Searching for Shona by Margaret J. Anderson

Author:Margaret J. Anderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BookBaby
Published: 2013-11-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

A Long Night

The clouds had thinned and the moon, not quite full, shed a glistening light on the wet hedgerows and fields. Everything looked strange and unreal to Marjorie, and when she heard the droning sound of planes overhead, the dreamlike quality of her surroundings took on the aspects of a nightmare.

Although she knew that the people in the planes couldn’t possible see her, she hid in the shadow of the hedge, wet weeds brushing coldly against her legs. She put her hands over her ears to shut out the throbbing engines, but the sound stayed with her, right inside her head.

They came in waves, three waves of heavy bombers, and then there was silence again. She forced herself to go on until, at last, she reached Clairmont House. The gate was slightly ajar and she squeezed inside. The house loomed up like a huge castle with its turret and sharp roof etched against the sky. The branches of a tree rubbed together in the wind, and drops of rain falling from the wet laurel bushes made a pattering sound like the feet of little animals. Marjorie tiptoed up the driveway.

When she reached the back of the house, she saw that the coal cellar hatch was open. Now she was sure that Anna must be inside. It was so dark in there, so much darker than outside, that it took every ounce of Marjorie’s courage to drop down into the cellar and feel her way across to the door. It was open, and still feeling her way, she went into the kitchen. She bumped against a door and it slammed shut. With a pounding heart, she listened to the dreadful sound echoing through the empty rooms. Did Anna hear it upstairs, and was she, at this moment, crouching there terrified, wondering who was creeping through the house? It was the thought of Anna’s fear that forced Marjorie to go on.

She crossed the hall and climbed the curved staircase. Silvery light from the upstairs landing windows enabled her to see her way, but she had trouble remembering which door opened into the spiral stair. Finding the right door, she climbed the stairs and then hesitated again, afraid of frightening Anna.

“Anna! Anna! It’s Shona,” she whispered softly as she slipped through the door. “I came to find you.”

There was no answer.

For a moment Marjorie felt panic. Had she come so far, only to find no one there? She went over to the window and pulled back the heavy velvet curtains, letting moonlight shine through the curved windows, so that she could now see the shadowy furnishings in the room. At the sound of the rattling curtain rings, something stirred on the couch, and Anna poked her head out from under a quilt, asking sleepily, “Is it time to get up already?”

Marjorie ran over to the couch, stumbling over two dolls, which were lying on the carpet, and knelt down beside Anna.

“Anna! Anna Rae! What are you doing here?’ she asked.

Although she

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