#The_Crown
#part_13
Paxton looked behind him. Was there a man in the trees? A dark shadow? No, of course not!
Paxton started to work again. The spade was heavy now, and it was a difficult job. He wanted to sleep, but he wanted to find the crown, too.
And then it was there. The crown! Paxton smiled. He put his hands on it. Suddenly, there was a noise behind him again. It wasn't the wind, and it wasn't an animal. It was the noise of a man an angry man.
Paxton looked behind him. Again, no man was there. But wait! Did a shadow move? Paxton didn't know, but he was suddenly very afraid. He quickly put the crown in his bag and started to go back to the hotel.
But now the shadow was with him. It was always behind him. Paxton looked back, and the shadow always moved quickly away. But then it came back. Sometimes it was near him and sometimes it was far away.
Paxton was very afraid. Who -or what - was the shadow? And what did it want from him?
To be continued...🌀
far away/(adv) We never visit them because they live far away from here.
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#The_Crown
#part_15
There's a man. He's watching us from those trees! I know it!'
We looked and looked at the trees. There wasn't a man there now. But I was afraid. What did I see? Was it Paxton's shadow? Perhaps his story wasn't wrong... I didn't like this.
'Let's be quick,' Paxton said. "The shadow knows about us. He's watching us.'
We arrived at the hill. Paxton didn't wait. He started to work with the spade. Long and I only watched.
'Can I help now?' I said to Paxton, but he didn't stop.
'This is my job,' he said.
Then he said to us, 'Give it to me.'
We put the bag on the ground near him, but we didn't open it.
Paxton did that. I looked at the crown for the last time in Paxton's hands. He finished the job quickly.
'Is it in the ground?' I asked him.
'Yes.'
I smiled, but Paxton didn't smile.
To be continued...🌀
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#part_16
'Let's go back to the hotel,' Long said. 'It's very late and our beds are waiting for us!'
We started to walk down the hill. Suddenly, Long said, 'Remember your coat, Paxton! It's up on the hill.'
I looked up the hill behind us. Long was right. Paxton's long, dark
coat was there on the ground. But our new friend didn't move.
'What's wrong, Paxton?' I asked.
His face was white. His mouth moved, but he didn't talk.
'Are you OK?' Long asked.
'I ... I didn't bring my coat,' Paxton said. 'It's in my hotel room.' The dark thing on the hill wasn't his coat! But what was it?
I looked again. It wasn't there now!
We went down the hill very quickly. We didn't talk. We only listened to the noise of the sea.
Sometimes, I looked behind us. Was that a shadow behind the trees? Did a shadow move in the church garden? Was there a dark shadow behind the gravestones?
To be continued...🌀
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#The_Crown
#part_17
I didn't know, and I didn't want to know. I wanted to be in my bed. No, I wanted to be far away from this cold, dark place. I wanted to be at home.
We arrived at the hotel at twelve o'clock. A hotel worker opened the door for us. He looked at the three of us.
'It's a cold night,' he said.
I was afraid, but I smiled. 'Yes, it is.'
The hotel worker looked up the road behind us.
'Did you meet any people on the road?' he asked.
'No,' Paxton said. 'We were the only people in Seaburgh.'
'But there was a man behind you...' the hotel worker said.
Paxton looked back into the night with big eyes. The shadow wasn't there now.
The three of us went to our room. Paxton went to the window.
'It's OK now,' I said to him. 'The crown is in its place again. You're not in danger now.'
Paxton's eyes stayed on the night.
'Perhaps,' he said.
He went to the door. He said, "Thank you' to Long and me, and then he went to his room.
'Good night,' I said. 'Sleep well.'
To be continued...🌀
danger/(n) Those long knives are a danger to children!
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#The_Crown
#part_18
I don't know about Paxton, but sleep didn't come to me for a long time that night. And then I didn't sleep well. It was a long, long night.
I opened my eyes in the morning and went to the window. The sun's light came into the bedroom. It was late. I looked at the trees. It was a beautiful April day.
I washed and went down. Long was in a big chair with his newspaper and some coffee.
'Do you want some food?' He asked.
'Yes!'
A man was at our table. It was Paxton.
'How are you today?' Long asked.
'I'm OK,' our friend answered.
'Did you sleep well?' I asked.
'Yes, thank you. I didn't see the ...' He stopped. 'There wasn't a problem all night.'
'Good!' I smiled. 'Long and I are going for a walk this morning. Please come with us.'
'No, thank you,' Paxton answered. 'I want to stay in the hotel this morning. I'm going to write some letters.'
'This afternoon?' Long said.
'Yes, thank you.'
'Good, good! Let's meet at three o'clock,' Long said. 'Come to our room.'
We said goodbye to him.
Long and I had a good morning. Then we had some food in a café in a town near Seaburgh.
To be continued...🌀
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#part_14
Paxton stopped. 'That's my story,' he said. 'Do you believe me?'
I didn't believe it, but I didn't say that to Paxton.
'You believe it,' I answered, and that's the important thing.' But then I remembered the shadow near the door to our hotel room.
'What can I do now?' Paxton asked.
I looked at Long, then at Paxton.
'OK,' I said. 'We're going to help you. We're going to come with you and put the crown back in its place under the ground. Let's go!' Paxton smiled, but it wasn't a very happy smile. 'Thank you!' he said. He went to his room.
I looked at the window. It was a dark night. Long and I put on our coats and went to the hotel door. Paxton was there in front of the hotel. He had the black bag and the spade in his hands.
It was cold and we walked quickly. We walked near the church. I put my head down and didn't look up. I didn't want to see the gravestone of William Agers that night.
'Are we near the place?' Long asked. (My friend Henry Long likes walking, but he doesn't usually walk very quickly.)
'Yes,' Paxton answered.
Suddenly, I looked left.
'What's that?' I said.
'What did you see?' Long asked.
To be continued...🌀
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