Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 22

Pat looked  up at a knock on the door, pulling his pyjama shirt over his head. "One sec!" He called, his voice muffled. He tugged his pyjama shirt on properly and shook his hair out. He'd brush it later.

Another knock at the door. "Yeah, hold on!" Pat jumped off his bed and ran over to the door, nearly falling over his own feet. He opened the door. "Oh, hi, Uncle Remus."

Remus glanced down the landing. "Hi, Pat. Um, look I know it's late but we need to talk."

Pat tried to look past Remus to see who he was looking at. "Who's there?" He asked.

"No one." Remus said quickly. "Just... Look, can I come in?"

Pat swallowed. "Uncle Remus, you're scaring me." He said quietly.

"I'm sorry, kid." Remus said and he sounded like he meant it. "I just need to... Sorry, can I-"

Pat stepped away from the door and went to sit on his bed. He tucked his hands under his legs and swung his legs, feet barely brushing the floor. Remus shut the door behind him and went over to the tiny window. It was still sunny outside so there was no need for a candle.

Remus seemed to check the window quickly - looking out into the forest surrounding the clearing - before drawing the dark blue curtains shut. He took a breath and Pat shrank back a bit.

Remus was really scaring him now.

"Uncle Remus, what's wrong?" Pat asked quietly. Remus hesitated.

"Nothing, kid." He said. "Just precautions, that's all."

Pat brought his knees up to his chest and hugged his legs. "Precautions against what?"

Remus shook his head - only a minute movement but Pat was paying enough attention to notice it. He crossed his arms, leaning against the window.

"Look, Pat, this boy you're meeting..."

"He's nice." Pat said almost indignantly. "He's my friend."

"What do you know about him?" Remus asked. Pat shrugged.

"He's a prince, he likes books, he's got a brother, he-" Pat cut himself off. He looked up at Remus, suspicion creeping into his brain. "Why d'you wanna know?"

Remus sighed. "Pat, I'm going to tell you the truth, okay?" He asked. Pat nodded. "And you need to promise that you'll at least try to believe it - cause it sounds ridiculous."

"If it sounds ridiculous, why are you telling me?" Pat asked.

"Because you need to know." Remus said. "But your Papa and Dada would kill me if they found out I was telling you anything to do with this so you have to promise not to tell them. Okay?"

Pat paused then slowly nodded. "Okay." He said quietly.

Remus nodded. "Okay, so, the nightmare man. He has spies all over the forest, all watching out for little children to snatch and take away. And if you get caught by the nightmare man or one of his spies, you don't come back." Pat's eyes widened and he tried to swallow by the knot of fear in his throat.

"The thing is, we don't know who the spies are." Remus said. "So... just be careful when you're talking to this boy, okay?"

"But he's not one of the nightmare man's spies." Pat protested. "I know it! He's nice and kind and funny and clumsy and-"

"I'm not saying he is!" Remus said quickly. Pat crossed his arms and bowed his head. Remus crept over to Pat's bed and knelt down. "Hey." He said quietly. "Hey, I'm not saying anything against your friend, okay?"

Pat turned his face away from Remus. "I'm not saying that he's not a prince, I'm just saying be on your guard. Don't tell him anything personal like where you live, okay?"

"What does it matter, though?" Pat asked. "The nightmare man already knows where I live."

"But telling him is what catches you out." Remus said. "Kid, I'm not going to stop you from seeing your friend, okay? You can go and meet up with him as many times as you can. But please just be careful. Please? For all our sakes?"

Pat didn't say anything at first. Remus sat back on his heels, waiting to see if Pat would say something.

"Okay." Pat mumbled eventually. "Fine."

I do not like this chapter. Writer's Block is a bitch.
Bye,
Blaize