What dim light there was came from a mass of yellow-grey clouds that hung
in the sky, and everything about the world was evil. Jane stood on a hill,
by a tree, holding a funny circle with a cross in it that suddenly felt
very important. Around her lay her friends, Bran, Simon, Barney, and Will,
all gasping and choking and crying out. It was up to her. But she
couldn't do it. Not when she Will, suddenly out of pain, glassy-eyed and
still.
Jane screamed and sat up in bed, crying and trembling and terrified. She was in bed. Everything was safe. But....where was Will? She couldn't know now. Still shaking, she lay back down; but she didn't sleep that night.
*******************************************************
Will shuffled groggily into the kitchen to find his mother looking very excited. "You'll never guess!" she said. "Your old friends from that week in Wales have invited to stay for the spring holidays! Isn't that wonderful?" Will stopped in mid-shuffle. It had been three years since those days in Wales, and he longed to see his old friends again; maybe they could explain the strange dreams he'd been having, and the sense that he'd left something of himself back in the hills of Wales. But now that it was happening......suddenly, Will was nervous.
******************************************************
Two days later, they were on their way. When they arrived in Cornwall, their agreed vacation spot, Jane was the first to meet him, with her brothers and Bran trailing behind. He raised a hand in greeting, but before he could say anything, Jane had thrown herself onto him, crying, "Oh, Will! I was so worried! I had this dream...." She began to sob into his shoulder.
Will felt very foolish as he gently detached her arms. "Tell me about it." She looked around. "Could you come outside with me?" Simon stepped forward. "Here-" "No," said Will, not looking away from her anxious face, "I think she's right." Simon stepped forward again, but there was an authority in Will's voice that made him stop. He and his brother and Bran watched helplessly as Jane led Will away.
She led him out to the darkening garden, a little calmer now she'd seen him, and told him about her dream. "Somehow I thought it might have been real; it seemed so real, and I was so frightened...." She trailed off, embarrassed. Will was astonished. He'd been having dreams very similar to hers himself.
"Have you told the others?" "No. I—I didn't want—I didn't want them to know." She blushed a deep red and looked down. "Oh. Why-" Will's throat was constricted. He swallowed and tried again. "Why didn't you want them to know?" She looked up, her dark blonde hair falling back in place behind her ears. Will suddenly felt very hot in the cool spring night. She said, "Because-" She stopped, and threw her chin up, blue eyes staring into his brown ones. Will was suddenly very aware of the deep shade of blue her eyes were. He'd never really noticed before. "Because I like you."
The whole world shattered into a million pieces, and came back together completely different. Will looked away, confused and embarrassed, and then looked back at her sad little face.
Neither of them was ever sure who moved first, but in an instant they were kissing, hardly realizing what was happening, who they were, where they were; nothing existed but each other. "Jane?!" came an alarmed and horribly familiar voice. They pulled apart and swung round, hands together. There stood Simon, Barney, and Bran, staring at them in utter astonishment.
Jane screamed and sat up in bed, crying and trembling and terrified. She was in bed. Everything was safe. But....where was Will? She couldn't know now. Still shaking, she lay back down; but she didn't sleep that night.
*******************************************************
Will shuffled groggily into the kitchen to find his mother looking very excited. "You'll never guess!" she said. "Your old friends from that week in Wales have invited to stay for the spring holidays! Isn't that wonderful?" Will stopped in mid-shuffle. It had been three years since those days in Wales, and he longed to see his old friends again; maybe they could explain the strange dreams he'd been having, and the sense that he'd left something of himself back in the hills of Wales. But now that it was happening......suddenly, Will was nervous.
******************************************************
Two days later, they were on their way. When they arrived in Cornwall, their agreed vacation spot, Jane was the first to meet him, with her brothers and Bran trailing behind. He raised a hand in greeting, but before he could say anything, Jane had thrown herself onto him, crying, "Oh, Will! I was so worried! I had this dream...." She began to sob into his shoulder.
Will felt very foolish as he gently detached her arms. "Tell me about it." She looked around. "Could you come outside with me?" Simon stepped forward. "Here-" "No," said Will, not looking away from her anxious face, "I think she's right." Simon stepped forward again, but there was an authority in Will's voice that made him stop. He and his brother and Bran watched helplessly as Jane led Will away.
She led him out to the darkening garden, a little calmer now she'd seen him, and told him about her dream. "Somehow I thought it might have been real; it seemed so real, and I was so frightened...." She trailed off, embarrassed. Will was astonished. He'd been having dreams very similar to hers himself.
"Have you told the others?" "No. I—I didn't want—I didn't want them to know." She blushed a deep red and looked down. "Oh. Why-" Will's throat was constricted. He swallowed and tried again. "Why didn't you want them to know?" She looked up, her dark blonde hair falling back in place behind her ears. Will suddenly felt very hot in the cool spring night. She said, "Because-" She stopped, and threw her chin up, blue eyes staring into his brown ones. Will was suddenly very aware of the deep shade of blue her eyes were. He'd never really noticed before. "Because I like you."
The whole world shattered into a million pieces, and came back together completely different. Will looked away, confused and embarrassed, and then looked back at her sad little face.
Neither of them was ever sure who moved first, but in an instant they were kissing, hardly realizing what was happening, who they were, where they were; nothing existed but each other. "Jane?!" came an alarmed and horribly familiar voice. They pulled apart and swung round, hands together. There stood Simon, Barney, and Bran, staring at them in utter astonishment.