Chapter 15: Victoria

Abba

There was someone there, I sensed it. I heard the rustling of leaves in the undergrowth hiding. This was NOT my imagination playing me tricks.

I did not, I dare not move, expecting every second a challenge, 'Come out with your hands up!'

The challenge never came. But someone or something was there, a fox?

I'd heard the sound before, a goat, a small kid. I must have stayed immobile for twenty minutes. The cry was weak.

Was it a lure to entice me to stand up, to get me to follow the source? I'd be blustering about in the dark.

I could bear the suspense no longer. I could not wait here all night. The longer I waited, the greater likelihood of discovery there was. I needed to be on my way.

The only trouble was; the sound.

It was from the region of the trees from where the second bastard had emerged and held me up. I shivered slightly; the noise appeared to be more plaintive now.

Against my better judgement, I moved towards it, knowing it was the wrong thing to do. Why didn't I simply ease away and cycle off?

I crawled into the undergrowth, in case there were still watchers around. Then carefully, I made my way back through the trees trying to follow the lure from another direction.

It was as if the unknown was responding to the crackling of twigs that I caused.

Silence!

At first I saw nothing. It being winter, there were piles of autumnal leaves, some damp, and some dry, scattered around the ground.

There, submerged within one was such heap was a shape, human or animal?

I knew without being given any more information, what it was and I wept. Moving closer I got on hands and knees and scrabbled gently around the leaves.

"Please," the voice whimpered, "I've not moved. I've not made any noise, honestly."

"Hi, little one. It's not him. He is no longer here. My name's Abba."

'Please, Gramm, what do I do?' My thoughts went straight to she who had always helped me with an emotional problem. I knew exactly what she would say; I could even hear the intonation of her voice, 'We've brought you up right. You know exactly what you must do. You'll be all right now if you do the right thing. You don't need me any more.' The idea engendered confidence yet, I felt as if she were leaving me alone, knowing I was old enough to deal with whatever came up.

In the gloom, I saw the figure of a girl trying to retreat from me. Rather than pressing forward, I did what Gramm would do with a nervous newly-born animal. I exuded that confidence I did not feel. I stayed where I was. In fact, I moved backwards a little and sat down. Softly I spoke, "You can't stay here. Someone might come back."

"Please don't let him." I had difficulty making out the words.

"I think if we stay here, somebody else, like him, might come. He attacked my friend too. She is a girl."

"He shot her," the open eyes stared at me. "He said he'd done it before. If I didn't do what he said, he said he was going to shoot me with a gun. Then he went off to shoot, the girl. There was someone else there too. I think they killed them then they drove away.

There was silence. It was cold and it was dark and I wanted to be on my way. I waited.

"There were two of them. They hurt me;" her tone of voice was so plaintive.

"They shouldn't have done it to me. I went to the police station because Mum had died. She told me to. And they shouldn't do that." She burst into tears.

"What's your name?"

"Victoria, I'm Victoria Waterston."

"Well, Victoria, or do I call you Vickie?"

"Some people call me Vickie but I ... I like Victoria."

"Well, Victoria, I really think we've got to go. I've got to take you to my girlfriend. She's nice. You'll like her."

"He killed her. I heard the gun; he said he was going to. I hate him!" She'd got it wrong.

The urgency of time was pressing but I knew that I couldn't force this girl quickly. I could just grab her, and knew that she was not in a situation to fight me at all. But that would destroy any confidence I was building up in her to trust me. "Victoria, I'm afraid I haven't got a car."

"Only the special people can drive cars now." She cried again.

"Yes. I haven't got a car but I have I got a bike. Have you ever ridden on the crossbar of a bike?"

"Of course I have." She spoke as if I were an idiot for asking such a stupid question.

"Then I'm afraid that's where you are going to have to sit; on my bike. We've got quite a long way to go."

"I don't know where I am. It's dark, and the trees."

"Well I hope that I know where we are. And I'm hoping to be able to meet my girlfriend, but it's going to take some time to get there, can you sit still on the crossbar of a bike?"

"My bottom hurts."

I winced.

"Do you want me carry you to my bike, or can you walk?"

She said nothing but raised both hands up in the air towards me.

I was surprised that her body and her bony legs were so long. I've no idea of girls' ages or sizes but she wasn't heavy. She certainly wasn't developed very much. But I immediately noticed that there was the result of bleeding besmirching my arms and that she had nothing on below her waist.

"Where are your trousers or a skirt?"

"My jeans are cut. They are over there."

"GOD!" I blasphemed for Him to permit such a thing. I was SO angry! I think I was shaking. It wasn't the time to reveal my emotions, she needed calm. I picked them up and brought them to her. We tried to pull them up, but it was certainly uncomfortable so I just fastened them roughly up to her waist and tried to lift her.

She clung to me like a monkey. I remember, my cousin doing that but that was when she was some two years old. My memory flew back and I asked myself if she were still alive. That was Mum's brother's, daughter. I had to shake my head and clear emotive memories.

It wasn't easy struggling down the lane back to the bike. The most difficult thing was trying to lean down and pick the bike up while she was still trying to choke me, grasping around my neck.

I decided not to even get on the bike as I pushed it up the hill to the main dual carriageway. Again, I waited to ensure that there was neither sound nor the sight of headlights of any approaching vehicle.