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Chapter One

Rustlers’ pub had always been known as the run down place at the end of the road. It only ever had two local retired veterans who sat in the corner not saying much, and the bar man who always seemed to be busy, but not doing anything. 

On a rainy stormy night, one night a young woman passing through went into Rustlers’ to take shelter from the rain and wind. She was clearly not from around there, red heeled shoes with a purple pencil dress skirt and a black rain coat, an outfit that looked like it cost more than a car. The veterans took one quick look and then went back to their conversation, not bothered about the new girl in town. She sat at the bar and ordered a large glass of red wine.

'Windy out there eh miss?' The bartender asked handing her a large glass of red wine in what looked like a glass that had been sat there for years. He turned back to cleaning this one glass he had been cleaning for some time.

'Just a bit' she said with a giggle, brushing her hair back down, 'I don't suppose you have any place to stay tonight, it doesn't look like this weathers going to get any better?'

The wind got louder as the rain hit the windows fast and hard, 'sorry miss, just let the last room out, there's a B&B in the next town over though’ he replied not looking up at her.

'That’s alright. I'll just wait here for the weather to stop’ the rain crashed hard again ‘or at least calm down'.

She took of her coat and lay her bag down on the bar, taking her phone out, She started moving it around in the air above her with a disappointed look on her face.

'You ain't gunna get no signal round here miss. No towers for miles' she gave him a quick smile and looked back down into her bag.

'Damn, I've left my book at home' she looked up at the bar man 'I don't suppose you have anything I could read do you?' He put down the glass he was cleaning and walked over to her slowly. This put her on edge, an old, beat up looking guy with a bitter, resentful look on his face walking towards her didn't give a comfortable feeling. She put her phone back in her bag and closed it quickly.

'No' he leaned on the bar 'I don't, but if you like I can tell you a tale, a myth some may say. Me I say it's true' he stood back up with a lost, horrified expression. She didn't say anything, just sat there, anxious as to what he was about to say. The wind howled, the rain hit even harder on the roof as a loud crash of a branch struck hard against the window at the back of the bar. The two old men took no notice, but the young woman winced noticeably. The bar man said nothing, just took a step forward and began his tale.

'Have you ever woken up with that feeling where nothing seems right? Almost as if you know something really bad is going to happen that day? Well this is what happened to Ariana, an 18 year old girl who had just got her first job babysitting, just down the road there' he pointed out the window to an old abandoned cottage with windows boarded up and the roof caving in. The grass was dead and surrounded by a barbed wire fence. It looked as if no one had even gone near it in years, decades maybe.' The young girl was babysitting a young boy of only 6 named Eli. It started off fine, she walked in, met the parents who were going to be away for the weekend collecting the rest of their stuff from the move finally. They seemed really nice, they showed her where everything was and Eli came down to meet her. They had already met before, in the park she used to play with him while his dad would doze off. Martin was his name, was a good man, passed away couple of years ago though, shame really always one for a good chat.

Eli’s parents picked up their bags and got into the waiting taxi. Ariana held Eli's hand while they waved goodbye to them.

'Right young man, I think it's time you got to bed' she took him back inside, locking the door behind her.