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CHAPTER EIGHT

A walk on Brynmawr Hill

After breakfast, Charlie said, ‘Look, it’s a wonderful day. Let’s go for a walk.’

‘OK, then. I’ll bring my camera.’ Susie tried to sound happy.

They walked towards the big round hill, which was opposite the house. The day was fine, with a soft autumn sun which came and went behind thick grey clouds. It wasn’t cold but there was a wind. They were pleased that they had their jackets.

‘Charlie,’ Susie said, as they climbed the grassy hillside. ‘Do you think this is Brynmawr Hill? You know, the place they talked about in the pub? Where someone saw a werewolf a hundred years ago?’

Charlie smiled. ‘Probably. Come on, let’s just get to the top,’ he said.

From the top of the hill, the country looked beautiful. All around they could see the great dark hills of central Wales. The clouds moved slowly across the sky and, on the lower parts of the hills, the sun on the grass looked like watery gold. The light was perfect and Susie put up her camera as fast as she could. She couldn’t wait to take some photographs.

‘Listen,’ Charlie said. ‘I’m going to walk on a little way while you’re doing that.’

‘OK. I’ll take a few photos from here, then I’ll go over towards that place there.’ Susie was looking at a small hill several hundred metres from where they were standing. ‘I’ll wait for you there,’ she said.

Charlie walked quickly, planning to go in a large circle. He looked back, but Susie had disappeared.

The dead sheep had worried both of them quite a lot. They had not talked about it again. But Charlie could still see the body, lying there, with bits of it missing and one eye open. Also, he realised, because there had been no blood coming from the animal, it had probably died somewhere else. But who, or what, had put it outside their house? He couldn’t stop thinking about it. He knew that Susie was finding it hard to forget as well. It wasn’t a good start to their holiday.

Charlie stood for a moment on the hill. Far below him, he saw that some sheep were running across one of the fields. He watched as the white animals moved in a group across the large green field. The sounds of the sheep rose up towards him, carried on the wind. Then he saw why they were running: something was chasing them. It stopped to sit and watch the animals. Then it ran on and stopped again. A dog, Charlie thought. Was it possible that a dog had left the sheep at their door? He didn’t know much about dogs.

Just then, the clouds above him turned a dark grey, the wind got stronger and rain came down in great fat drops. He’d better go and find Susie.

When Charlie arrived at the small hill, Susie was lying down. Charlie was surprised to see that she was asleep. Her camera was on the ground. It looked as if she’d dropped it.

‘Susie, Susie!’ Charlie shook her. ‘What on earth are you doing? It’s raining. Your camera’s getting wet. Wake up.’

Susie opened her eyes and looked at Charlie. For a moment, Charlie saw something in her eyes that he had never seen before. She was terribly, terribly afraid.

‘Are you OK’ he said. ‘Why did you go to sleep? Are you OK?’

It was a few moments before Susie seemed to wake up. Charlie was really worried now. She looked so strange.

‘No, I’m not OK. Well, maybe I am. I don’t know. I was just standing here, taking a picture of that big tree across there. See? When I looked through the camera, I had the strangest feeling. I tried to move but I just couldn’t. I felt as if I was in fast moving water. I couldn’t make my legs move forward. Then there was a cold, icy wind and I heard an animal sound, kind of like a wolf and. then everything went black. Charlie, I hope there’s nothing wrong with me? Am I going mad?’

Charlie looked at her unhappily. The horror of the dead sheep had clearly made her ill.

‘Let’s get back to the house. We’re both wet through and it’s terribly cold in this wind, Come on, let’s go,’ he replied softly.