Mortal End: A Simmering Pit of Jiggery Pokery

Chapter Nine

Verrye Brutall was reciting a verse or two from his dog-eared copy of the Good Book. His job as sexton, for now, was over and it was time for funereal solemnity. As he knelt formally by the pit in his best suit looking like a fairytale prince, consigning his dead wife to her grave, Verrye, with a thud of sod and a single white rose, put her to bed.

Overcome by the intense heat of the overhead sun, Verrye began to strip off his heavy clothing, vainly folding each item as he went; starting with his woollen coat, waistcoat and linen shirt, which he placed on the lawn beside him. Still feeling clammy, he continued impatiently, taking to his breeches, stockings and shoes with great vigour. Verrye eventually stood there powerfully naked, holding his hard worn implement, ready for action.

A few spade loads of earth later, her body was no longer visible. Wiping his dripping brow with the back of his tanned hands, Verrye took this moment to stop for a short break and to prepare himself a cold drink. There was no need to rush. He had worked solidly for hours and now that the sun was high in the sky, scorching his shoulders and making him sweat like an ape, he felt he deserved a celebratory beverage.

Back in the kitchen, Verrye once more returned to the cool-room, this time reaching in for a cask of ale, which he had placed there for this very instant.

As he threw his head back, strong jaws open wide, fermented liquid gushing down his gullet, Verrye thought he heard a noise. It was coming from outside. The garden. He stopped to listen.

There it was again. It was definitely a foreign sound.

"Mother! Father! We're home, " shouted Ransom and Treasure, as they darted through the open door. "We're home!"

Verrye very reluctantly placed down the too full cask, stepped gingerly into the living room and disappointedly took in the excited faces of his son and daughter. As soon as they saw him, both ran forward and clung on to his earthy legs, bursting simultaneously into heavy tears. Quite possibly shocked at the sight of his muddy, naked form.

"Oh, father, it was so awful," they cried in shrill child voices, their tiny shoulders heaving as they sobbed and sobbed, gulping down air and wiping their sticky noses on his bulging thighs.

"Why did you leave us, Father? Why did you leave us?" 

© 2003 Toula Mavridou-Messer All rights reserved. ***Mortal End, Too is the second novel in the Mortal End series. There is an excerpt available on Wattpad to give you a taste of the storyline. I will post chapters regularly, but there are as yet unknown chapters, so this may take a while. You can sign up for my newsletter, follow me on Twitter (Princess Toula), or like my Facebook page. For more information, see my Amazon author page Author.to/ToulaMavridouMesser. Your support is very much appreciated. Thanks for reading! Toula Xx