Woman’s Weekly UK – 23 July 2019

womansweekly.com 43

BUMP

SHORT STORY

Whatwouldittakeforherson

anddaughter-in-lawtofinally

starttaking herseriously?

D

erek,I heardit again

lastnight,’quavered

MarthaHarrison,

assoonashersonpicked

upthephone.‘There’s

somethingin thewall.It

scratchesandmoans all

nightlong.’

‘Mum,’hersonDerek

saidwearily.‘You’re

dreamingit. Thespace

betweenyourwallsisn’tbig

enoughforanythingthat

scratchesandmoans.’

‘I wasnotdreaming.

I heardit perfectlyclearly,’

saidMarthacrossly.‘It’sthere

everynightandI can’t sleep

forworrying.’

Shealsocouldn’tsleep

forthinkingaboutthebad

plumbingandthedodgy

electricwiringin herold

cottage,butshethoughtit

betternotto mentionthat.

‘I wantyouto comeround

andlookforthiscreature,

Derek– today,’continued

Martha.‘BeforeI getattacked

andyouandLisaboth regret

notbelievingme.’

‘Okay.We’llbeover

this afternoon.’

✿✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

Dereksighed.‘Mum’s

becomingimpossible.This

makesthefourthtimethat

we’vegoneoutthere and

foundnothing.’

‘Perhapsweshouldtalkto

heraboutsellingup,maybe

comingto staywithuswhile

she findsa new place?’

suggestedhiswifeLisa.‘The

spareroom’sempty now the

kidshaveleft.’

‘She can be very difficult,

Lisa,’warnedDerek.‘And

anyway,wewantourown

freedom,don’twe? I love

mymother,butshe’sused

to gettingherownway.’

‘Youalwayssaythat,but

I thinkshe’sa darling.’

‘Youdon’tknowheras

wellasI do,’scowledDerek.

‘There’snothingshe’dlike

betterthanto haveuswaiting

onherhandandfoot.’

‘Anyway,’hecontinued.

‘Shelovesherlittleplace

in the country and we’d have

in the night

Things that go

ahardtimegettingher to

leave,I’msure.’

Thatafternoon,theydrove

outto AzaleaCottage.

Marthawaswaitingfor them

in thefrontgarden.

‘It’sstartedagain,’she

saidto themtremulously.

‘Moaningandtapping.’

Lisawentthroughto the

bedroomandlistened

intently.Therewascomplete

silence.Sheknockedonthe

wallherself,buttherewas

noansweringsound.

‘I can’theara thing,Martha,’

shesaidcalmly.‘Whatdo

you thinkit is? A cat?’

‘Muchbiggerthana cat!

I think...’Marthalowered

hervoice.‘I thinkthat

it’s supernatural. An evil

presence.It’swarningme.’

‘Oh,Mum!’Derek

exclaimed.‘Don’tbesilly.’

‘If Marthathinksthere’s

somethingthere,thenshe’s

rightto beconcerned,’

soothedLisa.

‘I knewyou’dbelieveme,

Lisa,’saidMartha,grabbing

herhand.‘Havea lookat

thescratchmarks on the

frontdoor.’

Derekpulleda faceat Lisa

buthumouredhismother

andbentdownto look.

Deepscratchmarks

wereclearlyvisiblethere.

Somethinghadrippedinto

thepaintwork,gougingout

a patternof rough grooves

in thewood.

‘Hmm,’ he said, trying not

to soundasshockedashe
felt.‘Mighthavebeen a wild
catof somesort.’
‘Morelikea tiger!’whispered
Lisa.‘Noarguments,Martha,
we’retakingyoubackto town
rightnowto staywithus.’
‘Doyoureallythink
I shouldmoveout? Perhaps
you’reright.I’dcertainlyfeel
a lotsaferstayingwith you.
For a littlewhile.’
✿✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿
Marthahurriedto her
bedroomto find a suitcase
bigenoughforalltheclothes
shewaslikelyto needfor
thenextfewmonths.
Shehummedasshe
packed.Town!Shops!Life
wouldbewonderful.
AndLisawassolovely
andsucha goodcook.She
couldn’taskfora better
daughter-in-law,althoughit
waspityit hadtakenDerek
sucha verylongtimeto
realisewhereshebelonged.
Nowthere’dbenomore
ramshackleoldhouseto look
after,nomorelawnto cut
andweedsto pull.She’d
makefriends,joinclubs,take
upyoga– allthethingsshe’d
wantedto doforsolong,but
couldn’tmanagewhileshe
wasstucksofaroutof town.
She’dthoughtaboutselling
before,of courseshehad,
butit wasjustsomuchwork.
AndDerekhadseemed
strangelyreluctantto help
her whenshe first proposed
theideaof buyinga little
bungalownotfarfromtheir
ownhouse.Well,he’dhave
to getusedto theideanow.
I shoulddefinitelyjoin the
dramasociety,shethought
witha grin,I’ma natural.
Whenshelockedthedoor
of AzaleaCottageforthelast
time,shemadesurethatthe
sharpenedgardenforkwas
wellhiddenbehind the pot
of geraniums.
It wouldneverdofor
DerekorLisato matchthe
groovesonthedoor...and
start makingconnections.
THEEND
Ginny Swart, 2019
© TI MEDIA LIMITIED 2019. PHOTO: GETTY