Glimmer and other Stories Read Online Free Page A

her mouth.
    ‘Slow down, you’ll give yourself indigestion eating that fast.’
    ‘Sorry, it’s just that, I’m really hungry.’
    ‘Want some more?’
    ‘Yes please.’
    ‘What shall we do with you Katy?’ John said, as he ladled more soup into her bowl.
    ‘I don’t know. Are you going to call the police?’
    ‘Should I? Are you in trouble?’
    ‘No. I just…’ she pushed her bowl away and hung her head.
    ‘It’s late, why don’t you stay here tonight and we’ll worry about what to do with you in the morning.’
    ‘Okay.’
    ‘You can sleep in the study. Come on.’  
    John stood and offered her his arm. Katy allowed him to lead her into a low-ceilinged room with a large open fireplace. Some logs burned faintly in the grate and gave off a sweet smell. John switched on the light and she saw a room filled with books, old chests, cushions, and black and white photographs. On the walls were dead butterflies and beetles encased in ornate silver frames. Katy stared at the bric-a-brac strewn around the room and smiled.
    ‘You’ve got loads of really old stuff. It’s like a museum.’
    ‘Do you like museums?’
    ‘Yeah. I went to the big one in London last year,’ she said, and yawned.  
    ‘Tired eh? Tell you what, just take the books off the couch and you can lie down there.’
    ‘What if I wrinkle the dress?’
    ‘Don’t worry about that. It’ll iron out fine. I’ll go and find a blanket for you,’ John said, and went out of the room.
    Katy walked over to the settee and began to pile the books onto the floor. She noticed a bulge under one of the thin cushions and pulled it away. Underneath were two glass paperweights. Katy picked one up and stared at its multi-coloured surface. It was filled with delicate flower heads made out of tubes of coloured glass, that seemed to change hue each time she turned it towards the light. The other one was bigger and heavier. Inside the clear glass was a garden scene: A little girl dressed in a long white dress with a pink sash around her waist, sat on a swing tied between two pink-blossomed cherry trees.  
    ‘I see you’ve found my paperweights,’ John said, carrying bed linen.  
    Gladiator strolled in behind him and sat at Katy’s feet. John put the pillows and duvet on the arm of the couch, and took the paperweight off her. He lowered himself onto the settee and patted the cushion next to him. Katy sat and John put his hand on her thigh. She flinched.
    ‘My grandfather had this made for my mother’s tenth birthday.’
    ‘That’s how old I am.’
    ‘The little girl on the swing is her,’ he said, and leaned in close to Katy’s cheek. She pulled away and moved her leg out of his reach.  
    ‘Is the garden real?’
    ‘Yes. At least, it was. It was my grandparent’s garden. They lived there over a hundred years ago. The house is still there, a yellow thatched cottage with a hawthorn hedge.’  
    John gave her the paperweight. She held it in both hands and peered into it. ‘It’s really beautiful. I wish I lived there.’
    ‘Where do you live Katy?’
    ‘By the new estate across Merchant’s field.’
    ‘That’s about three miles from here. Bit of a long walk for a girl of your age. You really wanted to hide didn’t you?’
    Katy yawned and rubbed her eyes. ‘I’m tired.’
    ‘Shall I tell you a bedtime story?’
    ‘About the little girl?’
    ‘If you like.’
    ‘Can Gladdy listen too?’
    ‘If that’s what you want.’
    Katy called to the dog and it jumped onto her lap. John screwed up his eyes and took a deep breath.  
    ‘Right, let me see. Once upon a time there was a little girl called…’
    ‘Katy.’
    ‘Called Katy, and she lived in a big house with a beautiful garden…’
    Katy’s head drooped, and in her half-conscious state she felt John put his arm around her shoulders. She twitched at his touch, then fell fast asleep.  
    A sharp pain in her arm woke her up. She opened her eyes and saw John’s hand squeezing her