What Lies Within

By Pam Hardgrave

Kristy and Ryan, venture into the Nature Reserve looking for some private space together. But that’s where the nightmare begins.

Kristy’s world of playful innocence changes forever when she stumbles on a murdered body. Suddenly nothing, and nobody, is as it seems. The murderer could be anyone, even her boyfriend, Ryan. Her discovery sets off an avalanche of investigation, panic, mystery and further death.

Kristy tackles her grief and horror by determining to solve the mystery and find the murderer, with Ryan’s help. As she weaves together the threads of evidence, gossip and speculation, and as the final horrifying act is played out, Kristy realises that she can never see what lies within the minds of others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pam Hardgrave
• Release date: Nov 19, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466183834

Pam Hardgrave

Pam has always loved playing with words. When she ‘retired’ to the Sunshine Coast, she found time to follow her dream. She enrolled as a student at USC to see if her brain still worked. She had a few minutes of fame in 2005 as the most mature-aged graduate (Bachelor of Arts) and continued on to complete an Honours degree. Pam’s short stories and feature stories have been published in magazines, newspapers and on-line and she has written two published crime novels. She continues to play with words through various short stories and plotting another novel crime.

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What Lies Within

Pam Hardgrave

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2011 Pam Hardgrave.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form

or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including

photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction.

Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination

or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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What lies behind us and what lies

before us are tiny matters compared to

what lies within us

Ralph Waldo Emerson

What Lies Within

Chapter 1

Kristy’s foot trips on a vine. She falls into a hollow, arms spread out. Her whole body shudders with shock and revulsion as her hands touch the slime oozing from putrid flesh. She sees the horror; the dirty shoe; the mass of maggots feasting on the remains. The stink seeps into her brain. She screams, springs up and throws herself into Ryan’s arms.

‘Shit,’ he gasps as he stares over her shoulder at the gruesome sight.

They both thought they could be together in their own private space.

‘Let's go through the Nature Reserve.’ Ryan had said.

Kristy had frowned in indecision at the suggestion.

The reserve was a short cut from their school to her home but she never used it.

She'd always been attracted to this bushland, which seemed to hold mysteries of untamed nature. The very name of ‘reserve’ fired her imagination like something set aside from normality. And her mum and dad had made it out of bounds, which increased its attraction. Her dad said it was a danger zone with its mass of trees, bush and undergrowth; a hidden refuge for undesirables, whoever they might be. But Kristy had looked around, saw the sun shining and reckoned any ferals would be somewhere else on such a bright day.

She'd tossed the idea around for at least a minute. She didn't see what could happen to her with Ryan Buckley beside her. Although he was a year ahead of her at school, they'd become friends through playing tennis. They were a dream team in doubles and became school heroes after winning the zone A grade. They helped each other with homework and had been out a few times to parties and movies. He was a good kisser, Kristy thought, looking at his inviting lips. Ryan, a tall, athletic 17-year-old guy was definitely not some undesirable. In fact, as she’d looked up into his smiling face, she thought he was just the opposite.

‘Come on,’ he’d urged.

She’d smiled back. ‘Okay,’ she said.

When they walked into the bush, Kristy was rapt. She looked up at the giant trees that rose out of a sea of tangled undergrowth. They seemed to embrace the sky. Her mouth gaped in awe at the sheer majesty of nature. She inhaled deeply; feeling cleansed by the scent of earth and smell of newness that only comes after recent rain. She stopped and gazed around. They stood holding hands like babes in the wood, Kristy thought. The only sound, like a whisper, rose from the rustle of leaves stirred by a slight breeze filtering through the trees. They wandered on following the narrow track. Kristy instinctively ducked her head as the track wended into a canopy of foliage. She couldn’t see the sky now, only glimpses of sunlight that flickered through. She halted again, folding her arms onto her chest; her gaze jerking from one shadow to the next; her imagination forming distorted pictures from the changing light. She scratched her head as though looking for the answer to how the grandeur of nature suddenly changed into wildness. Her dad could be right, she thought, gnawing her knuckle. Relax, she told herself; start breathing again, Ryan is beside me. She shivered and looked up at him.

Close by, a frog croaked, breaking her dreams.

‘Where are you? Come back to earth.’ Ryan squeezed her hand. ‘Come on,’ he laughed as he moved on, pulling her along. When they broke into a small clearing, he urged her off the track, ‘Let's check it out.’

Again she hesitated for a moment but the warmth of his hand in hers overcame her uneasiness. Nothing to worry about with Ryan here; I’ve just let my imagination go psycho from the eeriness, Kristy told herself. She concentrated on the feel of Ryan’s grip and told herself to be free and enjoy this adventure. They dropped their bags beside the track and plodded through the undergrowth. The grass was coarse and thick, tangled with wild bushes and vines.

‘This is like an obstacle course.’ Kristy objected.

‘You're right. Take five.’ Ryan said, leaning against the trunk of one of the giants. He grabbed her hands and pulled her to him.

The kiss started with the usual warm feeling.

Kristy felt his hot body as his arms tightened around her. His heat ignited her fire. She pressed her lips against his, feeling a warm glow of closeness. His tongue entered her mouth. As he squeezed against her, she felt his hard maleness and urgency. Her body stiffened in protest. ‘I can’t,’ she murmured, pulling away.

‘What's the matter?’ He spat the words out, standing with arms folded, glaring at her.

She felt the drip, drip from the trees overhead.

‘The trees are crying,’ she said, feeling stupid as soon as the words were out.

‘Don't be a moron. Trees don't cry. It's only from the rain this afternoon.’

Kristy felt dizzy. The twisted roots of the giant tree seemed to be writhing in agony around her feet. She took a deep breath and looked around, trying to return to reality.

‘Let's go home,’ she whispered.

‘What are you whispering for? There's no one here.’

Kristy stared at him. He was acting psycho. Was he still pissed off at her pushing him away? ‘Sorry. It's a feeling. Someone's been here. Let's go.’

‘Okay,’ he relaxed a bit and sighed. ‘But don't space out on me. I only wanted a kiss. I thought we were good mates.’

‘We are. It's just the wildness of this place. It scares me shitless.’

He took her hand and they started back through the matted mess of leaves and vines.

At least he's holding my hand, she thought. She hoped they could still be friends. They could be more than friends but not this way, not in the open here among the damp grass, the trees and shadows like figures watching. There would be a better time and place. He was real cool; the other girls at school envied her and thought they were already doing it. She gazed ahead not seeing anything as she walked along while pictures of her and Ryan formed in her mind. Her foot caught on a vine. That was when she tripped and fell, reaching out to the unspeakable.

She screams again, quieter, shaking in shock. Ryan holds her and turns her away from the sight. They run, hand in hand, jumping roots and logs, faltering briefly in their flight to grab their bags. They stop, breathless, at the edge of the reserve. Ryan wipes tears from her face with a tissue. He puts his hands on her shoulders. Blonde hair falls into his eyes as he leans close and whispers, ‘We didn't see anything, did we Kristy?’

Her frown deepens. Her eyes screw up. Her hands clasp and unclasp. She hears a loud thump, thump and realises it is her heart pounding. The feel, the smell, the brief picture of that gross thing is stamped on her brain. She tries to throw it out of her consciousness.

‘No. It was just a nightmare. We didn't see anything. We weren't there.’

They walk in silence, engrossed in their thoughts.

Kristy speaks first. ‘It's no good, Ryan. We can't keep it quiet. There's no choice. It is there. It is a body. Someone dead, probably for a while. We have to report it.’

‘Yeah, you're right, but we don't have to tell the oldies. We don’t want to be involved. We just happened to stumble on it. So just tell the cops.’

‘Okay, but I have to scrub my hands first. I can’t bear the stink and the yuk. Give me half an hour and I'll meet you at the cop shop.’

‘Right. See you there,’ he leaves her at her gate and wanders off, head down.

‘Hello, Ryan,’ Debbie Porter looks up from her garden as he passes by. Her children yell as they kick a ball around the yard. Ryan sees and hears nothing. His eyes are fixed on his trainers as he strides down the road.

The woman gazes after his gangly form, wondering what fills his mind, what has stolen his usual cheery smile...probably had a row with Kristy Hunter, young love...she shrugs and attacks the weeds.

Why did this have to happen? Ryan thinks...just when I was about to score with Kristy. We were only fooling ourselves trying to stuff this shit at the back of our minds. She's right. It has to come out. Now it'll all start over again, just when everything was getting back to normal after that runaway girl episode. The suspicions, the questions, the fear...it'll crawl into everyone's minds, like those maggots...eating the carcass of the town. It'll bugger school and with finals due too. I'll just have to wear it somehow. I have to make it to uni...hang free from Coolibah and the olds.

Kristy slides the screen door closed and dumps her bag on the floor.

‘Hello, Kristy, had a good day?’ her mother asks, just as she was about to run into the bathroom.

‘Oh, hi, Mum. Gotta go to the loo.’ She rushes off to the bathroom to avoid facing her mother.

She runs the hot water over her hands and soaks them with soft soap. Was that her face that frowned back at her from the mirror? Gross! Her face is blotchy with the rush of blood so she breathes deeply trying to ease her tension. A dark smudge of dried mud decorates her cheek; another runs from her forehead into her hair. Strands of fair hair flecked with dirt hang loosely over her face.

Shit, she thinks, I look like I've been rolling round in it. Mum will think the worst.

She scrubs her hands with the nailbrush until they are pink, washes the grime from her face and smooths her hair back as best she can. She pours hand-cream onto her hands and rubs it in, sniffing them, gingerly.

Yuck. Her mind rebels. It's still there. Would she ever be rid of it? What she longed for was a shower to wash away the filth, but mum would think that weird at this time of day. She stands still for a moment until she wills herself to calmness.

Kristy slips into the refuge of the toilet and sits there thinking.

Why had she gone into the bush with Ryan? If she hadn't, everything would still be the same. But it had happened. Nothing could change that. She remembered what her dad said when she'd done something wrong...it's no good regretting your actions once it's done, you have to look for a solution... make it right again.

‘You're not sick, are you, Kristy?’ Her mother's call sounds concerned.

Kristy does feel sick, but only from the shock of the sight and touch of that thing. ‘No, Mum, coming.’

She knows the solution. They would pass it on to the cops. It was their problem. It had to be one of those undesirables dad warned about. Now all she needed was an excuse to go out again.

Smile, she orders herself. It felt forced but would have to do. Just as she takes the first determined step towards the kitchen, a yell stops her.

‘What's to eat, Mum?’

‘Damn,’ she says under her breath, ‘Jack's home. Well, at least I don't have to look happy.’

Her young brother was already stuffing a muffin into his mouth.

‘Don't be such a guts,’ she greets him, trying to be normal.

‘How was your day, Kristy?’ her mum asks with questioning eyes.

She often wondered if mums are naturally psychic. Hers seemed to read her mind.

‘Okay. I'll just have a drink and grab my racquet...have to meet Ryan for a bit of practice. See you later.’

She gulps down a glass of juice, picks up her bag and retreats to her room.

Her mother nods to her daughter's back, wondering why she is stirred up. At least it wasn't the boy friend...must've been something at school, she thinks. It didn't seem that long ago when she herself was a teenager. Everything was so dramatic, the end of the world, but we came through it, learning all the way. Now I'm in the Middle Ages, forty, fair, but not fat. She laughs to herself and smiles at Jack who always has hunger pains rather than growing-up pains. He'll be the next worry; she sighs as she chops meat for the casserole. The family is better off now, growing up in a smaller town.

‘You like living here, don't you, Jack?’

‘Aw, it's okay, I suppose. At least I made the footy team, not as much competition here as in the big school.’

‘That's good. It's a nice town…Damn!’ Her finger spurts blood onto the meat. ‘I knew that knife was too sharp.’

She sucks her finger, tasting the blood, bitter. A nice town, she thinks. I don't even know what nice means. It seems bloody dull to me.

Jack glances at his mum. ‘You'll turn into a vampire if you suck blood, Mum.’

‘Watch out then,’ she bares her teeth and chases him around the room.

At least someone's alive around here. I wonder if they'll be as happy tomorrow when they hear about the body, Kristy thinks, watching their antics as she walks out the door.

Chapter 2

The streets are coming alive slowly. Early workers rouse themselves to start another day. A ginger tom sneaks home after a night out. Dogs bark as a motorbike revs on its journey to work. A morning breeze rustles through the trees lining the street, spraying yellow leaves onto the footpath, disturbing the chattering birds. Brent Townsend cycles round the corner, his shirt flying like a sail behind him. His arm arches like a bowler’s, pelting papers onto the lawns. He guides his bike weaving from house to house, owning the roads. He sings as he pushes his bike along the streets, knowing no one hears. The township is his at this early hour, he thinks. Freedom of the city. And for the joy of the ride, stretching his muscles, throwing the news at people, he makes money. It's growing into a small pile in a secret tin in his bedroom. It's his passport to a better life, a way out of this hick town where he is only the paper boy. His thoughts travel with his bike. There's that dickhead, Ryan's, place. One day I'll break their window when the paper's thick enough. That'd be cool and it'd be an accident. Brent grins at the thought, riding on. I'd better not stop to talk to Mrs Porter today. I'm a bit late. She didn't know any new goss the other day, anyway. The green machine flies round the bend into the next street. The yap yap of Dawson's dog shatters his domain. He decides the little fluff bag is a perfect target standing still, barking. The paperboy can't resist the urge. He takes aim, blasts off...direct hit. He speeds up, laughing.

The bike cruises along Palm Avenue, soaring round the bends. It's like