A Sunset Beach Story By Ian Hopkins

There were three of them in the room that day. One packing, another holding onto the little boy who stood there.

The woman holding onto the little boy spoke, "why today, why now?"

The woman packing turned to face her questioner. She pushed her hair back as it had fallen into her face. "Tess, I've got to see Ben now, let him know about my son. I've got to let him know that I am still alive." Maria returned to her packing.

Tess stepped forward and touched Maria's shoulder, "but..."

"No buts," interrupted Maria, "I am not going to be scared anymore." Maria picked up the suitcase and headed out of the room.

Tess grabbed the little boy and ran after Maria. "It's so sudden. Why this change of mind?"

Maria stopped and stared at Tess. the moment was charged with energy. "Why not." It was not a question but a statement. Maria opened the front door of the house and walked down the path to the waiting car.

Tess watched Maria pack her suitcase and get into the car, "what about Benjy?"

Maria rolled down the window so she could speak to her friend, "look after him for me. I wont be long."

As the car pulled away the little boy spoke, "Where's mommy going?"

Tess knelt down to Benjy's height. She stroked his face which was soft and gentle. "don't worry, mommy will be back."

Maria was driving a little too fast down. She was trying to distract herself but it was not working. She decided to turn the radio on to see if that would help but it did not. All she could think about was the first month in Seattle...

The telephone was ringing. Maria stood up slowly, she had recently discovered she was pregnant and was not willing to let anything happen to this baby. The phone was still ringing when Maria arrived so she picked it up. Cradling the hand set in her shoulder she spoke, "Hello?"

There was silence.

"Hello, is anyone there?" asked Maria.

Silence.

Just as Maria was about to put the phone down she heard a voice, "so you survived the boating accident. I knew you would."

Maria gasped and a cold shiver crept down her spine. The voice was Ben's, there was no doubt about that. However, the tone of the voice was not Ben's. The tone was harsher, more like - Derek. Maria could not bring herself to think about it. It could not be true. Had Derek followed her to Seattle.

"Maria?" asked the voice. "You are still there?"

Maria tried to calm herself down but when she spoke there was an audible waver in her voice. "I'm still here."

"I hope you still recognise me, it has been a month after all."

The voice was definitely that of Derek. "Yes," said Maria slowly, "I recognise you."

"Well, since we've got past our introductions I suggest we have a little reunion." The voice was sarcastic and mocking.

Maria was too scared to think properly. This was the man who had split up Ben and herself. He had all but caused the boating accident.

Just as Maria was about to speak her enemy interrupted, "I have a time and a place to meet."

"Where?" Maria's voice cracked.

"Right here. Right now," Derek laughed.

There was a knock at the door...

Maria drove on, she had to get to Ben. He was the only one who could help.

There was a knock at the door.

"Stay here," said Tess to Benjy. Tess rose from the plush couch which she had been sitting in and walked across to the front door. Tess was fearing the worst, could this be the police come to say that they had finally found Maria's body. It had been far too long since her friend had left and Tess knew that something had happened to her.

Tess reached out for the golden coloured door handle and pulled. The heavy wooden door opened slowly to reveal - Ben. At least that was who Tess thought it was. The man standing in the doorway was the exact match to one of Maria's drawings a month before she left. This had to be Ben here for Benjy, maybe Maria was around somewhere.

The man standing in the doorway was not Ben though, it was Derek. He pushed his way into the house forcibly. Tess fell down onto the floor sprawling.

"Where is she," roared Derek. His eyes scanned the room for any sign of Maria.

"She left," stuttered Tess. Who was this man? He was obviously not Ben as Maria had described him as kind and caring. A man who was thoughtful and went with his heart - not his hand.

Derek swirled round and grabbed Tess. Lifting her off the floor he shouted into her face, "she was supposed to be here. I sent her a letter telling her I was coming back."

A letter. Tess's thoughts raced she looked round the room and her eyes alighted upon one envelope which remained unopened. It had been addressed to Maria with 'Private And Confidential' scrawled across the top. Tess had wanted to open it but she knew better than that.

Derek followed Tess's line of sight and saw the envelope as well. Dropping Tess, who fell to the ground again, Derek stormed across to the fireplace on which the envelope sat. A hand reached out and snatched the envelope, "so she never opened it," though Derek aloud.

By now Tess had picked herself up and ran a hand through her blonde hair to sort it. "Who are you?" Tears ran down Tess's face as sobs racked her body.

"I'm the evil twin, bet you didn't guess that one," Derek let a sadistic laugh escape from his mouth.

Tess looked around, the telephone was near. If she was quick she could dial 911, they could trace the call. Tess started to turn but heard a click and looked back.

A gun was two inches from her face.

"Don't try anything,"

Tess nodded in an appearance of comprehension.

"Get Benjy and listen closely. You will both do exactly as I say or you will die," Derek's incessant stare was enough to make sure Tess complied.

Derek was sitting on a chair in Maria's lounge. Maria was sitting opposite him.

It was Derek who spoke first, "so why haven't you let brother dear know you're still alive. You're death has positively broken him."

"I needed time to think," Maria evoked a presence of calm but inside she was a raging torrent of emotions. The one emotion which kept bubbling to the surface most was fear. Maria knew what Derek was capable of, what he had done.

"I hope you realise that I am the father. I was the only one who was sleeping with you," a sly grin formed on Derek's face. He pushed his black hair back but it persisted in hanging forward.

"But I was sleeping with Ben," protested Maria.

Derek turned on the woman, "Ben was locked away at the Deep doing work. He was working all the time back then and you never even noticed. What kind of a wife is that."

Derek continued to play on Maria's fear and emotions...

Maria threw herself awake. She felt cold and realised that she had pushed the sheets off of her bed. Her mother stood there in the door way.

"Yos Mio, another bad dream."

"I can't even remember what happened in my dream," Maria's face was a picture of frustration.

"Many people can not remember their dreams," Carmen tried to comfort her daughter.

Maria was in no mood to be comforted and was feeling annoyed, "How will I ever remember what happened to me in those five years away from Sunset Beach if I can's even remember what I was dreaming just two seconds ago."

"I consulted the cards," Carmen sat down on the bed next to her daughter.

"What did they say," asked Maria expectantly.

"Tomorrow will be a day of change. It will reunite your past with your future. It says Ben will be drawn to you."

"Ben belongs with Meg, that is why I am getting this divorce," Maria shouted at her mother a little louder than she should have.

Carmen placed her hand on Maria's face, "Sleep Maria you will see what I mean. The cards never lie."

Tess sat in the hotel alone and broken. Even though Benjy was here Tess could not escape, Derek would be forever close. Tomorrow, that was when she had to take Benjy round to Ben's house. Derek had given Tess the story to tell, how she had found Maria through an article written by Doctor Estrada.

Tomorrow, that would be the day that Ben would see his "son" Benjy.

Tomorrow.

Send Mail To : I.E.Hopkins@Dundee.ac.uk