A Bad Time
Asha spent most of the day pottering around the small farmstead and the occupants seemed happy enough to let her wander freely.
Maud the older woman who’d provided breakfast was friendly enough and happy to answer any questions about the farm or people.
The only time she’d go strangely quiet was when Asha questioned her about Vincent or about Asha’s arrival. The younger girl Alice was like wise just as friendly, chattering as young girls do about everything and anything. Likewise though all she would say about Vincent was that he’d be here at tea time.
The Farm it’s self was made up of 3 small homes, the one Asha woke up in and 2 others, both occupied by young families who worked and lived on the farm. She’d watched as muddy children chased the chickens in the yard the same as any farm she might have encountered in the countryside.
Nothing struck her as outwardly odd, yet there was this strange feeling nagging at the back of her mind that told her things were not all what they seemed, causing her to remain wary.
It was nightfall when things began to get strange. Maud was dishing up supper when Alice came in from the back room, looking pale sweat trickling down her brow she made her way over to Maud resting her head on the old woman’s shoulder.
Asha watched as Maud patted the young girl comfortingly on the cheek, peering out of the window towards the sky “Arh Lass… it will be over soon” she heard her whisper softly. Alice nodded pulling away wandering to the couch opposite Asha and laying down.
“Are you alright?” Asha asked nervously, watching as the young girl fidgeted uncomfortably.
“I’m fine” Alice replied looking quite unwell, before closing her eye’s.
Asha stood wandering over to Maud, “Is she alright?” she asked.
“Aye lass she’s fine” the woman replied nervously “Vincent will be here soon”
Asha nodded but she could tell the woman was nervous, the whole day none of them had seemed anxious about his arrival till now.
Minutes passed dragging on endlessly as Alice seemed to get progressively worse, Asha noted now that her fidgeting was in actual fact some sort of spasm as she twitched uncontrollably on the couch.
Eventually the woman looked over, “Asha love can you run down to the barn, you’ll find her brother there, get him for me?”
Asha nodded heading out of the front door and running off towards the barn, Arriving she found a large man standing outside shifting bales of hay. “Are you Alices brother?” she called.
“Aye Lass” the man smiled “I’m Fulke, you must be Asha?”
The man looked strangely familiar to her, something about the eye’s she’d seen before. “Maud asked me to get you?”
“Dinner ready so soon?” the Fulke chuckled “Who made these day’s so short”
“It’s Alice she’s unwell” Asha replied.
He nodded, looking up at the sky the same way Maud had done. “I’ll be right there” he replied, hurling the last of the bales up into the loft he followed her back to the house.
Once inside Fulke hurried to his sister’s sit picking her up in his arms her sat her comfortingly on his lap, wiping the stray bits of hair from her eye’s he held her close.
“Is she going to be alright?” Asha asked nervously.
“Aye Lass, you just caught us at a bad time” Faulke smiled nervously.
Asha was just about to apologise. When the door swung open and tall dark-haired man entered the room.
“Vincent!” Alice managed to stutter. Pulling herself out of her brother’s arms she ran towards him flinging her arms around his neck.
“My Angel” Vincent smiled, embracing her tightly “what’s the matter?” he asked.
Asha watched as Vincent draw his head back as though to get a better look at the young girl, before turning to Faulke looking concerned “That time already?” he asked.
Faulke nodded.
“How quickly you have grown” Vincent smiled back at the girl “How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Like there is a fire burning within” Alice sobbed, still jerking slightly.
“It will be over soon” Vincent smiled kissing her lightly on the forehead and guiding her back to the couch where he sat pulling her next to him, before turning his attention to Asha “So your awake?” he smiled “How are you feeling”
“Sore” Asha admitted, her burnt face still throbbing.
“Sorry about that” Vincent apologised “I must be getting slow in my old age”
“Is Alice going to be alright?” she asked warily.
“She’ll be fine” Vincent smiled.
Weird, what is going on with her?