The Spread: Book 1 (The Hill)

deny how good it felt to see his brother taking part, but letting him climb a hill drunk felt like a bad idea. The nearby cross made him even more anxious, the white-painted stones reflecting the moonlight and illuminating the ancient wood like a beacon of bad spirits. There seemed nothing holy about it.
What if Aaron falls and breaks his neck? Christ, how would I ever live with myself?
“See you pillocks at the top,” said Sean, bolting towards the hill.
“Wait for me,” said Aaron, taking off after him.
Ryan called out, “Wait! You slip and fall, and mam will kill me.”
“I won’t fall, Ryan. It’s a fucking hill, not Mount Everest.”
Sean howled with laughter. “You tell him, our kid. Stick with me and we’ll be up there in no time.”
Brett exchanged a glance with Ryan. “You best go with him. I wouldn’t leave him alone with—”
“Yeah, no need to finish that sentence. I’m going.”
“Fuck me,” said Loobey. “Are we really doing this?”
Ryan turned to him. “You can stay down here, mate. Don’t worry about it.”
“What? And face Sean taking the piss out of me for the rest of the weekend? No thanks. Shite, here I go.” Loobey hurried towards the hill, cursing the entire way. “You’ll be the bloody death of me one day, Sean.”
Tom looked between Brett and Ryan. “He’s not wrong. A cracked skull is better than Sean heckling us relentlessly.”
Brett looked towards the top of the hill and shrugged. “How hard can it be?”
Ryan sighed. “Come on, then. Let’s go kill ourselves.”
They all headed for the hill, a loose pack. Aaron and Sean were already ten feet up, racing each other and giggling. Ryan’s stomach sloshed with undigested beer as his mind conjured images of his little brother slipping and cartwheeling down the jagged rocks.
The bottom of the slope wasn’t so bad, and they were more or less able to walk it, only leaning forward occasionally to keep their balance, but a few feet higher and they would have to crawl. Ryan tried to close the distance on Aaron, wanting to be close by if he slipped.
Please don’t slip. Please don’t slip.
“Hey,” Sean shouted down at them, “after this, we should go looking for magic mushrooms. I bet they grow all over this place.”
Brett peered across at Ryan and groaned. “He’s a nightmare. You should never have invited him.”
“I concur,” said Tom.
Ryan put a finger against his lips, telling his friend to keep his voice down. “Shush, he’ll kick off if he hears you.”
Brett stopped climbing so he could whisper. “So we have to spend the entire weekend on edge, worrying about his temper? He’s only just started. He’s got enough smack in that baggie to take on a lion.”
“Sean would take on a lion sober,” said Tom.
“He’s our mate.”
“That’s no excuse, Ryan.”
“Look, I’ll handle him, okay? Let’s just get up this hill. Maybe the exercise will wear him out.”
“Like a misbehaving dog?” Brett shook his head and resumed climbing.
They reached the middle of the hill and started using their hands, clambering up like monkeys. Even though it was steep, it was still fairly easy going, the footholds continuing all the way up. Aaron and Sean were near the top, still racing each other. Aaron was winning, which caused Ryan to smile, oddly proud.
He’s actually having fun. In fact, so am I. I can’t wait to see what’s up there. Probably just nothing, but still, there might be—
Ryan made the mistake of looking down, causing moths to take flight in his guts. The solar panels behind the cottage seemed small. They glinted in the moonlight like the surface of a lake, in stark contrast to the cottage’s dull thatched roof and white-painted stone. The shed, however, blended into the landscape, a dark shadow against the rocky ground.
Dust blasted Ryan’s face, bits scattering in his eyes. He shielded himself with one hand and almost fell. Above him, someone cursed.
“My ankle! It’s… I’ve twisted it!” Brett grunted in a mixture of anger and agony.
Ryan rose up on the rocks, trying to see above and to his right. In the dark, he could see the shape of his hunched-over friend. “Hold on, mate, I’m coming.”
“What are you daft bastards doing down there?” Sean shouted from above. “Stop pratting about.”
“Just shut up a second,” Loobey yelled back. “I think someone’s hurt.”
Aaron yelled, “Ryan, you all right?”
“I’m fine. It’s Brett.” Ryan clambered up the rocks and found Brett clutching his ankle. Underneath the moonlight, it was possible to see blood staining his white sports socks. It appeared as a silvery-black stain.
“I got it caught between a pair of rocks,” said Brett, hissing in pain. “I don’t think it’s broken.”
“I got you, mate.” Ryan put Brett’s arm around his neck. “Let’s get you down.”
“Come on, you lot,” Sean shouted. “Little man is about to reach the top. He’s mad fer it, this one.”
Ryan growled. “Hold on, for God’s sake, will you? I’m trying to help Brett.”
“I’m coming down to help,” shouted Loobey.
“Me too,” said Tom. “This was a poor idea from the start.”
Sean started to complain. “You lot are a bunch of—”
“Ryan, oh my God.” It was Aaron. “Ryan, you need to get up here and see this.”
Ryan hissed. “Is anybody listening to me? Brett’s hurt and I’m going to—”
Sean shouted and interrupted him, having apparently reached the top with Aaron. “Ryan, you need to listen to your little brother. You need to see this.”
Brett glanced at Ryan, his pain seemingly forgotten for a moment. They had both sensed the strangeness in Sean’s tone. He had sounded serious, which was extremely unlike him.
Brett waved a hand. “Just help me up. I can keep going.”
Ryan peered up the hill, trying to see Aaron and Sean, but all he could see was Loobey’s arse coming towards him. “Loobey, man, go back up. See what that idiot is shouting about.”
“You sure? What about Brett?”
“I’m okay,” said Brett. “Just get me up and I’ll be right behind you. Don’t leave Aaron up there alone with Sean.”
“Yeah, okay, mate.”