Free Broken by David H. Burton

the food was delicious.
    As we nursed our beer, the villagers talked quietly among
themselves. I was surprised. I’d always heard that in these
small towns the locals were quite friendly and open. I can’t
say they were staring at us, but there were a few glances that
didn’t make me feel particularly comfortable. Most of them,
though, seemed to avoid my gaze.
    I thought about asking Chris if he noticed, but he pushed his
chair back before I could speak.
    “Excuse me,” he said. “Back in a
moment.” He made his way to the washrooms while I continued
to sip and listen.
    The talk wasn’t really much of anything important, chat of
the weather, recent problems with someone’s sheep, and a few
tasteless jokes. Under it all, I did catch one thing.
    Two women in the corner. “She’s not natural,”
said the fatter one.
    “I’m telling you, Natty, I’ve seen her kind
before and no good will come of this.”
    My first instinct was to find a mirror.
    Did I look that bad?
    “When she comes back from the washroom, don’t look
at her.”
    Washroom?
    So it wasn’t me they were talking about.
    “Golden hair like that is unnatural.”
    My eyes nearly popped out of my head.
    Golden hair?
    I tried not to make a scene, but I rose from the table as
quickly as I could. It was the longest walk to a washroom I think
I’ve ever experienced.
    My breath was stuck somewhere in my chest. I fisted my
hands.
    What was I going to do if I found her?
    I rounded the corner and found the washrooms.
    The men’s room door was just closing as I caught a glimpse
of golden hair slipping through. I hurried my steps, worried for
Chris now. If she touched him, I’d rip her to shreds.
    I pushed the door open and found Chris standing there. He took a
step back as the door swung just past his nose.
    “Woah,” he said. That grin was suddenly on his face.
He whispered. “Either all that talk in the car got you riled
up or you got the wrong door.”
    I didn’t say anything. I just pushed past him and examined
the washroom. There was one stall and one urinal. It stunk.
    I pushed open the stall door. Nothing.
    “What’s going on?” Chris asked.
    “That golden-haired woman is in the pub. I think I saw her
come in here a second ago.”
    “No one’s in here but us,” he said.
    I slipped out and went into the women’s washroom. Two
stalls. Both empty. I looked in the mirror.
    “I’m not going crazy,” I said to myself. I
washed my face and found Chris waiting for me in the corridor.
    “You all right?” he asked.
    “I don’t know,” I whispered. “I heard
some of the women talking about her and I saw someone with golden
hair enter the men’s washroom. I was afraid she was coming
after you.”
    We sat back at the table.
    “Don’t worry about me,” he said.
    “I do worry. I saw what she did. I wouldn’t be able
to live with myself if she did something to you.”
    “Who were the women?” he asked, looking around.
    I went to point to the corner, but there was no one to motion
towards. I looked about, but all there was at the table were two
empty tea cups.
    I took a deep breath. “Let’s get out of here,”
I said. I’d had enough. I just wanted to get to my
aunt’s house.
    Chris paid for the meal and beer, and then we got back in the
car.
    “Am I going crazy?” I asked.
    He took my hand. “No, but you’ve been through a lot.
And you were drinking a pretty hearty beer.”
    I took my hand away. “You don’t believe
me.”
    He took my hand again, squeezing it. “I didn’t say
that. It’s possible your mind is playing tricks on you.
It’s also possible you saw what you did. Either way, I still
think you’re perfectly sane.” He kissed my fingers.
“There’s nothing wrong with you, Katherine.”
    The tension in my body eased, although I didn’t think it
was the beer. I hadn’t had that much. I was tired, though.
Actually, exhausted was more like it. But I refused to sleep. My
actual birthday was now hours away and I just