Italy

Maddie opened her eyes and stared, hardly daring to breathe, her heart thudding, as she tried to work out where she was. In the dim light she could ascertain unfamiliar shapes, high bedposts, a bulky, elaborately carved wardrobe, tall windows with heavy brocade drapes. She sighed with relief as it dawned on her. Italy. She and Chris were finally in Italy in a scenic town on the coast where ancient houses, castles, chapels and churches clung to the hillside and spilled in a chaotic jumble down to the coastline. They had scrimped and saved for months to rent this villa for their dream vacation.

“Forget the hotel chains,” Chris had said. “History and local color. If we want a Best Western, we might as well stay at home.”

Maddie looked at the ceiling and smiled in delight as she saw a cluster of painted cherubs grinning cheekily back at her.

“Look! How cool is that?”

She reached across the bed to nudge Chris, but he wasn’t there. She sat up, pushed her tousled hair out of her face and recoiled as she realized that she was wearing an unfamiliar gaudy red satin nightgown. Gradually the events of the previous day came back to her. Their flight had been delayed and it had been almost midnight when they had arrived at the villa, minus their luggage. When they had rung the doorbell, an elderly lady had opened the door cautiously.

“Signora Lucia? Maddie and Chris. We are sorry to disturb you so late. Our flight…”

Yawning and pulling her robe tightly around her, the old lady had smiled and tutted sympathetically at their travails. Indicating that they should wait, she had disappeared into her house, returning with the nightgown and a T-shirt for Chris.

“My grandchildren are like you for size,” she had said. “Now, please come.”

She had led them to the house next to her own, opening the tall wooden doors with a large key. Despite their exhaustion, Maddie and Chris had gasped in delight at the high ceilings of the rooms, the ornate old-fashioned furniture and the tile floors. The old lady had beamed.

“Sleep now. Tomorrow, you see how beautiful.”

Maddie swung her feet out of bed and stood up, flinching as she felt the cold tiles underfoot.

“Chris? Where are you?”

He was nowhere to be found. Maddie opened the living room window and pushed back the shutters which led onto a small balcony furnished with a wrought iron table and chairs and pots of geraniums. It overlooked the village and the glittering blue of the sea beyond. Chris was walking down the cobbled street below. She was about to step outside and call to him when she remembered she was wearing only the red nightgown.

“No need to scare the locals first thing,” she muttered, hastily retreating to get dressed. When she returned to the balcony, there was no sign of him. Maddie shrugged to herself. He often went early to the gym or out running when they were at home. She began to explore the kitchen and eventually found what she needed to make coffee and a slice of toast which she took out onto the balcony. Feeling better as the caffeine hit her system, she called the airline and was assured that their luggage would be delivered later that day. She sat contentedly sipping her coffee, watching pedestrians and a few cats passing by until she realized that almost an hour had passed. She tried calling Chris. The phone rang inside the bedroom. It was totally unlike him to go anywhere without his phone. Grabbing her own phone and the key, she went out, carefully locking the door behind her.

Signora Lucia was outside sweeping the pavement in front of the house. She beamed when she saw Maddie.

“Good morning. You sleep plenty?”

“Yes, thank you. Uh, did you see my husband this morning? He went out early and he hasn’t come back.”

The old lady nodded.

“Si, I see him early. He says he going to explore. He likes old buildings, yes? Maybe he went to the castle.”

She pointed in the general direction of the hillside where the ruins of a stone tower were visible. Maddie sighed. That would be typical Chris. He loved wandering off the beaten track as the fancy took him.

“I will go into the village. If you see him, please tell him.”

“Of course. You will find him. This is a small village, not New York. But if you go to the castle, be careful. It is dangerous. Very easy to fall. Wait one moment.”

She hurried into the house and returned with a cold bottle of water which she handed to Maddie.

“It will be hot soon.”

Maddie thanked her and set off. The village was postcard perfect, with cobbled streets, old buildings and narrow archways, set off by a profusion of flowers in every kind of container. As she descended towards the harbor, the streets became more crowded. Maddie flattened herself against a wall as a large group of tourists trooped past following a guide holding a sign. As they turned the corner towards the main plaza, she saw Chris emerge from an old church and follow them.

“Chris! Wait for me,” she yelled, running after them. A stranger looked around in surprise and all the tourists stared.

 “Sorry, thought you were someone else,” she muttered, turning away just in time to see Chris smile at her from the opposite side of the square. She ran towards him, oblivious to the irritated glares of the people she bumped and jostled, but he had gone down a narrow alley by the time she reached the spot where she had seen him.

“Chris, this isn’t funny. What are you playing at?” she said, glimpsing him as he turned yet another corner and began to climb a flight of uneven stone stairs. She hurried after him, out of breath and almost in tears. The stairs zig-zagged up the hillside and ended at the ruins of the castle. Chris ascended with an easy loping stride, pausing to beckon her before passing under the remains of an imposing gateway. Stumbling on the uneven pavement, Maddie followed him into the gloom of a vaulted stone room.

“Stop. Enough already,” she panted. He held out his arms to her, then vanished as if swallowed whole. Maddie yelled his name. Using her phone as a flashlight, she inched forward, stopping just in time on the edge of a large, dark opening in the floor. She peered down, gasped and stepped back as the feeble beam shone into inky blackness. Something glittered on the ground in the weak light. Maddie picked it up. It was his wedding ring. She screamed.

“Maddie, Maddie, it’s okay. Hush now.”

Maddie struggled furiously against the grip on her arm.

“Let me go. I need to find Chris. He's in the castle. He fell. Don’t just stand there. Get help.”

“Maddie, listen to me. You must have been dreaming.”

Maddie stared at her sister Donna.

“Donna? What are you doing here? You didn’t come to Italy. Where’s Chris?”

“Maddie, we’re at the hospital. Don’t you remember? You and Chris were on your way to the airport to go to Italy when you got in an accident. A drunk driver hit your car head-on. Chris is in intensive care. You need to go home and rest. You’ve been here almost two days with no sleep. Mom and I will take turns…”

She broke off as a tall man in surgical scrubs approached, his expression strained and weary. Maddie stared at him, dread settling over her like a black cloud.

“Mrs. Maddie King? I’m Dr. Worthing. I regret to inform you that we were unable to save your husband. There were complications from…”

Maddie automatically held out her hand as he proffered something, his voice nothing but a static buzz in her ears. She looked down to see Chris’s wedding ring in her palm.