‘And we won’t,’ Jon said.
‘So what do we do?’ Leah asked again. ‘Are you going to…’ she let her voice trail off.
‘Kill it? No, I couldn’t bring myself to do that,’ Jon said, and pulled out his mobile phone. ‘But we can always call the police.’
‘It’s in real pain,’ Leah went on.
‘I know, hun,’ he replied, as gently as he could. ‘Hopefully this won’t take long.’
Jon typed in the emergency number and lifted the phone to his ear.
‘Will it live?’ Alex asked.
‘I don’t know, Son,’ Jon said. ‘Maybe.’
Danni knew that was a kindness to the boy. The animal was past saving.
Danni concentrated on the goat as her husband got through to the police. It may have been an animal she had no attachment to, but seeing it in such distress made her feel utterly helpless.
‘What do you mean, when you can?’ she heard her husband say as she tuned back in to his conversation. ‘Well, can’t you be quick about it? If nothing else, surely this is an accident waiting to happen?’ He let out an exacerbated breath. ‘Fine,’ he eventually said, in a way that meant everything was not fine. He hung up.
‘What did they say?’ Alex asked.
‘Long and short of it? They will send someone out when they are able to.’
‘What does that mean?’ Danni said. ‘Can’t they contact the RSPCA?’
‘That’ll be up to the police,’ he said. ‘Hopefully they will, but I only got through to the call handlers. They’ll pass the info on to the police.’
‘So they could be here soon?’ Alex asked.
‘Might be,’ Jon said.
‘But likely it will take forever,’ Leah added.
‘Probably,’ Jon answered.
The car fell silent. Danni looked around, half hoping another car would approach, one that could offer assistance, but they had no such luck. They were on their own, on an isolated road that cut its way through fields of nothing, and the only possibility of help lay miles down the road, in the settlement of Bishops Hill. But going for help meant leaving the animal behind, and Danni seriously doubted they would find anyone who would be willing to travel back here to aid with the situation.
So that meant they would have to deal with it. And the only act of kindness she could think of was to try and give the animal some form of comfort in its last moments.
That, or put an end to its misery.
‘There,’ Jon said, pointing ahead, just to the left. Danni looked, and soon saw it, tucked away among a crop of trees. A house, standing alone in the sea of grass. Upon seeing it, something unlocked in her memory, and she felt stupid not realising it had been here the whole time. It was a place she’d seen many times when passing along this road, but had never known who owned it.
‘Maybe someone is in,’ Danni said. ‘They might be able to help.’
‘It looks like a farmhouse,’ Alex said. ‘Perhaps the goat belonged to them?’
‘Look,’ Danni said, pointing. ‘There’s a turning to it, just up ahead.’
‘Yeah,’ Jon said, nodding. ‘Okay, we’ll drive up and see if anyone is home.’
‘We can’t leave the goat here on its own,’ Leah said.
‘We don’t have a choice, hun,’ Jon replied. ‘There’s nothing we can do for it, except get help.’
‘Then I’ll stay here with it. You go.’
‘No,’ Jon said, firmly. ‘Sorry, Leah, but I’m not having you stand in the middle of the road on your own. Understand?’
‘I guess,’ she said, crossing her arms. ‘But can we be quick?’
‘As quick as we can,’ Jon said, putting the SUV in gear. He carefully drove around the struggling goat, while it continued its weak bleating.
It took less than a minute to reach the narrow turning in the road, which brought them to little more than a dirt path that ran up to the house. As they drove along the makeshift road, Danni caught sight of a dull, green Landrover—the lower half caked with mud—parked outside, giving her hope that someone was home. The house itself was a low one, single storey, but from the positioning of the windows in the gable and the presence of roof windows, it was clear the second storey was built in the roof space. Its external finish was old brickwork, and had a slate roof, which gave the building an aged, urban quality.
Jon pulled the SUV round and parked it adjacent to the Landrover.
‘Wait here,’ Jon said, and got out of the car, pulling himself up to his impressive full height. As friendly and amicable as Jon was, Danni knew that, to some, he could cast an imposing presence. Danni knew that, in a place like Bishops Hill, a six-foot-two black man standing on a person’s porch would come as quite a surprise. She watched Jon trot up to the front door and knock. As he waited, Danni lowered her window so she could hear any exchange.
It didn’t take long for the door to open, revealing a short, stout woman, with frizzy grey hair that spilled out of a loose bun. She seemed like she was getting on in years, but Danni had a feeling she was the type that looked older than she really was. Danni saw a brief look of shock register on the woman’s face, which was, thankfully, soon replaced with a smile.
‘Can I help?’ she asked.
‘I hope so,’ Jon said. ‘My family and I were just driving down the road back there, and we came across an animal that had been hit. It’s still alive, but only barely. We didn’t know if it was yours, perhaps?’
‘What sorta' animal is it?’ she asked.
‘A goat,’ Jon replied.
The woman sighed. ‘That’s probably ours,’ she said. ‘We have one that keeps findin' a way through the fence. Lord knows how he does it.’
‘Well, we didn’t want to just leave it,’ Jon said. ‘We phoned it in to the police, but I’m not sure they were of the mind to send anyone over.’
‘Probably won’t,’ the woman said, stepping out of the house. Jon moved aside to let her through. ‘They never do—we normally clear everything up. Which is only fair, I suppose. Where is it?’
‘Back up the road a little,’ Jon said, pointing in the general direction.
‘Thanks,’ she replied. ‘I’ll make sure I see to it.’
‘Do you think there is anything you can do for it?’
‘Not much can be done,’ she said with a shrug. ‘Except bang it over the head.’
Danni prayed the kids didn’t hear that part.
‘I see,’ Jon said.
‘Thanks for lettin' me know, though. Most people would’ve just drove on. Like the ones that hit it, no doubt.’
‘Well, it seemed like the right thing to do.’
‘The right thing isn’t always the easiest,’ she said. ‘That’s why most don’t often do the right thing. You staying in Bishops Hill, or just passing through?’ she asked.
‘Staying for a little while with my family,’ Jon said, gesturing to the car where Danni and the kids sat. The woman didn’t look over. Instead, she smiled. Not a warm, friendly smile, but something with a little more purpose. Something a little more… predatory.
‘Well, if you ever need anything, you just let me know,’ she said. ‘Name’s Jean.’ Jean extended her hand to Jon, and he took it and shook.
‘I’m Jon,’ he said. ‘It was a pleasure to meet you. We need to be going, so I’ll leave you to it. Good luck with your animal.’
‘Thank you, hun,’ she said, and touched the tip of her tongue to her top lip. Danni felt a swell of defensive anger bubble up from her gut. The old bat was shamelessly flirting with her husband.
Danni leaned her head out of the window. ‘I think we need to get going, sweetheart.’
Jon turned around and nodded, a definite look of relief on his face, clearly grateful for the assistance. ‘Coming.’
He strode back to the car and cast Jean a final wave.
She didn’t wave back, just stared, with the corner of her mouth turned up in a half smirk.
Jon got in the car, put it in gear,
and drove them back down to the main road.
‘So what did she say?’ Leah asked.
‘The goat is hers,’ Jon said.
‘And is she going to help it?’
Jon pulled the car onto the road and headed towards Bishops Hill, leaving Jean and her doomed goat behind.
Jon and Danni gave each other a look.
‘She’s going to do what she can,’ Jon said.
They drove on and Danni couldn’t help but feel even more apprehensive. Logically, that was understandable, considering the suffering animal they had just seen. Yet, somehow, she felt like she should have expected such a thing.
She sighed.
Welcome home, Danni.
3
THE ROUTE to Danni’s childhood home took them straight through the centre of town, and Jon was careful to keep an eye on his wife as they drove, trying to read her facial expressions for signs of worry.
He knew this trip was going to be hard for her, but he also knew it was one she needed to make. He would be by her side the whole time, as he should be, but this was something that, ultimately, she needed to do for herself.
For as long as he had known her, Danni had been friendly and outgoing, but it didn’t take him long to notice an inner sadness. Often, when Danni thought no one was paying attention and was lost in contemplation, Jon would see a mournful look creep over her face.
Jon didn’t learn the full story of what had happened to her until well after they were married and were expecting Leah. The story shocked and saddened him. He hated the thought of the woman he loved having to go through so much, so early in life. And he didn’t blame her for running away. But he also knew that there was a time when you needed to stop running and face up to things.
They drove along a main road that bisected the town, taking them through an area full of simple, red-bricked, terraced houses, complete with small rear yards that were enclosed with high brick walls. Some people sat out on their front steps, most in dressing gowns enjoying a drink in the chilly afternoon air. Farther ahead, he saw a group of youths in caps and tracksuits huddled at a bus-stop, a few of them smoking, a few of them drinking, but all of them trying their best to look tough, mean, and threatening. They all stared at the SUV as it drove past, puffing out their chests and curling their lips into a scowl. Jon had a feeling it was a standard reaction to anything they saw as being different from the norm.
However, Jon kept his judgement at bay, as he often did, knowing everyone’s circumstances were different. Still, he couldn’t help but feel thankful his children didn’t have to grow up in a place like this. He would never say it to Danni, knowing how difficult this trip was for her, but Bishops Hill seemed like it was in its last throes of life.
A dying and forgotten place, ready to fall into obscurity.
They soon passed an old train station; closed and unused. Alex had asked about it as they had driven past, and Danni responded that it had closed before she was even born. She mentioned the line was still in use, taking people through the town, but no trains ever stopped here anymore.
Next, they hit the bottom of a steep hill, with roads branching off to the left and right as they went up, leading to little pockets of housing which were a little nicer than those near the station: semi-detached properties with actual, honest-to-God gardens and lawns. Something of a rarity in this town, it seemed.
At the top of the hill, the road turned sharply to the left, going past a line of low stone bungalows—all terraced—which, according to Danni, were the remnants of an old farm that was no longer here.
The road then opened up to reveal the hub of the town. The centre of it was taken up with car parking and a few bus stops, and the edges of the centre were lined with shops, takeaway restaurants, and pubs. There was also a large, two-storey, white-rendered building just off the central car park, with a long garden to its front. In this garden stood a tall stone statue of a saluting military man. That was a World War II memorial, according to Danni, and the building was the town hall.
People milled about, going from shop to shop—and pub to pub—looking aimless, without purpose.
Existing without really living.
Jon caught himself—those were judgmental thoughts, and not something to be proud of.
They followed the road around the centre. This led them to a steep drop down a hill, and Jon guessed the name of the settlement was due to the town centre being atop the hill. Instead of following the road down, however, they took a sharp right that would lead them out towards their destination.
Jon sensed Danni tense up.
They were close.
They followed the road past more terraced houses, and a long, low, rectangular building, with a flat roof, and walls that consisted of cheap looking plastic panels. This, Danni had said with no pride at all, was her old school.
After this, they broke clear of the built-up area, heading into a clearing of farming fields. Off to the left, a little way ahead, Danni pointed out a building.
‘There it is,’ she said with a hint of sadness and trepidation. ‘Home sweet home.’
Jon noticed something strange about the house on the approach.
As did the children.
‘What’s that near the house?’ Alex asked.
‘That’s an old mill,’ Danni said. ‘Left over from when it was a farm.’
The cylindrical stone structure was very distinct and sat to the back of the property’s borders, near to a line of trees.
‘Looks a little creepy, Mom,’ Leah said.
Danni nodded. ‘Yeah, it is. Always was.’
‘But it’s so cool,’ Alex added, clearly having a different line of thinking than his sister.
Away from the mill, and standing not-so-proudly, was a detached, two-storey house. While it was clearly not as old as the mill, it stood in a definite state of decline. It was clad in distressed shiplap timber—like no other buildings in town, which were primarily brick and render. It had stained and rotten wooden windows throughout, one of which was a large bay window on the ground floor. Despite the tired and worn feel to the dwelling, Jon was surprised at how much land surrounded it, enclosed by low, wooden fencing, indicating it was all part of the ownership. Although he supposed that made sense, if this place had once been a farm.
It was fair to say that Danni’s childhood home wasn’t quite what Jon had been expecting, but then Danni had never really gone into any detail about it before.
The lack of upkeep, crossed with the clashing of the two different, but distinct, buildings standing out in otherwise open fields, gave a feeling of sad isolation.
And this is where Danni grew up.
This was her inheritance.
Up ahead, there was a small turning to the right that led up to the property, and Jon carefully pulled the SUV into it. He winced as he heard the branches of the untended hedges scrape at the sides of his car, but he pressed on and took them up the long, dirt driveway, to the front of the house.
The building grew larger before them as they approached, and an odd, uneasy feeling washed over Jon.
He turned to Danni, who now looked petrified. ‘You ready, hun?’
She took a breath and nodded, though her expression told a completely different story.
There were no other vehicles present, and no sign as yet of the solicitor they were due to meet. Jon thought about getting them all out of the car and inside of the house while they waited, but could feel Danni’s apprehension radiate from her, and decided that staying in the car might help ease her tension.
Looking past the house to the back corner of what formed the rear garden, Jon spotted something he had not seen on the drive up: what appeared to be a few dilapidated, wooden outbuildings.
Jon guessed that Danni had inherited well over an acre of land. It may not be in the most desirable of areas, but the sell-on would bring the family a nice little injection of cash. They could probably make even more if they were prepared to fix the property up, though he doubte
d Danni would be willing to spend any more time—or money—here than they needed to.
To Jon’s surprise, Danni opened the passenger door and got out of the car. The rest of the family then, too, disembarked. Leah once again helped Alex, who steadied himself on his crutches. A light hint of manure rolled in from the surrounding fields.
‘Smells nice,’ Alex said.
Danni let a sad smile spread across her lips. ‘Yeah, that smell brings back memories.’
‘It’s in the middle of nowhere,’ Leah said. ‘You lived way out here?’
‘I did.’
‘So how did you meet up with friends?’
‘I walked,’ Danni said with a laugh.
They explored the perimeter a little, taking everything in. Jon followed Danni’s lead, not wanting to push things too quickly. He watched her closely as she studied the area, the building, the details—he could practically see the memories replaying in her mind, just by the distant look on her face.
There was no paved area to the rear of the house as there was around the front and sides; the property’s walls simply met with overgrown grass. It wasn’t the most even of gardens, either, the ground beneath his feet feeling both hard and lumpy. Not the best surface for Alex to be walking on.
‘You doing okay, Alex?’ he asked, concerned about his son keeping his footing.
‘Yeah,’ Alex said, moving around confidently.
‘Just be careful. It’d be easy to fall out here.’
‘I’m fine, Dad,’ he said. ‘Mom, what were all these sheds used for?’
‘Nothing much when I lived here,’ Danni said. ‘Just for storing junk. Not sure what they were used for before that, though.’
‘They look old,’ Alex said. ‘Were they part of the original farm?’
‘Maybe,’ Danni replied, ‘I’m not sure.’
‘What kind of farm did it used to be?’ Leah said, tiptoeing across the garden trying not to dirty her shoes.
‘Just a normal farm,’ Danni said. ‘Cattle, crops, corn, and the like. Nothing special.’
‘So why did it change?’ Alex pressed. ‘You know, why isn’t it a farm anymore?’
The Demonic: A Supernatural Horror Novel Page 2