Message in a Bottle

by June Taylor

 

Rosemary Collins, generally known as Roz' to her friends and family, was walking along the sea -shore watching her toes as the salty water gently lapped over her feet.

She stood still looking out as the sky line met the sea, Roz remembered her first day in this seaside resort just twelve months earlier. She was a shadow of her former self, so thin and all her confidence had disappeared.

The frown on her face said more than any words could express. She could still feel the sadness of having to leave her homeland and all her friends so suddenly. First the nightmares were horrendous but slowly she picked up the courage to start a new life and build a small circle of friends; her friends couldn't understand this quite, detached woman who never spoke of her past.

Roz felt contented as the sun shone warming her face and arms as she relaxed, the feeling of safety suddenly stopped her shaking; Roz took a deep breath and continued walking along the shoreline.

Over the sea in another country, the beach was deserted except for a tired looking man wandering along looking for driftwood, and another man sitting on a rock.

Rory looked out to sea; he loved the space and the clean smell of his surroundings and enjoyed his walks along the beach especially as it was deserted at this time of day.

He had collected three nice pieces of driftwood that would keep him busy once they had dried out, and then he could start his carving. He wandered back along the shore, wondering if anybody had found the bottle that he had thrown into the sea few months ago.

Rory walked towards the other man and stood talking for a while and then the two men walked back to the old austere building high on the cliff, as they neared the gate, the prison officer took out his bunch of keys and unlocked the door, Rory had been on his thirty minutes exercise period.

Roz saw something floating towards her, she bent to pick it up, what a coincidence it was the same type of bottle she had put a note inside months and months ago, probably it had come back with the tide. She examined the bottle; there was a message inside, was it her original letter, she had to have a look.

Once the bottle was opened Roz opened the letter it was the one she had written. Something dropped as she was unfolding the message, she picked up the little piece of torn up cigarette packet and froze as she read, 'I know where you are, I know your writing, I will get you, Rory'. She screamed and started running down the beach, would she ever be safe from her ex husband; he had stabbed her six times and left her for dead.

Someone had found her and saved her life by calling an ambulance, she was in hospital for a long time but managed to give evidence, which put Rory in prison for 20 years.

How could she have been so stupid as to put her address inside a bottle? She was so afraid that Rory would send some one to kill her, there was nothing she could do except move on.

The world is a big place but it wasn't big enough for Roz.

Would she ever be safe again!

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