Part one: Peeping Tommy
The girl drops her arm and leans forward on the windowsill, the night air like cold hands on her shoulders. It cools on her brow.
The girl drops her arm and leans forward on the windowsill, the night air like cold hands on her shoulders. It cools on her brow.
“What
is it?” asks her pa down in the yard, turning his head.
At
the outer edges of the yard, where the security light fades into the bushes,
she’s spotted a hunkered mass of ginger hair and a face burying itself in the
dirt. Poor little fella. Pa’s gonna tear
you a new one. “Under the bush there, Pa,” she shouts down. “We got us a
peeper, I reckon,” she smiles.
Pa follows her pointed finger with his eyes, squinting at the line of bushes. "Alright," he says. "You got five seconds, pal. If I gotta come git ya, I really will wring ya."
A ginger-topped head emerges from the top of the bush, face streaked with dirt and tears.
"Step out, boy."
Leaves part as the boy moves forward.
"Hey, don't I know ya?" shouts the farmer's wife. She's a silhouette in the doorway with a hand clasped round the dog's collar.
"Good God, Jesus, would ya look at that," laughs Pa. "He's pissed his pants." He points, looking back to his wife and daughter, who join in the laughter.
"Please," starts the boy. "I ain't done nothing-"
"Quiet, boy!" The farmer barks. Then takes in a deep breath. "You gettin an eye-full there, boy?"
"No, sir."
"What you gonna do, Pa?" shouts the girl.
"You! Get your tits back in the house now, and draw the damn curtain." He begins to pace.
The girl, looking disappointed, withdraws back into her room, closing her curtains.
"What shall I do, boy?" The boy opens his mouth but the farmer raises his hand to silence him. "I ain't asking you," he says. He looks back to his wife for help, and smiles. "You smell that, Buck?"
The dog barks.
"You smell that piss?"
The dog barks again.
"You better start running, boy." The farmer looks around to the boy, who just stands there, shivering. "Don't say I didn't warn ya! Sic him, Buck."
A ginger-topped head emerges from the top of the bush, face streaked with dirt and tears.
"Step out, boy."
Leaves part as the boy moves forward.
"Hey, don't I know ya?" shouts the farmer's wife. She's a silhouette in the doorway with a hand clasped round the dog's collar.
"Good God, Jesus, would ya look at that," laughs Pa. "He's pissed his pants." He points, looking back to his wife and daughter, who join in the laughter.
"Please," starts the boy. "I ain't done nothing-"
"Quiet, boy!" The farmer barks. Then takes in a deep breath. "You gettin an eye-full there, boy?"
"No, sir."
"What you gonna do, Pa?" shouts the girl.
"You! Get your tits back in the house now, and draw the damn curtain." He begins to pace.
The girl, looking disappointed, withdraws back into her room, closing her curtains.
"What shall I do, boy?" The boy opens his mouth but the farmer raises his hand to silence him. "I ain't asking you," he says. He looks back to his wife for help, and smiles. "You smell that, Buck?"
The dog barks.
"You smell that piss?"
The dog barks again.
"You better start running, boy." The farmer looks around to the boy, who just stands there, shivering. "Don't say I didn't warn ya! Sic him, Buck."
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