The Spook 9 - Slither's tale by Delaney Joseph

to oblige. I’d told her the tales I’d learned from my mother. Bryony had never known her, so it pleased me to take her place and do what she’d have done if she’d lived. The witches I told her about were from Pendle, a place a long way to the south and in a foreign country far across a cold sea. She loved to hear about the different types of magic they used – some cutting off the thumb-bones of their enemies to steal their magical power. They were scary stories, but heard in a happy and secure environment. In those days Bryony knew nothing of Slither, and I’d ensured that when he visited the farm to talk to my father she never even glimpsed him.
    But this was different. We were far from safe, and in the power of a creature who seemed just as dangerous as the witches I’d told Bryony about. I didn’t think telling her that kind of story was a good idea now.
    ‘I’ve got a different kind of story for you tonight, Bryony. It’s a nice one about a handsome prince.’
    ‘Oh, yes – that would be nice! Tell me a really nice story, Nessa,’ she said. ‘Tell me one where everything turns out happily in the end.’
    The last thing I felt like was telling a story, but for her sake I did my best. ‘Once upon a time an evil ogre carried off a princess and locked her in a tower—’
    ‘What did the ogre look like?’ Bryony interrupted.
    ‘He was big and ugly,’ I said, ‘with one huge bulging bloodshot eye in the middle of his forehead. But news of the princess’s captivity came to the attention of a prince, who saddled his horse and rode to the rescue—’
    ‘Was the prince handsome?’ Bryony demanded.
    I was finding it hard to concentrate because I could hear the beast moving around outside; I wasn’t much good at telling stories anyway. But at least I had her attention.
    ‘Yes, he was tall, with fair hair and blue eyes, and he wore a sword with a silver hilt in a leather scabbard.’
    ‘Did he have nice teeth and sweet breath?’ Bryony asked.
    ‘Yes, his breath was sweeter than spring blossom.’
    ‘Better than the beast’s breath then.’ Susan spoke up now. ‘It stinks of rotten meat and blood.’
    ‘
Shhh!
’ I hissed. ‘He has sharp ears.’
    ‘His teeth are really long and sharp too,’ Bryony added.
    I took a deep breath and tried to continue with the story, but Susan interrupted again. ‘I’ll tell the story this time, Nessa.
Your
stories are always so boring and predictable!’
    I was too weary to protest so I let her carry on from where I’d left off.
    ‘The handsome prince rode up to the dark tower,’ she said, ‘and he was lucky because the fierce ogre with long sharp teeth and breath smelling of blood and rotten meat wasn’t at home. So the prince broke down the door and went up to the top of the tower and, after stealing one quick kiss from the beautiful princess, carried her down the steps and lifted her up onto his horse.’
    Bryony had giggled when it came to the bit about the kiss and I began to relax.
    ‘But the ogre had been hiding in the trees behind the tower, and he rushed out and attacked the prince, who drew his sword,’ Susan continued.
    ‘Did the handsome prince cut off the ogre’s head?’ Bryony asked, almost breathless with anticipation.
    There was a pause. I should have seen it coming, but I didn’t, and I was too late to intervene.
    ‘No,’ Susan said. ‘The ogre opened his big stinky mouth and bit off the head of the prince. Then he ate the horse and finished off the princess for his dessert!’
    Bryony screamed and began to sob again, and at that moment the beast lurched into the cave.
    ‘Be silent!’ he growled. ‘End this foolishness now. You will need all your strength in the morning!’
    The fierce way he spoke stunned us all into silence. I lay there for a long time, listening and waiting for the breathing of my two sisters to change as they slipped into sleep. Above it all I could hear the harsh, heavy snoring of the beast. At last I fell