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“It was a dark and stormy night...”
“Really?” Groaned Bernie. “That’s how you’re starting the evening?”
Serena giggles into her Shiraz. “Sorry. I don’t really know any horror stories. Shall we go and find the start of this walk, then?”
Draining the last of her wine, she pulls Bernie to her feet. “Come on, Ms. Wolfe. This is a special Hallowe’en version of the Haunted Holby walk. We were lucky to get tickets. We don’t want to miss it.”
Bernie nods in agreement, her fringe falling into her eyes. She knocks back the last mouthful of whisky and shrugs on her coat, ready for the crisp Autumn evening. Serena does similar, watching Bernie wrap up, scarf, gloves, beanie hat. She looks stunning in the gloom of the pub, and there’s a moment that Serena has to remind herself- they’d agreed to leave all that, the attraction, the kiss, in theatre.
Bernie raises an eyebrow and quirks her head towards the door. “Shall we, then, Ms. Campbell?”
They walk out into the cold air and head towards the meeting point noted on their tickets. This is the first Hallowe’en special Haunted Holby Walk, and Serena had suggested it to Bernie as a fun way to spend a Halloween, given their respective children are now more interested in the prospect of a night at the pub or a party than needing to be taken trick or treating. She had assured Bernie that sometimes it was fun to be a tourist in your own city, and to see things you wouldn’t normally. Besides, they had both finished at 1400 and had the next couple of days off shift. Eventually Bernie had acquiesced to Serena’s wheedling and had agreed.
“How did you manage to get the tickets anyway, Serena? Charlotte was impressed- she said they sold out really quickly.” Bernie asked her as they round a corner in the road to meet their group.
Serena could feel herself blushing, and was glad of the dark to hide the colour in her cheeks.
“I may have bought them the moment they were released. I was fairly sure that you’d agree to come with. And I figured that if not, then I’d be able to pass them on to someone.”
Bernie bumps Serena’s shoulder with her own. “You should know, Campbell, that it is in fact possible for me to resist your charms.”
Serena shoves back, and snorts. “As if. You’re here, aren’t you?”
Bernie has no answer to that, so she just smiles. It’s a smile that warms Serena to the tips of her toes. That undeniable sexual chemistry again, rearing its head at the most in opportune moments. Before it can cause her yet more consternation they spot a cluster of people around a young woman dressed as what Serena assumes is a vampire, and a young man who has fairly convincing cadaver-style make up on.
“Do you think this is our group?” Bernie asks, in a faux-serious voice.
“Are you here for the Hallowe’en Haunted Holby Walk?” Chirps the young woman.
They both nod, and hold out their printed tickets.
“Great! I’m Anna, and this is Dan,” she gestures to the cadaver who raises a hand in greeting, “and we’re your guides for the evening! We’re just waiting on a couple more people and then we’ll set off. Here are your special edition guidebooks.” She hands over a couple of leaflets that have the itinerary printed on them.
Looking only at Bernie, Anna says “If you have any questions at all, or if you want anything explaining in further detail, please don’t hesitate to ask.” She flashes a flirty smile of dazzling white teeth and youthful enthusiasm at Bernie and then bounces back to her place with Dan.
Serena rolls her eyes.
“What?” Bernie asks.
“You. Honestly, Bernie, wherever we go, you leave a wake of doe-eyed pretty young things. Look at Anna here- she can barely take her eyes off you!”
Bernie frowns at this and looks over at Anna, who pretends to be listening intently to something one of the other group members is saying, and glances up to meet Bernie’s eyes, offering a small wave. Bernie turns back to Serena.
“Oh come on. That doesn’t mean anything. And anyway, she’s barely older than Charlotte- I’m not really into younger women. Not that young, at least!”
Serena chuckles softly. “Poor girl. And it looks like she’s taken such a shine to you. How on Earth are you going to let her down gently. You’re a heartbreaker, Wolfe!”
“Oh god. I can’t cope with this. It’s mortifying. Help me, Serena, please.”
Bernie looks so anguished, Serena can’t help feeling sorry for the other woman and her social awkwardness. Smiling at her friend, she moves in for a hug, kisses the blonde’s cheek and when she moves away, she grabs Bernies hand, tangling their fingers together.
“Trust me,” Serena whispers in Bernies ear.
Bernie nods, dumbfounded by what’s going on.
“If she thinks we’re together then she won’t spend the evening making heart-eyes at you.”
Bernie nods again, swallows, and croaks out a thank you to Serena who squeezes her fingers in return. They both look over at Anna who looks decidedly crestfallen and is studiously avoiding looking in their direction.
The final members of the group arrive, and get the same greeting (if a little less energetic) from Anna and Cadaver-Dan. Then, with a promise of horrors and terror, the group sets off into the night.
*****
Serena and Bernie are still holding hands when they come to the first haunted location. They stop outside a pub, the Cross Keys, and are told how it is the oldest pub in Holby, and that it used to be where the gallows were in Mediaeval Holby.
Cadaver-Dan is surprisingly lively, when regaling them with tales of how the executioners of Holby were among the busiest in England, and that one Halloween, they had hanged 13 women accused of being witches.
“The story goes,” Dan says with a dramatic flourish, “that the bodies continued to move and cast spells and curses on those nearby even after they had been cut down. Long after everyone else who had ever been hanged would have been dead and cold, these witches refused to die!”
Bernie giggles and Serena hisses to her to behave. “I’m not sure it’s meant to be funny, Bernie.”
Chastised, Bernie squeezes Serena’s hand. “I know. It’s not the content that’s funny, it’s the delivery.” She tilts her chin towards Cadaver-Dan, and Anna, who are dramatically re-enacting some part of the story.
“I bet you a glass of your finest Shiraz they’re drama students” Bernie whispers.
Serena guffaws. “I’m not sure there was ever any doubt. That’s got to be the safest bet ever!”
They share a laugh at that, and Anna looks over at them with sad eyes. Bernie mouths a sorry and gives her a smile, and then remembers the ruse, and wraps her arm around Serena’s waist, pulling her close to her side.
Serena nestles in, tells herself she’s just playing along, helping Bernie stay out of an awkward situation, and ignores the strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that would make a liar of her if she dared pay attention to it.
Eyes still on Anna, Bernie ups her game and drops a kiss to the top of Serena’s head. She can’t help but breathe in the light, fresh smell of Serena’s shampoo, and the beautifully floral notes of her perfume. Sighing softly, she remembers that this is not real, that it never will be, that they’re doing the right thing by keeping things confined to theatre. She gives Serena another squeeze and then lets go, but the brunette reaches for her hand again.
Bernie tries to ignore the thrill that skitters across her fingertips at this touch, that blaze down her spine and across her nerve endings, curling between her legs. She tries to ignore the want, the need for Serena, because she knows that this is not what Serena wants. No, Serena is definitely just helping her fend off advances from a young woman who is the same age as her daughter. Because she’s a friend. A very, very heterosexual friend.
Bernie looks at Serena and smiles. Serena has an odd expression on her face, and Bernie worries that this is making her uncomfortable. She decides that as they’re walking, they’ll drop the act- they only need to make this play when they’ve stopped at one of the posted locations and are being treated to Anna and Cadaver-Dan’s retelling of Holby myth.
*****
Of course, after a couple more locations, they forget this and just continue to hold hands. They stop outside a non-descript building near to the city centre where their two guides tell them about an especially gruesome series of murders by one of the first recorded serial killers. Apparently the first victim was found in the early 1700s on the spot that this building now stood. Anna recounts how there have been numerous sightings of a ghostly figure on nights with clear skies and a full moon.
Serena shudders at this, and Bernie pulls her closer.
“Cold?” She whispers.
“No, no... just...” Serena pauses and looks to the heavens, to a crystal clear sky and a bright white full moon. “It’s nothing, really...”
Bernie looks at her and tilts her head. “Don’t tell me you believe in ghosts, Serena?”
“Well not exactly. It’s just that I have a bit of an overactive imagination.”
Bernie tries not to laugh. “I promise I’ll look after you.” She murmurs, her voice low and husky. Serena’s breath hitches, and Bernie thinks that maybe she’s more scared than she’s letting on.
The group moves on towards the next location, and despite the clear skies of a few minutes ago, an ominous fog rolls in. “Definitely getting our money’s worth with these atmospherics,” jokes Bernie.
“Mmhmm” Serena says, walking briskly along clinging tightly to Bernie’s hand.
*****
The fog continues to get denser as they arrive at their final destination for the evening. The Holby Cemetery. Bernie can’t tell if Serena is paler, or if it’s just the moonlight making her look that way. Anna and cadaver-Dan tell them that it’s their last stop, and there will be a visit to the nearest pub, or group members are free to find their own way home after.
They walk around the large cemetery, which they are told is comparable in size to Brompton cemetery. They visit some of the more famous residents of the cemetery. The first is an 18th century poet who was famous for his love poetry, and even more famous for having ridden his horse off a cliff after being spurned by the love of his life. The two guides recite some poetry, and Bernie can’t help but glance at Serena as Dan speaks the final line of verse.
“A beauty the likes of yours I shall never know again.”
Serena looks up at the same moment and they exchange shy smiles. Bernie’s heart skips a beat, and she can’t help wonder if maybe, just maybe, Serena doesn’t want to keep things confined to theatre. She tries to work up the courage to say something, and thinks maybe Serena is doing the same, the way she’s staring at Bernie so wistfully.
The moment is interrupted when Anna tells them seriously that the sound of galloping hoofbeats can sometimes be heard near the poet’s grave, and that it is often observed that the air seems colder here than in the rest of the cemetery. Bernie isn’t sure how you’d tell on a night like this, and she’s glad she layered up, and more glad that she’s holding Serena’s hand, the extra warmth very welcome.
The next famous resident is less dramatic. A politician from the early 20th century. nobody Bernie or Serena have ever hear about, but nevertheless Dan and Anna recite a tale about how his ghost still apparently wanders the halls of the Houses of Parliament.
The fog is continuing to get thicker and Serena is holding on tighter to Bernie’s hand. Bernie doesn’t ever want to stop holding her hand, thinks they fit perfectly together, and wonders if Serena has noticed this too.
Serena has definitely noticed this. She’s giddy at the feel of Bernie’s fingers entwined with her own, and is trying to sear the memory of this feeling into her mind, thinking that Bernie is no longer interested in her like that, and this may be a rare chance for physical contact. Bernie may not have been interested in Anna, but it seems inevitable that at some point the gorgeous blonde will meet someone who is her type and that will be that.
The final stop is a corner of the cemetery that is walled off. Bernie is intrigued- she’s never seen anything like this. Cadaver-Dan switches on a hand held torch for effect and proceeds to tell the group about how Holby was ravaged by the Black Death in the 1600s. “Hundreds died, nobody was safe. Man, woman, child, the plague didn’t care! Peasant, aristocrat, farmer, thief. It would take them all. The population of Holby was devastated. There was no time or space for proper burials, so in the end, the city opened a large plague pit.” There’s a dramatic pause as Dan sweeps the beam of the torch over the wall. “And this is where it was!”
There’s a collective gasp as people peer over the wall. There’s nothing to see of course, except a large piece of uneven grass. Bernie drags Serena over to the wall for a closer look. She’s not sure what she expects to see, but she’s a little underwhelmed. Still she didn’t know that Holby had been so affected by the plague, and as she’s saying to Serena that she’s going to read up on this, she notices a wide eyed look of panic on Serena’s face.
“What is it Serena? Are you OK?” She asks.
Serena shakes her head. “The rest of the group are gone. I can’t see anything through this bloody fog and now we’re stuck in a cemetery on Halloween.”
Bernie turns, and sees that Serena is right. “OK. Don’t panic.” She can hear herself sounding like Major Wolfe, but she thinks the air of authority in her voice might calm Serena down. “Here’s what we’re going to do. We’ll retrace our steps to the main pathway through the cemetery, and from there we’ll be fine to just head to either of the gates. The rest of the group will be heading off to the pub, or home, so we don’t have to worry about catching them up, alright?”
Serena nods mutely.
“Good. Keep hold of my hand,” instructs Bernie, “so we don’t get separated. This fog is especially thick”
Bernie also thinks that physical contact may squash down the rising panic that’s so obvious on Serena’s face.
Bernie moves with purpose in the direction that she thinks is their best bet. She doesn’t really know which direction they came from, being so distracted by the feel of Serena’s hand in hers, but she knows there’s little to be gained from telling Serena that.
They walk for a while in the fog, passing endless mausolea, headstones, and ornate statues. Bernie is still waiting to pass something that she recognises when they pass under a large tree. There’s a sudden screech and a large owl launches from the branches of the tree, and Bernie feels Serena jump.
Turning to her friend, Bernie sees fear dulling her usually sparkling eyes. They are wide with fear, and her breathing is fast and shallow.
“Serena.” Bernie barks out, hoping to get her attention and snap her out of what looks like the start of a panic attack. “It’s fine. We’re fine! It was just an owl. We’ll be out of here shortly.”
Serena nods, but Bernie’s not convinced. She needs a way of snapping Serena out of this spiral of fear and quickly or it will be nearly impossible to calm her down.
Bernie takes Serena’s face in her hands. “Listen to me Serena. We’re fine. We’re maybe 200 yards from the main road. Things just seem creepier and quieter because of the fog. We’re going to go left at the next junction on the pathway, and then we’ll be at the main gate before we know it. OK?”
Serena wraps her hand round Bernie’s left wrist, and looks at the blonde. “Yes, I’m sorry. I hate cemeteries. I probably should have mentioned that sooner, right?”
Bernie smiles. “Probably. But I promise it will be OK. There are no ghosts, no monsters, no zombies.” She looks down and sees Serena still trying to suppress the panic. “Come on Campbell. Let’s get out of here.”
Bernie lets go of Serena’s face, but grabs her hand, willing calm to find its way to Serena. She sets off briskly and they turn, and turn again. Then finally they hit a larger pathway which Bernie is pretty sure is the main avenue through the cemetery. ‘At last!’ She thinks, and tugs Serena along.
“Come on Campbell, we’re nearly there.” She says, with a confidence that she’s not sure is warranted. Serena’s grip on her hand never loosens.
Bernie laughs with relief as they pass the grave of the poet. “Here’s the guy with the horse and the poetry Serena. See- we’ll be out in no time.”
Bernie thinks she could weep with relief that they have finally found something familiar. Serena’s breathing is evening out, slowing down, even if she doesn’t loosen up on Bernie’s hand at all. They walk further, their pace slowing slightly and within another 5 minutes, the wrought-iron gates of the cemetery loom out of the fog. Laughing with relief they stumble through, into the orange glow of the street lights soaking through the fog.
“Oh thank god for that!” Bernie groans. “I was worried that we were never going to find our way out.”
“What?” exclaims Serena. “You told me you knew exactly where you were going. I believed you too!”
“Ah. Right. I... uhh... I could see you were starting to panic, and I knew that if that happened we’d find it really difficult to get out. So I thought I’d better do what I would do on basic training with new recruits, and reassure you. You know, fake it till you make it sort of thing. That way you would hopefully stay calm enough for us to get out. I’ve found my way out of worse scenarios in the field and in exercises, so I might not have known exactly where I was going, but I knew we’d get out eventually...” Bernie tails off as she notices Serena staring at her.
“Let me get this straight, Ms. Wolfe. You deployed the same tactics on me as you would a new recruit?” Serena says with steel in her voice.
“Ah, yes. I did.” Comes the nervous reply.
“And what was your plan if that didn’t work? Slap me until I snapped out of it?”
Bernie blushes. “No, well not quite.”
“Not quite...” Serena repeats. “Well what would you have done to snap me out of it then?”
“My plan was to kiss you, to break the spiral of panic you were in.”
The words hang in the air, swirling around the pair of them with the fog, and there is silence a beat or two more than is comfortable.
Serena steps closer to Bernie. “Let me get this straight, Major. You were going to kiss me to snap me out of it?”
Bernie gulps, nods.
Serena takes another step, this time close enough that their bodies are practically touching. “And tell me, Major, is this another tactic you would use on your new recruits?”
This time Bernie shakes her head. Serena moves even closer, and looks up to meet Bernie’s eyes. “You know, Major, if I had to get lost in a cemetery tonight, then I’m glad I got lost in a cemetery with you. I’m not so glad you decided against kissing me, though.”
Bernie opens her mouth to say something. Closes it again. Then blinks, slowly, wondering if she’s in a dream.
“Serena, I... I thought you said you wanted to keep it confined to theatre?” Bernie stutters.
Serena sighs. “I think, if you recall, I said nothing of the sort. You decided that was what I wanted, and didn’t give me a chance to tell you that actually, I had wanted you for weeks, maybe even months, and I was desperate to repeat our kiss, to see where it lead us, and to explore this with you. It’s true I’ve never been more that friends with a woman, Bernie, but oh, I want to be more than friends with you, so very much.”
With that, Serena leans up to Bernie and brushes her lips against the other woman’s. She sighs, and closes her eyes, deepening the kiss, and reaching up to tangle her fingers in Bernie’s impossibly soft hair. Someone sighs, and someone groans, and they press their bodies together. Serena can feel her arousal building at all this glorious contact and she mischievously tugs at Bernies hair. Bernie settles her hands on Serena’s hips, squeezing gently and biting gently at Serena’s bottom lip.
They finally pull apart, breathless and hearts racing, but with anticipation now, not fear.
“Pub?” Asks Bernie, impishly.
“Major, if you don’t take me home, and take me to bed, I will not be responsible for my actions.”
“Aye aye!” Replies Bernie, who pulls up the Uber app on her phone, and silently thanking Anna’s interest in her for pushing her and Serena to close the last little gap between them.
“Thank you Bernie,” Serena says softly, once Bernie has finished ordering them a ride. “I’m glad I have you watching my back at work and out of it.”
“You always will Serena, I promise.” Bernie leans into Serena, unwilling to break this new closeness. “But maybe no more Halloween events, hey?”
They both laugh. “I can live with that,” Serena whispers across Bernie lips, before she kisses her soundly and deeply again.