The Taking of Eleanor Ainsworth

Chapter 25

Neither the company of the girls nor the voices in his head was enough to drag Theo away from the loneliness that he felt. All the time and love that he put into nurturing these girls was a waste, they did not reciprocate his love and that only made his anxiety deepen. The further away the girls pushed themselves from him, the closer and louder the voices in his head became.

It was like static, a constant buzzing sound that resembled of a swarm of bees. They never made any sense they just whispered incoherently in his ear and made his mind think up dark and unforgiving thoughts, they rarely left him alone, and when they did, it was always in the presence of Eleanor.

But he was still lonely.

Loneliness was his only friend, it left an empty void inside of him, that could never be filled, making him suffer a life without a warm embrace or a shoulder to cry on. He missed his mother, for his mother was the only person who made him feel wanted and less lonely, she was the only one who filled that void inside of him but she was dead and was never coming back.

He kicked at the loose rocks that dotted the ground, scuffing his shoe in the process. It was mid day and the sun was in the middle of the sky lighting everything up in an yellow glow, but it was still chilly. The wind whipped past him, whistling a tune and leaves danced around him basking in the sunlight.

He lifted his head up, squinting to get a better look at his surroundings. He tightened his jacket further around him and kept walking, he didn't know where he was going, but he kept walking until his feet grew tired and his legs ached.

He slumped down on a bench and rested his back against the cold wood, staring out across the street at a pigeon. He watched as people walked past it and wandered why it never flew away, even when people got close. It just stood there peking at loose crumbs on the pavement.

"Hi."

He drew his gaze away and looked up.

"Do you mind if I give you this ?"

He took the leaflet away from the girl and smiled up at her. She smiled back.

"Its the first turning on the right." She said, beginning to walk away.

"Wait."

She stopped and turned around, her blonde hair moving slightly in the wind, her figure towering over him, tall and slim with her ocean blue eyes smiling back at him.

"Will you be there ?" He asked, hoping she would say yes. He had been deprived of another woman's touch for so long, Eleanor was pleasing, emotionally and intellectually but physically ? she deprived him of touch, she deprived him of his most basic necessity, he needed to feel wanted even if it was only for one night.

"Sure, i'll see you there." She grinned, turning back round and bouncing off. He looked down at the leaflet in his hand and scoffed.

2 for 1 drinks all week !

The last time he got drunk was a while back and that ended up with him being passed out in the alley behind his favourite bar, robbed of fifty pound and a black eye. He rubbed his forehead, remembering the memory and sighed, getting up from his seat and walking down the road she directed him.

He looked up at the neon pink sign, Mindy's in cursive writing, with the silhouette of a woman bent over by a pole. His eyes widened and his cheeks grew hot. If he could see himself now, he would have guessed that he was a bright red.

He was outside a strip club, and that thought alone made his cheeks grow an even darker shade of red. He swallowed his pride and pushed open the heavy black door.