Forest Spirit by David Laing

Author:David Laing
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Tags: Children, Young Adults
ISBN: 9780987410368
Publisher: JoJo Publishing
Published: 2012-11-02T07:00:00+00:00

Jim Kelly was cooking some trout he and Snook had caught earlier, when the sound of footsteps running through grass made him look up. It was Jars. He called out to Snook, who was nearby. ‘Come and look after these fish will you, while I go and have a word or two with your cousin.’

He walked towards Jars, his steps slow but purposeful. Jars saw her uncle coming towards her. When she drew near, he stopped, blocking her path. He folded his arms and glared, as if daring her to speak.

She knew she was in trouble. She felt her stomach clench. ‘So, where do you think you’ve been?’ he said at last. He glanced at his watch. ‘It’s past seven o’clock for God’s sake. Did you forget what you were told – about wandering off on your own?’

Jars lowered her head and stared at the ground, not sure what to say. She wondered whether Quenton had mentioned the cave and how she had gone looking for him. It didn’t seem likely. Her uncle’s anger told her that. No, Quenton had told a different story one that wasn’t true. Why else would her uncle be so upset?

‘Look at me when I talk to you,’ her uncle continued. ‘We were all starting to get worried about you, including Quenton, who tells me he even went looking for you.’

Jars looked up. She shook her head. ‘No, that’s not … that’s not how –’

‘And that’s not all. He tells me you lost his camera, which you’ll have to replace somehow. Now, what do you have to say? I don’t want any lame excuses either.’

Jars hated what she saw. Her uncle’s face had turned a deep shade of red. His eyes, unblinking, screamed at her. ‘So, like I said before, what have you got to say for yourself?’

She caught a glimpse of Quenton, who was peering from behind his tent. She wiped her hand across her eyes. ‘S-sorry,’ she managed. ‘I … I won’t do it again.’

‘Okay,’ he said, ‘we’ll leave it at that. Go and clean yourself up. Then come and have something to eat; the fish should be cooked by then.’

After the meal, Jars, closely followed by Shadow, walked down to the edge of the lake. Its waters were grey in the fading light of the evening. A westerly breeze now blew over its surface, bringing with it a coolness that made her shiver. Ignoring the cold, she gazed absently over the lake, listening to the quarking of the frogs as they lay hidden on the shore among the weed and rocks.

Snook, who had seen her leave, quickly went after her. ‘It doesn’t add up,’ he said to her back as she continued to watch over the lake. ‘I heard Dad yelling at you, telling you off, but it’s hard to believe. I mean, I’ve only known you for what seems like a minute, but, hell, you don’t seem the type to do what he says you did. So, is it true what Dad said, or did something else actually go on out there?’

Jars turned to face Snook.

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