One Dark Year

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One Dark Year - book excerpt

Cry Wolf

I can’t remember the exact date when I began telling lies, but I know it was during the school summer holidays. I was already nine years old, having had my birthday in the springtime. Up until then, my little brother, who was four years younger than me, had simply been the baby. But then, in the space of a few weeks, he too was going to be attending school, and I wasn’t amused. It had been exclusively my domain. That magical, mysterious place where big girls and boys would disappear to in the morning then re-appear from later in the day, bursting with knowledge and tales of wonder.

Yes, ‘the baby’ was going to become my equal. In fact, in a flurry of spending to purchase his school uniform, together with Startrite shoes and leather satchel — not to mention the barber shop haircut, instead of the usual tufty, quick clip from Mum, swiftly delivered with her kitchen scissors — my baby brother was being catapulted forward, overtaking me in the family dynamic to become the centre of attention.

Not for him the hand-me-down blazer, as there were no older male cousins to inherit from. So, while I made do with fat Tilly’s offering, with its worn elbows and baggy pockets, Michael sported the latest wool worsted job from the very exclusive and expensive ‘Boys and Girls’ shop. I’d never owned a uniform that wasn’t second hand. Was I jealous? Of course, I was.

I do remember that my first tall tale was delivered on a Friday. We always helped old Mrs. Gunn, our next-door-but-one-neighbour, with some of her shopping. She was a kind lady, but a bit odd and a tad infirm. We would tote home tinned vegetables for her when we picked up our shopping from the Co-op after school. The order was always the same: two tins each of baked beans for her to serve on toast for tea twice a week, garden peas to accompany the double load of fatty mince and tatties she stewed to a sludgy pulp, and one of mushy peas for Friday’s fish and chips. What she ate the rest of the week, I have no idea.

I was given the job of delivering the said tins, and much as I liked the ‘Jaffa cake’ Mrs. Gunn gave me as a reward, I feared the accompanying hug I also received. Mrs. Gunn was never without her apron. It was always caked in some indeterminate mixture of sticky substances and encrusted with dried out crumbs. When she pulled me towards her for the dreaded hug, bits of the glutinous goo would stick to my face and hair. She had an odd aroma. A cloying, fishy odour emanated from her nether regions, an unwashed smell that I unfairly associated with all old ladies.

Quite quickly, I realised that a clever story served as a distraction and would often save me from the impending embrace.

So, while lifting the final tin, the mushy peas, from the plastic carrier bag, I said, ‘My cousin Enid died eating fish, you know.’

I never liked fish. I hated the smell of it and feared the perilous, spiky bones.

‘Oh, how terrible,’ Mrs. Gunn replied. ‘Whatever happened to her?’

I’d managed to stop the hug in its tracks. My lie grew legs.

‘A fish bone stuck in her throat. No one could save her. She choked to death. Her face was blue.’

The legs began to run.

‘It was in all the papers,’ I added for good measure.

A step too far perhaps?

‘I didn’t read about it,’ Mrs. Gunn said. ‘Did it happen recently? Has the funeral been held yet?’

‘It was only in the English papers. Enid lived in London,’ I explained. ‘The funeral’s next week, but we can’t go.’

I was past the point of no return now. Managing to avoid the hug and clutching a second Jaffa cake in my hot liar’s hand, I triumphantly made my way home.

It took four days for me to be found out.

‘Do you know what this is?’ my mother asked, her face stiff with anger. She was clutching a small hand-written card.

‘Is it somebody’s birthday?’ I innocently replied.

‘This is a condolence card,’ she stated. ‘Why did you lie to Mrs. Gunn?’

A jag of fear hit me square in the chest. I knew I was in trouble. There was no excuse for the lie. Yet somehow it wasn’t so bad. It was exciting being the cause of such interest, and besides, what harm could befall me? My comic was on order at the newsagent, so I’d still receive it. I was a skinny, scrawny-looking child, so I knew Mum wouldn’t deny me dessert after dinner. My weekly pocket money was put straight into the post office, to save up for something in the future, so I wouldn’t miss it. Eventually, after prising the truth from me, I was sent to my room. Great, I didn’t have to amuse the blonde, cherubic Michael. Instead, I relaxed on my bed and buried my head in an illustrated book of myths and legends. On the scale of things, being caught out in a lie was actually rather good.

My next tall tale caused an even bigger stir. Including me, six young girls lived in my small cul-de-sac. Three of us attended the local primary and the other three travelled by bus to the nearby Catholic school. This created a natural divide. One Saturday, two of the Catholic girls, who were sisters, were going to visit their aunt. This left Collette, the third girl, on her own. I too was on my own that day as my friends were otherwise engaged doing something with their respective families.

I didn’t usually play with Collette, not that I had anything against her. Although I was jealous of her. She was always neat and tidy, and she had rich, brown curls whereas my hair was flat and mousey. She never wore hand-me-downs, and I particularly coveted her brilliant white socks with their lacy turn-down tops.

We were both in the street outside our homes, looking for something to do, when I hatched my plan. I was idly playing with a length of discarded washing rope, pretending that an invisible unicorn was tied to its end, and imagining I was going to take it to eat pine cones in the nearby wood.

‘Hello, Collette,’ I called to her. ‘Whatcha doin’?’

‘Nothing much,’ came her reply. ‘What about you?’

‘I’m just taking this unicorn to the woods to feed it. Do you want to come with me?’

‘I don’t see a unicorn. Where is it?’

‘It’s tied to the end of this rope,’ I replied. ‘It’s invisible for the moment, but after it eats, you’ll be able to see it. I’ve got to go now because it’s really hungry and it’s trying to fly,’ I added, swishing the rope around convincingly. ‘Hurry up, if you want to come with me,’ I shouted, running ahead.

What nine-year old girl wouldn’t want to see an invisible unicorn suddenly materialise?

When we reached the heart of the wood, I tied the end of the rope to a slim tree. ‘Stand against this tree, Collette,’ I ordered. ‘The unicorn is eating. You’ll see it in a minute.’

She duly did as she was told. Quickly, I ran around and around the slim trunk trapping the hapless Collette, binding her arms to her sides. Then I knotted the rope at the back and ran away from her as fast as my legs would carry me. Satisfied with my work, I returned home and waited for something to happen, and happen it did. One hour later a worried Mrs. Quinn, Collette’s mother, appeared at our door.

‘My Collette’s missing. Would you ask your Phyllis if she’s seen her, please?’

‘I haven’t seen her all day,’ I lied. ‘I’ve been playing on my own.’

When every door had been knocked on, and every child had been questioned, a search party was raised. Mrs. Quinn was in a right state, wailing and crying. It was rather exciting being the only person who knew where Collette actually was.

Of course, she was eventually found, tearful and upset, and the truth was discovered. This time I was sent to bed early for my misdemeanour, but as I’d already eaten, I didn’t really care. The punishment was lightweight compared with the thrill of the crime.

Lie after glorious lie followed, and sometimes I even got away with them. One day, I scooped up a dog’s turd from the roadside with a piece of cardboard and carefully laid it on Mr Watson’s front step, before ringing his bell and running away. Then I said I’d seen Johnny Maxwell do it. I hated Johnny. He was a horrible boy, so I was pleased when he was punished instead of me.

Another time, I told my teacher that my Dad had been jailed when he was a teenager, for stealing cars. Nothing has ever been said about that. She’s probably been too mortified to mention it.

The weeks rolled on and I told more fibs, even managing to convince my brother that if he stripped off his clothes and let me wrap him up in an invisible cloak, nobody would be able to see him. Testing the theory, he’d got halfway down the street before he’d realised that I’d been lying. Mum was livid, and once again I was sent to my room.

The real trouble began yesterday. Michael and I were playing at the edge of the wood when a very odd-looking man came into view. He was a curious creature, long, lean, and lanky, with hair sprouting out of his cheeks and chin. Even his hands looked hairy. Although we knew better than to approach a stranger, we couldn’t resist edging towards him for a closer look. He shrank from us, and we realised he was scared.

‘Get away from me.’ he cried. ‘Get away.’

Children are naturally cruel, and we were no exception.

‘Come on, Michael.’ I called. ‘Let’s chase him. He’s a dafty. He’s scared of us. Let’s chase him into the woods.’

Whooping with excitement we took off after him.

‘No,’ he yelled. ‘You don’t understand. Get away from me.’

After a few moments we had him cornered and he began to weep. Michael looked uncertain, and so was I. I’d never seen a man cry before.

‘We’d better go,’ Michael said. ‘If he tells Mum, we’ll be in big trouble.’

Being a naturally naughty child, I could taste blood and I wanted more, but I didn’t want to take any chances myself, so instead I gave Michael a hard shove and he fell towards the creature. The man let out a bloodcurdling howl and pushed Michael away from him, accidentally scratching his hand with his long nails in the process.

‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,’ he said when he saw he’d drawn blood. ‘You’ll change now. Tomorrow you’ll change. I’m sorry.’ Then with a mighty leap, he jumped over Michael, and ran away deep into the woods.

When we returned home, I told Mum that a large, hairy creature attacked us. Even though Michael confirmed that what I’d said contained some truth, once again I was sent to bed early.

We are now in Dad’s car driving home after spending the whole day at Aunty Jean’s house. It’s very late and very dark except for the brightest, biggest, full moon I have ever seen. It looks as if it’s filling the sky. Michael is making snuffling noises. At first, I think he’s fallen asleep and is dreaming. Then I notice odd tufts of hair sprouting from his face and hands. His mouth is curling into a snarling muzzle, and a howl escapes from deep in his throat.

The strange man’s words come back to haunt me. ‘You’ll change now. Tomorrow you’ll change,’ he’d said. Vivid images from my book of myths and legends fill my head. Horrified and terrified I now understand what he meant.