something. No. That would be unacceptable.
But when he looked around again he saw that the earlier movement hadn't been a seagull or other animal. Further up the cliff, gazing down at him, sat a girl. Red hair blowing in the wind, framing a freckly face featuring two piercing green eyes. She was pretty, for a girl, and about his age.
"Hi," the redhead said.
The boy paused for a moment. Was he imagining this? Nobody ever came here, except a few of the locals. And he'd never seen her before. "Hi."
"Nice place. You live here?" she asked, while wrapping her arms around herself as though she was trying to keep warm.
"Uh-huh. Where are you from?"
"Edinburgh. We're only here on vacation."
"Aha. Edinburgh," the boy repeated after her, hoping it made him sound knowledgeable. The truth was he'd never been to Edinburgh, or even spent much time away from his home just across the dunes at all.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Jamie. Yours?" he responded.
But she didn't answer. Instead she got up on top of the cliff and looked back at something - he wasn't sure at what, because he was too far down to be able to catch her line of sight.
"Hey, I need to go. My dad gets real upset when he doesn't know where I am. See you around, maybe."
Before he had the chance to think of anything else to say, she had climbed over the other side of the cliffs, and ran off into the grass-covered dunes leading away from the beach. Perhaps he should follow her, try to get to know her. But he couldn't bring himself to move, so he just stood there watching as she got smaller and smaller and finally vanished over the top of the hill.
It was the strangest thing. When she was gone and out of sight, he wasn't even sure anymore if she'd actually been here or if he'd just imagined her. Nah, that was dumb. If he was going to imagine someone, he'd imagine someone totally different, not a
girl.
He didn't like girls much, thought they were mostly daft and spent way too much time fussing about stupid things like ponies and whatnot. No, he definitely wouldn't dream up a girl if it was up to him.
The entire incident had distracted him sufficiently that he didn't feel up to the task of hunting his arch nemesis, the lobster, anymore. So he climbed down the cliff from the end where he had just come from and walked across the beach towards the beginnings of his brother's sand castle.
The beach was empty again. Totally empty, like it usually was. The bright red plastic bucket and spade were lying in the center of the oddly shaped circle of sand turrets. There was no sign of his brother.
Weird, had he gone back?
The boy traced their steps back to the path they had taken across the dunes.
He must have just gone home, right?
As he got further and further away from the water, his heart beat faster and a sense of panic built in his chest. Why would he just leave? He wouldn't. They'd only just gotten here and his castle was far from finished. There's no way his little brother would have left his bucket behind either.
He was completely out of breath by the time he made it home. His mom was sitting on the porch, reading her morning paper. As soon as she noticed him, she looked up and smiled.
"Hey, Jamie. That was quick. Where's Matty?" she asked.
He didn't know what to say to her exactly, how to explain it. At this moment Jamie realized two things: his brother was gone, and he'd never spend time down at the beach again.
Chapter One
It was late and most of Edinburgh's popular pubs were starting to close. Jamie Abbott didn't feel like heading home yet, but figured he might as well try to rest before another undoubtedly long day at the office.
A confusing maelstrom of thoughts plagued him. He had worked for the Alliance for years, laboring away day after day without much to show for it. Until now. Now they'd captured some actual members of the illustrious secret organization of humans who were trying to eliminate shifters the world over: the Sons of Domnall.
Three of
But when he looked around again he saw that the earlier movement hadn't been a seagull or other animal. Further up the cliff, gazing down at him, sat a girl. Red hair blowing in the wind, framing a freckly face featuring two piercing green eyes. She was pretty, for a girl, and about his age.
"Hi," the redhead said.
The boy paused for a moment. Was he imagining this? Nobody ever came here, except a few of the locals. And he'd never seen her before. "Hi."
"Nice place. You live here?" she asked, while wrapping her arms around herself as though she was trying to keep warm.
"Uh-huh. Where are you from?"
"Edinburgh. We're only here on vacation."
"Aha. Edinburgh," the boy repeated after her, hoping it made him sound knowledgeable. The truth was he'd never been to Edinburgh, or even spent much time away from his home just across the dunes at all.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Jamie. Yours?" he responded.
But she didn't answer. Instead she got up on top of the cliff and looked back at something - he wasn't sure at what, because he was too far down to be able to catch her line of sight.
"Hey, I need to go. My dad gets real upset when he doesn't know where I am. See you around, maybe."
Before he had the chance to think of anything else to say, she had climbed over the other side of the cliffs, and ran off into the grass-covered dunes leading away from the beach. Perhaps he should follow her, try to get to know her. But he couldn't bring himself to move, so he just stood there watching as she got smaller and smaller and finally vanished over the top of the hill.
It was the strangest thing. When she was gone and out of sight, he wasn't even sure anymore if she'd actually been here or if he'd just imagined her. Nah, that was dumb. If he was going to imagine someone, he'd imagine someone totally different, not a
girl.
He didn't like girls much, thought they were mostly daft and spent way too much time fussing about stupid things like ponies and whatnot. No, he definitely wouldn't dream up a girl if it was up to him.
The entire incident had distracted him sufficiently that he didn't feel up to the task of hunting his arch nemesis, the lobster, anymore. So he climbed down the cliff from the end where he had just come from and walked across the beach towards the beginnings of his brother's sand castle.
The beach was empty again. Totally empty, like it usually was. The bright red plastic bucket and spade were lying in the center of the oddly shaped circle of sand turrets. There was no sign of his brother.
Weird, had he gone back?
The boy traced their steps back to the path they had taken across the dunes.
He must have just gone home, right?
As he got further and further away from the water, his heart beat faster and a sense of panic built in his chest. Why would he just leave? He wouldn't. They'd only just gotten here and his castle was far from finished. There's no way his little brother would have left his bucket behind either.
He was completely out of breath by the time he made it home. His mom was sitting on the porch, reading her morning paper. As soon as she noticed him, she looked up and smiled.
"Hey, Jamie. That was quick. Where's Matty?" she asked.
He didn't know what to say to her exactly, how to explain it. At this moment Jamie realized two things: his brother was gone, and he'd never spend time down at the beach again.
Chapter One
It was late and most of Edinburgh's popular pubs were starting to close. Jamie Abbott didn't feel like heading home yet, but figured he might as well try to rest before another undoubtedly long day at the office.
A confusing maelstrom of thoughts plagued him. He had worked for the Alliance for years, laboring away day after day without much to show for it. Until now. Now they'd captured some actual members of the illustrious secret organization of humans who were trying to eliminate shifters the world over: the Sons of Domnall.
Three of
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