When Joe Warbeck thought back on it later, he realised that none of it would have happened if he’d left right away.  But he’d had visions of the front entrance packed with police cars, waiting for him to come through so they could slap the handcuffs on him.  What had happened back at the house had been a clear-cut case of self-defence, but Jackie’s cousin had always struck him as the kind of person who’d have the local police in his pocket.  He went up one of those paths to look for a back way.  There was bound to be one.  People like that always had to have something hidden from the little people.

The path got steeper as it went along, until eventually Joe had reached a definite hill.  That was OK- he wasn’t afraid of a little extra exercise.  Could be quite a pleasant walk, really.  Most people would have been too busy shitting themselves over what had happened back at the house to think clearly, but Joe was actually feeling very calm.  Could be quite a pleasant walk.  Lovely breeze.

This whole mess was typical of Jackie.  It was all about her own comfort.  God forbid anything interfere with that, even her own children.  It hadn’t been any different when they’d been together.  Joe would be the first to admit that he wasn’t the easiest guy to live with, but if you stuck it out instead of giving up the moment things got a bit difficult, he made it worth it.  He paid you back in spades.

Joe was starting to get out of breath.  He hadn’t even been able to see these hills from outside.  Went to show how much land they had, he supposed.  Nice life if your daddy was rich.  You could buy up half the planet.

Joe sat down on a little bit of grass by the path, wiping his forehead and looking up at the sky.  Jackie had sent the girls here, of all places.  Instead of letting their father take care of them, she’d packed them off to the middle of nowhere and got them exposed to nutters who waved swords around.  Joe couldn’t think about it too long, or he’d get too angry.  He’d…

There was something strange up ahead.  Like… a cave?  A hole in the hill?

Slowly and painfully, Joe got up and moved towards it.  As he got closer, he saw how big the hole was, and he saw what was in it.  A grand, golden staircase, leading up into the dark.

(To be continued)