Falling Ashes by Kate Bloomfield

Hamish. Leave her alone.’ Annie stood next to me and whispered, ‘You can stay if you like. We can be friends.’
    ‘Well … thank you.’
    ‘How long will you stay?’ Hamish asked.
    ‘Oh, I just needed somewhere to rest for the night. I’m … well … going on a journey, you see-’
    ‘Like an adventure?’ asked Annie.
    ‘Uh, kind of, I guess.’ I really wanted to get rid of these kids so I could find Hawthorne and get away from this farm. Hopefully their father didn’t come looking for them.
    I rummaged around in the hay for my rucksack, slinging it over my shoulder.
    ‘You’re not going already, are you?’ asked Annie.
    ‘I have to,’ I said, pulling a piece of straw out of my hair.
    Annie frowned. ‘On your adventure?’
    ‘Yeah, something like that,’ I muttered.
    ‘I wish I could go on an adventure. It’s boring on the farm.’ Hamish sighed dramatically.
    ‘You can go on an adventure when you’re older,’ I told him. ‘But maybe you guys should go back to your house while I leave. I’m sure your Dad is wondering where you are.’
    Hamish scoffed. ‘Pfft. He doesn’t care.’
    I cursed internally. I did not want to get involved with these kids’ issues. I had enough to worry about.
    ‘Hamish! Annie!’ a deep voice boomed in the distance. The children froze, wide-eyed and terrified.
    ‘We’re not supposed to be in the barn!’ Annie gasped. ‘Daddy won’t let us.’
    The male voice called again, closer this time.
    ‘He’s coming!’ squeaked Annie, clinging to her brother. 
    These children seemed terrified of their father, which made me nervous, too. Hell, if he didn’t like his own children in the barn, he would not like a complete stranger sleeping there.
    ‘I’ve got to sneak out without your dad seeing me,’ I said urgently. ‘Is there a way?’
    Annie nodded. ‘There’s a loose plank behind the hay. I usually crawl through there when Daddy comes. It backs onto the horse paddock, so I usually pretend I’ve been playing with Buttons.’
    ‘Buttons?’
    ‘My pony,’ Annie explained.
    ‘Show me the gap in the wall,’ I demanded.
    Annie and Hamish led me to the back of the barn, where they lifted one of the wooden planks along the wall. It was a tiny hole that only a child could squeeze through. Hamish slid through easily and beckoned Annie forward.
    Heavy boots could be heard crushing along dry grass. Their father was mere meters away.
    ‘Go,’ I urged Annie, who dropped to her knees and crawled through the gap.
    ‘Come on,’ Annie whispered, beckoning me through the hole.
    I got onto my knees and knew at once that I would not be able to crawl through. My best shot was to slither through on my side, like an absurd snake. First, I shoved my bag through, before putting my arms through the hole and wiggling my way across the dirty floor. Annie and Hamish grabbed me by the hands and tugged, trying to pull me through. I got stuck when my buttocks tried to pass through the gap.
    ‘Your butt is stuck!’ Hamish said, pulling on my arms harder.
    Scowling, I managed to push myself through the tiny gap and get to my feet with the help of the children.
    ‘See ya, Lady,’ Hamish whispered as he and Annie flitted around the side of the barn to head their father off.
    Panting, I leaned against the wall of the barn and attempted to brush myself off. That had been a close call, but thanks to those kids, I’d managed to escape being seen. Now I had to find Hawthorne and get off this farm before I was discovered.
    In the distance, I could heard the children and their father bickering.
    ‘Why didn’t you come when I called you, huh?’
    ‘We were playing with the horses, Daddy!’ Annie said.
    ‘I didn’t see you in the paddock. You were in the barn again, weren’t you? I told you not to play in there! You know what happened last time!’
    ‘It was Annie’s idea-’ Hamish said defensively.
    ‘Nuh! You said!’
    The arguing died away, and I hoped that the children