Author Note: We're nearly there. We're on the home stretch to bringing this series to a close. Thank you to all the feedback so far, and as always it is much appreciated. I hope you enjoy this next installment and thanks for taking the time to read my story.
Chapter 1
The phone had flown out of Justin's hand and smashed on the wall. Surprisingly, Justin felt fine. His anger had gone, and he walked into his room, changing into his clothes before walking around the house. His house. Their house. The house he had shared with Bethany. They bought the block of land before they were married and started to build their home once they had officially tied the knot. The wedding had taken a lot of the funds for the entire build, so they had decided to hold off, until they could save up some more capital. It was a modest house by today's standards, but was in a good, family-oriented area. It had three bedrooms of decent size. A queen size bed could easily fit in either one of them. The master bedroom had an attached bathroom, with a toilet, bath, shower and double sinks. The main bathroom was only slightly larger.
The main living area was an open plan style that meant the kitchen was the heart of the home. People in either the dining area or lounge area could easily talk with anyone in the kitchen and vice versa. Fitting in twenty people was easy and they had done so multiple times over the years with all the parties they would have with their friends. Justin and Bethany had made sure to have storage in the house and also made the garage a little bigger than standard. Well, a lot bigger actually. They could fit a third car or a boat if they had wanted to, but Justin used the extra as a workshop for any home repairs and the like.
He looked at the work bench where he had left pieces of wood from what seemed like a bygone era. The dust had settled across everything. Justin recalled he was working on a display for his wife before she died and once Bethany had passed away, gave up trying to finish it. Yet here he was staring at the tools and bits of wood all around. He picked up a thick piece of dowel which fit his hand perfectly and was a couple of feet long. Justin banged it on the bench and then again, this time harder and louder. It seemed to soothe the beast inside him.
Looking at the door into the house, Justin walked inside with the piece of wood in hand and made his way right to the lounge room. He looked at the porcelain vase on the side table and with one deft swipe of his hand, sent pieces of it flying in all directions. The crashing sound again soothing the wild beast. Next, he looked at the table lamp Bethany had picked out when they first moved in together. Without even blinking the shade was sent flying across the room and then the base was crushed with pieces of the ceramic material spraying across Justin's front.
The beast within grew anxious, with what little patience it had, demanding more destruction. Justin was happy to oblige, throwing the thick wood at the television and leaving a crack across the screen. In quick succession, Justin picked up the wood, hit everything around him including the frames on the wall and then headed for the kitchen, unleashing his fury on the glass wear in the cupboards and the crockery in the cabinets. Justin even dented the fridge, smashing the handle from it before heading for the bedroom.
Within seconds Justin had ripped all of Bethany's clothes from the wardrobe and chest of drawers, trying to rip them to shreds but only angering himself further in the process. He picked up the wood and swung towards the bed side table only to stop when he saw Bethany's picture. That loving, beautiful picture of his wife. The pure joy in her eyes that seemed to halt the raging beast. That photo was taken on their honeymoon. They had just had a wonderful day touring the coast line and swimming at the beach, capped off with a romantic dinner on the sea side. Justin thought about it, reminiscing for a moment, but stopped.
Justin didn't want Bethany to see what he had become. What she made him. She was dead now. Nothing could change that, and he wasn't sure he wanted to change it. Not now after everything he had learned. The beast came back with a vengeance and leaving that sacred moment alone, the beast pushed Justin out of the bedroom and towards the one other place that had been built on top of so many lies. His photography studio.
Chapter 2
The phone call from Julia had been frightening. She told Miriam that Justin had lost it, trashed his house after finding out some information about Bethany. The only place she could think to look for him was the studio, their studio that they had worked together in for so long. Julia had told her be careful and that she would be there soon, but Miriam wasn't going to wait. She needed to help Justin as quickly as possible, this was unlike anything he had ever done.
Entering the studio, it became readily apparent what had gone on. The once clean, vibrant studio was now a shadow of its former self. Photos were trashed, pictures ripped and furniture everywhere. It looked as though it had been ransacked by looters. Miriam quickly walked towards the office, thinking Justin would be there but found the light on and the room empty. However, there was one startling detail that hit Miriam hard.
Miriam looked at the photo of Bethany. It appeared Justin had scrawled something across the front of it. Upon closer inspection, she saw the word and covered her mouth with her hand. It was unlike Justin and so out of character it was shocking. She looked at the photo. She read the word again:
Liar
Miriam knew that couldn't be good. She looked at the other pictures around the room and noticed only one of them wasn't touched. It was a photo of her and Justin out the front of the studio. It was used as a promotional shot but had been hung on the office wall. For prosperity's sake. Not wanting to dwell on that moment, Miriam quickly walked back into the studio and then the change rooms looking around to find them also empty. There was one last place to look and then she would have to think about searching from him elsewhere.
The storeroom was the only place left at the studio. There simply couldn't be anywhere else that Justin would be hiding. If he wasn't here, then who knows where he would be. She entered the room and was about to put on the light but froze when she heard a noise. It was someone breathing, and she waited for her eyes to adjust. Miriam saw a faint outline; it was Justin sitting there in the dark just staring at her.
"Did you know?" Justin asked calmly yet with a slight menacing tone in his voice.
"No," Miriam replied taking a step closer.
"Is anyone with you?" Justin asked again with the same tone.
"Only Julia. She's worried about you," Miriam replied taking another step closer. She started to see Justin better, even though it was still dark. He wasn't holding a gun or anything, it was just him sitting there against the wall and staring straight ahead.
"And what about you? Have you come to tell me something? Something that will make my day all better?" Justin asked with some aggression appearing in his otherwise calm tone.
"No. I've come to take you with me," Miriam replied taking another step closer and holding out her hand.
"I don't want to go, I like it here," Justin said in a way that frightened Miriam. This wasn't the usual Justin this was wicked and nasty. "I love it."
"I don't believe you. This isn't like you. Please, what happened?" Miriam asked moving closer with her hand still outstretched. She watched as Justin took a swig from a bottle and let it flop with his hand into his lap.
"Who the fuck cares. I don't. It doesn't matter anymore. Everything is bullshit anyway," Justin replied taking another swig and then belching.
"Let's get out of here," Miriam said moving closer so that she was now standing at his feet.
"But I don't want to," Justin said taking another swig. He reeked of alcohol and was drunk.
Miriam took a deep breath and knew what she had to do. She didn't want to do it, but this moment required it.
"No ifs or buts Justin. Just do it. Let's go," Miriam said which seemed to cause Justin to nod in agreement. He took a swig, put the bottle down and fell forward, sliding out of the chair and onto the floor like a slinky falling down stairs. He was a mess.
"I'm sorry, I ah... seem to have fallen and I can't get up," Justin said starting to giggle before gargling and snoring.
Julia walked in to find the two of them in the darkness. She put the nearest light on to give some view of the situation and then saw the mess. Justin had trashed the room and all of his photos. It was a devastating sight to see his pride and joy destroyed like that. Julia then saw Miriam standing over Justin, trying to move him and get him to wake up. She quickly went to help Miriam.
"We need to get him out of here," Julia said looking at Miriam. For the first time ever, Miriam looked worried. Julia knew it and felt it, but had to at this moment, be the adult. "Where should we go?"
"I've got an idea," Miriam replied crouching down beside Justin and helping him sit up. She had never seen him this way before and finally started to come around.
"I've got an SUV, we can put him in the back," Julia said as they helped him to his feet.
Justin looked at both of them, the world spinning, but also numb. He couldn't feel anything, but he could remember what was going on, why he was in his inebriated state. It was all too much. David dying, Hank being an asshole, Julia being difficult, Sophie leaving abruptly and now Margy throwing him away like a piece of trash, Justin simply fell to pieces.
"Everything's going to be alright," Miriam said comforting Justin. They began walking with him out of the studio to Julia's SUV.
Justin looked up at Miriam and could see the sincerity in her eyes. He simply nodded but then shrugged as best he could. Justin had nothing left to say.
"We're here for you," Julia said trying not to let her worry show. "We'll take care of you."
"I think you need to get away," Miriam said taking his hand. "And I know just the place."
Chapter 3
The sea breeze was a welcome change. It was mixing with the hot surroundings bringing respite to those seeking solitude by the ocean. Miriam felt more at peace when she was at the sea side and knew it would help Justin immensely. She glanced back at him as Julia drove and could see him looking out the window at the side of the road, his eyes searching for something. Miriam knew what it was, that moment the shrubs and bushes disappear, and the ocean comes into view. There is nothing quite like it. Miriam also noticed Julia put her window down and take a deep breath. If anyone understated the healing power of the ocean, all they had to do was look at the three of them in the car to see just how wonderful it could be.
"Take a left at the next intersection and then head straight for about ten minutes," Miriam said softly to which Julia nodded.
It didn't take long and Julia pulled up outside a small two-bedroom beach shack that was near the end of a quiet cul-de-sac. The driveway allowed them a little privacy but wasn't long enough to be completely off the street. It was a nice little place in one of the best streets in the area.
