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Post by Katrina on Jan 1, 2006 22:37:24 GMT 1
another two parts today, which leaves two left of It Will Be Lonely.
part 10 2005
Faith Walker couldn’t help but smile as she looked at herself in the mirror that hung on her bathroom wall, to her it seemed that it wasn’t herself smiling back but a beautiful stranger straight off the pages of one of those glossy magazines that were kept in the waiting room for patients to flick through, although in truth the staff looked through them more than the patients ever did. She left the bathroom and walked slowly downstairs. As she walked in every direction tinsel sparkled, causing her to smile more, everything looked so jolly matching her mood. She grabbed her thin jacket from the stair banister and gently slipped it on, it wasn’t for warmth, more to add to the look. happily she skipped outside, something cold landed on her face, but she swiped it off and thought nothing more about it. She climbed in to her small car and drove off. She turned the radio on, her hands started tapping on the steering wheel keeping the rhythm of the music and before long she began to sing-a-long at the top of her voice.
“He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake” she sang joyfully, her smile getting wider and wider as the song went on, so much so that she fear her face would burst with it. She didn’t even notice the snow falling. She was in her own little world with just herself and the music.
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Post by Katrina on Jan 1, 2006 22:42:12 GMT 1
part 11 2025
The woman frowned as she knelt down by the grave of her late husband, snow flakes swirled around her landing on her hair, eyelashes, everywhere around. The stone was slowly covering over with moss and the flowers she’d laid months ago where withered and dead. A tear slipped down her cheek. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t cry, after everything she still cried. Gently she wiped the stone and placed new flowers in the holder. Finally she stood up and just stood there staring at it. Memories of years gone by filled her mind. Her hair once auburn was now short, thin and snowy white but she didn’t really care about that. She had a wonderful family – three wonderful children, seven magnificent grandchildren and her pride and joys her great-granddaughter who’d celebrate her fifth birthday next month. Yes the last few years had been the best of her life. The first few years after the death of her husband had been the hardest of her life. She’d lived without him before of course, but this had been so much different. His death hadn’t been much of a surprise, he’d been drinking so heavily but still hearing those words had been like hearing apart of herself had died. She shook her head; 19 years had passed since his death. She reached in to her bag for a tissue to wipe her eyes, instead of pulling out a tissue; she pulled out a photo, a photo taken 20 years ago. She could remember ever detail about the day that photo had been taken, but the most vivid memory was of the snow falling outside, just like it was falling now, all her colleagues and friends gathering at the window looking out. The children’s faces had grins so wide they almost split open their faces. Then the photo had been taken, it had taken three people and four attempts to get the timer to work but it had been worth it, the photo held a thousand memories. The woman wiped another tear from her eyes; three people had died since that photo had been taken, well three people that she knew of. The February after that Christmas had been the worst ever, two deaths in a day, both so unnecessary. She shook her head, so many friendships had ended then to, everyone scattered unable to stay in Letherbridge, the accident had caused her husband to start drinking again, all his fault he said. She closed her eyes
“it wasn’t you fault Mac” she turned from the grave and slowly walked away, her foot steps crunching in the snow, 20 years ago she’d have held out her hand in hope of catching a flake but not now. Memories of Christmas 2005, came to her and she smiled, so much happiness that day.
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Post by Katrina on Jan 4, 2006 18:00:39 GMT 1
i'm going to post the last two parts of It Will Be Lonely now and then i'll post Auld Lang Syne.
part 12 2005
Mac and Julia giggled as they hung tinsel, lights and other festive decorations around the surgery waiting room; they’d both arrived at the surgery hours ago, to get it ready for the party. When every decoration had been hung both of them stood back to admire there work. It looked magnificent,
“Ready for the grand switch-on” Mac said, with a wide grin. Julia nodded. She turned off the main lights and then Mac pressed the Christmas-lights switch. Hundreds of little brightly coloured bulbs turned on, the light bounded off tinsel making it sparkle more and both Mac and Julia’s heads and eyes hurt a little from the glare, but they could hardly tear there eyes away.
“We’d best get ready” Julia said softly, both of them slipped in to their own offices and changed in to their party clothes. They were so busy that neither noticed the snow outside or heard of the small portable TV, which was talking to itself in the staff room, that heavy snow fall was predicted and that going out was not recommended.
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Post by Katrina on Jan 4, 2006 18:04:17 GMT 1
part 13 2005
The rest of the staff and their families piled in to the surgery, a matter of minutes after Julia and Mac managed to change in to their party clothes. Everyone was in extremely high spirits even the bad atmosphere between George and Ronnie seemed to have lifted. The jolly Christmas tunes blared out from a stereo, the staff room TV was turned off, nobody having heard it’s snow-warning. Outside of the building the fine white dust of earlier was coming down heavier and faster and instead of just melting when it touched the ground it settled. As everyone inside danced around on the carpet of the surgery, a carpet of pure white was growing outside.
“Mummy” Claire tugged unsuccessfully at her mother’s arm, wishing for her attention; she looked sulkily over at Dan who was sat near the back of the room drinking a can of cola. Claire sighed; it seemed that nobody was willing to listen to her at this moment in time, so she walked dejectedly back to gaze out of the window. She gave a small smile when she saw that Alexia-Belle, in her carrycot, was on window seat, she’d been so mesmerized by the snow to notice she was there before.
“Want to see the snow Lexie-Belle” Claire asked, and quickly turned the carrycot which, for a little girl like Claire, was actually quite heavy. When she placed it down, Claire clambered up on the window seat beside the carrycot and smiled as she looked outside. Dan was watching his sister closely; he sat on the edge of his seat as she turned the carrycot worried that she’d drop the baby. Slowly he stood and moved towards where his sister was knelt, he had forgotten about seeing the snow earlier. When he saw what was outside, he smiled.
“Isn’t it pretty Dan?” Claire said without turning around, she was itching to go outside and play in it.
“It’s beautiful. Claire, go get your coat, gloves and scarf on” Claire scampered off quickly confused, Dan moved towards George and tapped her on the shoulder; George was bopping around hyperactively with little rhythm
“Can I play with Alexia-Belle please?” he asked politely. George stopped and looked at him for a second before nodding then she returned to her ‘dancing’. Dan quickly went and pulled on his own coat, gloves and scarf, as well as grabbing Helen’s coat before returning to get Alexia-Belle. Claire had also returned to the window, bundled up in her winter clothing. Dan pulled Alexia-Belle’s blanket closer around her body in the carrycot before lifting it up and walking towards the doors of the surgery, Claire opened them and all three of the left the surgery. Dan placed Helen’s coat on the snow and sat down on it, with Alexia-Belle’s carrycot by his side. Claire happily started making a snowman and Dan began making balls of snow and showing it to the baby, gently he reached in to the carrycot and lifted Alexia-Belle’s hand out and gently touched the snow to it, Alexia-Belle’s little eyes lit up and she smiled, causing Dan to smile as well.
“What do you think of my snowman?” Claire called, Dan raised his head and smiled a little bit more, Claire’s snowman was little more than two lumps of snow with a dug in smile and two holes which he presumed where it’s eyes.
“it’s brilliant” Dan said, it didn’t take much effort for him to lie as he knew that telling this small lie would make his little sister happy. Dan turned Alexia-Belle’s carrycot so that she could she the snowman. Then Claire flopped down in the snow and began moving her arms up and down. Neither Claire nor Dan realised that looking out of the window were the adults all smiling. When she was done making her snow-angel, Claire stood up and saw everyone at the window. She walked back in to the surgery, Dan followed with Alexia-Belle a few seconds after, wondering why Claire had stopped playing in the snow.
“Why didn’t you tell us it was snowing?” Helen asked, looked at both Claire and Dan, feeling slightly annoyed
“I tried but you didn’t pay any attention to me” Claire said her lower lip sticking out in a pout
“How’d you know where we were?” Dan asked curiously, George smiled
“well to be honest, I was a little confused as to why you wanted to play with Alex, and when I turned and saw her carrycot wasn’t there I panicked and then I saw you out of the window and called everyone over” she moved over towards Dan and the carrycot which he’d placed on the floor, George knelt down in front of it
“What do you think of snow than Alex?” Dan grinned
“She loved it, she smiled at me when I let her touch it and her eyes went really bright like a light went on inside” he babbled, which made the adults giggle. George picked Alexia-Belle out of the carrycot, she stood up and cuddled her close.
“Getting baby-fever eh Dan? A little young for that aren’t you?” Julia said with a smile causing Dan’s smile to get a lot smaller but he was still smiling slightly. He was proud of the look he got out of Alexia-Belle; it equalled the look he was able to get out of Claire when she’d been a baby.
“How about taking a picture before the kids get tired” as he said it Mac was getting the camera and tripod out. He set the tripod up easily but when it came to setting the camera to timer Mac had absolutely no idea. Ronnie and Greg came over and started helping turning buttons in all manner of directions. Four attempts later it was set up, and the photo was taken. Everyone gathered around to see the image of the rear screen of the camera – it was perfect, wide smiles from everyone including Alexia-Belle who’s eyelids were slowly drooping. Eventually as the hours wore on, and every party game was played, including a round of charades that seemed to go on forever, Claire and Dan started to fall asleep on the surgery floor but nobody left the party, the thick snow outside showed absolutely no signs of melting but at least it had stopped snowing. Coats were draped over Claire and Dan as blankets while everyone else huddled close, trying to think of something to do but eventually sleep came, and ten tired but happy adults slipped to the ground and fell in the a deep slumber which was only broken once when Alexia-Belle wanted a feed. When everyone woke up the next morning, the bright snow shone on the snow which was slowly melting but more exciting than that – it was Christmas morning. And as everyone looked around they realised something, they were with the people that meant the most to them. Only one person wasn’t happy and that was Amanda Clay, but somewhere in her confused, twisted mind a fog was clearing and a plan formulating.
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Post by Katrina on Jan 17, 2006 18:47:59 GMT 1
note - i just realised there's a small bit of It Will Be Lonely missing (the ending to the last part) so i'll add that in a second.
[glow=red,2,300]Auld Lang Syne[/glow]
Part 1 2025
George’s hand shook as she held the envelope; the familiar scrawly handwriting brought her both happiness and sadness having something written by him made him seem so much closer. Slowly she opened the back flap of the envelope; gently she pulled the letter open and unfolded it. A tiny tear slipped down her cheek, the handwriting on the letter wasn’t his, it was her youngest daughters. She smiled at little as she started to read, Bracken’s handwriting got consistently worse as the letter went on.
My darling Georgina This letter is the hardest thing, I will ever Write and I’m not even writing it. I’m Sorry my darling but jokes make this Seem a little easier.
You made me so happy and I hope I Did the same for you. You gave me The greatest gifts I ever received, Our daughters. Part of me feels so Guilty that I am letting Bracken Write this but I haven’t the strength.
I know I won’t be around much longer But I’m only scared for you, Lexie and Bracken. Of course Bracken will argue That she will cope but inside be absolutely Wrecked, and Lexie, Lexie’ll be so rational, She’ll arrange everything. But you, oh George, I have no idea how you’ll react and that worries Me so much. I know the Bracken and Lexie will Look after you or at least try, for knowing you, You will except no help, you love being independent But sweetheart you will need help.
There is one other thing I want, I want you to return to Leatherbridge But while your there I want you to Contact all of our friends. I know you Miss them.
I love you and remember I’ll see you again Someday
Ronnie
Tears flowed like a waterfall down her cheeks, she held the letter close to her heart hearing in her mind, her husband dictating the letter. Bracken had given it to her the day before looking slightly guilty, it was meant to be a final Christmas present but Bracken took after her mother in the respect of remembering details. In her mind she heard something else, the voice of her husband asking the question she didn’t want to have to answer ‘will you go?’
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Post by Katrina on Feb 10, 2006 17:42:36 GMT 1
part 2 2026
Part 2
Helen Thompson sat watching the television paying no attention what so ever as to what was showing. To her it was just part of the routine – the routine of living. She rolled her eyes, some life she had though; she hadn’t seen anyone for a week, let alone had a conversation, right now the only ‘other people’ in her life with characters on the television. She desperately missed the days when she lived and worked in Leatherbridge. Back then, in times of loneliness, she’d been able to phone her friends but now she knew if she dialled those still familiar numbers, the line would go dead along with another part of her ever-disappearing soul. She turned to the calendar that hung on the wall, today was the first day of 2026. She closed her eyes, in just over a month it would be the terrible anniversary of the accident.
For the first time in years, Helen felt adrenaline course once again throughout her veins. An idea began forming in her mind, she turned and her eyes focused on the dust covered laptop that sat unused on the desk in the corner of the room. She stood and walked to it, sneezing as she sat down in the old chair. She opened it and turned it on. Then clicked the internet icon, for a few seconds she was bamboozled, unable to remember the password that she’d once been able to type without looking at the keys. Hesitantly she typed the letters and then the sign in button. To her absolute amazement it let her in but even more than that, a red 1 sat above the email tab. Shakily she moved her cursor over it and clicked, the address was unfamiliar to her, but she opened it anyway. She read the message over and over before clicking the reply button and typing only one word – yes.
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Post by Katrina on Mar 26, 2006 15:18:26 GMT 1
part 3
Sarah wriggled closer to where her husband lay on the double bed, hoping for once this wouldn’t stir him, but as usual she miscalculated the room she had and Jimmi awoke, he turned to her looking slightly annoyed
“Some of us have to work tomorrow darlin’” he said in the most pleasant tone he could manage, he rather failed on this and ended up sounded like he was trying out for a western movie. Sarah giggled softly but managed to hide it from him. She smiled at him
“Sorry, I was feel a bit cold and” she faltered but her smile widened “I guess I still haven’t got used to the bump” Jimmi smiled slightly before rolling over and in doing so pulled more duvet over himself. Sarah rolled her eyes and frowned, before getting up from the bed knowing it would be useless to try and go back to sleep anyway. She pulled the nightgown off of the hook behind the wall and wrapped it around herself. She left the bedroom as silently as she could not wanting to wake Jimmi again, he had the habit of turning in to a dragon if she happened to wake him to many time, a problem that had entailed them to sleep in separate bedrooms at different ends of the house during the morning sickness stage of her pregnancy. Downstairs, she flicked on the TV and allowed it to drone on and on about a subject she had no interest in. she didn’t sit down and watch it, she moved around looking for anything that was out of place. She smiled as she saw the scan picture on the mantelpiece; she’d moved it the day before to give her something nice to look at during her boredom. She went to it and was soon lost in the image – grinning to her at the secret she and it held. She had no idea how long she was looking at the picture but the click of the letterbox and the thud on the mat announced the arrival of the days post. Sarah groaned as she walked towards it, with great difficulty she bent down to pick up the letters, as she stood back up, she became aware of laughter from behind her. She turned and saw Jimmi there, practically having hysterics; Sarah’s eyes welled with tears
“I’m glad you find it so amusing, it’s your bloody baby I’m carrying” she said taking carry not to allow her secret to slip out. Jimmi walked down and gently placed a kiss on her forehead
“I’m sorry sweetheart” he said with sincerity. Sarah smiled wetly and looked through the post, all was junk apart from one with a post mark she didn’t recognize at all. Still she ripped it open and read, before passing it to Jimmi. They both looked at each other and nodded, before walking off in separate directions. Sarah wrote yes on a piece of notepaper and hers and Jimmi’s names before slipping them in to the return envelope ready to send later.
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Post by Katrina on Apr 2, 2006 18:07:30 GMT 1
Part 4
“Dr Robinson” the surgery receptionist, Stephie, stood in the doorway – a mug a steaming coffee clasped in her hands. Greg raised his head and smiled at her, it always amused him how Stephie would call him ‘Dr Robinson’ when at work while the second the working day was over she would revert back to call him ‘Greg’ again. She walked in and placed the coffee on the desk, wrapped her jacket tighter around herself before sitting down in the chair opposite Greg’s.
“Thanks” Greg said as he sipped at the coffee. Today was his first day back after Christmas. The entire holiday seemed to have gone on for so long, the only day which he found worth remembering was the day in which Stephie had visited and brought her three children along. The youngest, six-year-old Aliya was in fact Greg’s goddaughter.
“This came for you” she reached in to her jacket pocket and pulled out a letter. She passed it over to Greg who studied the handwriting for a few seconds before realising that he defiantly hadn’t seen it before. He turned it over and opened it as neatly as he possibly could. He pulled out the letter and began to read it over and over, before looking back at Stephie with a look of confusion and sadness on his face.
“I” he tried to speak but he couldn’t, he passed the letter over to her and she read it. Stephie was Greg’s best friend here, and had been since the day he joined. She knew all about what had happened all those years ago, but she couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Are you going to go?” she asked, Greg was silent, but his facial expression gave away the fact he was mulling the idea over in his head.
“Would you come? You, Allie, Sheri and Jamie” he asked softly. He knew in his heart he had to go but the idea of facing it alone was unbearable. Stephie looked at him
“If you would like us to come, then yes” she smiled. Greg neatly scribbled a reply, and pulled another envelope out of the one he’d pulled the letter out of. He smiled as he saw the name at the top of the return address. He slipped his reply inside, licked the flap and then passed it over to Stephie who then left the room, so that Greg could get some work down – but his mind was somewhere completely different.
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Post by Katrina on May 6, 2006 20:35:37 GMT 1
Sorry I haven't updated in ages - i've had a bad case of writers block - which i believe may have been caused by GSCE revision stress (it's going to be a nightmare come the actual exams next year
Part 5
Julia McGuire fiddled with the tassel on her sofa cover, completely bored out of her mind. She tidied every self, washed every dish, dusted everywhere she could reach and still it was only 11am. It was times like this when she really missed Mac until the bitter memories of his last few months came back to her. She heard a key in the lock on her front door and immediately stiffened until two familiar calls filled the air. Her grand-daughter Emmy appeared in to door way and a second later, Julia was knocked backwards by the ball of energy that was her great-granddaughter Kaycee. Despite numerous warnings from Emmy, Kaycee never accepted that this wasn’t the best form of greeting her aging great-grandmother.
“I learnt a new song” Kaycee announced proudly, flashing her sweetest smile and jumping of Julia’s lap, before starting to sing ‘twinkle twinkle.’ She absolutely beamed when Julia gave her a round of applause. Emmy laughed from her place behind the sofa
“She hasn’t stopped singing that since she learnt it at nursery” Julia laughed along with her granddaughter remembering what this was like when her own children were young. Kaycee bounded around the sofa and tugged at her mum’s handbag, trying to get something out. When she finally managed to grab it, she ran back around the sofa – in a movement which Emmy and Julia likened to Taz in the Taz cartoons.
“This is for you” she said softly holding out the envelope; Julia took it and stared at the handwriting but she could barely make it out. It confused her slightly that it had going to her granddaughter’s house and not hers but she forgot about that and tore open the back flap. She pulled out the paper and began to read but the words swam before her eyes, she moved her hand to her eyes and frowned – she wasn’t wearing her glasses. She turned sadly to Emmy and held the letter out to her
“Please tell me what it says Em” she said softly, nearly inaudible. Emmy took it and began to read it to herself
“It’s inviting you to a reunion. And a memorial for Faith Walker” Emmy said gently Watching her grandmother’s face carefully.
“Who’s Faith Walker? And what’s a memorial and a reunion” Kaycee asked, waiting to sad expression on Julia face. Emmy tried to motion for Kaycee to drop the subject but it didn’t work. Julia turned and her frown deepened further
“Faith was an old friend; it’s a memorial because she died. And a reunion is when old friends meet up to talk about old times” Julia explained to the best of her ability trying not to give in to the tears.
“is that about the times when life was all black and white” Kaycee asked, Julia laughed, which caused Kaycee to look annoyed until she realized that she had cheered her great-grandmother up.
“can you write a reply, to tell them yes” Julia asked. Emmy nodded and walked over to the desk in the corner of the room, pulling out some paper. She began writing, her large loopy writing nearly filled the paper despite she only wrote a few words. Then she pulled the reply envelope out of the one which had contained the letter. She slipped her letter inside
“who’s A.B & B Woodson” Emmy asked curiously. Julia smiled again
“I’ve not heard those initials in years” Emmy laughed and smiled again
“right, Kace, I think we should go post this for grandma don’t you” Kaycee nodded and turned in to a Taz again as she dashed from the room, with Emmy trailing behind shouting a hasty reply to Julia, who was feeling the happiest since Kaycee’s last birthday.
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Post by Katrina on Jun 9, 2006 19:58:21 GMT 1
Part 6
The weeks until the reunion flew by, and as the day grew ever closer everyone was as nervous as they could be. Every day Alexia-Belle checked and rechecked the arrangements terrified that a mistake would somehow loom its ugly head. The guest list had been folded and unfolded so many times it was practically fall to pieces, the tick marks, made when a reply letter had been received, were clearly visible from either side. Still she wanted everything to be perfect – she knew that it would have meant the world to her father who till the day of his death had always felt partially to blame for the accident.
Alexia-Belle steered her car in to her sister’s car space and honked her horn, knowing that the chances of Bracken being ready were less than 15% her sister always had been somewhat scatty a trait she’d gotten from their mum. Alexia-Belle began to drum her fingers on the dash board trying to keep herself occupied. It was a little more than fifteen minutes later when Bracken finally came out to the car – looking rather flustered. Her hair was flying out at all angles, she was wearing only one earring and Alexia-Belle was convinced she’d seen one pink and one blue sock. But she didn’t mention it; she wanted to get away as soon as possible.
“Hey Lex. Any idea who’s going to come first?” she asked as she climbed in to the car. She pulled a small hairbrush from her bag and began to try and get her hair to look relatively neat. Alexia-Belle began to pull the car out of the space and began to drive towards Leatherbridge.
“I think it’s Gregory Robinson, but the chances are someone else’ll turn up first” Alexia-Belle said with a smile. They both knew that their mum, George, wouldn’t be first. Alexia-Belle had planned to drive her down once the first few had arrived, just in case something went wrong.
After driving for at least an hour and a half, they arrived in Leatherbridge. The trip had been uneventful, Bracken had asked ‘how much longer’ at least 30 times. The sisters looked at each other and they drove through the streets – to them it meant little but they both knew that to the people they were reuniting it meant everything. Every street, every road, every house, every tree, everything held thousands of memories – some good, some bad.
“I hope this is a good idea” Alexia-Belle said with a sigh, suddenly overcome with worry that the memories would prove far to much for everyone.
“it must be, Lex, daddy wanted us to do it” Bracken said, but she too was filled with worry. Bracken hadn’t been born and Alexia-Belle was only a few months old when the accident occurred so they had no memories of it but they both knew their mother still had nightmares about the accident.
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