The School On The Hill, chapter 2
"Move, you little waste of space" Aunt Edna screeched, "I'm tired of you wailing and moaning"
Jakob hardly flinced, he was used to her temper.
"No wonder your Mum doesn't call" she jeered "No wonder your brother seems to have vanished."
That struck a nerve.
"She will call me" he said, trying to hold back tears, "She lives in a village and they don't have phones, and you can't buy a moblie 'cause there isn't any shops... and they don't work there anyway...and...and"
Aunt Edna pressed her repulsive, wary, witch-like face up close to Jakob's.
"Wrong" she said sourly "She lives in New York, in a posh flat, with her new boyfriend.She doesn't give a shit about you."
Jakob bit his lip as salty tears trailed down his face.But he wasn't going to give up.He had swore to fight for his family.
"Joey's coming back for me" he whispered, "he promised Dad he would.And we're going back to America with Mum"
Laughing, Aunt Edna grabbed the little boy by the chin.
"If you believe that, you'll believe anything.When your Dad died, your Mum was so happy to be free of both of you.Joey's got a nice little family somewhere else, and I've got you till the day you turn eighteeen, if you live that long."
And she picked up a mop she had left lying on the filthy floor of the celler, Jakob's home. "Now get cleaning, or else"
Jakob dragged his skinny body from the floor and wiped his face. "Yes Aunt Edna" he mumbled.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Settle down class" Miss Nesser instucted, "I want everyone in thier seats" There was a scramble to get behind the desks, resulting in several people being pushed and josled."I know you're all excited" Miss Nesser said "But we need to behave in an orderly fasion" But even she felt a little tingle of excitment run down her spine.Today was the Fete, something everyone in Stoneston looked forward to all year.Farmer Tom had promised to bring ten of his best horses for the villagers to ride, a coconut shy was to be set up, and everyone was allowed the day off school to attend the fantastic event.Best of all, the prizes were awarded to the best studants of the year, right at the end of the day.Parents would crane thier necks, praying thier child would be picked.Those deemed good enough to recieve an award, would be showered in praise for weeks, with everyone in the village slipping them the odd pound coin.
Smiling Miss Nesser lead the noisy crowd through the doors and assembled them at the edge of the hill on which the school say.Squirming with anticipation, the children caught thier first glance of the Fete, magnificant turrets on the bouncy castle, towering above the trees. "Off you go then" she said.The children stampeded down the hill, allmost knocking thier teacher off her feet."Jakob would have loved to be here" Miss Nesser murmered to herself.Instantly, she felt a shap pain in her heart, as she thought of her baby.Was he alive? If so, was he happy?, did he miss her as much as she missed him?
"Everything allright Adrienne?" Mrs Hill asked worriedly "You seem a bit quiet"
Adrienne shook her head, trying to clear the image of Jakob's tear stained face from her mind.Mrs Hill misread her head shaking.
"I didn't think so" she said "You should really go to Dr Ryan"
Dr Ryan was the only doctor in the village.He did not opperate from a practice, but was called out whenever needed.Miss Nesser had lost count of the number of times she had sent one of the children down the hill to fetch him, usually to attend to a bumped head or black eye.He too would be at the Fete, reading stories to the younger children and handing out sweets.
"No no" Miss Nesser replied hastily, "I'm fine, just a bit tierd, no wonder with that lot"
And so the Fete, as it had done for a hundred years, ran smoothly, with the only emergency being young Jimmy Caldwell missaiming his coconut and managing to strike Mrs Hill on the head with it.As the Fete drew to a close, and the crowds grew impatient, Miss Nesser had no time to dwell on her personal problems.She had been chosen to hand over the best studant prize, and, as it was someone in her class, she had picked the winner.Stepping onto the platform, she tried to pin a convincing smile onto her tierd face.
"Thank you everyone for coming along today" she began "I'm delighted to be given the oppertunity to present this award"
"Get on with it" someone, who sounded suspiciously like Davey, shouted from the crowds.Miss Nesser smiled.
"And so" she said loudly "I'm pleased to anounce, that the winner of the Best Studant Award 2005 is ...Sabriel Flame"
Several children wailed in dissapointmemnt as Sabriel clamboured up beside her teacher."Well done dear" Miss Nesser said. "And well done to everyone, I've had a fantasic year in Stoneston"
It was only when the noise had died down, and Miss Nesser escaped the scores of parents asking "Why not my child?", that she could propely reflect on the days events.Sabriel was a pleasent enough child, but Miss Nesser had allways thought there was something strange about her.She had few friends, and her vibrent name said nothing about her personality.She was pale, so pale she looked allmost ghostly, with neat, perfect plaits on either side of her peaky face.She had never, to Miss Nessers knowledge, engaged in a convesation with anybody.Instead, she sat reading, useually some old fasioned book about prissy little girls from rich familys.And once, only once, she had managed to amke Miss Nesser very uneasy.
It had been break time, and Sabriel had, for some reason, decided to remain in the classroom with her teacher.She had been reading silently untill Miss Nesser had taken a small, gold ring from her pocket, fingered it, and whispered something unaudible to herself.
"He talks to me" Sabriel had spoke up
In confusion, Miss Nesser had turned around sharply.
"Billie Joe" young Sabriel continued, "I see him sometimes, he waits for you at the gate, he tells you to keep looking for someone."
Miss Nesser had instantly felt tears spring to her eyes.
"What?" she managed to croak
"He talks to me when I'm asleep too" Sabriel continued "He said to tell you that Jakob needs you"
And with that, she had opened her desk, placed her book inside, and walked quietly from the classroom.
Blinking at the memory, Miss Nesser set down the wine she was sipping and looked into the sky.It was dark now, and John King, a local man, was showing the children the stard through his teloscope.
"Thats Orion, the hunter" he told them.
Adrienne looke dup at the sky too.
"That's Billie Joe" she thought to herself, looking at the brightest star.
Suddenly, she felt a tug at her sleave.Whipping her head round, she saw Sabriel.
"Oh Sabriel dear" she said, trying to sound casual "You gave me a fright"
Sabriel did not smile.She looked Adrienne striaght in the eye and said, in her quiet, creepy voice - "He's angry with you, you didn't fight for your little boy"
Jakob hardly flinced, he was used to her temper.
"No wonder your Mum doesn't call" she jeered "No wonder your brother seems to have vanished."
That struck a nerve.
"She will call me" he said, trying to hold back tears, "She lives in a village and they don't have phones, and you can't buy a moblie 'cause there isn't any shops... and they don't work there anyway...and...and"
Aunt Edna pressed her repulsive, wary, witch-like face up close to Jakob's.
"Wrong" she said sourly "She lives in New York, in a posh flat, with her new boyfriend.She doesn't give a shit about you."
Jakob bit his lip as salty tears trailed down his face.But he wasn't going to give up.He had swore to fight for his family.
"Joey's coming back for me" he whispered, "he promised Dad he would.And we're going back to America with Mum"
Laughing, Aunt Edna grabbed the little boy by the chin.
"If you believe that, you'll believe anything.When your Dad died, your Mum was so happy to be free of both of you.Joey's got a nice little family somewhere else, and I've got you till the day you turn eighteeen, if you live that long."
And she picked up a mop she had left lying on the filthy floor of the celler, Jakob's home. "Now get cleaning, or else"
Jakob dragged his skinny body from the floor and wiped his face. "Yes Aunt Edna" he mumbled.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"Settle down class" Miss Nesser instucted, "I want everyone in thier seats" There was a scramble to get behind the desks, resulting in several people being pushed and josled."I know you're all excited" Miss Nesser said "But we need to behave in an orderly fasion" But even she felt a little tingle of excitment run down her spine.Today was the Fete, something everyone in Stoneston looked forward to all year.Farmer Tom had promised to bring ten of his best horses for the villagers to ride, a coconut shy was to be set up, and everyone was allowed the day off school to attend the fantastic event.Best of all, the prizes were awarded to the best studants of the year, right at the end of the day.Parents would crane thier necks, praying thier child would be picked.Those deemed good enough to recieve an award, would be showered in praise for weeks, with everyone in the village slipping them the odd pound coin.
Smiling Miss Nesser lead the noisy crowd through the doors and assembled them at the edge of the hill on which the school say.Squirming with anticipation, the children caught thier first glance of the Fete, magnificant turrets on the bouncy castle, towering above the trees. "Off you go then" she said.The children stampeded down the hill, allmost knocking thier teacher off her feet."Jakob would have loved to be here" Miss Nesser murmered to herself.Instantly, she felt a shap pain in her heart, as she thought of her baby.Was he alive? If so, was he happy?, did he miss her as much as she missed him?
"Everything allright Adrienne?" Mrs Hill asked worriedly "You seem a bit quiet"
Adrienne shook her head, trying to clear the image of Jakob's tear stained face from her mind.Mrs Hill misread her head shaking.
"I didn't think so" she said "You should really go to Dr Ryan"
Dr Ryan was the only doctor in the village.He did not opperate from a practice, but was called out whenever needed.Miss Nesser had lost count of the number of times she had sent one of the children down the hill to fetch him, usually to attend to a bumped head or black eye.He too would be at the Fete, reading stories to the younger children and handing out sweets.
"No no" Miss Nesser replied hastily, "I'm fine, just a bit tierd, no wonder with that lot"
And so the Fete, as it had done for a hundred years, ran smoothly, with the only emergency being young Jimmy Caldwell missaiming his coconut and managing to strike Mrs Hill on the head with it.As the Fete drew to a close, and the crowds grew impatient, Miss Nesser had no time to dwell on her personal problems.She had been chosen to hand over the best studant prize, and, as it was someone in her class, she had picked the winner.Stepping onto the platform, she tried to pin a convincing smile onto her tierd face.
"Thank you everyone for coming along today" she began "I'm delighted to be given the oppertunity to present this award"
"Get on with it" someone, who sounded suspiciously like Davey, shouted from the crowds.Miss Nesser smiled.
"And so" she said loudly "I'm pleased to anounce, that the winner of the Best Studant Award 2005 is ...Sabriel Flame"
Several children wailed in dissapointmemnt as Sabriel clamboured up beside her teacher."Well done dear" Miss Nesser said. "And well done to everyone, I've had a fantasic year in Stoneston"
It was only when the noise had died down, and Miss Nesser escaped the scores of parents asking "Why not my child?", that she could propely reflect on the days events.Sabriel was a pleasent enough child, but Miss Nesser had allways thought there was something strange about her.She had few friends, and her vibrent name said nothing about her personality.She was pale, so pale she looked allmost ghostly, with neat, perfect plaits on either side of her peaky face.She had never, to Miss Nessers knowledge, engaged in a convesation with anybody.Instead, she sat reading, useually some old fasioned book about prissy little girls from rich familys.And once, only once, she had managed to amke Miss Nesser very uneasy.
It had been break time, and Sabriel had, for some reason, decided to remain in the classroom with her teacher.She had been reading silently untill Miss Nesser had taken a small, gold ring from her pocket, fingered it, and whispered something unaudible to herself.
"He talks to me" Sabriel had spoke up
In confusion, Miss Nesser had turned around sharply.
"Billie Joe" young Sabriel continued, "I see him sometimes, he waits for you at the gate, he tells you to keep looking for someone."
Miss Nesser had instantly felt tears spring to her eyes.
"What?" she managed to croak
"He talks to me when I'm asleep too" Sabriel continued "He said to tell you that Jakob needs you"
And with that, she had opened her desk, placed her book inside, and walked quietly from the classroom.
Blinking at the memory, Miss Nesser set down the wine she was sipping and looked into the sky.It was dark now, and John King, a local man, was showing the children the stard through his teloscope.
"Thats Orion, the hunter" he told them.
Adrienne looke dup at the sky too.
"That's Billie Joe" she thought to herself, looking at the brightest star.
Suddenly, she felt a tug at her sleave.Whipping her head round, she saw Sabriel.
"Oh Sabriel dear" she said, trying to sound casual "You gave me a fright"
Sabriel did not smile.She looked Adrienne striaght in the eye and said, in her quiet, creepy voice - "He's angry with you, you didn't fight for your little boy"
