Page 11 of Beck

As he parked in their driveway, he wondered whether he could stop people from seeing him like that if he couldn’t see it in himself. Maybe he had to change his own thoughts before other people did. He sighed as he climbed out of the car. More therapy was in his future.

He knocked but unlocked the front door with his key. “I’m back!” he called, locking the door again behind him.

“Kole! I wasn’t expecting you back until a little later,” his mother said, drying the dishes.

“I have a tour tonight, remember? I wanted to get back in time to rest before then.”

His mother’s mouth pursed. She hated him doing the job, and he couldn’t understand why. It was nothing to do with what happened to him, which could’ve happened to him even if he’d been working in a supermarket or an office. The location was unlikely to have changed the outcome.

“Are you able to stay for dinner?” she asked, heading into the living room. “Your dad is cooking chicken curry.”

Kole shook his head. “I don’t have time. I just wanted to pop in so you could see that I survived my foray into London and back.”

“How did it go?” his dad said, entering the room and ignoring Kole’s outstretched hand.

“Jordan! The least you can do is say hello first,” his mum chastised, though she didn’t mean it. Appearances and all.

His dad looked at him and said, “Hello, Kole,” all while rolling his eyes behind his wife’s back. Kole’s mouth twitched, but he held back his laughter, knowing how his mother would react if she saw. His dad was less strict than his mother, but he had his funny moments.

“It went well, thanks. I designed a few tattoos for people. It was amazing watching it go from that design to an actual colourful piece of art on someone’s skin.”

“It’s a waste of money, if you ask me.”

“Emmeline,” Jordan said. “Just because you don’t like tattoos doesn’t mean other people don’t. And someone now has Kole’s artwork on their body.”

Kole’s chest expanded after deflating a bit with his mother’s words. No, not everyone liked tattoos, but that was a personal choice, the same as anything. His mother huffed and headed out of the kitchen. She had opinions and she wasn’t scared of telling anyone who asked what they were. His dad, on the other hand, was more easygoing and laidback, finding the humour in some situations. He couldn’t help but want to be more like his father rather than his mother. Although saying that, he wanted to be more like Auntie Ava. She was even more lighthearted than his dad, and she meant the world to Kole. He hoped he’d be able to visit with her that week.

Kole and Jordan spoke about the weekend for a while longer before Kole said he had to go. He went to find his mother.

“Look after yourself, okay?” she said. And though there wasn’t a lot of emotion behind it, he knew she meant it.

“I will.”

It took him several more minutes to extricate himself from the house, but then he was on his way home. When he finally closed his front door behind him, he sighed, barely keeping his knees from dropping him to the floor. He needed a shower to wake him up; otherwise, he wouldn’t make it through the tour that night.

A few hours later, he pulled on his black jeans, black shirt and black jumper—why not go the whole way into looking dark and mysterious—and shook out his cape. Checking the time, he grabbed a sandwich to eat before sitting at his table and laying out the face paint he used. It was usually a toss-up between askeleton or vampire, or half of each, but he wanted to change it up a bit. Maybe a werewolf? Or actually go the whole ghostly way and become the ghost he often depicted. In the end, he chose his usual skeleton, and quickly applied the face paint he’d done hundreds of times before.

Once he was ready, he locked up and headed down the street. His house was on the opposite side of the harbour from where he started his tour, but the walk was never horrible, even in wet and windy weather. He never drove, no matter what, because, if the weather was that bad, they would cancel the tours.

Waving to his neighbour, he crossed the bridge, shivering a little at the biting breeze coming from the water, and began the winding incline up to the Whalebone Arch. It was one of the tourist attractions, and even though Kole had grown up with it being part of the landscape, it was an impressive sight. Once he stood beneath it, he took a photo and sent it to Ethan.

KOLE: Do I look like the whale ate me before he died?

Not waiting for a reply, he brought up the bookings for the tour, glad to see it was full once again. He would’ve loved to make this his business, working all hours of the night with his gift of storytelling, but it was a harsh business to get started in, and he wasn’t sure how his employers would react if he started an opposing business venture, which might take money away from them. It shouldn’t be something he considered, but he couldn’t help but want a peaceful life.

“Good evening!” he said to a couple who stopped beside him. “Are you here for the ghost tour?”

“We are,” one said.

“Fantastic. Can I take your name, please?”

He marked them off and asked where they were visiting from, and continued to do the same for those who joined. Checking his watch, he said, “We’re just waiting for two more people, andthen we’ll start.” He chatted with some of them, and then the stragglers arrived.

Kole froze, staring at the one person he didn’t want to see. Ever again. He held up his hand. “No, Andrew.”

“Please, Kole. Let me explain.”

Kole swallowed, his knees trembling. “No. If you’ve booked onto the tour, go back and request a transfer or a refund. You will not be on this one.”

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