Love Only In Death, Page 2
Mathew Hall
and hurtful scream! Elizabeth, with this extremely panicked look on her face, rushed to my attention and called for help. She was crying so hard and screaming, "No! William! Please not again, not now! I love you! I love you, I love you!! You can not do this!" Of course, I could not reply. I was still gripping my chest curved up screaming in agony! Just then I began to feel very dizzy, the pain still there but everything blurred and became darker. I could hardly hear, just as if I was underwater. Elizabeth still crying for attention and holding me so tightly... Drifting off into unconsciousness I noticed the pain easing but not enough... Not enough to get over as it seemed.
Zap!... Zap!... All I could hear and feel were these huge zap's of electricity running through my body causing immense pain as I regained consciousness. But was I unconscious? The doctors were panicking trying to help me. But why would they be using the defibrillator machine if I had simply collapsed? All of these thoughts were running through my mind in a flash as I awoke. By the time I had fully awoken the doctors had calmed down, I wanted to ask them what had happened but I was just too weak. My arms seemingly dead, my legs aching and my heart pumping once again a slow and unsteady beat... I felt I could do not a thing. Until... I looked to my side hoping for an inspirational look from my love only to find, to my horror, Elizabeth was no longer sat beside me. I attempted to jump up but alas, I could not, I really was just too weak. I simply could not understand where she had gone, she stayed by my side throughout this whole ordeal up until now... Something wasn't right. I had to find out what was happening but how could I? Minutes turned into hours, hours turned into days, days turned into weeks and those weeks turned into months, two very long months in fact and still no sign of my beautiful Elizabeth... Oh how I wondered where she could be, everyday all throughout the day all I could think about was where she was. I was constantly just so concerned for her safety it killed me with every minute that passed by... Every heart breaking, long and sorrow filled minute.
Over time my illness began to heal, no longer would I lay in such pain awaiting my recovery because it was here... I remember it so well, although I just wanted to find out where Elizabeth was I had to concentrate on recovering to a fully mobile state so I could find her. I believe it was in fact the determination and the desire
to find and to hold Elizabeth once again in my arms that kept me going and caused me to recover much quicker than the doctors and I believed I would heal.
Finally, out of that horrible, dirty and odd hospital, time now to search... I started at the one place we both forever would find solace in bad times, our home. I never realised just how much can change in a small amount of time. Our house, our home was beautiful. Once, stood tall and proud on the beach front, coloured a beautiful bright blue, it gleamed. Standing out from the rest, now for the wrong reasons. The garden, now over grown, weeds covered the dry, horrible and cracked soil. Rubbish thrown in from the streets onto the path in which is now covered also in old dead creatures like snails and worms of half-decayed body's. The windows were dusty, dirty and covered in bird excretion while the bricks, door and frames looked of little happiness, damp and moss. This gave me such an ill feeling, seeing as of recent such a bright, clean and glorious home to now a dull, dirty and grim house. I approached the door, avoiding the decaying creatures and rubbish, and reached for the handle. As I did I noticed something wasn't right, not just the fact the whole place looked a disgrace but more that I'm sure if Elizabeth were to be present, things would not look quite so messy and unclean. Of course, still filled with worry also excitement in the hope she would be waiting, I proceeded to turn the handle. My hands were shaking, my heart racing. Right now I didn't care that the doctors told me to take things slow due to my heart condition, I just carried on.
I opened the door, the fact in which the door was not locked didn't phase me at the time, only after I had fully opened the door. The smell of my house was horrible, the smell of dampness, rotting mice and stale air hit me like hammer hitting a nail. I did not like this, not one bit. I carried on through, not taking my coat or my shoes off due to the freezing temperature of the house. Whilst walking I stopped, a very quick sudden stop. I noticed that on the dust covered floor, there were footprints. Small woman-like footprints. Could Elizabeth have been home, left the footprints that follow along the hall into the living room? My heart now racing much faster and my hands shaking like they'd never done before, I carried on through to the living room. Ignoring the smell, ignoring the unopened envelopes in which the door pushed to the side when opened.
I reached the living room door, approbation of the fact Elizabeth was not sat waiting for me did occur. I was scared and confused, if she had entered the house nothing would be as it is and she would not have been absent on the day of my hospital leave. I sat in the room for a rest as I was beginning to feel weak from too much after my inconvenient heart caused my hospital stay, I looked around following the footprints to view where they lead and aberrantly the footprints appeared to traverse in a circular motion in front of the fireplace. Bemused, I took a deep breath to hopefully give strength enough to get up, when up, I slowly walked to the strange circle of footprints and remembered how when agitated or scared, Elizabeth would circle the floor in front of the fireplace and try to calm down in that way. My hopes heightened of once again holding her in my arms. But why would she be scared or agitated? A reason for such a thing is absent and causing me to think twice as to why she isn't around rather than thinking she could be visiting family or out for the moment on a walk.
I was stood wondering then there was this huge crash! I ran to the kitchen shouting "Elizabeth!" But in my shouting I realised, I hadn't just shouted as normal, I shouted as if I hated her, an aggressive shout it was. The moment I got to the kitchen I threw everything around, pots to the floor, crashing and breaking, files scattering across the floor but there was no sign of Elizabeth around. No sign of anything or anyone around. I looked back to the hallway through the kitchen and noticed aside from my fresh footprints there were older footprints that appeared to stop just before the kitchen doorway then become two parallel lines as if someone was dragged, this followed into the kitchen and out the back door. I followed. But still no sign of Elizabeth, the garden was just as the front without the rubbish. Overgrown and dry. Apart from one part... It seems as if there's a patch of grass, a square patch, that's been kept well, cut and treated but I have not been around...
"HELP!" Elizabeth cries. Sat in this confined space with no light other than what little shines through the cracks of the door above her. Finding it hard to breathe Elizabeth bashes with all her might on the door to open it, just to let a little or enough oxygen in to keep her alive until he, this abhorrent man strangely resembling William but wears a mask to cover his detection, keeping her trapped, returns. In this cold dark place all Elizabeth can do is cry and cry she did. Her wounds inflicted by this man, her torturous wounds would stay with her for as long as she lives, no matter how seemingly short her life could be.
The walls were of damp rotting wood covered in insects and slimy creatures and surrounded by dark, gritty soil which made Elizabeth sick and even more scared. She was so scared of this man. Even at the thought of him she held her hands on her head so tight and screamed out just to try and relieve herself of his image. If she were to describe this man it would be with just a few words, terrifying, abhorrent and mentally ill.
After a few painful, long hours sitting and being in constant fear every second, there was a ripping sound above the door, getting louder and louder as it travels along the frame of the door. More light crept through the gaps in the rotting wood. He was back, she knew it for sure. She screamed, "No! Please! Don't hurt me, PLEASE! I won't tell anyone I promise, just please let me go!".
He opened the door slowly, whispering her name, over and over. He crept down the wooden make-shift stairs from the door to Elizabeth. She pleaded and begged, informing him she has a family and she can't be kept away any longer, someone would find her. But
he would not listen. Still whispering her name in a constant rhythm, almost chanting. The more he neared her, the more she shook, the more she cried and the more she pleaded. However, begging would not help her, he's made his mind up. You could tell by the heavy breathing in between the chants, the intent and slow walk towards her and the box he carried.
A box she had seen before, in the house under the stairs. She knew what this was for. The box, she remembered, was full of tools. Tools like saws and knives. If you were to look into Elizabeth's eyes you could see just how scared she was, just as if you were looking into the eyes of a sinner being dragged to hell. He stopped just before her, put down the box and inserted the key. She knew only of one person with a key for this... William.
The man opened the box and pulled out a pair of secateurs, to Elizabeth these seemed the biggest pair of secateurs she'd ever seen. He grabbed her wrist with excessive force and slammed her hand on to his knee. Slowly edging the horrific tool towards
Zap!... Zap!... All I could hear and feel were these huge zap's of electricity running through my body causing immense pain as I regained consciousness. But was I unconscious? The doctors were panicking trying to help me. But why would they be using the defibrillator machine if I had simply collapsed? All of these thoughts were running through my mind in a flash as I awoke. By the time I had fully awoken the doctors had calmed down, I wanted to ask them what had happened but I was just too weak. My arms seemingly dead, my legs aching and my heart pumping once again a slow and unsteady beat... I felt I could do not a thing. Until... I looked to my side hoping for an inspirational look from my love only to find, to my horror, Elizabeth was no longer sat beside me. I attempted to jump up but alas, I could not, I really was just too weak. I simply could not understand where she had gone, she stayed by my side throughout this whole ordeal up until now... Something wasn't right. I had to find out what was happening but how could I? Minutes turned into hours, hours turned into days, days turned into weeks and those weeks turned into months, two very long months in fact and still no sign of my beautiful Elizabeth... Oh how I wondered where she could be, everyday all throughout the day all I could think about was where she was. I was constantly just so concerned for her safety it killed me with every minute that passed by... Every heart breaking, long and sorrow filled minute.
Over time my illness began to heal, no longer would I lay in such pain awaiting my recovery because it was here... I remember it so well, although I just wanted to find out where Elizabeth was I had to concentrate on recovering to a fully mobile state so I could find her. I believe it was in fact the determination and the desire
to find and to hold Elizabeth once again in my arms that kept me going and caused me to recover much quicker than the doctors and I believed I would heal.
Finally, out of that horrible, dirty and odd hospital, time now to search... I started at the one place we both forever would find solace in bad times, our home. I never realised just how much can change in a small amount of time. Our house, our home was beautiful. Once, stood tall and proud on the beach front, coloured a beautiful bright blue, it gleamed. Standing out from the rest, now for the wrong reasons. The garden, now over grown, weeds covered the dry, horrible and cracked soil. Rubbish thrown in from the streets onto the path in which is now covered also in old dead creatures like snails and worms of half-decayed body's. The windows were dusty, dirty and covered in bird excretion while the bricks, door and frames looked of little happiness, damp and moss. This gave me such an ill feeling, seeing as of recent such a bright, clean and glorious home to now a dull, dirty and grim house. I approached the door, avoiding the decaying creatures and rubbish, and reached for the handle. As I did I noticed something wasn't right, not just the fact the whole place looked a disgrace but more that I'm sure if Elizabeth were to be present, things would not look quite so messy and unclean. Of course, still filled with worry also excitement in the hope she would be waiting, I proceeded to turn the handle. My hands were shaking, my heart racing. Right now I didn't care that the doctors told me to take things slow due to my heart condition, I just carried on.
I opened the door, the fact in which the door was not locked didn't phase me at the time, only after I had fully opened the door. The smell of my house was horrible, the smell of dampness, rotting mice and stale air hit me like hammer hitting a nail. I did not like this, not one bit. I carried on through, not taking my coat or my shoes off due to the freezing temperature of the house. Whilst walking I stopped, a very quick sudden stop. I noticed that on the dust covered floor, there were footprints. Small woman-like footprints. Could Elizabeth have been home, left the footprints that follow along the hall into the living room? My heart now racing much faster and my hands shaking like they'd never done before, I carried on through to the living room. Ignoring the smell, ignoring the unopened envelopes in which the door pushed to the side when opened.
I reached the living room door, approbation of the fact Elizabeth was not sat waiting for me did occur. I was scared and confused, if she had entered the house nothing would be as it is and she would not have been absent on the day of my hospital leave. I sat in the room for a rest as I was beginning to feel weak from too much after my inconvenient heart caused my hospital stay, I looked around following the footprints to view where they lead and aberrantly the footprints appeared to traverse in a circular motion in front of the fireplace. Bemused, I took a deep breath to hopefully give strength enough to get up, when up, I slowly walked to the strange circle of footprints and remembered how when agitated or scared, Elizabeth would circle the floor in front of the fireplace and try to calm down in that way. My hopes heightened of once again holding her in my arms. But why would she be scared or agitated? A reason for such a thing is absent and causing me to think twice as to why she isn't around rather than thinking she could be visiting family or out for the moment on a walk.
I was stood wondering then there was this huge crash! I ran to the kitchen shouting "Elizabeth!" But in my shouting I realised, I hadn't just shouted as normal, I shouted as if I hated her, an aggressive shout it was. The moment I got to the kitchen I threw everything around, pots to the floor, crashing and breaking, files scattering across the floor but there was no sign of Elizabeth around. No sign of anything or anyone around. I looked back to the hallway through the kitchen and noticed aside from my fresh footprints there were older footprints that appeared to stop just before the kitchen doorway then become two parallel lines as if someone was dragged, this followed into the kitchen and out the back door. I followed. But still no sign of Elizabeth, the garden was just as the front without the rubbish. Overgrown and dry. Apart from one part... It seems as if there's a patch of grass, a square patch, that's been kept well, cut and treated but I have not been around...
"HELP!" Elizabeth cries. Sat in this confined space with no light other than what little shines through the cracks of the door above her. Finding it hard to breathe Elizabeth bashes with all her might on the door to open it, just to let a little or enough oxygen in to keep her alive until he, this abhorrent man strangely resembling William but wears a mask to cover his detection, keeping her trapped, returns. In this cold dark place all Elizabeth can do is cry and cry she did. Her wounds inflicted by this man, her torturous wounds would stay with her for as long as she lives, no matter how seemingly short her life could be.
The walls were of damp rotting wood covered in insects and slimy creatures and surrounded by dark, gritty soil which made Elizabeth sick and even more scared. She was so scared of this man. Even at the thought of him she held her hands on her head so tight and screamed out just to try and relieve herself of his image. If she were to describe this man it would be with just a few words, terrifying, abhorrent and mentally ill.
After a few painful, long hours sitting and being in constant fear every second, there was a ripping sound above the door, getting louder and louder as it travels along the frame of the door. More light crept through the gaps in the rotting wood. He was back, she knew it for sure. She screamed, "No! Please! Don't hurt me, PLEASE! I won't tell anyone I promise, just please let me go!".
He opened the door slowly, whispering her name, over and over. He crept down the wooden make-shift stairs from the door to Elizabeth. She pleaded and begged, informing him she has a family and she can't be kept away any longer, someone would find her. But
he would not listen. Still whispering her name in a constant rhythm, almost chanting. The more he neared her, the more she shook, the more she cried and the more she pleaded. However, begging would not help her, he's made his mind up. You could tell by the heavy breathing in between the chants, the intent and slow walk towards her and the box he carried.
A box she had seen before, in the house under the stairs. She knew what this was for. The box, she remembered, was full of tools. Tools like saws and knives. If you were to look into Elizabeth's eyes you could see just how scared she was, just as if you were looking into the eyes of a sinner being dragged to hell. He stopped just before her, put down the box and inserted the key. She knew only of one person with a key for this... William.
The man opened the box and pulled out a pair of secateurs, to Elizabeth these seemed the biggest pair of secateurs she'd ever seen. He grabbed her wrist with excessive force and slammed her hand on to his knee. Slowly edging the horrific tool towards
