Knowles - dead monks shoes

Dead MonksShoes

by

Peter Knowles

Dead Monks Shoes

Copyright 2010 PeterKnowles

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Fiction

A few miles from where welived stood an old ruined Priory; some kind of ancient monument, Iwonder if Henry VIII knew what he was doing when he ordered them tobe destroyed, did he know he was making adventure playgrounds andclimbing frames for future generations.

Next to the Priory stooda convent where the Nuns lived and in the convent grounds was anapple orchard and where theres an orchard there are kids trying tosteal the apples.

So armed with duffle bagsand our best climbing sneakers on our feet we set off for thePriory.

A few hundred yards fromthe Priory we had to pass through the old burial ground, where theMonks had been buried hundreds of years ago, there were a fewheadstones, some bumps in the ground and some dips to distinguishwhere each grave was, respectfully we would try to step over eachof them.

Im not going throughthere said the Lad.

Come on its too far towalk all the way round I replied.

The last time I wentthat way a dead Monk tried to pull my leg off and he pinched myshoe, I got a right leathering off my dad because Id lost my shoehe said.

Dont be so daft, deadMonks cant hurt you and what would he want your shoe for anyway?I asked.

Maybe his feet werecold said Peapod.

Its true, isnt itPeapod said the Lad, turning to Peapod for verification of theevent.

Aye it is, he stepped ona grave and his leg got pulled down into it by the Monk confirmedPeapod.

Look Ive still got thescar said the Lad, pulling his trouser leg up to show us an oldinch long scar on his shin.

Huh! Boys, come on youwimps said Rita, who was by now climbing over the wall into thecemetery.

Come on, Im not goingthe long way round just because youre scared of a dead Monk Isaid, following Rita into the cemetery.

Peapod followed me andthe Lad tagged on behind looking around nervously and striding overeach grave taking special care not to stand on one.

Dont go near that one,thats the one I got pulled into said the Lad, pointing at onegrave in particular.

Its only a hole, itprobably collapsed when you walked on it, thats all, some oldgraves do that sometimes I said peering into the darkness of thehole in the centre of the grave.

How deep is it? askedPeapod, who was now kneeling at my side trying to look down thehole his curiosity getting the better of him.

Dont know I replied,striking a match from the book of matches I had in my pocket anddropping it down the hole, which was a fruitless exercise becausethe match blew out and I still couldnt see anything.

Can you see any bones?asked Peapod.

I cant see a thing, theMonk must be blowing the matches out I said.

Is there a body? askedRita, gingerly edging her way closer the grave.

Dont get too closesaid Peapod, holding his arm up to keep his sister away but shejust pushed his arm out of the way so she could get a betterview.

I cant see anythingshe moaned.

Poke it with this saidPeapod, passing me a long stick.

Ill try I said,pushing the stick into the hole, it went down about threefeet.

The Monks trying to getthe stick off me I shouted, standing up and pretending thatsomething was pulling on the stick from inside thegrave.

Rita and Peapod bothjumped back and screamed so loud it was enough to wake thedead.

See I told you, youvemade him mad now said the Lad, who was by now on the verge ofrunning away.

No its Ok, the stickjust got stuck thats all I said, pulling it out of thehole.

That was close saidPeapod, returning to the graveside.

Here Lad come and seethis, its the Monks skeleton and hes wearing your shoe, he wantsthe other one to make a pair because hes fed up with having to hopabout when hes haunting people I said, trying to scare himagain.

It worked he set offrunning through the cemetery, tripping over other graves in hishaste to get as far away as possible.

The Monks coming to getus screamed Peapod, who was running after him, quickly followed byRita, then me when I realised I was left on my own.

In the orchard, Rita andI quickly climbed a couple of the trees, dropping the apples to theground for Peapod and the Lad to pick up and put into the dufflebags.

Hey Rita shouted theLad, looking up into the tree.

What? sheasked.

I bet theyre pink saidthe Lad.

Are you colour blind,theyre green not pink she replied, looking puzzled.

No they definitely lookpink from where Im stood said the Lad.

Theyre not pink,theyre green, look she said, holding an apple out at arms lengthfor him to see.

Not the apples, yourknickers, I can see them from here said the Lad.

Are they she said,lifting up her dress up to have a look.

Oh aye so they are. Theyused to be white but my mother put them in the wash with ourPeapods red jumper and they came out pink she said in a matter offact tone shifting her position and tucking her dress into theelastic leg of her knickers.

Dont tell me you didntknow what colour knickers you were wearing laughed theLad.

So what, you shouldntbe looking and anyway theyre clean and paid for she replied,throwing an apple at him which bounce off his head.

Ouch! That hurt shoutedthe Lad, rubbing his head.

That will teach you notto look up my dress she said, throwing another apple at him whichhe caught and dropped into the duffle bag.

Hey you stop looking upmy sisters frock said Peapod.

Cant help it repliedthe Lad.

Get down out of thattree now demanded Peapod.

Oh! Stop nattering willyou, youve all seen my knickers before so whats the big dealnow? she replied.

But, but, youre mysister and youre a girl stammered Peapod.

Well then, its you thatshouldnt be looking, not him she replied.

I wasnt looking saidPeapod, blushing and coming back over to the tree that I hadclimbed.

Did you hear that boys,Im a girl, well Ill go to the foot of our stairs, I would neverhave known if he hadnt told me she said, smiling at the Lad andby now enjoying the attention she was getting.

Come on you lot stopmessing about, lets get these apples before the Nuns see us Isaid, thinking it might have been a better idea to stay on theground rather than climb the tree because the Lad wasnt the onlyone who had started to notice that Rita was in fact a girl and notjust one of the boys.

How many apples you gotin your bag Peapod? asked the Lad.

Nun shouted Peapod,looking up from the ground.

What do you mean none?You should have loads said the Lad.

No! Nun, behind youshouted Peapod.

Run I shouted jumpingdown from the tree.

Help me shouted Ritajumping out of the tree and into the arms of the Lad, for a momentthey stood there in each other arms, lost in thatmoment.

Run, you silly buggersI shouted, running passed them and grabbing the other duffle bagwith one hand and Ritas hand with the other, dragging her awayfrom the Lad.