Crow Country by Kate Constable

Author:Kate Constable
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Young Adult Fiction
Publisher: Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd
Published: 2011-09-30T22:00:00+00:00

'Damn!’ muttered Ellie, her head in the fridge. ‘I thought we had bacon. Sadie, could you run over to the supermarket? There’s just time before it shuts.’

Reluctantly, because it was growing dark outside, Sadie shrugged on her parka and grabbed Ellie’s wallet from the kitchen bench. ‘Just bacon?’

‘Pick up some milk while you’re there – oh, and a potato . . . And if you feel like some chocolate after dinner . . .’

Sadie sighed heavily and turned back for a shopping bag.

‘Thank you!’ called Ellie.

‘That’s okay!’ Sadie yelled from the door. Wow, she thought, when did we start being so nice to each other?

The chilly twilight air slapped her awake. Clouds scudded across the sky as she hurried along the road. She had five minutes till the store closed.

The automatic doors slid open, and she darted inside. Behind the register, a pinch-faced woman with sandy hair glanced up from her magazine. She was Fox’s mum, Sadie knew. Fox himself lounged across the checkout, waiting for his mother to finish work, picking at his fingernails. Mrs Fox nodded briefly at Sadie, then returned her attention to the celebrity gossip.

Sadie found milk, chocolate and bacon, but there were no potatoes in the vegetable section. She hesitated, but she knew that Ellie would say, just ask!

Sadie stepped toward the checkout and cleared her throat. ‘Excuse me . . .’

Without warning, the supermarket whirled about her. Sadie clutched at the chip rack, and found herself grabbing at empty air. The checkouts dis- solved, the fridge and the shelves of tins faded to shadows. A long counter formed itself along one wall, shelves banked up behind it, barrels and boxes crowded around Sadie’s legs. Instead of the sharp face of Mrs Fox, Sadie saw her mother, Jean – fore- head creased, lips moving silently as she counted out pennies from the till. The modern supermarket was gone; she as standing in the old shop across the road, the Hazzards’ shop.

‘You can lock up now, love,’ said her mother, sweeping the pennies into her hand, and Sadie flipped the sign on the door to closed and pulled down the blind. She had her hand on the bolt when the door was pushed violently open, almost knocking her down.

Mr Mortlock staggered in, panting, wild-eyed. He was covered in blood.

‘Jean!’ he gasped. ‘Jean—’

The colour drained from her mother’s face. ‘What’s happened?’ she cried.

Gerald Mortlock shook his head. ‘I’m not hurt – I—’ He staggered forward and Sadie thought he would fall.

Her mother said fiercely, ‘Bolt the door, Sadie!’

Sadie sprang to shoot the bolt across. Blood dripped onto the worn floorboards, small bright splatters of crimson.

‘What have you done?’ whispered Jean. ‘God help you, what have you done?’

Mr Mortlock reached out a hand to steady him- self, and Sadie recoiled as his blood-stained fingers touched the shelves. We’ll have to clean it; who’s going to clean up all this mess? she thought.

‘Clarry—’ he began.

‘You’ve not hurt Clarry!’ cried Jean, her eyes like holes burned in a white cloth. ‘Oh, dear God, no!’

‘No! Not Clarry,’ said Mr Mortlock thickly.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.