Fangtooth

Chapter 19

“So what are you up to today?” Bruce asked.

Jack shrugged. “You know.” He continued to wolf down his breakfast of Cornflakes.

“Actually I don’t, that’s why I’m asking.”

“What’s with the Spanish Inquisition?” He wondered if his old man was being so curious because he knew that he had snuck out last night, but then instantly rejected the idea. If his dad knew about last night, he wouldn’t be so calm.

“Can’t I take an interest in what my son’s up to?”

“You tell me what there is to do in this dump, and I’ll let you know.”

Bruce rolled his eyes. “Well if you’re short of something to do, you can help me decorate.”

“I’m bored, not desperate.”

“Well it wouldn’t hurt you to help anyway.”

“Seriously, dad, I’ll find something to keep me occupied.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Jack and Bruce stared at each other for a moment. Jack didn’t know if there was a hidden subtext to his dad’s comment or whether he was just trying to be funny. After a moment, Jack looked away and continued eating.

Despite what he had just said, Jack knew exactly where he was going today. To see Jen. He couldn’t get her out of his head. After yesterday, he knew there was at least a glimmer of a chance that she and Rocky wouldn’t be together for much longer. If she was going to need a shoulder to cry on, his was ready, willing, and able.

When he had finished eating, Jack stood and headed towards the door. “I’m going out,” he said as he picked up his baseball cap.

“Keep out of trouble. And Jack, don’t go anywhere near the sea. Okay?”

“Yeah, whatever. See you later.”

Once outside, Jack hurried towards the harbour. The overcast sky looked leaden this morning. Out to sea, he noticed a bank of fog rolling in.

When he was out of sight of the house, Jack lit a cigarette. As he slid the lighter back into his pocket, he became aware of the sensation of being watched. He gazed around surreptitiously, but couldn’t see anyone.

In the village, Jack noticed the cafe was open, so he headed across. Although he had only just eaten breakfast, he was hungry. The ruddy faced girl stood behind the counter, wiping the surfaces down. She smiled at Jack as he entered.

“Glad to see you’re still around,” she said.

Jack wondered whether there was more to her words than she was letting on. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

The girl grinned. “So what can I get you?”

“Can I have a can of Coke and one of those chocolate éclairs?”

“Looks like we’re in for a bad one,” she said as she walked across to the fridge to get the can of Coke.

Jack looked out of the window and saw that the fog bank had crept closer, nearly obscuring the harbour and Zander’s boat, making it look almost ethereal in the gloom.

When he had paid, Jack walked back outside. The morning chill had now turned into a refrigerator cold and he shivered and tugged his baseball cap down. The fog seemed to blur reality and muffle sound. He could just hear the soft creak of the boat in the harbour, the clink of metal from the many masts and the peal of a bell, made ominous in the murk.

The fog lapped at his feet, then drifted over him in a cold embrace. Jack breathed deeply, and the air chilled his nostrils and iced his lungs. He coughed.

With visibility down to less than twenty feet, Jack felt slightly wary. If someone was following him, he wouldn’t see them now. Dressed in only a thin sweater and jeans, he wasn’t prepared for the sudden change in weather, and he couldn’t believe how quickly the fog had drifted in.

His original plan had been to call on Jen, and despite the fog and the cold, he saw no reason to change it now.

The mist made the streets seem surreal; caused him to lose his bearings after only a few feet. He’d have thought he couldn’t get lost in such a small village, but the thick fog soon changed his opinion. He popped open the ring pull on the can of Coke and took a swallow.

He thought he heard footsteps but he couldn’t be sure so he stopped to listen. He couldn’t be sure of anything in the fog. His pulse increased and when he shivered this time, it wasn’t due to the cold. Whatever it was, he couldn’t hear it now and so he continued, his ears attuned for the slightest noise.

Being in the fog was like being wrapped in cold cotton wool. Visibility was now around ten feet, and Jack followed a low wall at the side of the road.

Then he heard the noise again, louder and closer than before, and he spun around, eyes wide and ears alert.

“Hello, is anyone there?” he whispered. No one replied.

Sudden movement caught his eye. “Who’s there?”

The figure didn’t answer and was soon lost in the fog. Jack’s heart did a little drum roll and he breathed deep to draw much needed air into his lungs. His fingers tingled slightly, and his cheeks prickled with anxiety. He didn’t know what he was afraid of, but he used his training to try to regulate his pulse, concentrating on each breath he took.

He considered using his phone to call his dad, but then thought how stupid he would sound, asking him to come and find him because he was scared of a little bit of mist. If he could just reach Jen’s house, then everything would be fine.

He started walking again when he heard the sound of scuffling feet directly behind him. In his panic, Jack dropped his cake and can of Coke. The can hit the ground and pop fizzed into the air. He didn’t see the raised arm with something clamped in the hand before it was too late.