Ten For The Devil

A Little Boy Lost - Chapter 18

A Little Boy Lost – Let us pray the crows do not get him!

Chapter 18

The air was dramatically cooler than a few hours ago. In his sleep, Michael had wrapped himself into a tight ball. Enfolded arms were wrapped around his legs and goose bumps started to appear on his bare arms. His shivering awoke him. It was dusk and the sky had darkened. The wind rapidly pushed black-grey clouds across the horizon.

He rubbed his arms, his teeth chattered, more from shock than from cold. The events of this afternoon flashed through his mind and a little voice told him that it was far from a dream. He had really seen Seth murder Katie. Michael’s curious nature insisted that he see for himself.

From his roost, Michael checked out the earth below to see if Seth was near before he clambered down. The world was a darker place now in his thoughts and in reality for the sky was foreboding and he could hear thunder not far off. He walked slowly to the bank’s edge to look down into the water just as lightning and thunder clapped overhead. Katie was there, he had not dreamt it.

He screamed at the top of his strong lungs but the thunder ate it! Michael dropped to his knees fell on his hands and slipped on the wet cold stones. She gawked up at him her beautiful face distorted in fear and disbelief. He could view her as clearly in the lightning as if she was before him. Her long skirt bellowed around her body like sheets in a watery wind. Her long auburn-hair snaked from her head. Opened eyes frighten him the most, once beautiful they accused him of not trying to save her. He screamed again and the crows cawed in the thundering sky. The mill’s wheel gently pulled her body down and then released her to float back up with stretched out arms. She looked like a banshee and he screamed again but this time it did not come from his throat but his mind.

The crows loudly cawed!

He rolled away from the streams bank, clawed at the wet stones to pull his long lean frame to his feet. He had to get away. He had to get help perhaps someone could still save her. The voice in his head said, “Too late, too late, no one can save her now!”

He cried but tried so hard to be brave. The rain came down fiercely and the wind swayed branches and leaves. Michael lost his footing and slipped going down the grassy slope. He turned his ankle and left him in pain. It was impossible for him to put his weight on his injured ankle so he hopped from one tree to another and slowly inched his way back to the barn.

It took Michael hours to get to the stonewall, his last obstacle before he reached the shelter of the barn. He did not know the time and had only a faint recognition of where he was. Michael’s mind was lost in his own thoughts and fears. His ankle throbbed as he pulled his leg and brought it up to the top of the stonewall. He rested there for a minute and then dropped down to the ground on his good foot. The wind still howled but the rain had let up. His clothes were soaked through and he felt frozen to the bone. The barn came into view with a final burst of lightning and with relief Michael pushed the last quarter mile.

Exhausted Michael lifted the handle of the latched back door and walked into the barn’s warmth. The storm ended and the full moon was high in the night’s sky. Its light naturally brightened the barn’s hallway that leaded to many filled stalls. Michael’s ankle was so painful. He had to use the railings to help him pull his way into the stall at the end that was completely empty. Now on his hands and knees he crawled to a fresh pile of hay and buried himself in it. The poor boy quickly fell into a tormented sleep.

Michael was not alone. Lucy heard the boy enter the barn and watched his feeble attempt to walk down to the last stall. She was careful not to draw attention to herself until she had completely checked out the situation. After everything was still, she edged her way down to the stall and knew instantly who the boy was. He was not in good condition she sensed this immediately. The boy needed warmth and looked around the barn until she found a horse blanket on a low stack of hay. Lucy pulled it down and took it to the boy. With great care, she covered the boy as best she could and lay down beside him to give extra warmth to his little body. This is the way that Matt found them a few hours later.