West Devon Diary Fiction
time he doubted if anyone would enter the lofty building. Was the thing dead? If it wasn’t it
would need water. All creatures needed water. He placed a full bucket beside the beast. It was getting late; he had to get back to his bed before the house was locked up. Back in the safety of his room he found the book about dinosaurs. He knew what the creature was but felt almost afraid to verify his discovery. These creatures had lived millions of years ago, not in 20th Century Britain. “Tom - why aren’t you in bed?
You should have been asleep hours ago!” Tom’s face flushed guiltily as he gazed up at his mother. “I was just looking up something, Mum.” She took the book from him and stared down at the picture. “A pterodactyl - looks horrendous. Thank goodness there aren’t any alive now.” “Actually I’ve just seen some,”
shouting for him to come. For one brief, hear-stopping moment the creature opened its eyes and glanced at him; gleaming, round eyes as green as emeralds.
barn. No need for caution at present. His father and his brother had gone rabbit shooting; his mother was busy in the kitchen.
That evening Tom returned to the
The sight of the creature, its wings neatly folded, head held high and crouching on folded legs like a large, broody hen, filled him with an exciting sort of terror. It made no sound but stared at him with its extraordinary, green eyes. Slowly it laid its beak on his small shoulder for a moment and then turned its head aside, shuffling slightly. The creature seemed benign. Tom decided it must be hungry but what did such creatures eat?
Tom blurted out, instantly regretting his words. To make things worse he could hear his Dad coming upstairs. “What’s this then, boy?” he asked. There was silence as his wife and his son stared at him. To compound matters his eldest son John came out of his bedroom.
“He says he has just seen some of these,” said his wife pointing to the illustration. “He’s been dreaming, that’s all,” said John derisively.
“No need for you to be adding your two-pennorth. Get back to bed,” commanded his father. “Do you feel allright, Tom?” Anxiously his Mother felt his forehead. It was cool and his eyes were clear pools of blue. “Course he’s allright - just proper mazed, like usual. Get to your bed, lad,” said his exasperated father. “I never knowed a boy so daft as that one,” Tom heard his Dad say as he closed his bedroom door. Early next morning Tom hurried to the barn. The creature seemed much as he had left it - wide wings outspread, the long neck stretched out on the barn floor, the scaly head motionless. Cautiously Tom touched the crested head, almost certain the thing was dead. He could hear the school bus rumbling along the lane and his brother
Late that night Tom, carrying a torch, crept to the cool, stone- flagged room where food was stored and took one of the rabbits hanging from a hook on the wall. In the barn he placed it in front of the crouching beast. Its green eyes were two lamps gleaming in the torchlight. With a swift, darting
The moon was full that night. It shed a pale, ghostly light over the farm. The rabbit had vanished - fur, bones, the lot! Tonight was different - magical! Inside the barn the creature was flapping its great wings, arching its long neck as it stood high on its legs. Tom watched it, awe-stricken. It ran up and down the barn like a jumbo-jet preparing for take-off. He stood aside to let it out of the barn and then followed it. Looking up he saw several pairs of glittering green eyes. There were five black creatures perched on the barn roof. The grounded creature paused, touched Tom’s face with its beak in a farewell caress then ran with huge wings flapping. Faster and faster it ran then soared up into the night sky followed by its five companions. The farmyard was deserted.
can’t find anything amiss,” said Ruth Addison to her husband. She saw the look of relief on this face.
known ‘tis just the boy’s usual way. Mazed he is. Proper mazed!”
* * * * * * * * * * *
movement it probed the rabbit carcass. It gave a strange, hissing sound that was too much for Tom. He fled back to the house, heart pounding. “Could’ve sworn us shot four rabbits,” muttered John Addison. He strode out in the yard and watched his boys board the school bus. He was secretly worried about his beloved younger son. “Do ‘ee think Tom’s allright? He
asked his wife. “He does seem a bit distracted. Looks allright though,” said his wife, as perplexed as her husband. “I’ll get the doctor to look him over.” She picked up the phone.
“Did you enjoy the exhibition then lad?” Jack asked his grandson. “It was awesome, Grandad. I liked the tyrannosaurus the best. The pterodactyl was Dad’s favourite but he said its eyes weren’t the right colour.”
“And what colour should they be?” the old man asked his doctor son that he was so proud of although he would never tell him that!
reply. “Take no heed to what your Dad
“Green - like emeralds,” was the
says. He’s mazed, proper mazed,” said Jack with a chuckle. ■
19 “Good news then. I should have “The doctor says Tom’s fine -
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