Chapter Two part Five

Al heard the key clatter into place in the lock. He glanced at the door but turned quickly back to the crack in the floor.

"Now," he felt the voice echo in his chest. It vibrated through his veins making him tremble. The voice was close to panic. Al grabbed the slab, dug his fingers beneath the stone. He felt it give but then it stuck catching his fingers on the hard cracked edge and breaking the soft skin beneath his nails. He dug again, biting his lips against the pain in his fingers as they caught on something beneath the stone. He scrabbled but the stone would not move. The rats screached in the shadows and the darkness intensified.

He delved again, fixing the tips of his fingers under the rim of the stone and yanking backwards.

Behind him the key jangled in the lock. There was a heavy clunk as the lock was released.

Al dug wildly. The moon suddenly lit the room with a white brightness. Al smelt the scent of honey bread and then the cool movement of air as if someone had passed by him. He glanced up.

"Mother," he whispered. There were tears in his eyes. It was true, he could feel her.

""Quickly," the voice urged. He felt her panic. "This is your destiny."

For a moment Al was in the past and he could see her lying on the thin mattress, her face matted by her hair. She was breathing quickly and shallowly as her fingers felt for the stone and she lifted it and hid her treasure beneath it. She smiled softly and fell back onto the blanket. She held a tiny bundle in her arms. He blinked and the memory was gone.

This time he dug urgently, not caring for the nails he ripped or the skin he shredded. He felt the hot tears of frustration on his face. She had left this for him; he knew that now.

As the door swung open, be thought he saw a patch of moonlight, beautiful, like silver mist hanging beside the door. It disappeared like a thousand miniature shooting stars falling gently to the floor.