Horror Stories from Horrified - Volume One (2)

My headache has gone, or at least I no longer feel it. The pr essur e that bubbled in
my head this mor ning has dissipated, like steam on a w indow pane. I br ush my
teeth again, and in the bathr oom mir r or , I tr ace the image of a butter fly, flitting
above my head. My finger mar ks dr aw smudgy lines acr oss the glass, and they
begin to dr ip and smear as the air cools and the steam fr om my show er condenses.
I hope that in dr eaming, my mind w ill do the same.
I w ill need to r etur n to my ow n home soon. I have a job, and a life outside my
family, w hich I must nur tur e and attend to. My boss has been for giving, and the
endless missed messages and calls fr om clients have been dealt w ith as best they
can. But their for giveness is not infinite, and soon I must wade back into the pool of
ever yday existence once mor e. No mor e Mum. No mor e goodbyes. Time to move
on.
Another knock at my bedr oom door , in the hour s befor e the daw n. My Mother ?s
voice:
?Sor r y to wake you, dear. Did you sleep w ell??
?S?okay, Mum. I have to get up ear ly anyway. Is Dad up??
?No, he?s still asleep, bless him. And befor e I for get: r emember the cleaner is
coming ?r ound tomor r ow at six. Make sur e your Dad leaves her money on the
table.?
?I w ill, Mum. Thanks.?
?See you in a bit, love. I?ll put the kettle on.?
Awake. Aler t. Knocking at the door. A soft shadow , a war m light that flicker s at
the per ipher y of sight. The smell of her per fume, the shuffle of her slipper s on the
car pet by the door. I clutch the duvet up to my chin and w ill myself not to cr y. She
was her e. But she isn?t her e, not anymor e. She?s gone. Ther e is a Mum-shaped hole
in the w or ld, and something is tr ying to fill it.
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