In the Shadow of the Spire

Chapter One

James sighed quietly, his hands gripping the wheel a little too tightly at a ten to two position. Glaring headlights bathed the road in harsh, artificial light that somehow did nothing to make him feel more awake. The streetlights that illuminated more populated areas had long since abandoned him, and yet somehow the country back roads were still covered in speeding cars. They couldn't all be heading into the arse end of beyond, surely?

With whitening knuckles, James stiffened up in his seat and squirmed in an irritable attempt to rid his back of the ache that had begun to gnaw at him over fifty miles ago. He grimaced at the sharp pain that shot up from the lumbar region, slumping back with gritted teeth and keeping an eye out for any signs of a service station. It had been a long time since his last break; he deserved a cup of coffee and a stretch. The last stop had been back just beyond the outskirts of Northern London, and that had been before the evening had begun to draw in. By the time he had gotten into the Midlands the night had well and truly settled, blanketing the vast, unlit countryside like a death shroud. The hills were black lumps that threatened to plunge onto the road and swallow it, and a thick layer of cloud cover hid any light from above. The only signs of life were the numerous other vehicles, and even they offered no comfort. Everyone seemed set to race into their graves once he had gotten into the county of Lincolnshire and none of the cars lingered nearby long enough for him to even catch a glimpse of their drivers. If he hadn't known better, James might have considered some kind of natural disaster chasing them down the carriageway, so fast and risky were some of the over-takings. More than once he held his breath when someone risked skidding around a queue of more than three cars in the face of oncoming headlights. One vehicle even tried to skid around him onto the verge at the roadside. He threw on his hazards and slowed to a crawl, waiting for them to pass him so that he could feel safe again. It seemed the Highway Code had not yet reached that particular portion of the country.

Wearily he glanced at the navigation system hanging from the windshield and scowled. How was it possible that after nearly five hours of driving he wasn't already where he needed to be?

Somewhere in the distance behind him a horn blared; his eyes shot to the rear-view mirror and he briefly caught sight of his own reflection, but he could see no cars behind him thanks to the hills.

His slender face was pale and his clear blue eyes adorned with huge, purple-blue bags. He hadn't slept properly in days, not since he had the news that his transfer was being pushed forward by six months. He had barely had time to find a moving van and say goodbye to his family before he was on the road and driving off into the sunset. He would not forgive his old boss for that. The old tosser had absolutely zero concept of family being more important than money.

Before he could lose himself in thought his headlights passed over a sign announcing a petrol station was only a half-mile away. How had he missed that on other signs he'd passed? Had he been nodding off? He hoped not. Coffee was a necessity, not just a treat at that point. He'd known of people who'd fallen asleep behind the wheel and not walked away from it. That would be just what his mother back home needed. First he was leaving to live half way across the country, then hospitalised, or worse. He'd rather not give her anything more to stress about. She was getting old and her heart wasn't quite what it had been twenty years ago.

That had been the hardest part about growing up, seeing her fade. He would always think of her as the bubbly, energetic woman who had thrown him into countless activities and pushed him to try and find his niche in life. It was difficult to face the reality; she was a shadow of her former self. Sickness in her late forties had taken its toll, and though she was healed and well again, she was not what she used to be. Long gone were the days when they would pack up a spontaneous family picnic and take the kids to the beach or the zoo.