Clifton Falls Read Free Page A

companies abroad not so long ago, but times were hard now, crops were slow to develop, and maintaining a profitable business was at its lowest.
    The local caravan park was the main attraction surrounding this tiny town. Positioned deep in the forest, this caravan park filled up with thousands of tourists every year. They came to take part in the family adventures, camping facilities, and fishing, as the local lake attracted a vast array of stunning fish during the summer months. This small town had managed to keep itself afloat over the past ten years or so by using the forest as an extra income.
    The local cemetery was another reason why this town attracted strangers, as it was the main graveyard for the nearby towns.
On this particular morning, Blake received news from head office that the chemical-testing company, (Crop-techno Ltd), was about to launch its latest invention of pesticide/fertilizer. It was the right time to use this experiment on the crops because the toxicbeetle, a deadly plant bug and newcomer to these parts, was about to come out of hiding. These nasty bugs had originated in countries with a warmer climate, like Australia and New Zealand, so must’ve sneaked into the UK via a delivery. It was a mystery to Blake why the climate hadn’t killed them off, but the climate in Britain was changing, so all in all wasn’t too surprised. The bugs often chose springtime to unleash devastating disease onto the harvest. These tiny creatures would eat away at anything appearing in front of them, including the crops and soil. They also attack humans, and once bitten, a toxic residue called Cantharidin is injected. This causes a nasty, blistering rash on the unfortunate victim.
Blake took the information and headed toward the main part of the factory. News about the fertilizer had spread quickly because by the time he’d entered the main doors, people were already engaged in conversation about the product. “All right everyone. Can I have your attention please?” He waved a clipboard above his head. “I see some of you have already heard the good news about the new chemical, and yes, it works.” He began to read the vital information from the piece of paper attached to the board. “It’ll make the crops grow better as well as killing the insects.” Everyone remained silent as they listened to his words. “We’re about to put this chemical to use on our fields. It’ll be arriving in the morning so I want everyone involved with spraying the crops to be here bright and early. We must get this done as soon as possible, as we need to stop the fucking beetle bugs before they put a stop to us earning money this summer.” The staff members listened intently; not once interrupting him. “That’s all I want to say on the subject at this time so if you don’t mind, can you please do some work today or I’ll be sacking a few of you by the end of the shift.”
Blake chuckled. It was an indication that he was winding everybody up again, but most of the time they actually fell for it.
He left the factory building, smiling to himself as he returned to his office. He had his fingers crossed that this new idea would be successful.
Monday’s shift was over and Blake watched his employees clocking out. He smiled after noticing just how quickly their movements were when it came to home time and thought about how much work could be done if his staff actually used this pace in working hours. After a quick tidy up of his desk he was also ready for home.
Blake smiled as he opened the front door of his house. This became broader once he’d entered the hallway.
“Honey, I’m back. What’s for dinner? I’m starving.”
From the shadows of the next room appeared a magnificently sculptured masterpiece of a woman, with long brown hair and soft, silky skin. All she wore was a see-through, satin negligee. “You can have me for dinner if you want to, tiger?” “Tiger” was the nickname she gave Blake when she was feeling very