Horror Stories from Horrified - Volume One (2)

I watched his back as he pour ed coffee. The str aight edge of his shoulder s suggested
something else.
?Mum wants to know if w e?ll be ther e for lunch on the 25th. She?ll pr obably ask about it.
Do you feel up to that??
The thought came w ith a sick sw ell of dr ead but it w ould be less ter r ifying than spending
the day alone. I had ducked out of family lunch last year w ith a stomach bug and spent the
hour s str etched out on the sofa, blinded by gin, tr ash TV and the viscer al ter r or of the dar k
pr essing at the w indow s and tw isting itself into the cur tains. By the time Steve had got
back, I didn?t have to fake sickness; I spent the r est of the year in bed. He under stands
mor e than I could ask of him but those bleak days had fr ightened him and I doubt he
w ould leave me alone this time.
?Cour se. Time w ith the boys w ould be nice.?
The noose tightened a little mor e. I dipped back into my tea.
?Or w e could just stay in. Join them for Boxing Day,? he offer ed.
I avoided his eyes. Under standing is one thing but I can?t stand the musky stink of pity,
even fr om him.
?Lunch sounds good. It?s just another day, isn?t it??
?That?s the spir it.?
I watched him flick thr ough the post and open a handw r itten envelope. It was a car d.
?Ah, it?s fr om Geor ge. He says him and Nicky ar e getting mar r ied next year.?
The car d show ed a black ink sketch of a snow y scene. A cottage stood in the backgr ound,
a cur l of chimney smoke fr aming the simple piece.
?Do you think w e?ll get an invite??
The opaque shape of a doe stood in the for egr ound, her gr aceful neck mir r or ing the
cur ve of the moon above. She star ed out of the flat w hite w ith black dot eyes. I saw her
ear s tw itch, her muzzle lifting ever so slightly to sense the air.
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