The School On The Hill, chapter 4
Jakob held his breath until Aunt Edna had shut the trap door.He could hear her slide the lock shut, then the paddlock, before shouting "That'll teach you to be rude to me".
He sat up, testing his arms and legs.Nothing seemed to be broken, but the back of his head felt oddly warm.He touched it, feeling something warm on his hands.Blood.Whimpering slightly, Jakob felt in a box for something to stop the bleeding.All he could find was Aunt Edna's wedding dress.He pressed it agianst the wound, praying she would never come looking for it."Who'd marry her" he said to himself.And yet, despite the pain, Jakob wasn't worried.The cut was hardly life threatening.It was the thought of spending the next ten years of his life with her that really got to him.Spending every waking moment on his guard, escaping only when he compleated his chores and was permitted to retreat to his bed in the celler.
However, just a few days after that perticular inncedant, Jakob was summond to the table early in the morning.'To early' he thought, she'd never spoken to him during breakfast.
"I have a visitor coming in four hours" Aunt Edna informed Jakob "And I want you out of the way when she comes"
"Yes Aunt Edna" replied Jakob.He was all too happy to stay in the celler, away from her.
"I want the house cleaned for her coming" she continued.This was usual, Jakob had cleaning to do allmost every day.
"Of course Aunt Edna" he said, "I'll get started now"
Then he realised him mistake.He was suposed to wait until she told him to start, it was a basic rule, one he had learned to obey very quickly.But she didn't seem to notice.
"Good" she said shortly "You'll be in the celler while this visitor is in my house, I don't expect any noise"
"No Aunt Edna" Jakob said sadly "Of course not"
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"Now children" Miss Nesser adressed her class "I cannot help with your homework over the weekend, as I will be away visiting my sister"
It was common in Stoneston, as everybody lived so close together, for the children to go round to Miss Nesser's house.
"We will continue with Harry Potter for the rest of the afternoon then, please take your usual seats"
The children scrammbled to find the best bit of floor for the storytellng sesion.
"Miss" a girl named Casey said "Can we go outside and read, it's a nice day"
Adrienne looked out of the window.It was indead a beatiful afternoon, with a gentle breeze blowing in the sun.
"Okay" she said "Let's go outside"
For the first half an hour, everything seemed to be going well.The children were laughing hystericly as Harry set a python on his cousin Dudley.Suddenly, as chapter three was drawing to a close, Miss Nesser heard a small squeak coming from the cluster of children around her.Instantly, she knew who it was.
"Sabriel" she said, suddenly aware of an icey wind swirling around her "Is that you?"
"He's here" came the same small voice, "He wants to talk to you"
Miss Nesser leapt up, taking Sabriel by the wrist.She didn't want to frighten any of the other children.
"Allright" she said, once she had Sabriel alone "What is it, I'm listening"
Sabriel looked at the ground.
"He spoke to me again last night" she whispered "He says your little boy's in danger.He said that someone tells him lies about you.He says-"
Adrienne cut her off.
"This isn't funny Sabriel" she said, so wound up she could barely breathe.She wasn't even sad now, just filled with anger that someone would make these things up.
"Joey says hi" Sabriel said suddenly.
Adrienne's mouth fell open.'There's no way she could have known about Joey" she thought "I never told anybody about him"
She had never spoken about Joey's death with anybody.It was too painfull, the thought of him choking on the smoke filling his lungs, desperatly trying to save his little brother.
"How did you-" she began
"He talks to me" said Sabriel "I can take you to him, if you'll let me" ...
He sat up, testing his arms and legs.Nothing seemed to be broken, but the back of his head felt oddly warm.He touched it, feeling something warm on his hands.Blood.Whimpering slightly, Jakob felt in a box for something to stop the bleeding.All he could find was Aunt Edna's wedding dress.He pressed it agianst the wound, praying she would never come looking for it."Who'd marry her" he said to himself.And yet, despite the pain, Jakob wasn't worried.The cut was hardly life threatening.It was the thought of spending the next ten years of his life with her that really got to him.Spending every waking moment on his guard, escaping only when he compleated his chores and was permitted to retreat to his bed in the celler.
However, just a few days after that perticular inncedant, Jakob was summond to the table early in the morning.'To early' he thought, she'd never spoken to him during breakfast.
"I have a visitor coming in four hours" Aunt Edna informed Jakob "And I want you out of the way when she comes"
"Yes Aunt Edna" replied Jakob.He was all too happy to stay in the celler, away from her.
"I want the house cleaned for her coming" she continued.This was usual, Jakob had cleaning to do allmost every day.
"Of course Aunt Edna" he said, "I'll get started now"
Then he realised him mistake.He was suposed to wait until she told him to start, it was a basic rule, one he had learned to obey very quickly.But she didn't seem to notice.
"Good" she said shortly "You'll be in the celler while this visitor is in my house, I don't expect any noise"
"No Aunt Edna" Jakob said sadly "Of course not"
-------------------------------------------------------------------
"Now children" Miss Nesser adressed her class "I cannot help with your homework over the weekend, as I will be away visiting my sister"
It was common in Stoneston, as everybody lived so close together, for the children to go round to Miss Nesser's house.
"We will continue with Harry Potter for the rest of the afternoon then, please take your usual seats"
The children scrammbled to find the best bit of floor for the storytellng sesion.
"Miss" a girl named Casey said "Can we go outside and read, it's a nice day"
Adrienne looked out of the window.It was indead a beatiful afternoon, with a gentle breeze blowing in the sun.
"Okay" she said "Let's go outside"
For the first half an hour, everything seemed to be going well.The children were laughing hystericly as Harry set a python on his cousin Dudley.Suddenly, as chapter three was drawing to a close, Miss Nesser heard a small squeak coming from the cluster of children around her.Instantly, she knew who it was.
"Sabriel" she said, suddenly aware of an icey wind swirling around her "Is that you?"
"He's here" came the same small voice, "He wants to talk to you"
Miss Nesser leapt up, taking Sabriel by the wrist.She didn't want to frighten any of the other children.
"Allright" she said, once she had Sabriel alone "What is it, I'm listening"
Sabriel looked at the ground.
"He spoke to me again last night" she whispered "He says your little boy's in danger.He said that someone tells him lies about you.He says-"
Adrienne cut her off.
"This isn't funny Sabriel" she said, so wound up she could barely breathe.She wasn't even sad now, just filled with anger that someone would make these things up.
"Joey says hi" Sabriel said suddenly.
Adrienne's mouth fell open.'There's no way she could have known about Joey" she thought "I never told anybody about him"
She had never spoken about Joey's death with anybody.It was too painfull, the thought of him choking on the smoke filling his lungs, desperatly trying to save his little brother.
"How did you-" she began
"He talks to me" said Sabriel "I can take you to him, if you'll let me" ...
