The Haunting At Willow Park.

Chapter 1,

It was a rainy day in the city of Glasgow as people ran through the streets for shelter.

Everything dripping wet from the horrendous downpour that seemed to go on ages.

It was only a Tuesday morning nine o clock exact. The tall buildings standing strong

as the gusts of wind blew with a vengeance.

The windows of the concrete buildings smothered in cold damp rain as it pelted

endlessly across the thick glass.

The majority of people in the city that day were heading to work, office work mainly.

It had rained for a few days now and flooding of the city was becoming an apparent

problem as street puddles seemed deeper than the day previous.

But Scotland was famous for bad weather, the winters the temperature would go into

the minuses.

It was now in the month of September and autumn was near. The summer was slowly

drifting away as the warm sun now hid behind dark menacing clouds.

Even though the city had its crime problems overall it was a nice place to live.

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Usually the further away from the city centre you lived the less crime there would be.

The streets in the city centre this time of the morning usually would be covered in

crisp packets and half smoked cigarettes from the roaming teenagers the night

previous as they had nothing better to do.

On this particular morning some windows had been smashed in at the newsagents just

across the street from the city park.

The glass shattered and covering the path.

The owner of the newsagents had taped a sign to his window warning people of the

shattered glass so know one would cut themselves.

The owner was a kind old man by the name of Jeremy Peele, he was sixty one and looked

ten years younger then his age. The women costumers that shopped there would always

remark on this, sometimes making his head swell.

He was born in Birmingham but decided to move to this part of the country years before.

The problem was though in his younger days he had thieved from his neighbours houses

more then once and was beginning to get a bad reputation. By the age of eighteen he had

fallen in love for the first time and nicking did not have the same appeal it once did.

But still he couldn’t shrug off the bad reputation that he had created for himself.

Even the girl he had fallen for would get hassle from the neighbours’ calling her a thief

also. And that is when they both made the brave decision to leave and move somewhere

else and start all over again.

They had both now lived in the city of Glasgow for just over forty years. The crime in

the early years was not that bad, but in the last ten or so years it had got a lot worse.

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The problem was booze was now a lot more accessible then it once was.

Youths’ drinking out of control as they roamed the streets looking for a fight, gangs

fighting each other, stabbings on the increase it was now becoming a worrying

statistic.

“Oh my bloody back,” Jeremy muttered as he bent down to retrieve the broom that had

Fallen onto the floor of the shop.

That day he was wearing his shop apron that was white in colour, but some dirt from

somewhere had stained the material. What annoyed him the most though was that he

had only washed the bloody thing last night and already it was caked in shit.

With a little trouble he picked up the broom from the shop floor and then proceeded

towards the entrance of the shop. Some glass had also scattered inside the shop near

the door.

“Bloody youths,” he scowled as he looked at the mess they had made.

He had owned this shop for ten or so years and sometimes this sort of thing would

happen but thankfully it didn’t happen that often.

He looked at his reflection in the window, his light brown hair gleamed from the

ceiling light. Being sixty one he was surprised that the grey hairs had not yet

appeared,.

Also in the last five years he had gained some weight two stone in all, but

he still looked pretty good.

Jeremy removed his glasses from his apron pocket and stuck them on, so he could

make out all the little fragments of glass that lay everywhere.

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He walked through the smallish door and ventured out with the broom held tightly

in his right hand and started sweeping the glass into one spot just under the main

window of the shop.

If he collected the glass from inside the shop and swept it outside with the other glass

then it could all be swept into one pile meaning he could get this slight chore over

with quickly.

He ventured back into the shop and taking about five seconds swept the glass from

inside of the shop out into the street where it joined the rest.

Using his glasses he looked with great care at the pavement in front knowing glass

shined with the suns rays, but the problem being there was no sunlight at this

moment in time which was frustrating to say the least.

The rain had subsided for a few minutes but it would be back.

Jeremy knew he had to hurry with this particular chore as he did not fancy being

soaked through for the rest of the day. The certain clothes he wore including a

striped green shirt that sat under his apron and also light blue jeans but no coat

If he did get wet he would have to put up with it for the rest of the day until at least five

o clock that evening.

And it was only nine Thirty two.

He scoured the area and saw slight glimmers with certain angles that he took.

The broom was ready for action and done its job in as less as one minute.

He felt a speck of rain on his left cheek and looked up at the heavens.

The clouds swirled with a menacing power.

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He walked back in the shop and at the counter was a dustpan and brush which he picked

up with haste and then headed back towards the entrance.

Once outside he bent over and brushed the glass into the dustpan.

Standing outside under the huge smashed window was a bin where he threw the glass in.

Another speck of rain was felt but now on his opposing cheek, it was time to make his

way back into the shop.

A door was heard closing at the back of the shop near where the fridges were situated.

Jeremy looked up to see his wife standing there, “Hi love just cleaning up the bloody

mess from last night.”

His wife was dressed in a flowery blouse and jeans, also wearing a pink cardigan which

went well with the blouse she had decided to wear that day.

She had a worried look on her lined face, “Youth are getting more troublesome these

days.”

“Bloody bastards they are,” he muttered as he came towards her still clutching the

dustpan and brush.

A loud bang was heard outside suddenly as a flash of lightening streaked across the

sky.

Jeremy looked through the broken window and noticed another violent electricity

surge as it reflected off the top of the trees in the park.

The gate at the front of the biggish park kept opening and closing as it made an

annoying clanging sound.

“Doesn’t anyone close the bloody gate anymore, lazy youth,” he grunted angrily.

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That is when he decided to close it him self, if he didn’t know one else would.

“I’m just going to pop outside love I won’t be long,” he said to his darling wife.

His wife whose name was Mary came closer to him, “Do not forget your coat dear.”

Jeremy didn’t need a coat, he wouldn’t be long he only had to walk across the road

and close a perishing gate, “Don’t worry love I’ll only be a tick.”

With his trusty apron to keep him dry he walked through the open door of the shop

and out into the street where the weather had now calmed and the storm that was

brewing a few seconds earlier had vanished hopefully.

The wind was still quite strong though as he proceeded across the quiet road towards the

gate which still made an irritating noise as it clanged repeatedly.

Finally he had made it to the edge of the park and lifting the hook part of the gate up

closed it by lodging it into the gap that was screwed on another piece of rusty metal.

Suddenly out of nowhere another bolt of lightening blazed across the morning sky hitting

a lonely tree in the centre of the park.

Jeremy looked on with disbelief as the leaves on the tree burnt to nothing, the smell also

of burnt ash swept across the park.

As he carried on looking at the strange sight in front he noticed a little girl standing

under the tree as it still smouldered. The girl must have been around nine or ten years of

age and dressed in what seemed like a school uniform, with light blue jacket and white

blouse with a dark red skirt which hung at her knee area.

But what freaked Jeremy out more then anything was the blank expression on her face.

Her eyes were elsewhere as they looked meaninglessly ahead, unaware of the danger she

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was in.

Jeremy had to warn her, “Move out of the way.”

She seemed miles away as her coldness could be felt.

Then she vanished from sight.

One of the branches from the tree broke and fell crashing onto the ground near where

the girl once stood.

Jeremy did not understand what he had just witnessed with his own eyes how was it

possible?

He had to tell someone if he didn’t he would go mad, he decided to first tell his wife

to lift the burden of what he had just seen, maybe there was a rational reason but if there

was one he was missing it at the moment?

He turned back towards the roadway and stepping over a couple of puddles started to

make his walk back to the shop.

Halfway across the road he felt a strange tightness around his throat like he was being

strangled. Increasingly worse the tightness became as he now had trouble breathing.

What was happening?

He looked about him confused and a little scared as the rain suddenly hurtled down from

the heavens. The shop in front was now harder to see as Jeremy took each step carefully,

he had to get back to the shop where it was safe.

Slowly the rain lessened and the tightness around his throat subsided.

In the window he could see his wife peering out, making a hand signal to come back.

Jeremy finally made it to the path just in front of the shop and breathed a sigh of relief.

The open door in front he made his way into the shop his apron now soaked.

8

“Are you OK dear?” his wife asked.

“I’m not really sure.”

He sat down on a nearby wooden chair and began to tell his wife of what had just

happened, the lightening and the strange girl that had vanished in front of him.

Once he had finished telling her she came over and rested a hand on his shoulder.

“I saw the lightening and feared for your safety, thank god you are alright,” she said

in a caring manner, not quite believing the bit about the girl vanishing into thin air.

She took that part as merely a form of shock from her husbands point of view, he had

always had a vivid imagination as long as she had known him.

“I’ve never been so scared,” he said as he still trembled slightly from the scare.

“I think we should ring the police Jeremy.”

“What about the little girl.”

“No about the window silly, we need it bordered up so no one can break in,” she said

half laughing, after everything that had happened she still had a sense of humour.

Jeremy laughed as well, he had forgot about the bloody window.

With that he got up and headed towards the till where the telephone sat beside it, to

finally ring the police.

It had happened a week or so ago now, the bones of the young child buried.

The police did not have a clue and it felt good he had got away with it.

He had not killed before but now had the taste for it in a strange sort of way.

He sat in the darkened room staring at the photographs that were blue tacked on the

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nearest wall, all consisting of young girls that he had photographed from afar.

The longer he stared one of the pictures seemed to standout from the rest, the girl in

this particular picture had brownish hair and a lovely smile, she was perfect.

He touched the picture with his thumb and felt a strange sort of electricity run

through him like a drug.

His name was Trigger, his mum had named him that out of spite.

She was an alcoholic until the day she died, siroccos of the liver had finally got her in the

end thank god.

The day she passed away the beatings stopped for good, he hated that bitch so much.

He carried on rubbing the hanging photgraph with his thumb, the excitement running

through him.

His next kill would be soon, he could not wait.

Alison lay on the bed waiting to be driven to school by her mum.

She was dressed in her light blue jacket and white blouse, and dark red skirt.

This was essential for the school she attended, if you didn’t wear the right uniform then

You would probably be sent home, it was the rules.

Her school bag which was the colour pink stood on the cabinet just beside her next to the

Bed.

She sat up on the bed looking directly at the mirror in front and started brushing her

Brownish hair, she loved her hair so much as it grew all the way down her back.

Alison didn’t think she was the prettiest girl in her year, but she certainly had a

Sparkingly personality with many friends.

Her best friend was Sue who lived about two miles away. Sue would usually catch

The school bus as the school they both attended was five miles away.

Alison had lived in the Scottish countryside for as long as she could remember with

Her parents.

The majority of her friends at school had parents that had divorced so she felt quite

Lucky that her parents were still together.

She peered at the chock that sat on a shelve at the far end of the room, it read seven

Fifty three.

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School started at nine fifteen so there was plenty of time.

She heard a bang from downstairs and then her mum shouted, “Come on dear are you

Ready yet?”

The funny thing was her mum always called her dead on seven fifty four which now

The time was.

Alison picked her school bag up from the cabinet that had books packed in from the

Night previous and then made a dash for the bedroom door where she opened it and

Then proceeded into the hallway.

The black cat named Checkers ran up the hallway towards her its green eyes looking

With glee as it purred delightfully.

“Hello you silly cat,” she said as she stroked its back lovingly.

The silly cat purred some more as it didn’t want the stroking to stop.

But Alison had to get on, she wanted to be at the school gate by eight thirty to meet

Sue.

Even though Alison was only twelve years of age she had already tried her first

Cigerette, it tasted disgusting but all her other friends from school smoked, apart from

Janice who was a complete square anyhow.

And she certainly did not want to be a labeled a square for the rest of her life.

“Bye Checkers see you tonight girl,” she said as she met the stairs then ran down.

She could now see her mum at the bottom as she constantly checked the time on her

Watch.

“Come on dear I don’t want to be late,” the mother said, her name was Miranda and

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She was thirty nine years of age and also a control freak.

“I’m coming,” Alison whinged as she ran down the last few stairs.

Her pink rucksack wrapped comfortably around her right shoulder, it seemed a bit

Heavy though.

Miranda opened the front door using the key and they both stepped out into the

Drive.

The weather that day was far from great as the downpour from the last previous

Days was far from over. Dark clouds swirled menacingly in the sky promising

More atrocious rain.

“Come on Alison it is going to rain any minute,” Mirande shouted as the wind

Became stronger all of a sudden.

Alison ran to the passenger side of the car and got in immediately placing her

School bag on her legs as she gripped it with dear life.

Her mum also entered in the drivers door where she started the engine, the engine

Roared beautiful as they were now off.

The trip to the school took about twenty minutes as Miranda was an incredibly

Cautious driver, never taking risks.

In the last two miles of the journey they overtook the school bus leaving it

Behind as it disappeared amidst the mist of that morning.

Even though Miranda was a slow driver the bus at best must have been going a

Tedious twenty miles per hour.

Eight twenty two the car pulled up at the entrance of the school, the mist was thick.

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“Thanks mum,” Alison said as she opened the passenger door to get out.

She stepped onto the pavement and placed her bag yet again on her shoulder.

“Bye love I’ll see you at three thirty OK,” Miranda said as she blew her little girl a kiss.

Alison waved back feeling a little embarrassed, why were parents such emotional

Wreaks?

The car finally disappeared into the mist and she was now alone.

She waited patiently for the school bus to arrive for some strange reason though it

Was later then normal, which was odd to say the least as the bus would usually

Arrive dead on eight thirty.

But the time now was eight fifty three.

Her bag ached around her shoulder so she put it down near where she stood

Against some silver railings.

The coldish air was stifling as she had stood in the same spot for what seemed like ages.

Then suddenly at of the blue the school bus appeared at of the dense swirling fog as it

Approached the entrance of the school in a slowish motion.

Finally it halted and the front side door opened and the children walked out of the

Vehicle there bags in there hands.

“Sue,” Alison shouted as she saw her best friend appear.

Sue looked round and waved as they then walked towards each other with smiles on

There young faces.

“Alright love how are you,” Sue said as she laughed.

“For god sake you sound like my parents,” Alison laughed with her.

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“So you up for it then?” Sue asked.

Alison knew what she was talking about and that scared her a little bit.

The day previous Alison had told her best friend about a boy she had fancied for ages.

But now it was the scary day of approaching the boy and trying to make conversation

With him.

The boy in question was the same age with pure black hair, which was cut Quite short.

He always wore his school uniform with pride, the thicker part of the tie always showing,

this look was always known as the kipper look.

Alison noticed her friend looked a bit scruffier then normal with strange lines around

Her eyes.

“Are you feeling alright Sue?” she asked politely.

Sue brushed her blondish hair from her eyes, then scratched her left cheek more out of

Nerves then anything else.

“You know the sex education classes we attend, and how they are always talking about

Periods. I think I had one last night, then the morning when I woke up I felt so tired.

Apart of me did not want to come to school, but then at the sametime I didn’t want to

Worry dad.”

Alison always feared the period word knowing she was going to have one sooner or later.

Then after one thousands more would follow for the remainder of her life.

In a leaflet she had read, it said some women suffered from depression due to there

Periods, but the majority of women just suffered slight drowsiness.

“Sue go and see the school nurse now, I’ll come with you,” Alison said softly.

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“OK,” was Sue’s only reply, she felt desperate and didn’t know what to do really?

They both walked hesitantly to the school corridor where the school nurse was based at

The end of the longish corridor near where the headmasters office was.

Walking down they noticed a couple of strange stares from some of the other pupils in

The corridor that day. Alison took it down as paranoia, she felt a little tense because of

What her best friend had told her.

Finally they reached the end and Alison knocked on the white door waiting patiently.

The door opened and the school nurse stood there in all her glory.

She was a big woman with a caring smile, her hair was the colour light red and her

Eyes a deep luminous blue. That day she was wearing casual gear, the gear she

Usually wore was whitish clothing to signify she was in the medical game.

She wore a reddish jumper that went well with her hair, and also light blue jeans and

Brown shoes with heals. Her name was Jackie and she had worked for the school for

Seven years and loved it.

“Hello little ladies how can I help you?” she asked politely enough.

Sue was quiet as she bit her nails.

Alison decided to speak up for her friends sake, “Can you explain to us again about

Periods please miss?”

The school nurse gave the impression she knew what was going on and ushered them

Both into the room.

Once they were all sat down, the nurse looked at them with seriousness in her eyes

And then she spoke, “So who has started having periods then, it’s best to be honest?”

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Alison didn’t want to embarrass her friend so she stayed quiet, hoping Sue would say

Something.

Finally Sue spoke feeling somewhat embarrassed by what she was going to say next.

“I think I had a period last night miss, but I am so scared.”

The nurse whose name was Micheille got up from her chair and came towards the two

Girls and then sat down beside them, “Alison is it OK if you waited outside while I try

And help your friend?”

Alison knew the score and got up from the chair where she had sat, and then headed towards the door. She opened it looking back once as the school nurse tended her friend.

Alison knew her friend was in good hands and left them to it as she closed the door

Behind her.

Now she was on her own back in the crowded corridor.

Pupils of both gender walking past in a hurry as they had things to be done.

Some looking for there friends to talk about there various interests.

Others sneaking off for more troublesome reasons like smoking.

Alison decided to go for a smoke her self, she had a packet of Benson & Hedges in her

School bag. Walking to the shielded part of the corridor she removed the golden

Packet from the bottom of her bag and opened the top of the packet to see how many cigerettes she had left, only three.

Damn she thought that wouldn’t be enough for the rest of the day, she would have to

Buy another packet at lunchtime.

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She shiftly made her way down the corridor passing a couple of her friends along the

Way, “Fancy a smoke, but I can’t splash though.”

“Yeah sure,” were there replies.

A teacher passed them as he carried his many books, but he was too involved in his own

Duties to even notice them.

The three girls including Alison made it to the entrance of the corridor and walked out

Through the double doors heading for the nearest bush where they could crouch behind.

The bush looked dead as the autumn had been harsh, but still they hid behind it to

Escape prying eyes.

“Where’s Sue?” one of the girls asked, her dark hair blowing in the slight wind.

Alison had to think quick so she wouldn’t embarrass her mate, “I think she is bunking

Today I ain’t seen her.”

“Liar I saw you two earlier,” the girl said, looking disheartened by the lie.

“She had a problem last night and she is with the nurse now,” Alison said feeling like

She was letting her mate down.

“What sort of problem?”

“I don’t know.”

“Liar.”

“Shut up and smoke your bloody fag.”

“Sorry,” the girl said as she took a lighter out of her pocket and lit the cigerette, flames

Dancing off the end as they disappeared in the breeze.

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They all sat there for sometime as they smoked there cigerrettes.

Before long the ringing of the bell was heard as it echoed around the school.

“See you later guys,” Alison said as she picked herself up from the dampish grass

Making a run for the entrance of the building where her class was situated six rooms

Up the corridor.

Opening the door she ran in, Sue just ahead of her.

Alison walked swiftly to her friend, “Are you OK?”

Sue looked a little happier then earlier, “The nurse has put my mind at rest, she

Showed me what to do with the tampon and stuff. Supposedly you have a period

Once a month for the rest of your life.”

“Yeah I know, that is what they taught us in the class,” Alison said a little confused.

Hadn’t her friend bothered listening or something?

“Better head to class,” Sue muttered, noticing the headmaster was closeby with a stern

Look on his face.

“Good idea,” Alison responded noticing the headmaster as well as he came ever closer

To where they stood.

With that they were both off down the corridor to head to there tutors room where

Registration would begin. Then after that every class in the school would all attend the

Main hall for chorus singing.

The bell finally rung as school for the day was over time to leave.

As usual the school coach appeared to take long distance pupils home.

Sue on this certain day decided to miss her bus because she wanted to chat to

Alison more about what happened the night previous.

Also Alison was interested in what her best friend had to say, knowing she would be

Going through this shit sooner or later herself.

Alison also knew her mum would not mind to much giving Sue a lift to her house as

It was along the way, perfect.

The air was still crisp as they waited patiently outside the school near the gate.

Thankfully they both wore coats so it wasn’t too cold, but the skirts they both wore

Didn’t help there legs much though.

It was now four o clock where the hell was mum Alison thought, it was more out of

Worry then anything else.

The mist had formed a few minutes before and now the road in front was hard to makeout

From the naked eye.

“Where’s your mum?” asked Sue as she peered nervously up the road.

“I don’t know, the weather has slowed her down by the looks of things,” Alison replied.

Alison looked at the watch again it was now five past four.

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“So how did it go with the nurse?” Alison then asked interested.

“It went alright, we just talked about it for a little while. Promise me something though Alison when it happens to you don’t worry about it too much, it’s not that bad after talking to the nurse,” Sue answered happily, then she removed a white box from her left coat pocket.

“What’s that?” Alison asked.

“The answer to periods my love, tampons,” Sue laughed as she shook the four inch box about her head.

“Your mad.”

“I know.”

Out of the swirling mist a car appeared and stopped in front of them.

“Hello love, oh hello Sue I wasn’t expecting to see you,” Miranda said a little shocked.

“Sorry mum I should have rung you, but could you give Sue a lift home please, it is along the way as you know,” Alison grovelled.

“Of course I can silly, get in girls,” with that Miranda wound up the drivers side window to keep in the heat.

The two girls then opened the doors of the car and got in, Alison sat in the front beside her mum while Sue sat in the back.

“Thank you,” Sue said politely, then wrapping the seatbelt around her.

Alison did the same, the tighter the seatbelt the safer you would be.

“Ready,” Miranda shouted as she stuck her foot down on the accelerater and they were off.

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The car moved slowly up the road, the problem being the mist was becoming increasingly worse and Miranda had trouble seeing ten metres in front.

“I think this is going to take sometime Sue, have you got your mobile on you so you can give your dad a ring just in case he is worrying.”

“I’ll ring him now,” Sue answered, removing the rectangular black mobile from the inside of her school bag and then dailing her home number.

Within a couple of seconds it rang, Sue’s dad answered, “Hello.”

“Hi dad it’s Sue, I’m getting a lift with Alison’s mum so I shouldn’t be long OK.”

“OK love see you soon.”

The line then went dead and Sue her self pressed the button to end the call.

“How is your dad?” Miranda asked, keeping her eyes on the road.

“Fine,” Sue answered nervously, she didn’t like talking about her homelife.

It wasn’t the fact that her homelife was worse then anybody elses, she just did not like talking about it, in someways it made her feel vunerable.

The car now came to a T junction, and they waited patiently for any incoming traffic.

The road in front was bare, even amongst the fog no lights from cars could be seen.

The car then turned left to where Sue’s home was situated, and a hundred metres up that road Miranda stopped the car again.

“There you go love,” Miranda said as she patted her hands softly on the steering wheel.

“See you tomorrow Alison, thanks for the lift Alison’s mum,” Sue said in a hurry as she jumped out of the still car closing the door in the process, making it bang slightly.

Alison watched her best friend as she ran up the stony drive.

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Before long she disappeared, the mist engulfing her.

“Shall we head home now love, or do you fancy eating out tonight,” Miranda asked.

“Lets head home mum, to be honest I’m tired.”

The car then moved up the road towards the next junction which was situated about three hundred metres away.

A few seconds later the car stopped again, still no traffic, how come?

“Where is everyone?” Alison asked, surprised they hadn’t encountered anyone else so far.

“Maybe the fog had turned people off, not wanting to venture out.”

“Yeah maybe your right.”

Miranda put her foot down on the accelerater once again and the car then turned right.

Within five minutes a car appeared in front of them going at a pathetic six miles per hour.

Miranda knew this because she went the same speed as the car in front and then read the dail.

“Bloody hurry up,” she snarled.

The mist by magic then became less and then Miranda realised she was stuck in a queue of cars.

But because the cars travelled at such a slow pace there must have been an accident ahead somewhere.

“Bloody shit,” she moaned.

Alison didn’t hear her mum swear much and was quite taken aback, “Chill out mum, your making me feel freaked out.”

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“Sorry love.”

Steadily they moved up the road, Miranda growing ever more irritated.

“Lets have some music to chill out to,” Alison said as she moved her hand towards the radio that was situated in the front of the car.

Pressing the central button the music blared out.

“That’s better isn’t it mum.”

“A bit loud love, do you mind if I turn it down a tad?” Miranda asked.

“Yeah sure go for it,” Alison agreed.

Miranda turned the volume down using the left button turning it ever so slightly.

“That’s better.”

In front of them standing at the side of the road was a policeman waving some kind of flare.

“What is he doing?” Alison asked.

“Keeping the traffic going at a steady speed I should imagine,” she replied.

Miranda knew there definitely was an accident ahead now as the policeman being there was obvious that something had happened.

On the left of them sitting on a grassy area were the sight of three wreckages.

The fire had ceased, but dark smoke bellowed from the mutated vehicles.

It was a very sad sight.

“Look mum an accident, I hope no one got hurt.”

Miranda carried on looking with a strange facination.

A woman suddenly appeared in the near distance, her clothes covered in red.

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“Oh my god,” Miranda gasped, she couldn’t help but stare.

The youngish woman had two policemen with her, as they seemed to be looking after her.

The policeman with the flare still waved it as the traffic moved slowly up the road.

Before long the wreakages had disappeared from view.

But the memory of the woman covered in either hers or someones elses blood would haunt Miranda for sometime now.

“Are you OK mum?” Alison asked worried.

Miranda answered trembling somewhat, “I just feel a bit shaky that’s all.”

Another left and they were back in the vicinity of the smallish town of Struthocks.

They lived on the outskirts where fields outweighed the houses, the traffic was quiet also.

The town was twenty or so miles from the city of Glasgow, the great city of Scotland.

The Gruts Arms was the only pub in the town where they sold the famous strong beer by the name of ‘Buckhaven’, the locals favourite by far.

Miranda pulled the car up in the drive about six metres from the front door, “Here’s the key love help yourself.”

“Mum I already have a key.”

“Oh of course you do, sorry love I’m still a bit shaky,” she said a little embarrassed by her forgetting.

Alison got out of the car and made her way to the door.

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Removing her own key from her coat pocket she placed it in the lock and gave it a turn to the left, one click the door opened.

The slight warmth from the hall blew softly over Alison as she entered the safety of familiar surroundings.

She looked back to see her mum still sitting in the car.

“Come on mum it’s freezing out there, come in where it’s warm,” Alison shouted.

Miranda was still upset with what she had witnessed earlier and needed some time on her own to gather her thoughts.

She knew Alison was a bright girl and would understand.

And as she had predicted Alison disappeared upstairs to her bedroom without a worry in the world.

Miranda sat in the car for the next two minutes as she pondered on what to do for tea.

It was basically a smart way of not thinking about the accident and the poor woman.

Alison had taken off her school uniform and replaced it with casual gear. She now wore a holier then now pair of jeans, and a white T-shirt, well if she was going to watch TV for the remainder of the day while lying on her bed she needed to be comfortable.

She switched on the television by using the knackered remote that wouldn’t always work.

It must have been her lucky day as the screen was now filled with picture.

The only problem being it was shit children’s TV.

“Bloody hate this shit.”

26

A door from downstairs was heard shutting, must be mum.

“Is that you mum?” Alison shouted.

No answer.

Better check it out Alison thought as she picked herself up from the untidy bed.

She made it to the door and opened it.

“Mum is that you?” she shouted again.

Still no answer, Alison was getting worried now.

Footsteps were heard coming up the stairs.

“Who’s there?”

Miranda’s face appeared smiling, “What would you like for tea love?” she asked.

“Why didn’t you answer me?” Alison said a little angrily.

“I didn’t hear you love, sorry I didn’t mean to alarm you.”

“That’s alright mum, do anything for tea I’m not to bothered to be honest.”

If anything Alison was still thinking about the boy from school, she still hadn’t asked

Him out. Mainly Sue and her period problems got in the way, but tomorrow was a new day when she would finally get the courage to approach him.

“Sausage and mash with peas sound nice?” Miranda asked.

Apart from the fat content of the sausages Alison was in the mood for a good feed.

“Sounds lovely,” she said with glee.

“It will be about twenty minutes alright.”

“Perfect.”

With that Miranda disappeared from view, walking back down the stairs, which creaked

27

slightly.

Alison made her way back into the bedroom and lay on the bed, her hands placed behind her head.

All she could think about was that boy, the boy from school who she fancied so much.

Tomorrow was going to be a turning point in her mediocre life and she was scared and excited at the sametime.

After a few minutes of day dreaming her mothers voice were heard coming from down the stairs.

“Love teas ready.”

Alison got up from the bed walking through the door and made her way down the stairs to eat with her family.