Winter's Bite

Chapter 3

When I got back my youngest cousin, ten year old Paul, had arrived home from school. Aunt Louise supervised his homework at the kitchen table.

'Alright if I make coffee?' I asked.

I'd stocked up on coffee and orange juice and a few other essentials at a grocery store on the way home.

'Of course, you needn't ask. This is your home now.' My aunt smiled.

'You want one?'

She shook her head. 'I prefer tea. So, how did you like the village?'

'It's pretty,' I admitted, omitting the incident with my phone. 'Do you know a family called Haimon?'

My aunt jumped up, her chair almost toppling over.

'What have people been saying?'

'Nothing,' I hesitated. 'I met some-one. His surname's Haimon.'

'You met Jeb? What did he say?'

'Who's Jeb?' I felt faint.

I sat the coffee jar down.

'Nobody. I thought... it doesn't matter.'

Aunt Louise turned away.

'Who is he,' I insisted.

My hands clenched into fists, nails digging into my palms.

'Nobody. I made a mistake. You stay away from Haimons. They're bad news,' Aunt Louise continued.

'They chop children up and eat them,' Paul said solemnly.

'No they don't,' my aunt scolded, clearly uncomfortable.

'That's what people say in school,' Paul said.

'Well, they're silly. Still, best stay away from them.'

Aunt Louise looked back at me with a frown. I could see she wouldn't tell me any more. Not with Paul present anyway.

I headed upstairs, shaken, coffee forgotten. 'Jeb' was the last word my mother had spoken, moments before her death.

Aunt Louise called me from my bedroom for dinner. I'd heard my oldest cousin Poraig, arrive home by then. He was eighteen and attended agricultural college during the week, my aunt had told me, coming home at weekends to help my uncle on their farm. Everyone except Aunt Louise had sat when I took my place at table beside Poraig. I avoided my uncle's eyes. Aunt Louise dealt out huge plates of food.

'I'll never eat all that,' I said as she put a heaped plate before me.

'Do your best, you could do with some meat on your bones,' my aunt encouraged.

I was surprised to find I was famished. Aunt Louise laughed.

'It's probably the walk you took this afternoon. Country air makes people hungry.'

No-one spoke much during dinner. The O'Hanlons took their mealtimes seriously. Once Aunt Louise served up tea and cake afterwards, Uncle Joe and Poraig discussed farming while Aunt Louise asked Kevin about his football practice.

'You're lucky he didn't kidnap you' Paul told me. 'People in school say the Haimons kidnap children and eat them.'

The table fell silent.

'I've told you before don't mention those people,' Uncle Joe said. 'They're bad luck.'

'But she spoke to one,' Paul protested.