An online novel by Gillette Edmunds

Chapter 11 – House of Mysteries

The next morning, which began the tour’s last full day in Italy, Barbara again woke before sunrise. The bus to Pompeii left at eight and would be back at the hotel by dinner time. The plane to Athens left at eleven the following day. As she lay in the dark room, Barbara could feel her stomach tighten and release, pushing pulses of pain up her torso towards her head.

Tighten and release. These are not cramps, she thought. This is animal hunger growing inside of me, growing into hate, building up, swelling. She stepped out of bed and looked at her face in the dark oval mirror. Her eyelids hung low and her dark hair was greasy and strung down the side of her head. She opened her eyes wide and tried to make a smile of her drooping lips. The left side smiled and the right dropped further. She couldn’t remember ever making such a sarcastic expression.

I am really, deep down a happy person, she told herself. I know that. I once believed mine would a happy life. It’s not.

Now. Just now. Only now. There must be something happy I can do. If I accept Chuck back. He won’t be back.

It’s fixed. We’re through it and he’s gone.

Michael and I are both alone. We hate everybody else. Now we are starting to hate each other.

She boarded the bus while all the others were still eating breakfast. The driver stood at the shiny coffee bar across the street guzzling espresso with the Alfredo’s third floor attendant. Barbara slowly stepped off the distance to the last seat and dropped down on the long cushion. Feeling terribly sleepy, she leaned her head against the window.