Chapter 9 The Knife and the Axe

Tom's father was singing one of the songs that they sang at church. Danielle was lying on the sand with her hands over her ears. Vicky and the two boys sat at the table, watching Gavin. He was standing next to them, holding the axe. He moved his finger slowly along the metal edge.

'Feel that,Vicky,' Gavin said.

She reached out. Her fingers were shaking, but she touched the metal.

'Sharp, isn't it?' her father asked. 'Like Tom. He's sharp, isn't he? Tom Sharp.' Gavin laughed — a long, crazy laugh. Then he stopped suddenly. 'But he's not as sharp as my axe, is he? Is he, Vicky?'

'No,' she said.

Tom could see the fear in her eyes. What was the best thing to do?

Run away?

He could run faster than the adults, but could Vicky? Could Bob and Sam?

He looked at the little boys. They were sitting very quietly, too frightened to move. Their big eyes were filled with tears.

Danielle suddenly took her hands away from her ears. She turned towards Tom's father. 'Oh God! Stop singing that song!' she shouted.

'Danielle, please don't say, "Oh God". God will punish you for it,' Tom's father said.

'Don't be stupid, Vincent,' Gavin said. 'God's not going to punish anyone. But I am. Oh yes! I'm going to find out who destroyed my yacht. And then I'm going to punish them with my axe. My sharp axe.'

He pointed the axe at Vicky and the two boys. 'Did you destroy my yacht?' he asked.

'No, Dad. I promise we didn't,' Vicky said.

He turned and pointed the axe at Tom. 'So it was you.'

'No!' Tom said.

Gavin looked at him. 'What do you think, Vincent? Did your son do it?'

'I don't know, Gavin,' Tom's father answered. 'He was a good boy when he was young. But now he thinks he knows everything. He doesn't listen to me.'

'That's just like Vicky,' Gavin said. 'I earn all the money. I pay all the bills. But she thinks she's so clever. She does what she likes.'

'I tell Tom, "Remember what it says in the Bible. Obey your parents." But Tom doesn't listen. God's going to punish him one day.'

'Stop talking about God,' Gavin said. 'He doesn't exist.'

'Don't say that, Gavin,' Tom's father said. 'You must never say that. God loves you and -'

'Stop! Stop! Stop!' Gavin screamed. He hit the table with the axe. 'Stop talking about God or I'll kill you!'

There was a long, long silence. The only sound was the noise of the waves on the beach. Then Tom heard his mother's voice.

'Tom! Tom!' she called. 'Come back here. You're my little boy. I don't want you to go with that girl.'

She was in the sea, searching for something in the water. Tom knew what she was looking for. The knife. She wanted to kill Vicky. He had to do something before it was too late. They had to get away from there. But where to? He looked along the beach. The cliffs?

Then he remembered the cave. It was at the end of the beach and went deep inside the cliffs. There were a lot of tunnels in the cave. It was a perfect place to hide.

He took a step towards Vicky.

'Don't move!' Gavin shouted, and he lifted the axe.

Tom stopped. They had to get to that cave. But how?

Tom's father started to sing again. Then he stopped and put his face in his hands. 'Oh, I feel so bad,' he said.

'I do, too,' Gavin said. He began to shake. 'My eyes! Everything's red. Red sky. Red sea.' He closed his eyes.

Tom got ready to attack him. He took a step towards him.

Then Gavin's eyes opened wide. They looked wild and crazy. 'Red sky!' Gavin screamed. 'Red sky. Blood sky. There's going to be blood!'

Tom's father took his hands away from his face. He turned and started walking towards the sea.

'That's right!' he shouted. 'Blood. There's going to be blood.

It's written in the Bible. An eye for an eye. Blood for blood. It's all in the Bible. It's the word of God!' He ran down the beach towards the sea. 'Blood! Blood!' he shouted. 'God's coming to punish the children!'

'Stop talking about God, Vincent!' Gavin shouted. He lifted the axe and began running down the beach.

Tom turned to Vicky. 'We've got to go,' he said. Vicky and the boys didn't move. 'Now!' he shouted.

Vicky and Bob ran to him, but Sam stayed at the table.

'Sam!' Tom shouted. Then he realized that the little boy couldn't hear. 'Bob, take Vicky to the cave at the end of the beach. I'll bring Sam.'

Vicky and Bob ran off, and Tom ran to Sam. Then Danielle stood up, took Sam's arm and held it tightly. The little boy tried to escape, but Danielle began to pull him towards the sea.

'Leave him alone!'Tom shouted.

He ran in front of her. And he hit her. He felt terrible. But he hit her hard on her face. He heard her nose break. She took her hands away from Sam and fell on her knees. Blood poured from her nose.

Tom took Sam's hand and began to run. Vicky and Bob were nearly at the end of the beach. Then Tom heard his mother scream. He stopped and turned. Sam continued running towards Vicky, but Tom couldn't move.

His father and Gavin were standing at the edge of the sea. His father was shouting. His mother was near them in the sea, holding the knife. Gavin lifted the axe. For a second nobody moved.

Then the axe fell.

It crashed through the top of Tom's father's head. Blood flew into the air and his father fell to the ground. Gavin hit Tom's father three more times. Then he stopped.

Tom's mother ran screaming towards Gavin. She lifted the knife. But before she could stab him, Gavin hit her with the axe. It went through her chest. Gavin pulled it out and hit her again. She fell back into the sea.

Tom couldn't move.

Gavin turned slowly and looked at him. He shouted something, but Tom was too far away to hear the words. Then Gavin lifted the axe and began to run towards him.

Tom turned and ran after Sam and the others.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14