The Witches of Barrow Wood by Kenneth Balfour Page A

father so often, and figured maybe getting lost in the wood would be a good thing. Sam sat there for hours thinking, and then finally decided that running into the wood might get him another beating, but maybe, just maybe, his father would miss him and welcome him back with open arms. That was it, he had made up his mind, and he was going to run away – at least for a few hours, anyway.
    John sat in the front room watching his programmes, drinking can after can of lager, and every so often, went in to the kitchen to get a pie or two. He thought of his son, and felt bad that he had hit him, but then shrugged it off, convincing himself that Sam had deserved it. When John had finished his pies, he looked down at his stomach and figured that maybe middle-aged spread was starting to take its toll. He smiled to himself and decided that he was comfortable, as he still had his short dark hair and he had a family – he had no one that he had to impress.
    Clare got busy cleaning the two-bedroom detached cottage. It had oak beams and stone flooring and a thatched roof. It truly was a beautiful home, but it was prone to damp and it kept Clare very busy keeping the place tidy. She and John both had two weeks off work during Sam’s summer holidays, so Clare was planning a whole fortnight of DIY.
    Sam waited until late afternoon and then he sneaked downstairs whilst his father was taking a nap in the living room. His mother was busy painting the downstairs loo, and so he grabbed some packets of crisps from the kitchen and then left the cottage, closing the front door very quietly behind him.

Chapter Two
INTO THE WOOD

    Sam started to walk the hill towards the woodland whilst munching on his crisps. The day was warm, and little Sam breathed in deeply, intoxicated by the fresh air. He was starting to feel a little nervous, not so much because of the woodland and the stories of old, but more worried as to his mother and father’s reaction to his mysterious disappearance. He finished off his crisps and stopped at the entrance to Barrow Wood. He turned to look back at his home and could make it out clearly in the distance. He sighed, and then took his first step into the wood for the very first time.
    The woodland was dense with trees, and it had an unnerving feel about it. Sam noticed a little muddy pathway and started to walk along it. The hairs on his neck stood on end and he started to feel like he was being watched. He closed his eyes and imagined he was his favourite superhero, and when he opened his eyes, he felt brave, and so he continued to march up the muddy walkway. He walked for a long while, thinking about his mum and dad, and completely lost track of time. The route led this way and that, and before little Sam knew it, he was lost, and the sun was starting to go down.
    He started to panic and shouted aloud. His voice echoed through the woodland. He turned around looking in all directions, looking for a way out, but it was no use – he was lost. He started to cry, wishing that he had never left home. At that moment, he noticed a rather large mound. He decided to have a sit down to catch his breath and then try to remember his way back.
    He sat for several minutes, racking his brains, and then noticed it getting a little darker. He shouted out loud again, but there was no reply. He decided he was going get up and try to find his way, and at that moment, when he tried to heave himself up, he noticed he had his hand on a smooth, rounded object. He dug into the mound to find out what it was. He gasped, and he felt as cold as stone. He had noticed two eye sockets. It was a human skull.
    Sam became frantic with fear and started to cry uncontrollably. All of a sudden, he felt sick in the pit of his stomach, and then he had a foul taste in his mouth and he started to convulse. His stomach contents poured from his lips and he started to turn pale. And then something darted past him. He panicked, screaming for his mother, and