Fear Of Darkness

Fear Of Darkness
A serial novel by Joe Lake.
(So far: Julie’s husband has an accident and is taken to the hospital where Julie finds that he has disappeared; so has their campervan when she returns to it. At the police station, they at first don’t believe when she is told to book into a motel where in the night, a kidnapper demands money on the telephone. When she waits at the police station, in the two-way mirror over the counter, she sees the door as it opens by itself and when she looks, a young couple enter. “Vampires,” she thinks.)
She looks away pretending that she hasn’t seen. She knows her second sight and has seen ghosts before but hopes that she is wrong and other explanations may seem possible. But if what she has seen is true, what is happening in Burnie? She will confront these two.
The young couple walk straight up to the reception window and ring the bell, as a moment later the policewoman re-appears. The man then slides a piece of paper up to her and says, “I am reporting.” The officer takes the paper and nods. She seems to know him. “Next week,” the man says and the two leave through the front door.
When Julie lifts her head towards the mirror, there is no one there as the door opens and shuts by itself.
“I have spoken to detectives,” the officer says to Julie. “Someone will come. Please take a seat.” She points to the benches.
“I’ll wait.”
“Been in Burnie long?”
“Since yesterday before all this happened to us, the shooting and the ambulance, and then my husband’s disappearance.”
“He’ll be back,” the policewoman said. “They mostly do.”
Julie sits down and covers her face with her hands, as she takes a deep breath. She shakes her head, then lifts up her eyes and speaks to the officer, “Those two people who were here just a minute ago had no reflections in the mirror.”
“It’s the glare of the morning sun, as the door faces east,” the officer says.
Julie shakes her head.

(To be continued next month.)