The Cuckoo's Eye

by Holly Campbell

  “Hand over your key Blair.”

  “No. That’s an invasion of my privacy.”

  “Your privacy went out of the window when you set that beast on my boy!” snapped Connor’s dad.

  “Your ‘boy’ broke into my house and attacked me!”

  I saw Grayson and Elian’s faces turn to mirror images of fury but Uncle Michael didn’t even seem to hear me.

  “Blair you have two options. You can give me the key now or we will take the screws off your door to get in there.”

  I folded my arms and set my face in resolution. The key in my pocket suddenly feeling incredibly heavy. My stubbornness seemed to ignite something in Connor’s dad as he lunged forward and grabbed my arm.

  “Listen to me you jumped up little cow, you set that thing on my son and whether you like it or not-”

  Grayson roughly shoved the man back before he could finish his threat. I rubbed my arm, wincing. Looked like Connor took after his father.

  “That kind of behaviour is not acceptable,” Elian snapped. “You are in our home, you will not manhandle my sister.”

  Connor’s father sized up the twins, now flanking me like bodyguards. Connor was silently observing us from his post at the wall, still smirking. I looked at the bandage on his arm and I hoped that it hurt like hell.

  “Uncle Michael… I admit I found a dog. And I also admit that it bit Connor. But he broke in, attacked me and last time I saw him, he tried to drown me! The dog was defending me. I won’t let you hurt him for that!” I tried to convey everything that had happened in just a few words. Mr Murphy had said ‘investigate’ but I knew what they would do with the dog if they got hold of him. Even though he was innocent, they wouldn’t even consider taking the risk.

  “Blair, just stop it. Stop lying and trying to play the victim. You’re just going to make things worse for yourself.”

  “Why do you only notice me when you think I’ve done something wrong? Why do you never take my side?” As I spoke the words, my eyes burned with tears that I refused to shed. Uncle Michael’s expression was akin to disgust and he seized my wrist, pulling me away from my brothers. He forced me up the stairs, dragging me to the attic door.

  “Open it. Now.”

  I wanted to refuse but the look on his face terrified me. And if I didn’t, he would just force it open and that would just provoke the dog into attacking. Maybe if I went in, his calmness would prove that he wasn’t a danger?

  I pulled the key from my pocket and unlocked the door. Before Uncle Michael could step onto the attic staircase, I pushed past him and raced up to my bedroom door. As I unlocked it, I considered barricading myself inside. I’d snuck out of my room before, using the skylights. If there was a way to get the dog out… but I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get him down safely.

  I let myself in the room and shut the door. The dog wagged his tail, excited to see me and bounded over. I knelt down and stroked his head, trying to keep on a façade of calm. I didn’t want to stress him out.

  “Hey boy…” I whispered. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry… they’re coming to get you… I promise I won’t let them hurt you but you need to do something for me, okay? You need to stay calm. No barking, no growling, just be… good… or it might not go well. Promise me?”

  He whined and licked my cheek. I threw my arms around him, hugging him against me. I wouldn’t let them touch him.

  Uncle Michael opened the door, his shadow casting across the length of the room. I got to my feet and stood in his way.

  “I’ll bring him downstairs. He won’t do anything, just don’t hurt him.”

  I wasn’t sure if he’d let me but he nodded slowly and gestured to the stairs. The three of us descended to the living room. I kept one hand on the dog’s back, trying to reassure him and keep him calm. I felt like I was walking to the electric chair.

  When we entered the living room, I felt the dog stiffen at the sight of Connor. I could almost feel the growl rippling through him and I gave him a stroke, silently praying he would listen to me. He whined and looked at me but didn’t make a move towards the teenager.

  There was an audible intake of breath as the men took in his size. I knew that stood beside me he looked even larger than normal.

  “This is my dog,” I told the room. “He is not dangerous, see? He’s like any other dog, he won’t hurt someone unless they threaten him… or me.”

  “She’s right,” said Elian. “He’s been here for a few weeks, he’s never been aggressive.”

  “You knew?” Uncle Michael snapped.

  “Of course we knew. We live here, he’s kind of hard to miss,” Grayson replied with a roll of his eyes.

  “Not aggressive? He almost tore my son’s arm off!”

  “Well your son is a-” Grayson started to speak but Elian gave him a hard nudge in the ribs to silence him. Riling people up wouldn’t help anything.

  “More importantly he’s been killing our livestock,” Uncle Michael continued.

  “No he hasn’t! He has been with me every night and the house has been locked! He’s smart but he can’t unlock doors. He doesn’t have thumbs!”

  “Michael, maybe that’s not the right dog. Stray doesn’t automatically equal feral,” Mr Murphy suggested.

  Uncle Michael was quiet for a moment, then looked to his farmhands and nodded. They moved forward quickly, one blocking the twins from getting to me while the other two seized the dog and roughly forced a muzzle onto him. He thrashed wildly but didn’t snap at them as they restrained him. I went to stop them but the fourth wrapped his arms around me, holding me in place as I screeched. The sound of me in distress stirred something in the dog and he began to snarl angrily, doubling his efforts to escape.

  The farmhands hefted him out to the back garden and tethered him to a tree. The animal yelped and pulled at the lead. Uncle Michael left the room, returning a moment later with his shotgun. I screamed and lashed out. My palm connected with the man’s face and I felt a sharp jolt shoot through my fingers. The man yelled and released me. Surprised but not wanting to waste the opportunity, I sprinted for the garden, zigzagging around anyone who got in my way. I skidded across the grass and threw myself in front of the dog as Uncle Michael levelled the barrel at the animal’s head.

  “Blair get out the way.”

  “Not a chance. He is my dog and you will not hurt him! If you want to shoot him, you will have to shoot me.”

  There was silence in the garden. Even the dog had stopped barking. Uncle Michael didn’t move. I stared at the barrel of the gun but I didn’t feel afraid.

  “I. Am. Not. Moving.”

  His finger twitched and it looked like he was actually considering shooting. I glared back at him.

  “What is going on out here?” The sound of Nan’s voice caught Michael’s attention instantly and he twisted sharply.

  “Ma, you should be resting…”

  “Don’t tell me what to do in my own home Michael. I asked a question and I expect an answer. What is going on?”

  “I was just dealing with our wild dog problem…”

  “No, what you were doing was pointing a gun at my granddaughter. Which is something I will not allow. This is still my house and I do not appreciate you acting like a maniac.”

  “Ma…”

  “Michael Cleary, do not talk back to me. Put that gun down and get off my property. I don’t want to see you back here until you’ve gotten some sense in that brain of yours. And as for the rest of you, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Threatening a child? All of you, get out now. This is a family matter.”

  “Actually, that dog attacked my son, so it’s a legal matter,” drawled Connor’s father with an arrogant tone. I could see some of the men bristling, uncomfortable.

  “Well maybe if you taught your son how to behave himself and got him to stop beating on young girls, he wouldn’t need reminders of how to act right.”

  “Ms Cleary-”

  “Tell me sir, where did this ‘attack
’ occur?”

  “Are you senile? There’s blood all over your patio!”

  “My patio. On my property. Which your son did not have permission to be on. He was trespassing and my granddaughter was well within her rights to defend herself. It’s his own fault for coming on our land uninvited. Now, I suggest you all leave before I call the police myself.”

  Connor’s father looked like he was going to argue but Mr Murphy spoke before he could.

  “I am very sorry for our intrusion Agnes. We won’t trouble you any further.”

  He gestured to the others, who began to file towards the gate. Uncle Michael remained where he was, the gun hanging at his side. Grayson and Elian immediately sprinted over to me as I turned to the dog and frantically began to remove the muzzle and leash.

  “Michael I told you to go. And leave that disgusting thing behind,” Nan ordered, nodding to the gun.

  Uncle Michael reluctantly sidled off, scowling like a petulant child. Nan made her way over to me as I managed to free the dog. He gave me a lick, wagging his tail before turning to look at Nan. She smiled slightly at the animal before looking to the twins.

  “Boys, I need to talk to your sister. Grayson, if your uncle sets foot on our property, you have my permission to shoot him in the foot.”

  “Yes ma’am”

  Nan nodded to the twins and beckoned to me. With the dog at my side, I followed her into the house.

  FAOLAN

  The old woman seated herself on the sofa, face creasing slightly as she moved. Blair sat nearby, keeping one hand on my back. She was trembling slightly as everything began to sink in. I pressed my flank against her leg, resting my head on her knee. She had saved my life. Not only that but she had risked her own life to protect me.

  “Blair, did any of those men hurt you? In anyway?” the woman asked.

  Blair rubbed her wrist, which was ringed with livid red where someone had grabbed her. She looked away, chewing on her lower lip.

  “Not seriously.”

  “That’s not what I asked.”

  “A little. Yes.”

  “And am I right in thinking that young man came here to cause trouble?”

  “Uh huh…”

  “Do you want me to call the police? I am happy to support you if that’s what you want.”

  “No… I just want to move on.”

  The woman nodded. She did not seem happy but she did not protest Blair’s decision. Instead she turned her gaze to me, looking me over with curiosity.

  “Can I keep him?” Blair asked. Her fingers flexed, gripping my fur.

  “He seems well mannered and given everything, I would prefer you have someone to look after you. Does he have a name?”

  “I just call him dog. Or… Alan if he annoys me.”

  I let out a huff at the name and gave Blair a pointed look. The woman laughed softly and offered her hand. I was reluctant to move away from the girl but this woman was clearly the family matriarch, I did not want to risk offending her. I approached the woman and sat, offering my paw. She smiled and shook it.

  “Hello there. I’m Agnes Cleary, but everyone calls me Nan.”

  The way she spoke to me, like a person rather than an animal, pleased me and I could not help but wag my tail. She smiled and stroked my head lightly before turning her attention back to Blair.

  “Your uncle won’t be allowed back onto the property. Your aunt and cousin can stay if they please but his behaviour was inexcusable.”

  “I don’t want to cause trouble Nan…” Blair’s voice rose in pitch as she spoke and her hands began to tremble once more. It seemed odd to me – she remained calm in dangerous situations and stared her threats in the face but the moment there was disruption within her family she began to fall apart.

  “He caused the trouble not you. It is his own fault,” the woman told her firmly. She closed her eyes, body tensing as though in great pain that she was trying hard to suppress. When she opened them, there was a visible tiredness that had not been there before. “Now, that’s quite enough excitement for one day I think. Blair would you be so good as to fetch your brothers back in for me?”

  Blair nodded and left the room. The woman looked to me, her gaze razor sharp.

  “I see you. I see the truth in those eyes. I know you to be more man than beast.” I stiffened. Was she a witch? One of the fae? “My granddaughter is very dear to me. The world had not been kind to her and there are very few people she will let into her heart. But you she cares for… and I ask you, please, look after her. Protect her because I cannot.”

  I was a taken aback by her candour and a small whine escaped me. She smiled sadly.

  “I know. It will not be easy. What is right rarely is.”

  The door open and Blair returned with her brothers. The woman directed them to escort her back to her cottage leaving Blair and I alone. I went over to her and rubbed my head against her leg. She patted me absently, her forehead screwed up in confusion. I took hold of the cuff of her sleeve between my teeth, tugging gently to try and shake her out of whatever was bothering her.

  “Okay, okay… hey, now we don’t have to hide you, why don’t we spend some time outside?”

  I was not going to protest that and followed her outside to the garden. She stretched out on the grass and I lay beside her. A bird flew over the head and settled on the tree, looking down at me. It resembled a blackbird except there was a vivid white ring across its throat. Something about the sight disturbed me, the violent strip of colour cutting through the darkness of the feathers.

  Blair sighed softly, closing her eyes. The sun illuminated her skin, making it seem like it was glowing. Her hair fanned out around her, a halo of fiery red. She was beautiful and even more so in the warm light of day. In a way she reminded me of Liadan, not in appearance but they had the same sort of beautiful soul. Lying next to her, I felt the same feeling of comfort that I used to feel with my true love.

  We lay in the grass for hours. Blair barely moved an inch and I began to get a sense of how much she had given up to take care of me. While she attempted to hide me from her family, she had spent most of her free time in the house keeping me company. I had struggled to adjust at first to being within four solid walls for so much time but I had just assumed that was a result of spending so many years roaming outside. I had not really considered that it had been difficult for her as well… I had naively thought that she just enjoyed being inside. Outside, with the grass and the sun, all the tension seemed to dissolve away from her.

  I caught the edge of a sound and my ears pricked up. It was arguing, coming from the second cottage that I assumed the rest of the family lived in. I lifted my head and barked to Blair to alert her. She glanced at me, propping herself up on her elbows and followed my gaze.

  “Trouble?”

  I barked again. The door opened and a woman came out, accompanied by a teenage boy a few years older than Blair. Both of them were carrying boxes and two Collies were running around their feet. Who were these people?

  The woman crossed the garden, heading towards the parking area. She spotted Blair watching from the grass, with me curled protectively beside her, and she paused. The air seemed to tighten around us.

  “Put the boxes in the car Matthew,” she told the boy. He looked between the woman and Blair for a moment, perhaps deciding whether or not to intervene in what was to come. Blair shook her head ever so slightly and the boy, Matthew, hurried off to the car, calling for the dogs to follow him. One of them hesitated, sniffing in my direction. My scent did not make sense. Human. Dog. All muddled up as one. I kept my body calm, knowing that the confusion would lead the animal to flee or defend. It was best not to do anything that might provoke a conflict. Especially since I could easily kill the dog.

  The woman approached us, the inquisitive dog following her. It seemed reluctant to take more than a few steps away from her, not quite ready to fully investigate my presence.

  “So this is it?” the woman sneered, noddin
g her head in my direction. “That’s the animal you’re tearing the family apart over?”

  “I haven’t done anything,” Blair said quietly. She sounded exhausted and I wondered just how many times she had been forced to defend herself to these people.

  “The least you could do is own up to it”

  “I haven’t done anything,” Blair repeated. She sat up properly, turning her back on the woman.

  “After everything we’ve done for you, you’re going to have us kicked out over some animal?”

  Blair did not speak, picking at the grass, her face a blank mask.

  “You realise you’re making us homeless? Your own family? Your cousin? We have nowhere to go.”

  “It was not my decision.”

  “You know your grandmother would listen to you. Just tell her it was a misunderstanding.”

  “She saw him pointing a gun at me.” Everything Blair said was spoken in the same monotone empty voice, like she knew what she said would not really matter.

  “He pointed a gun at a wild dog. You know he wouldn’t hurt you, you’re just playing up for attention like always!”

  Blair sighed and reached over to me, stroking my neck in a rhythmic manner. Her other hand went to her sleeve, pulling it down to expose the bruises from where her uncle had grabbed her.

  “I must be a very skilled liar if I can conjure bruises up from nowhere.” She sighed again and got to her feet. I followed, standing at her side. “I will not lie to my grandmother and say what she saw wasn’t what happened. But that does not make me responsible. I did not decide what happened. I did not make you homeless. Uncle Michael’s actions made him homeless. You have decided you would rather be a martyr than have a place to live. You have chosen to make yourself homeless. You have chosen to make your son homeless. Not me.”

  The woman opened her mouth to speak but her son came over and tugged on her arm

  “Mum, come on. Blair’s right, it’s not her fault. Leave her alone.”

  Looking back to glare once more at Blair, the woman nodded and followed her son to the car. The dog gave me one more sniff before whimpering and sprinting after them. Blair watched as her aunt drove away, her hands clenched into fists and her jaw set.