The Red Room by M S Morris

Author:M S Morris [Morris, M S]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Landmark Media
Published: 2018-10-18T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19

The magnitude of my discovery is too much for me to handle. I’m overwhelmed by so many thoughts that my mind threatens to burst. I feel a sudden urge to escape from this room and from this cottage where Adam has shut me away. If feels like a prison now. The bars are the lies he told me, the prison guards are my own doubts and fears. I cannot remain inside another second. I run out, into the freezing January air, leaving the door to the cottage open behind me.

It is already growing dim as the afternoon draws to a close. I am completely alone out here. The road stretches back towards the village and away in the opposite direction. It is empty of vehicles both ways and there are no lights visible, except the warm glow behind me from the cottage. There is no one out here except me. I run into the middle of the road and at the top of my voice I scream, ‘I’m dead! I’m dead! I’m dead!’

The sheep in the field opposite the cottage raise their heads briefly, showing scant interest, before returning to their persistent grazing.

The cold brings me to my senses. I turn and go back indoors. I huddle by the fire in the lounge, but my teeth won’t stop chattering. It isn’t just the cold. I realise I must be in shock. People die of shock, I tell myself. But I can’t die, because I’m already dead. I start to laugh hysterically and don’t stop until my sides are hurting so badly that I think I might die after all. Afterwards I sit cradled in the chair, rocking gently, hugging my knees to my chest.

My mind has almost shut down as it resists the revelations that have flooded it. Just two thoughts persist in my dulled consciousness: Adam lied to me; and, I am Victoria.

Eventually I get to my feet and stagger into the kitchen. I’m surprised to see the kitchen unchanged, with the cups and saucers piled up by the sink exactly where I left them earlier. Since my whole world has been turned upside down, it seems odd that the dishes still need washing. I drain the sink and re-fill it with hot water and a squirt of washing-up liquid. I wash the crockery and lay it out on the draining board to dry. The security of this simple household chore helps me recover my equilibrium. I dry the crockery with a tea towel and put everything away in the cupboards. Once I’ve restored order I feel calmer.

I know what I need to do now. I make myself an extra-strong coffee and take it through to the office. I return to the search results and click on other articles, seeking further details, information that might help me understand. They all basically confirm what the Daily Mail article said. I used to be an executive at a big advertising agency and seven years ago I went missing. There was a big police hunt at the time, and although my empty boat was found, no body was ever discovered.

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