Phantom Ride: A Supernatural Thriller with a Twist by Caz Puscat

Author:Caz Puscat [Puscat, Caz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-12-31T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Max was aware he was dreaming but remained asleep. Sunshine lit the room as they pasted the last sheet of paper on the lounge wall. The silvery leaf garland danced above the fireplace as the linen curtains billowed in a fragrance of roses.

In the distance, Max heard bombs dropping as he sat on a wooden bench playing chess in an underground shelter that smelled dank and earthy. Then he was back in his lounge, still dreaming, and admiring the new decor.

‘I love it, she said. But when Max turned, he froze. It was the wrong face. It was Ellie. Her skin was dark and mottled, and her lips were dark blue. She was holding the tin he’d buried in the garden.

Max’s eyes sprung open. The same old dresser and matching mahogany wardrobe with scuff marks at the base was still there. He breathed out a sigh of relief.

Swinging his legs over the bed, he grabbed his clothes and hurried downstairs. His dream weighed heavy on his mood.

Max was dressed by the time the kettle boiled. The silence around him amplified the ticking clock above the fireplace as the long hand shifted to the next digit, like the sound of dropping pin.

He remembered their first day in the cottage. Snuggling on the sofa and being excited about spending their first night in their new home. Now she was gone. He’d blown it.

Max drizzled maple syrup on his cornflakes and smothered them with yoghurt. He turned the music up on his laptop to cheer himself up. Today was going to be a good day, he told himself. The kitchen fitters were due to arrive at nine o’clock, and he was going to paint the bedrooms.

By mid-morning, the fitters were busy building the kitchen cupboards downstairs, and Max was in the spare bedroom.

A ray of sunshine beamed over the boxes and bags he’d moved to the middle of the room. He was at the window unhooking the moss coloured curtains when Pops arrived. Max smiled.

‘It’s a hive of activity here today,’ Pops said taking his jacket off.

‘Thought I’d make a start up here. The engineer is coming tomorrow to install the heating,’ Max said.

Pops rubbed his hand over the avocado wall, its paint peeling like sunburned skin. ‘If you sand this down, we can paint it,’ Pops said. He looked up at the flaking paint on the ceiling. ‘I’ll rub that down.’

Pops noticed Adrienne’s holdall amongst the boxes. ‘Did you speak to Adrienne about picking the rest of her stuff up?’

‘I wrote her a letter. She hasn’t answered yet,’ Max said in a flat tone.

‘Doesn’t sound hopeful. Maybe it’s time to move on lad.’

‘You’re right,’ Max said, his tone lifting slightly. ‘As soon as I’ve finished renovating this place, I’ll look for somewhere else to live.’

***

Three weeks later, they’d finished the house and it was ready to sell.

Max sent another letter to Adrienne saying the house was going on the market and if she didn’t collect her things, he’d throw them away. He was hoping the shock would make her respond and he wasn’t disappointed.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.