Captivation (10 page)

‘Danny,’ she cried out, ‘Danny, what has she done to you? Are you still here? You must be still here!’

Eve followed her close behind.

‘Juliette?’ she asked, her voice a desperate plea. ‘What on earth are you talking about?’

Juliette ignored her, continuing her search for her husband.

‘Danny! Where are you?’

‘Juliette, sweetheart, please. Danny is dead. He died over seven months ago.’

Juliette swung around to face her mother.

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ she spat. ‘He can’t have died, he was here with me, just now – before you came in and frightened him away. He’s alive. He’s alive and he’s real.’

Eve started to speak again but Juliette held up a hand to hush her.

‘Quiet,’ she commanded. ‘I need to concentrate. He might be trying to reach me. I can’t listen with you here, with you confusing everything, clouding it all. Just be quiet.’

Juliette stood still in the centre of the room. She pressed her fingertips against her temples, slowed her breathing and focused inwards, searching, begging. She had done it once before, she had brought Danny to her, helped him to grow in strength, she would do it again.

As she listened, her eyes shut tightly, she began to hear a far-off voice. It was almost unintelligible – but it was there. She followed it with her mind, travelling through the darkness, drawing it to her. It grew stronger, louder, clearer. She started to make out words.

You have to get Eveout of here, Juliette, before it’s too late. Make her leave, please, baby, make her go.

Juliette’s eyes flew open, she swung around to face her mother again and then opened her mouth and bellowed, ‘OUT!’

She could see the fear in her mother’s face but she didn’t care. She strode towards her, more sure of herself than ever.

‘You have to leave, Mother. NOW.’

Eve was backing away from her, her face a mixture of despair and shock. But Juliette was pushing her now, forcing her towards the doorway.

‘Danny and I love each other,’ she said. ‘You can’t keep us apart. You can’t and you won’t.’

The last words Eve said as she was pushed out through the door were, ‘I’m not giving up, Juliette. I’ll be back. I won’t give up on you.’

But Juliette didn’t hear them – she slammed the door shut and then turned and rushed to the bedroom, where Danny had vanished through the wall. That was the place where she would find him again, where she would bring him back, make him whole once more.

‘Danny!’ she cried out. ‘She’s gone. It’s okay, honey, you can come back to me. I won’t let anything hurt you again.’

Words entered her mind, stronger and clearer once more.

Thank you, Juliette. You’ve saved me again.

She felt his touch then, lightly at first, fingertips tracing their way down her skin.

‘I can’t see you, though?’ Juliette whispered.

You will again. We’ll build our connection back up. Don’t worry.

‘Danny,’ said Juliette. ‘I’m going to find a way to bring us together forever, to make sure this never happens again. We can’t risk another intrusion like that. I’ll think of something, I promise you. I love you.’

I love you too, always.

The following day, when Juliette left her bedroom and walked out into the hall, something on the floor caught her eye. It was a note that had been slipped under the door. She walked over to it cautiously, nervous of another
intrusion from the outside world. Picking it up, she recognised her mother’s handwriting immediately and a flicker of anger seared in her stomach.

She read the words, despite herself.

Dear Juliette,

I’m going to figure out how to help you. I’ll give you some space first, but only for today, just for now, to let you calm down, let you think things through. If you open the door, you’ll find a gift out in the hall. It’s baking supplies. I know how baking always helps you to clear your mind. Please just try it, you’re so thin, darling, you’re skin and bones – eat something, please. I’ll return again tomorrow. And remember, I won’t give up on you.

Love,

Mum

x

Juliette stood still, considering the letter. The final words worried her the most. Her mother was going to return again tomorrow. That meant she had to find a solution, a way to keep her and Danny safe forever, by the end of the day. Her first thoughts were that they needed to run away together – but Danny couldn’t leave the apartment. What could they possibly do, how could they disappear forever, how could they hide from the rest of the world?

There was some truth to her mother’s note – baking did usually help clear her mind. Perhaps she should open the door and take in the supplies. She needed a plan – a way to ensure that they could continue with their way of life. A way to satisfy the hunger to stay with Danny. It was just the logistics of the matter, she told herself firmly. The outcome was simple – she needed to be with him, and she needed to keep him away from the harmful influence of
the outside world. But the logistics – that was what she needed to figure out. Hopefully, if she baked, it would clear her mind like it always had. She would be able to form some coherent thoughts. Perhaps she would come up with the answer.

But what if it was a trick? What if her mother was out in the hall, waiting to pounce on her? Waiting to drag her away from this place, to banish poor Danny forever.

It’s okay, Juliette, there’s no one out there.

Danny’s voice had entered her thoughts seamlessly, as always. She hesitated.

‘Are you absolutely sure?’ she asked.

I’m certain. If she was there, I’d be able to sense her.

Juliette nodded. Carefully, slowly, she unlocked the door and twisted the handle. Even with Danny’s reassurance, she was still guarded as she pulled the door open. She opened it just wide enough to see the basket on the floor, filled with fresh eggs, milk, flour, blocks of rich, dark chocolate, raspberries, cream, butter – everything she would need to create something beautiful and decadent.

Moving quickly now, she knelt down and grabbed hold of the handle of the basket, lifted it inside and slammed the door shut behind her. She looked down at all of the enticing, fresh ingredients. It was time to make a plan.

Chapter Thirteen

When Juliette reached the kitchen, she paused for a moment. She hadn’t cooked in what seemed like such a long time. For a few seconds, she felt unsure of herself – what if this didn’t work, what if she had forgotten how? What if those normal instincts didn’t come back to her? But as she placed the basket down on the bench, her hands began to pull the ingredients out and line them up without thinking. Even if her mind felt unsure, her body knew what to do.

Minutes later, she had begun. She cooked fast, covering the island bench with ingredients, allowing the air to fill with puffs of flour and cocoa dust. She didn’t measure and she didn’t think ahead. She just let herself feel her way. She mixed raspberries and cream. She stirred hot, salted caramel, she kneaded dough and she spun sugar. As she worked, her thoughts were allowed to wander – while her body moved swiftly, her mind slowed right down. In front of her, piece by piece, a pathway was forming – a pathway to Danny. A pathway to the perfect, permanent solution to their problems. All she had to do was follow the steps.

When she was done, she had created a feast.

A feast that she had no intention of ever eating.

And, more importantly, she had created a plan.

Juliette flicked on her stereo and then scrolled through the songs on the iPod that was connected to it. She settled on the sultry drum and bas stones of her
favourite Sneaker Pimps album. It was late at night, and the results of her crazed baking session from earlier were spread across her kitchen bench top. Cakes, slices, muffins. She didn’t feel hungry, though, and looking at all of that food didn’t make her want to eat it. She felt disconnected from the normal necessities of life. She wanted to dance, and she wanted to feel Danny dancing with her.

Juliette, what’s going on in that mind of yours?

‘Dance with me, Danny.’

No, really, I can tell you’ve got something on your mind. I can see the glint in your eye. What is it? What do you have planned?

‘Wrap your arms around me. Dance with me.’

She felt Danny’s presence appear beside her. Felt his arms around her, and their bodies began to sway in time to the music.

Are you okay with everything, Juliette? Okay with what happened with your mother?

‘Danny, stop worrying. Of course I’m alright. I’m with you – that’s all that matters.’

And you understand that I didn’t mean for any of that to happen – I didn’t mean to push you away from your family. It was just the only way for me to stay.

‘Yes, Danny, I understand. Besides, soon it won’t matter anymore. I’ve found a way to fix it.’

I knew it, I knew you had something hidden in that head of yours. What is it? What do you have planned?

‘I worked it out while I was cooking. I’ve finally found the solution. But let’s talk about it later. For now, let’s just dance.’

They moved their way slowly into the bedroom, still swaying, Juliette’s hips twisting back and forth, Danny’s touch all over her skin. By the bed, Juliette continued to dance as she peeled off her clothes. Once she was undressed, she reached out her hands and Danny’s touch returned.

‘Come with me,’ she said, ‘Come outside onto the balcony. Let’s dance together under the moonlight.’

You’re naked.

‘I don’t care. No one will see me. It’s just us, Danny. You and I, we’re the only ones who exist. The world is ours.’

The curtains were drawn tightly shut, and Juliette moved around the bed towards them. She curled her fingers around the fabric and then gently tugged them to the side, allowing the moonlight to spill into the room. She parted the curtains the rest of the way, then opened the door, allowing the night air inside. She began to sway again, thrilled that she was dancing in front of her balcony, completely naked. The more she twisted her body to the music, the more she enjoyed herself, and she closed her eyes, getting lost in the song. Her hands gripped the drapes as she writhed to the music. Danny must have succumbed to her seductions again, because moments later she felt his hands grasp her waist. She opened her eyes and smiled.

Together, they stepped out onto the balcony and continued to dance, with Danny’s arms pulled tight around her, caressing her, gently squeezing her breasts, stroking her skin from her stomach right down to her thighs, and Juliette relaxed into his hold. As he held her, Juliette turned her head and almost squealed with delight at what she saw.

‘Danny!’ she exclaimed. ‘You’re taking shape again, I’m starting to see you.’

I told you we’d make our way back.

There was a pause and he added,
There’s someone watching us, though.

‘Where?’

Straight across the courtyard. There’s a man out on his balcony.

Juliette looked across at him, but to her, he was just a blur in the distance.

‘Does it turn you on,’ she asked, ‘knowing that another man is watching us? That he can see me completely naked?’

A little.

Juliette smirked and then crept her fingers down and began to touch herself. ‘It doesn’t matter, anyway,’ she whispered. ‘He’s not real. He’s not part of our world. Take me to bed.’

Before she allowed Danny to guide her back inside, into the bedroom and onto the bed, Juliette took one last look straight across the courtyard at the man who was watching them. For just one second, his form sharpened and he came properly into view. Their eyes met and Juliette felt a strange flutter, deep inside her stomach, a flutter of familiarity – she knew that man. She just didn’t know how. But by then she was being drawn further in and she was falling onto the bed, and the neighbour from that far-off balcony was instantly forgotten as Danny prepared to bring them closer together once again.