The Witch and the Watcher

Five

FiveJasper smiled as his eyes focused on his mother. “Hello, Mummy. I'm sorry. I've been naughty.”

Vicky smiled, tears of joy and relief streaming down her cheeks. She leaned over, hugging her son. Jasper returned her embrace, liking the smell of his mother's hair. It was a smell he associated with safety. With warmth. “Don't be silly, Jaspy. You've not been naughty. Mummy's just glad that you're okay. What happened?”

Jasper tried to recollect the previous night, his brow crinkling. “I'm not really sure Mummy. I remember dreaming. I was walking through a forest, but all the trees had been burnt. I kept hearing voices, Mummy. Someone was lost and they needed my help. I was trying to find them.”

“Do you know who they were?” Vicky asked, her curiosity piqued.

“No. They were far away though. I couldn't see them. I could just hear their voices. Then I woke up here. What happened to me, Mummy?”

“You went sleepwalking, Son. Mr Thomas found you up the Lickey's, quite far away from the house. You were asleep on the forest floor. Oh, Jaspy. Don't ever scare your Mummy like that again!”

Jasper looked at his mother, seeing the anguish in her dark eyes. “I promise, Mummy.” He looked around the small ward, noticing other children lay in similar beds. Nurses buzzed about the well-lit space, talking to children and loved ones. His eyes settled on the far corner, noticing a play area, equipped with a desk and various jigsaw puzzles. His thoughts were interrupted by a light female voice.

“How are you feeling, young man?” Jasper and Vicky looked up at the smiling nurse, standing at the end of the bed. Vicky instantly liked the face smiling back at her. The nurse was probably a few years her junior. Tall, with a girl next door look. Her dark hair was tied up in a ponytail, her smile infectious.

“I'm feeling okay,” Jasper said, smiling.

“You okay, Mum?” the nurse said warmly.

“I think so. I got quite a fright this morning when the police turned up on my doorstep. This little man is quite the adventurer.”

“Proper little explorer I've been told.” She walked around the bed, ruffling Jasper's hair.

“What's your name?” he asked, enjoying the fleeting contact.

“Rachelle.”

“Hello, Rachelle. I'm Jasper. This is my Mummy.”

Rachelle smiled at Vicky. “He's adorable.” Something caught her attention from across the ward. She nodded at the unseen person before turning back to Vicky. “We'll have Jasper in overnight, just to keep an eye on him. All being well, he'll be back home tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Vicky said, clearly relieved. She looked at the clock on the wall, noting that it was just after nine. She suddenly felt hungry.

The nurse seemed to sense this as she walked back to the end of the bed. “I can get some tea and toast for you, Mum? Or, there is a new café opened next to reception. They do a decent latte and croissants to die for.”

“You read my mind,” Vicky said smiling. The anxiety she had felt an hour ago was melting away in the spring sunshine.

Rachelle turned back to Jasper, tickling the exposed foot that poked out beyond the sheets. “If Mummy goes to get breakfast, do you promise not to have any more adventures?”

Jasper giggled as manicured nails grazed the bottom of his foot. “I promise, Nurse Rachelle. I've had enough adventures for today.”

“Well, I'll be back in a bit. You go and get yourself some breakfast, Mum. We'll keep an eye on Jasper for you.”

Vicky stood, stretching. She felt stiff and tired, but happy. “Thank you, Rachelle. You're a star.”

The nurse smiled, wrapping her arm around Vicky's shoulder, squeezing her. “All part of the service. The doctor will be along shortly. I'll pop back in a bit too.”

She walked off, leaving Vicky and Jasper alone. “She's nice, Mummy.”

“Yes, she is.” She looked at her son. “Mummy is just going to get some breakfast. Do you want anything?”

“A comic book please, Mummy.”

“Okay. I'll see what I can do. Just don't go on any more adventures while Mummy's gone.”

“Promise, Mummy. Love you.”

“Love you too, Jaspy,” Vicky said, before heading out of the ward.

* * *

“Oh my God! How did he manage that?” Karen said.

“No idea, Mum,” was the brief reply. Mike walked into the lounge, placing two mugs of tea on the table. He motioned to his wife.

“Hang on, Vicky. Your Father wants you on speakerphone.” The line crackled briefly.

“Hi, Dad,” she said.

“Hi, love. What's going on?”

“I'm with Jasper at the hospital. Seems he went sleepwalking last night. He was found by Mr Thomas up the Lickey's early this morning.”

“b****y hell!” Mike exclaimed. How did he get out of the house?”

“Through the kitchen door. He's eight, Dad. He can reach the lock. I just never thought he'd do something like this.”

Mike reached forward, taking a sip of his tea. “I'll pop by the ironmongers later and get a bolt for the door.”

“No, Dad it's okay. I'll just put the key out of reach. It won't happen again.”

“What have the doctors said?” Karen asked, her fingers drumming on the arm of the sofa. She felt tension building inside her. A rising anxiety that had plagued her recently.

“They said he's fine. They expected him to be in worse shape, being out all night. But it's been quite mild lately. They'll keep him for twenty-four hours, just as a precaution. He should be home tomorrow.”

Karen and Mike looked at each other. The woman noticing tears in her husband's eyes. She patted his knee. “We had planned to go into Birmingham on the train. Your Father is watching the football later this afternoon, so that's him sorted.” Mike smiled warmly, rubbing his wife's denim-clad thigh. “Do you want me to pop round? Do you need anything from the shops?”

“Jasper just wants his tablet. I'll be okay, Mum. Why don't you pop round tomorrow? About lunchtime. We should be home by then.”

“Are you sure? We can visit him at the hospital if you like?”

“Honestly, Mum. I have a few things I need to get on with. I can just potter about the place. If you want to pop and see him, you can. He'd like that.”

“Okay. We'll pop over to see him in a bit.”

“Thanks, guys. Speak to you later. Love you.”

“We love you too, Vicky. Send Jasper our love. Mind how you go.”

* * *

Lenga stood on the rocky path, looking at the remains of the fallen cave. The sea was calm, its fury lessening as the false dawn broke. The witch knew that she would never feel the sun on her back in this land. That was her main reason for dwelling here. She liked the dark and the cold. She had seldom been to lands where the sun had tracked its way across the sky. But her curiosity was whetted. Where had they come from? She thought as she wrapped the fur shawl around her shoulders. Her boot kicked at a piece of black scree, knocking it off the path into the sea below. There was another reason for her foray out of her cabin. She'd felt something. Something far away, just out of her reach. I can sense you, whatever you are. But I know not why you have entered my head. What are you searching for? Are you hunting for what I seek? Maybe we can share? Hmm. Maybe, Lenga thought as she turned back towards the town.

Minutes later, she climbed into her crib, her milky eyes closing as sleep took her quickly. Her lips twitched, her blackened teeth tapping together as images swirled through her mind. The man and beast, huddled in the darkness, embers from a small fire lighting the darkness around them. She recognised the vast swamps, mist rising from the black waters. They stood, heading off into the night, traversing the waters with care. Something else was close by, far above them. A boy, with dark hair and strange attire floated above the swamps. He sensed her, floating away into the blackness above. Lenga followed him, high up into the mountains beyond. From there, she tracked him through a void in a darkened forest. He flew through the trees, navigating with ease. Lenga lost sight of him, floating aimlessly for a few moments until she came across a small cottage surrounded by trees and bushes. She knew that the boy was inside, safe for now. The witch also sensed a darkness close by. It repelled her, driving her backwards, through the fence into the forest beyond. The evil had drawn its boundaries, repelling anything that came close to its prize. The boy. The boy was the prize. The darkness wanted him.