The Girl who played the flute
Chapter 1- the Arrival and murder
My name was Annabelle and I live in a loch side village in the west of Scotland. I have two sisters and a mother, my father died last year. It was hard going for a while without anyone to get our food. It happened when he was out fishing for our tea. It is said that a huge fish rose from the water and dragged him in. I don't know whether to believe the story or not. Ever since the incident, the loch has been closed off and the story is still told to new comers in the village. Not that there are many. I sit and watch the new comers from my favourite tree in the woodland, which overlooks the track you have to go down to get to our village. Many people have come here, but strangely not for long. I was born here, and mama says we will always stay. I always wonder why they do not stay. Mama knows why and so do my sisters Katy and Erica, but they won't tell me. I am the youngest of the family, at age fourteen, and considered a nuisance. Katy is always treating me like a slave, saying I am too nosy for my own good. Mama is very proud of her as a daughter, but doesn't think much of me. I was a daddy's girl before the accident happened. Papa and I always used to do everything together, he even took me fishing. Papa was the one who gave me my flute. It was my sixth birthday present, and I haven't stopped playing since. This is normally what I do in my tree, apart from spying on people. I haven't got any friends, but I don't really need them.
This morning I was sitting in my tree, when a family came up to our village in a horse and cart. They looked quite posh, with glittering robes and coats. But only one of them noticed me. There was a boy, about seven years old, sitting on his own at the back of the cart dangling his legs over the end and writing in a book. He heard me playing my flute and looked up at me. He had dark brown eyes and jet black hair that casually flopped down the side of his sullen face. I stopped playing the flute. He looked at me admiringly, and nodded his head as a sort of hello. Then he lowered his face down again and started writing again. I got down from my tree and followed them, darting behind bushes and trees so they wouldn't notice me. Finally they came to the village. They all got out and walked up the lane. I wasn't the only one looking at them. Several villagers, including Katy and Erica, had come to watch the arrival. That may only be because they had a son who was about sixteen who was quite good looking. The people looked like they were coming for a long time. Some of the villagers started whispering and placing bets on how long they would stay. The boy closed his book and hopped off the back of the cart.
'Now James, I want you to go off for a while. Everything will be sorted out,' the lady said. James stayed where he was. The lady pushed him hard so he fell over. He scrambled away towards the woods. I didn't want to see what happened next with the family, as I knew they were moving into the hut at the top of the hill, so I went and followed him. He walked down the track into the woods. I decided to surprise him by leaning against a tree. I ran down the path, towards my tree. As he was walking towards it, I started playing. I only know one tune, and it was the one papa taught me. James walked towards me and sat down on a near by tree stump, gazing up at me.
When I had finished, he stood up and walked over to me.
'Hi. When did you learn to play the flute?'
'When I was six. My papa taught me,' I replied.
'I wish my dad would teach me something like that. You have a nice father.'
'Had a nice father,' I corrected him 'He died last year.'
'Sorry.' He touched my arm. His hand was covered in scratches.
'Where did you get all those scratches from?'
'Oh, its nothing,' He shrugged his shoulders.
'Yes it is. Tell me.'
'Well,' he peered through his fringe at me, 'My parents treat me...like a slave, I suppose.'
'Same. Well, my mum and my sister Katy does. I hardly ever see Erica.'
He looked at me for a moment and was about to say something when a loud drumming beat could be heard from the village. I grabbed James's hand and we ran up to the village. All the villagers were out, and were in a circle in the square. We jostled our way through to the front of the crowd. In the middle was a wooden bed, and in it was a man sopping wet with scratches over his face. It was the local blacksmith. I gasped. The leader of the village stood up on a stool infront of us all, looking very grave.
'Another murder had happened. Mark was found strangled down by the loch, and looked like he had been drowned. Who ever did this shall be killed.' He stepped down, and backed away, leaving the crowd stood round. Mark's wife was kneeling next to him, crying out in despair. It makes me think of Papa. I pushed my way through the crowd and ran down the hill. James followed me.
When I got to my tree, I held my flute in my trembling fingers and looked at it.
'Have you not heard the story of my papa dying?'
He looked at me 'No.'
'I shall warn you. You will live in this village no more than a week. New comers always leave. But nothing like this has happened since my father died when he was fishing,' I looked at him sympathetically, 'your family won't stay more than a week. I know it. It's weird that something like this should happen on the day of your arrival.'
James sighed and looked up at me 'I need to go. Sorry.' He got up and started walking briskly back to the village.
I wondered why he is so weird. It's like he has a secret he can't tell anyone. I picked up my flute and started playing again. But it was no use. My fingers were trembling so much they wouldn't stay on the keys. In the end I turned back towards the village and started walking.