Suddenly it became a man by Daniel Scott (book club books .txt) 📖

you think this is helping?’

‘Listen, he dies eight scenes in and’

Ben’s concentration switched to his careful driving, we had arrived at the restaurant; after parking he turned and continued.

‘I asked Kyle about you, why you didn’t get it etcetera, one word “Gregory” Gregory is Duke’s jealous brother the killer and a leading role with good screen time, that’s what I was coming to tell you before all of this.’

He switched off the engine with style waiting for my reaction

‘Ben I can’t believe it, that’s-’

‘A leading role and you get to shoot Jean Parson’

‘If only I could.’ I said laughing ‘Ben I feel-’

‘I know you feel great, so do I you’re going to actually pay me for a change, come on wake him up you owe us.’

 

Chapter Six: Connections

 

 

That news signalled the change, a professional existence that ended another of cameos as non-characters.

A change everybody will see, who doesn’t love a villain?

Benjamin got out energetically taken by the mood

‘I’ll get the tables I know a man on the inside wink-wink, sit tight ok we’re getting premier seating’

He slammed his door while I still stunned by the news sat in awe of my new fortune.

 

As I waved Ben away into the restaurant the cars ceiling light had temporarily activated, it shone into the back and brightly onto the sleeping stranger.

I turned out of my seat to get a good look at him and watched as he began stirring from sleep.

After casually sitting up with puzzlement he checked both wrists for a watch, found it cursed at it quietly wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his thick coat, a second later he adjusted his thick glasses and looked at me

‘Ben?’

I angled my face further into the light then he noticed me.

‘Yes, of course. Hello again, apologies in advance I’ve been known to drool’

‘That’s fine it’s not my car, also I think it’s me who should be apologising for all this trouble, clearly I’ve kept from your bed to say the least. Ben’s inside getting us seats we’re at a restaurant’

He nodded his head yawning and zipped down his big coat.

‘Forget about it. That’s the best sleep I’ve had in weeks, must be the weather and this car, it smells good.’

He sat forward staring at me expectantly, as if to say “It’s me?”

‘Hey friend this is embarrassing I’m sorry I don’t quite remember your name.’

‘You don’t like Jean Parson do you?’ he smiled

‘I overheard you two talking on the way here, congratulations on the lead.’

‘Excuse me I didn’t know you know him and thank you a little luck‘

 He cut in.

‘Yes and luckily I was at the hotel when you were taken in. They were saying you killed a man I almost thought you did’

‘No it was a big mist-‘

‘Mistake I know, when Ben turned up all was revealed, I still thought what if, but he cleared the smoke obscuring you and here you are freedom.’

The interrupting drone of his patter was beginning to irritate me on top of that I was ravenous, the smell of food was in the air calling out to me, potatoes, chicken, curry, stuffed peppers with cheese.

He sat up and reached around in his coats inside pocket, I hardly recognised his face but his voice sounded familiar.

‘Yes you’ve done me a great favour and if you’re hungry I’d like to repay you’

‘Don’t you thank people who help you?’

As calmly as I could I decided to reiterate my grateful offer but found myself waiting for him to finish speaking again.

‘Don’t worry I know all about you, you’re decent I just thought, but it’s okay.’

‘Well if you listen to me, I’m saying thank you right now and I’d like to buy you dinner Mr.?’

‘That’s very kind but no, I’ve intruded enough ’

‘No It’s fine were here and it’s it the least I can do honestly’

‘No you don’t understand at all. Thank you is enough.’

He offered out his unoccupied hand as he continued to root in his pocket.

‘Shake it’

The sound of those words were ingrained into my psyche, I hesitated without thinking cradling one hand in the other and I didn’t know why.

I heard myself thinking ‘It’s still feels bruised. It’s the one he squeezed…Who squeezed?’

The displeasure of my hesitation had rotted away his former kind expression and with the bizarre nostalgia of my childhood trepidation when sitting on, what was my Fathers lap at Christmas, I recalled the stunning revelation that followed and with it in mind looked once more at the stranger inside of the car.

The obvious deception was inescapable now; I suddenly knew why his voice was so familiar, why I couldn’t remember his name or face.

Too late I saw passed his purposefully thick glasses and met the snake brown sunken, offset eyes that glared through mine at the roadside and in the hotel bar and with every sinking moment they emerged from the depths of his stony face like a cobra from a basket.

 

I twisted back for the door but one of his quick thick fingered hands wrapped itself around my neck and clenched tightly and snapped me back into my seat with strength.

‘What do you want?’ I cried.

He answered nothing.

Using his firm grip he levered himself closer me, his voice had changed now, it slithered through the air like a snake on sand, lisping into my ear.

‘Thank me.’

‘I’m sorry. Thank you’

‘Is that all?’

‘Thank you very much I’m grateful for everything you’ve done’

‘You asked me a question at the bar didn’t you?

About my family?

‘I didn’t mean to insult you in any way, I am truly sorry, I don’t know what happened and I shouldn’t’

 

‘Be quiet and listen. I used live in a house, it was as small as this car, I cooked in it, ate in it, I kept it clean. I knew someone who had a friend who fed her soup, even when she didn’t want it. A day came when she got very sick, do you know what he did? He stopped feeding her. She died and he buried her in my house. I could smell her rotting, first it was sweet like hot pork, it smelt like her skin was sizzling. Then another smell came it was thick, stifling, swallow or breathe that rancid odour filled my mouth.’

 

His anger flared his shivering face came so hard against mine his teeth squashed my ear, then a gush of words and spittle with rage seethed out.

‘That’s what happened! That’s “Something” you nosey pig you murderer!’

Incredibly his anger relented, vanishing into a bizarre serenity.

The car light dimmed.

‘I meant what I said before about congratulating you.’

‘You did? I mean thank you’’

‘You’re welcome’

His grip had loosened after he spoke as he seemed to contemplate something, perhaps feelings of remorse.

Seizing the moment carefully, timidly I asked him

‘Why are you doing this to me?’

‘Bored, dumb, vengeful, insane, I know I’m none of those things, but anyone who could describe me and what I have done to get here would use at least two of those words. I have killed, that is true. You saw the pictures. Whatever it is you recognised about me, I think after this, you’ll tell it to the police.’

It sounded like a question.

‘I won’t, I won’t say anything to anyone’

He was still calm but like the one before a storm.

‘When you say that I want to believe you. I heard you’re a good actor.’

‘This isn’t an act, I won’t, I don’t want to’

There was a long silent pause.

The fear I felt in that moment was worst than the first, the level of tension in me from terrible suspense had peaked.

Sounds approached from behind us and materialised with lights, another car was reversing into the restaurants small car park one space behind, the sounds of it grew increasingly in the backdrop,

gravel underneath tires, the handbrake, the engine put to sleep and finally the door.

Desperation consumed me and I began considering a frantic bash of the horn to warn the hungry diner to my danger. I glanced into the rear view mirror, saw the maniac looking down, then at the horn on the stirring wheel.

Suddenly his voice croaked.

‘Don’t look at it’

My eyes entered the mirror a second time and I saw his other hand, it was revealed from out of his coat, elevating a steely hammer.

Without thought I blurted it out

‘Please don’t do it!’

‘Shut up, and shut your eyes too.’

I thought about my father again and all the promises I’ll never keep, then I closed them.

I heard a drawing of breath, one loud hiss in, he held it a moment then quietly, almost to himself he said

‘I still feel like I owe you.’

Trembling now, my muscles sighed out any fight they had in them, it had liquefied like boiling fat and emptied down into my bloating bladder.

At that moment I tried to convince myself I wouldn’t feel it, that death was painless.

However the contradicting images of poor Tom’s concaved skull dramatically resurfaced, crushing the naive idea with clarity.

There was nothing left to do but to beg.

‘Don’t do it, please I won’t say anything!’

With anger he puffed out the air he had drawn in and with temper warned

‘I don’t know how much more I have in me to help you like this. Think about that boy Tom and Enjoy this brief intermission!’

His grip released me with a shove, I jerked forward my head cradled in my own hands anticipating incredible pain.

 

A time passed with my eyes shut, braced for a blow but it never came.

Nothing happened.

Ben opened his door.

‘I booked the table lets go. Where’s your friend?’

I opened my eyes, he was gone. The back door was opened I didn’t even hear it.

‘He’s gone’ I said.

Ben’s hand came down and rested on my shoulder ‘Are you okay?’

A warmth on my legs ran cool then wet, from the waist down w was soaked with urine, as I gaped down at myself pain shot up the back of my neck, the dull ache in my back returned, my stomach moaned, I covered my face with my hands and in that shallow pit of darkness cried.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Seven: Invisible

 

A week later… 

Dark sea clouds were watching me through the windows of the new house I rented, looming with their lightning amassed.

The weather had changed.

Since I moved in I’ve been falling to sleep by the window sat on a leather armchair I had revealed from under a white linen sheet in the living room, then painstakingly took up to the bedroom and having the crocodile dream.

Although the massive unobstructed view of the field, the main road and the long drive leading down to this place gave me