Hugo and the Bird

by Jeff Mills

  The weather outside was still very blowy, but at least it was not raining. Hugo dragged his raincoat out of his wardrobe and put it on. He realised that the tunnel and cave would be very dark, so digging around in his toy cupboard, he found a model of a T. Rex, which had a torch incorporated into it to make the monster’s eyes light up. Stuffing it into his pocket, he ran downstairs and explained to his mother that he had decided to take Jake for a walk. This surprised her, as it was totally out of character for him to actually ‘volunteer’ to walk the dog that early in the day. The dog sat up on hearing the word ‘walk’ and wagged his tail furiously, almost knocking the newspaper from Mr Bennett’s hands.

  After fastening Jake’s lead, Hugo and the dog stepped out and briskly walked towards the track of the disused railway line, now a coastal path, next to his house, towards Kadavera’s cave.

  They were still a hundred yards away but Hugo could see that the white stones he had placed there had been moved. When he reached the spot, his fears were realised. The chain, locket and ring were gone. He was bitterly disappointed and felt annoyed with himself that he had been so stupid as to leave them, where anyone could find them, for he was convinced he had left them really well covered.

  ‘I bet someone was watching me hide them,’ he thought, but at least now he could not be told off by Bird for keeping them. The bad luck, if they were cursed, would now go to the thief.

  ‘Serves `em right,’ he said sneeringly to himself. He looked over to where the entrance of the cave was but could hardly see it. It was almost hidden by earth and grass. Hugo thought that, since there had been a great deal of wind and rain the previous night, it must have caused some form of mini landslide which had covered the mouth. It took several minutes of pushing and pulling large sods of earth and grass before a space, which was big enough to allow him entry, was made. He reached into his pocket, pulled out the toy dinosaur and flicked the switch to turn it on. Jake was obviously keen to explore the boy-sized rabbit hole and raced inside. Hugo tried to grab the lead that was still attached to his collar but his pet was too quick and ran ahead, barking with excitement as he went.

  Although the light from the dinosaur was dim, Hugo’s eyes rapidly adjusted to the dark conditions. He eventually caught up with Jake at the makeshift door to the main cavern but the dog was no longer showing its former exuberance. It was motionless, with its tail between its legs, and making a small whimpering sound. As Hugo approached, Jake backed up, putting Hugo between the door and itself.

  The door was half open and the cave was almost completely black. The only illumination was coming from the dying embers of the fire, over which still hung a large cauldron, with wisps of steam emanating from the oily liquid it contained. Hugo pushed the door just enough to allow him to enter. He was not sure exactly where he had left his rucksack but he knew it must be the other side of the cave where he and the others had been imprisoned in wooden crates. Inch by inch, he eased his way around the perimeter of the cave, keeping his back touching the wall, feeling his way with his hands. His head flicked left and right, aware that there still might be some unknown surprises lurking in the dark recesses. His foot hit something. Looking down. he recognised the large crate that had been the temporary prison of Bird when they had been prisoners of Kadavera.

  The light from Hugo’s dinosaur was growing dimmer as the batteries gave up, so he dropped to his knees to be closer to the floor, to see if he could find the rucksack. As the batteries finally died and darkness re-established itself, Hugo’s hand felt a familiar object; the strap of the rucksack. He breathed an audible sigh of relief as he dragged it into his lap, carefully undoing the strap holding the cover. It did not take him long to find the torch inside and, pulling it out, switched it on.

  The cave was flooded with light. He looked around. It was the first time that he had had a good opportunity to do so. He could see the large, farmhouse-type table in the middle, covered with an assortment of jars and glass tubes. Cupboards, made out of what appeared to be driftwood, were fixed to the walls. They seemed to be overflowing with more jars, old books and papers. The floor was littered with more dirty pages and broken glass.

  Hugo suddenly noticed that Jake was licking something off the floor. It appeared to be a dark green liquid with little sparkles inside. He grabbed his rucksack and ran to the animal to stop him lapping the liquid, but as Hugo approached, the dog looked up, snarled and bared its teeth. Hugo was shocked and, it must be said, a little scared. This was totally out of character for his pet, who was always very placid. Hugo started to coax him in soothing tones to persuade him to come to him but the dog became obviously more agitated. Suddenly, it jumped up and bounded off down another tunnel that Hugo had not noticed before. The boy turned and gave pursuit, the waving torch casting strange shadows on the walls. As the light bounced around he thought he caught the reflection of a pair of orange eyes on the other side of the cave. He blinked but they were gone, so he continued racing down the tunnel after Jake, his dog and friend.

  The noise of Hugo running down the tunnel ebbed away and the cave returned to silence. The cloaked figure emerged from the darkness and, approaching the puddle that the dog had been licking, produced a small glass tube, into which it scooped up what remained. The glowing embers from the fire made the blue ring on the figure’s hand flash before it was hidden back under the cloak and the figure blended back into the darkness.

  The light from Hugo’s torch bounced off the rough walls of the tunnel. The floor rose and fell unevenly and Hugo nearly tripped on several occasions. He was beginning to tire. The tunnel seemed to go on and on and the sound of the scrabble of the dog’s paws on the rough rock floor had almost died away. Hugo slowed, stopped and listened. The only thing he could hear was the beating of his heart. He flashed the torch around the walls of the tunnel again; just bare rock. He could feel a fresh breeze on his face coming from ahead. Walking slowly, he continued cautiously. The wind was getting stronger and he could smell the sea. He had only travelled about a hundred yards further, when the tunnel opened out into another small cavern.

  From the gouges on the walls it was obvious that this cave was man-made, probably a remnant of the mining for iron ore that used to go on along the North Devon coast. Scattered around the sides of the cave were a variety of old rotten wooden crates, a couple of barrels with rusting hoops, and in the far corner, three large long wooden boxes. Two were obviously empty with their lids by their sides but one, still had its lid firmly nailed in place. Sitting on top of this box sat his pet, but not the pet Hugo knew. This new Jake had bared teeth and growled as the light from Hugo’s torch focused on him. Hugo started to approach him, calling him; but he started to bark and bare his teeth even more, which made Hugo take a step backwards. Suddenly the dog bounded off the box and ran out of the other side of the cave leaving the boy alone once more. His natural curiosity made him want to explore the cave but he was now very concerned about the strange behaviour of his pet and so, at a jog, he set off after him.

  No sooner had he left the cave and entered the tunnel down which his dog had run, when he saw a dim light ahead of him which rapidly became larger as he went on. Almost before he knew, he was in daylight and had to shield his eyes from the glare. He looked around to see if he could see Jake but he was shocked to find that he had exited the tunnel at the base of the cliff, just below his house. When this dawned on him, he felt a little reassured that the animal would now be at home. Hugo would find him curled up in his basket. He looked around to get his bearings so that he could identify the entrance to the cave again, and then climbed the short distance to his house.

  Hugo walked into the kitchen calling Jake’s name as he opened the door, but the house and basket were empty.

  Chapter 2

  A New Friend?

  The cave lay silent for an hour following Hugo’s visit, when a disturbance resonated from within a shadowy corner. The dark-cloaked figure carefully a
nd quietly approached the bench, followed, a yard behind, by a subdued Snatch, the black panther-like animal and ex-companion of the dead Kadavera. The figure pulled back the cowl of its cloak revealing a head of thinning, lank, grey hair and the yellow, wrinkled skin, of what might have been, in her prime, the very striking face of an old woman. She bent down and stroked Snatch on the head who responded by nestling around her legs with its thick black tail held high. The figure moved over to one corner of the cave, bent down and pulled a rat out of a trap on the floor. The animal thrashed and hissed, struggling to get free, or if not, bite the hand that was holding it as hard as it could. With one deft movement the woman stood up and threw the wriggling body in the direction of Snatch. The agile animal caught the rat in mid-air and with a loud crunch, simultaneous with a high-pitched squeal, the rat was bitten in two. The head end disappearing into Snatch’s throat, quickly followed by the tail before it even had time to touch the floor. Another sound echoed through the cave as Jake emerged from a dark corner whimpering, and cowering on all fours, approached the women. The witch looked down at him and patted his head.

  “Hello, my friend. I thought that I might be seeing you again,” she said in a kindly but cracked voice. The dog responded and raised himself, wagging its tail. “Let’s see now what Kadavera was making in that potion you lapped up.”

  She lifted from the bench the small glass vial that she had used to scoop up the liquid that the dog had swallowed.

  “Kadavera was certainly busy with her potions,” she said absentmindedly. “It’s regrettable that she did not test them out more thoroughly before using them. She was always impetuous. What she needed was somebody or something to help her. From the effect of this potion on you my friend, it has given me an idea of where we might get some extra help.”

  Slowly, and with effort, she moved to the end of the cave and started to delve into the mass of books and papers that Kadavera had left behind scattered around.

  It was several hours before she re-emerged holding a large, tattered, leather-bound book in her hand. She spread it on the table in front of her, wiping the dust off its heavily embossed cover and thumbing through the stiff yellowing pages. Finding it difficult to see, she retrieved a knife from the table and a lighted spill from the fire, and went around the cave filling, trimming and relighting the lamps which were scattered around. As they were lit one by one, the light level built, giving the cave an eerie feeling as it flickered and danced over the walls. The dying fire was recharged with some pieces of old driftwood and, as the flames grew higher, sparks floated in the air, making the depressing aura that had pervaded the cavern slowly ease, giving it a more, homely atmosphere.

  “Now my two friends,” she said turning to Snatch and her new companion. “Off you two go and get us some food, but before you go I think that you can do without this.”

  Bending down, she unhooked the trailing leash from Jake’s collar. The dog shook its head, looked at the woman almost with gratitude, turned, and the two animals raced out of the cave. They headed through the tunnel and out onto the cliffs towards Abbotsham, their shadowy silhouettes dancing around them in the moonlight. The witch resumed her work with the potions on the table and planned the next stage in her revenge on those who had falsely accused and executed her, her sister Jane and their friend, Mary Edwards, who, then known as Kadavera, had been killed by that stupid little boy and his obnoxious bird friend. She was especially determined to kill every descendant of Sir Thomas Raymond, the judge who had accused and had them executed. She also was desperate for the retrieval of the necklace and locket containing the pictures of her family that was torn from her neck as the noose was placed around it in 1697.

  Chapter 3

  The Boxes

  Hugo called out as he entered the door of the kitchen to see if anyone was at home, but no reply came. He called several times for Jake in case he was in another room, but again there was still no response. Hugo was beginning to become very worried, not just for his pet’s safety but how to explain the dog’s disappearance to his parents. As Hugo climbed the stairs to his room, he suddenly remembered Bird and decided to see if he could give any advice. Closing the door to his bedroom, he whispered, “Bird, Bird, Bird” but nothing happened. He started to whisper his name again but then he realised how stupid he was since there was no one at home, so he shouted out his name three times, as loudly as he could. The wall to his bedroom began to shimmer and the strange animal that was Bird materialised in front of him.

  “Oh hello,” said Bird with crumbs falling from its beak. “I was just having tea. You don’t, by any chance, have anything to eat, do you? This invisibility business takes up a lot of energy you know.”

  “We can sort that out in a minute,” Hugo insisted, “but I think that we have a much bigger problem at the moment.” He then went on to describe to Bird his visit to Kadavera’s cave and how Jake had suddenly become vicious following lapping up some of the potion from the cave floor. He also explained how he had followed the dog down the other tunnel that came out just below his house. Bird became very serious and reprimanded Hugo for going back into the cave, and asked him to show him where the tunnel had emerged.

  At that point, there was a noise downstairs and Hugo’s mother called out to see if he was at home.

  “Wait here a minute,” Hugo said to Bird, and he rushed out of his room and went downstairs.

  He was genuinely upset as he related to his mother how the animal had gone missing. He explained that his pet had chased after a rabbit and that he had not seen him since. He had come home to see if the dog had come back of his own accord but he had not. This was not strictly true, but Hugo did not want to tell his mother, or anyone else for that matter, what had really happened.

  He told his mother that he was just going to have a snack and then go out again to see if he could find his pet. His mother was also genuinely concerned about Jake since, although strictly speaking he was Hugo’s dog, in reality he was part of the family. She quickly made some sandwiches and cut a slice of fruit cake for Hugo and was very surprised when he asked for more.

  “In case I get peckish,” Hugo said with a grimace. Sensing some misgiving, she nevertheless made some extra and wrapped it up and popped it into a plastic bag.

  Thanking his mother, he took the bag and rushed up to his room. Bird demolished the spare food even before Hugo had put on his jacket. The boy was just about to leave when he remembered the torch. He thought that seeing him leave with a torch might make his mother a little suspicious, so he decided to take his rucksack with the torch inside. To make sure he did not lose his father’s tools again, he removed the hammer and chisel from the rucksack and slid them under his bed. As Bird evaporated into the wall again, Hugo rushed outside and back to the cave entrance below his house where he found his friend waiting just inside.

  By the light of the torch they slowly inched their way through the tunnel, examining the walls, floor and ceiling in great detail. It was obvious that the first part of the tunnel had been carved out by the sea, as the walls were smooth and covered by green algae but as they progressed forwards, the light from the entrance faded, and the walls became rougher, with chisel marks in the rock. Small alcoves could be made out periodically, with blackened surrounds where candles had once been placed. Here and there were pieces of wood and old rope.

  Silently, they eased themselves forward until, at last, the tunnel ended and they entered into the cavern in which stood the three large boxes. Bird motioned to Hugo to stay at the tunnel entrance while he went forward to investigate, but Hugo, buzzing with curiosity, followed, and almost surprised Bird when he turned around. Carefully, wafting away the years of dust from the top of the still intact box with his wing, Bird saw the inscription of the letters, ‘J. T.’ roughly cut into the wood. Both he and Hugo were intrigued to know what was inside and Hugo cursed himself for not bringing the hammer and chisel. Leaving the box, the two carefull
y lifted the lids of the other boxes from the floor, and again, once the dust was removed, saw inscriptions carved into them. On the one were the initials ‘M. E.’ and on the other ‘A.T.’

  “What do you think these letters mean?” Hugo asked Bird.

  “I can’t be certain,” he replied, “but if they mean what I think they mean, then we are in for a lot of trouble and we are also in a great deal of danger. We need to get out of here as quickly as possible.”

  Immediately, Bird turned and started heading back towards the tunnel from where they had just come. Hugo protested, but Bird took no notice and carried on, leaving Hugo with no choice but to follow.

  They did not stop until they were just within the entrance. Bird sat on a large rock and seemed lost in concentration. Hugo pestered him with questions until he finally gave in and explained his fears.

  “Do you remember that story I told you about the Bideford witches that were hanged at Exeter in 1697, their names were Mary Edwards, Anne Trembles and Jane Trembles, or, to put it another way, M.E.; A.T; and J.T. which are the same initials carved on the lids of those boxes. From what I learnt while I was a prisoner of Kadavera, I think that she was in fact Mary Edwards, who by some means or other, has been kept alive throughout those years. The potions we saw her making in the cave must have been what she was using to prevent herself from dying. This would explain a few things I overheard in the time that I was held a prisoner of hers and the types of experiments that she was trying out. It is obvious now that she thought that the potion she tried on Thwack, the rabbit, was the one which would finally allow her to exist in daylight. Unfortunately, before she realised that its effect was short-lived, Thwack had died and she had exposed herself to a lethal dose of sunshine. It would also explain the letter ‘M’ inscribed on her locket. The fact that there is a second box opened with the initials A.T. makes me think that there is another witch on the loose. Since we were the cause of Kadavera’s demise, this puts both of us and Emma in extreme peril.”