The Kimota Anthology by Steve Lockley, Stephen Gallagher, Neal Asher, Stephen Laws, Mark Chadbourn, Mark Morris, Paul Finch, William Meikle, Peter Crowther, Graeme Hurry Page B
Authors: Steve Lockley, Stephen Gallagher, Neal Asher, Stephen Laws, Mark Chadbourn, Mark Morris, Paul Finch, William Meikle, Peter Crowther, Graeme Hurry
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window, he could sense it on the seat next to him.
Stupid. Stupid. He looked down at it. Just a dummy.
Was that a whisper? A paper-thin rustle of sound?
He could hear sirens. Someone was screaming, the sound rising and falling, rising and falling, in sync with the siren. On the street corner opposite, a woman was rigid like a statue, staring in the direction of the hold-up, her mouth frozen in a giant O. That was it. He would be there forever.
There was something else. A feeling, like the one he had in the house. His skin prickled and a flush crept slowly up his back. Someone was watching him. He could sense the eyes, the concentration; he could almost feel the emotions behind it. He shuddered.
He couldn’t stay there all day. He had to find a short cut or his neck would be on the chopping block. He glanced up the street opposite and remembered a route; long, through, winding streets, but it would get him to town quicker than if he sat where he was. Ahead of him, he could see they had started to wave the oncoming traffic through. An enormous lorry was beginning to build up speed. He would have to move quickly or he would never get across the road. He could just about do it. He yanked at the steering wheel, revved up and popped the clutch.
His car shot out of the queue of traffic, halfway across the road, and then stopped dead. It didn’t stall or judder to a halt. The power simply disappeared in the blink of an eye.
In that split second, as his mind raced, John caught sight of something in the rear view mirror. Eyes framed in the glass, staring and wide, surrounded by sacks of wrinkled skin. He smelled something like stale tobacco smoke and heard that rustling whisper once again.
Then the shadow of the lorry fell across the bonnet.
“Are you going to be okay?” Donna gave Gill a comforting hug.
Gill dried her eyes and forced a smile. “I’ll be fine. I just need some time to get on top of this. It was such a shock...”
“It’s bound to be a shock. Lord, if the police had told me Mike had been in an accident like that I would have gone to pieces. You’ve just got to focus on what the doctor said, Gill. He’s going to be okay.”
“He might not be able to walk...”
“He might not be able to walk, but he might be able to. Nobody knows yet. There’s no point in worrying about what might not happen. And you know John. If there’s a slim chance of fighting his way through, he’ll do it.”
Gill nodded. Donna always had been a comfort, ever since school when she became adept at soothing hearts broken during those passionate teenage romances. She couldn’t get her own life together however much she tried, but she was a carer for others.
“Are you going to be okay looking after Christopher until John’s home? I could always stay over to help.”
“Thanks, Donna, I’ll be fine. Mum and dad are coming tomorrow for a while. I just hope he doesn’t have any more relapses with, you know, what’s been wrong with him.” An image of a wizened face and a hunched, spindly body flashed across her mind. She passed a hand over her eyes and blacked it out. “Things have been so bad since we moved in here. Sometimes I think there’s a jinx on us. All these problems with our relationship, and then Christopher, and now this. I feel there’s something sucking the life right out of us.”
“You musn’t say those kinds of things, honey. It’ll only make it worse. You’ve got to concentrate on the good.”
Donna didn’t understand - how could she? - but Gill put on a brave face. “I’m going to give Christopher his afternoon nap now. Do you want to come up with me? Then we can have a cup of tea in peace.” She poked a finger into Christopher’s tummy and made him chuckle.
They harmonised on Rock-a-Bye Baby as they climbed the stairs and then Donna took the teddy bear while Gill opened the door to Christopher’s new room. She paused in the doorway and then looked back at Donna with a puzzled
Stupid. Stupid. He looked down at it. Just a dummy.
Was that a whisper? A paper-thin rustle of sound?
He could hear sirens. Someone was screaming, the sound rising and falling, rising and falling, in sync with the siren. On the street corner opposite, a woman was rigid like a statue, staring in the direction of the hold-up, her mouth frozen in a giant O. That was it. He would be there forever.
There was something else. A feeling, like the one he had in the house. His skin prickled and a flush crept slowly up his back. Someone was watching him. He could sense the eyes, the concentration; he could almost feel the emotions behind it. He shuddered.
He couldn’t stay there all day. He had to find a short cut or his neck would be on the chopping block. He glanced up the street opposite and remembered a route; long, through, winding streets, but it would get him to town quicker than if he sat where he was. Ahead of him, he could see they had started to wave the oncoming traffic through. An enormous lorry was beginning to build up speed. He would have to move quickly or he would never get across the road. He could just about do it. He yanked at the steering wheel, revved up and popped the clutch.
His car shot out of the queue of traffic, halfway across the road, and then stopped dead. It didn’t stall or judder to a halt. The power simply disappeared in the blink of an eye.
In that split second, as his mind raced, John caught sight of something in the rear view mirror. Eyes framed in the glass, staring and wide, surrounded by sacks of wrinkled skin. He smelled something like stale tobacco smoke and heard that rustling whisper once again.
Then the shadow of the lorry fell across the bonnet.
“Are you going to be okay?” Donna gave Gill a comforting hug.
Gill dried her eyes and forced a smile. “I’ll be fine. I just need some time to get on top of this. It was such a shock...”
“It’s bound to be a shock. Lord, if the police had told me Mike had been in an accident like that I would have gone to pieces. You’ve just got to focus on what the doctor said, Gill. He’s going to be okay.”
“He might not be able to walk...”
“He might not be able to walk, but he might be able to. Nobody knows yet. There’s no point in worrying about what might not happen. And you know John. If there’s a slim chance of fighting his way through, he’ll do it.”
Gill nodded. Donna always had been a comfort, ever since school when she became adept at soothing hearts broken during those passionate teenage romances. She couldn’t get her own life together however much she tried, but she was a carer for others.
“Are you going to be okay looking after Christopher until John’s home? I could always stay over to help.”
“Thanks, Donna, I’ll be fine. Mum and dad are coming tomorrow for a while. I just hope he doesn’t have any more relapses with, you know, what’s been wrong with him.” An image of a wizened face and a hunched, spindly body flashed across her mind. She passed a hand over her eyes and blacked it out. “Things have been so bad since we moved in here. Sometimes I think there’s a jinx on us. All these problems with our relationship, and then Christopher, and now this. I feel there’s something sucking the life right out of us.”
“You musn’t say those kinds of things, honey. It’ll only make it worse. You’ve got to concentrate on the good.”
Donna didn’t understand - how could she? - but Gill put on a brave face. “I’m going to give Christopher his afternoon nap now. Do you want to come up with me? Then we can have a cup of tea in peace.” She poked a finger into Christopher’s tummy and made him chuckle.
They harmonised on Rock-a-Bye Baby as they climbed the stairs and then Donna took the teddy bear while Gill opened the door to Christopher’s new room. She paused in the doorway and then looked back at Donna with a puzzled
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