Free Master of the Moors by Kealan Patrick Burke Page B

darker shadow looming over him.
    Leaves crackled. Closer.
    Neil's scream became a
sob. "Why are you doing this to me?"
    Then the wind faded,
sighed through the leaves and fell still for a moment. It was long
enough for Neil to realize he was alone again, and that his cane
had been shoved back into his hand. In the distance, he heard the
faintest sound of leaves crackling underfoot.
    "Who are you?" Neil
whispered, the tears warm against frozen cheeks.
    The memory of the
stranger's voice was the only reply.
    We'll have ample time to discuss our
secrets.
     
     
    ***
     
     
    "So, you went shopping,"
Donald said.
    Tabitha glared at her
brother as he sauntered over to meet her. His thick rubbery lips
were stretched into a mocking grin, revealing large yellow teeth,
his peaked cap pulled down over large ears made red by the cold.
Snot leaked from the bulb of his nose. "Well?" he asked again when
she didn't answer. He fell into step with her as she made her way
toward the house, a large two-story building with a gabled roof.
The white shuttered windows looked like tired eyes peering through
the veil of ivy that smothered the walls and reached into the
gutters with delicate fingers.
    "It's quite obvious I went
shopping," she said, hoisting the box to give him a better look.
"Now leave me alone."
    "Well, well," Donald said,
stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Aren't we contrary? I was
just trying to show a little interest in my sister's life, that's
all."
    Tabitha clenched her teeth
to keep from responding. She knew if she voiced the insults that
frolicked across her tongue, he'd pull her hair, or punch her in
the arm, not hard enough to draw blood or leave bruises, of course,
just enough to hurt and make her flirt with the notion of crying.
Worse, even if her parents were in plain view of his persecution of
her, they would shake their heads and go back to whatever they were
doing. Donald had always been their favorite and apparently that
gave him permission to abuse her whenever he saw fit without fear
of punishment.
    He kept abreast of her
when she walked faster and she felt the combination of fear,
loathing, and self-disgust roil within her. At last she reached the
door, but as she raised her hand to the latch, he grabbed it and
spun her firmly around to face him.
    "You're not being very
friendly today, Tabby."
    "Don't call me that." She
avoided his gaze.
    "Why not? Is it because it
reminds you of a cat? I wouldn't imagine you'd mind all that much.
After all, you do have a lot in common. Both sly, and cunning, and
always eager to catch a mouse." He giggled maniacally and she tried
to pull free of his grip. He tightened it and moved closer, until
she could smell the tobacco from his clothes.
    "You've been smoking," she
said and watched him shrug.
    "So what? You've been
doing a lot worse, haven't you?"
    She closed her eyes and
thought, one of these days I'll hit him
back. I truly will. One of these days I'll bloody his nose for
him .
    At last he released her,
but she knew he wasn't finished. Not until she told him what he was
waiting to hear. She shivered, hoping he might suggest they
continue the conversation---if that was what it was destined to
be---indoors, in the warmth of the house. But he just stood, still
grinning that ugly grin, and waited.
    "He's going," she said at
last. "He'll be at the dance."
    Donald nodded. "Good girl.
I'll wager you promised him the time of his life."
    He winked and started to move into the
house but she grabbed his coat. He turned and looked at her hand as
if it had grown an extra finger. She quickly released
him.
    "What?" he asked, all
trace of humor, however forced, now gone.
    She hesitated, cleared her
throat. "Is our agreement complete then?"
    He shrugged. "We'll see
how you do tonight, won't we?" With a chuckle, he went inside,
slamming the door behind him as if she was indeed a cat who'd been
shunned from the house.
    I'm
sorry , she thought, as tears spilled
welled in her eyes, I'm so sorry,