‘Let’s go to the beck,’ I say. ‘Find a moon fish.’

She glances out of the door, uncertain. ‘It’s dark.’

‘Aye. They’re moon fish. That’s when they come out.’

‘All right.’

‘Say farewell.’

Annie walks over, puts her arms round Mam, and Mam strokes her hair. As though she knows. I kiss her soft, sunken cheek.

‘Goodbye, Mammy,’ Annie says.

Mam turns her watery eyes to me, says nothing.

The beck is dark and deep, slow today. I take Annie’s hand, walk her in.

‘It’s cold,’ she says. ‘I don’t like it.’

‘Just a little further.’

The freezing water is past my knees, up to Annie’s chest. She gasps and clings to me.

‘Where are the moon fish?’ she says.

‘Underneath.’

‘We’re going under?’

I force myself to smile down at her. ‘Aye.’

‘I won’t like it.’

‘Aye, you will. I’ll be there.’

She starts to cry. ‘I want to go home.’

She scrabbles at my legs, climbing up me, and I lift her on to my hip. Wade deeper, deeper until weeds taffle round my legs and the water reaches our chins.

‘I’m feared,’ she says. ‘I don’t like it, I want to go home.’

‘It’s all right.’ I try to stop my teeth chattering. ‘We’re going to see the moon fish.’

She is sobbing now, shaking. ‘I don’t want to.’

‘Just be brave a while,’ I say. ‘And then it’ll be so beautiful, we’ll be under and it’ll be filled with sparkling fishes.’ I spit water from my mouth. ‘Not long now.’

Two more steps, and the riverbed falls away. I kick my feet into nothing. Annie’s scream bubbles through the water that closes over our heads.

A sour, cold mouthful. Eyes stinging, chest burning. I hold tight to Annie as she struggles. Open my eyes and see her through the water, pale face, brown eyes, hair spreading. Little fox pendant rising between us.

I’m sorry, I say, but there is no space for the words. I just want you to be safe.

I watch her until the blackness closes in.

See the Storm

He looked out from the cover of the trees. Thought perhaps, with witchly power, she had sensed his longing and regret, appeared to him when he most yearned for her.

He did not understand what she was doing until it was almost too late. Waded and splashed through the water, fully clothed, boots still on, breath knocked out of him. Gasping, coughing, spitting. An undignified rescuer.

Reached for the sister first, knew it was what Sarah would want. She was so small and light. A tiny dark shadow, unmoving under the surface. Threw her on to the bank and staggered back for Sarah.

Don’t let her be dead. Please don’t let her be dead.