THE SIXTH GUEST: Chapter Six - Part Two

There weren’t too many parking spaces available on Gladstone Road East but it was after seven and that meant it was legal to park on the single yellow line on the right hand side. Joey pulled in overcautiously while Clare craned over her shoulder to look back up the street. “I think that was Selina and her boyfriend.”

Joey started to back carefully into what he perceived was the perfect position but Clare was already out of the car. As she circled round to the pavement Mike’s van passed slowly, looking for a second space.

“Selina, hi!” She and Travis were walking, arms round one another; but the gesture seemed to be less in line with romance than mutual support. They didn’t even seem to hear. “Selina. Travis. Hi. It’s me.” Clare stepped onto the pavement a ways in front of them and they faltered, staring at her. “Are you okay? You look terrible.”

“We’re fine,” said Travis, a little brusquely. He had never been overly courteous but this came across almost as a snap.

“Selina? You don’t look so good.” They got closer. Neither one looked right. They looked shaken to the bone, complexions washed out, eyes red raw. “What’s wrong?”

“Did you hear what happened in town?” asked Selina, her eyebrows coming up in the middle in an almost fearful frown. “Has it been on the news?”

“Has what been? What happened?”

“The explosion,” said Selina. “The fire at the church. All the dead people.”

“Oh my God. You were there? We just came from the hospital. They were bringing in the ones who’d been burned. It was horrific. You saw that? What caused it?”

Selina looked up into Travis’s hooded eyes. The man, normally cocky, coarse and flirtatious, looked like he might literally be in shock; like he was broken in, the way an animal might be: smacked and cowed and almost submissive. Clare’s gaze flicked from one to the other of them and it seemed that either might speak, but neither did. Finally, when Clare was sure there would be no response, Selina murmured, “A friend of ours...” Her nose crinkled up as though she might cry but she didn’t. Travis looked away.

“Oh no,” said Clare.

“It was terrible,” said Selina. “Loads and loads of people were burned. Loads of them died. I never saw—” She swallowed tightly but didn’t go on.

Joey’s car door slammed shut. Mike and Rosalie had already parked up. Mike passed Joey and approached the three of them, Rosalie in his arms, apparently asleep. “What’s going on?” He nodded at the two of them. “Hi,” he said, offering his hand. Neither took it.

“This is Travis and Selina,” said Clare. “Selina’s one of my tenants.” She gestured to him. “This is Mike and his daughter Rosalie. They’re going to be staying with us for a few days in the attic room.”

Both Travis and Selina looked at him blandly without sign of friendliness or approval, indifferent to him under the weight of their own concerns. Without a greeting they started walking again of mutual accord, Travis almost knocking up against Clare’s shoulder. She stepped back to let them pass.

“What’s wrong?” asked Mike.

Clare didn’t respond to him either, looking after them, her eyes thoughtfully narrow.

“What is it?” he said.

“Selina, wait.” Clare jogged after her. The couple didn’t stop but they were moving slowly, not far from the house now and well within the glow of the streetlight outside. Clare passed them and turned so she was walking backward in front of them. Now they were closer to the light she was sure. “It happened to you too, didn’t it?” she said, looking at the light sunburn on Selina’s face and shoulders.

Selina stopped, forcing her boyfriend to as well. “What?”

“The seizure.”

“Let’s go inside,” said Travis. “I need a drink of something or a smoke.”

“Wait,” replied Selina. “What seizure? What do you mean?”

“Earlier this evening,” said Clare, “you had something like an epileptic fit, didn’t you? About two hours ago.” She glanced over Selina’s shoulder at Mike’s thoughtful expression.

Selina didn’t speak but she looked confused; almost dazed. Travis tugged on her arm but she tugged back, unwilling to move.

“You did, didn’t you?”

“How could you know that?”

“Come on Selina.”

“Stop pulling at me!” She snapped her arm back away from him where he was trying to guide her. To Clare she repeated herself. “How could you know that?”

Clare side-stepped to look at Mike clearly. “Me, Henry, Joey, one after another here in my house... then you and Rosalie at the moment you decide to come here and ask me to stay.” She looked at Selina. “And you too. Where were you when it happened?”

“The square.”

“All the way down in town.”

“What the fuck are you going on about?” asked Travis. “When what happened? Is this about when I found you passed out?”

“The same thing happened to all of you?” she asked. “And who’s this guy? To him too? What is it, a disease or something?”

“I don’t know,” said Clare. “Mike’s a... He’s a friend of mine. He’s going to be lodging with us until he can find somewhere else.”

Mike flashed a grin at her.

“There are police lights up the road,” said Joey.

They all looked. Blue lights were just visible, flashing a reflection off the buildings where the road became a T-junction. “There’s been a car crash on the roundabout,” said Travis. Some dumb bastard rolled his car into a shop front.”

Nobody said anything. They watched the flashing lights then eyes turned back, still soundlessly, scanning one another’s faces, digesting everything that had happened.

“We should go inside,” said Clare. “I’ll put the kettle on. It looks like we could all do with a cup.”

“Or something stronger,” said Mike.

Joey was the first one into the porch. If he noticed that the inner door was ajar he made no comment, merely pushed it fully open and went in. His huge body blocked the view of it to the others but even if it hadn’t it was likely only Clare would have considered the significance and she was bringing up the rear.

“I just wanna sleep,” said Travis. “Its’ been a weird fucking day.”

“Tell me about it,” replied Mike. “But at least it’s over now.”