A Death Displaced Read Free Page A

timing. It was hard enough being a teenager as it was, but with his dad’s birthday only a couple of weeks after she vanished, it was just too cruel.
    ‘Maybe it’s worth the risk … I’ll have to think some more.’ Once the session was over, he headed home lighter and more able to think clearly.
    He spent the evening wrapped under a warm blanket, watching the film Big Fish that his brother Tom had lent him. Tom had let him borrow it knowing he was fond of Tim Burton’s work but hadn’t got around to this one yet.
    Nick had two brothers: Tom and Tommy. They were twins and both eighteen years old. Their names could be confusing to other people, but Nick had always been able to tell them apart. Their parents weren’t expecting twins, and had decided that if the baby was a girl her name would be Sarah, and if a boy, it would be Thomas. So with the surprise of two baby boys, they settled on Tom and Tommy Crystan.
    Like a lot of twins, their relationship with each other was strong. They seemed to have the same hobbies, interests, taste in clothes, and even the same taste in women. But Tommy, the more confident of the two, had always been the centre of attention; he picked the trends, Tom followed.
    Nick had been surprised when he discovered Tom liked this kind of film. He’d always thought of his brothers as ‘mainstreamers’, jumping on every bandwagon. He loved them both, but until now he’d assumed they were not just physically twins, but also mind -twins with personalities that reached as far as the local pub.
    The blanket wasn’t so warm after all. It was old, tatty, and had lost its body, but Nick enjoyed the film and was moved by the emotional ending.
    Thinking of how he was a twenty-four year old guy snuggled up to himself and watching a film alone, made him feel like a right loser. And so on that thought, he called it a night.
    The next morning, he quickly checked his appearance in the mirror before leaving for work. He was one of those lucky guys with naturally rough and styled hair, so, apart from washing it and getting it cut when it grew too long, little attention was needed. People had told him he was good looking before, but because he felt uncomfortable accepting compliments, it wasn’t something he liked to think about; although, he wasn’t particularly self-conscious. Most clothes suited him, weight wasn’t an issue, and acne had never come knocking.
    Feeling mostly satisfied with his reflection, he left for work.
    The weather was pleasant for late October, cool and damp in a way that was refreshing. Cold and drizzly rain was the default on Lansin Island, but today was looking up.
    He parked his car outside of town and began walking toward Creaky Crystals. Weather permitting, he wore a thin jacket over an olive green T-shirt, and he had on dark jeans below. Black winklepickers were his usual choice of footwear.
    In the lower grounds, a red-headed girl spun circles in the nearby fountain and fell into his path. He stopped, his stomach tightening, and came over queasy. His sudden stop caused the girl to bump into him.
    He had to rationalise for a second. The girl ran over to her mother who was setting up a stall. He’d probably seen them both here loads of times; it was only a coincidence.
    Scanning the stores around him, he searched for one in particular. As he found it, he caught the eyes of a lady re-arranging her shop display. She gave a friendly nod, which Nick awkwardly reciprocated. He turned dizzy but forced himself to focus.
    Another detail came to mind, and he looked to the front of Creaky Crystals.
    The seagull was there, staring at him.
    His instincts took control; he ran for the steps that lead to the upper grounds and ascended them, regretting his choice of footwear. His legs ached as he reached the top. He heard the car screech and saw it try to swerve a business stall. It failed.
    The impact flipped the car. It rolled high speed, heading for the woman. The noises were deafening, but