Arthur and Calamity's eyes met as they faced each other as if to say Oh no Amy. A few seconds later Amy came flying into the kitchen in a total panic and fear on her face she ran into her mums arms as she still sat at the table.
“Mum it’s started” Amy said quietly as tears trickled down her face. The thunder kept clapping and the lightning kept flashing and the rain became heavier and heavier.
By now still in her mother’s arms Amy was shaking with fear and Calamity could feel her daughter’s whole body shake and shudder.
She was beginning to wonder if Amy was right to be frightened as the thunder and lightning seemed to be so loud and so scary.
Arthur seemed to sense the fear his wife was feeling so he got up from his chair and went to put his protective arms around the two most important people in his life and kissed them both on their foreheads, Arthur had to be strong for his girls.
But little did they know that his heart was pounding as it always did during a storm, he hated them and always had since he was a child, but he wasn't going to let them know that.
Amy was full of fear and in total distress and outside the storm continued to rage.
The lightning, thunder and rain increased and the whole cottage seemed to shake in the wake of the storm, the windows bowed as if they would break and the doors rattled as if they would fly off their hinges.
By this time Amy was crying uncontrollably and beside herself with anxiety and fear due to realising how the house was responding to the storm outside.
The three of them huddled in the kitchen together as the storm appeared to be right over head.
At this point Amy broke away from her parents running out of the kitchen and up the stairs.
Calamity ran after her and Arthur remained down stairs to make sure all the doors and Windows were locked and bolted.
Calamity could hear her daughter screaming “where's Tilly? Where's Tilly?” In the confusion that had arisen in the sudden commencement of the storm everyone had forgotten about Tilly. Amy ran into her bedroom with Calamity close behind her, she dived under her bed.
It was a high bed with enough room underneath for all her toys and space still left to play and hide, the bed had curtains around each side which sometimes made it feel safer for Amy although not on this occasion.
As Amy pushed the curtain back she could see Tilly in her cat bed fast asleep totally oblivious to anything going on around her.
Amy grabbed her from her bed and scooped her up into her arms. Tilly appeared surprised and startled but was happy to be in the arms of her owner. She never scratched or clawed Amy she was happy to get the cuddles.
Calamity followed Amy under the bed, she had to stoop to get under but on this occasion she didn't squirm at going under the bed she felt it reassuring and a safer place to be.
“Oh good you've found Tilly.”
“She's ok mum” Amy said but because she was so frightened her grasp on Tilly was tighter than it should have been and Tilly wriggled and squirmed till she got herself free and made her way back to her bed where she curled up and went back to sleep.
This didn't bother Amy as she was grateful to know that she was safe and sound and at least one family member was undeterred by the raging storm outside.
Also under her bed Amy had a small sofa bed which Calamity suggested they made into a bed so they could rest on it, Amy agreed and helped her mum organise it and without disturbing Tilly too much.
Mother and daughter began to lie on the bed. They both hugged each other.
At this point Arthur had secured everything down stairs and was now upstairs checking all the upstairs windows.
The wind was blowing that hard that he thought that the windows would shatter, covering him into a thousand shreds of glass.
Arthur had also been careful to turn off all the electrical appliances and switched off all the lights before he went to Amy's room to join his family.
Arthur knew exactly where Amy would be and suspected that Calamity would be there with her.
He stooped down under the bed and saw them huddled together. He got the quilt from Amy’s bed and gently laid the quilt over his wife and daughter. Calamity pulled the quilt over them both. And Arthur got on the bed with them, with Amy sandwiched between himself and Calamity. He kissed the back of his daughters head and asked her how she was doing.
“I'm still scared dad” Amy replied.
The storm was still raging with great gusto and there didn't seem to be any hope of it dying down. Arthur closed his eyes, he didn't want anyone to see the fear in them and he silently said a prayer that the cottage could withstand the battering it was taking. All three of them lay there for what seemed like an eternity. But it wasn't, it just felt like it.
It had only been half an hour when Arthur suddenly realised that despite all her worries and fears Amy had actually drifted off to sleep, he quietly told Calamity and she replied “good” in a whisper.
After another ten minutes or so Calamity also drifted off to sleep but Arthur lay awake listening to the storm. Arthur got up to take a look out of the window.
He pulled the curtains back and looked. The wind was still blowing and the rain still heavy but the thunder and lightning seemed less frequent and further away. Arthur let the curtains fall back and went back to the sofa bed and settled down with his family, within five minutes he was asleep, and they remained that way for the rest of the night.
CHAPTER SEVEN
In the morning out of the three of them it was Amy who was first to wake. She was in a bit of a daze and puzzled at first she couldn't get her bearings and didn't quite know where she was. She could not understand why she was laying on the sofa bed with her parents and Tilly who must have joined them at some point in the night.
Then it hit her suddenly she had been there with her parents because of the storm. She quickly sat up in bed remembering the enormity of the storm but then began to wonder if she had dreamt it all or if it had been real.
As in her eyes people died in storms like that. Or had she died? Had they all died, even Tilly and gone to Heaven? Was this heaven?
Well if it was, then it was exactly like home. Amy thought about it for a while but then she realised that she was still alive and she could see her parents on the sofa bed were still breathing and were also still alive.
And right on cue Tilly lifted her head from her bed as much to ask what’s all the fuss about?
Amy crawled out from the bottom of the bed and walked slowly to her bedroom window.
She nervously pulled back the curtains all too aware of what she may see out there, which may not be pleasant.
As the curtains went back Amy looked through the window, the garden was strewn with debris, garden furniture, branches, twigs; plants all littered the garden but nothing else.
The storm had gone there was no strong wind, no rain, the thunder and lightning had stopped and there wasn't even a breeze everything was calm and still.
Amy could just see where the sun was beginning to rise.
Amy went out of the bedroom to check the rest of the upstairs. As far as she could tell no trees or other objects had struck the house.
She went downstairs but all was well, everything was in its rightful place, all the windows were intact and the doors were still on their hinges.
As Amy was checking everything her mum and dad came downstairs and greeted her with a huge affectionate hug.
Calamity spoke softly to her daughter and said “I told you everything would be alright we're all still here safe and sound.”
Arthur apologised to his daughter saying he was sorry for filling her head with storm stories.
Amy just smiled at her dad and said it was ok, and it was ok because she felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She had been in a massive storm, but they had all lived through it.
Later Amy took a walk through the garden looking at all the mess knowing that it was going to be a big clean up job for her
self and her parents. She looked up at the cottage and saw that there were a few loose roof tiles and a chimney pot had blown off but other than that everything was sound. Amy felt blessed and somehow felt like a changed person.
As Amy went back into the house she saw her mother doing the washing up from the night before and her dad watching the weather forecast.
The weatherman was talking about the worst storm they had seen in years which had happened the night before, there had even been a small tornado.
Amy smiled to herself as she told her dad.
“You shouldn't be watching that Dad, it will only scare you!”
And finally she felt at peace.
The End
AMY PLEB AND THE TALL TOWER
CHAPTER ONE
It was 10 am on a Saturday morning and Amy was in her bedroom packing her suitcase. She had just broken up from school for the summer holidays and she was really excited to be packing as she was going to stay with her Uncle Lawless for a week.
This was something that Amy had been doing for a couple of years and she couldn't wait to get going. Uncle Lawless was her mother’s brother and Amy loved him very much as he did her.
Just then Calamity Amy's mum came in.
“Hi love, have you nearly finished packing?”
“Nearly mum” Amy replied with a big smile on her face.
Calamity smiled back, she was happy that Amy liked to spend time with her Uncle, but she was also half smiling at the fact that Amy had a list in her hand and for every item that went into the suitcase Amy ticked it off her list with a pencil.
When the packing was finished Calamity zipped up the suitcase and carried it downstairs.
Before Amy left the house to visit Uncle Lawless, she scooped up her pet cat Tilly in her arms and gave her a great big hug saying “bye darling, you be a good girl.”
Half an hour later Amy was travelling in her dad Arthur’s estate car on her way to her Uncles. Calamity was driving and Arthur was in the passenger seat as usual.
Calamity always drove as she was not a good passenger and didn't feel safe when her husband was driving. Amy sat in the back reading her new library book, The Knights of Pallagrim, it was one of Amy’s favourite pastimes reading, she could get so engrossed in her book that she would completely lose track of time.
Amy and her family travelled the twenty miles to her Uncles house which roughly took thirty five minutes traffic permitting, although today it had taken forty minutes thanks to some minor road works, but Amy remained blissfully unaware and Calamity smiled as she saw the familiar sign informing them that they had reached the town of Fogan.
They drove through the town centre which was similar to Cogan on the Fogan but on a bigger scale.
They pulled into Uncle Lawless road and stopped outside his rather smart Georgian double fronted detached home. Uncle Lawless was not a millionaire but he was quite well off.
He was an artist who specialised in water colours and his special subject was the drawing and painting of wild fowl which was abundant in the area as the landscape around Fogan was adjacent to the mighty Fogan River with its wetlands where such birds thrived.
As they pulled up outside the gate which was next to the pathway that led to the house, the front door was flung open and Lawless flew out of the doorway and came rushing down the path to greet his family.
Lawless was a tall slim man with shoulder length blonde hair, a close beard, a long nose and chiselled features. He had a somewhat obscure clothes sense and today he was wearing calf length brown boots, light blue corduroy trousers, a white t-shirt with a dark brown waist coat to top it off.
He came through the gate to the edge of the pavement where the Plebs car was parked. He walked up to Amy's window and knocked on it.
Amy in a flash opened the window and said “Hi Uncle Lawless.”
“Hi yourself” replied her Uncle with a big smile, “how ya doing girlie?” he asked.
“Fine” said Amy as she opened her car door leaping out to give him a great big hug.
Lawless hugged her back and lowered his head to kiss his favourite niece on the top of her head, they hugged and cuddled some more.
Calamity and Arthur got out of the car and went to greet Lawless, Calamity hugged her brother and he gave her a peck on the cheek.
Arthur strode up to Lawless and grabbed him firmly by the hand and shook it.
“Hi Arthur” Lawless greeted him.
“Hi Lawless, how's it going?”
“Fine mate.”
When Lawless had welcomed each of his guests he invited them to come into the house. They all walked up the path together Amy holding firmly onto her Uncles hand and Calamity continuing to exchange pleasantries.
Arthur had the job of carrying Amy’s suitcase and he was beginning to wonder just how much stuff Amy needed for one week judging by the weight of it she had packed for a month.
They went inside the house and closed the door behind them.
Calamity and Arthur stayed for half an hour taking liquid refreshments and eating some buns that Uncle Lawless said he had baked but were obviously bought from a shop, the Plebs giggled a little but said nothing as they didn't want to offend their host.
When they had finished they took their leave, leaving Amy and Lawless to fend for themselves for the week.
Amy went upstairs to the room that was to be her bedroom for the week.
She wanted to unpack quickly and duly found her suitcase on the bed where Arthur had left it.
Downstairs Lawless had started to prepare a meal for them. The rest of the evening was spent with them chatting to each other and playing board games, which Amy always seemed to win. She thought she must be good at them but her uncle knew better, he knew Amy cheated.
CHAPTER TWO
The next morning Amy awoke to the sound of church bells, it was Sunday and the sun was shining. She went to the bathroom to have a wash and brush her teeth and then got dressed, as she went downstairs she could smell ground coffee, she realised that her Uncle must already be up, he loved his ground coffee but only seemed to make it on a Sunday as if it were a special treat, every other day he just had instant.
As she went down the stairs the smell became stronger as if she was breathing it in, it was thick, heavy and pungent on her senses. Lawless saw Amy enter the kitchen and with a welcoming smile asked if she had slept well.
Amy said “yeah Uncle” and posed the same question to him.
“Fine” he replied and then asked “what shall we do today?”
“Can we go to the Tower?” Amy asked hopefully.
“No” said Lawless.
Amy already knew the answer it had been the same one ever since she had first asked two years ago.
“Why don't you want to take me up there?” Amy asked pleadingly.
Lawless gave her a slow glance and replied “I don't like the place, it's spooky and it's supposed to be haunted.”
Amy continued “do you think it's haunted Uncle?”
“I cannot say Amy I'm not sure I believe in ghosts.”
Amy pondered for a minute, “but I think I do she finally said.”
“That's as maybe darling but I ain’t going up there and I don't want you to either.”
Amy sighed as she agreed to do as she was told.
After he'd brewed his coffee and made them a nice breakfast of lightly buttered wholemeal toast with chunky marmalade on top, the special marmalade that Uncle Lawless always gave her on the first morning of her stay, it was made of oranges and was rich and sticky but so gorgeous to eat, she had two big slices of the toast and a mug of tea to compliment the breakfast.
After breakfast they both decided to venture outside into Lawless large rambling garden.
The garden was layed to lawn at both front and rear with flower beds around some of the edges. He had ample space and had a large vegetable patch, a herb garden and an orchard with apple, pear and plum trees.
Lawless had a large
greenhouse where he grew tomatoes and the oranges which he used to make his marmalade. The orchard was two acres in size and it led to the Fogan River.
After a pleasant morning in the garden Amy and her Uncle began to feel hungry again and went to get some lunch. Lawless made them a barbeque and they ate it on one of the three patios which surrounded his home.
He had made homemade lamb burgers with crusty rolls which he had baked the day before, some sliced onion and a salsa verde salad. Amy commented to her Uncle how much she had enjoyed lunch but all the time she had been staring and wondering what secret the tall tower held.
It could be viewed from the garden and she knew Uncle Lawless had forbidden her to go near it and she intended to not betray him but curiosity was getting the better of her.
In the afternoon Amy was on her own in the garden playing whilst Uncle Lawless took a nap in the hammock which was fastened between two Oak trees.
Amy giggled to herself as her Uncle snored, but then she heard a noise coming from over the wall.
The wall was the boundary between her Uncles house and the Bench family that lived next door. They consisted of Donald Bench, Vesper Bench, and their two children Katie and Davey Bench.
As Amy looked towards the wall where the noise was coming from a head popped over the wall, it was Katie.
“Hi Amy” said Katie
“Hi Katie” Amy replied.
The pair knew each other as they had made friends the year before on her last visit to Fogan. Both Amy and Katie liked each other very much.
Katie was a good two years older than Amy, she was head strong, streetwise and worldly, she was a tall girl, quite slim although not as slim as Amy. She wore leggings, trainers and a t-shirt.
Katie asked Amy if she wanted to come and play, not how have you been for the last twelve months but this was Katie's way. Amy said she would love to but would have to tell her Uncle.
Amy went over to the hammock where Lawless was asleep, she nudged him and he quickly awoke.
Amy asked if it was alright for her to go next door to Katie’s, he replied whilst half asleep “ok, but if you go anywhere else you must let me know.”
“Of course I will” Amy replied.