From the Shadows

©2009 Kirsten Nussey

Chapter One: Trust

Krystal left the warmth of the coffee shop with a cappuccino in one hand and a chocolate chip cookie and set off toward the nearest bus stop at a rather brisk pace, desperately trying not end up waiting forty minutes in the snow for the next bus. She tugged her scarf into position around her neck and fastened up her coat once she realised just how cold it really was outside. Luckily for her, she caught the bus just in time and took her usual place at the back, where she was able to drink her cappuccino in peace and savour the rich taste of the coffee as it trickled smoothly down her throat. She sighed and took a bite out of the cookie; a warm drink and a chocolate treat were definitely the comforting treats that she needed after the day that she’d had.

It all started when she decided to take a stroll through the park on the way home from the library instead of taking the quicker, but less scenic route, through town - she had a while to pass before the next bus was due. Since the summer, when she’d taken up her part-time job in the library, she would often wander through the park on the way home from work because she found the atmosphere so relaxing and the scenery so beautiful. When the weather was nice, she’d even take her lunch break in the park and do some studying whilst she ate. In fact, she did this so frequently that she even had a ‘usual’ spot in the far eastern corner - a bench, surrounded by an assortment of trees and brightly coloured flowers, which gave you the most breathtaking sight as the summer sun kissed their delicate petals. Of course, by the winter the flowers had all died off and there was no sun to be had, but Krystal still found the park to be beautiful in the thick sheeted snow.

The arrival of December meant that it was now too cold for Krystal to sit at a bench with little to do; so instead she would appreciate a stroll by the lake where she could watch people ice-skating. It was something that she’d always wanted to try but she hadn’t so far for fear of embarrassing herself. Today, Krystal had decided that even though it was cold, she would have one last visit to her usual spot – and thus, her bad day began. There, in her usual spot, she met the most unforgiving sight that she could have done so; and even recalling it whilst sat on the bus was able to make her knees go weak and feel physically sick. Even though she tried so hard to push the image out of her thoughts, she found it haunting her. Lingering in her thoughts. She was sure that it would stay with her forever.

Her boyfriend of nearly two years had been sat on the bench – her bench, with her best friend of twelve years sat in his lap, her tongue was down his throat and his hands were under her shirt. There wasn’t even any room for to deny the two betrayals. Just remembering the feelings that she had felt in that moment caused a fresh set of tears to well in Krystal’s already very red eyes. It had all happened so quickly. When he looked up to see her standing there, a sudden look of horror washed over his face, then when Megan turned to see what he was staring at her face just flooded with shame and she jumped up frantically whilst buttoning her coat back up and trying to make her apologies. For a moment, Krystal thought that matters couldn’t possibly get any worse, but then she realised that Adrian didn’t even look at all guilty, he just looked horrified that he’d been caught. A sharp sting in Krystal’s hand made her realise that she’d just slapped him; she hadn’t even known that she was walking toward him. Deep down she knew that it didn’t make the slightest bit of difference to the situation; it didn’t even make her feel better. She couldn’t even look at Megan, didn’t trust herself to speak, to try and form a word at all. Instead, she pulled together whatever dignity she had left and walked away from it all whilst wondering what she must have done to deserve it all.

She was brought out of her reverie by the bus slowly coming to a halt. She slipped her beaten messenger bag over her shoulder and joined a young couple who were leaving the bus. She remembered to thank the driver, stepped out into the cold once again and headed toward her apartment realising that it was already beginning to get dark. Her apartment building was situated on the edge of the city and surrounded by nothing but more apartment blocks and the occasional corner shop - it wasn’t in the safest of neighbourhoods and it certainly wasn’t much to look at. Nevertheless, to Krystal the apartment was home, and it was the only one she had. After all, it was the only place that she could actually afford near enough to the campus, and despite being rather small it did have everything that she needed. She swiped her card at the main entrance, sighed and then headed to the stairs. Her apartment was on the third floor, and the lift had been broken since the day that she moved in.

Once inside, she took off her beaten trainers and left them on a small wooden shoe rack in her tiny hallway. This led straight into her sitting room, and so she went through one of two doors in the sitting room into her bedroom. Once in the bedroom, a final door led her into her en-suite bathroom. Determined to force herself to relax, Krystal decided that it would be best to run a hot bubble bath and just try and forget about the day’s events. She closed the blinds, lit some vanilla fragranced candles, turned off the lights and eased herself into the water. At first, her head was filled with endless thoughts about what had happened in the park and eventually the thoughts turned to Megan.

Twelve years was without a doubt a long friendship to lose, but how could she even begin to forgive her? They’d started school together aged five, had sleepovers for as long as they both could remember, moved up to secondary school together and even fancied the same boys in their early teens. They’d been as close as sisters, and that was why Megan’s betrayal stung even more than Adrian’s. Just the week before the two of them had been shopping together to pick out some sexy lingerie for when Krystal finally lost her virginity to Adrian on their two year anniversary – She’d finally felt ready. Safe. Able to trust him.

‘Oh god… all those plans and she’s probably been seeing him behind my back all this time. She’s probably even slept with him.’ Krystal thought to herself. Just how long had it been going on anyway? Another wave of unrelenting tears spilled down her cheeks. It was a good half an hour later before she finally allowed herself to relax, having cried the last of her tears. She wasn’t sure how long she eventually lay in the warm water for, staring at the water as it glistened in the candle light. All she knew was that it didn’t seem barely long enough before the water got cold.