Reef chapter 8 - Reef Unnerved

Reef was standing on the rise above the caravan park watching the ferry come up Loch Broom.  From here, a gentle breeze ruffling her hair, the boat looked as small as a toy in the kids’ play box upstairs at the Ceilidh Place.  If the boat could look that small in this vast landscape, imagine how far she’d travelled on her trip to Stornoway. The thought made her ears flatten and her tail curl in tight under her.  She whined a little at the thought of being so far from the MacNeacails.  Never again, she’d told herself.  Well, not without Big Bob and Mhairi.  A sudden movement caught her eye.

It was afternoon and what light there was  wouldn’t be around for long but the flash of brown below intrigued her.  It wasn’t someone’s jacket, lost amongst the gorse because it was too small and had definitely moved by itself out of view.  It wasn’t a football or a rock or even a big smelly cowpat.  She was certain it had moved away stealthily, like Reef did when waiting for a stick to be thrown.  But there was no one around to be throwing any sticks and, besides, she was sure it hadn’t been a dog either.  Reef ducked under the bottom wire of the fence and headed down the steep incline.

As she got closer to the spot where the brown object had been she saw a small hole in the gorse leading to a dark unknown beyond.  Eager to know more, she wriggled inside.

Gorse is a prickly bush, as you’ll know if you’ve ever encountered it and, though its flower can be beautiful, it can be tricky to walk in.  Reef kept on getting jags in her paws but, taking care and being brave, she kept wiggling through.  Until…

…Stuck!

She had tried to push under a snaking branch which she couldn't go over but found that on the other side there was no room to continue.  She looked left and looked right but there was no way forwards to go.  A hissing sound came from the darkened shadows in front of her.

She gulped and thought quickly through her options.   She could bark for help.  She could reverse.  Or she could remain where she was.  Staying where she was was not going to help, so she considered the other two.  Barking for help might take an awfully long time, it was hard enough explaining things to humans when you were face to face, doing so from inside a bush might prove impossible.  Besides, she hadn't seen any people as she ran down from the hill, there may not be anyone nearby to hear her.  So she tried to reverse.

If shuffling in had been difficult, shuffling back out was so much harder.  Reef had been born looking forwards and had kept going in that direction most of her life.  Sure, sometimes she ran in circles or rolled over to have her tummy tickled. But, going backwards?  She tried, gently at first, then with a bit more force but a branch had sprung in behind her bottom, barring her way and making her feel like a spring made of dog.

Whatever had hissed in the darkness hissed again. Tales Dougie had told her of crazed mink and angry badgers came back to Reef.  What if that was what she faced here?  Or even an otter mother protecting her young, they were close enough to the sea here, in the caravan park.  Reef whined and bunched up again but it was no use, the branch held her firm.  Out of the darkness she saw a set of luminous green eyes approach.

Reef pulled back her lips and growled long and slow, she wouldn't put up with this sort of intimidation from anyone.  To her surprise the hissing stopped.  She went quiet and waited a moment.  It sounded like whatever was out there was making an amused sort of 'chirrup'ing noise. Reef barked once in annoyance when suddenly, out of the darkness and quick as a motorbike, the creature behind the eyes charged towards her yowling like the beast of Hell!

In terror, Reef sprang backwards flat on her belly, her energy finally overcoming the branch that had pinned her in.  Barking  in fright and confusion, she bolted from the bushes and ran through the campsite, across the river, all the way along the Terrace and up the hill.  Darting in the open door at the Ceilidh Place and running through reception, she bounded upstairs and ran around till she found Big Bob.  Leaping into his burly arms, she licked his face woofing and woofing in her delight.  She had never been so happy to see anyone.

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Down in the gorse bushes back at the caravan park, the ginger cat emerged, a smug expression filling his fluffy face.  Pausing briefly to lick one shoulder, the cat glanced at the moon rising high over the night black hills.  Hunting time.