Leah and Rob had been talking in whispers while Phil was in the shower. They were both trying to make some sense of the situation. Rob was still trying to hold onto the crazy boyfriend theory, but she could tell that he wasn’t as confident as he was pretending. Leah had the feeling that there was something very strange going on. But what?
“Look, Rob, you don’t know him. He is as straightforward as they come. No wild conspiracy theories, crazy religious beliefs, just a very grounded guy,” says Leah.
“He looks pretty crazy to me,” Rob replies.
“I get it, I understand why you would think that. But this is all too weird. His behaviour is so different to normal. Oh, hey Phil!” she says as she sees him coming down the hallway.
“Phil, what’s wrong?” she exclaims as he charges into the kitchen, barging Rob to the floor.
It takes a moment for Rob to react but he is soon getting back to his feet. Those years on the rugby pitch inform his reaction and he hits Phil with a blinding uppercut as he rises. Phil staggers backwards but somehow doesn’t fall. Leah can’t believe it, he has never been a fighter. How did he ride that punch?
Yet, he does. Then you would guess that Phil was the rugby player as he charges toward Phil, tackles him and takes him through the open kitchen door and into the garden. Rob lands awkwardly and seems to have had the wind knocked out of him.
“Stop Phil, stop!” screams Leah.
But he won’t stop. He pounds Rob’s face, over and over, slamming his fists into his nose. The blood begins to pour now. Leah is soon on his back, attempting to pull him off.
“She’s mine! Mine!” roars Phil.
He swings his arm back at Leah and connects with her cheekbone, sending her to the floor. She is momentarily shocked, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. She never would have thought it possible.
Phil returns his attention to Rob and is about to strike again when. Guess what? Now we know. The birds return. Not just one this time. A flock, as there were in the forest. Circling just above him, crying out, taking his attention away from his victim on the floor. Phil stands and begins to wave his arms at them.
“Get away from me!” he cries.
That’s when the frying pan connects with the back of his head, and only Leah remains standing above the two prone men. The birds fly away, the pan falls from her grasp.
To be continued…
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