Planchette- Part 44

Ava stood quietly  in the entrance of the living room. “Here sit on the sofa Ava.”

Oscar beckoned, Ava obeyed without so much of a word. Oscar gently covered Ava with the fleece blanket which was draped over the back of the settee. “There this should keep you warmer.”  He sat there, glancing at her with his pain filled eyes, riddled with guilt. Oscar left her side, brewing the kettle returning swiftly with two cups of tea, handing one to Ava, who paid careful attention to keeping her hand hidden with the sleeve of her cardigan.

“How do you feel?”

“Not too bad, just a little shaken.” She lied.

“That’s hardly surprising. Please let me call the police, it was assault!”

“Absolutely not Oscar.”

“Why not? Sebastian is a threat, he’s already hurt me twice! God knows what he could have done. Please, we should have acted months ago. Now is the ideal opportunity!”

“I said no! You have to be rational about this, no one will believe us! It’s fine, I’ll be okay, really. I just need some rest. I think I’ll go up to bed for a bit, I need a nap.”

“Alright, I’m not going to lie, I’m not happy about your decision, I really hope you’ll change your mind. Do you want me to come with you, to your room I mean?”

“No, no I’ll be alright, I’m not in the least bit scared. Just wake me up after an hour or so, otherwise I don’t think I’ll sleep tonight. You know me!”

“Ava, I’m really worried about you! It’s a fairly traumatic thing to happen to someone. What about the baby?”

“It will be fine! Will you just give it a rest and stop harassing me! I actually think you’re more concerned about yourself!”

“I’m not harassing anybody! At least, not intentionally! Why would I care about myself? What a thing to suggest! I love you so much Ava, you’re carrying a child, our child. If anything were to happen to either of you then…” Oscar did not finish, turning paler.

Ava downed the remaining tea in her cup, denying Oscar the opportunity to complete his sentence and wandered into her bedroom. ‘How gullible’ she thought, lying on top of the duvet, gazing up at the high ceiling. A small shadow inside her cheap bedroom light caught her eye, a small moth fluttered frantically, trapped helplessly inside.Ava shook her head, closing her eyes and drifting into a deep slumber.

Meanwhile, a concerned Oscar sat alone upon the sofa. Determined not to wallow in self-pity and guilt, he took it upon himself to tidy downstairs, not that there was much to tidy but it was something to take his mind off his troubles. He removed the contents of the fridge gazing at his empty shelf. Food shopping simply had to be done, the grumbling sensation within his empty stomach reminded Oscar of the importance of eating regularly, almost an impossible task for Oscar of late . He closed the fridge door, wandering into the hallway to gaze at his own reflection in the small mirror. He was faced with an image of a young man with tearful eyes, an ever thinning face and prominent collar bones. Ava was right, Oscar was beginning to waste away.

To be continued…

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