that TV studio where one of the crew had once referred to her as ‘that tough young director’! Tough? She felt as weak as a jelly.
Her fingers recognised the feel of those glossy, printed pages. Slowly, she tried to draw the magazine towards her, intending to fold it over for a firmer grip. Not that she wanted to hurt the caterpillar, merely to brush it away, no more than that, however obscene and disgusting she found it.
Those bulging, dark eyes still regarded her. Did it understand what she was doing? Well, that was a daft idea if ever there was one. Her thoughts were coming feverishly and she realised she’d broken into a sweat. Yet… what if it
could
pick up some wavelength from her? Some sense of threat? Many animals had that facility, didn’t they? That made it all the more important to remain absolutely still as she gradually took hold of the magazine.
So intense was her concentration, she hardly heard her sister’s car arriving in front of the cottage. The engine revved, then died. The door slammed.
‘Ginny! Are you home?’
The voice approached, lively and happy as usual. Ginny felt a sudden surge of relief and she must have moved because the caterpillar straightened up, becoming visibly more alert.
‘Ginny, what on earth are you doing with a caterpillar on your tummy?’ Lesley’s voice boomed out, followed by her usual gust of laughter which sounded – oh, so
normal
! ‘I thought you couldn’t stand them!’
‘Les, get it off me,’ Ginny begged.
Her sister squatted down, holding back her thick auburn hair from her eyes as she bent forward for a closerlook. ‘My, aren’t you a beauty!’ she murmured to it, like talking to her cat. ‘A real giant, too. As long as my hand,
and
you’ve been feeding well, to judge by the size of you. A bit overweight, I’d say. Greedy, that’s your problem, my beauty. Just greedy.’
‘Lesley!
GET-IT-OFF-ME!
’
‘Come on, Ginny. No hysterics,’ Lesley scolded her. ‘No need for that. They’ve just as much right to exist as we have. And they can’t do you any harm – watch!’
Ginny didn’t wait that long. The second her sister had lifted the caterpillar away from her, she rolled over the grass to get well clear, then scrambled to her feet, trembling. Harmless or not, that was the last time she wanted one anywhere near her.
Lesley held up the caterpillar level with her eyes and cooed over it in that silly way she had; then suddenly she yelled out and dropped it, hastily stuffing her fingers into her mouth.
‘Hell, that hurt!’ she exclaimed as she sucked them. ‘That bloody hurt!’
It was Ginny’s turn to laugh. ‘Harmless?’ she mocked, getting her own back for once. ‘Serves you right! I only hope that –’
‘Bloody hell, it’s biting my feet now!’ Lesley burst out, but her voice trailed off and became a quick, shuddering gasp of pain. The blood drained from her face. ‘Ginny… help me…’
Before Ginny could reach her, Lesley’s knees gave way and she crumpled on to the grass, moaning incoherently. Ginny stared at her, bewildered, unable to see anything wrong. But then – protruding from the space between Lesley’s sandal and her bare instep – she noticed the green rump of the caterpillar.
It seemed to be burrowing into her. Actually eating her flesh! Her blood dripped on to the grass, staining it.
Biting her lip, Ginny looked around desperately forsome way to help her sister. She mustn’t touch that thing with her unprotected fingers, she knew that. If only she had a glove handy, but there was no time to rush into the cottage to get one. She grabbed the nearest magazine, ripped out a page and, using it, tried to get a firm grip on that wriggling tail.
Through the thick, glossy paper she could feel the caterpillar writhing in its attempts to free itself. She squeezed harder, at the same time pulling, aiming to draw the creature out. Its body pulsated violently between her fingers as it resisted her.
Gritting her
Her fingers recognised the feel of those glossy, printed pages. Slowly, she tried to draw the magazine towards her, intending to fold it over for a firmer grip. Not that she wanted to hurt the caterpillar, merely to brush it away, no more than that, however obscene and disgusting she found it.
Those bulging, dark eyes still regarded her. Did it understand what she was doing? Well, that was a daft idea if ever there was one. Her thoughts were coming feverishly and she realised she’d broken into a sweat. Yet… what if it
could
pick up some wavelength from her? Some sense of threat? Many animals had that facility, didn’t they? That made it all the more important to remain absolutely still as she gradually took hold of the magazine.
So intense was her concentration, she hardly heard her sister’s car arriving in front of the cottage. The engine revved, then died. The door slammed.
‘Ginny! Are you home?’
The voice approached, lively and happy as usual. Ginny felt a sudden surge of relief and she must have moved because the caterpillar straightened up, becoming visibly more alert.
‘Ginny, what on earth are you doing with a caterpillar on your tummy?’ Lesley’s voice boomed out, followed by her usual gust of laughter which sounded – oh, so
normal
! ‘I thought you couldn’t stand them!’
‘Les, get it off me,’ Ginny begged.
Her sister squatted down, holding back her thick auburn hair from her eyes as she bent forward for a closerlook. ‘My, aren’t you a beauty!’ she murmured to it, like talking to her cat. ‘A real giant, too. As long as my hand,
and
you’ve been feeding well, to judge by the size of you. A bit overweight, I’d say. Greedy, that’s your problem, my beauty. Just greedy.’
‘Lesley!
GET-IT-OFF-ME!
’
‘Come on, Ginny. No hysterics,’ Lesley scolded her. ‘No need for that. They’ve just as much right to exist as we have. And they can’t do you any harm – watch!’
Ginny didn’t wait that long. The second her sister had lifted the caterpillar away from her, she rolled over the grass to get well clear, then scrambled to her feet, trembling. Harmless or not, that was the last time she wanted one anywhere near her.
Lesley held up the caterpillar level with her eyes and cooed over it in that silly way she had; then suddenly she yelled out and dropped it, hastily stuffing her fingers into her mouth.
‘Hell, that hurt!’ she exclaimed as she sucked them. ‘That bloody hurt!’
It was Ginny’s turn to laugh. ‘Harmless?’ she mocked, getting her own back for once. ‘Serves you right! I only hope that –’
‘Bloody hell, it’s biting my feet now!’ Lesley burst out, but her voice trailed off and became a quick, shuddering gasp of pain. The blood drained from her face. ‘Ginny… help me…’
Before Ginny could reach her, Lesley’s knees gave way and she crumpled on to the grass, moaning incoherently. Ginny stared at her, bewildered, unable to see anything wrong. But then – protruding from the space between Lesley’s sandal and her bare instep – she noticed the green rump of the caterpillar.
It seemed to be burrowing into her. Actually eating her flesh! Her blood dripped on to the grass, staining it.
Biting her lip, Ginny looked around desperately forsome way to help her sister. She mustn’t touch that thing with her unprotected fingers, she knew that. If only she had a glove handy, but there was no time to rush into the cottage to get one. She grabbed the nearest magazine, ripped out a page and, using it, tried to get a firm grip on that wriggling tail.
Through the thick, glossy paper she could feel the caterpillar writhing in its attempts to free itself. She squeezed harder, at the same time pulling, aiming to draw the creature out. Its body pulsated violently between her fingers as it resisted her.
Gritting her
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