The Thirteenth Read Free

Stop, while you still have some dignity left.”
    Val laughed and started to make her way back to the desk, where she could see if any customers arrived.
    “Now then, my British friend, how are you?”
    Val had missed Delta and her wonderful American accent so much. Delta Troughton was an exact replica of Barbie and had been Val’s best friend since her father had purchased a summer home that Val’s dad had built. It was just down the road from Val’s home so every summer holiday, Val and Delta spent time together. Slowly they had become inseparable summer pals.
    Val always felt a warm glow when she spoke to Delta; it was like being wrapped in your favourite blanket and eating marshmallow. She leaned on the till and asked, “OK, pretty princess, when are you getting your Yankee butt over here?”
    “Well, sorry to say I won’t be at your party to hit your precious piñata, unlucky for me, not ,” Delta responded sarcastically. “But I will be there soon to come and taunt you in your amazing new job as the sexy librarian.”
    “Thanks mate. Well, I won’t keep you. I’m sure your Chihuahua needs a walk or a credit card is in need of using. By the way, if you want to know what to buy me, a big handbag would be great. I’ll explain why when I see you.”
    The line went dead. Delta was the worst person Val knew for just dropping the line. She never ever said goodbye.
    She put her mobile back in her pocket, trying to remember what she had been doing before the call. “Ah yes, the book.”
    She turned to go back to the shelf, but soon realised that she wasn’t even sure which aisle she had been in when she found the book. Val felt slightly annoyed with herself, but she had the whole summer to look for the book; unless someone bought it, it wasn’t going anywhere.
    Val spent the next few minutes exploring the shop trying to get her bearings, eventually finding her way back to the front of the shop. That was when she noticed the water cooler. It seemed slightly dated and Val wasn’t sure how long the water had been there. She made a mental note to stick to her bottle of juice for now.
    Making her way around the counter she noticed for the first time how very old it was and how the wood smelt as though years of beeswax had been caringly applied. It was obviously very good quality. Having a builder for a dad made her notice these things. There was a door behind the counter, which she assumed led to Wallace’s office. One of the many keys would probably fit the lock, although she wasn’t really interested in entering as it had a huge PRIVATE sign on it. She had spotted the toilets near the back of the shop so felt she knew all the places that really mattered.
    Grabbing a duster from the cleaning box behind the counter she set about cleaning, and imagining what tomorrow’s family-organised, eighteenth birthday disaster would be like. In a lot of ways she was actually looking forward to turning eighteen, not just for the freedom it brought, but because she felt ready, and had a strong feeling that her time was coming.
    The hours seemed to drag. Although a few people came in to browse, she achieved very few sales: not exactly what she wanted for her first day. She tried to stay positive and hoped that tomorrow, when she would be a more mature sales woman of eighteen, would be substantially better.
    Val locked up at exactly five, as Wallace had instructed; she didn’t want to find him hiding behind the street sign waiting for her to come out five seconds early. As she stepped out onto the pavement, she felt the same strange sensation that she had felt that morning, as if she was being watched. She looked around her, but there was only what she assumed was the usual rush hour hubbub of people and traffic.
    Then it hit her: pain, so hard and intense that it made her fall to her knees in the doorway of the shop. She wanted to scream but nothing would come out. It was as if God himself had sent a lightning bolt out of the