‘Hello?’ I called into the cave. The darkness swallowed my words – I didn’t even hear an echo back.
‘Hello?’ I tried again. ‘Anyone?’
The wind rustled my jacket and I shivered… but not because of the cold, I realised.
‘Who goes at my entrance there?’ a voice rasped from the depths of the cave. I froze involuntarily, my feet refusing to carry me any further into the shadow.
‘Pluck up,’ the voice cackled, ‘take your courage-hand and step into my shelter-rock.’
‘Please,’ I called out feebly. ‘I need your help. It’s my daughter, she…’
‘Sick, is it? Down with cough?’ the voice laughed again. ‘Tick-tock, tick-tock…’
‘Cough?’ I frowned. ‘No – why would I be scared of her having a cough?’
‘Because…’ the voice seemed confused. ‘Because puny mortal medicine has no grasp on nature’s wicked ways!’
‘Ohhh,’ I nodded. ‘I see. Nobody’s come to visit you for a while, have they?’
‘Not for many moons and shattered tides, slumbered have I, while I—’
‘Well, we have medicines now,’ I nodded. ‘That kind of thing. We pretty much have sickness sorted, on a day-to-day level, yeah.’
‘Oh… then why dost thou seek my grace?’
‘Honestly,’ I sighed. ‘I’m hoping you can help me find an optometrist that works with children around Cheltenham.’
‘A… a what?’
‘You know, like a children’s optometrist,’ I repeated. ‘It’s easy to find a decent one, but so hard to find the right one, y’know?’
‘I… I do not.’
We stood in the silence for a second. I absentmindedly kicked a rock.
‘So, uh… you can’t help me then?’
‘Let me cast enchantments—’
‘Sorry, I have my kids in the car,’ I said, pointing vaguely over my shoulder. ‘We’re late for soccer practice as is. Can you please just recommend me any optometrist operating in Cheltenham?’
‘I’m still not sure what an optometrist is,’ it rasped.
‘Ah well,’ I smiled. ‘Worth a shot. I’ll send someone your way if they have tuberculosis or whatever. Have a good one.’
I picked my way out of the cave, one foot at a time.
‘Wait!’ it cried out behind me. ‘What’s a car?’