The Grave (2 page)

He stood beside the car, looking down at her, shook his
head. 

“I’m late, I need to get back, go and ask one of the others,
there’s plenty in there’ll give you a ride.” 

He jerked his thumb towards the bar. 

“Oh, now that’s not gentlemanly is it? I won’t take you far
out of your way, come on now, don’t you want to help a damsel in distress? It’s
getting late now.”

It was true he had stayed longer than normal, eaten lunch
waiting for some maintenance on the chain saw, normally he would have been long
gone by now, safe back in the woods.

“You don’t want to ride with me, now go on back there.” 

He strode past and leaned to unlock the door.  She placed a
hand over his. 

“Samuel I like you, I’ve seen you around town before, you
always seem so lonely.  Don’t you want some company? Come on just give me a
little ride, you can drop me at the bus station, if you like.”

He pushed her sharply out of the way, a heel caught on the
rough surface of the car park and she toppled, snatching out at him as she
fell.  He grabbed at the flailing hand but at the end she was kneeling in the
dirt, her hand grazed and jeans soiled with mud.  He was caught now, couldn’t
just walk away, he hadn’t meant her to fall but he couldn’t just leave her.

He helped her up, she wasn’t hurt apart from the few small
scratches, she sucked at the beading of blood, looking up under her lashes, and
she knew she had him now.

He moved the parcels from the passenger seat and unhooked
the seat belt from the stowage point. His heart was pounding, he hadn’t wanted
this, didn’t want this, but he would cope.  He could deal with it, to the edge
of town, the bus stop and then it would be over and next week he would ignore
her if she was there, if she spoke to him. He started the engine and turned
towards the road, his hands shook on the steering wheel.

The sniffling started after a couple of minutes, at first he
thought it was shock brought on by the tumble, but it had been such a small
thing. He turned to look at her face in the flashing orange of the street
lamps; mascara had drawn black runnels down her cheeks.  She was trying to
squeeze her bleeding hand into the tightness of the jeans pocket.  He handed
her a clean rag that he kept on the dashboard for wiping the screen.  She
nodded her thanks and blew her nose loudly. 

“I’m sorry, sorry Samuel.” 

A great sigh filled the uncomfortable silence between them. 

“Are you hurt, more than that little thing I mean?”

“No, no I’m alright.”

“Why are you crying then?”

“I don’t know why you don’t like me, why don’t you like me
Samuel? nobody ever seems to like me.” 

His knuckles were tight now on the wheel, his fingers
wrapped all the way round, the muscles bunching in his forearms.  Sweat had
popped out under his hairline.  He had to get her out of the car; he pulled
over to the kerb.

“Get out, go on, you’re not hurt, I don’t want you in the
car, don’t want you here.” 

He leaned to open the passenger door and she caught at his
arm.

“Oh come on now, don’t be like that.  You know we could have
a bit of fun you and me, we could.  I could make you relax; I think you need to
relax.” 

She stroked at his skin, irritating the small hairs, he
snatched his arm back. 

He turned, twisting in his seat to look straight at her. 
The blonde hair swung as she swivelled her face towards him and reached again
for his arm.

“Come on now Samuel, a fine man like you, you should have
some fun, let yourself relax. Don’t you want to have a bit of fun?  That’s all
it’d be, no strings, no comeback, just a nice night of fun and frolics.  What
about it?” 

That was the point, he saw it now, now it was too late, that
was the moment all was lost.  She was soft and pretty in an overused way and it
had been years, well of course it had been years. 

He had never enjoyed sex with a hooker, never wanted some
brutalised whore who was busy thinking about her next score while he pumped
away above her, but this girl, she had sparkling eyes, soft lips and it had
been so very long. She would want something from him afterwards, money probably
and so really, little better than a whore but she had searched him out, it made
a difference.  He could feel his body pleading, his brain and common sense were
fighting a losing battle.

He slipped the car into gear and drove off past the
Pharmacy, past the streetlights, past the point of no return.

There had been little conversation on the drive to the
shack, Samuel was too tense and wound up, he had spoken once.

“So, what’s your name, seeing as you know mine already?”

“Sylvie, I’m Sylvie, nice to meet you Samuel.” 

She had held a hand towards him, a grin on her face but he
didn’t glance at her and with a shrug she let it drop back into her lap, the
silence resumed. For long minutes she spent the time gazing through the window
at the darkening silhouettes of trees and fence posts flicking away behind the
car as it grumbled on over the tarmac.  The occasional signpost would flash a
bright message into the gloom and the houses they passed glowed like little
oasis with the lawns touched green under lamps and security lights, otherwise
all was dark and quiet.

A few cars hissed by, the occupants heading for a night in
the town and one van overtook them, she watched the tiny rubies of its tail
lights fading into the black until it turned a distant bend and became a
memory.

“How far is your place, I know it’s in the woods, but how
far?”

“Not far now, a few minutes that’s all.”

They turned in from the road and the darkness was deeper,
much deeper than she had thought it would be.  The track was rutted and winding
and she hung on to the sides of the seat as they bumped and jogged into the
woods.  The way was a tunnel lit only by the headlights, now and again a
creature would leap or scutter from their path, a sharp intrusion, here and
gone in a flash.  Apart from the roar of the engine, the sounds now were all
those of nature and of night in the woods. 

He swung left and the road ran beside the river for a brief
spell.  The dark water glinted as the moon caught the ripples but the gently
flowing ribbon was mysterious and she turned away from the window.  She watched
him, the shape of his head and shoulders, tense and unfriendly and wondered
nervously what she had done.  The idea had seemed good in the town, she’d been
filled with bright light bravado but now was unsure.  It was further than she
had thought it would be, she would have to be sure he left the keys in the car,
even then didn’t know whether she would be able to find her way back alone.

Maybe she should let the plan go, just have the sex and ask
him for payment, he must know money was what it was all about, or at least he
must believe that.  She would wait, play it as it came, let things develop, but
for sure this dark and forbidding place wasn’t what she had imagined.  Parks
and playgrounds had been the only natural spaces she had known, the woods at
night were not as she had expected.

As the car drew into the yard Samuel jumped from the door,
leaving Sylvie to clamber down on her own.  By the time she joined him he had
his provisions piled beside the steps.

“Shall I lock the car for you?” 

He looked at her askance.

“Why the hell would I lock the car, who do you think is
going to take it out here?”

With the sharp rebuke he turned and climbed the wooden
stairs, slipping the keys into the pocket of his jeans.  At least she knew
where they were and knew the old Land Rover wasn’t locked.  Her mouth was dry
and nerves fluttered in her belly, this had been a bad idea.  Hell it hadn’t
even been a proper idea. She had seen him, remembered the talk and decided to
try and get to him and then see where it led. Some vague notion of lifting
valuables and then running had tickled at the back of her mind. She knew he
lived in the woods but had never had any idea just how far out of town it was,
no-one had ever said.  She had assumed a couple of miles, walking distance at a
pinch not this great trek away from the lights and the houses and all she was
used to.  How could anyone live out here?

The talk in town could be all wrong of course; they had said
he had money.  That he was a rich recluse, eccentric, but this place gave lie
to all of it.  It was ramshackle, simple and sparse.  She had expected a pretty
cottage, perhaps something even more grand, but this was little more than a
hut, the floors were bare and the kitchen simple and old fashioned. 

She had listened to the idle chatter and this is not what it
had said.  He had come to the town just a few years ago, no-one knew where
from, no-one knew anything.  He kept himself to himself except on a rare
occasion when he would say a few words about the weather or suchlike.  That he
didn’t seem to work but always had money in his pocket and paid for everything
in cash led to rumours of riches hidden at his place.  Where the money had come
from was never made clear but that it existed never seemed in doubt and so here
she was. 

In her mind now were several options.  Maybe she could get
him to give her money, if he liked her enough, if she gave him a good enough
time.  It wouldn’t be much though,  she had approached him; he would probably
think she was on the game and want to pay her whatever he felt the sex was
worth.  She could tell him a sob story, God knew her life was full of those,
maybe she could appeal to his kindness.  From what she’d seen though there
wasn’t much of that about this man.  The other option, the most daring, the one
she had in mind back in town, was to take what she could and to run. 

Now though she saw it had been stupid, she had assumed there
would be a safe, a desk, articles around she could hide in her bag but this
bare and simple place held nothing of value, whatever money he had it hadn’t
been spent on comfort.  Maybe there wasn’t any, no money, no treasures,
nothing; just a dirty, scary, curmudgeonly man and bare boards.  The thought
depressed her, she had made mistakes before, so many mistakes and this looked
to be just another one, another stupid half-baked idea, doomed to failure even
before it began.  Tears stung her eyes and she felt ready to cry in earnest
now.  She turned from him and gulped back the misery.  She’d make the best of
it now.  She’d have to.

He looked at the girl, she was young, muscles still trim,
skin  smooth and warm. It had been a long time and now Samuel  hoped for no
more than physical release.  For Sylvie though it didn’t seem she felt the same,
it seemed to him that she enjoyed it.  She laughed and stroked at his skin,
raked her fingers through his hair.  She had poured them both whiskies while he
stowed the shopping and then dragged him up to the bedroom.  If she found the
space unappealing he couldn’t tell. She threw herself across the bed her legs
waving in the air as she pulled off her jeans and threw aside the cheap sweater. 
Her bra and pants were skimpy and covered little of the small body.

He was taken aback by the girl’s enjoyment.  Even though she
had made the move on him in town, he’d assumed she was simply out for money,
not for this, not for pleasure.  He tried to shake off his earlier misgivings
and found himself smiling as she wiggled across the covers, in her underwear. 
She patted the mattress and crooked a finger at him.  Maybe it would be okay,
perhaps she really did like him after all.  The smile felt odd on his face, it
didn’t fit the fall of his muscles and his eyes filled for a moment.  It had
been so long, so long since he had felt pleasure, so long since he had felt
anything other than breathing, dragging from one day to the next. 

Living alone he didn’t acknowledge loneliness, loneliness
would be an emotion and he quelled and quashed anything other than the slight
pleasure he took from the birds, the trees and the quiet river.  Before, he had
let emotion rule him and he knew too well it was a traitor and a trickster and
he had no truck with it now. 

Looking down at this young body, the long legs crossed at
the ankles and her slender arms flexing as she raised the glass to her lips he
felt himself stirring and the sense of living took his breath away.  He dropped
his clothes to the floor and lowered onto the bed beside her, still wearing his
shorts, tightening now as evidence of his growing passion.  She ran a finger
round the waist band and slid them away from his backside. 

They enjoyed each other, at least Samuel believed they did,
she giggled and writhed and gave as well as taking, he let her set the pace
and, once he had relaxed, it was easy and fun.  He was still afraid but not as
much now and at the end as he lost himself in the moment he was as he once had
been, a man and only that, no pain, no guilt and no sorrow. 

They wrapped themselves in towels and went to the kitchen,
he cooked eggs and toast and sitting on the old couch they drank whisky and
smiled at each other. 

Not lovers, not even friends, but now more than strangers.

“Where do you live Sylvie, are you from the town?”

She nodded at him, her mouth full of eggs and toasted bread,
“Yeah, born there, never been many places, never had the chance.  No job, not
much to do and I’m not clever or anything.  What about you, where are you
from?”  A cloud swept through his eyes and he stood and carried the plates back
into the kitchen, he didn’t answer her, no lies, no dissembling, just silence.

“Will you want me to take you back?  To town, tonight I mean?
Will you be missed?”

“Nah, there’s nobody to miss me, Mum and Dad have moved
away.  I live in a flat above the betting office.  I can stay, if you like, I
don’t have to but it’s a long drive back, we can leave it, ‘till tomorrow.”

“Why didn’t you go, with your mum and dad?”

“We didn’t get on here and I didn’t see how being somewhere
else would make a difference and they were going to live by my nan.  All old
people, minding my business, nagging at me.  I’m better here.” 

He simply nodded, he understood the value of being alone all
too well.  Maybe this girl would be good to know, maybe when he went into town
he could meet her sometimes, chat.  He had to ask about the other thing though,
what she wanted, what was expected from him now.  He still couldn’t believe she
had simply come with him for fun.

“Do you need some money, something, if you’ve no job?” 

He didn’t know what he hoped for, the truth would do, at
least not offence, and he felt he owed her now.  She had made him remember what
it felt like to be alive, how could you pay for that? He didn’t know.

“Well, I suppose if you’re offering.” 

He was saddened, had hoped for something else,  but tried
not to let it show. 

“How about I take you back in the morning and then I can
give you something, you know for your time?” 

She simply nodded and it was settled.  She stood and walked
to him, the towel fell to the floor and she giggled as he grabbed at it,
dragging it back over her nakedness.

“Come on Samuel, let’s go and get warm again.” 

She led him by the hand back to the bedroom.