Blood and Clay by Dulcinea Norton-Smith

for fun, each of us pulling faces at the
sour, hard flesh, daring each other to eat more. The cherries were strong and
sweet, their taut, smooth skins giving way under our teeth to allow us access
to their firm flesh underneath. We pushed the stones into the earth with our
fingertips, wondering if any trees would grow from them. Hard to imagine a tree
could stand where we had pushed tiny stones, years after we were dead and
buried. Then we picked small bunches of sweet clover and chewed the thin,
fragile petals, enjoying their delicate sweetness before spitting them onto the
ground.

 
    “ So what happened with Mr Law? ”

 
    “ I really don ’ t know. One minute he was shouting
but then the next he was on the floor. He looked terrible and all twitchy. ” I sighed. I had almost forgotten
about the peddler after the talk of Pa and the strange feelings I was having
about Gabe.

 
    “ No that can ’ t be all Lizzie. Come on, this is me. Why would he say you ’ d done something? ”

 
    “ Maybe I did. ”

 
    I
lay back on the grass, dry now that that morning dew had given up its fight
against the rising heat. I stared up at the leaves and the glittering shimmers
of light which flitted into sight every time the leaves fluttered in the
breeze. The light was blocked out when Gabe ’ s face came into focus as he lay down
and leaned over me so that there was no escaping his eyes anymore.

 
    “ What does that mean? ” Gabe ’ s eyes weren ’ t challenging or even confused. The
look was one of concern and it made me feel guilty for not deserving it.

 
    “ Maybe there ’ s something of my Mam in me. There was a black dog there.
Not a normal one though. It seemed to be guarding me and when the peddler
pushed me it growled at him and made as if to bite him. Maybe it were that what
made him fall down. Maybe I bewitched that dog and bewitched him and it is all
my fault. ”

 
    With
that I couldn ’ t hold my tears back any more. Saying it out loud for the
first time brought my fears and guilt crashing in. I was going to be just like
my Mam and there weren ’ t nowt I could do about it. I would go to Hell, God wouldn ’ t want to know about me now and that
poor peddler and many other folk after him would suffer because of me, because
I was born evil. The tears spilled out of my eyes and slid down my cheeks. My
belly crunched and heaved as my tears turned to full blown sobs. Gabe scooped
me up into a sitting position and hugged me tight. His arms and chest felt wide
and hard but warm with it and I let myself relax into them as I cried. After
what seemed to be a lifetime I stopped crying but I felt so empty and tired.
All I wanted to do was sleep.

 
    As
I flopped against Gabe he lay back down, taking me with him. He kept one arm
tight around me as I kept my head on his chest. He stroked my hair and I felt
myself drift off to sleep. I couldn ’ t fight the exhaustion anymore. When
I woke up the clearing was just a bit darker.

 
    “ How long was I asleep? ” I asked, sitting up and rubbing at
my sore eyes.

 
    “ Not so long, an hour maybe. How do you feel? ”

 
    Gabe
sat up too, taking my face in one hand and using the other to move strands of
hair off my face. Once the hair was gone he kept his hand on my face, stroking
my cheek and looking at the skin as he stroked it before moving his eyes to
look into mine. Our faces were close now. So close that our breath mingled. His
eyes were so close that they were all I could see. We stayed that way for an
eternity, seeming to inch closer with each breath, each breath getting shorter
and shorter. When we were so close that trying to look into Gabe ’ s eyes made my head hurt, I closed my
eyes. I could still feel his hand on my cheek, warm, hot even. Then his lips
touched mine. My first kiss. It was long and soft and sweet then he pulled back
and I opened my eyes. He was staring straight at me. Before I knew it he kissed
me again. Harder this time