The Tale of Sawney Bean (Complete Novella) Read Free Page B

slightly and I sat close to her, every so often turning and
looking at her in the fire light. Her face looked troubled even in
sleep and I worried what the future held for us.
     
    I awoke with a
start wondering where I was but quickly remembered. I turned to
find you in the gloomy light created by the fire embers but I
couldn’t see you in the soft glow.
     
    “Sarah?” I
asked but got no reply.
     
    “Sarah” I said
louder.
     
    Still there was
no reply. Where could you have gone to? I got up and searched
around.
     
    “Sarah” I said
louder thinking there was no one else here but us anyway.
     
    “Sawney” her
reply came from one of the unexplored cave entrances along the
wall. I couldn’t see her but I could hear her footsteps coming
closer.
     
    “Where did you
go?” I asked.
     
    “I had to
pee.”
     
    “Oh” I said
feeling my face heat up and not knowing what else to say.
     
    “I’m hungry.”
She added.
     
    “Yeh, me too, I
had made us some sandwiches for earlier that I still have, they’ll
be a little soggy but they should still be okay.”
     
    I went to my
bag and quickly found the sandwiches before returning to her. She
had sat next to the fire that was barely lit and I wondered if she
was cold or just trying to get some light. There was no real way to
tell what time it was in the cave but I could still hear the sound
of the waves washing in and out of the cave mouth so I knew the
tide was still high meaning it was night time.
     
    I passed her a
sandwich and sat across from her and got the fire burning again.
There was firewood everywhere in the cave. It must have been debris
washed into the cave a long time ago when the tides were higher
because it was all bone dry and I didn’t think the waves came up
into the cavern these days but I didn’t know for sure. It was one
of my concerns but I doubted it was likely to happen.
     
    “I haven’t had
jam since my parents were alive” Sarah said.
     
    “Why did you
end up living with your aunt and uncle?” I asked.
     
    “My mum and dad
were murdered coming back from Edinburgh. The highwaymen cut both
their throats to steal the little belongings they had. I had
already been staying with my aunt and uncle while my parents were
away. They were always nice to me before my parents died.”
     
    I didn’t know
whether to continue asking questions while Sarah was talking or if
that was enough for today but then she continued.
     
    “My uncle, he
did things to me.”
     
    Sarah had said
enough with that one statement. I had already suspected that’s what
had happened but I think she just wanted to say it aloud. To
justify her actions that morning and why we were here.
     
    “Thankyou” she
said quietly.
     
    “For what?” I
asked her.
     
    “For coming
with me, I don’t have any friends and I didn’t want to go by
myself. I think being with you over the last two days somehow made
up my mind of what I had to do but I hoped you would come with
me.”
     
    “But I barely
said ten words to you” I added thinking how could I possibly have
influenced your decision and wondering if this meant I was in
someway guilty of your aunt and uncles death before deciding I
wouldn’t much care if I was.
     
    “I know you
didn’t but there’s something between us. Can’t you feel it?”
     
    I knew exactly
what she meant but was surprised to hear the words coming out of
her mouth. I still didn’t really know what this meant for us but
knowing that she had felt something too made my heart swell.
     
    “Yes.” Was all
I could think to reply, there was so much I’d have liked to have
said but I couldn’t find the words.
     
    The fire was
burning brighter now and I was sure I had seen her do one of those
little almost smiles, where it just touches the edge of her lips
but she said no more. She crawled over to my side, gave me the
softest kiss on the cheek and lay down with her head on my lap. I
could still feel that kiss lingering on my cheek long