Alexander an the folks next door Part 2

 

Alexander an the folks next door Part Two

Chapter Six 

A heavy body came flying towards them through the corn.   Becky squealed in terror but Alexander had caught a glimpse of gold-coloured fur.    The thing was certainly hairy but it wasn’t the giant.

‘Button!’ he cried.

Then he noticed the dog was carrying something and his expression changed.

‘Bad dog’ he said sternly.  ‘Drop.’

At once Button opened his mouth and a baby rabbit tumbled out onto the ground.   It looked around with a dazed look on its face and hopped slowly into the corn.

‘Is this your dog?’ Becky said

Alexander nodded.    It wasn’t exactly a lie, he thought.  After all, it was his at the moment.

‘I’ve got an idea’ he said.   ‘I think Button can show us the way out.’

He picked up the end of the lead, still attached to Button’s collar.

‘Home boy.’  He said.

Soon the stalks of corn began to thin and finally, they sighed with relief as they stepped out of the maze.   Their relief didn’t last very long.   Although they were out of the clutches of the corn, they didn’t recognise any landmarks.   Alexander couldn’t see the path that had led into the field and Becky had no idea where they were.

‘We must have come out on the wrong side of the field.’

‘I’m not going back in there’.   Becky said.

It was then they noticed a wood and Becky’ expression brightened.

‘ I recognise that’ she said.   ‘I think it’s a short cut home.’

Alexander looked at the wood and shuddered.   Its trees were huddled together and its black outline, silhouetted against the dark blue sky, reminded him of a large animal, crouched and ready to spring.

But Becky was already trotting briskly towards it.

‘C’mon.’ She said.

At first, the light from the moon shone on a narrow path leading into the wood but as the trees grew thicker, they blocked out the moonlight and the path disappeared.  Slowly, they groped their way along, trying to avoid thick tree roots twisting like snakes across the ground.

‘Are you sure you know the way?’

Becky hesitated.   Then, she nodded.

All the birds and insects were asleep and it was very quiet in the wood, apart from an occasional rustle in the undergrowth that Alexander guessed came from small nocturnal animals that only came out at night.   Once, they stopped dead in their tracks as they saw a milky white shape floating silently through the branches.

Becky clutched Alexander’s arm.

‘Is it a ghost?’ she gasped.

Alexander shook his head.

‘Don’t worry.  It’s just a barn owl.  It’s not interested in us.  It’s out hunting for mice and shrews.  Its wings are specially made so that they don’t make a noise when it flies.   We learned all about them at school.   I expect you will too when you get a bit older.’

They hadn’t gone very much further when Becky whimpered.   She stopped and clutched at her stomach.

‘I’ve got a stitch in my side and I’m tired.  I can’t walk any further.’ 

She began to cry again.

Alexander stopped.   His legs were aching too.

‘Ok.  We’ll have a bit of a rest.’

He looked around and saw a little grassy hollow by the side of a bush.   They lay down and Alexander looked upwards trying to count the stars that twinkled through the gaps in the trees.    Soon, Becky started to snore.  The sound made Alexander feel very sleepy and slowly his eyes began to close.  

Chapter Seven

The next thing he knew was that he was sitting upright, his pulse-pounding.  Something had woken him.   It was still dark, so it wasn’t the light.   He sniffed, and a delicious smell of roasting meat wafted towards him.   His mouth filled with water.   Suddenly he was ravenous, he couldn’t remember when he’d last eaten anything.   

‘Wake up.’ 

He prodded Becky and her eyes opened.  

They glanced at each other.

‘I’m very hungry’ whispered Becky.

Quietly, they scrambled to their feet and crept in the direction of the smell.

Soon they heard a crackling sound and a sort of low grunting.   Dropping to their hands and knees they crawled through the undergrowth.   Alexander parted some bushes and peered through them.

‘Look’ he whispered.

In a clearing ringed by trees, a log fire was burning.  Orange flames flickered brightly shining on the faces of two men crouched by its side.  With a start, Alexander recognised one of them.   It was the man who had followed him down the path.  If anything, he looked even more ugly now.   His face was almost entirely covered in hair and his yellow eyes glinted in the firelight as he gnawed on a lump of meat.   The man sitting next to him looked equally hideous and their table manners were very bad.  Bones were scattered everywhere and grease from the meat was running down their chins.   They were chewing with their mouths wide open and suddenly, Alexander didn’t feel hungry any more.

Silently, he let go of the bushes and mouthed at Becky.

‘Let’s go.’

He began to back out the way he had come.  Then, a thought occurred to him.  Where was Button?   The dog was nowhere to be seen.  

‘Oh, no!’ 

With a feeling of dread, he looked back through the bushes.   

 Belly low to the ground, Button was slinking towards a hunk of meat just behind the two men.  

He had nearly made it when one of the men spotted him.  With a roar of rage, he jumped up and grabbed a burning branch from the fire.  Sparks from the wood cartwheeled into the air as he hurled it at the dog.  With a startled yelp, Button ran off and immediately the two men gave chase.   Transfixed, the two stood listening to the deafening sound of snarls, shrill whines and crushed undergrowth as Button was hunted deep into the wood.

‘Poor Button.’

Becky’s face was chalky white.

‘Don’t worry.  I’m sure he can run faster than they can.’

Suddenly, Alexander had an idea.

‘Wait here a minute.’

Quickly, he sprinted towards the clearing and grabbed two chunks of the meat.

‘Here.  This will make you feel better.’

They stuffed the food into their mouths.   After chewing for a while, they could feel energy flooding through them and when they’d finished they felt ready to start walking again. 

Chapter Eight

Alexander glanced up at the sky.  It was very dark now and he realised that his mother must have found out he had disappeared ages ago.   She must be frantic with worry.  Maybe she had called the Police.  He felt a sinking sensation in his stomach when he did get back, she was going to be really angry with him.  

‘C’mon.   We’ve got to hurry’. 

He grabbed hold of Becky’s hand and started to drag her along the path.

They hadn’t gone very far when they heard a flapping sound, like wet washing drying on the line.  It was so loud and so sudden that they both stopped at once.

They looked around but couldn’t see anything.   Then, from behind a tree a dark shadow moved towards them.

Alexander’s breath caught in his throat and his mouth opened as he gasped for air. 

As the shadow drew nearer, it separated and became two figures.   They were both dressed entirely in black and their pale faces gleamed in the moonlight.

Alexander and Becky stood as if their feet were anchored to the ground.   Becky was trembling so violently that Alexander put his arm around her to hold her upright.

‘Becky, what are you doing out here?’

Alexander felt Becky’ body stiffen and saw a look of joy and amazement appear on her face. 

‘Dad?’ 

Becky struggled out of Alexander’s grasp.

Suddenly Alexander realised something was very wrong.

‘Becky, come back,’ he cried.   ‘It’s not…..’

‘What’s wrong Alexander?’

 The other figure used his mother’s voice and Alexander was suddenly furious.  

‘How dare you.  You’re not my mother!’  he shouted.

He was so angry, he completely forgot to be scared.

The figures took a step towards them and Alexander saw that they were male and female.   The woman was very beautiful with long glossy black hair and deep red lips.

‘Please don’t be angry with us.’

Her voice was soft and sweet and Alexander felt himself calming down.

‘We impersonated your parents so that you wouldn’t be frightened.  We’re             sorry if we upset you.’

‘What do you want?’

 ‘We believe, you have something that belongs to us.’

‘What?’

‘Our dog.’

‘Button?’   Alexander was amazed.

The man chuckled.

‘We call him Fang.’

Alexander’s mind whirled as he struggled to understand.

‘But Button lives next door to me’.

‘That’s right and so do we.’

‘But…..’ he stuttered, trying to understand.

‘We’re your neighbours,’ the woman said gently, ‘and Button, as you call him, is our dog, Fang’.

Alexander shook his head.  Gathering all his courage, he opened his mouth and the words flooded out.

‘Then, why don’t you look after him properly?  Why don’t you take him out  and why don’t you groom him?’

The man interrupted.

‘But we do, we take him out at night.’

‘We always go out at night.’   The woman said gently.  ‘That’s why you never see us.’

Alexander stared at them.  He remembered a book he had taken out of the library recently.  It had really scared him.   It was all about creatures who looked human but who only went out at night.   They were called.

‘Vampires.’

The couple spoke, both at once.  They must have read his mind.

Alexander’ legs shook.   He couldn’t believe his ears.

‘You’re vampires?’ he whispered.

‘That’s right. I’m, Japhet. This is Elvira.’  The man’s voice was friendly.

Alexander thought he was going to faint as he remembered what vampires liked to eat.

Again, Japhet read his mind.

‘There’s no need to worry.   You’re quite safe.  We don’t drink human blood.   We used to, in the Old Days, but we’re more civilised now.  We get our nourishment from small animals, mostly rabbits.  Fang helps us to catch them.’

With a start, Alexander remembered the grey fluff on Button’s fur.

‘I think that’s cruel. I’ve got a pet rabbit.  I call him Flopsy’. 

Becky’ voice was a bit wobbly but it was loud and clear and Alexander felt very proud of her.

‘Fang only chases wild rabbits.   And they don’t feel a thing.   It’s very quick and then they go to Rabbit Heaven.   Every creature has a purpose you know.  By the way, where is Fang?’

Chapter Nine

Alexander started to feel frightened again.   They would be angry when they found out.   They would think he hadn’t been looking after Button properly.

He looked down at the floor and muttered in a low voice. 

‘Some nasty hairy men were in the woods.  Button stole some of their meat and they chased him through the trees.’

To his surprise, Elvira laughed.

‘Oh, you mean the werewolves. They’re very low and stupid creatures.

They can’t make up their minds whether they are men or wolves.  Don’t worry,  Fang will have no problem getting away from them.’

Just then, a golden streak flashed into the clearing.

‘Fang!.   Elvira held out her arms.

The dog rushed towards her, wagging his whole body.  Making excited little yipping noises he jumped up and tried to lick her face.

He was so pleased that Alexander realised they had been telling the truth.  He was their dog.

 Japhet and Elvira turned to the children.

‘All’s well, that ends well’, they said.  ‘Now, we have to get you home.’

Alexander’s worry must have shown in his face.

‘What’s wrong.’ Elvira asked.  ‘Don’t you want to go home?’

Alexander shuffled his feet.

‘Mum’s going to be so mad at me,’ he muttered.   ‘I didn’t actually tell her I was going out and I’m supposed to be sick.’

Japhet laughed.

‘Don’t worry,’ he said kindly.   ‘Time does funny things when we’re around,’  he winked at Alexander.  ‘Come on, jump up.’

Alexander loved going on the Big Dipper at the Fair but that wasn’t half so much fun as being whisked through the air on the back of a vampire.  He remembered feeling the softly scented night air streaming by him but he must have been more tired than he realised because when he next opened his eyes, he was back in his own bed. 

Chapter Ten

‘I must have fallen asleep,’ he thought.

Then, things got even stranger.  His bedroom door opened and in walked his mother carrying a tray.

‘How are you feeling now, dear?’ she asked.  ‘Do you think you can manage some tomato soup for lunch?’

Lunch? But it had been night just now.  It must have all been a dream, Alexander thought.   He was surprised at how disappointed he felt.

His mother put the tray down.

‘Call me if you want anything else,’ she said.

Just then, she looked down at his bedroom floor and a puzzled expression appeared on her face.

‘What are these doing here?’

She bent down and picked up his combats.  They were crumpled and covered in mud and twigs. 

His mother clicked her tongue with annoyance.

‘These are dirty.  What a nuisance, I must have forgotten to put them in the wash.’

After his mother had left the room, Alexander lay working things out.   It hadn’t been a dream.  His muddy clothes proved that.    He remembered Elvira and Japhet saying that time did funny things when they were around.   They must have turned the clocks back somehow.   He let out a huge, excited sigh, so he really did have vampires living next door to him. He scrambled out of bed and ran to the window.  Leaning out as far as he dared, he caught a glimpse of Button in his usual place outside his kennel.  

The dog looked up at him, then his jaws opened in a doggy smile and Alexander could have sworn he winked.

Then, he lifted his muzzle to the sky and Alexander realised that he wasn’t howling.   He was singing.

ENDS
 

Copyright Janet Baldey