“Like items in a box…”
“Who’s there?” Mary couldn’t see anything. She turned around, but darkness stared at her.
“… of lost and found.”
“I’ve got a knife,” she said into the darkness. Her face burned, she thought one of the bushes she crawled through must have scratched her.
Childish laughter sounded all around her. “Oh, you’re such a liar.”
“Who are you?”
She wanted to sit down and cry. Everything looked the same, and there wasn’t a moon in sight, so darkness clouded the mountain. She didn’t know how long she’d been running, and the night was nipping at her.
The bush laughed, “That’s what my ma used to say.”
She saw a shadow shift beside her.
“Hi,” she said more shocked than relieved. Her second terror was just a child. “What’s your name?”
“Are you as cold as you look?”
Mary didn’t know that her teeth were clattering. “Do I look that bad?”
“Worse, but my ma said never to be rude.” He turned around, started walking away from her. “But it’s not rude when people can’t see themselves.”
Mary followed him. In the shadow of night, she tried to fix her hair.
“A fire?” she questioned more to herself. She didn’t know how she could have missed it.
“Is that what you call it?” His small voice sounded shocked.
“Um, yes.”
“So do I.” He turned around. The flames came alive on his face. In it she saw the most sparkling blue eyes, with a mocking grin.
“What’s your name?”
“You look cold. You should warm your hands.”
“Are you ashamed of your name?” she asked, holding her hands over the fire, feeling the flames lick the cold out of her.
“Ashamed?” A frown creased his forehead. “No, but why do you ask?”
“Cause I asked you your name, twice already.”
“Oh.” He smiled at her. “I’m not supposed to give my name.”
“Why not?” She felt like she could stand here all night.
“No introductions have been made.”
“Oh.” Mary looked at him. Smiled at him. “Hi, I’m Mary.”
He came around the fire. “I’m Billy, a pleasure to meet you.” He took her hand, bent half down and let his lips touch her knuckles.
“How old are you Billy?”
“Ten, when spring is at its finest.”
“And where did you learn to do this?”
“My ma used to say that?”
“Say what, Billy?”
“Scattered around, like items in a box of lost and found.”
“What’s scattered?” She felt herself sit down next to the fire.
“That’s what my ma used to say for people like you.”
“Like me?” Mary remembered something. “Billy, where are your parents?”
“At home. They give you stomach cramps.”
“What does?” She shook her head. “Can you take me to them?”
“For people that’s lost.”
***
Tell us: What do you think of Billy’s strange behaviour?console.log(‘ThelmsSurveyLink::GetLinkArray() returned ‘, false);