Horror House Presents

The Letter

Time seems to have slowed since my girlfriend ended it with me, but I know it was about a month ago. It didn't end badly, and we are still friends, but it didn't make it any easier. My friend though, Rory had made it easier for me and I think I would have been in a darker place if it wasn't for him. We live together and have since the second year of university where we met. We hit it off straight away and he got on great with my ex too, but the university was a long time ago and now we both are in the world of work. Well I say in the world of work, he landed a job as a screenwriter a few years ago and he works at his own pace. He knew about my love for writing and read everything I had written up until that point. What I didn't know was he had printed all my work off and when he met a publisher at an award show after-party he was quick to hand my work on. It took only a week before I got that strange email requesting that I attend a meeting in the west of London. I thought it was a joke, that was before I told Rory.

"No Tony it's no joke, it's real. Don't be such a dumb ass." I remember him saying in his thick West Country accent. That line will always stick in my mind

I don't need to say much about the meeting, but I was offered a fair deal on the spot, much better than I had ever dreamed of. I was offered a five-book deal, with all the bells and whistles to go with it. I read every word before signing it and never looked back. Now I am one of the biggest rising horror writers in England and it's all thanks to Rory. We both have little family left and so we are closer than most brothers and still live together because of it. Now I am on my sixth book, which I just have the last details to sort out before it's ready. As for Rory, well he's on the third series of his second show, the first was a one series only deal. He is even working on a screen version of my first book in his spare time.

Our apartment is large and cost us a lot to go with it, it's large, too large for two single guys really, but we bought it anyway. We share the main space and it's littered with, well what most may call trophies of our careers. On the walls are framed posters of my books, with plaques of framed reviews under them. At one end of the living room, the wall is dominated by my own personal library, each shelf filled with books I have read or want to read. The wall opposite has selves behind the sofa, which are full of awards we both have won for our works, as well as props from Rory's shows. The room is lit by massive glass doors which light up the room well and that is where I sit now. Lost in my thoughts, staring at my computer screen, sat on my beanbag, and surrounded by my notes for my latest book; follow up to my first novel and one of the bestselling novels I have written. The problem is since my girlfriend left, I have struggled to be able to write, like an emotional induced writer's block, which is even odder since I have never had writer's block before. Tap, tap, tap, my pen goes on the cold tile floor below me as I try to concentrate, try to think of something, anything to write about but I can't. Nothing but memories of my time with Cara comes to mind, playing back like a highlights video from YouTube, no good for the contents of my book.

"Arh I give up," I say to myself, closing my laptop and throwing it on the sofa behind me.

Annoyed at myself I collect my notes together, not caring about the order and shove them in the folder and rub my tired eyes. I wish for one second my life wouldn't be where it is but, I can't help it. Sighing I reach for my book as I hear the front door swing open, it's ten at night already and it's Rory.

"Hey, buddy how's your day been? Any closer to finishing that book?" Rory asks, passing me an open cider as he drops his bag on the sofa and sits next to it.

"It's no good mate, still got writer's block, can't get anywhere with it. I haven't stopped all day and still only got all three lines wrote. "I reply, sighing before taking a long swig of my cider.