"Tell me amigos, why did Ziggy not come out to greet us?" Ché asked seating himself on the floor in the living room.
Kit looked to Robyn who looked to Robbie who looked to Sportacus. None of them knew what to say and lying to Ché was impossible, he could always tell. It was obvious that Ché expected an answer and wanted one quickly.
After an awkward two minute's silence Ché spoke again, "What happened?"
"Ziggy tried to run Kit over but got me instead." Robyn replied nervously.
"What?" Ché yelled striking the coffee table with his hand and reducing it to nothing more than firewood.
"It happened last week. Ziggy was jealous of Kit and tried to run him over with Trixie's car but I pushed him out of the way. Ziggy slammed on the brakes but it wasn't enough to stop him hitting me. I got thrown up and hit the windscreen before falling off again. That's how my arm got hurt. It got trapped behind me when I was thrown up."
As Robyn had been speaking Ché's face had been turning red and he had clenched his fists into tight balls. When Robyn failed to say anything further he endeavoured to hear the rest from Ziggy. Deaf to the pleas of his wife and friends to calm down, he crawled over to the front door and pulled it from its hinges. Crawling past the wrecked door and out of the house he stood up and fixed his gaze on Ziggy's house. Starting off with his long strides he made his way over there.
Taking matters into her own hands and ignoring Greta's warnings not to interfere Robyn ran out of the house after Ché. She had to stop him. In this state he could quite possibly kill Ziggy which wasn't something she wanted to happen. She'd tried shouting at him to stop but his attention was fixed solely on his destination. Not having many other options she changed tack. After halting her pursuit of Ché she took off one of her shoes, and aiming it at the back of his head, threw it.
Ché whirled round when he felt something impact with the back of his head. He saw Robyn standing behind him with only one shoe on and guessed that her other shoe had been used as a missile to get his attention. Fuelled by anger at her impudence he raised his fist to teach her a lesson but something in her eyes stopped him from following through with his intention. With his anger lessening by the second he slowly lowered his fist and continued to stare into her large blue eyes. A feeling of calmness filled him, following an impulse he sat down heavily on the ground. Only when he broke eye contact with Robyn did he remember what he'd wanted to do and realised what he'd almost done. The bitter pull of shame tugged at his conscience and he looked over at the girl standing silently watching him.
After a few minute's silence Ché cleared his throat, "Robyn I-"
"There's no need to apologise. You did nothing wrong. It's me who should be apologising. I disrespected you and your position. I'm sorry."
Ché stood up and walked over to Robyn, "I accept your apology. It confuses me why you would risk your life to halt one of my rampages against one who could have taken your life or Kit's."
"There's been enough death here already and I won't have anyone else's blood on my hands. To have not stopped you would have made me like her. I haven't punished Ziggy and I won't. He feels bad about what he did and has lost me as a friend, that's punishment enough. I'll not add to his sorrow."
"That's very noble of you," Ché replied and cupped Robyn's chin before gently raising her head so he could see her face a little better, "I must confess that when I look at you I can see something of Lily in you but I'm convinced that looks are the only thing you share. What you did today and what you've said shows that you are very much removed from her. It might serve enough to change your grandparents' minds. When I see them next I'll tell them exactly what happened here."
"Even about the shoe?"
"I think I can leave that part out. How do you think I can make amends for wrecking your father's house?"
Robyn looked back and thought for a few moments, "Fix the door, buy him a new coffee table and give him a huge cake. That should cover it."
"Perhaps first I should apologise." Ché said before walking back to the house.
Robyn watched him and went to fetch her shoe. Before she could put it back on Skip grabbed it and made to run off. Folding her arms she shook her head but then decided to join in his game. Seeing that he had a playmate he ran off into the garden where he could hide. It didn't take long for Robyn to find him and when she did he refused to let the shoe go. Luckily the shoe was one of a pair that she'd had for ages and was starting to wear out.
Knowing full well that her shoe would get ripped up she played tug of war with him. For a terrier his size he had a strong grip with his jaws and was beating her. After a few minutes there wasn't much left of the shoe and after Skip started whining she threw her other shoe for him to fetch. The little dog ran after it as best he could and proceeded to rip it up on his own.
Rolling her eyes a little she turned round to walk home but stopped when she sensed something. Whatever it was it was far away and kept drifting in and out of her range. Looking back towards her house she made a decision to find out what it was. Dinner wouldn't be ready for another two hours and she suspected that at least someone had seen her run after Skip. She was sure that her search wouldn't last very long and that it was probably nothing.
Reaching out with all of her senses she walked slowly out of the garden. After fifteen minutes she was some way away from the town and heading in the direction of the old Sunny Acres Camp Site. It was a place she'd never intended to visit again but the closer she came to it the stronger the feeling grew. Determined to find out what it was she continued walking and soon reached visual range of the camp. In the distance she could see the blackened shell of the cabin that had served as Cain's hide out and Eloise DeChamp's final stand. Images flashed through her mind, they were a combination of the fire that had burnt the camp to the ground and of her last visit. She remembered being attacked by her one time acquaintance Eloise DeChamp; her curiosity had pulled her into the Lion's den.
Caution began to edge into Robyn's consciousness but she continued walking. Step after step took her closer to the cabin. Finally she came to the steps leading up to the porch and she stopped walking. Looking back towards town she knew it was too late to turn back now. She was here now and had to find out what she was sensing. Slowly she lifted her foot and stepped on the first stair which creaked under her weight. Taking a deep breath she climbed the rest of the steps. Reluctantly she walked over to the door.
More images assaulted her when she touched the rusted door knob. They were warning her not to proceed but she couldn't turn back now. Whatever was behind that door would forever haunt her if she didn't find out. There were so many possibilities and yet again her curiosity had taken over her reason. She had to find out what was in there. She had to go in and confront her curiosity.
Gently she turned the door knob and pushed the door open. It screamed on its mistreated hinges as it swung open. Slowly she entered and reached out. Her senses told her that what she sought was in the basement. Following them she found a trap door in one of the bedrooms. Bending down she touched the handle and the images that continued to flash in her mind did so with more violence. Ignoring them again she pulled the trap door open.
Musty air flowed out and assaulted her senses. The whole place reeked of death but it didn't stop her following the steps down into the darkness. She remembered this as the place that Cain had hidden from the world. No one had known he was here and if something went wrong no one would know she was here either. This thought struck her with such violence that she knew she had to leave. Following her impulses she turned to go back up the steps but the sound of movement in the basement stopped her.
A malevolent voice inched its way through the darkness, "Hello Robyn,"