Alfie Whitehouse didn’t get very far; from behind, two boney, but incredibly powerful arms snapped around him, pinning Alfie’s own arms to his sides. Alfie felt somebody draw right up close to him, and once again that unknown person’s warm breath tickled and licked against the old man’s skin, this time on the back of his neck. Alfie felt his heart flutter lightly, before resuming its incessant pounding.

“Please… please don’t hurt me.” Croaked Alfie. There was no response, other than a slight tightening of the arms that were locked around him. “Please, let go, you’re hurting me. I’m an old man.” Pleaded Alfie. The arms of the stranger tightened a little bit more. Alfie’s chest tightened, and a brief, sharp, stabbing pain shot down the length of his left arm. “Please let me go.” Repeated Alfie Whitehouse, a plea that was met again with silence. Alfie sensed movement behind him, and then felt the mystery assailant’s warm breath, right up close, on his ear. The stranger inhaled deeply, and let the breath out. Alfie felt the force of it push at the hair on the side of his head. Another stabbing pain shot down his arm.

“You were right about me, Alfie. I did take your cat.” Whispered Howard Trenton. “Don’t worry though. He’s long dead, completely at peace now.” He continued. This revelation caused Alfie to begin to struggle violently.

“You little bastard… I’ll fucking kill you…” gasped the old man. Howard squeezed Alfie even harder.

“No, you won’t, Alfie. That’s not going to happen, I’m afraid.” Replied Howard, soft, calmly. The stabbing pain coursed down Alfie Whitehouse’s arm for a third time. He tried to breath in, and found that he couldn’t. Alfie tried again, but it was as if he were suddenly inside a large vacuum, devoid of oxygen. Alfie attempted to speak, but he was unable to mutter a word. His heartbeat pounded, faster, faster, thumping at his chest. Alfie tried desperately to suck in the air around him, but his lungs wouldn’t work. The beating of his heart increased, and Alfie felt as if his head was filling with a rushing river of blood. Then the pounding fell away, stopped, and at that very moment, Alfie Whitehouse lost consciousness. A few seconds later, he was dead.

***

Howard Trenton sat on the edge of Alfie Whitehouse’s bed. The old man lay inside the blankets, still, motionless.

“It’s a good job for you that you went when you did, Mister Whitehouse. It would’ve been a lot worse… much more painful… if you hadn’t.” Said Howard. “I didn't think that you’d last for very long, but I thought you’d have a little bit more stamina inside you… I’m a little bit disappointed that we didn’t get to party properly, but I suppose that it’s better this way, in the long run. For me.” He smiled. “I remember, last summer, watching the paramedics pulling up outside of here… Lucas told me that you’d suffered a pretty bad heart attack. If I remember correctly, they actually thought that you might not pull through, for the first day or two afterwards. Still, you did, and look where we are now.” Howard grinned. “They’ll just think that your heart’s finally packed up, for good. One day, Alfie, I’ll get caught, but at least this time, it won’t be on account of some wrinkled, miserable old fucker like you.”

Howard Trenton looked around the old man’s bedroom. “I’m impressed with the way that you kept this place looking so nice… should have been a bit more on top of the house maintenance though, what with all of those faulty light bulbs… which reminds me…” Howard got up from the bed, turned off the bedside lamp, and took one last look at Alfie Whitehouse, before leaving the bedroom. He gently closed the door behind him, and walked, in the darkness, down the stairs. Howard pulled out a small torch from the back of his jeans, and shone it around the hallway. Underneath the stairs was a small cupboard, a place that he had already visited that evening. Inside, was an electrical board. He shone the torch on it, and then flipped up two red trip-switches. His work done, Howard Trenton quietly slipped out of Alfie Whitehouse’s home, and back to his own house, where he slept soundly for the rest of that night.

***

The next morning, Howard encountered Mary in the kitchen. She was sat at the table, eating cereal from a bowl. She looked up briefly at Howard, but didn’t acknowledge him. Mary turned away from Howard, before pushing the bowl of cereal to one side. Howard leaned, awkwardly, against one of the kitchen units, staring down at his feet.

“My behaviour yesterday was unforgivable.” He said. Mary turned and gazed out of the kitchen window.

“You’re right. It was.” She said, her voice cold, distant.

“I don’t know what came over me. That wasn't me, on that beach, Mary. It was completely out of character.” Howard tried to explain.

“That’s funny, Howard, because it looked like you, and talked like you… hey, it must have just been some imposter, eh? Maybe it was an alien bodysnatcher…” Mary commented, cruelly. Howard stopped looking at his feet and glared at her. “I’m sorry. That was out of order.” She immediately apologised. Howard’s glare softened.

“I deserve it.” He said. Mary shrugged her shoulders.

“Maybe… but I still shouldn't have said it.” She conceded. A brief silence fell across the kitchen. Howard twiddled with a loose knob on the nearby oven.

“How did you get home? You know… from Hingley?” He eventually asked.

Mary leaned back on the chair and gave Howard a withering look, before answering his question.

The oven knob that Howard had been twisting and turning suddenly fell off, and onto the floor. It landed on the tiles, and spun for a few seconds, like a miniature spinning-top, before wobbling and falling to one side.

“Oops.” Said Howard. He knelt down and picked the knob up. Howard tried to put it back onto the oven, but it just fell off again.

“I had to catch a bus back to Coldsleet.” Said Mary.

“I’m sorry.” Apologised Howard.

“And so you fucking should be.” Mary snapped. Then her voice softened a little. “I’m sorry too… if I gave you the wrong impression about us. I never meant to, Howard.” She said.

“I know that you didn’t.” Replied Howard. He knelt down and picked up the oven knob again. “I’m gonna have to try and fix this, or Lucas will have a fit.” He added, trying to lighten the tense atmosphere between them a little. “So… are we friends again, Mary?” He wanted to know.

“I suppose… but I meant what I said yesterday, Howard. Don’t ever get abusive with…”

“I won’t, I won’t. It’ll never happen again, I promise.” Interrupted Howard.

“It had better not… and as long as you understand, Howard, that we’ll only ever be just friends.” Mary reminded him. Howard felt a horrible sinking feeling at the words ‘just friends’, but he smiled on, regardless.

“Of course.” He nodded. Mary stood up from the kitchen table.

“Good. Then we’ll say no more about it. Now, I’ve got to be getting ready for work.” She said.

“Yes. I need to be off to college soon, too.” Howard responded.

“Have a good day. I’ll see you later.” Said Mary. She picked up the cereal dish and walked over to the sink, depositing it into some murky water floating in the washing-up bowl. “Bye, Howard.” Mary left the kitchen. Howard listened to Mary’s footsteps as she climbed the stairs.

“Bitch.” Howard muttered, under his breath. “Dirty fucking bitch.”

***

Howard Trenton sat on an uncomfortable wooden chair, facing Kate Williams. He wiped a tear from his eye.

“Oh, Howard, I really don’t enjoy seeing you like this.” She said, passing him a tissue. Howard smiled at Elman College’s career advisor, and blew his nose.

“I’m sorry, Miss Williams. I’m really grateful for you taking time out from your lunch, you know, letting me get all of this Mary business off my chest.” Smiled Howard.

“That’s okay, Howard. I like to think that we’re friends.” Said Kate, and she put her hand on Howard’s. He looked down at her long, slim fingers, for just a split second. An image flashed through Howard’s head, of those slender fingers slowly rubbing up and down the length of his cock. Immediately, Howard felt his prick throb hard inside his jeans. An involuntary smirk appeared on Howard’s face. “Are you alright, Howard?” Asked Kate.