PEEL-BEHIND THEIR EYES. Book 1 (Complete)

Chapter 4. Reflect

Grimsby was shrouded in a sullen blanket of grey cloud that stretched out over the wide mouth of the Humber estuary and continued far out to sea. Like the town itself, the storm had a sense of foreboding about it as it slowly glided north to south, eating away at the clearer sky ahead. The diagonal silk curtain of rain scythed across the smoke stained terraced streets, giving them a heavy dowsing.

Row upon row of Victorian terraced housing lined the streets of Grimsby oldest quarter. Their age old bricks still dirty from soot of a bygone era, an age when the town was the capital of the worlds fishing industry. But as the turn of the twentieth century arrived, Grimsby, along with its fishing industry, lost its coveted status, yet kept hold of its grimy brickwork. Freeman Street was such a road, over the years it had grown from residential, to a half mile of fading shops. With the passage of time the street continually attempted to re-invigorate itself, to bring in new shoppers; but the towns larger shopping centre would see to it that Freeman Street would eventually wither and die. Run down shops stood shoulder to shoulder, framed here and there by run down pubs that would only ever serve there regulars clientele, until they to withered and died. On a corner next to the streets Market, stood the once proud Odeon cinema, now just another boarded up facade, gradually falling to ruin, awaiting the day the wrecking ball would swing. A white van drove by, its occupant remembering the days they had spent queuing along the street, waiting to enter the cinema, and thought 'It was so sad to see the place crumble'

The cinema now in the rear view mirror, the driver, with dark eyes stared up at the mean skies and welcomed them for their ability to keep the road and pavements quieter than usual at this time a day. Those same dark eyes returned their attention to the road in front, driving the white box van calmly over a pedestrian crossing, passing the boarded up shops, and the more hardy folk who walked with intensity through the drumming rain. The driver flipped the indicator arm up and turned right into a sparse side street of garages and dilapidated lock ups, all with wooden tongue groove concertinaed doors that flaked all but a patchwork of their original paint on to the ground. Rolling along the full length of the street, eventually the van came to rest nose first with the final two story lock up that belonged to the shop that fronted the next street along. Taking a moment to sit and contemplate the day's events, the dark eyed driver smiled with satisfaction and swiped a hand across the inside of the window screen to clear the already fogged glass. Through the clearing could be seen a sign that hung upon the green peeled doors of the garage.

'Aigarths Funeral Home, est.1934. Entrance at front'

Unfazed by the down pour the van driver steadily pulled open the garage doors, the well-greased runners held no resistance. Jumping back into the van and releasing the handbrake the driver allowed the engines idling speed to creep the van forward into the interior before cutting the engine. The doors were immediately pulled shut once more, but not before those dark eyes peeked out through the closing gap. The gap shrunk and disappeared, plunging everything inside into darkness. The driver stood and listened, all that could be heard was the drivers own excited breath and the very, very subtle sounds of someone struggling in the confines within the van. The dark eyes of the driver sparkled even in the darkness.

As far as anyone knew, Aigarths funeral home had been around for an eternity, no one remembered it never being there. Almost every family around had had to use their services to help bury a loved one at some time or other, although in recent years cremation was the cheaper way to go. The funeral home was as all the surrounding shops, old terraced housing knock through and converted. The garages at its back also started life as a series of out buildings, but over the years extensions had been built to accommodate the businesses growing fleet of stretch Limos and their two aging hearses. The last garage at the end of the row was spare and unused, but still linked to its larger siblings. It was here that the van driver had seconded the van and its occupants. From the dark interior a click of a switch echoed, a green hued strip light stuttered to life, revealing the blackened bare walls, the oil stained concrete floor, and the closed doors that shut out the world. The vans rear doors were opened, its occupant moaned loudly as she blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to the brightness after spending several hours blindfolded, she moaned in misery and fear. The dark eyed driver reached in and took hold of the young girl's ankles and began to pull her free of the van, she began to scream, but the gag in her mouth muffled any real threat of discovery.

"Scream all you like dear, no one will hear you. But be warned, if you bring on one of my migraines, you will regret it" the drivers voice rasped close to her ear.

The girl fell silent, except for her whimpering as she was led to the corner were a steep set of wooden steps led up to the garages loft. With each step up the girls whimpers grew louder, once clear of the last step the driver spun her around. In the gloom of the single low wattage bulb that swung from a rafter overhead she saw two figures sat by the far wall, they also were whimpering. Her muffled screams returned as she looked down on to her own fate. Fear and panic took hold of her and she began to struggle and kick out widely. The driver pushed her violently towards the two girls that were already shackled to the wall.

"Come on now; let's not get upset, your spoiling it for everyone" the driver chastised, and shoving her down, barked "NOW SIT"

Instead, in blind terror the girl kicked back as hard as she could and thrust her elbow into her abductors ribs. Twisting, she tried to break free of the steel like grip that had locked on to her arms, and lost her balance, she fell against the side wall, taking her abductor with her and the heavy cotton sheet that had been hung to cover the age old skylight window. Light flooded in blinding them all temporarily. The girls screamed and pulled at their chains, wishing desperately to be free. In a rage the driver jumped up and threw the troublesome girl on top of the others against the wall.

"You little bitch, you gona pay for that" raising a hand to strike her, the driver noticed the girls open mouth and staring eyes as she looked over at the dirt smeared mirror on the opposite wall, and its reflection, the skylight. Turning around and looking up, the driver saw what was framed in the window and sighed.

"Oh dear, you shouldn't have seen that little miss, you really shouldn't have seen it"

Within moments all three girls were chained in a line, all quietly crying with eyes focused on the long silver knife in their abductors hand.

"Please understand me; you need to remain quiet as mice from now on, OK. I'll give you a hand full of chances"

They watched as the knife was theatrically sliced across the abductors fingers.

"You understand"

The girls, with tear blurred eyes nodded in unison.

"Good"

Sliding the knife back into its sheath, the dark eyed driver picked up the fallen sheet and began to hang it back over the window. Outside, taking up most of the skylights view was the famous Dock Tower of Grimsby, a red brick 1838AD Florence designed tower, its dominance over the entire area and as a historic landmark made its location and now the garages location, remember-able.

"Oh dear, I wished you hadn't seen that my dear"

Flipping off the dull light, the driver left the girls bound and gagged. Before the door to the adjoining building closed, the chilling sound of a child's rhyme stung their ears.

One-Two-Three-Four-Five, now I have all three alive.

The door slammed shut and the darkness took them into its keeping.

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