Let us write a story sentence by sentence.

'no i don't want to see hamish. i don't want to see anyone. i'll be okay. just do what you have to do.'

she could see that johnny wasn't exactly convinced.

'trust me johnny, i'm fine. really. just don't take too long.'

anna turned on the water so johnny would have to make a move. the pipes hammered from lack of use. pulling her t shirt over her head did the trick. johnny left the bathroom.

' how can you believe anything that little psycho says freya? you know me. do you think that i'd cheat on you?'

freya couldn't believe the gall of this man. of course she thought he'd cheat on her. she'd take anna's word over his on this. of all the things her sister could be accused of, vindictive was not one of them.

vincent followed freya and grabbed her by the arm. he swung her around to face him. she tried to pull away but he was much too strong for her.

'don't you walk away from me freya. tell me you believe me'

the look that came over her husband's face was one not even freya had seen before.

'so it's true then. fuck you vincent. did you have a go at anna is that the reason she hates you so much.'

freya looked at vincent trying to gauge his mood or whatever. she watched as his eyes flickered.

'you're a liar vincent. i don't want to be anywhere near you.'

with that freya walked past vincent and out the front door. he didn't follow her. she stood on the path and tried to get her head together. all these years she had known. but it took anna to say it in anger to get through to her. looking back at the house, she saw vincent in the window. she put her head down and started in the direction of... she didn't know. anywhere but here?

davey tried to get his head into the job he was supposed to be doing. he hated these publicity shots the record company insisted on. as the sounds of guns 'n' roses filled his work space, davey watched as the drummer continously hammed it up for the camera. it amused him but he doubted the suits would be.

'come on dex, we need to get this done and you're driving me nuts'

dex responded by standing stock still with his hands clasped in front of his crotch. he stared straight into the camera and waited for davey to crack up.
davey liked 'applebite'. they didn't take themselves seriously cause they knew what they were doing wasn't brain surgery. their record company held out great hope for their future. two albums and a third just about to be released. hence the photo shoot. according to the suits, this was do or die time. it was not an attitude the band shared. davey was determined not to smile in response to dex. davey turned to a silent figure sitting by the window.

'hey arlo can you get your brother to act just a little serious here?'

arlo looked in the direction of the band. and sure enough dex was acting the goat as he usually did. the fact that dex's new girl isabelle was watching didn't help. arlo walked over to his brother and pulled him aside.

'listen mate i know you think you're being funny but you've got to think of the band. davey's trying to do his job and you're screwing it up. just get this done and then you can act the fool all you want. okay?'

Both Davey and Arlo shot Jason a look of pure hatred. They both knew that what Jason wasn't prepared to do, he was more than willing to egg Dex into doing. And then geta laugh at Dex's expense. Arlo manoeuvered his brother away from the group so he could speak to him more privately. Davey turned to Jason.

'no i don't want you to do anything 'Madonna', but i also don't want these photos to suck Jason. You can't be doing that with Dex. You should know better.'

Davey went back to his camera changing film and trying to ignore whatever tension was going on between Jason and Dex that initiated this latest round of one upmanship. Jason walked over to the kitchenette and made himself a mug of coffee. into which he poured a generous swig of whiskey. Davey's voice filled the awkward silence.

'you know maybe we should do this somewhere else. outdoors. over in Bender Woods. I think that'd work for that feel you guys are going for. what d'you reckon Toby?'

Applebite's singer, who had been sitting on the floor, trying to remain impartial, looked up at Davey.

davey knew exactly what artwork toby was talking about. it was an eight foot man cast in bronze that had been one of anna's first collaborative efforts. in fact there were two men caught mid battle. it looked more like they were dancing and that is what anna and the sculptor, henry, had wanted. henry had a fascination with celtic myth and saw the slighty larger of the two figures as fiann mac cumhaill. who the other one was, didn't matter. anna was just twenty years old when it was completed, and davey had seen it for the first time before he'd even met her. it was always a favourite spot to visit, cause it stood not far from a creek in a clearing. as you walked through the woods, you crossed over a stone bridge and it appeared to your right. in winter with the trees naked of all their leaves, it somehow fit into what could have been a whole deliberate scene. when davey asked anna about it later, she admitted that she and henry would come out to this spot and lie on the ground staring up into the sky. they'd watch as stray leaves fell around them. she neither confirmed nor denied davey's inquiry as to whether she and henry had been lovers. anna said it was none of his business and just pointed out that henry was in his forties. davey doubted that an age gap that big would have stopped anna from doing anything, but he gave her the benefit of the doubt. davey had used this location with applebite before, when they were first starting out, and toby had come to his old schoolfriend for a favour.


'yeah i know the one.'

davey hesitated.

'you sure you want to do it there?'

davey shook his head.

'there's chutzpah for you. comparing yourself to the beatles.'