Fence Key - A short story in the making!

Here are the first few paragraphs. They are my original attempt to start the story with an edit when I decided to include a hint about Jed's amazing gift.

Jed wasn’t expecting to have a good day but he hoped that if he could get through the week, things might improve. It was only Wednesday and the end of the week for him would be Saturday night. He looked in the mirror and saw red-rimmed eyes and a sallow complexion. I have to change, he thought.

Two days earlier, on Monday morning, Jed had gone down the hill to the shops as usual. He had been careful to put on his beanie before he left and when he got to Tesco’s he bought the Daily Star and some rolls. Everything seemed normal, and it was. The pain behind Jed’s eyes was like an old friend who whispered ‘larger… lots of lager.’ It wasn’t any different from any Monday morning… it was ‘par for the course.’ An annoying little cliché that he couldn’t get out of his mind, ‘par for the course,’ Dr. Kelly, the idiot psychiatrist said that during his last clinic appointment. Jed couldn’t take Dr. Kelly seriously. After all he was a flowery font – something that only Jed knew. Dr. Kelly’s thoughts were inconsistent (and no doubt ridden with guilt and self loathing), but one thing was clear the good Dr. had a crush on Jed. When Jed got home from Tesco’s the week started to deteriorate.

Jed looked down at his hands and they were trembling slightly. He stretched them and tried to get them to be still, just as they used to be, but it was no use, they only shook more. His fingernails were dirty - they never used to be. He looked out of the window and saw low, grey clouds. His mind went back to Monday morning.

When Jed got home from Tesco’s he had gone into the back garden and he poked his hand behind the wooden fence to the hook where the back door key hung. Two things happened straight away. He looked over the fence and through next doors window to see if the telly was on, but instead he locked eyes with James, his body building next-door neighbour. Jed looked away and tried to unhook the key, but it wasn’t there.