Read Online The Tale of Sawney Bean (Complete Novella) by Kevin J. Kennedy - Free Book Online Page B

parents didn’t
care what I got up to.
     
    The reason I
was thinking about going to the caves again was there was always
the most amazing shells and rocks washed into the cave opening.
Some of them looked like jewels and I couldn’t think of anywhere I
could get her something so special with no money.
     
    I didn’t have
that long left until I met her and I didn’t want to be late so I
ran all the way from town down passed the harbour and out to the
beach. I made my way along the beach to the part where no one went
as the sand wasn’t as nice and it was covered in seaweed. You had
to climb from here along the rock face of the cliff but it wasn’t
high up. The rocks were just massive and jaggy below you and I’m
sure if you were to fall you’d be seriously injured if not dead.
The foot holds were more than big enough to climb along but it just
wasn’t somewhere people would ever think to go.
     
    My uncle had
been a seaman and had spotted the hole in the cliff wall one day
when returning from sea. He spent a long time trying to find a way
round to the front of the cliff and when he finally found his way
in said that after all those years had never met another person
while there or found any trace of anyone else in his secret
place.
     
    I managed to
get up to the cave easier than I remembered but I was a good bit
bigger than the last time I had been here and I had always been a
good climber. I searched around the cave for a while not going too
far in but knowing the water only brought the debris in so far and
after a bit of searching I came across the smoothest stone you’ve
ever felt. It was like marble and it was bright red. I had never
seen anything like it before. After inspecting it for a while I
slipped it into my pocket and made my way back down to the beach.
It took me about twenty minutes and then I was headed towards the
woods on the other side of town.

Chapter 3
     
    Upon my arrival
at the clearing where we had sat the day before I found it empty.
My heart sank a little as I climbed over the fallen tree into the
clearing but just as the feeling of sadness sank into my chest I
seen her emerge from the trees at the other side. She was again
holding a rat. I wondered how you got so good at catching them but
thought best not to ask. I set about starting us a fire while you
watched me. There was no greeting between us, just a familiarity
that shouldn’t have been there after only having met once.
     
    Just before she
sat I noticed a red stain between her knees on her dress. It was
the same dress she had wore the day before. I again thought it
would be better not to comment but did wonder if our new friendship
would have any chance of growing or surviving if we didn’t speak.
Was it even a friendship?
     
    Sarah
approached me and sat down opposite me. She quickly skinned the rat
with a little knife she had in her pocket then skewered it on a
stick and took to the process of slowly cooking it over our open
fire. Similar to yesterday she stared into space while slowly
turning the rat to make sure it was evenly cooked. I wanted to ask
her what was on her mind so much but worried that might scare her
off or make her decide never to talk to me again and I didn’t want
that.
     
    Remembering I
had the red stone in my pocket I quickly pulled it out and thrust
my hand toward her.
     
    “Here” I
mumbled not making eye contact with her.
     
    Without saying
a word she reached out her hand and took the stone from me and
inspected it. She turned it over in her fingers and spent quite
some time looking at every inch of it. Like yesterday I could have
sworn that she had the slightest smile at the edges of her mouth
but it was too quick to be sure.
     
    She reached out
with the stone to hand it back.
     
    “No. I got it
for you” I told her.
     
    “Thanks” was
the only word she uttered that day before we again shared the rat
between us. As we ate this time I forgot it was even a rat we were
eating but on my way home