The wind blew over the body of the wooded hills and the grass rippled. The hills and trees trembled under the touch of the wind's palm as it caressed the rolling slopes that rose and fell like the easy swell of a calm sea. Over the giant mound that looks like the hull of a ship turned upside down, arching their leafy branches to hide the giant from the world, grow a hundred trees on either side. For five thousand years it had lain that way. An earthy bulk with strange patterns made of grey stones criss-crossing its green back. Stones set for mysterious reasons long ago by a people who had come then to worship this now secret place; who had come by the thousands to learn and sing their songs in this once un-shaded place: where, now only seasons visit and good men - never.

Roy Chandler, a boy of twelve, stood alone at the bottom of a flight of concrete stairs in a block of rundown flats. A naked bulb fixed in the cracked ceiling cast a dim yellow light upon the dank hallway. A chill wind blew in through a broken window, fluttering his curly black hair and flapping the collar of his raincoat.

His light green eyes watched vacantly as a black cat crept in through a door at the end of the gloomy hallway. The animal stopped glanced at Roy�fs huddled figure on the stairs then, put down in the corner something it had in its mouth.

Roy thought about his father. That morning his mother had told him that he had been killed in an accident. She had left Roy with a friend while she attended the aftermath. Roy could not believe that his father was dead. Yet in his heart he knew that his mother would not lie - not about that. A tear trickled down the boy�fs cheek.

Something fluttered above the cat's head and then fell back. It caught Roy�fs attention and he focused on the cat. Again something fluttered up. Roy saw that it was a sparrow. The cat had the bird trapped in the corner and it was desperately struggling to escape. It chirruped loudly as it leapt up against the wall but it had no room to manoeuvre in the narrow space. The sparrow�fs wings flapped in frenzy as a paw flashed and snatched the bird down. Roy felt his heart flutter in sympathy with the bird.

The boy became mesmerised as the animal held the sparrow under its paw. The cat rocked the bird gently back and forth as if it were it�fs loving mother and then lifted it's paw just enough for the bird to wriggle free. The sparrow�fs feathers were ruffled and torn. The tiny creature lay looking up at the cat as if for a brief moment hope fluttered in its small heart. The sparrow stood, hopped a few inches, and then fell back to the dusty concrete.

Roy�fs moist eyes narrowed as he peered through the gloom. He realised that a cruel game was going on. The cat turned and regarded the boy. The animal had no fear. It sensed his timidity. Then it dismissed his presence and returned its attention to the helpless sparrow. The sleek black body approached its prey slowly and silently. It suddenly struck the bird with its paw. The sparrow rolled, darted a look at the cat and made another desperate attempt to escape. It twittered as it half hopped - half rolled along the chilly hallway. The bird became still as if surrendering to fate. It lifted its head and opened its tiny beak in silence.

Roy felt his heart reaching out to the small creature. He stood and took the last few steps down the stairs into the hallway. The cat hissed, arching its back. Startled by the animal�fs reaction Roy drew back. He wanted desperately to help the bird but his fear that the cat might attack kept him still. Tears welled and he thought the world cruel. He trembled.

Behind the boy, back along the hallway under the hollow of the stairs, in the deep shadows - something moved. The darkness slowly stirred. It was as if a bear had awakened in a dark cave, but the hollow beneath the stairs was no cave and the thing that stirred in the dark was not a bear. Suddenly the cat looked into the darkness beyond Roy. The animal stepped back its spine arching and its fur standing on end. Then, with a snarl, it swiftly turned and ran out of the door leaving it�fs prey huddled on the floor. The door slammed against the wall. The abrupt sound reverberated around the hallway then died in a diminishing echo until all that could be heard was the twittering of the sparrow. The bird hopped up and gathering the very last of its strength flew up. It brushed the walls then flew over Roy and out of the hole in the broken window. Roy, although shaken by the quick explosion of sound and movement, felt relieved that the bird had escaped. He wiped his wet cheeks.

Roy felt a tingling in the back of his neck. He sensed something behind him. He turned and peered into the darkness. Did he see movement under the stairs? A thin finger of icy fear caressed his heart. Despite being afraid he felt compelled to step forward as if the darkness were a warm blanket in which he could wrap himself. There was something moving. Part of the darkness was circling like a slow whirlpool of black water. Roy wiped his eyes. The blackness was coalescing and curdling into a thicker substance as if the naked air was beginning to assemble a shape. The air congealed until unmistakably a figure stood almost invisible in the shadows. It beckoned.

Roy froze - afraid to move. The thing in the shadows beckoned again. Despite his qualms the boy stepped forward, the very movement diluting his fear. He took another step. He felt a gathering flame of excitement. Somehow he sensed that who or what it was that motioned to him intended no harm. There was no enmity, only an inexplicable allure.

He walked unafraid to the dark presence and it enveloped him.