Reflections Of Angels

Grandma Campbell's Cottage

Once they were all settled in the living room, Mrs Campbell had gone into the kitchen and come out with two trays worth of cookies in different flavours.
Soon they were all sitting round in a merry group, sipping tea and strawberry juice for the children; Mrs Campbell sitting in her big armchair, cuddling and cooing over baby DJ, and Billy was sitting by the open window, sneaking pieces of cookie through to Nibs who was standing outside, perfectly content and happy, having not been allowed to come in.

Dec leaned forward on the settee and tapped Billy's arm to get his attention. "Not the chocolate ones, he won't like that. You'll make him sick."

Billy shook his head and held up the cookie. "Valilla?"

"Vanilla." Lila corrected, bounding over and bouncing down onto the couch beside him; before joining in on sneaking the dog treats.

Mrs Campbell sucked in her cheeks harshly and took a deep sip of her tea. Then, she set it down and turned to her son. "So, Edgar, you mentioned something strange was happening?"

Billy blinked in surprise. Edgar? Wasn't his name Declan?

Well, apparently it was both, because Declan answered. "I've just been having some strange... episodes recently. You know, headaches... Sometimes my vision goes funny- I think it's stress, really."

Mrs Campbell sighed. "You're having those again."

Declan looked at her in surprise. "Again?"

Mrs Campbell looked almost shocked she'd spoken out loud. "Well... yes. You used to have unusual episodes as a young child, but they... well, they just went away, really. Figured you'd grown out of them. It's understandable if it is stress though, with the whole... situation that's been going on." She turned her attention back to DJ, bouncing him lightly in her arms. "Best thing to do is to go get some rest." She said. "Take some time for yourself, I'll look after the kids.

"Okay." Dec agreed, kissing her on the cheek. "Hang on, I'll just get DJ's things from the car."

Getting up, he walked out.

As he headed towards the vehicle, passing the tall hedge on the front drive, the back of his neck prickled- like something was watching him. Quickly, he glanced around- but there was nothing there.

Hauling the bag out of the back of his car, he turned back towards the house with it slung across his back- and saw something that he'd seen perhaps a million times before; but never really thought about prior to this moment.

His mother- his heavily Christian mother- had iron horse shoes nailed around her upstairs windows.