Free The Grieving Stones by Gary McMahon Page A

Moira’s wide body, tucking it in down the sides. She kissed the woman’s sweaty brow, compelled for some reason to show some kind of affection, but it felt like she was saying goodbye forever. It was a strange sensation; she felt that Moira, the van, perhaps the whole world outside this place, were all taking a shuffling step backwards, leaving her behind in some shadowy zone where she felt she truly belonged.
    She climbed out of the van and watched as Steve got into the driver’s seat.
    “Drive safely,” said Clive.
    “Don’t worry. I’ve only had a couple of glasses of wine. I’ll be fine.” Steve started the engine and switched on the headlights. A small animal – perhaps a rabbit – scurried away from the beam and vanished into the undergrowth.
    “Are you sure you know where you’re going?”
    “Yeah… I’m fine. I remember passing by a sign for that town with the hospital when we came in. Bastion, wasn’t it?
    “Yes,” said Clive. “That’s the closest hospital to us: Bastion General. It’s small, more like a clinic than a proper hospital, but it has a Minor Injuries Unit.”
    “I’ll just take the same route back. I should be there in less than half an hour.” Steve smiled, checked Moira in the rear-view mirror, and then slipped the van into gear. He seemed glad to be leaving. “See ya,” he said. The van pulled slowly away and headed off down the hill, into darkness, and towards the blacktop road that would lead them away from this place.
    “And then there were three,” said Jake. “I’ve always wanted to say that.”
    Clive turned and glared at him.
    “Sorry,” said Jake. “Inappropriate, I know… I didn’t mean anything by it.” But he was grinning, as usual.
    Alice turned away from the bickering men and stared with growing affection between the trees and across the dark landscape at Grief House. Even in the dark, the old stones looked cleaner than before, as if someone had scrubbed them down. The door didn’t look new exactly, but it no longer looked so old and worn. Even the glass in the lighted windows was different. These were all small touches; things nobody else would notice unless they were looking for them. But Alice noticed. She couldn’t help it. Because she knew the house was sensing the subtle changes in her too.
    They trudged back in silence, listening to the night. Birds calling. Creatures rustling through the undergrowth. Nocturnal insects buzzing and clicking as they mated in the darkness.
    When Alice went back inside the house she wanted to shut the door and lock the two men outside, but that would be cruel. They couldn’t spend the rest of the night outdoors. She would have to share her home with them both for just a little while longer, at least until the house managed to get rid of them too.
    The sudden realisation of what might really have happened to Moira thrilled her. Had the house really acted to remove her from the group?
    “Does anyone want a coffee? I don’t think I can sleep after that.” Clive headed towards the kitchen, once again rubbing his chin with his long fingers.
    “Yes, please.” Alice followed him to the doorway and watched as he filled the kettle from the tap.
    “Not me,” said Jake from behind her. “I’m going back to bed. I’m knackered.”
    She listened to his footsteps as he went into the other room, then the hollow clunking sound as he shut the door.
    “He’s a little uncouth,” said Alice.
    Clive turned around. “I may have made a mistake bringing him here. Whatever he says, it’s always the wrong thing.”
    “True… but I don’t think he’s a bad person.”
    “No, just a stupid one.”
    They both smiled. The door in the other room clicked shut again. Alice hadn’t even realised it had been re-opened.
    “Do you think he heard us?”
    “Do you even care?” Clive sighed. “The idiot was clearly listening in on us. Nosey bastard.” He closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them again he seemed