Chained Path

A tear ran down my face as Edmund pressed me close to his chest. You could hear shouting outside, they were all looking for him. My mother would in no doubt turn him in if she found him. "Hush Ava" he stroked my cheek sending me into a shiver. "It's fine they won't find me yet" he whispered in my hair trying to calm me.

The village never liked Eddie, he was born out of wedlock and constantly shunned. After my father died when I was six I grew close to Eddie who was eight, he never knew his father and used to hate me for my perfect life. As I aged, I would always sneak out of the hut at night to see Eddie we would lie on the hill and gaze at the stars. Edmund constantly got into trouble, from letting the hens out to starting a fire. The village thought of him as a menace, but he was good for work due to his strong build.

It was yesterday when they found Henry the Vicar lying in the corn field with a pool of blood beside him, they blamed Eddie straight away. But even at Eddies young age of thirteen I still think he may have done it. Vicar Henry said Edmund was a curse on the village and called his mother hateful words. Eddie looks a lot like Henry With the same strong jaw and piercing grey eyes, I can't help but think that the Vicar may be his father.

I looked up into Eddies eyes, he was tall for his age and constantly got into fights with other boys but won all the time. I would place red meat on his bruises and tend to his wounds but the other guy would always be in worst shape. "I have to go Ava, they will look in here soon" I gulped, my best friend was leaving. His hand lay on my cheek stroking away the tears. He pulled me against him more. "I will come back for you Ava, I will. I promise" his forehead lay against mine as a tear rolled down his cheek "I promise Eva" he whispered into my hair and kissed me on the lips before then pulling away, the warmth left me immediately. I shivered in my night dress, I looked down and listened to the sound of Edmund heavy footsteps leave the house.