Chapter 16 Cait

12 1 0
                                    


During dinner Aunt Louise checked on Kevin every five minutes.

'He's still unconscious,' she reported anxiously each time.

'How come that boy was there?' Uncle Joe asked.

'I don't know. Owen was near by and heard me scream.'

I looked down, uncomfortable. I'd wondered too. And what it meant.

'Were you with him?' Uncle Joe asked, suspiciously.

'No.' I looked up. 'Ask Kevin when he wakes.'

Uncle Joe grunted and looked down at his plate.

'Lucky he appeared. Boars have killed armed men.'

To everyone's releif, my cousin woke up an hour later. Uncle Joe carried him up to bed. I peeped in before bedtime but Kevin slept again. I tiptoed out.

I slept in and couldn't check on Kevin next morning but a wan Aunt Louise assured me he'd slept peacefully. I knew my aunt must have sat up most of the night with him.

On the way into school I kept my eyes open for my stalker, but he didn't show.

I told my friends about Kevin's attack. By lunch-time the whole school knew. Before school ended I grew fed-up repeating the story.

I looked for Owen as usual on getting off the bus. Without success. My shoulders slumped. My uncle waited by his jeep however. I raised my eyebrows.

'I'm not taking any chances. From now on either Louise or I will pick you up here.'

'Owen's uncle killed the boar,' I said climbing in.

I hid my releif. Thinking of walking the lane alone terrified me, even with the boar dead. Logic dictated one killer boar. What were the odds there'd be more? But from what my uncle and aunt said it shouldn't even have been one. Boars avoided people, staying within the forest depths. I remembered the missile. Had some-one set the boar on us?

I'd overlooked telling my aunt and uncle about the missile in my first quick account of the boar chasing us. Later, I kept quiet because it seemed too weird. Would they believe me? They didn't mention it so I presumed Kevin hadn't said anything. I didn't even know if he'd seen it happen.

'How's Kevin?'

'Doctor Slevin says he'll be fine with a few days bedrest and should be up and about again next week.'

I smiled, releived. It still gave me shivers remembering how pale and small he'd looked unconscious on the living-room sofa.

After tea, (coffee for me but my aunt still called the meal tea and I'd caught her habit) which Aunt Louise always had ready when we arrived home from school, I checked on Kevin. He sat upright reading his kindle.

'How's things?'

'Better.' Kevin closed the kindle and set it down. 'My leg still hurts but Dr Slevin gave me some tablets. It's not so bad.'

Kevin plucked at his quilt. 'Thanks for saving me.'

'Owen carried you home.' I shrugged and looked at the carpet. 'His uncle killed the boar.'

'Yeah but you wouldn't leave me. I'd be dead if you had.'

'Maybe.'

'I would,' Kevin insisted.

Winter's BiteWhere stories live. Discover now