by Sharon Sant
One morning, Jimmy decided he was going to look for snails. ‘I don’t know why I never thought of it before!’ he exclaimed brightly.
‘Because no one wants to eat them?’ Rosa offered icily.
Rowan was as enthusiastic as Jimmy and immediately pulled on his boots to go and help him. ‘Personally, I’m sick of fish,’ he agreed.
‘And might I remind you two about the last time you decided to go hunting for a new food supply?’ Rosa continued.
Jimmy blew her a kiss as he slammed the door behind them.
Rosa, alarmed by the prospect of eating snails, agreed to show Elijah and Sky how to fish as a backup plan. All three of them set off for the river, leaving Xavier on guard and Rowan and Jimmy prodding around at the base of the mill with a bucket.
‘I wonder if all snails are safe to eat,’ Sky said with a concerned frown.
‘I don’t know. And I’m not about to find out,’ Rosa replied, wrinkling her nose.
The three of them spent the morning watching the river rush by, patiently holding onto their makeshift fishing rods, but it was a fruitless task. Either they had already eaten every fish in there, or they weren’t doing it properly. With every hour that passed, they became less attentive. Elijah wedged his rod in the ground and, rolling onto his side, leaned on one elbow, watching the horizon for nothing in particular. Half an hour or so passed in this way, an easy silence surrounding them as each retired to their own thoughts.
Suddenly, Elijah bolted up straight with a curious look on his face. ‘I’ve just had an idea. I’m going for a quick walk. You two stay here.’ He noted Sky’s hesitant glance at Rosa and translated it immediately. ‘Don’t worry. It’s nothing dodgy,’ he reassured her, and strode off downstream towards a little knot of overgrown trees and bushes in the distance.
‘You know,’ Rosa began in confidential tones to Sky as she watched his retreating figure grow smaller. ‘He could be quite cute. A bit skinny for me, but cute just the same.’ She looked at Sky steadily and noted, with some satisfaction, that she seemed to flush.
An hour later Elijah was back, running towards them. ‘Can I have that bag?’ he panted, indicating the empty, faded plastic carrier they had brought with them to put the fish in.
‘What for?’ Rosa asked.
Elijah grinned. ‘Surprise,’ he replied breathlessly. Scooping up the bag he sprinted off again.
When he returned, wearing a triumphant expression, the bag was bulging. He flopped down beside them on the river bank, catching his breath and laughing.
‘What have you got?’ Sky asked incredulously.
‘Open your mouth and close your eyes.’
‘What…’
‘Just do it. Both of you.’ He looked at Rosa, ‘I promise you’ll love it.’
Rosa scowled. ‘No way. If you think I’m going to let you put something unknown in my mouth, Elijah Thackeray, you can think again.
Elijah simply laughed. Sky closed her eyes and opened her mouth, fighting a smile so wide it threatened to clamp it back shut. Rosa was watching with her arms folded tight over her chest. Her impetuous expression changed into a look of delight as Elijah took something small and purple from the bag. He gently popped it into Sky’s open mouth and sat back while she tasted it.
As the berry burst, the bitter-sweet juice filled her mouth. She opened her eyes wide with a radiant smile. ‘Blackberries!’
‘There’s a huge thicket of brambles down there.’ He pointed to the copse. ‘I remembered seeing something that I thought looked like blackberry bushes when we first arrived.’ Rosa and Sky exchanged delighted looks. ‘I bet you want some now!’ Elijah taunted Rosa playfully, waving a berry just out of reach of her mouth, making her giggle saucily. Sky’s expression darkened for a fleeting moment.
‘Let’s get back and show the others,’ Rosa said. ‘I’m sick of fishing.’
The three arrived back, excited and breathless, and burst in the door, eager to share their good news. Elijah was ravenous; the idea of snails had become more and more appetising with every step up to the mill. However, when they got back, the only sign of supper was a steel bucket, which Jimmy and Rowan peered into looking crestfallen, whilst Xavier pored over their one and only cookbook. Elijah went over and looked in the bucket at the squirming mass of shelled bodies layering the bottom.
‘I hope you caught some fish,’ Jimmy said miserably. ‘Xavier says we won’t be able to eat these for days. Something about starving and purging them…’
Elijah glanced at Xavier, who nodded. ‘That’s what it says in here.’ He held up the book. ‘You’ve got to make them sick up all their slime and then –’
‘OK!’ Rosa snapped. ‘Too much information! Anyway,’ she patted Elijah on the back affectionately, ‘Elijah has got something better than fish!’
All thoughts of fish and snails were banished from their minds as Elijah emptied the bag of fat purple berries into a bowl, his audience as appreciative as that of a magician at a children’s party.
Xavier’s expression darkened as a thought occurred to him. Sky immediately guessed his concerns. ‘They’re completely legal.’
They weren’t prize winning fruit by any standards, some of them were quite small and bitter, but were wolfed down just the same. Elijah could almost feel the vitamins absorbing into his blood stream; it had been so long since he had eaten anything this good.
‘Beats wild cabbage.’ Rowan mumbled with his mouth full and purple juice dribbling down his chin.
‘Yeah,’ Jimmy chipped in, ‘although I’m still not convinced that it is wild cabbage we’ve been eating.’
‘This must really be an isolated spot,’ began Xavier thoughtfully, ‘You’d have thought the bramble would have been stripped bare by now if people were passing. And it is weird that there was so much stuff left in this place when we got here. Why wasn’t it looted? By some very lucky chance I think we’ve dropped on a really good home here.’ He paused, then continued as the thought formed in his mind. ‘Maybe we could even think about making it more permanent… growing some stuff ourselves.’
Jimmy beamed as Rowan nudged him playfully.
‘There’s loads more berries down there.’ Elijah popped another handful of fruit into his mouth.
‘Well, mine are gone and I’m still hungry.’ Rosa held her bowl upside down to illustrate her point.
Rowan had finished too, and was over by the snail bucket prodding them. ‘Shame about these, isn’t it?’
Xavier laughed. ‘Did you really want to eat them?’ He didn’t wait for a reply as his attention was suddenly diverted towards one of the grimy windows. ‘What’s that light?’ Silence fell over the room. They watched as he got up and moved cautiously to take a look, keeping well out of sight as they all held their breath. He turned and smiled. ‘It’s the moon! I can see the moon. There are no clouds!’
The others all darted over to the windows and peered out.
‘I’ve never seen it so big.’ Rowan was open mouthed. The rain had stopped and the stillness of the night intensified the brightness. The pink disc sat low in the night sky and bathed the fields in glimmering, pearlescent light.
Sky caught her breath. ‘Harvest moon.’
The others stared at her.
‘Harvest moon? You’ve never seen one?’
Rowan shrugged. ‘I don’t remember.’
Sky sighed. No one ever seemed to see the world how she did, but it was something she was used to now.
Elijah was seized with a sudden and wonderful compulsion. He grabbed her by the hand. ‘Let’s go and get some more blackberries!’
‘Now?’
He nodded.
Her smile was brighter than the moon outside. ‘Ok.’
‘Can I come –’ Rowan began, but Jimmy shook his head at him.
‘See you later.’ Jimmy grinned.
‘Be careful you two!’ Xavier warned, but he was smiling like an indulgent parent.
Elijah pulled Sky out of the door, la
ughing. Tonight, just for once, everything was right. Tonight he was invincible. Tonight, for the first time, he knew what he really wanted. The rose tinted glow of the moon lit up Sky’s face. It bounced from her hair giving her a radiant silver halo. He clasped her hand tightly in his and they bounded off down the fields, the conspiratorial moonlight helping them to see the landscape easily.
Elijah led her down towards the river, and then veered off to the copse where the bushes were. As they drew near they were swallowed by shadow; the light of the moon fell upon them through a lattice of tree branches, making strange patterns over their faces. They crept in beneath the cover of the trees, their steps noiseless on the carpet of damp fallen leaves now beginning to litter the ground. The russet aromas of autumn filled the mild night air. Elijah pointed to the rambling blackberry shrub, spread over the floor and still laden with fruit, and they approached together, breathing fast, tiny plumes of oxygen drifting into the night. They both knelt over it.
Sky whispered. ‘We haven’t brought anything to put them in.’
‘Oh… yeah.’
He gazed at her steadily. A shaft of moonlight pierced the ceiling of branches, illuminating her face, showing her eyes wide and eager. He moved closer. This is it; there will never be another moment like this. He moved closer still, their lips grazed, his eyes never moving from hers…
A resounding crack echoed across the open ground and the moment was shattered. Sky shot upright, a look of alarm now etched in her features. They both froze, listening hard. The low buzz of men’s voices reached them, growing closer.
‘Get down,’ Elijah hissed, pulling on her arm.
The two of them crouched as low as they could, trying to get in amongst the brambles. The thorns clawed at their skin and clothes. They hardly dared to breathe.
The murmur of speech came closer still, echoing eerily around the empty night, and then so close that they could understand it perfectly: ‘We’ve been up and down here for hours now… there’s no sign of anyone.’
‘Well,’ said the second voice firmly, ‘We’ve had three separate reports of kids roaming around here. And a case of food theft. The report said a lad was pursued but he wasn’t caught. That needs investigating.’
There was a pause. ‘What about up there?
‘The old Palmer Mill? They left years ago.’
‘Worth a look.’
‘I still say we call it a night.’
‘No… but… do you think there are lights in the window?’
‘Dunno. It’s hard to tell at this distance. Your eyes must be better than mine. Maybe we should head back and get reinforcements; there might be a gang…’
The conversation continued, becoming less audible as the men moved away. Elijah and Sky exchanged terrified looks. Elijah felt sick as guilt stabbed at his heart. It was his fault they were all in danger now. They both knew he was boy the men were after. Sky trembled, but he couldn’t comfort her.
Minutes crept by and they waited, hoping to give themselves enough time to get away unseen. Elijah couldn’t believe how reckless they had been earlier; so close to being caught. He had felt so certain they were safe that he no longer trusted his instincts.
As the night became silent once more, they emerged cautiously from the undergrowth and scanned the landscape. It looked safe to go. Breaking cover, they raced across the fields, the moonlight dancing over their faces.
Elijah was faster than Sky and she urged him on. ‘Don’t worry about me,’ she panted. ‘Just get up there.’
The chill air rushed past his ears and through his hair. Every so often he turned to check Sky was still with him. He could see her falling behind, but he had to keep going. Hearing a squeal, he halted. He turned and saw her fall.
Elijah pelted back to her and she waved him frantically away. ‘I’m ok. GO!’
‘Come on! I’m not leaving you.’
He pulled her up and supported her whilst they covered the ground back to the mill as fast as they could together.
The smiles on the faces of the others died as they burst into the main room, Sky’s face etched with pain and Elijah’s heart threatening to burst from his chest.
‘We have to go… been discovered… coming back tonight,’ he panted.
Nine: The River
Preparations to leave were swift and efficient. Xavier barked out orders, deciding what they needed to take and being ruthless about what they had to leave. As everyone hurried about, Elijah and Sky briefly filled them in on the conversation they had overheard.
‘I think it’s my fault,’ Elijah admitted when they had finished recounting their tale.
‘Good guess,’ Xavier snapped.
Sky rushed to Elijah’s defence. ‘He was ill, Xavier,’ she pleaded. ‘He didn’t know what he was doing.’
Without looking at either of them, Xavier continued to thrust belongings into his backpack.
As they left the mill for the last time, laden with as much as they could manage, dark clouds like torpedoes began to scud across the moon as the wind gathered pace. Even as the forlorn group began their trek across the fields, once again running from a home that had, only too briefly, become a place of sanctuary, the excited baying of dogs in the distance halted them momentarily, and they gave a collective shudder.
‘If they’ve got dogs, we might have to cross the river at some point,’ Xavier asserted grimly.
Sky hobbled on her twisted ankle. She rejected offers of help, insisting she could walk it off. Everyone was hungry; the only food they had eaten that evening was the bowl of blackberries Elijah had brought them, and the thought of having to negotiate a wickedly swollen river only compounded their misery. When they thought things could not get worse, the mocking skies opened again and the rain soaked them to the skin within minutes. Elijah could dwell on nothing but his guilt. Xavier did nothing to make him feel better; he refused to look at him and communication was only made if absolutely necessary.
The group marched on in silence and the minutes turned to hours - how many, no one could tell.
Jimmy was the first to speak. ‘Perhaps if it’s raining this bad, the search might be called off for tonight? Give us a head start, wouldn’t it?’
The others murmured hopeful agreement.
‘Even so,’ opined Xavier, ‘we need to stay near the river, in case we have to cross it. Just watch your step; we don’t need any more trouble.’
They marched on through the night, frequently stumbling in the almost pitch blackness, stopping only for short rests. Their eyes ached from straining to see into the darkness. As the first hint of a dirty, bedraggled dawn appeared in the sky, the river now came into view properly and they could see, downstream from where they had been staying, just how alarming the rise in the water level was. It flowed rapidly, carrying assorted debris and, occasionally, the bloated corpse of an unfortunate rabbit or bird, away towards the sea. There was no sign of their pursuers.
As not even the most flimsy shelter had been sighted for hours, Xavier called a halt and they all collapsed onto the bank, dropping their bags, covering up as best they could and sinking into sleep where they lay. They could not have been asleep for more than fifteen minutes when Sky bolted upright and let out a strangled scream, her eyes wide in terror. Elijah and Xavier started awake.
‘It’s nothing,’ she said, ‘just another dream. One I’ve had before.’ She didn’t seem to want to discuss it and they didn’t press the point. The last thing either wanted to hear right now was another portent of doom. Rosa, Jimmy and Rowan slept on, too exhausted to hear anything of the outside world.
Xavier and Elijah, as they were now awake, went ahead a short distance together in cold silence to find out if there was shelter, leaving Sky to keep watch. In the bleak half-light they walked as far as they dared, but could see only mile upon mile of desolate, open wilderness. They reluctantly had to agree that it would be many hours before they could get some shelter. The faces of the others, when they woke, fell as they relayed th
e news.
By lunchtime, Elijah was dizzy with hunger and exhaustion, but there was no way he was going to mention it. He was still pitifully thin from his recent period of starvation and weakened more quickly than the others. On and on they trudged, the ground seeming fluid, sucking at his feet, just as it did in a recurring nightmare he had had as a child. In it, he was always trying to run from a monster but his feet always sank into gluey, viscous mud. Now, he felt as though he fought to walk against the very turn of the earth. He marched on mechanically, putting one uncertain foot in front of the other, at first not wanting, and then not having the strength to call out for help.
Then came the awkward stumble, and a sickening crunch that shook his whole body. Falling sideways, he collapsed to the ground. Delayed cognition gave way to a surge of pain in his leg, which told him what the crunching sound had been. His ankle ballooned immediately. Jimmy rushed to his side, quickly followed by Sky, who called out to Xavier at the front of the group.
‘Wait. Something’s wrong with Elijah.’
Xavier rolled his eyes heavenwards and then turned back, followed by Rosa and Rowan, who watched anxiously as Elijah, now chalk-white and beaded with clammy sweat, writhed, clutching at his ankle.
‘What is it?’ Sky asked trying to look at his leg.
Elijah felt the nausea rise quickly, and just managed to move his head to one side in time to prevent vomiting over himself. He fell back onto the boggy ground and screwed up his eyes. ‘Just… stop.’ he moaned.
The others threw down their backpacks and sat down to rest, watching helplessly as Elijah tried to pull himself together. He lay with his eyes closed, his ankle firing pulses of pain mercilessly through his entire leg and up into his spine. He fought against the dizziness, and the bile rising in his throat again, and tried to concentrate on getting up. He wasn’t going to be the one who held them up. When the excruciating pain had subsided into a wicked throb, trembling, he pushed himself up to sit.
