The True Tale of the Monster Billy Dean by David Almond Read Free Book Online

pajes of a book & I put them bak under the bed.
    I told myself that I was hapy to wate.
    I told myself that the riters of the iland masterpees had taken meny yers. They kept ther mind on hiyer things. They showd disiplin & payshens & wer not deflected from ther task.
    I wayted.
    Days passd. Days of winter turnd to spring.
    I kept on waytin.
    Sumhow I new my bird would come.

It was spring the sky was bluw the sun wos brite. It was a tym wen I was growin fast. In the aftanoon I hurd voyses in the warls. A voice that was not my dads voys carlin out my Mams naym Veronica! O my Veronica!
    All aftanoon burds kept comin to the windo lookin down then flyin off agen. They sang.
    Veronica! the depe voys carld. & then the voys rose hiyer & sweter & almost turnd into a song as lovely as the burds. O my byutiful Veronica!
    Then just silens in the warls & the only song was the song of the burds that sang so swete above.
    Soon mam caym in carryin a sandwich of meet & letus & buter & a glas of milk wich wos arl so delishus on my tung.
    I hurd a voys I said to her.
    She seemd so soft so stil so warm. She smyld.
    Yor always hearin voyses Billy Dean.
    She strokd my hare. She ran her fingers throu it.
    It was the voys of Mr McCaufrey the butcha she said. He came to visit me.
    She smyld agen & harf closd her eyes.
    He was singin to me Billy she murmurd.
    I tryd to think of Mr McCaufrey.
    Wil I see him 1 day Mam? I said.
    Aye Billy.
    She shiverd. She put her arms arownd herself and lookd up at the windo.
    Its so warm today she said. The spring is sprung. A day for lettin in the air I think.
    She got the windo pole & pulld the windo open & let it hang. The cool & sweetnes of the owtside air cum in. And the noyses of the air the drummins beatins dronins that was always ther. The clashin & the bangin & the stranj & distant voyses that was always ther.
    We lissend close together for a few long sylent moments. I chewd my sandwich sippd my milk & lickd my lips.
    Wot do you suppows it is? said Mam.
    Suppows wot is?
    Evrythin Billy. All that ther is.
    I remember lissenin to her words and wonderin. All ther is. What is all ther is?
    How can I no? I askd her.
    Never mynd said Mam. Just lissen to thoas birds.
    We lissend agen & I lissend to how the birds wer such a tiny & powerful thing in the middl of the massiv endlessness of all ther is.
    I herd them singin owtsyd in the world & insyd depe insyd myself.
    Yes said Mam. Yes mebbe you will see Mr McCaufrey. Hes a good strong kind man Billy. He wil help us. Kiss me now.
    She put her fase befor me & I kissd her lips.
    I got to go she said. Youl be alrite?
    Of cors Ill be alrite. Like always, Mam.
    Aye like always Billy.
    And off she went. And she left the windo hangin down. And didnt come bak. So the windo went on hangin as the afternoon wore on & soon darknes wasnt far away.
    She never did this never left the window hangin down until the nite. Mebbe she forgot mebbe it wos delibrit. Or mebbe she had a kynd of premonishun. Owtside the air began to change & stilness soon gave way to breez & wind & ajitayshun. I saw clowds passin fast acros the sky & hurd the rushin of the air across the windo. For the first tym in my life I felt rane farl down on me. I turnd my fase to it. I felt the sharp swete isy ping of drops of warter on my skin. I lickd it wer it fel upon my lips and cheeks. It fel a bit faster a bit harder I saw it splashin down onto the carpet & the sofa & I saw the wetness of it spredin. Then ther came a fast flutterin in the air. I look up and to my astonishment thers a spuggy flyin in the room. Its so frantic its so terrifyd. It must of cum throu the windo mebbe to escayp the littl storm & dusnt no how to fynd its way bak owt agen. Flys bak & forth throu the room bangin into walls. Bangs into the pitcher of the iland like it thinks it can go into it. Bangs into the dore like it thinks it can go rite throu it.
    Up I jump & hold my hands owt to it.
    Dont be friytend little spuggy I say.
    Carm down I