Fred walks into the sixth form common room three month later.....still wearing the neck brace.
Convention says Fred would be met by a group of friends welcoming him back into the fold.
Surely Hayley and Lucy would run up and give Fred a hug, offer to go to the coke machine and get him a drink and ask him what had happened. He would be a hero, the boy who took on the giant...
Instead of a buzz, Fred was met by an uncomfortable silence, from the corner Fred could hear a barely stifled snigger.
His "group" looked anywhere they could, anywhere but at Fred.
No one moved...time stood still.
From a darkened corner of the room, where the cool circle hung out, Fred detected movement..
It was Carl, the new kid.
As Carl emerged from the gloom, Fred noticed he was carrying something....some kind of spade...
It appeared to be forged from some kind of ancient metal.....there were inscriptions on one side..the handle was set with precious metals and stones...