Be Still My Banshee Heart

Chapter 17

"As I went up the apple tree,

All the apples fell on me,

Bake a pudding, bake a pie

Never will I tell a lie."

Barking why on earth was that dog barking at stupid o clock in the morning.

"Be quiet Jess."

The barking continued from the garden, followed by more singing.

As I went up the apple tree, followed by woof, woof, over and over.

Samuel sat straight up in bed, the light of the new day partially lighting the room.

"Jess?"

Woof, Woof,

"Bethy come over here lets have a go with these," his Ma, that was his Ma's voice.

His hand flew to the space beside him searching for Mary, it came away empty as he remembered her whispers in the night that she had to leave, he had been to lost in sleep to try to stop her.

"Darn it that won't work," he heard his Ma say, as something heavy clattered to the ground outside.

"Samuel, I know your not sleeping through all this racket get out here and cut this damn thing of this poor child's neck."

Samuel swung his feet out of bed and hurriedly donned his night gown, even dead the woman still scared the shite out of him.

Ten minutes and a set of bolt cutters later found them all resting comfortably on Samuel's new sofa. He watched warily as his Ma cast her eyes around the newly decorated cottage.

"Its just a bit of paint Ma."

"And sofa, wood floor and new kitchen," she finished.

"Aye that to, I did the bathroom as well," he added thinking he might as well get it all out at once.

His Ma stood and wandered over to the small bathroom he heard the new power shower come on, and go off, then come on again.

"Is this Shamis's doing?" his Ma asked suspiciously.

"He helped, but no it was my doing, Shamis tried to stop me."

A smile spread her face, "I like it," she eventually said, placing her ample bottom back on the sofa.

"You do?" it was his turn to look suspicious.

"I do, I was thinking about getting Shamis round to freshen the place up before my untimely death but kept putting it off, you now how that boy can irritate me so."

"Aye, he would irritate a saint," Samuel laughed.

He thought a moment, "what happened Ma, they said a heart attack, I don't know if I truly believe that, I know what care you took of yourself."

"Heart attack my arse," she fumed then looked contrite, remembering there was a child present.

"Oh I am sorry Bethy," if she could have, Samuel knew his Ma would be blushing about now.

There was no need to worry though Little Bethy was paying them no attention whatsoever, she sat on his new thick pile rug, lavishing Jess with hugs and strokes, all of which Jess was loving.

Just in case the little ears were listening, his Ma rose making her way to the kitchen beckoning for him to follow.

"That was no heart attack I had," she whispered huddling close, "I was sat with Jess, watching my shows like usual, when that thing, that darkness came to my home," her voice cracked.

"It did not say one word, it reached out with long bony fingers wrapped them round my heart and squeezed until everything went dark. Poor Jess she could not do a thing, I could hear her, jaws snapping but nothing to bite, growling, barking then crying, I could hear her crying."

Samuel could not breath, in, out, in, out, he kept telling himself.

"In, out, in, out," no it was his Ma who kept telling him.

Mary, Bethy, Jess and now his Ma to, how many innocent people had that sick fuck hurt.

Anger was burning him as he stared from his mother to the little girl sat happily pouring love all over a delighted Jess.

"I have to stop him, he can not be left to hurt anyone else."

"About time," his mother answered with a small smile, "and I think I might just know how."