PART 4: Visitors

I soon found myself trying to get a grip of my apartment door handle. Fingers slipping, brain frustrated, coat dripping from the rain and tears. After many painful seconds wrestling with the silver knob I somehow managed to get the door to swing open. I almost collapsed right there, on the other side of the door. I was tired and emotionally drained. I don’t know how much more of this I can take.

This wasn’t one of those things that gets better in the morning, no matter what some redheaded orphan says. Even if the sun does come out tomorrow, it will only dawn on another day of tears and misery, another living nightmare from which I will never be able to wake from. I was cold and wet, but I just didn’t have to energy to pull myself up. I only just had a spark to lift my head from my hands and open my eyes.

As soon as I did, I shut them again.

Had I just seen what I thought I had?

My eyelids flickered open, only to see two dark beady eyes staring back.

 

My first reaction was, I’m dreaming, but that did not seem to be the case, and after I saw two of them there speechless my second reaction kicked in: I am in the wrong apartment. I scrambled to my feet and swung the door inwards, only to see the same familiar gold figures flash in the light: 31. No, I was in the right apartment, which meant the others were not.

 

My brain couldn’t cope, nor did I have the strength or will to make it work. I had been working at max power and now finally the battery had run out. So my body too the only escape it could…then it all went dark.

        

                    *  *  *

 

When I next opened my eyes very little had changed. There were still two strange men in my apartment and I was still a crumpled heap on the floor, but at least now I was rested and my brain was able to function. So I am being burgled. Stay calm-they haven’t noticed you’re awake yet-now if I can just reach my mobile…

This is what my head was saying, but deep down I highly doubted it. They hadn’t taken anything and they already had a chance to get away. So what did they want?

Then it clicked; me. They wanted me. But why?

 What was so special about me? I am an average man with a boring office job…

My thoughts cut off as I noticed both men were turned toward me. I attempted to pull myself up from the carpet, show I had some strength and wasn’t just a pathetic mess.

My legs, however, turned to jelly, my whole body shook from a mix of nerves and lack of strength. So then puppet like, I let my self gently fall back down.

“Feeling any better Mr Berston?”

The voice came so suddenly, breaking the silence I had gotten used to. It was an odd voice, perfect clear English, but with the touch of an accent I could not recognise.

“Please take a seat,” the voice said again, “Victor, would you?-”

I found it odd, being treated as a guest in my own home, but yet, I felt compelled to obey and let the mans large companion pick me off the floor and ease me into a chair between them. “Now Mr Berston, we are sorry to intrude like this but we have some urgent matters to discuss, but first,” he paused, dark eyes searching the room, “May I ask where Claire is?”

“Claire,” the name stuck in my throat. These people knew her…but who are they? How can I tell them…?“Claire,” I begun again, a name so familiar yet unusual on my tongue, “Claire is…”

“Yes Mr Berston?”

My eyes began to water, my body shivering. I breathed in deeply and let the words fall from my mouth, words I hated.

“Claire’s dead.”

The men’s faces were grim but did not seem shocked or angry; in fact, they seemed perfectly calm. The speakers eyes however no longer seemed so hollow and beady, but instead soft and understanding, and held a glint of what I suspected to be the beginning of a tear. But none fell, and he pressed on.

“We feared so Mr Berston. That being the case we have a lot to explain, but first we must leave, now.”

There was a sense of urgent-ness in his voice, but it did not bother me, my head still in a buzz. However it knew there was one good thing to come: answers.

Author's Note

This is the chapter before the turning point where things will get a little sci-fi and well frankly interesting. Unfortunately I never wrote the next chapter. There is lots in my head still of where it's going but the next step is a big one I've yet to write.

Let me know the questions you want answered the most (as well as your thoughts on part 4) and use it as a spring board for what's to come.