Sky West and Crooked

Mills is a young girl severely traumatized after seeing a playmate killed by the shotgun left lying around by Naismith, the dead boys father. It is now seven years later and 17-year-old Mills is an outcast. Her mother is an alcoholic and ignores her, while Naismith blames her for his sons death. Nearly everyone in the village ignores her, and she finds comfort and happiness only beside her friends grave. One day she sees a youngster burying a dead mole and decides to do likewise with two of her recently deceased pets. The local children see her and follow suit. Later she meets McShane, a boy traveling through town in a gypsy caravan. Her mother disapproves of the boy, and on a drunken binge she strikes her daughter. Mills runs to the graveyard where she encounters Naismith, who is drunk and threatens her with his gun. She runs once more, falls into a river, and is saved by McShane. He takes her to the gypsy camp for safety. However, her disappearance prompts her mother to have a stroke, which kills her. Soon Mills is found by some villagers, who want her put into an orphanage. But the local vicar defies the villagers by letting Mills ride off with the caravan. Interesting in many ways, with an ominous feel to it. (Verleiher-Text)