Chapter 8 - Kill Bill

Bill meanwhile had lost complete touch with reality. All he knew at that moment was the battle field. He was a solder running up the beachs on D-Day. A fearless, merciless killing machine impervious to the dangers surrounding him. With the adrenaline coursing through his body and his heart thumping he reached the highest level of the game but just as he was nearing the end he took a shot in the chest from a German sniper cunningly concealed in the sand dunes.

'You Gerry Bastard!' he shouted out.

As he watched the bullet coming towards him in slow motion it triggered a massive heart attack. It was mercifully over in seconds and he didn't suffer. He just slumped forward his virtual helmet smashing against the computer knocking his bottle of Green Goblin to the floor.

The next morning Maggie was none the wiser believing Bill to be sleeping late as was now usual. She made her Nescafé in her favourite mug that Emma had given her. It said Super Gran and had a Granny in a cape and mask and she used it every morning. Stirring in her Candrel sweeteners she popped two pieces of toast in the toaster. She always had her toast in the morning with some butter and marmalade and her coffee.

She decided that morning to sit out on the balcony so she could have her first cigarette. She thought she had heard Bill crashing around late last night and had felt quite peeved that he was making so much noise. A bit inconsiderate she had thought to herself. She wondered what to do today and thought about watching something on Netflix for a change. Perhaps she could find a series and watch them all she thought. Anything to take her mind of all this Covid news.

She was feeling a little burned out if the truth be known. She also felt a bit guilty about the cigarettes and had decided not to tell anyone. 'Why should tell anyone? It's my business after all' she said to herself.

What she worried most about was the possibility that she could have picked up the virus on her trip to the shops.

'Dear God I could have brought it back and killed Bill. Isn't that the name of a movie?' she thought randomly sniggering to herself.

She had been careful and washed her hands, used sanitiser and even put all her clothes in a bin bag. Still you can't be too careful with this killer virus she shuddered.

She curled up on the couch and as usual didn't bother to get dressed. Flicking through Netflix she found a series starring Jane Fonda and started watching. She spent the whole day and evening watching all five series getting up only to smoke or to eat. She didn't really pay too much attention that she hadn't seen Bill and had vaguely thought to herself that he must have grabbed his lunch and snacks when she was in the bathroom. Truth be known she was just absorbed in the series and blocked everything else out. Most days she hardly saw him anyway as he had become such a night owl.

She herself went to bed early that night at around half past eight, glad that another day had passed by uneventfully.

The next morning was Sunday so she was looking forward to the online mass then around three o'clock they would have their weekly Zoom call with Andy, Jan and the kids. Before she went to bed she decided to really make an effort and put on her good cardigan and tried and do something with her hair just to keep up appearances.

She felt they might see that she was smoking again and then she'd have to admit to going out. She quickly put it to the back of her mind. The flat felt very quiet and peaceful that night and she stretched out in the bed sleeping straight through until the next morning.

She got up the next morning and after a shower tried to do something with her hair. It looked a fright she thought and was quite shocked to see her appearance in the hall mirror so she decided to tie a silk scarf around her head like the queen does. She made a note in her head to add some dye to the online shopping. She would ask Victoria's advice when they Zoomed. She put on her good cardigan and a pair of comfy trousers and felt better than she had done in ages.

The mass had cheered her up and gave her mood a lift. She enjoyed singing along to all the hymns. She fixed some cheese and tomato sandwiches for lunch, putting them on a plate and covering them with cling film. She added some crisps and put the teapot next to the kettle with the tea bag ready to go. Then she sat down and watched the BBC news as she waited for Bill to get up.

By one o clock she was getting agitated.

'Where is he?' She asked herself. 'Still bloody sleeping' she thought.

She pottered around for a bit and then decided to knock on the door. No answer. She tapped a bit louder. Still no answer. She went back into the living room sat down in front of the TV. Another hour passed in what seemed like minutes.

This Corona thing certainly was overwhelming and seemed to dominate everything. If she wasn't carefully it dominated her every thought, she glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece. It had been a wedding gift from her parents and stood in pride of place on the mantelpiece.

'For Gods sake it's two o'clock now I'm starving.' Maggie went and rapped rather loudly on Bill's door and in a loud voice called his name.

'Bill wake up it's bloody two o'clock for God's sake.' Still no answer. Slowly it started to dawn on her that something might be wrong. She tried the door but it was locked. This worried her. Now why has he locked the door.

'Bill!' she shouted. Her voice slightly cracking. 'Bill, Bill open the bloody door!' her voice getting louder and the fear beginning to rise.

'He can't be still sleeping.' She said to herself. She started to panic and ran to the living room and called 999. The phone rang and rang and finally someone answered.

'It's Bill!' she shrieked 'He's not answering the door.'

The operator calmly asked the usual questions.

'Now, what's your name?' she asked briskly. Maggie replied.

'Okay Maggie and who's Bill?'

'My husband' answered Maggie 'He's in the back bedroom and won't answer the door.'

'And when was the last time you saw him?'

'Yesterday...Oh god maybe even the day before, I'm not sure. He's a night owl you see and I'm a morning bird.' Maggie said.

'Okay Maggie we are going to send someone around now so stay calm everything will be alright. We are a little busy because of the pandemic but they are on the way now.'

Suddenly Maggie started to shout rather loudly 'Mother of God I've killed Bill!'

'I'm sorry Maggie can you repeat that' the operator said.

'I've killed Bill Maggie!' she sobbed 'Like in the movie...have you seen that movie Kill Bill?'

'And how have you killed him?' the operator asked calmly, clearing her throat and thinking to herself 'Oh here we go we have a murder on our hands!'