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» CHAPTER FIVE: JOURNEY TO THE BEACH «

Kevin was shocked at Brian’s statement. Sarah... that name. It reminded him of the letters in the drawer, in that mysterious room. Kevin trembled and shook his head, coming back to the present moment.

“Well, never mind that,” Brian sighed, “I need to tend to Geri.” Brian walked out of the room, with Kevin right at his tail.

    “No, no mother, really I’ll be fine, leave me. I just need some rest, I’m exhausted!” Geri said taking a final sip of her steaming tea.

“Darling, you passed out in--” Ms. Halliwell began to say.

“Mum, who wouldn’t faint in those church services? That church is so stuffy, there’s no air and oh, it’s ever-so boring...”

“Geri, please don’t talk of church in that way. I know you speak your mind, honey, but... that’s far enough. Brian, please help Geri to her bedroom, I’ll be down here for a few more minutes” Ms. Halliwell ordered, Geri sighing in frustration and taking Brian’s hand as he led her out of the room.

“Ugh, that mother of mine!” Geri uttered to Brian when they were out of view.

“She just loves you.”

“You sound like her... ‘I’m doing this for your own good’!” Geri mocked her mother, Brian laughed.

“Just think... you’ll probably be telling your own children that soon...” Brian said, looking down at his shoes.

“Children! Ha! I wouldn’t know the first thing about raising children... they’re such little brats!”

“They’re not so bad...”

“Yeah, we all had to be that young once... But look how nice I turned out anyway!” Geri joked, nudging Brian’s side.

“Get to bed you ‘sick’ person...” Brian chaffed as the arrived in front of Geri’s bedroom door.

“Alright then, Brian, goodnight,” Geri said, kissing Brian’s forehead and then closing the door behind her.

    “Brian you say... your mother died?” Kevin asked as he strolled across the front lawn, Brian behind him.

“Yes, she did, I told you that already.”

“Hm... her name was Sarah?”

“Yes, Sarah Rose Littrell... beautiful wasn’t she?”

“Yes, judging by the picture she must have been lovely. So how did you get to know the Halliwell’s?”

“Well, mother was a bit of an acquaintance to Ms. Halliwell and it just went on from there... she became a maid at the house, although, she was treated very well. Then when I was older, I took on a few jobs around the house.”

“Oh, yes I see... you must have loved your mother very much? It must be dreadful for you... how did she die?”

There was a long pause, Brian bit his lip before muttering, “No, I hated her... I did, I hated her...” Brian’s voice trailed off. Kevin gasped and was shocked at Brian’s statement.

“Wh-Why?” Kevin finally stuttered.

“Well I suppose hate was a very strong word... she was not a good person...”

“Oh... I...”

“That’s alright you don’t have to say anything... oh your other question... how she died? I know nothing of...”

    Kevin stumbled lazily out the front gate and down a little path to the beach. The salty sea air blew on his face and through his hair. Seagulls chaotically flew around in circles about the shore. He ran like a school-boy out on the dock, a little row boat was tied to a post, rot eating away at the rope holding it there. A large abundance of seaweed could be seen at the bottom of the ocean, even though the water was murky and dirty. Kevin looked out at the landscape, seeing the majestic mountains off in the distance.

Thoughts ran through his mind, he died about a year and a half ago... found at the bottom of the ocean nearby here, he remembered Ms. Halliwell saying, with that frightful look of despair on her face. Then Kevin heard a continuous clinking noise behind him. There was a little dog standing by the shore, his collar clanging against a rock. His ribs were visible through his coat, he was so dreadfully skinny. Kevin went over to the dog and rubbed his head, the dog licking his hand thankfully. Looking past the dog, Kevin saw a little house off in the distance. He continued stroking the dog as he tried to get the image into focus. Then the little dog jumped up on Kevin, playfully. Suddenly, the clouds bursted and rain began to fall upon the beach.

“Hey, boy what is it?” Kevin talked to the little dog, then glancing at his collar. “Your name’s Chester, eh? Well I’m sure the girls wouldn’t mind too much if we took you back to the house and get some fat on those bones, how about it?”

Kevin picked up the dog lovingly, deciding before a bad storm hit, he had better head on home. Kevin decided he would come back and take a closer look at the house in the distance some other day.

    “Oh! Brian...” Kevin said as he found Brian ambling slowly down the main stairs.

“What... what is that?” Brian said, his eyes wide and gazing at the dog in Kevin’s arms.

“It’s a dog,  I found him today when I was at the beach...”

“You shouldn’t go down to the ocean by yourself... ever. Where... what did you do at the beach?”

“Not much, I just went there to get some sea air, then it began to rain and I brought this little dog back with me, his name is Chester.”

“Go take the dog back... take him back! He shouldn’t be here!” Brian began to loose his sanity as the expression on his face became intense.

“Wh-why-why? The poor thing needs to--”

“He needs to go back! Take him back!” Brian yelled.

“Please Brian, please calm down... why can I not just give him a scrap to eat?”

Brian sighed heavily and then looked away. “Brian? Brian?” Kevin said.

“That dog, Chester... was Mr. Halliwell’s dog... the day he died, Chester disappeared...”

“Oh... well now he’s back, you’ve found him...”

“Where did you find him? Did you go into any... nevermind...”

“No Brian, he was just running strangely along the shore and--”

“Oh... I’m sorry, I just thought... anyways... take him back, the girls don’t want that filthy thing in here. Take him back before they see the dog. If you don’t they might think you’d been inside the--” Brian cut himself off and stared into Kevin’s eyes. “Just go please...”

    “That Brian... I’m sorry to say I find him a bit disturbing. He acts so very peculiar sometimes, I hope you don’t mind me saying so... but he acts a bit... eccentric sometimes. I don’t think he likes me at...”

“Well why should he?” Melanie questioned as she sat in the dining area with Kevin.

“Well why should he resent me so?” Kevin asked, confused.

“Well, I guess you didn’t know, but he is very jealous of you...”

Kevin laughed, “Why should he be jealous of me?”

“Well besides money, looks, brains and high ranking... you’ve got Geri...”

¤ Chapter 6: A Cottage And Much More ¤
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