Trevor and Mason Tallen and their cousins Heath Stanton and Michael Scott raced their bicycles up and down the high banks of a canal located near Hardington Park, just outside the Chiswick neighborhood Dec lived in .
The banks had well worn trails people had walked over for more years than anyone could recall. Grasses, grown up around these trails, provided the best of hiding places for a multitude of wild animals that called the area home. These tall grasses and great trees provided the perfect backdrop for adventures only young boys could come up with and they claimed it as their very own.
"Do you suppose there were wild bears here?" Mason, the youngest of the group, called as he worked hard to keep up with the others, his legs much shorter than those he was following.
"Nah! Da said nowt when I asked him. Said they'd been extinct for years!" Michael replied, yelling over his shoulder only to slow down when he saw how far back Mason had dropped.
"Need a rest," he explained, when Heath and Trevor pulled up beside him, wondering why he'd suddenly come to a stop. The pair glanced behind them to see the reason and exchanged small grins. They were all partial to the youngest of the group.
"Why are ye asking, Mason?" Trevor asked, watching his younger cousin slowly pedaling up to the group...his tongue sticking out in his efforts to catch up. "There's nowt to be afeared of, titch."
Ignoring the jab at his size, Mason came to a stop and stood beside his bike, like the others before announcing, "Saw a trap in Grand's toolshed and I was just wondering."
The new found knowledge caused an immediate change in plans and, before Mason even had a chance to mount his bike, the group of older boys were on theirs, racing to their grand dad's tool shed a few streets over.
Minutes later, once they were all together, the group left their bikes against the back wall of the grandparent's property, using the thick shrubs for cover, the four boys stealthily crawled their way to the toolshed, quietly opened the door and made their way inside. As they entered the building, they stood up, allowing their eyes to adjust to the dim lighting coming in through the many cracks in the walls...dust floating through the light only to fall to whatever surface it landed on. Seconds later, feeling very important and suddenly somewhat older, Mason led everyone to the far corner of the dusty room.
There, hanging on a hook, on the back wall, was a rusted trap with teeth that would do a good bit of damage to whatever creature might accidentally become caught within their grasp. Being the tallest of the group, Trevor stood on tip toes and carefully pulled the contraption from it's perch.
"The springs look rusted solid," Trevor murmured as he looked at the trap before handing it over to Heath and Michael, watching his cousins passed the trap back and forth, turning it this way and that.
"Do you suppose we could open up and set it in the wood?" Mason asked, his voice filled with excitement. Michael shook his head in response. "Even if you managed to get it opened and set, you really wouldn't want to catch anything," he said, pointing at the teeth, which looked even more ominous close up. "You could lame an animal for life or even kill it," he added stepping back. Heath laughed at his brother. "Nowt will happen...it's just for fun."
"I'll have no part in it but I won't tell on ye either," Michael stated in a voice full of worry, watching the other boys' excitement as they made their plans.
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For several minutes, Dec could only shake his head in amusement as he glanced around his living room, taking in the elaborate pillow and blanket fort his nephews, Seamus and Nolan had created. Hidden within the massive structure, his nephews were busy snacking away on crisps, biscuits and soda...treats that were normally kept in short supply by their mother at their home in Newcastle.
