A Symphony of Sorrow

Chapter 16 – A time to fight

                       

Several months have passed since Susan, Alex and Aimee, have moved into their new home.  It is night outside and the temperature is cold, with ice and snow covering the fields surrounding the house.  The season is winter, and you wouldn’t half know it.  Inside the house; Susan is in the gym on a large treadmill, running fast with sweat dripping from her face onto her tight white vest and leggings.  Alex is also in the gym, pounding away at a 6 foot punch bag; his strikes rattling the chains to a near breaking point.  The sound of dance music can be heard throughout the halls of the large house with only the noise from Alex’s kicks and punches cutting through the music.  Susan reaches forward to the controls on the treadmill and slowly increases the speed to a higher setting; her breathing intensifies as she pushes her body to its limits.  Alex begins to remember how Peter invaded Susan’s home, attacking his wife and daughter; his most likely intention; causing them both serious injury or death.  Alex is angry and his power is increasing; every hit on the bag; is a punch into Peter’s body and head; his intention, the total destruction of his enemy, leaving nothing but a pile of human remains.  Susan starts to feel a cramp in her side and decides to quickly bring the running machine to a full stop, allowing her to step off, where she bends forward with her hands on her hips; breathless, sweating and burned out.  Alex continues to hit the bag, his punches getting stronger and stronger as he unleashes a massive sound of pain from the bottom of his lungs.  Susan looks round as Alex throws three upper left hooks and then one massive lower strike with his right hand, severing the chains and sending the bag flying across the gym onto a pile of free weights.  Susan looks stunned ‘Jesus Alex, are you ok?’  Alex looking flushed ‘I’m fine.....just wanted to see how much force I could put into this!’  Susan looks at Alex with concern written all over her face ‘I’m starting to get that worried feeling again!’  Alex lifts a towel from a hook on the wall and wipes the sweat from his face and shoulders ‘Do you know what Susan.....I don’t think I have any cut off where my strength is concerned!’  Susan walks over to him, placing her hands on his face ‘What do you mean....do you mean that you could have hit that punch bag even harder?’  Alex looks confused ‘I think so.....let me demonstrate!’  Alex holds out his right arm at shoulder level with his bicep pointed upwards ‘hold onto my arm with both hands!’  Susan reaches for Alex’s arm, gripping it with both hands ‘ok, now what?’  Alex without effort; lifts Susan several feet from the ground ‘Hold on tight!’   Susan giggles ‘Holy shit....how is this possible?’  Alex starts to walk around the gym with Susan hanging from his arm; never losing his breathe nor straining.  Susan trying not to laugh ‘this is amazing Alex....do I not feel heavy to you?’  Alex stops walking ‘I don’t feel anything when I lift you; that’s what worries me!’  Alex slowly lowers her back to earth. Susan stands silent for a moment; on her face; a look of excitement ‘Oh my god Alex, you could be a super hero!’  Alex smiles ‘there’s more!’  Susan giggles once more ‘what is it?’  Alex walks over to a tool box sitting in the corner; opens it and lifts out a craft knife.  Susan suddenly looking very concerned ‘Alex....what the hell is that for?’  Alex smiles ‘this next demonstration, is not going to be very pretty....so please be calm....I know what I’m doing!’  Susan moves closer to Alex ‘look....I believe you; you don’t need to hurt yourself...please!’  As the last of Susan’s words leave her mouth; Alex extends the blade from within the handle and then slices deep into his hand, causing a large jet of blood to shoot out from his flesh onto the floor beneath.  Susan screams ‘Alex....what have you done?’  Alex holding his hand in agony ‘look, look....its happening!’  Susan watches as the flesh on Alex’s hand, miraculously closes up the wound, leaving no scar or trace of injury.  Alex doesn’t know what to expect from Susan; after all, it is as strange a demonstration as they come.  Susan holding her hands over her mouth ‘you really are a miracle Alex....I don’t know what to say!’  Alex smiles ‘that’ll be a first!’

 

Later that night; Susan is putting Aimee to bed.  Aimee looks up at her mum ‘Mummy is Alex going to be my new Daddy?’  Susan smiles and then giggles ‘What made you think of that honey?’  Aimee looks down and then lifts her head again ‘I don’t know....he’s nice and he helps me draw pictures!’  Susan smiles whilst petting Aimee’s hair ‘Do you want him to be your new Daddy?’  Aimee nods her head.  Susan smiles once more ‘Well then....I’ll have to ask Alex if he’s ready to be a Daddy....I’d say he will be over the moon honey!’  Aimee smiles ‘ok Mummy....I’m going to go to sleep....night night!  Susan leans forward, kisses Aimee on her forehead and then tucks her into bed ‘night night honey!’  Susan gets up from the bed, turns off the light and closes the door over slightly, leaving some light coming through from the hallway.  Alex is sitting in the lounge with a large glass of Red wine in his hand when Susan walks through the door.  Alex turns to Susan ‘well...is the wee one away to bed then?’  Susan smiles ‘yes....oh also....she wants me to ask you if you want to be her new Daddy?’  Alex laughs ‘Seriously?’  Susan sits down, taking her wine glass from Alex’s hand ‘ah ha....that’s what she said.....what do you think?’  Alex looks shocked as he rubs his beard with his right hand ‘it would be an honour....I love her to bits!’  Susan smiles while reaching for Alex’s hand, taking it into hers.  Both Susan and Alex sit quietly for a few moments before Alex turns to Susan ‘I am over the moon Susan....honestly!’  Susan rests her head on Alex’s shoulder ‘I told her you would be!’  Alex rests his head back onto the cushion behind ‘you know what.....that kid never ceases to amaze me...the things that come out of her mouth sometimes!’  Susan smiles ‘I know....I never know what to expect next!’  Alex smiles and then turns his head so that he can make eye contact with Susan ‘Susan.....do you think we should give her a little brother or sister?’  Susan giggles ‘you would use any excuse to get into my panties!’  Alex grabs Susan rolling her on to her back while kissing her chest and neck ‘Is it really such a bad idea?’  Susan laughs ‘I wouldn’t have any objections sexy!’  Alex laughs, kisses Susan and says ‘a very wise man once said that the best thing about babies....is making them!’  Susan laughs ‘and there you have it....I knew that’s what you were at!’  Alex smiles; following with a long passionate kiss with Susan when suddenly they hear a breaking of glass at the back of the house.  Alex whispers ‘quickly....go to Aimee’s room and lock her door; do not come out no matter what you hear!’  Susan jumps to her feet ‘but Alex!’  Alex looking serious ‘just do it....go!’  Susan turns and runs out the door and up the stairs to Aimee’s room where she locks it, placing her back against it from the inside.  Alex takes off his shoes and then kills the lights.  In the darkness he can hear multiple voices coming from the kitchen.  Alex reaches into his pocket, taking out his mobile phone.  Alex uses the thumb print scanner on his phone to gain access to his music folder where he presses play causing Etta James’s ‘All I could do was cry’ to play out through all of the Bluetooth speakers mounted into the ceilings throughout the house.  In the kitchen; the intruders look puzzled as the music distracts them from any neighbouring sounds.  As the first of them leave the kitchen through the door into the front hallway; Alex appears from nowhere, lifting the intruder from the ground with his right hand while he punches him out cold with his left.  The remaining two intruders decide to turn and run as Alex throws the unconscious one onto them, knocking one of them to the ground while the other runs out of the door.  Alex moves in quickly and silences the intruder trapped under his colleague’s body with one hard punch.  Upstairs, Susan is talking to the Police informing them of their situation while Alex gives chase to the third man who is now running across the field behind the house in the hope of getting away.  Alex tears through the back garden at unimaginable speeds in pursuit of a man who is clearly no match for his speed or agility.  The man is panicked as he grows closer and closer to a parked van at the edge of the field while Alex narrows the gap by taking a massive leap from half way through the field so that he can land on top of the van causing the vehicle to shutter with the force of his impact.  The last intruder screams as Alex bellows ‘come here you?’

 

In the distance, the sound of Police sirens can be heard coming over the hills.  Back inside the house; Susan and Aimee are huddled together on the bed.  Downstairs;  the two intruders, one on top of the other are still unconscious and totally oblivious to the imminent Police arrival.  As the Police arrive at the house, rescuing Susan and Aimee while taking the criminals into custody; Susan is questioning the Police as to the whereabouts of Alex when Alex comes walking round the side of the house with an unconscious man slung over his shoulder.  Susan screams ‘Alex....thank god you’re alright!’  Alex smiles while handing the criminal over to the Police ‘I’m fine...honestly.....this jerk off thought that he was going to live to fight another day!’  Susan and Aimee run to Alex, throwing their arms around him; squeezing him tight.  Alex laughs ‘I’m ok....are you two ok?’  Susan checking Alex all over; ‘we’re fine thanks to you!’  Alex turns to the Police ‘I suppose you guys are going to need a statement?’  The Police spend around an hour with Alex, Susan and Aimee, taking statements before leaving to go about their business.  After they have left; Susan finds Alex in the dining room looking out across the fields ‘What are you thinking about Alex?’  Alex without turning says ‘I know now what it is I must do Susan!’  Susan looking puzzled ‘what?’  Alex turns to her with a look of absolute confidence ‘I must take the fight to these fucking predators and show them the true meaning of fear!’