Excerpt from Cobwebs in the Dark
Tuesday 5th May, 2009
Penny snatched up the phone from its cradle as she hurried past with the contents of the children’s packed lunches.
“Hello?” she said breathlessly, tucking the receiver under her chin and beginning to butter the bread. “Oh, hi, Mum. This is a surprise. Can I call you back in a bit, rather busy…Oh, right. Yeah, hang on. I’ll get him. He’s still in bed—you do realise how early it is here, don’t you?…Okay, hang on.” She stopped in front of Abi and Gideon’s bedroom door and knocked lightly. There was no reply, so she cautiously opened the door a crack and peeped in.
Abi was lying facing her, and as Penny stepped quietly into the room, she opened her eyes and looked blearily at her. “Wassup?” she muttered indistinctly. “Is Ollie all right?”
Penny nodded and stepped further into the room. “Yeah, nothing to worry about. Mum’s on the phone. Wants to speak to Gid,” she whispered, her hand pressed over the receiver.
Abi sat up and nudged Gideon with her foot. “Gid, wake up. Your mother’s on the phone.” There was no reply, so she shook his shoulder and put her mouth close to his ear. “Gid, your mum’s on the phone. Now. Wake up.”
This time there was a muffled grunt from the other side of the bed, and Gideon’s arm reached up, his hand grasping at the air. Penny leaned forward and put the receiver in his hand, then grinned at Abi and backed out of the room again.
“Mum?” Gideon grunted down the phone. “D’you realise what time it is here? This better be important.” He struggled into a sitting position while he listened to Caroline speak, then froze in horror, his face hardening. “She said what?” he bellowed. “No, of course it’s not true…Well, I just know it’s not…Hang on…” He nudged Abi. “Abs, turn on the TV, quickly. On a news channel.”
She glanced at him in surprise, then leapt out of bed and did as he asked. She flicked through several channels, finally landing on 3 News. Staring at the screen, she froze as she noticed a picture of Gideon behind the presenter. She glanced back at him, and he gestured for her to turn up the sound, whilst at the same time continuing the conversation with his mother.
“You don’t have to do that…Well, if you really want to, but we’ll be fine. We’re used to this sort of shit following us around…Okay, I guess that’d be nice for Abi. I’ll tell Penny to expect you…No, I don’t know what we’ll do about it. Maybe have to see her, I don’t know.” He paused and stared intently at the television screen. “Can I call you later? Yeah, I know, eleven hours. Talk later.”
Tuesday 5th May, 2009
Penny snatched up the phone from its cradle as she hurried past with the contents of the children’s packed lunches.
“Hello?” she said breathlessly, tucking the receiver under her chin and beginning to butter the bread. “Oh, hi, Mum. This is a surprise. Can I call you back in a bit, rather busy…Oh, right. Yeah, hang on. I’ll get him. He’s still in bed—you do realise how early it is here, don’t you?…Okay, hang on.” She stopped in front of Abi and Gideon’s bedroom door and knocked lightly. There was no reply, so she cautiously opened the door a crack and peeped in.
Abi was lying facing her, and as Penny stepped quietly into the room, she opened her eyes and looked blearily at her. “Wassup?” she muttered indistinctly. “Is Ollie all right?”
Penny nodded and stepped further into the room. “Yeah, nothing to worry about. Mum’s on the phone. Wants to speak to Gid,” she whispered, her hand pressed over the receiver.
Abi sat up and nudged Gideon with her foot. “Gid, wake up. Your mother’s on the phone.” There was no reply, so she shook his shoulder and put her mouth close to his ear. “Gid, your mum’s on the phone. Now. Wake up.”
This time there was a muffled grunt from the other side of the bed, and Gideon’s arm reached up, his hand grasping at the air. Penny leaned forward and put the receiver in his hand, then grinned at Abi and backed out of the room again.
“Mum?” Gideon grunted down the phone. “D’you realise what time it is here? This better be important.” He struggled into a sitting position while he listened to Caroline speak, then froze in horror, his face hardening. “She said what?” he bellowed. “No, of course it’s not true…Well, I just know it’s not…Hang on…” He nudged Abi. “Abs, turn on the TV, quickly. On a news channel.”
She glanced at him in surprise, then leapt out of bed and did as he asked. She flicked through several channels, finally landing on 3 News. Staring at the screen, she froze as she noticed a picture of Gideon behind the presenter. She glanced back at him, and he gestured for her to turn up the sound, whilst at the same time continuing the conversation with his mother.
“You don’t have to do that…Well, if you really want to, but we’ll be fine. We’re used to this sort of shit following us around…Okay, I guess that’d be nice for Abi. I’ll tell Penny to expect you…No, I don’t know what we’ll do about it. Maybe have to see her, I don’t know.” He paused and stared intently at the television screen. “Can I call you later? Yeah, I know, eleven hours. Talk later.”