The Black Eyed Children

Chapter 1 - Annabelle

Richard closed his eyes. Considering he had barely done anything all day, he wasn't tired but fatigued from the monotonous drone that the dullness of working in the Cumbria countryside brought with it. He let out a youthful sigh as he reclined back in his chair a little farther than he should, gambling with how much extra pressure the cheap piece of plastic that stopped him from tilting more than 5 degrees could take.

He pushed a little extra this time, half expecting to fall back like some sort of silly schoolboy that didn't listen to his science teacher's scary stories of a boy who slipped off his chair and cracked his head once upon a time. He knew it was just fear-mongering though and no one had ever cracked their head. Well, of course, someone had, but the amount at which people tilted their chairs' back to those who were hospitalised were minimal.

Richard laughed under his breath. Is this really how boring his life was that he was weighing up the statistical probability of whether or not his school teachers' folklores of injured kids falling off chairs were correct or not. Incredible. He tilted further back; well what did he expect, it isn't as if this was the most exciting town to be working in. He pushed back further still, this time hearing a sharp click. Shit. He cursed not cos he surprisingly fractured the pathetic piece of plastic at the back, but because he nearly fell off. Maybe his school teacher's were right all along!

A few people paused scribbling notes or spreadsheeting data and glanced over at him, their looks condescending yet unbothered simultaneously, almost as if they had been waiting on anything to happen so they could express an emotional response.

Richard sighed, stood up and didn't hesitate to inspect the damage on the chair as he walked out the revolving doors of Number 5 Graham Street.

He breathed in the cold Cumbria air as he walked down and onto Netherby Road. There wasn't much private space by Longtown Police Station and he needed to feel the freshness of the breeze as yet another day dragged, threatening to numb his mind into oblivion.

Two kids were arguing in the field over what looked like a small grey football. They couldn't have been older than 10 or 11. He thought about intervening - would "oi" be too aggressive for the situation or should he be more casual and just say "You lads alright?".

He stood for a moment as he watched the older one tease the other by grabbing the ball and running in circles around him, pretending to throw it to his friend but always yanking it back out of reach. Richard laughed to himself and continued to walk as he pulled out a small packet of cigarettes from his trouser pocket. This was probably the most amount of action he'd seen since the academy and it was just some kids playing.

Dragging on the cigarette, Richard sat down on the curb and wondered if he should quit. Brooke wouldn't approve, after all, one of the things which she found so attractive about him was when he was in uniform. She, of course, did like him for he is too but his athletic physique and ambition to fight crime was definitely the selling point.

He smiled as he took a few more tokes of his cigarette, remembering how she said she would only say yes if he proposed in his full gear. The army or navy seals, yes that would possibly make sense, but is a Constable in Longtown Police really as glamorous? It was to him once, but after only two years serving in the great and dangerous plains of the Cumbria countryside where wild children roam and the English wind howls, he could see the sun setting on this career path.

He glanced down at his watch.

3:53PM

It was nearly time to clock out. Maybe he could leave a bit early and finish organising last year's files tomorrow. He clicked his watch a few times and opened up Brooke on his messages.