The Visit by Robert W. Kirby

Author:Robert W. Kirby [Kirby, Robert W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-03T16:00:00+00:00

34

Curtis got changed, necked a glass of apple juice and some paracetamol, then washed his face with cold water. He left the house, crossed the road, and made his way down the small steps that led to the beach. He found Hayden tossing pebbles into the water.

The pair walked along the beach toward Whitstable.

‘I think I need to explain something here, Hayden. When your brother came to our house… he said he was you!’

‘He did what?’

‘He’s been pretending to be you the entire time.’

‘Right. OK. I see. That’s… unexpected.’

‘Why would he do that?’

Hayden puffed out his cheeks. ‘So, there is quite a lot we need to talk about. Like I said, I don’t quite know where to start. What’s Essa told you about us?’

‘Not much,’ said Curtis guardedly. ‘Who went out with Vanessa? You, or Russell?’

‘Me. I only got a chance with her because she came from a broken home. Damaged goods, as they say. It was the only reason someone like me got with such a stunner like her. But we fell for each other. We had a rather turbulent relationship. We were young, but it wasn’t only that.’ Hayden slipped on a pair of Ray-Ban shades. ‘I’ll level with you, Curtis. Essa had some strange tendencies back then. She’d obsess over silly stuff. She’d get angry if things didn’t go her way. She keyed my car twice after we’d argued over some trivial matters. And once – you probably won’t believe me because it sounds insane – but once, she even smeared dog crap all over my bed sheets. At least I assume it was dog poo.’

‘What?’

‘Honest to God, you did not piss off Little Essa without receiving some payback.’

Curtis pondered on this. He found it hard to accept that his Vee would do something like that. OK, she got a little obsessed with things. It could be cute if it was a fixation with making the perfect cake, having the kitchen organised to perfection, or having wallpaper that appeared completely unblemished. Even one bubble in the paper would drive her nuts. Her obsessive behaviour was, at times, a little… disconcerting, but nothing more than that.

‘Is she still obsessed with all that fantasy nonsense?’ asked Hayden.

‘Fantasy? I’m not sure I—’

‘She used to read a lot of garbage about folklore and myths. She even got it into her head all that sprites and pixies cobblers might be real.’

‘Vanessa? What, like sword and sorcery stuff?’

‘More evil fairies and demon worshipping. She’d convinced herself that some weird creature lurked in her dad’s shed. A troll, she used to call it. Ah, what was it? The Whisper Troll or some such malarkey. I dunno… something along those lines. She’d go on about this creature, saying it shadowed her like some abhorrent entity. I guess… no, I know it all stemmed from the issues with her mother, Heidi. She ever talk about her to you?’

Curtis shook his head.

‘They never rekindled their relationship, then?’

Curtis shook his head again.

‘Mm, I guessed as much. Essa told me things about her.

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