Storm Wind Rising

"You must be careful'" O'Shaughnessy said to me. "Of where we're going. Of those rocks, down by the water. And of the sea, even where it's calm. Storms come up suddenly here, you know. And be careful of the bushes on the hillsides. The vipera can hide there, you know - the serpent. She's dappled by sunlight so she can't be seen, and you'll think you're perfectly safe...."

But I didn't let him scare me. My new job, tutoring the children of the famous movie star Simon Jordan, was a dream come true for me, and nothing could be more beautiful than the remote Mediterranean villa where we all lived.

I should have listened to O'Shaughnessy.