100

It was darker than she expected when she awoke, aware that she must have been asleep for a long while. Checking her phone, she saw a text from Rob asking if she was awake?... Assuming she would still be asleep he had left her alone, knowing how exhausted she had been. She texted him back.

‘I just woke up, slept for hours. I just need some time to pack up the rest of my stuff here. I miss you and I feel better. I love you. Xxx’

He responded immediately.

‘Want me to come help you? I miss you too baby. Can’t wait to see you xxx’

Rose smiled at his fast response, feeling his presence around her.

‘I won’t be much longer, I need to do this alone. xx’

Rose wanted to say goodbye to her little home finally, time to look around one last time and fully separate herself from this place. She wanted to walk away tonight with no reason to keep coming down here.

‘I’ll come when you’re ready, just text me. I’m cooking us dinner, running us a bubble bath and then we’re going to bed to watch a marathon of old movies in my mum’s old room. We can spread out and snuggle up with popcorn when you’re home. I aim to make you feel a hundred times better before you fall asleep, baby. Xx’

She could not think of anything more that she wanted to do, he knew exactly how to look after her. He had moved most of their things to that room now over the last couple of days, giving them more space until the suite was ready to be moved into. A room more suited to her feminine needs and a place ready for Muffin to come home too that was a lot more comfortable than his cramped bedroom by his office. He made her feel warm and loved, always attentive to her needs, always striving to make her happy. It just made her love him even more as they said their brief goodbyes.

She had more stuff crammed into this little house than she expected, having to light the fire and turn on the lights due to the growing cold in the air and earlier darkness. Winter was coming in from the hills and warning them that summer was leaving. She knew from past experiences that winter this far north could be brutal, and in a way, she was glad she would be warm and cosy in the walls of the manor with its modern heated floors and central heating. It wasn’t as late as it seemed, it was just the signs of the seasons changing and the darkness falling in earlier every evening and making it feel far later.

She packed up her entire workroom, stripped her shelves bare, desk cleared of everything and walls lacking any sign of her ever being there. Later she would turn this back into a guest room for her parents to use as they pleased. Another task for another day. Sure it would have more purpose when her family used it for visits.

It hadn’t taken long to extract herself from the rest of the rooms, no real method or neatness to filling the bags and boxes. She just wanted it done and had practically swiped it all in haphazardly. Her bedroom was far easier, most of her things were already in Rob’s bedroom, just a handful of clothes and toiletries, a ton of shoes and the odd personal trinket and treasure. The other rooms were not much worse. She wanted to leave the place still homely and habitable for when her parents or brothers came up north to visit; she didn’t have a need for much, just all her pictures and nick knacks. She knew starting over in the new suite being built she didn’t need to bring very much. Rob had made it clear he expected her to use the accounts he had set up, spend his money and start picking whatever she wanted for the house, a new start for them both.

She dumped the bags and boxes near the front door in the hall, stacking them up against the wall and sent him a message asking him to come down in about ten minutes. She wanted the time to wander the rooms once more. Check everything was off and see it alone for one last time in case she got upset; she didn’t want him to see her sad about leaving. She was ending it the way she had started, solo. She did not know when her family would have need of it again and wanted to treat this like it would be a long while.

‘Okay baby I’ll head up to you in ten xx Love you, Penny.’

She read the message with a heart-warming grin on her face and slid the phone into her bag, leaving it by the door with the mountain of stuff she had accumulated since coming here. Unlatching the front door in anticipation for him, turning off most of the lights, the only glow from the fire in the living room as she walked around. Taking one last look.

Moving to the lounge she chose to sit on the couch and watch the last glowing embers thoughtfully while they started to die out. It would heat this room for a while yet after she was gone and slowly go out. It felt symbolic. Like she would be leaving a small warmth behind long after she had gone. Staring into the depth of the fiery orange and yellow coals, the odd flicker of a flame fighting to remain alive, she heard a small sudden noise from the rear of the house. Pausing to listen carefully, her heart elevating slightly as she cocked her head and strained to hear it.

The wind was getting up and a tree branch gently tapped the back window, giving her a fright but then laughing at her own stupidity.

He would be here soon, she had nothing to fear from the wind.

She got up, moving to the kitchen, wanting one last check of the back door to make sure she had locked it. The lock sometimes stuck and had easily opened many a time when she was sure she had done it in the past. She had a chain she could slide on, to make sure it would stay locked.

The light switch had always been in a stupid place over by the far side of the room, so entering the kitchen it was in inevitable darkness as she walked into the small neat space in the moonlight.

She walked in boldly, suddenly her skin prickling from sixth sense as she paused, her blood ran instantly cold. Her body stopped, her gaze frozen on the door in disbelief as it stood freely open, a gap of several inches as it swung gently in the darkness. There was a slight breeze coming in to swirl around her eerily, making her skin tingle with goose bumps as the blood drained away to be replaced with sheer terror. Her breath halted, and her heart skipped a beat; the sudden feeling of warmth behind her as someone stood breathing in the shadows.

She was too afraid to turn. The icy cold slide of fear starting at her toes like a tidal wave as it moved up, enveloping her body. Her eyes started stinging with moisture and emotion. She tried to take a steadying breath, glancing around for something to protect herself, without making it obvious that she knew she was not alone, but could see nothing within reach. Feeling the movement before it reached her, she jumped away, spinning, fierce glints of eyes and teeth as the figure came at her, trying to claw at her face as she screamed out in fear, lashing out defensively.

Adrenaline kicked in and Rose fought back impulsively as the hot body surrounded her violently, with teeth clenched and a determination to get out of this unscathed, knowing Rob was on his way and he would be here soon enough. She just had to hold her off until then, knowing fine well by the snarling abuse and clawing hands that her attacker was Morag.

The grabbing fingers and slapping hands were surrounding her head and face, caught up in her own struggle to hold her away, hitting her back. Rose was already breathless, already acting without thought, but just sheer impulse and panic, her own sense of survival kicking into gear. They bumped and rolled into the units and shelves, grappling at one another, grabbing on and trying to get the better of the other and ending up on the floor, surrounded by falling crockery and smashing dishes.

Morag was stronger than she looked, her hands tangling in Rose’s hair and yanking her head back painfully. A slap collided with Rose’s face, burning and stinging as claws grabbed at her mouth and tried to gauge at her eyes. Grunting and crying out, Rose’s clothes and skin was grabbed and yanked mercilessly, nails torn across her exposed flesh. Her fists managed to collide with firm bone several times, grunts following and dragging Morag to the ground in a heap to try and get the better of her.

Rose was trying to break free into a forward run as she scrambled to get up, but the woman grabbed her from behind with deathly speed, sending the pair of them crashing forward, head first into the closed cupboards.

Rose took a massive whack to the top of her forehead, seeing stars momentarily and sliding down, losing her faculties and sense of reality almost instantly. The other woman was dragging her lifeless body over towards the center of the floor, flipping her onto her back, climbing on top of her and pulling at her shoulders, trying to get her hands around Rose’s throat. Fighting back with heavy limbs and nothing but darkness around her, Rose was flailing her arms, trying to shield her neck and face, trying to hit out. She was desperately trying to protect herself from this crazed attack while Morag was trying to claw at her still; frustrated with the battle and screaming in her face that Rob was hers.

Rose, despite her dazed brain, was managing to still hold her own. To shield the onslaught of nails and fists with the might from nowhere, she managed to throw her off. Thrusting her with her body and every ounce of strength she could muster, back against the far side with a dramatic crashing noise. Clambering to her feet and sliding her arms across the bunkers, trying to pull her weight up and looking for anything to grab in defense. Rose’s hands caught on smooth objects, knocking things out of reach desperately. Her hands scrambling in fear but unable to really grasp anything of value that may help her.