Untitled (30 page)

       And sat atop a plinth was the man who would be their God. Jacob saw him and fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

       "B
id welcome to our generous benefactor," Cha
ppell shouted out from his throne.

       Harrison was at the head of the stretcher, leading the way. Kaci was taking up the rear end, having relieved Megan of lifting duties only minutes earlier.

       Megan was now walking alongside Harrison, keeping pace with him. Neither of them had spoken for a while and Harrison finally broke the silence.

       "How'd you know this Chappell guy?" he asked the question bluntly, regretting it when he saw the brief glimpse of pain in her eyes. "If you'd rather not talk about it." Harrison quickly tried to make amends.

       "No." Megan shook her head. "Its fine. I'd rather talk about than think about what's going on here."

       "No pressure," added Harrison. "I'm just curious as to why you'd think he was dead."

       "Because I was there when it happened." Megan lowered her head and took a deep breath.

       "I was a student when I met him. Its the age old story of the university lecturer relationship that everyone knows won't last." Megan rolled her eyes. "I should have listened to them... maybe then things would have been different."

"You don't have to do this," Harrison offered.

       "Yes I do. I want to put it straight in my mind. I've blamed myself for his death for years now." A rogue tear trailed down Megan's cheek. "Only to find that the bastard's still alive."

       From off to the left there came a shrill laugh, an indication that the Slavis was still trailing them.

       "It wasn't as if he chased me or seduced me. I walked into the relationship with my eyes wide open. I knew he was older than me but it didn't matter. Just listening to him talk was enough. It sounds stupid but he captivated me without even trying.

       I remember building up the courage to approach him and ask him out for coffee. I was petrified that he'd say no and then laugh at me behind my back for being a silly little girl.

       As it happened he accepted the invite with a grin and that, as they say is how the story started. I won't bore you with details but needless to say I thought I was in love and I was sure he felt the same way.

       I was wrong.

       He was driving that night. We'd been out for dinner and everything was fine. Adrian always had a habit of driving too fast and he'd been drinking. I'd offered to drive but he'd refused, climbing into the driving seat with male bravado.

We didn't speak at first and, when he finally did, his words knocked me sideways. He didn't even look at me when he said we couldn't see each other any more.

       I tried getting him to tell me why but he wouldn't give me a straight answer, claiming it had run its course. I started to cry and he had the nerve to tell me to grow up, that these things made us stronger.

       I don't know what came over me but I only meant to slap him once, but the first slap sent me into a frenzy and I lashed out at him again and again. He laughed and that made it worse. I was hitting out at him with both fists when the car left the road.

       I was thrown backwards as the car smashed through the bushes and left the ground. It felt like we were flying and then we hit the water nose first. I was thrown forward, my head hit the dash board and everything went black."

       "Fuck me," Harrison said.

       "Tell me about it. When I came round I was in the back of an ambulance being taken to hospital."

       "What about Chappell?"

       "They found the car, but no body. The front windscreen was missing and they say the current could have taken him anywhere."

       "I can see why you thought he was dead."

       "But why is he back?" Megan linked her hands behind her back and looked skyward. "Why here and why now?"

"Maybe we can ask him," Kaci added.

       They all looked up and say the ruins looming above the tree line, a shadow against the dark blue evening sky.

"I think you should two should stay here with Peter," Harrison suggested.

"Let me guess," Kaci cut in. "This is a job for the men."

       "Where the hell did that come from?" Harrison queried. "This isn't the time for a battle of the sexes."

       "You never change, do you?"

       Megan wasn't listening, instead she walked out into the open, her attention taken by the cathedral ruins. Even in this dilapidated state it was easy to see how grand it would have been when first completed. She let her eyes wander across the remaining stone work, admiring the workmanship that must have gone into the construction.

       She could almost hear the sounds of the workers, the metallic collision of hammer against chisel, the grating of stone blocks as they were dragged into place. And, underneath that, she could've sworn she heard the sound of screaming and wailing, a song that sounded from the pain of thousands.

       Megan tried to focus on the sound, blocking out the noise of busy wall erection in an attempt to clearly hear the words being sang from beyond. She felt the pulsing throb of a headache begin, a dull ache behind her eyes that slowly worked its fingers deeper, a spider web of vicious exploration that spread throughout her skull.

       'Me
gan,'
the voice called.

       Megan didn't reply but she started to move, walking towards the cathedral slowly but surely. It was an unconscious movement, an obedience to the voice that called out to her.

       'T
hat's right, Megan,'
the voice cajoled. 'I
nside... where its safe.' eac
h word carried an echo, the sentence seeming to carry on long after the words had been spoken.

       "What do you want?" Megan replied, the question not much more than a murmur.

       'I w
ant the same as you,' sa
ng the voice sweetly. 'W
hat you always wanted.'

       "And what is that?" Megan gritted her teeth, finally realising that she was stood at the open gates to the cathedral courtyard.

       'Y
ou wanted us to be together,'
the voice caressed. 'Now we c
an and it will
last for an eternity.' T
he words lulled Megan, softened her fear and filled her with a euphoric sensation that all was well in the world.

       Megan reached out and placed her hand on the gate, ready to push it open and walk across the threshold.

       "Adrian," she cried softly.

"What the hell are you doing?" Harrison hissed in her ear, grabbing her wrist and snatching her hand away from the gate.

       "Its Adrian," she said with a smile, her eyes glazed over. "He wants us to be safe."

       
'He doesn't care for you,'
the voice said. 'N
ot like I do.'

       "Come with me," Harrison ordered, pulling her back towards the trees.

       "No!" Megan snarled, her lips pulling back over her teeth. "He loves me." Megan tugged herself free of Harrison and ran through the gate.