Brigid Kenna, Child Of Fire (Watty Awards 2012!)

Chapter 10 - The Lighthouse

I was right, we only had to walk for about another hour and the disfigured shadows created by the dim light had encouraged me to quicken my pace, despite what Gray had to say about it.  

We had reached the bottom of the hill and were now climbing up the steep steps to the base of the lighthouse. The sodden heaps of moss soaked with seawater which lined the steps made it no easier. My balance since drinking Gray's potion seemed to have improved though as I managed to keep my fast pace without stumbling. Gray on the other hand was definitely struggling and he was about ten steps behind me. He made me paranoid and I kept spinning my head a full one hundred and eighty degrees to check on him every few minutes.  

By the time we reached the top I had an intense burning in my legs. But now wasn't the time to be thinking of how my calves would look after all this walking. Gray had just reached the top step and he had collapsed on the ground with a bright pink face and he was wheezing uncontrollably. I ran to his side and thrust my water canister under his chin. He took the cool, aluminium can and drained every last drop. After the drink his face started to return to its normal shade of tan and his breathing was reverting to its usual pattern. Gray was much fitter than me, anyone could see that by looking at his toned, muscular body compared with my skinny weak frame. But then why was he the one on the floor, gasping for breath? I had no idea but I guessed it was something to do with whatever was in that concoction Gray gave me. I processed the possible outcomes of asking him and decided to contain the questions a while longer. Instead I helped Gray to his feet and half hauled him into the shelter of the surprisingly modern lighthouse. It wasn't like anything I had seen before. It mist have been someone's home or it was completely furnished even down to the plastic potted plants at each side of the door. I raised an eyebrow at Gray and as he returned the action it was as if we were communicating telepathically. It was certainly a step up from the creaky old barn we had slept in the night before. The grand interior design reminded me of the sacred church in the covent and I immediately kicked off my heavy boots which were coated in dust and dirt from the dry, cracked ground. I had just settled into the plump cream sofa when Gray spoke up, breaking the peaceful silence.

"I'm going to head down to the rock pools, catch some crabs for dinner. There's a stove here so we should be able to cook them just fine." He sort of announced it, like he was definitely going, but felt he needed to excuse himself, to make sure I knew where he was.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Those steps seem to take it out of you." I meant to sound concerned but instead it sounded like I was making fun of him, gloating that the killer steps hardly affected me at all, and Gray must have picked up on this as he flashed me a smirk, shook his head and rolled his dazzling ice grey eyes at me. I decided this was the perfect time to ask what had been encircling through my head ever since then.

"Why wasn't I tired after climbing those steps?" I asked, frowning in confusion. Gray let out a huge sigh and joined me on the couch. He sat on the edge and turned to face me, taking my hands in his, making me blush a little.

"The potion I gave you for your head earlier, it's a stimulant that provides more energy for the mitochondria in your cells which speeds up the chemical reactions in your body. It makes you think you're better but it only lasts a short while and it's extremely addictive. I shouldn't have given it to you, but you can't have anymore. We lost dad because of that stuff, they call it devil's spirit." I nodded to show I understood and told myself to always ask what something was before I drink it in the future.

"Anyway." Gray was now standing by the small arched door of the lighthouse. "I'm going down here while there's still a bit of light. It's probably best if you stay here, the potion will have wore off by now." I nodded in acceptance and watched as Gray grabbed his Swiss army knife and headed out the door. I picked up my rucksack from the solid wood floor and lifted out the vegetables I had collected from the patch near the barn. I gave them a rinse under the tap and chopped the lettuce, tomato and cucumber into two separate bowls making a salad. Perfect to have along with crab, I thought. The pot of water on the stove was bubbling rapidly as Gray came through the door carrying two huge crabs in his coat. I laughed at him when I saw the pink pinch marks on his cheeks.

"They put up quite a fight, but I was just too smart for them." He smiled back.

"I would like to think so. Now bring them over here, I think the water's boiled."

The soft, white flesh of the crabs was juicy and had been cooked to perfection. The light, crisp salad complimented it beautifully and when we were finished we curled up on the sofas in our sleeping bags. Although we had only been there for a few hours, it felt like home to me and I was in great need of one. So, I closed my eyes and savoured every second of the secure environment around me, knowing nightmares were not a possibility tonight.