Melody

By Lee Robson

When his engagement is put on hold, Paul Grant finds himself whisked off to the town of Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands to try and get his mind off everything. But when he meets Melody, he finds himself embarking on a strange and sinister affair...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lee Robson
• Release date: Jul 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370271184

Lee Robson

The writer/co-creator (with Bryan Coyle) of the critically acclaimed indie graphic novel Babble, published by Com.X, Lee Robson currently lives and writes in the north east of England. His work has appeared in various anthologies, including the Eagle/True Believers Award nominated FutureQuake, its sister publication, the horror themed Something Wicked and Aces Weekly.

Book preview

Melody

by Lee Robson

Edits by Chris Rowland

Cover art by Bryan Coyle

Copyright 2015 Lee Robson

It had often been remarked upon by my friends that I have something of a weakness for the fairer sex.

I had, in fact, developed a reputation amongst them as something of a cad and a scoundrel when it came to the affairs of the heart, and I often found myself the butt of good natured jokes about my dalliances. While I won’t deny that I have chosen to indulge my more carnal desires with young women who’ve accepted my advances on more than one occasion, I’ve never been the rutting animal my friends would have you believe I am, simply taking what I wish and leaving a trail of fiancées and fathers desperate for my blood.

That reputation, however, made things rather difficult when I had my own heart captivated by my beloved Sophie. Our courtship was long and not without troubles, as I tried and failed to convince her of my honesty and integrity. I was not, she would often tell me, the sort of gentleman she would prefer to settle down with. As our relationship progressed, and I slowly convinced her I was not the man she thought I was, those words became a private joke, and, when I finally had enough courage and confidence to ask her to be my wife, Sophie had merely smiled and uttered that same phrase before agreeing wholeheartedly.

Our engagement surprised everyone, but our friends and families rallied to our side to offer us their unconditional support. As we laid our plans for our future together, however, Sophie suddenly decided to call things to a halt. I knew it was simply cold feet on her part; her own doubts and fears were being brought into sharper focus by her family’s determination to rush everything forward, regardless of her own feelings on the matter (Sophie was the last of her siblings to marry and her parents were determined to have her settle down and give them grandchildren at the earliest possible convenience). She decided to head to the Cornish coast for a time, to visit her aunt and work out her own mind, while I could do nothing but wish her a speedy return and reaffirm my love for her in the vain hope it would change her mind before she boarded the train.

And so it