The Troll

The Troll is the story of three friends who are targeted by an internet troll. At first they ignore him, following the rules not to feed these people. But it becomes clear that something else is going on. Whoever this is, he knows some of their darkest secrets, to do with their friend Gary Bukowski, and a long, hot summer waiting for A level results. This scene is when Louisa is staying at her in-laws, who are next door neighbours to Gary’s parents. When she sees her old friend in the back garden and realises he’s back in town, she’s thrown back to that summer and the terrible things that went on.

Excerpt

Softly, quietly, like a princess in a castle trying not to wake a beast beneath her in the dungeon, Louisa padded down the stairs. She crept past the living room, which leaked the sounds of festive drinking and chatting. She made it to the back door without being noticed. Then she was in the garden. She pulled the door to, and sat at the bench table. Finally, she lit up. She kept watch on the back door, ready to throw the cigarette over the hedge if it looked like someone was coming out.

The click and glare of the neighbours’ security light coming on startled her. Then there was the loud sound of a door bursting open. Gary Bukowski came out and stood the other side of the hedge. Just like magic he was there, as if it was an ordinary, common or garden thing, the way it had been when they were teenagers. He was lighting a cigarette and looking at the ground. He looked the same but so very different. Older, of course. It’d been over twenty years and so they all were. But he looked used and worn in a way that none of the rest of them did. Lines dug deep down the sides of his cheeks as he grimaced into the bright beam of the security light and his head was shaved but patchy, hardly really disguising the fact that he was going bald. Louisa wanted to look away, to run inside, but she was glued to her seat. Gary glanced over. The light of recognition sparked up in his eyes at the same time as the end of his cigarette.

‘Hey,’ Louisa said. She felt stupid immediately. As if ‘hey’ was enough after all these years, not to mention their history. She rolled her eyes at herself.

‘Hey,’ Gary said. He sucked on the cigarette, and then smiled. He looked younger when he smiled. ‘Shit,’ he added, finding the better word to express what there was between them.

Louisa laughed, lightly. ‘I’d ask how you were but, fucksake, Gary. This is weird.’

‘Yes it is.’ Gary smoked with intent, and he narrowed his eyes. ‘Listen, let’s not do the big reunion. Let’s pretend we’ve never met. I’ve just moved into the area and that.’ Another pull, like he was trying to suck the life out of his cancer stick. ‘Okay?’

Louisa nodded. That worked for her. ‘Nice to meet you, new neighbour of my in-laws. I hope you settle in all right.’

‘I’ll do my best,’ he said. He coughed.

The two of them puffed away on their cigarettes. There were so many things Louisa would have liked to say, but she didn’t even know where to start. So she smoked, and looked over from time to time, hoping that might communicate something of what she didn’t know how to put into words. As if the smoke rising above her head could make the right curls and spirals to say ‘sorry for fucking up your life, and all that’.

Louisa finished the cigarette. She would have liked to light up again and smoke another. She could have smoked the whole damned pack in one go. But it was too weird, sitting there with Gary Bukowski. Off the scale. She tucked the packet into the left hand cup of her bra and stood up.

‘See ya,’ Gary said, with a backwards nod.

Louisa had one hand on the back door. She turned back towards Gary. She realised that there was something she wanted to say. ‘That advice you gave me, about Jack and Adam. It was good advice.’

Gary looked like he was trying to smile but the effect was more of a grimace. ‘That working out for you, then?’ he said.

Louisa shrugged. ‘Not particularly. It was still the right advice, though.’

Gary nodded, slowly. ‘Adam’s still trying, isn’t he? All these years on. Making it hard for you to be happy.’ He sounded pleased with his own analysis.

Louisa pushed the door. It made quite a creak. She didn’t look back. She wouldn’t lie to Gary but she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction either.

'Wait,' Gary said, his voice urgent. The tone of it made her stop and turn. He nodded towards the house. 'My lovely next door neighbours have no clue what happened that summer, do they?'

Louisa coughed and shook her head. She felt the sharp corners of the cigarette packet next to her skin. She could feel it move with the thump of her heart. 

'Listen, I'd rather the others didn't know you'd seen me.' He coughed. 'We don't want stuff dragged back up, y'know?' His eyes narrowed as he spoke.

Louisa tried to work out if she'd imagined a threat in what he'd said. She didn't think so. She stared back at him and couldn't find any words.

'You get me, right?' he said.

Louisa nodded. She turned away, and rushed into the house as quickly as she could, wanting to be away from Gary. Away from him and the memories and the past. She crept across the kitchen and towards the stairs. She was suddenly very, very tired. The last place she wanted to be was that living room. The bubble of noise and joy that came from it made her feel sick through to her skin.

Louisa crept back up the stairs and towards the bedroom, her footsteps as quiet as the night. Whatever creature might be lurking beneath her, it did not make a sound. She had a feeling in her gut, though, a sickness, telling her that it was beginning to stir, that its vile, flecked eyes were shuddering open.

The first instalment of The Troll is available now on Amazon, and the second is available for pre order, release date Thursday 27 August.

Buy The Troll on Amazon