Disclaimer: All recognisable characters belong to HiT Entertainment. All OCs belong to me.
Chapter 25
One year later – July 1984
"Come on, Charlie! Please…!" I begged.
Charlie sighed in exasperation as he put down his newspaper. "Why does it have to be my car? Why can't you borrow dad's or grandad's?"
"Because, dad's car is in the garage getting a new fan belt, and grandad doesn't trust me to drive his car on my own."
"How very perceptive of him," Bronwyn muttered. Charlie chuckled quietly, but he stopped when he saw me glaring at him.
It was the middle of the summer holidays, and I was spending the summer in Pontypandy with my family. Mum was very proud of me, because I'd come top of the class in all but one of my classes at university. I only had one more year to go before I graduated.
I'd also passed my open driving test only three weeks earlier, which had been a nice birthday present for me. However, I was yet to get a car of my own, and I really needed access to one tonight, so I could drive to Newtown. I'd promised Luke, Daniel and Mark that I'd meet them in town for a few games of bowls. We hadn't seen each other since the previous summer, and I wasn't sure when I'd get another chance.
"I promise, I'll take good care of your car, Charlie."
Charlie sniggered, and he looked up at Bronwyn. "I'm really enjoying this. I don't often get Sam on his hands and knees, begging me for something."
You don't have a lot of things I want. I sighed with frustration. If I didn't get going soon, it wouldn't be worth going. "Charlie…!"
Charlie laughed again, and he removed the keys from his pocket. "All right, Sam. You may borrow my car on two conditions. The first is that you make sure you're back here before midnight. Mum will kill both of us if you're not home by then. The second is that, if something does happen to it, you will pay for any damage you cause."
I accepted the keys from Charlie. "Done! Thanks, Charlie! Again, I promise I'll look after it. I'll see you later!"
As I made my way out of the house, I heard Charlie say to Bronwyn, "What could I do, Bronwyn? He's seventeen years old. I can hardly treat him like a kid anymore."
That's true, I thought as I made my way out through the backdoor.
That drive to Newtown was one of the first solo drives I ever did, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I arrived without incident at the bowling alley shortly after sunset, and I joined my friends inside.
Luke, Daniel, Mark and I played three games in total. We all won one game each, except for Mark, who came second twice. It was eleven-thirty by the time I eventually left Newtown. Seeing that thick fog had settled over the valley between Newtown and Pontypandy, I realised that I'd be pushing to get back to Pontypandy by midnight.
I suppose I'd better forget about the curfew and concentrate on driving carefully. Charlie will kill me if anything happens to his car.
Once I had left the lights of Newtown, I found that I could barely see where I was going. The fog was so thick, you could have easily sliced it with a knife. The car's headlights didn't help me much, but I knew the road well enough to keep the car on it. However, I was barely crawling along at about fifteen miles an hour.
I guessed that I was about five miles from Pontypandy, when something swooped out of the fog and nearly collided with the front windscreen. Startled, I swerved sharply to the left. I saw the stone wall lining the road appear through the dense fog, but I was too late to try and avoid it.
CRASH!
Even though I'd been driving slowly, the sudden deceleration jolted me forwards and I slammed my forehead into the top of the steering wheel*. Luckily, the seatbelt prevented the rest of my body from moving too far forwards, but the impact with the steering wheel knocked me out.
With a heavy groan, I regained my senses. Blinking, I thought I saw smoke coming from under the car's bonnet, but I breathed a sigh of relief when I realised that it was just the fog drifting across the bonnet. The car's right headlight was still on, which partially revealed the extent of the damage to Charlie's car. From what I could see, only the front left headlight had been broken, which was why that headlight had gone out. I guessed that the front bumper was probably damaged too.
I nursed my head in my hands for a moment as I realised just how much trouble I was in. Oh, daro! Charlie's really going to kill me now! I can't afford to have that fixed… I'm going to have to walk home… Reaching down, I managed to press the button to unbuckle my seatbelt. Once it had retracted, I put a bit of weight on my right ankle, but that caused me to yelp in agony. Right, well that rules out that plan… Now what? I glanced at my watch. In the dimness, I could just make out that it was a quarter past twelve. I let out a low moan of despair as I leaned my head back against the seat. I'll stay here. No doubt Charlie will send out a search party for me soon.
I must have briefly dozed off or passed out again, because when I next opened my eyes it was twelve-thirty a.m. I sensed that something must have woken me, but when I looked out through the front windscreen, I couldn't see anything. However, I could sense that something was watching me. Cautiously, I turned my head to the right to look out the driver's side window. My eyes widened when I came face-to-face with two glowing red eyes.
A scream escaped from my lips before I could stop it. Instinctively, I tried to move away from the window, but a bolt of pain shot from my ankle and it caused me to faint. My head landed on the front passenger seat.
When I regained consciousness again, I held my head in my hands until my senses cleared. Hearing a quiet snort, I glanced back at the driver's side window. Amazed, I slowly sat up. A jet-black horse with glowing red eyes was staring straight through the window at me.
"Paid dychryn (Don't panic)," I heard a voice say. I glanced around, wondering where it came from. "Dim ond fi, dy hen ffrind. (It's just me, your old friend.)"
"Ble...ble ydych chi? (Where…where are you?)" I asked cautiously.
"Reit yma. Wrth y ffenest. (Right here. At the window.)"
My eyes settled on the horse again and I swallowed. It's the pwca! It has to be! They usually appear as a black horse with glowing eyes.
"Beth wyt ti eisiau gen i? (What do you want from me?)" I asked nervously.
"Dwi wedi dod i fynd â chi adref. (I've come to take you home.)"
"Cartref? (Home?)"
"Ie, nawr dewch ymlaen. Dydyn ni ddim wedi cael drwy'r nos. (Yes, now come on. We haven't got all night.)"
The pwca moved away from the door, giving me enough room to open it. I removed the keys from the car's ignition, which turned out the remaining headlight. The entire area plunged into darkness, except for the horse's eyes.
"Pam yr ydych yn fy helpu? (Why are you helping me?)" I asked it.
"Oherwydd, fy ngwaith i yw eich amddiffyn. (Because, it's my job to protect you.)"
"Oh."
The pwca lay down on its side in the middle of the road, waiting for me to mount it. Taking care not to put too much weight on my right ankle, I scrambled onto its back. As soon as it was sure I was clinging onto its mane, the pwca carefully stood up.
"Barod? (Ready?)" the pwca asked.
"Ydw. (Yes)."
With a gentle nicker, the pwca started trotting away down the road. I couldn't help tensing up at first, but after a few minutes, I relaxed and started moving with the pwca's smooth rhythm. When it felt me relax, the pwca broke into a slow rocking canter. I clung onto its luxurious mane to help me stay on.
Before long, we arrived in Pontypandy. Most of the house lights were out, but as we got closer to Charlie's place, the pwca slowed to a walk. The lights were still on and, even worse, Jupiter was parked out in front, lights flashing.
Uh oh… Now I'm really in some serious trouble.
"Dyma lle Rwy'n eich gadael (This is where I leave you)," the pwca whispered to me. Taking the hint, I dismounted, taking care to land on my uninjured left ankle.
"Diolch yn fawr (Thank you very much)," I said.
"Croeso. (You're welcome)." And with that, the pwca transformed into a will o' the wisp right before my eyes. It was difficult to believe that less than a minute before, I'd been riding a solid horse. I gave a small wave, and the wisp disappeared into the fog.
At that moment, the front door opened, and Station Officer Boyce stepped outside. "Don't worry, Charlie. Based on the information you've given us, I'm sure we'll…" his voice trailed off when he saw me standing on the footpath. "Sam?"
Unable to stand the pain in my ankle any longer, I felt myself passing out once again.
…
"Sam!" Station Officer Boyce shouted when he saw the teenager collapsing. Instinctively, he sprinted over to him. He was just in time to catch Sam by the shoulders before his head hit the cobblestones. "I need some help out here!"
Charlie, Bronwyn, Mary, Tomos and Fireman Steele hurried outside.
"Oh, goodness! It's Sam!" Tomos exclaimed.
Fireman Steele and Mary crouched down on either side of where Sam was lying. Station Officer Boyce cradled Sam's head in his hands to prevent it from touching the hard ground.
"What happened?" Mary asked as she felt Sam's neck for his pulse.
"I don't know, really," Station Officer Boyce replied. "I just came outside, and he was standing here. I said his name, and then he fainted."
Charlie looked around. "Well, he didn't return with my car…"
"Never mind about that for now, Charlie," Tomos told him sternly.
"We need to get him inside," Mary said. "He's cold, and he's got a nasty bruise on his forehead."
Fireman Steele placed his arms around Sam. "I can carry him."
"Are you sure?" Bronwyn asked.
"Yeah. I've done this hundreds of times." And with that, Fireman Steele lifted Sam onto his shoulders in a perfectly orchestrated fireman's lift. Once he was inside the house, Fireman Steele carefully set Sam down on the sofa. Mary then moved in, to examine her youngest son more closely.
"Bronwyn, fetch me a couple of blankets, please. Charlie? Can you fetch a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer?"
"Sure, mum," Charlie replied. "But what do you want it for?"
"To ice the bruise on Sam's head."
"Oh." And Charlie went into the kitchen.
Bronwyn returned first, and she and Mary draped it over Sam. Charlie handed a bag of peas to Mary, who gently placed it across Sam's forehead.
"Mmm…" Sam moaned in response to the sudden chill.
"I think he's coming around," Mary said.
"Good. He can tell me where my car is then," Charlie muttered.
"Never mind your car, Charlie," Tomos admonished. "Sam's more important than any car."
…
A low moan escaped through my lips as I slowly came to my senses. Something cold was on my forehead, and I was covered with a couple of warm blankets. Mum gently placed a hand on my arm.
"How are you feeling, sweetie?"
"Cold… What happened?"
"You fainted outside," Fireman Steele explained as he leaned over the back of the sofa. "Station Officer Boyce managed to catch you before you hit your head on the ground."
I frowned as the memories of what had happened to me earlier that night came flooding back. Then I winced when I felt my ankle start throbbing again.
"Where does it hurt, Sam?" mum asked instinctively.
"My right ankle. I think I've sprained it."
Mum moved down to the other end of the sofa, and she tenderly moved my ankle around. I could help wincing again. "Yes, it's badly swollen, but you can move it, so it's not broken. We'd better get your shoe off."
"How did you get back here, Sam?" grandad asked.
"I… I rode a horse."
Mum stopped unlacing my shoe for a moment, and she looked up at me in surprise. "A horse? But you can't ride!"
"Well, I can now. Ow!"
"Serves you right, speaking to me like that."
"I didn't see a horse when I went outside," Station Officer Boyce pointed out. "Even with all this fog, I'm sure I would've heard it if there had been one."
Everyone looked straight at me, waiting expectantly for my response. Remembering how no one had believed me that last time I'd seen the pwca, I decided not to say anything. That pwca said that it was doing its job protecting me, so I'll protect it. Hold on… Pwcas only ever appear if someone's about to die. Then, that means… Either I could've died, and it chose to rescue me, or the death will happen soon. I hope it's not me or someone I know. I closed my eyes as I sighed shakily.
"Sam?" mum called. "You mustn't go to sleep. You have concussion."
"I'm awake," I muttered, but I was feeling tired.
"What's happened to my car, Sam?" Charlie demanded to know.
I opened my eyes. "I'm really sorry, Charlie… Something flew out of the fog and it startled me. I think it was an owl. I lost control and I crashed into a stone wall about five miles out of town."
Charlie glared at me coldly. "How badly is it damaged?"
"I couldn't really tell, but the front left headlight is smashed…"
Charlie took a step towards me, but luckily grandad stopped him. "Charlie, go with Boyce and Steele. They'll help you find your car. If it's too badly damaged to drive, they can help you tow it back here."
Station Officer Boyce raised an eyebrow in surprise, but he didn't dare argue with grandad.
"Do you have the car keys, Sam?" grandad asked.
I took them out of my pocket, and I handed them to Charlie without saying a word. Then, Charlie, Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele headed outside.
"We'd better keep an eye out for a loose horse as well," I heard Fireman Steele say on his way out.
I breathed a small sigh of relief. Luckily, nobody seemed to notice.
"I think I'll go upstairs and check on the twins," Bronwyn said.
"Sorry we're keeping you awake, Bronwyn," mum apologised.
"Oh, don't worry about that, Mary! With two-year-old twins, I'm up all night anyway."
After Bronwyn had gone, mum shook me by my shoulder. "Right, Sam. We need to talk."
I groaned with annoyance. "I've told you what happened. I swerved to avoid an owl, and I accidentally crashed Charlie's car. I was about to get out when I realised that there was a horse outside on the road. It must've realised I was injured because it lay down enabling me to get on its back. I rode it all the way back here, but when I dismounted, I hurt my ankle again and that's when I fainted."
"Station Officer Boyce didn't see a horse," mum pointed out.
"It bolted as soon as I got off it."
Mum and grandad exchanged glances. I could tell from their expressions that they didn't believe me, but I knew they wouldn't believe the truth either. I pulled the bag of peas off my forehead, and grandad took it from me.
"Can I go to sleep now, please?" I asked hopefully.
Mum sighed. "All right. But I will keep waking you up every hour or so just to ensure your concussion isn't getting worse."
Pulling the blankets tighter under my chin, I settled down to sleep.
…
BANG!
Startled, I jumped awake. It was still night time, and I'd been asleep for no more than about half an hour. Before I could react, Charlie, Station Officer Boyce and Fireman Steele ran inside the sitting room. The bang had been caused by one of them slamming the front door. They all looked like they'd seen a ghost.
"Quick! Bolt the door!" Station Officer Boyce ordered.
"That won't stop a ghost," Fireman Steele pointed out.
"It wasn't a ghost!" Charlie added.
"SILENCE!" grandad ordered. Once they'd calmed down a bit, grandad spoke again. "What happened?"
"We found my car all right," Charlie explained, gasping. "It was right where Sam said it was."
"We managed to get it going," Fireman Steele continued. "But just as we were about to leave, we heard a horse trotting down the road towards us."
"We went to try and catch it," Station Officer Boyce said. "But when we caught sight of it, we saw its eyes glow red. Then, as soon as it saw us, it vanished into thin air! All we saw was a white globe floating away."
Mum scoffed. "You must've been imagining things. In this fog, the moonlight can sometimes play tricks."
Charlie, Fireman Steele and Station Officer Boyce glanced uncertainly at each other. I held my tongue. The worst thing I could do was to get involved now.
"We know what we saw, mum," Charlie finally whispered.
"But, I think it would be best if we never mention it again," Station Officer Boyce advised. "If word were to get out, there could be trouble."
"Why? Because you lot think that the Newtown Road is haunted?" mum said with a sniff.
"Boyce is right," Fireman Steele agreed. "We can't be sure of what we saw because it happened so quickly. Let's keep this to ourselves and never speak of it ever again. Agreed?"
We all nodded solemnly in agreement.
"We'd better get back to the fire station now," Station Officer Boyce decided.
Fireman Steele leaned over the back of the sofa. "Oh, before I forget, congratulations, Sam."
I was confused. "Congratulations? What for?"
"For joining the firemen's 'naughty' club. Haven't you heard the expression that all firemen are either reformed arsonists, or they've crashed a car?"
"Yeah, I've heard of it."
"Well, you just crashed a car. That means you're a legitimate fireman now."
"Thanks. So, which one are you? The reformed arsonist or the dangerous driver?"
Fireman Steele scoffed indignantly. "That's for me to know and you to find out!" And with that, he stormed out of the house, closely followed by Station Officer Boyce.
After they'd gone, I lay back down on the sofa and I closed my eyes contently. Even if someone did die soon, if felt strangely safe knowing that the pwca was looking out for me. Although I didn't really understand why it was doing that, I hoped that it would be a long time before I needed to see it again.
*Airbags weren't compulsory in UK cars in 1984, but seatbelts were.