Alex Hope Read online

  ‘What is it?’ he asked, turning to me.

  ‘Dad look!’ I said, pointing to the figure staring at us from his balance.

  He looked down and frowned in confusion. ‘£385 pounds?’ he questioned.

  ‘Dad, you’ve made £385 in one night! Jeez, Dad, that’s amazing!’

  He looked at me with an expression close to wonder. ‘Is that correct? Surely there’s a mistake!’

  ‘Let’s have a look…’

  We logged into the transactions and sure enough, there were all the invoices there. It looked as if one buyer had bought a number of items. The message light was also on.

  ‘Look-the same buyer for all of it…and he’s written you a message,’ I told him, clicking on the symbol.

  ‘Hello. I am very interested in your woodworking skills and would be interested in talking to you about setting up a contract to supply my toy shop with your wooden toy builds. Please phone on…’ I trailed off as I read and gazed over at my Dad.

  ‘You said this was my chance,’ he said softly.

  ‘I told you, Dad! Phone him! You never know-this could be your route out!’

  ‘I think you’re right…do you think it’s too early to phone him right now?’ he asked me.

  I looked at my watch. It was eight forty-five. ‘Maybe wait until nine and then phone.’

  ‘You’re right,’ he said, springing to his feet with more life in his body than I had seen since I had arrived back home. ‘I will!’

  I smiled at him as he almost skipped out of the kitchen. I knew the phone call was going to go well. I could just feel it.

  I ate some cereal for breakfast and then went to the living room while my Dad phoned the man who had contacted him. Sure enough, fifteen minutes later, he came out beaming with happiness.

  ‘What did he say?’ I asked eagerly.

  ‘He’s offered me a contract!’ he exclaimed. ‘He loves my toys-he runs a sort of old-fashioned toy business up north which is really profitable apparently. He will match my pay and beyond from what I currently do. He’s offering me £1200 a month for ten items monthly which he specifies from the list on the website.’

  ‘Oh Dad, that’s great news! It’s unbelievable how quickly life can change, right?’ I smiled, beaming with happiness for him.

  ‘It’s all down to you, Alex,’ he told me, enveloping me in a big hug.

  ‘I hadn’t realised how unhappy you were until recently,’ I told him, against his shoulder.

  ‘I’ve been so unhappy, Alex…absolutely miserable. I just didn’t want to say so…’

  ‘I knew that’s how you were feeling…that’s why I wanted to help you.’

  ‘Well I can’t help you enough, honey. If I can ever do anything for you in return, name it!’

  ‘I just want you to be happy, Dad,’ I told him, smiling at him warmly.

  ‘It’s going to be incredible! All I need to do is increase how quickly I make items but I will have all day every day at home to build and make them. You know me, I’m happiest when I’m woodworking! This is going to change my life.’

  ‘So, will you hand your notice in today?’ I asked.

  ‘I asked for a contract with the guy who phoned-his name is Bill Williamson. So, Bill will send that out to me and then I’ll put my notice in. In the meantime, I’m going to send out the pieces he has already bought and I’ll check how many holiday days I have owed because it may mean I don’t have to work the full month of notice.’

  ‘That would be good. Now you’ve got your chance, it would be good to get out as soon as possible.’

  ‘That’s what I was thinking,’ he mused. ‘Hey, I hear you’re leaving us tomorrow for a week?’

  ‘Yes,’ I smiled. ‘I found it hard to be back at work, Dad. It was so overwhelming with all those people and activity going on around me. I decided to take a bit of holiday time myself and recover a bit more.’

  ‘Good idea, honey. Why are you going so far away though?’ he questioned.

  I sighed. ‘I just want to be in a quiet, peaceful place for a while. The middle of Scotland sounded like a good idea.’

  ‘You know it’s snowing there at the moment?’ he questioned.

  I felt myself shiver involuntarily. ‘I didn’t actually.’

  ‘Yes. It started yesterday and is meant to get worse.’

  ‘I’m still going,’ I told him, quietly but firmly.

  He shrugged. ‘You’re thirty-one. I’m not going to tell you what you can and can’t do sweetheart. Just be careful?’

  ‘I will Dad. More so than normal after what happened.’

  ‘Good,’ he nodded. ‘Well, I’m going to go and get ready for work. I’ll see you later?’

  I smiled at him. ‘Yes, see you a bit later…and congratulations again.’

  ‘It’s all down to you, Alex.’

  ‘No-it’s your hard work and skill. I’ve just shown you how to get people noticing your work.’

  He smiled at me. ‘I love you honey…you’re the best.’

  ‘You’re the best too. Love you, Dad.’

  ‘See you later!’

  ‘Bye!’

  I spent the rest of the day preparing for my trip. Now I knew it would be snowing, I went out to prepare myself. I filled my boot with food, water and essentials in case of getting stuck in the snow. I also packed my suitcase and printed off maps and directions.

  By the evening, I was more than ready to set off but knew it made no sense to start until morning. The drive itself would take me about six hours from my parent’s house but it would be worth it.

  I went to bed early and decided to set my alarm for five am. That was I could make an early start and be driving when the roads were nice and quiet. As I closed my eyes, I saw her again. This time she wore an expression of concern as she looked at me intently. She stepped closer and I took in the bright green of her eyes with flecks of brown. I tried to speak to her and ask her what she was trying to tell me. She just shook her head and looked at me sadly. She then turned and pointed off into the distance. I tried to turn to see what she was looking at but the vision just faded away. I sighed in frustration and slipped into sleep. I dreamt of her throughout the night but it was always just her eyes…her beautiful green, brown eyes.

  The following morning, I was awake bright and early before my alarm. By five am I was up, showered and dressed and ready to go. My parents were still sleeping so I left them to it. I wrote a note thanking them for looking after me since my accident and said I would be back in a week. Then, slipping out quietly, I left for my holiday.

  I drove out of the town and towards the motorway. The air was cold in the car and I imagined that it would get even colder as I drove up northwards. At least, this way, I would be there in plenty of time-even having the chance for a stop along the way.

  Driving a long way was good for me in two ways. For one, it gave me the chance to regain my confidence on the roads after my accident. It also gave me thinking time-something I hadn’t had since waking up in hospital. I had either had loads of other people’s thoughts in my head or my own had been negative. I thought about Lauren and tried to imagine what life was going to like being single again. I didn’t like dating and yet if I wanted to build a new relationship, it was going to be a necessary evil.

  I drove, thinking of Lauren and how she had betrayed me. Would she ever have told me if I hadn’t suddenly been able to hear her lying in my head? Somehow, I doubted it.

  It was good to think through my own troubles for a change. I drove in silence-no music and no radio. I just enjoyed the peace of trying to decide what I wanted to do next. The drive was long and after three hours, I was tired. I pulled over at a service station and after getting petrol, I went inside and bought some breakfast.

  Sitting in the restaurant café eating my breakfast reminded me why I was headed to rural Scotland. Voices surrounded me as people and their thoughts invaded my privacy. I leaned my head on my hand and almost groaned aloud as the noise in my head becam
e too much. I abandoned my half-eaten breakfast and left. It was too much for me.

  As I reached my car and climbed inside, I sighed with relief. What was wrong with me? Maybe I was going mad, I mused. People couldn’t hear other’s thoughts and yet somehow, I could! I shook my head at the lunacy that was myself. I was probably going insane…still, I thought to myself, I had been correct each time so far. Maybe my accident had simply opened up something which had been untapped in my brain so far. Whatever it was, it was going to take some getting used to.

  I drove and drove and as I neared Scotland, the snow fell. The sides of the roads were covered but the motorway had been cleared for drivers. As I got nearer my destination, I headed off the main roads and into darkest, deepest Scotland. The weather was worsening and at times I could barely see the road. The snow fell heavily and the windscreen wipers moved frantically to try and keep up with the downpour.

  I got lost several times before finding the right place. I was beginning to regret my choice as rural roads turned into nothing short of dirt tracks. My car barely got through the final one, but at last, I arrived at the farmhouse where the owners of the cabin lived.

  I climbed out of the car and into the fast, falling snow. I then walked to their front door and knocked.

  There was no answer and it took me at least two minutes to realise there was an envelope on the floor with my name on it. I bent to pick it up and opened it. Inside was directions to the cabin, a welcome information pack and the key. There was also a note apologising that the owner was not there to meet me; they had been called away with an emergency.

  I picked up the envelope and headed back to my car. The snow was coming down even heavier now so I was freezing simply in the short time it had taken me to get back into the warmth of my car.

  I shook off the snow and started the engine once again. After memorising the given directions, I put the car into gear and headed along the dirt track. It couldn’t be called a road as it was so rural. My car struggled along it and tried to remain on the track as it slipped this way and that with the ice and snow.

  After a left turn and then a right, two miles on I reached the cabin. I had wanted the middle of nowhere and I had truly achieved that. The cabin was in a field which backed onto a large wooded forest. I sighed in contentment as I got out of my car. I stood in the snow as the weather beat down upon me and could mercifully hear nothing whatsoever. It was silent…silent and peaceful. I hurried for the front door, ready to start my holiday.

  I unpacked my car shortly after looking around the cabin. It was a beautiful, wooden structure with plenty of space and all the amenities of home. I brought everything in and got covered in snow as I did. I was so wet by the time the car was unloaded that I had to change my clothes and hang my wet ones to dry. As I was already undressed, I decided to relax in a nice bath. It had been a long drive and I figured I needed the quiet, soothing time which a hot bath would allow.

  I ran the bath and then wandered around the cabin. It was perfect for the holiday I needed. Peaceful and calm with space and comfort. When the bath was full, I headed back to the bathroom. I climbed in, sinking into the warm depths of the water. I closed my eyes and relaxed; for what felt like the first time in ages. I closed my eyes and drifted, but immediately familiar eyes came to my mind. I opened my eyes. Why did I keep seeing a woman with green eyes and a fleck of brown? It was very strange and most confusing. I kept my eyes open for the rest of my bath.

  Sometime later, I climbed out and dried myself. After getting dressed, I sat on the sofa in my pyjamas and was about to turn on the television when something stopped me. I went completely still and froze in position.

  I listened carefully, and then waited. There it was again…I waited and could suddenly hear a different voice.

  I leaned back against the sofa and groaned. My hands flew to my head and rubbed at my temples. Why? I asked myself. Why did I have to hear other people in my head?

  I told myself to calm down and then realised something odd. This was the first time I had heard someone in my head who hadn’t been near me. I looked around the cabin in confusion. Was there someone here that I didn’t know about? Maybe there was a home nearby where I was picking up voices from? I stood and thought for a moment. This seemed odd.

  I closed my eyes and tuned into the voices. One was clear and the other was fading away. I focused in on the voice which I could hear clearly and tried to make out the train of thought. Soon enough, it came to the front of my mind.

  ‘I have to escape,’ her inner voice whispered. ‘I don’t want to die here.’

  My eyes flew open and my heart started pounding. What on earth? I rushed to grab my phone.

  Chapter 5

  After calling the police and lying slightly, I sat down on the sofa to wait for their arrival. Outside, the weather was awful. The snow was falling heavily but the wind was howling and blowing a gale. I shivered to myself, aware of my warm surroundings. Someone else nearby was not so lucky at this moment.

  ‘Janey Mills, you are not to give up.’

  The voice appeared in my mind all of a sudden.

  ‘There must be a way out…you can outsmart this man! You are not going to be buried alive in a hole in the ground by some idiot!’

  I gasped to myself. Buried? In a hole in the ground? She must be nearby, I realised.

  I hurried to the window and looked out into the dark, foreboding forest in the distance. Something told me there was evil in those depths and I felt scared suddenly. Hugging myself tightly with my arms, I paced while I waited for the policemen to arrive.

  Five minutes later, two police cars arrived in tandem. I sighed in relief and went to the door. It had felt like an hour since I made the phone call, begging for help.

  I pulled open the door as the police officers climbed out of their cars and made their way towards me.

  ‘Good afternoon,’ an older man said, addressing me politely. He and the two others wore sunglasses, which I immediately thought of as odd.

  ‘Why are you wearing sunglasses in the snow?’ I asked, without thinking. Surely there were more pressing issues, but I found myself intrigued.

  ‘Have you ever heard the term snow blind?’ the other police officer asked, stepping towards me. ‘We wear them to protect our eyes,’ she said, and I watched as she pulled off her glasses.

  Stunned disbelief shocked me to the core as I stared into the green eyes with flecks of brown which had featured so heavily in my recent dreams. I gasped and stumbled backwards, losing my footing and stumbling so much that the female police officer grabbed me to steady me.

  Her touch was electrifying too and my eyes flew to hers, to try and see what was going on. Her eyes registered shock but then looked away as the older male cleared his throat.

  ‘Your eyes!’ I exclaimed.

  Her eyes narrowed. ‘What about them?’

  ‘They’re…’

  ‘Yeah, I know…I have weird eyes,’ she muttered, looking annoyed.

  ‘Excuse me, Miss…’

  ‘Hope,’ I told him. ‘Alex Hope.’

  ‘Nice name,’ the woman commented.

  I glanced at her but said nothing.

  ‘I’m Captain Withers-I understand there is an emergency at your property?’ he said, keen to get this moving.

  ‘Yes, please come in…’ I offered, stepping back to welcome them inside.

  ‘But I thought there was an emergency?’ he frowned.

  ‘There is,’ I told him gravely, ‘but you’re going to have to come in first so I can explain myself. I’m not wasting police time, I assure you. You need to come in though…I need to talk you through this first.’

  He stared at me, and clearly was concerned for my mental health. His thoughts were running down the line of me being a complete fruitcake.

  ‘Come in. Please,’ I gestured.

  He sighed in resignation and then, after stomping the snow off his boots, headed inside the cabin. The woman followed behind and then the youn
ger man. I went in behind them and shut the door behind me.

  The police officers sat on the sofas and as I joined them, I took a steadying breath.

  ‘Thank you for coming,’ I began.

  The older man nodded. ‘I am Captain Daniel Withers. This is JJ Love,’ he said, indicating the woman, ‘and Billy Chapman. They both work for the police here locally.’

  I nodded to them both. ‘My name is Alex Hope and I arrived here on holiday today. I called you because I need help.’

  ‘The report mentioned a woman needing vital assistance,’ he said, looking at me with a frown. ‘I don’t see any women needing assistance.’

  The captain clearly thought I was a time waster. I wasn’t. He would see.

  ‘There is,’ I assured him. ‘She’s just not here.’

  ‘Then, where is she?’

  ‘I don’t know exactly,’ I told him frowning, aware of how vague I was being.

  ‘Miss Hope-you appear to be wasting police time.’

  ‘Hear me out? Please?’ I begged him.

  ‘Give her a minute, Dan-she seems distressed,’ the woman murmured, eyeing me closely.

  I dared not look at her at the moment. I couldn’t work out what it meant that I had been dreaming about her for the past week.

  ‘Okay-five minutes. Shoot!’

  ‘Okay,’ I nodded. ‘Well, I had an accident just over a week ago. I hit my head and when I woke up…’ I took a deep breath and launched in, even though I knew I would sound crazy. ‘…I could hear people’s thoughts.’

  Captain Withers and Detective Love exchanged looks.

  ‘Look-I shouldn’t have to prove this but for purposes of urgency-here we go. Captain Withers-you’re thinking ‘this one is a complete fruitcake,’ I told him. ‘Nice choice of words by the way. That makes me feel really good!’ I said sarcastically. I turned to the young officer Chapman. ‘You’re thinking about some woman called Rachel and whether she’s going to say yes later. Chill out-it’s happening. And you, Detective Love,’ I continued, talking to the woman with the bright, brilliant eyes. ‘You’re wondering whether you should wear contacts to hide your ‘weird’ eyes. Don’t. They’re beautiful. Stunning in fact. You should never, ever cover them. Even for the sake of snow,’ I said with heart felt clarity. She held my eyes and stared at me, her mouth dropping in stunned disbelief.