings with her urn in his arms and the pictures on the table.
It was not much different that evening, and Richard clung tightly to the urn. Taking the wedding picture back into his hand, he pressed it once more to his lips and closed his eyes while remembering every feature of Leeny.
Deep in his memories, he did not notice how the light flickered, nor did he pay attention to the movement in the dark. Reliving his wedding day and remembering how happy he had been, he did not hear the sound coming from the hallway. He first opened his eyes when a cold breeze blew through the kitchen. Assuming that he had forgotten to close one of the windows and, unwilling to get up, he ignored the chilliness. Though with his eyes open, he detected a movement in the dark.
For a second, he felt scared, then relief flooded him. He had wished many times to die and join his Kathleen. However, having been raised in a strict catholic household, he had never dared to take his own life, for fear that he would go to hell and could not find his Leeny in heaven and in heaven, she would be, having been the angel of his life. Therefore, when something detached from the wall, he did not move but simply clung to the urn and the wedding picture. He did not defend himself when it seized him. However, when he was lifted, the urn slipped out of his hand and shattered on the floor. He wanted to scream but was unable to utter a sound.
Suspended in the air, tears started to flow down his cheeks while he stared at the scattered ashes. He was held in a tight but painless grip. Quietly, he formed the words, 'Just do it.'
At that moment, steps entered the kitchen. Their light but assertive sound compelled him to look up. Eyes as black as hell smiled at him in a wicked way and forced fear into his body. This was not how the bible described the devil, but what was in front of him was as evil as anything he had ever seen, and it was here to kill him.
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Unedited sample from part 2
Chapter 55 – 22nd October 2023
“How did this happen?” Lencho asked while inspecting Luca’s crooked nose.
“He got into a fight,” Sunna pushed in, bemused.
He glared at her while doing his best not to pay attention to Lencho’s hands on his skin.
“It was your idea to go to the pub,” she teased. “Don’t blame me.”
“Unfortunately,” Lencho interrupted, “your nasal bone has already healed. The only way to correct it is to break it again. This will hurt, but I’ll try to be quick about it.”
Still struggling with the sensation from Lencho’s touch, he agreed, welcoming any distraction, even the pain of a broken nose.
“Wait, I can’t see anything,” Sunna proclaimed and pulled a chair closer.
Before he could grunt at her, a loud crack was audible, followed by a piercing wave that shot up his nose. Groaning, he blinked the tears out of his eyes and gripped the chair’s rests tightly while Lencho reset his nose.
“Done,” Lencho confirmed, securing his nose with tape.
“Thanks.”
Taking the offered phone, he inspected his face in the dark glass. When giving it back to Lencho, the screen lit up, displaying several dozen missed calls.
“How was it?” Sunna interrupted from her observation chair.
“Felt great,” he grunted. “Do you want a broken nose too?”
Laughing, she replied, “That’s so kind, but I leave the breaking of bones to you.”
He wanted to hit back, but felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Try not to move your facial muscles too much. It will help with the healing,” Lencho suggested while whispering into his ear. “She enjoys quarrelling far too much. If you want to get back at her, try being nice.”
Turning to her, Lencho commented loudly, “You look lovely in that red dress.”
She stopped chuckling and glared at him.
“Who asked you?”
“You see,” Lencho whispered.
“See what?” she barked while her narrowed eyes darted back and forth between the two men.
He tried not to laugh but failed when Lencho replied, grinning sweetly, “Nothing.”
As a result, both were showered with insults while she left them to brew herself a tea, banging her cupboards loudly in the process.
Ignoring her, he got two bottles of beer from the fridge.
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