Mesmeris (26 page)

He didn’t move.

His face glowed pale, paler than ever, and still - eyes almost closed.

His thin, white chest didn’t move. I waited – nothing. ‘I love you,’ I said. ‘I love you.’

Nothing.

‘Dad, I don’t think he’s . . .’

Dad had his back to me, crouched over Andrew on the other side of the church.

‘Dad!’ I shouted it. ‘He’s not breathing.’

I put my face to Jack’s, held his wrist, as panic threatened to choke me.

Then I felt it - the faintest, shallowest of breaths, warm against my cheek. A pulse – irregular, stuttering at first, then stronger, a definite beat.

‘It’s okay,’ I shouted. ‘It’s okay. He’s alive.’ Then I cried - couldn’t stop sobbing. I hugged Jack, held him close.

His eyes flickered – blue, so blue. Unfocussed at first, they fixed on my face.

Dad knelt in front of us, covered Jack with one of the white choir robes. ‘You’re doing fine,’ he said. ‘Well done, lad. Quite an ordeal you’ve been through.’

Jack’s eyes flicked towards the far corner where Andrew sat, his head back against the wall, eyes shut.

‘He has a sore head but he’ll be okay.’ Dad dragged himself to his feet. ‘I’ll take him to the vicarage and then come back for you two. Won’t be long. Can’t have you catching pneumonia after all that effort, can we? Look after him, Pearl.’

I said, ‘I’m never letting go of him again.’

Dad helped Andrew from the church. I heaved Jack onto my lap and tucked the robe around him to keep his skin away from the cold stone flags. All the time, Jack’s eyes stared into mine until, in the end, I had to stop fiddling and just stare back.

‘We did it,’ I said.

He smiled. His gaze shifted, looked past me and his eyes widened with the same fear, the same terror they’d held in that room in Brighton. ‘No!’

‘It’s all right, Jack. It’s okay.’

Hadn’t it worked then? After all that, were they still in his head? Was it all for nothing?

‘Run.’ He lifted himself on one elbow. ‘Run.’ He tried to push me away.

‘Jack, you’re scaring me.’

I felt a presence at my right shoulder, warm breath on my ear. ‘Say goodbye.’

I jerked my head around, my skin prickling.

Leo crouched behind me. ‘Go on, say it.’

‘Leave him alone.’ I clutched Jack to me, hunched my body over him to keep between them.

‘You know you can’t have him,’ Leo said. ‘He’s ours.’

‘No - not any more, he isn’t.’ I pushed Leo with my right arm but could get little strength behind it.

Leo smiled. ‘You always were a stupid bitch.’ Something flashed over my shoulder, an arc of silvery light.

‘No.’ I blocked it. My arm ached with the blow.

Leo ran down the aisle, disappeared through the door.

‘It’s okay,’ I said. ‘He’s gone.’

Footsteps ran towards us. At first, I thought it was Leo coming back so tried to shield Jack again. I leaned right over him to cover him with my back.

‘Let me see.’ Dad crouched down, tried to pull Jack away from me. ‘Let me see, Pearl.’

‘No.’ I hugged Jack tighter. ‘Leave him. He’s fine.’

‘Pearl, please, I need to see the wound. He’s bleeding.’

‘He’s
not
. He’s
not
.’ I screamed the words.
Stupid man
. ‘It’s a scratch, that’s all.’

Dad gently prised my arms away and rolled Jack towards him. Bright red blood pumped through a slice in the fabric over Jack’s chest. It bubbled up like a fountain and spread, stained the white robe.

‘Quick,’ Dad handed me his jacket. ‘Use this. Press down on it.’ He opened his phone.

I pressed down hard while Dad talked on the phone and then everything went quiet, as though the world was holding its breath.

Warmth seeped through my clothes, ran over my legs and pooled on the flagstones around us – dark, shiny, and red, so red.

THE END