Life of Maggie Marshall

Cornwall *edited*

Cornwall

4:30AM

BO and her team are still following us. They are a far behind us, but in shooting range. Leon pulls over into a small, bumpy lane.

‘When I say, we get out of the car and run. Follow me. Then we jump off the cliff onto a small surface outside the hide-out. We go into the hide-out, fetch any kind of sharp object and cut the surface off so that BO’s team can’t jump down. If they decide to use a rope we seal the entrance and wait,’ says Leon as he slows down the car.

I nod.

‘Now!’ he yells.

I jump out of the car and see Leon run around the side with the backpack. We sprint through the fields, wiry grass slapping my legs. Rain splashing in my face. Leon and I must look very unusual. A boy dressed as a vampire in a suit and a girl in a long, glittery red dress, running for their lives through a field in the early hours of the morning.

The cool morning air bites at my skin and my bare feet slide on stray stones. I keep going though, and grab Leon’s hand. I hear the van pull to a stop and doors slam. I push onwards, even though my lungs are gasping for a breath. Guns explode behind us and we duck bullets. So close, almost there.

A searing pain shoots through my left shoulder. I look to see the top of my shoulder had caught onto a bullet. I cannot scream though, my voice has somehow left me. Leon notices the blood on my arm and he takes of his jacket and wraps it around my shoulder whilst running.

He tightens his grip on my hand as we near the cliff edge. I peer over and see a small ledge.

‘You ready?’ says Leon.

I nod and he flexes his fingers then we launch ourselves down the cliff face. Surprisingly, we both land unharmed on the ledge.

I stand up and turn around. There carved into the cliff face is an amazing oval shaped room, with a stone door lying on the floor. I run inside and see that there is a small camping stove, a burnt-out fire, two heaps of hay with blankets and a small private room (probably a toilet).

‘You did all of this?’ I ask in astonishment.

Leon nods and then I remember the plan. I grab a sharp rock from the wall and begin to smash up the ledge. It begins to crumble and Leon kicks it until there is only about four centimetres of it left. Leon grabs my hand and pulls me inside the hide. We heave the huge granite slab, identical to the hide’s walls near the entrance over the entrance hole. It fits perfectly and blocks out anything coming in or out.

I breathe a sigh of relief, but Leon comes over and puts a finger over my lips. He gestures upwards and we hear people scrabbling down the cliff face. We lean against the far wall and hold our breaths.

‘Anything there, Agent LC16?’ I hear BO bark.

LC16! That’s Layla Constance, she was meant to be in New York!

‘Nobody here!’ calls back Layla.

‘Search the coastline. Search the fields. If we don’t find them in the next two hours, we assume they are dead,’ orders BO.

We hear people clamber back up the cliff face. We wait until there is silence and then relax.

‘Are we free?’ I ask.

‘Free, from anyone and anything, as long as we stay in here for at least three hours,’ he says, running his hands through his hair and sighing.

‘Why three?’ I say.

‘Make sure they’ve really gone,’ he says and hands me the rucksack.

I pull out a plain black jumper and white tracksuit trousers.

‘Sleeping clothes,’ says Leon as he sees the look on my face.

I nod and go to the small bathroom bit that has another slab of granite on one side, to give the person privacy. Even though, if you stand anywhere but next to it, you can see inside.

‘Close your eyes!’ I call from inside.

I hear Leon laugh.

I take of the scratchy dress and slip on the jumper. I wince as I take off Leon’s jacket from the wound on my shoulder. A small amount of blood, which is good. I take off my tights and pull on the bottoms. They are comfortable and warm compared to the damp, ripped dress. I use my dress to rub my wet hair, until it is slightly less soaking.

I step out of the bathroom and find Leon asleep on his hay bed. He’s already changed into a green cotton t-shirt and black tracksuit bottoms. He has left out a bandage and disinfectant for me to put on my shoulder. Leon looks so peaceful when he’s asleep, he deserves some rest.

I put disinfectant on my wound and gasp as the liquid cleans it. Then I wrap it in the bandage and tie it up. Leon’s hay bed is by the entrance and mine is on the far side, by the bathroom. I flop down onto the bed and it’s surprisingly comfortable. I stretch my arms upwards and take a deep breath. This is the life, simple, small and happy. I can imagine my life here, with Leon. I close my eyes and soon after I am at the mercy of sleep.