Truth - Out

Luke searches Matt's face.

"He pushed her," Luke states, blankly.

Matt can't hold Luke's steady gaze. He just nods, his mind presenting him with a flashed moment of Mark's angry face as he lunged at Laney, and as if in slow motion, Laney's surprise as she tipped off balance, not prepared for the force of Mark's contact, and her subsequent fall.

Matt closes his eyes then to blank out the vision of Laney's helpless form careening down the slope, the repetition of which will insinuate itself once more into his brain, if he lets it, eager to tap out its malevolent repetitive reminders on his consciousness perpetually unless he brings the shutter down on it now, like he's learnt to do. Don't let it in and then it can't harm you. He has become adept at shutting it out. Keep out! He's not going to stop now.

Matt opens his eyes, the present having defeated the threatening past, for now.

The two of them sit, saying nothing, the truth surrounding them like an invisible, heavy mist.

The barman looks over and, for a moment, is curious about the two men who keep meeting in his pub and look so serious when they do. He is drawn by their stillness but his scrutiny is interrupted by a punter and his focus shifts.

Luke eventually says," So that's that, then."

Matt nods again. "Yep."

And then Luke mentions what Matt had almost forgotten with the weight of the truth being lifted from him, in the lightness of a burden shared.

"But that still leaves the photos and who's sending them and why."

And Matt realises the weight had not been lifted but had just been shifting its position.

*

Bethan

It's been days now since I met Katie. I haven't slept. Every time I think I'm reaching peace, what I've learnt prods me, disturbs me.

I made a list of what I know:

Dave found?/has Laney's camera.

Katie has sent photos to others unknown.

Katie thinks it's Dave's camera.

Katie is scared of Dave finding out.

I can't...leave this. It's eating me alive and there wasn't a lot left before it started.

I think...I need to confront Dave.

***

366 words

The truth is out but there are still secrets? How will it all be resolved?

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