The Beginning, by Andrea MacDonald

Stepping into the darkness sinking into the deep snow was terrifying. The moonlit starry sky made the snow on the hills appear a light blue , like the surface of a different planet.The clarity of the sky was almost palpable and otherworldly. The outline of the mountains overshadowed like great creatures protecting the valley below.  If only it could .Those jagged stiper’ed jaws of Mother Nature grazing on the winds of time can only be silent and witness what dwells beneath The Cranberry Rock.

The topography offered no signs of life aside from the the hack of a sheep .

Why did they have to sound so human ? As long as it wasn’t him all was well.

As I climbed the hill I saw the warm glow of light from the farm in the valley below .

Home. My backpack straps were razorlike against my shoulderblades and seeing the glowing comfort of the light seemed to exacerbate the pain. Not far now .

My heart soared to think of my beautiful boy sleeping soundly beneath the light , and very soon I would be amongst that same light sharing the security of a roof under which held everything I loved but there were demons afoot on the Devils Chair and dance they must…

The boy was sleeping but was the beast awake . I could see only the light I left burning and no other signs of movement from below so I felt comfort knowing I would soon be by my son.

When the day broke the sky was a brilliant azure blue and the dazzling diamonds in the snow shined brightly, adorning the weird tolkienesque castles of the Stiperstones with an ethereal sparkle.

The low cloud issuing over the horizon gave the appearance of camp fires, as if set by ancient tribes settled in their midst .

My beautiful boy points towards them asking ‘What are they Mummy ?’

So I tell him about the castles in the wind and the tribes people and the fires and the long walk in the blue snow…an altered reality from the reason why we live on the mountain. Our secret would become known .

What I couldn’t tell him about was our future and what would happen when we left our sacred Squilver to live amongst the ‘Lower Down’. The beast would walk among you and you would not know. He is already there.

We should never have left. Ever.