THE FERALS


By Tessa Harvey


They were up on the fells one day, following a track down by a farm and over a wooden bridge. A sparkling stream swept below and Sophie watched the eddies touch a shingle bank. She called shrilly to her mother, "I can see a sick sheep!" Jake  offered to run back to the farm and tell them a ewe was in difficulties birthing her lamb. The farmer and grown daughter came to help and were very grateful.

The four off-comers had moved away so the mother sheep could settle, and they watched from a distance. The children were both excited to see twin lambs appear and struggle to their feet. The ewe was fine and soon was suckling her babies.

Alice and Jake moved on with the children through a gate and over the cropped grass and young bracken to a pool beneath a thin growth of trees.
The children splashed around happily, despite the chill.

Jake told Alice then how Angela had died. A drunk driver had floored the accelerator, not the brake at an intersection. Angela had been hit hard and lived only two days after the accident.

Alice was silent for a while. The sun felt warm today and new leaves were appearing on the trees around. The air felt fresh and clean.



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