ME & THE MONSTER

betrayal

When he heard it the first time, he thought he'd imagined it.

"Psst," a  voice said.

Kal stood beside a souvenir stall at Westminster Embankment, clutching his briefcase. He'd just left from work. Opposite, Big Ben struck the hour.

"Psst," the voice hissed again.

Kal looked around, confused. Not so much as a single person was glancing his way. Men in suits and women in sharp heels clicked by, and the horde of tourists that swarmed past were too busy taking selfies to notice him.

But then he looked up.

"Good afternoon to you too," the statue said, and there was a trace of exasperation in her voice. "Deaf, are we?"

Kal stared up at the gleaming figures that loomed over his head. He saw three bronze women mounted on a chariot drawn by a pair of rearing horses. The one that had addressed him was at the front,  dressed in a flowing gown. She clutched at a spear in her hand. Behind her crouched two younger women, bare-breasted, who were peering down at Kal.

He'd walked past them on countless occasions, and he'd actually thought he'd felt their eyes on him sometimes. But they'd never spoken to him before.

"Well," Kal said, politely. "It's been a while since I last had the honour of speaking with one of your kind, Mrs, er, Boudica. You're looking fabulous, if I may say so."

The statue preened.

"Queen Boudica, if you please. These are my daughters." With an imperious wave of the hand, she indicated the two young women behind her. Giggling, they ducked behind their hair at the sight of him. "Girls, greet Kal Mellketh properly, now. Don't show me up."

"Hello," said Kal.

"We wished to warn you, angel," Boudica said. The horse on her right whickered, pawing at the ground. "Now, Storm, calm down, there's a good boy."

Kal was trying to speak moving his lips as little as possible; he didn't want anyone thinking he was a nutter who enjoyed engaging in conversation with London's sights. But people took no notice of him or the statues whatsoever.

"Warn me? What about?"

Blushing, the youngest daughter croaked: "Her. She's not to trust, angel-man." She gave a violent sneeze, which made the horses neigh. Absent-mindedly, she flicked a pigeon dropping off her shoulder. "Oh dear, I think I am coming down with a cold."

Her mother frowned at her.

"No wonder, you're half naked, girl. And in front of a gentleman, too! Cover up, quick." Then she turned to Kal, an earnest expression on her black bronze face. "My daughter is right. Beware her."

Kal's insides turned cold.

"What – who – what do you mean?" he stammered.

The other daughter hastily rearranged her gown into a more modest position before answering him.

"She loves you too much, angel. She means you harm."

Kal shook his head, though his heart was hammering.

"Ladies, I don't want to come across as disrespectful, but you must be mistaken. I trust Rae completely. I know I once didn't, but that's over." The hand that was holding his briefcase had started to shake. "I love her, okay? I love her. How can you know, anyway?"

Boudica gave him a smile as old as sin. Below them, the Thames glimmered silver.

"They think we are dead, and deaf, and blind. But we know – we taste things on the wind. We listen to people who walk past, and their thoughts are loud. We see things in the water."

Kal began to hurry away from the statues.

"I don't believe you," he said. "It can't be true, it can't."

"We smell betrayal," the oldest daughter called after him, and her voice rang out in Westminster Embankment like a nightbird's, clear and cold. "Take heed, angel-man."

*

I didn't mean to tell him what I did. I was just so angry.

"Look, Rae, just own up to it, okay? You're just making it worse. It was in the larder the whole time; it can't have vanished into thin air on its own accord."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't nick it, Sean? Haven't you stopped to think why on earth would I want to take a stupid little protein bar?"

"Well, you're in that firefighter training course thingy, aren't you? You need muscling up, you're such a puny little devil."

"What did you just call me?"

"It's just a figure of speech, Rae. Don't make such a fuss about it. God, the minute I've found a halfway decent place, I'm out of here. I'm done with you."

"Suits me fine. You know what, Sean? You need to be taught a lesson – I wish something happened to you that made you realise that you need others. You need humbling, that's what you need."

"Yeah, yeah. It's your turn to sweep the floor today, by the way. I hope everything is spick and span when I get back. Cheers."

I tell myself I didn't meant it at the time, not really. 

But maybe, deep down, I did.

Later, I would come to regret those words.