WeatherMaker Hearts Desire Prologue

William stilled, listening to the sounds outside his bedroom. There was the sound of muffled talking, people moving from one room to another, but not going towards his.

He looked down again, sitting on the floor with his trousers pulled down to expose his thigh.

He took another steady breath, lifting the knife, and ran it across his skin. The long cut he had pressed into himself was one to join many others on his thigh, some old, some new. He was about to make another, when he froze.

There were footsteps heading towards his room.

William rose swiftly, pulling his trousers up and very carefully tucking the knife in his belt behind him. He waited, standing at the back of the room against the wall.

His bedroom door opened, and William saw him standing there.

He smiled. ‘Your mother’s just gone out’ the man said closing the door after him.

William stared hard at him as the man moved casually to his bed.

‘She won’t be back for a while now.’

William did not answer.

The man sat on the bed, smiling at William.

‘Why don’t you come over here?’ the man suggested nicely.

‘I think…’ William said firmly, ‘I am rather happy where I am.’

‘Don’t make this harder for yourself.’

William still didn’t move.

The man sighed, rising and moving towards him.

‘Stay back!’ William snapped at him, producing the knife and pointing it at him. ‘You will not touch me again.’

‘What are you doing?’ the man sighed wearily.

‘Keep your…’ William made a face of disgust, ’filthy hands off me. I’m getting away from here’ he said, still pointing the knife and heading carefully to the door, never taking his eyes from the man. ‘I’m leaving. I’m going someplace better.’

‘Where will you go?’ the man asked lazily.

‘Anywhere’ William growled back. He let go with one hand the knife, and fumbled behind him for the door handle.

‘But your mother….’

‘Doesn’t care’ William finished. ’If she did she would have gotten rid of you long ago.’ William opened the door behind him. ‘Have fun explaining this to her’ he told him shortly, smiling inwardly at the man, who he could see was now beginning to grow nervous and uncertain. ‘Oh and by the way’ William added, ‘I’m borrowing your horse. Actually I’m just taking it. Forever. Don’t try to stop me or else I might do something drastic.’

‘You’ll be back’ the man said arrogantly. ‘You’ve nowhere else to go.’

‘We’ll see about that shall we?’ William answered, backing down the corridor.

When he reached the top of the stairs, he ran down them, glancing back quickly to see if the man was following him. He wasn’t.

As quick as he could William took his horse and rode away, not even bothering to take any food. He dared not linger. Now all he had in the world, were the clothes he wore, a knife, and a horse.

Life from then on had been hard, and he lived day by day only just surviving. Years later he had left his knife behind, along with the painful memories, and now worked at an inn, serving drinks, clearing rooms and caring for the guests horses alongside the one he had stolen, which was now his own.

It was here that one day, he met her.

She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life, perfect in every single way.

She would visit the inn often, and William would watch her in secret for ages. The way she played with her earring absent mindedly as she listened to others talk, the way she laughed at jokes, the way she smiled and moved and talked. She always dressed beautifully, and William thought that she must be rich, but when he plucked up the courage one day to ask her, fearing each time he saw her might be his last, she giggled at him.

‘No’ she beamed. ‘I’m not rich, though it’s nice of you to say so.’

‘Would you…’ William began nervously, ‘…like to get a drink…with me?’

‘Sure’ she smiled.

It was very quickly after that, that the two were married.

‘Do you promise to hold and love each other’ the Holy Ghost spoke, ‘through the best and worst until the end of your days?’

‘I do’ William smiled at her, holding her hands in his.

‘I do’ she answered him, smiling warmly back at him, her eyes glowing with happiness.

Things were great after that, and the two lived together happily. William constantly showered her with affection, and treated her like she was a goddess.

But these days were short, and then he began to see fault in her.

’You’re going out again?’ he said to her one day.

‘Yes’ she shot back.

‘Why? Where? With who?’

‘Just some friends’ she replied dismissively.

‘What are their names?’

‘Lucy’ she shrugged, ‘Bonnie…Joe…’

‘Joe?’ William picked up instantly. ‘Who’s that?’

‘I told you’ she snapped, ‘just a friend.’

‘Are you lying to me?’ William stepped forward. ‘Are you cheating?’

She threw her bags down then, tears in her eyes. ‘I can’t do this anymore!’ she shrieked at him. ‘You’re breaking my heart!’

A short time after that, after only being married for a few short months, she left him.

William glared through the window to the rain outside, watching her as she packed her bags.

When he ran into her by chance a week or so later, she with was with another man.

‘Who the fuck is this?’ William demanded of her.

‘William’ she answered sternly before storming off with the man she was with. ‘We are finished. Stay out of my life.’

William went home angry that day, but he could not get her out of his head, and he could not forget the face of the man she was with. That night, he took his sword, and went to pay her a visit.

It was late when he reached her house, and he entered the building easily, creeping up the stairs as quietly as he could. He opened the bedroom door, seeing two profiles sleeping on the bed.

He stepped carefully towards them and onto the bed itself, standing over the two.

Closer now, he could see each person. His wife lay fast asleep, the man she was with earlier by her side.

William lifting his sword, and slowly drew it, placing the sheath carefully on the bed and straightening up again. He stood directly over the man in the bed. The man shifted slightly in his sleep, before falling still again.

William slowly raised his sword, the tip pointed towards the man, waiting for a moment.

He plunged the weapon downwards with all the strength he could muster. He stabbed him through the chest with so much force; the tip of the sword touched the wooden floor beneath the bed.

His wife began to stir in the bed beside the dying man, who could not utter a sound. But his eyes were wide and his mouth was opening and closing helplessly in shock.

Before his wife could react at all, before she even knew what was happening, William knelt over her, grabbing her by the throat and squeezing tight.

Her eyes widened in recognition as he strangled her. She was unable to cry, as William stared back unblinking into her eyes, emotionless and cold.

He did not let go, until she was dead.

Immediately after, he left his job at the inn to search for something else. Travelling alone with his horse, one day he was walking through a section of woods near a village, when he found a terrified boy with a fresh burn that covered half his face.

‘Hey there kid’ he frowned down at the boy. ‘Are you alright?’