Cold. This was the only way to describe such a morning. There are many other words such as freezing, chilly or bitter but these words were far too interesting for such a morning, so cold would have to do. Kayleigh awoke to an empty bed. He was up already? Not good news for her. She threw off the covers and clambered out of bed only to discover just how cold it truly was. She dressed in her rather Victorian style suit and walked gracefully into the living room.

“Good morning my dearest,” she spoke elegantly towards the man sitting on the sofa

“It’s about time you got up?” he snapped back, returning no such elegance

“yes sorry dear.” she fixes her soft black hair behind her ear.

“Well get to it before I have to speak to you again.” he barked rather forcefully.

She walked through into their kitchen and began making him a breakfast, only the usual of bacon and eggs. It took no time and she carried it through to the man on the sofa. He grabbed it and continued typing on his laptop. As he did type Kayleigh sat in her usual chair and drank her morning tea. All the while time passed slowly, It did most mornings for her now, like a train just leaving a station nothing sped up until it was clear of the people, in her case her husband. If you could call him that. As usual it had been quite awkward and uncomfortable for her. He stood and tossed his laptop down on the sofa next to him.

“I’m off,” he spat harshly and walked over to her

“Ok Simon enjoy yourself,” she spoke trying to hide her satisfaction at a free day

“I will.” Simon grinned and he leaned down pushing her against the sofa and kissing her painfully and cruelly. He stood satisfied and sauntered off collecting his coat before leaving the house all together. Though she hated the way he used her she now was alone, at this she grinned at and sat back in her chair to enjoy her fresh tea.

It didn’t take long before Kayleigh noticed the laptop lying on the sofa. It had not fully closed and the screen was still on, the light only just pouring out of the small gap left. She stood and plucked it from the sofa and placed it on the coffee table. She was going to close it when the curiosity hit her. This as her first and probably only chance to see what devilment he gets up to, See if he was the same with her and with others.

“I shouldn’t,” she muttered out loud, though she knew she was alone it was helpful to speak to herself as it was a conversation.

“Oh go on. He’ll not know. Just don’t change anything” she blushed and gave a small giggle and opened it fully. However the devilment he was up to was nothing she could imagine. Upon seeing the screen she dropped her tea letting it smash on the wooden floor and splash out. She stood using a lot of effort not to collapse with panic.

“What do I do, what do I?” she screamed to herself in tears.

She took a few minutes to compose herself but it did almost nothing for her panic. Then rushed to the phone and picked it up. She dialled the first number that came to her mind, her sisters. The phone dialled for a few times before the going to voice mail. She screeched down the phone. “Please meet me in the park and hurry I am really scared!” she slammed the phone down and ran over the door. Out of habit she checked herself in the mirror and put on her boots before leaving.

She had wondered for about fifteen minutes when she arrived at the park. It was a weekend so it was a busy field flooded with people. Whilst this was incredibly unnerving she knew she would not be spotted by anyone so she felt safe. She hadn’t sat there before a very concerned but much more hardened to the world women had arrived by her side

“Hey sis what’s up?” Susan spoke with a surprisingly comforting voice

“You know Simon?” Kayleigh whispered low

“That filth? I keep telling you sis I don’t trust him”

“Well everything you guessed was right. Everything I denied was true but something worse,” Kayleigh began to cry but tried to hold it back.

“What is it?”

Kayleigh leaned whispering what she found on the laptop trying not to gather attention from potential listeners. Susan went quiet and white. “You’re sure?” she almost shouts

“Yes dear.” Kayleigh states with growing tears.

“Good lord. We need to… err... What?” Susan speaks softly still shocked.

“Not sure dear.” Kayliegh said, looking to her bigger sister for a plan, she had never been much of an independent person herself, her sister however was such a person to rely on. She knew this well.

“Get to my house. Make a plan from there, if he comes round. I’ll deal with him.” Susan stood. She was terrified but as always covered it with a suave and calm demeanour, never looking panicked. .

Simon had arrived home to discover Kayleigh missing. He turned to notice the laptop still open left by Kayleigh in her panic to leave.

He grunted and heads for the door again.

Back at Susan’s house Kayleigh sat down and had a tea. She sat there shaking as Susan paced around thinking. The room was a brightly lit room with steampunk décor in copper gears, brass and leather furniture. She drank her tea and tried desperately not to panic.

“So what now dear?” Kayleigh asked her sister

“I’m going to see if who we can contact.”

The doorbell goes

“Could it be him dear?” Kayleigh asked whilst looking back suspiciously

“Hide in there sis,” she pointed over to a small closet.

Without hesitation Kayleigh had done what Susan asked over her.

Susan wondered over to the door Susan opened it slightly “Who is it?”

“Hi Susan its Simon. Have you seen Kayleigh? She wasn’t home and I’m worried” Simon spoke with the usual filth and lies

“No I haven’t seen her sorry” Susan said back hoping to get him to leave

“Do you mind if I come in?”

Susan let out a sigh “Bit busy sorry. You can’t.”

Simon ignored this request to leave and pushed his was in. “Where is she Susan?”

“Not here I told you,” Susan spoke convincingly.

“I know that’s not true. This is where she would come.” He wandered into the kitchen and looked around.

“Get out Simon!” Susan insisted

“Not till I find her.” he grunted back, not the kind of man to be spoken to as Susan did.

She walks over and grabs him,

“I said get out!” she roared and spun him round to her. Not the kind of women to be spoken to as Simon did.

In the muddle he had plucked a kitchen knife off the side. As she commanded him his anger exploded and the knife was pushed into her side. She screamed in pain, pulling the knife from her side and swinging at him, she had been caught off guard and was now in the weaker position. She hated that. Simon stepped easily out of the way of blade. Susan was bleeding heavily, her judgement was going and she could feel her eyes getting heavier. She collapses in agony, she goes to thrust the knife at him again, but he met her with a swift hard and brutal kick to her throat. The already injured Susan was too weak move out of its way, and thus took the full blow, soon falling unconscious

Kayleigh burst from the closet and ran at Simon screaming. He wrapped his hands around her throat, catching her as she ran, he was strong. She struggled against him breaking free. She clambered up, he swung a punch at her she gets hit and fell backwards being caught by the kitchen side. She grabbed the kettle and threw the still boiling water over him. He dropped to the floor screaming at the temperature, covering his face as the steam flared off his quickly peeling and reddened flesh. Still in a fit of rage she plunged the kitchen knife into his back, with one more might bellow of a scream Simon too collapsed to the floor, His back arched and he frantically kicked around for a few moments before becoming completely still.

Then Kayleigh slumped to the floor, kneeling next to the now dead Susan in tears. A feeling then washing over her, an emptiness. Cold.