part0019

“I hope he appreciates how difficult it was for me to get tomorrow off work. Everybody wants time off at Easter. I had to kiss a lot of arse to get the extra day. I don’t see what could be so important that it couldn’t wait until Friday.” He felt gentle fingers squeeze his thigh, and glanced across at his wife. Her face was relaxed, illuminated randomly by the lights of oncoming vehicles. Jesus, how does she manage to stay calm, whatever shit comes her way? He brushed her hand away. “Don’t distract me. It’s getting dark and we’ll be leaving the motorway in a few minutes. You don’t want the blame for making me drive off the road, do you?” A peevish satisfaction twitched the corners of his lips as he felt, rather than saw, her flinch back into the seat.

“I’m sorry, Jude. I didn’t mean to distract you.”

Jude shivered as her voice grated on his ears. Why the hell do I put up with her? he thought. I suppose spending a few days with Eve and Jez means I don’t have to spend Easter weekend, alone, with her. Choosing to ignore her apology, Jude flicked a lever to indicate he was pulling off the carriageway. He slid the car around the curve of the road at speed, enjoying the knowledge that Mary would be anxious at the manoeuvre. She was the most nervous passenger he knew. Usually, a burst of speed or a sharp corner provoked a disapproving comment, but not this time. He guessed she was trying to avoid confrontation, not wanting to arrive at their friends’ house under a cloud of tension. At the edges of his vision, he saw her fingers tighten on the edge of the seat and her foot push down an imaginary brake, and he swallowed down the urge to snap out a stinging comment. She annoyed him, but he could see the downside of having an argument before meeting their friends.

Jude drove along narrow rural roads, dropping his foot harder on the accelerator than necessary, and keeping his eyes fixed on the route ahead. His fingers reached for the volume button, and turned up the music, attempting to crush any conversation. Trees stretched their limbs across the lanes, reaching out to their neighbours, and deepening the shadows from a cold moon that splintered the black sky. The occasional flashes of other cars’ headlights grew less frequent until, eventually, they left all other traffic behind. “Why the fuck did they have to move to the back of beyond?” Jude muttered.

“I sometimes think it would be nice to move out of the city,” said Mary. “Buy a cottage, miles from anywhere. Grow our own veggies. We could get a dog.”

Jude shook his head. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous you sound?” He swung the steering wheel hard right into a bend and heard Mary draw in a sharp breath. “One week away from the restaurants, bars and shops, and you’d be begging to move back. I reckon in a couple of months, Jez and Eve will have this place back on the market, and be looking for a new city pad. Eve won’t enjoy living in the wilderness.” Before Mary could voice a reply, Jez turned the car through a dark gateway, and bumped along a rough drive. As they approached the large farmhouse, motion-sensitive lights illuminated the brooding building.

“What an ugly house,” murmured Jez. “Give me a new-build, every time.”

“I think it’s charming,” said Mary. “It looks full of character.”

“I take it by character, you mean old and derelict?”

“It’s not derelict, at all. Look at its charm. Can you see the iron crosses in the walls that hold the beams in place?”

“I can see them, and I’m probably going to end up knocking myself out on one of the fucking beams.” Jude brought the car to a halt between Eve’s Range Rover and Jez’s Merc, and killed the engine. Within minutes they were approaching the solid wooden door.

Jez pushed up the sleeve of his sweater and glanced at his watch. They should be arriving at any moment and, as if they were tuned into his thoughts, a flicker of headlamps through the window announced the arrival of a car. He opened the door before they had time to knock. “Come in, come in. How was your journey?”

Jude and Mary entered the large oak-panelled hallway. “Whatever possessed you to move out of the city? There’s not another house for miles. Thought I’d never find you,” said Jude.

“Ignore him, Jez,” said Mary. “He drove straight here, without any problems. I don’t know how he did it. I’d have gotten lost. He’s just getting urban withdrawal symptoms. This is a beautiful house.”

Jez leaned in, and kissed Mary on the cheek. “Thanks. I’ll show you to your room, so you can freshen up before dinner. It’ll be ready in about twenty minutes.”

Mary craned her neck to look past her host. “Where’s Eve? I want to say hello first.”

Jez stiffened. “Um, she’s not here at the moment. You’ll see her later, though, I promise.” Avoiding further discussion, he picked up their bags, and started to mount the stairs. “I’ve put you in the larger bedroom at the back. The views are to die for. Of course, it’s too dark to see anything now.” He continued to make small talk, as he led the way to the guest room, before leaving them to unpack.

Fifteen minutes later, his guests joined Jez in the ample kitchen. “I must say, Jez,” said Jude, as he cast admiring looks around the interior of the sleek and stylish, ultra-modern kitchen. “I wasn’t expecting anything like this, when I saw the place from the outside. I imagined it was going to be like stepping inside the Addams family’s house. ”

“I had the entire place remodelled before moving in. I kept some of the better, original features though. There’s an amazing inglenook in the sitting room.”

“I love the place,” Mary smiled, then added, “When’s Eve getting here?”

Jez filled generous wine glasses and passed them around. “You’ll see her later. Come on, let’s go through to the dining room. Supper’s ready.”

Jez led them through an arched doorway into a spacious dining room. A vaulted ceiling was the crown above a room that managed to blend ultra-modern with essences of past-times. The fusion was seamless.

“Wow,” was all that Jude could muster. “This…This is not what I was expecting.”

His host grinned. “This place is full of surprises. Take a seat I’ll bring dinner through.”

Mary touched his arm. “Let me help.”

Her hand recoiled, and she took a step back.

“I’m sorry.” Jez reached out and pulled Mary toward him, in a hug. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I just thought you must be tired after the journey. Please, sit down and let me bring the food in. I’ve been home all day, and I know you both had to work. Please?” His large blue eyes widened, along with his smile. He had a boyish charm that never failed to win her over. She relaxed and took a seat at the table .

“There’s only three places set,” said Jude. “Is Eve not joining us for dinner?”

“Er, no. She won’t be able to make it in time.” Jez glanced toward the kitchen. “I’ll only be a moment. I don’t want dinner to spoil.” On cue, a timer buzzed in the other room. “It’s ready. Top up the glasses, and I’ll bring the food in.” Jez closed the door behind him.

Through the door, came the sounds of shifting pans and rattling plates. “I wonder where Eve is?” remarked Jude. He took a large gulp of wine. “I get the feeling something’s not right. I’m worried about her.”

“Yes, I thought it was odd, her not being here. She’s been dying for us to visit and see the new place,” said Mary. “Did you notice her car was still in the drive?”

The door opened, and Jez appeared with plates of steaming food. He placed one before each of his guests, before returning to the kitchen to collect his own. Once they were all seated, he raised his glass. “Here’s to the best two friends in the world. May we continue to enjoy… memorable times together and thank you, for coming at such short notice. I do appreciate that you’re both busy people, and it must have taken a huge amount of brown-nosing to get extra days off work.”

“You have no idea,” Jude laughed. “I have never kissed so much arse in my life.”

Jez raised one eyebrow. “Really? Never? Not even for pleasure?” His lips thinned in a parody of a grin

“Hey, steady on. How much did you drink before we got here? ”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any offence.” Jez put down his glass. “It’s been rather stressful recently. Let’s relax and eat this before it goes cold. I’ve spent all afternoon preparing it.”

“It looks delicious. What is it?” asked Mary

“Salmon-en-croute. All the vegetables are locally grown. It’s a gourmet’s paradise living here. Plus, I’ve made a chocolate and hazelnut tart for dessert, with salted caramel ice cream.”

“You should be taking notes, Jude,” laughed Mary. “Eve’s a very lucky girl. Jude can burn coffee.”

“There’s no need to cook at home,” sneered Jude. “There are plenty of restaurants to take care of that.”

“Well, I’m impressed, Jez.” Mary cut a small piece from her salmon and popped it into her mouth. “Mm. This is delicious. Jude, try yours.”

Trivial conversation peppered the course of their meal, punctuated by the sounds of silverware scraping against china. Jez watched with satisfaction as the plates were cleared of food. When the last morsel had been devoured, he gathered the plates. “Give me five minutes. I need to add the finishing touches to the tarts.” He retreated to the kitchen once more.

“I’m worried about Eve,” whispered Mary. “Jez hasn’t offered any explanation as to why she’s not here, and he doesn’t seem…himself.”

“He seems his usual self to me,” Jude shrugged his shoulders. “But, I’ll ask him about her when he gets back.” He refilled their glasses .

Within ten minutes Jez returned, carrying a tray laden with desserts. “You’ve even iced our names on them!” Mary clapped her hands, before reaching to accept hers. “Look, Jude. He’s iced ‘Mary’ across it.”

“Yes, I can see. I’m not blind.” He accepted the dish offered by Jez. “Thank you. Mm, this does look good.” He placed a spoonful in his mouth, and his features relaxed as the rich chocolate melted on his tongue. “Wow. Damn, this is good. There’s a flavour I can’t quite put my finger on. What is it?”

Jez laughed. “Ah, the secret ingredient. I could tell you, but then, I’d have to kill you. I don’t intend to reveal my culinary secrets to anyone.”

Jude swallowed the final mouthful, closing his eyes as he savoured the sweet dessert. “Oh man, Eve is missing a treat tonight. I’m surprised she’s not here, though. Has she gone away?”

Jez laid down his spoon, and pushed the remains of his pudding away. “There’s no easy way to say this but, we’re…” He took a long swig of wine. “We’re no longer together.”

Jude and Mary stared in silence at their friend. Neither of them had predicted this as a reason for her absence. Jude shattered the quiet. “What the fuck! She…she walked out? Did she say why? Jesus, man. Really?”

“Jude,” hissed Mary. “Oh, Jez. I’m so sorry. Are you sure you want us here? Have you talked properly with each other? Maybe you can work it out. ”

Jez shook his head. “There’s going to be no ‘working it out.’ It’s too late for us. She’s gone, and good riddance.”

“You don’t mean that.” Mary reached out to take his hand, but he moved it away.

“I do.” He stood up, clattered the dishes together, and stormed into the kitchen, leaving Mary and Jude open-mouthed.

“Jude, go after him.”

“I…I don’t think that’s a good idea. I think we should leave. He obviously wants to be alone.”

“And how would we leave? Both of us have drunk too much to drive, and we’re miles from home. Besides, we can’t leave him alone. Not like this.”

Jude pulled his phone from a pocket. “I’ll call for a cab.”

“Don’t you dare.” She yawned, her mouth widening, and she raised a hand to cover it. “We are not going anywhere. Put that phone away.”

Jude stifled his own yawn, and placed the phone on the table as Jez returned. “Who were you calling?” quizzed Jez.

Mary glared at Jude. “No one,” he finally replied. “Do you want to talk about it.” The words sounded bitter as they left his lips, and didn’t welcome an answer, but Jez wasn’t deterred.

“She’s been having an affair.” He paused, and studied their faces. Mary’s shocked disbelief, and Jude’s impassive stare. “It’s been going on for ages. Turns out, that all those business trips she made, didn’t involve a whole lot of business. Well, not of the kind I expected. ”

“I…I don’t know what to say,” stammered Jude. “Has she left you for him?”

“No. I don’t believe she has.” He refilled all their glasses. “Tired, Mary?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” she answered, as she tried to stifle another yawn. “I don’t know what’s come over me. I feel exhausted.”

Jude raised a hand to hide his own yawn. “I understand, if you don’t want to talk. This is personal.”

“I want to talk, though, and you’re right, it is personal. Very personal.” He looked from Jude to Mary and smiled. “You both look very tired, but I think you can stay awake a little longer while I talk. You’re going to want to hear what I have to say.”

Jude rubbed his eyes. “Perhaps we should talk another time. To be honest, I’m not feeling so good.”

“I don’t feel like myself, either,” said Mary. “I think we might have picked up a virus or some other bug.”

“You can go to sleep, soon,” said Jez. “After I tell you what’s been going on. A few months ago, I needed to speak to Eve while she was away on a work trip. Her phone had been playing up, and when I couldn’t get an answer, I decided to call her office and ask them to get a message to her. Do you know what they told me?”

Both guests shook their heads, and Mary’s mouth gaped, as another yawn overtook her.

“They told me she wasn’t away on business. In fact, they told me she had taken a couple of day’s holiday, and they had no idea where she was. Can you begin to imagine what I was thinking? No, don’t bother to answer, just try to stay awake a little longer.”

“I suppose I should have confronted her when she got home, but I was scared of what she might say. Cowardly, I know, but how does anyone know how they will react, when they suspect their wife of having an affair? I went through her phone. I read her emails. Nothing. She had covered her tracks well. Then, she announced another business trip, the week after Valentine’s day.”

Mary started to say something, but the words wouldn’t form. Only gurgled sounds left her lips.

“Don’t try to speak Mary, just listen. I decided to take some time off work, myself and follow her. I was hoping she was telling the truth, and I’d see her attending a conference or a meeting, but no. She drove to a hotel in Surrey. I followed her inside, at a distance, of course. She never saw me. There was somebody waiting for her in reception. A man. Can you guess who?”

This time, it was Jude’s turn to try and speak, but the words melted, and dribbled down his chin.

“I know, Jude. You’re sorry. You never meant it to happen. She was a scheming whore, who tempted you away from your own, dear wife.”

A gagging, snuffling noise came from Mary. Jude tried to launch himself at Jez, but his legs refused to obey him, becoming tangled in his chair. He fell to the floor, where he lay sprawled, unable to get back up .

“I should have warned you not to try and stand. The tranquiliser I put in your desserts also works as a muscle relaxant. I had to be careful with the doses. I didn’t want to accidentally kill either of you, hence my clumsy attempt at icing your names on the tarts. I had to be sure you ate the right ones. I’m sorry, Mary. You don’t deserve any of this, but I can’t let you stop me.” Jez slumped back in his seat and waited, until Mary collapsed onto the table, and Jude lay snoring on the floor.

An aching weight attempted to keep Jude’s eyelids shut. A dizzying sense of disorientation pervaded his mind, while nausea and pain swamped his body, and his limbs refused to co-operate. The cramps, that had settled deep into his muscles, threatened to tear him apart and the bite of tight ropes chewed at his wrists and ankles, with every clumsy attempt to move he made. A damp chill surrounded his nakedness. He tried to swallow, but his throat felt like he had ingested razor blades. With a final effort of will, he forced open his eyelids.

The lighting was dim, but not too dark to see by. Jude looked down, past his nakedness, and saw his mottled feet, strapped to lengths of wood. Slowly, to minimise the explosions firing through his brain, he turned his head to the left. His left wrist was similarly tied. A sluggish turn to the right, confirmed his right wrist was also restrained. A fifth rope was drawn around his waist, fully immobilising him to the cross-shaped structure. A clouded memory of a night surfing the seedier sites of the web rose through the darkness and he recognised what he was secured, spread-eagled to: a St. Andrews cross. A piece of equipment used by some members of the BDSM community. How had he come to be tied to such a contraption?

“I see you’re waking up.” The voice was distant, but when Jude turned to face the sound, he saw Jez was only a few yards away, resting against a bare brick wall.

Jude tried to speak, but his thirsty tongue refused to oblige, and all he could manage was a low mumble.

“I guess you need a drink.” Jez pushed away from the wall, and picked up a bottle of water by his feet. He unscrewed the cap as he walked over. “Open wide, buddy.” He tipped a hefty volume of water into Jude’s mouth. The liquid hit the back of Jude’s throat, and he gagged. Coughing and spluttering, he spat most of it to the floor.

“W…what have you done?” Jude rasped. His vocal cords were raw strings. Nothing made sense anymore. He had been eating dinner with the others, and then he was here. Except, that wasn’t what had happened. Fragments of memory began to coalesce into the nightmare he found himself in. “E…Eve…?” he slurred.

“Eve? Eve, is your first thought? Surely you should be wondering what’s happened to Mary, your wife. Remember her?”

Jude nodded, and groaned, “Where is she?”

“That’s more like it, Jude. You’re learning. A little late, but you’re learning. Mary’s fine, if a little worse for wear.” He pointed toward a corner of the room where, gagged and tied to a chair, slouched Mary. “Eve, on the other hand, well, she’s not looking so good.” Jez cast a glance to another corner, and Jude’s eyes followed.

His scream ripped from his scorched throat and bounced off the bare walls. As soon as his breath was exhausted, he inhaled and screamed again. And again. He screamed until he was spent, panting for breath, as he hung from the cross.

“Let’s hope that’s out of your system. For a while at least.” Jez walked over to the corner and picked up the disembodied head of his wife. “She’s definitely not looking her best. I’m betting you don’t want to fuck her anymore.” He pried open her grey lips. “Tell me, do you still want to push your cock in there?”

Jude recoiled against the unyielding cross, as Jez thrust the head of his lover towards Jude’s groin. It’s just a nightmare. I’ll wake up soon. Please God. Let me wake up. But the pain in his body reminded him that this was no dream. Jez had discovered what was going on between himself and Eve, and now Jez was going to make him pay. Sobbing from the corner drew Jez’s attention, and he backed away.

“Don’t be alarmed, Mary. I don’t intend to harm you. You’re as innocent as I am in this.” He dropped his dead wife’s head to the floor, where it bounced once, before rolling away. “I only want you to see your miserable husband for the lying, cheat that he is. ”

“F…For God’s sake, let us go. Don’t make it any worse for yourself.” Jude was more awake, the actuality of the scene was growing, becoming brighter. This was real.

“Oh, Jude. I’m not making it any worse for me.. But you, on the other hand…” Jez stood with his face only inches away from Jude’s. “It’s going to get a whole lot worse for you. Unless you do exactly what I tell you to. Understand?” Jude nodded. “Good boy.” Jez reached out, and ruffled his hair, like he would a small child’s. “Now, I want you to tell me, exactly, what you and my wife did together.”

Jude shook his head, “It…it was just sex. I’m sorry, Jez. I really am. I wish I could go back and do things differently.”

“Tut, tut. Not good enough, Jude. I want details. I know you screwed the fucking bitch. I want to know exactly what you did with her. Did she blow you? Did you bend her over, and fuck her in the arse? She liked that, you know. Hold her by the hips, and force yourself deep inside her. Of course, you did.”

“Now. Tell. Me!”

Sobs shook his body, and the rope cut deeper, as his body collapsed forward. Thin, warm trickles of blood snaked down his arms. “Yes. Yes. Yes. All of that. She wanted it all. Everything that you said.”

“You haven’t got it, have you? You are supposed to tell me what the two of you did together. Not just agree with what I say,” Jez sighed, and walked to over to a small toolbox that sat on the floor, next to Mary’s chair. “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but you leave me no choice.” A muffled scream escaped Mary’s gag, and the chair stuttered, as she tried to shuffle backwards, away from her approaching captor. He reached out, and stroked his hand down her cheek. “Don’t worry, Mary. I’m not going to hurt you. You’ve already been hurt, just as much as I have, by what my wife and your husband have been doing. All you have to do is watch, and enjoy.”

Grabbing the toolbox, Jez returned to the cross. He pulled out a handful of metal that clinked in his grasp. “Do you know what these are, Jude? No? Don’t worry, you’ll soon get to grips with them. They’re nail spikes. Like the kind used on railways. They don’t look friendly, do they?”

“F…For fuck’s sake, Jez. This has gone far enough. Untie us both. Please.” Tears spilled down Jude’s face, as he pleaded.

His words went unheeded. Jez delved back into the toolbox, and drew out a hammer. “I thought the cross was a nice touch, with it being Easter. This cellar was one of the reasons we bought the place. Eve had been dying for us to have our own dungeon for ages.” He laughed, “Dying. She never thought she would end up dead in here. She loved kink. Vanilla left her cold. She loved nothing more than being tied up and whipped, before a fucking. But you must know all about that. Hey, Mary. Did he ever tie you to the bed?”

“Jesus, Jez. Leave Mary out of this.”

“It’s a little late for you to be considering others. It’s time you paid the price for your actions.” He placed the point of one of the nail spikes on top of Jude’s left foot. Jude tried to wriggle away, but the rope-binding was tight and unforgiving. Jez raised the hammer, paused for a second, and then swung it down.

There was the briefest ‘chink’, as the hammer struck the head of the nail, before the dark room filled with hoarse screams. Splatters of blood decorated Jez’s pale face, and soaked into his shirt. He raised the hammer and struck the nail again, and again, until the head was flush with Jude’s foot, and it became one with the cross. “Anything more to tell me yet?”

Jude screamed until all that he had left, were gulping sobs. “You…You bastard,” he whimpered.

“Wrong answer, my friend.” Jez picked up a second spike, and drove it into the other foot. Jude shrieked. His body twisted and bucked on the cross, but all his struggling did was tighten the knots of his restraints, and pump more blood from his wounds. “Anything to add, yet?”

Pain and fear robbed Jude of any ability to speak. Thick streams of snot dangled from each nostril, and tears streamed from blood-reddened eyes. The earthy, dark stink of shit blossomed, filling every corner of the gloomy room, and when Jude thought he couldn’t scream anymore, he was proved wrong. Rigid steel pierced his wrists, driven by Jez’s hammer. One blow missed the spike, smashing the bones in his hand but, for Jude, the hurt was swallowed into the agony that now formed his world. All thoughts of why he was nailed to the cross, were driven from his mind. No memory of Eve, her naked body, or of all the depraved things he had done to it, remained. All were driven out by his torture.

He had no awareness of Jez untying Mary. He didn’t see Mary dragged, sobbing from the cellar. He didn’t even notice when the light was switched off, and he was left, weeping and moaning, in total blackness. Time vanished, to be replaced by an eternity of torment. Minutes grew into hours, and hours grew into days. Moments of lucidity were interspersed with delirium, brought on by wounds that burned and festered. The poisons invaded his blood, and the rigours threatened to tear his flesh free of his prison. He cried. He moaned. He screamed. By the third day, he fell silent.

Jez stared out of the kitchen window and across the fields, in the direction of the nearest village. He imagined the ringing of the church bells, as they called the faithful to the Easter Service. The village was too far away for the chiming to be heard at the house. Superstitious cunts, he thought. He scorned anyone who chose to believe in the fairy tales pedalled by the church, and let themselves be controlled by the threat of eternal damnation. He knew there was only one life, and to get ahead, you had to be willing to do whatever was necessary.

His thoughts were interrupted by the muffled sounds of weeping. He had kept Mary locked in one of the bedrooms since the night he had dealt with her errant husband. Jez had never had any intention of harming her. No, his plan was to convince her that he had acted in both of their best interests and, if she worked with him, they could devise a convincing story to explain the disappearance of their adulterous partners. The problem with that being, Mary wasn’t playing his game.

She was more traumatised than he had expected. He had anticipated tears and tantrums, but she had withdrawn, completely. His explanations and platitudes had either been ignored, or she hadn’t been able to hear or understand him. She had scarcely moved from the corner of the bedroom where, she spent hour after hour, huddled and weeping. Jez was worried. He hadn’t planned on having to remove Mary from the picture. Throughout all of his planning and forecasts, he had visualised her realising the consequences of her husband’s philandering, and siding… with Jez, but he wasn’t about to give up on her yet.

Jez mixed up some porridge in a bowl, and warmed it in the microwave. As soon as it pinged, he placed it on the kitchen table, along with coffee and orange juice, then climbed the stairs to her room. Although she had made no effort to escape, he, nevertheless, kept the door locked. He turned the key and entered. He discovered her cowering in the same position and corner that he always found her in. The sickly-sweet scent of unwashed skin filled the room. Mary’s only trips to the bathroom had been to deal with bodily functions and not to bathe.

“Enough,” said Jez. “Breakfast is downstairs, and one way or another, you are going to the kitchen to eat it. Are you going to stand, or do I drag you?” There was, predictably, no response. He walked over and grabbed her hands. Pulling her to her feet, she felt lighter and more fragile than he remembered. Could she have lost that much weight in a matter of just a few days? Not a morsel of food had passed her lips, since their last supper, with Jude. Sighing, he pulled her towards the door. She offered no resistance, and docilely followed.

Jez attempted to spoon-feed the porridge to Mary, but she wouldn’t swallow, and now she sat with trails of porridge dripping from her chin, while the remainder congealed in the bowl. If he couldn’t get her to co-operate with him today, he was going to have to rethink his plans. He had already left the bodies in the cellar for far too long. Mary’s odour was bad, but it paled into insignificance next to the aura of decay and rot that was beginning to escape the basement.

“Mary!” Jez yelled, his mouth only inches from her face, but she didn’t flinch. “For fuck’s sake, Mary. Speak to me.” He raised his hand, and the slap he delivered to her face sent her tumbling to the floor, where she lay, catatonic. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration; the realisation of what would have to be done, became an urgent need.

He pulled open a drawer in one of the cabinets. It was stuffed full of all the random bits and bobs that every home has, yet don’t warrant a special place of their own. He rummaged through the detritus until his hand settled on what he was after: the wire from a broken cheese slicer. He grabbed a couple of tea towels to protect his hands, and wound the ends around his fists. Kneeling next to Mary’s prone form, he placed the wire around her neck. “I’m sorry, Mary. I never meant it to come to this, but you’re forcing me to do this.” His fingers flexed, and he drew in a deep breath.

“Jude?” Mary’s voice was soft, yet it slammed into Jez like a juggernaut, and the garrotte slipped from his fingers. She pushed herself to her knees, and began a slow crawl across the floor. Jez followed at her heels. “Jude?” she called again, but this time her voice was louder, stronger. She had a purpose. Confusion clouded Jez’s thoughts. Was this a good sign, or was Mary’s mental state reaching a new low? He prayed to a God he didn’t believe in, that it was a good omen.

He followed her until she paused, outside the door to the cellar, and pulled herself to her feet, like a baby learning to stand. The smell of death and decay burned stronger here. She pressed the palms of her hands and her forehead against the door, tilting her head to one side as if she were listening. “I hear you sweetheart. It’s okay, I’m here.”

Jez’s heart sank. This was no good omen. It was clear that she was losing her mind, and he was responsible for pushing her to the edge of insanity. He had no choice anymore. Mary would have to go.

He froze. A prickling ran along his spine, and the hairs on the back of his neck rose to attention. From behind the cellar door, came the slow sounds of dragging footsteps. It’s…it’s not possible, he thought. Even if Jude’s somehow managed to survive, there’s no way he could escape the nails and rope fastening him to the cross. He reasoned that after four days without food or water, and with wounds that would be festering from lack of care – Jesus, he could smell the decay from where he stood – there was no way on earth that Jude could escape his fate. Yet, still, the muffled sounds continued.

“Rats!” he yelled. “It has to be rats.” But, deep down, he knew that rats could never make such heavy, dragging sounds.

Mary’s nails raked the door in frenetic desperation, as she tried to get past the wooden barrier. Her unexpected animation startled Jez. His hand flew out, connecting with the side of her face. She fell to the floor, screeching in pain and frustration. “You’re going to join them down there, you bitch.” He raced to the small bowl, where a mixture of keys lay, and pulled out a long, thin one. He returned to the cellar door, and slid the slender key into the lock. It turned smoothly, and he pulled open the door. A thick fog, of putrid flesh and excrement rising from the blackness, flooded his senses, as he turned to grab Mary.

She flew towards him like a banshee, arms outstretched, wailing as though her lungs would explode. She hit him like a wrecking ball, and he stumbled backwards. The ground disappeared from beneath his feet, and he was flying. For a brief moment, he recalled the old cartoons of his childhood, when the Roadrunner got the better of the wily old coyote. Then, with a crash, he returned to reality. The ground smashed against his limbs and his spine. Agonising pain erupted from his thigh, and he reached down to feel jagged bone and ragged flesh. He screamed.

Above him, framed by the light in the doorway, Mary grinned her lunatic smile before closing the door. Blackness surrounded and occupied him. Jez lifted his hands to his ears, to block out the shrieking, not realising it was he, who screamed. Whispers found their way through the cacophony, insinuating into his mind. He tried to push his way towards the stairs, scraping his fingernails against the rough concrete, but the splintered bone in his leg tore through his muscle. He collapsed onto his back.

The darkness thickened into a crushing weight against Jez’s chest. He struggled for breath. The stench grew stronger, until it seemed to take on a physical form, and he could taste its ripeness deep in his throat, feeling its spongy putrefaction against his skin. Icy breath brushed against his ear, and dead voices whispered to him.