The Broken Ones: Prologue

Prologue

There was a time when I truly believed that my life was over! I stood over a grave that contained my whole world, and I had no more tears left to cry...I felt numb!

He was only 36 years old, he was my soul mate...and now he was gone!

I never in a million years thought that I would be a widow at 31! When I said "I do" all those years ago I had committed a lifetime to one man, and only one man! No one else even got on my radar, he was my past, my present...and he was supposed to be my future!

It's funny how the universe has other plans, someone up there decided to take my husband from me. To place him in the path of a drunk driver and snuff him out in a matter of seconds! And that someone really must have had it in for me...

...because I had finally warmed to the idea of being a mother, I was going to tell him that night when he returned from work, and we were going to have a family together, a perfect little family like he'd always wanted! I went through a myriad of emotions; shock, anger, sadness, numbness...

...yes it was the numbness that was the hardest part! Being void of any feeling is the worst feeling of all! My parents tried to comfort me, my brother told me that I was young and I would bounce back from this...thank you very much my divorced big brother!

No, I was never going to get over this! My life ended when John's did, we both died that night. As I looked down at his name on a slab of stone:

"In Loving Memory of John Samuel Wallace

Aged 36

Beloved Husband, Son and Brother

Forever In Our Hearts"

I wanted to kick it over, dig the earth with my bare hands and reclaim him! How dare anyone take him from me! HOW DARE THEY!!!

Yes my emotions rocketed up and down like a sick roller coaster. And no one knew what to do for me! Hell I didn't even know! My family left me alone that night, at my request, among all his things...his scent lingering all around our cramped little house.

Harley was waiting for me, he missed his daddy, he didn't understand why John hadn't come home. It had been almost two weeks since I last heard his voice, we'd argued that morning...

"All I'm saying is, we've waited long enough Sarah!"
"And all I'm saying is where is the harm in waiting a bit longer? We're still young! What's the rush?"
"Sarah, I want a child! You knew this when we got married! We talked about this, we agreed that it was what we both wanted! I dunno what changed...I...but I haven't! I still want this!"

"Can't we just..."
"WHAT SARAH, WHAT?"

"Please John don't yell at me like that, you just sprung it on me that's all!"
"SPRUNG IT ON YOU??? Jesus Christ Sarah we've talked about it for years, but you won't come off the pill, you're too busy...excuse after excuse..."
"John..."

"No leave it, I'm gonna be late for work! See you tonight!"
"John..."

"Baby, I'm so sorry! Let's not fight over this, I love you! Oh God baby I love you so much!"
"I love you too!"

"Look we'll...we'll talk tonight! I'll get a take-away and...we're gonna be okay!" 

And I thought we would be...

...but he never came home that night. The next time I saw him, was on a cold steel table in the morgue.

And so I lie here, numb...sad...angry...heartbroken...I go up and down and up and down! I think I see him come in, from the corner of my eye, and I think I hear him whistling as he enters our home...I wait for the peck on my cheek...

...but it never comes! And it never will!

My name is Adam Masters, I am 39 years old and I recently moved to Brindleton Bay. Six months ago I was in a very dark place. I came home one night and found my fianceé in bed with my best friend! I never got over that night, it was the worst night of my life! I don't remember much of it though, I drank all my troubles away and woke up with a pounding headache the next morning, and then eventually came the odd flashbacks.

I read in the paper a few days later that a man had been killed in San Myshuno by a hit and run driver. His name was John Wallace...

...and I think I killed him! His widow lives here by the bay, and that is why I'm here! I'm going to confess to her that I was the one that took her husband from her, and then I'm going to go to the police and hand myself in.

But I just need to see her face, I need to be a man and confront my crime. I don't remember her husband, I don't even remember driving my car, but I have no explanation for ending up back at my flat in San Myshuno, and my car keys were lying next to me on the coffee table when I woke up on my couch.

And these flashbacks, they started just after I saw his face in the papers...I did it, I know I did! And I must be punished!

To Be Continued...