He had piled them so neatly. Row upon row, every single book he owned, piled as high as he could reach.
It wasn't enough.
After looking in every room he had now covered most of the wall in methodically arranged columns of books of all sizes.
It still wasn't enough, he could still hear it. It was maddening.
He found crates and piled them knowing this wouldn't really help, by this time though his driving obsession had destroyed any logical thought and his eyes darted around, scrutinising every nook and cranny for anything he could use to block the noise. His eyes fell on the curtains and he began ripping down ever piece of fabric he could, throw each rag to the wall. He was determined to stop that noise.
The happy chatter of the women was heard before they noisily entered the home. It was the older woman who stopped first; in mid sentence her flow of words was dammed and she stood staring at the living room.
"What the hell happened here?" the words dropped quietly from her mouth, her eyes wide as she registered the destruction of the room.
"Have we been robbed?" asked the younger woman, not to anyone in particular, more to herself, looking at the window she tried to figure out why on earth they tried to steal the curtains, it made no sense.
At this point fear came into her voice as she shouted "Dad?" and raced to the back door. Her mum quickly followed and began yelling "Roger!"
"Dad?" asked Ellie in a small, scared voice.
He was crouched low at the far end of the courtyard a cushion in his hands. His eyes glittered with a manic shine, this man had left this reality and whatever horrors he had seen now danced behind the stare of intense obsession that he focused upon the small faded brick out building. He muttered something under his breath throwing the cushion on the now bulging pile that was almost covering the old brickwork. He darted back inside seeking fresh fodder.
"Dad? What's going on? What are you doing?" Ellie pleaded with her clearly, she thought, insane father, he kept muttering "Got to stop it, the sound, got to stop the sound"
Neither Ellie or her mum could stop him, neither Ellie or her mum could hear any sound. They begged and pleaded, they tried physically stopping him, none of it worked.
The police were very good, very, efficient. Both Ellie and her mum were now sat in a quiet house. It was wrecked, and they had no idea why.
"Did you hear something?" her mums voice broke the heavy silence.
Ellie raised her head, listened intently for a moment, "No, I can't hear anything mum what did you hear?"
"Well it's strange but I thought I heard like, a little baby, you know that gorgeous cooing sound they make, probably just me" she said, ending with a little laugh.
Ellie smiled and was about to mock her mum when she heard the tiny, gurgling, cooing of a baby. Curiosity took over and they followed the sound to the cobbled backyard.
They both looked at the faded brick building, then at each other. Without saying anything they both began removing the junk piled against the old wooden door.
It was finally clear and they hesitated, unsure why neither felt any eagerness to now open the door. The sweetest cooing and baby chatter melted their fear and Ellie pushed it open.
"Oh! Such a beautiful baby, hello little one" Ellie enthused and swept up the tiny, pretty, baby in her arms. Her mum too expressed instant love for the 'dear thing' and together they went back into the home.
The two women were baby blind and were fussing obsessively around the tiny girl.
"Such a good little baby aren't you, yes you are, and the most beautiful, isn't she the most beautiful baby in the world Ellie?"
"Oh yes, absolutely, " replied Ellie and kissed the tiny, pretty, smiling, baby on the cheek " and such kissy cheeks " she planted another kiss on the chubby little cheek .
"Ellie?" said her mum, her voice edged with concern, Ellie still had her lips against the cheek of the tiny, pretty, baby.
"SShh" came Ellies response.
The silence broken with a question from her mum "What are we listening for" she said in a dramatic whisper.
"SShhh mum don't you hear it?" said Ellie in hushed, urgent tones and although she no longer kissed the cheek her ear was still held to the head of the tiny,pretty,baby.
The pain came sharp, stabbing ferociously through her right ear and she recoiled dropping the baby.
The baby didn't cry. The tiny, pretty, baby laid happily on the floor cooing and gurgling in a heart melting way.
Ellie was moaning in pain and the pain was matched by the incessant noise.
Her mum having stood mute for a couple of minutes came back to action, scooped the baby up and marched to the back door. As she carried the baby back to the old brick building it took every ounce of resolve to not look at the beautiful child, not listen to the sweet cooing.
She reached the small, brick building and opened the door to place the baby inside, it was at this point she made the mistake of looking into the wide, innocent looking eyes of the baby and feeling a rush of love she bent her head to kiss the sweet, rosy little cheek.
She caught herself thinking 'what was that noise?' before it registered this is what happened to Ellie. After all it was such an odd noise. Not the sort of noise normally associated with a baby, she placed her ear closer to the babies head and the pain stabbed right through her left ear, searing pain lasered through her soft, gelatinous brain matter and she collapsed to the floor lifeless.
The TV blared in the corner, the latest news it promised was coming right up. No one listened. A plastic lipped woman attempted a botox smile as she read the news. "and intrigue and mystery is the name of the game today!" she announced in what she felt was her best cheery manner "a tiny baby girl was rescued today, found among the gruesome sight of two, yes two! dead bodies, two deceased females were found but no clue as to how they died, but luckily the little baby is fine" the plastic presenter flashed a shiney, white-toothed smile at the camera and continued to inform no one "no statement has yet been offered by the police but we do know an earlier arrest had been made at the property involving another family member who was detained in police custody. However it transpires the man died of unknown causes while in custody. The beautiful baby has been placed in foster care" the presenter widened her tooth filled unnatural grin and continued "In other news we have received reports of four more deaths relating to brain aneurism bringing our total death count in this county to over two hundred!" the presenter seemed to glow with pride her forced cheery voice droned on " and an urgent appeal to get your doctors appointment for new BADRISIL goverment approved for your protection, hurry! get protected now ! Remember our big pharma companies are here to help" she shuffled some blank sheets of paper, her unsettlingly wide smile constant as she babbled "and in related news be a good citizen, serve your country! You too can help in a crisis; due to the rise in brain bleed deaths there is a increased need for foster parents, There are beautiful babies that need loving homes, please consider fostering and there is a financial gain too!"
As the plastic presenter whittered endlessly to no one the night surrounded everything in darkness and the lifeless bodies of Joan and David lay sprawled on the bed, unable to listen they were surrounded by 'congratulations on becoming foster parents!' cards and the most adorable little baby girl dresses. All manner of pink soft toys were scattered around and over the baby monitor could be heard the sweetest cooing of a tiny pretty baby girl.
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