Copyright © Ashe Barker 2013. All Rights Reserved, Total-E-Ntwined Limited, T/A Totally Bound Publishing. "No, keep still, Barney." I try to grab hold of the huge dog's collar, force him to remain curled up next to me. But he's wriggling, determined suddenly to be up. To be off. He's leaving me. Leaving me here on my own.
"No, Barney, please come back. Please stay." My voice is no more than a whisper. I should try to summon up some sort of commanding presence, sufficient to make the dog obey me, but that's well beyond my powers just now. Well beyond my powers even on a good day, probably. And he weighs at least three times what I do, there's no way I can make him stay if he's decided he's had enough of shivering out here in the snow. And it seems he has.
The huge dog is standing a few feet away, alert, staring into the darkness. I can just make out his outline, a massive black shadow against the midnight-blue inky sky. He looks as though he's about to charge after something, something I can't see. Leaving me alone, to freeze to death, out here on the moors. I hunch up, squeezing myself back into a tiny ball in some sort of puny attempt to ward off the cold permeating every part of me now that the warmth of the huge dog has gone.
My head almost shatters at the loud, booming bark. He doesn't make much noise, as a rule, for such a large beast, but when he decides to let rip Barney has a decent pair of lungs on him. He barks again and I cover my ears, trying to prevent the top of my head erupting.
"Barney! Barney! Where are you, lad?"
The dog barks again, loud, booming, ear-splitting.
"Barney! Barney!" Not my voice, but familiar.
Who...? How...?
Then a flash of light. I realise my eyes are open and I slam them shut, feeling rather than seeing Barney suddenly take off into the gloom. His frantic barks are more distant now, and the other voice is out there too. Nearby. Coming nearer.
"Good lad, good boy. Where is she then. Show me."
What? Who? Tom!
It's Tom, he's found me. I hear the rumble of an engine, the sharp, searing flash of blinding light bouncing everywhere as the Land Rover comes over the crest of a nearby mound, just ahead of me and to my right. The lights circle, sweeping the hillside until I'm caught in them. Caught between joy and relief and absolute agony as my eyes scream and threaten to melt in their sockets. I turn to the wall beside me, press my face against it. Seconds later strong hands are on my shoulders, turning me.
I spin towards him, grabbing his sweatshirt in my cold fists, keeping my eyes screwed up tight as I try to crawl inside his unzipped waxed jacket, seeking both warmth and darkness. And I'm so desperately, pathetically glad he's here.
"It's okay, babe, I've got you." His arms are around me, holding me, his hands running up and down my back as if to rub warmth into me. For a few seconds we just cling to each other. Then Tom seems to recall the business in hand. "What's happened? Why are you still up here so late? Are you hurt?"
I shake my head briefly. And moan with the pain even that slight movement causes me. His hands tighten around me. "Ashley, tell me, babe, tell me what's wrong." The relief has gone from his tone, to be replaced by anxiety.
"Migraine," I breathe the one word, my voice the barest whisper.
"Migraine? What the hell...?"
His exclamation resounds around my head like a bullet ricocheting. I whimper, actually whimper as I try to burrow deeper into his jacket.
"Please, no noise, no light. I can't... I can't..."
And the penny drops. His voice low, quiet and calm now, he starts to sort out what's to be done. "Ah, right." Then, "Can you stand, love?"
"No. And please, don't make any noise. Please, just take me home....
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