clearly and more in focus than I ever could before – and it was all in the dark.
It took me a few moments to realize that.
It was as if a blue light shone out from my eyes onto all the things around me and then bounced right back at me. To be honest, it freaked me out a bit. Why could I suddenly see so clearly?
There had to be blue light entering the tunnels from some place I hadn’t yet been, somewhere I hadn’t yet discovered. Or maybe there was some kind of luminous metallic ore in the rocks
around me. Deep down, I knew I was clutching at straws but there had to be a logical explanation. I just needed to find it. Either way, I had to get out of here. Now. At once. I started walking,
then running towards what I thought was the nearest exit. But I couldn’t feel anything. It took a few seconds to realize that although my feet were making contact with the ground, I
couldn’t feel the ground against my feet, pushing back. I stopped abruptly and stared down at my feet in the cold blue semi-light. I jumped tentatively. My feet left the ground, then seconds
later they landed. I stopped. But I hadn’t felt the ground that time either. The rock fall must’ve damaged some nerves in my legs or back. That’s why I couldn’t feel
anything. But then, how come I could still walk and run? I didn’t understand it. Terrified, I started sprinting again – in case I was running on adrenaline or luck only and one or both
of them were about to run out. I should’ve been getting closer to the entrance by now.
But instead of getting lighter, it got darker and darker until I was racing as fast as I could, until my heart was burning and I had one hell of a stitch and still I kept running, until I was
swallowed up by the dark, with nowhere left to run but onwards to nowhere.
22. Liam
Nova slammed her bedroom door shut. ‘Liam, are you here?’
Liam slowly faded into view before her. ‘What d’you want?’
‘I want to know what all that was about?’
‘All what?’
Nova’s severe scowl was truly impressive. It was enough to sour milk and then some. ‘Don’t play games, Liam. How come Mr Jackman knows who you are?’
‘That’s my business,’ said Liam, turning away slightly.
Nova strode towards him, aiming to grab his arm and turn him round to face her. But her hand went straight through his body. She inhaled sharply with surprise, then looked annoyed. ‘I wish
you wouldn’t do that,’ she grumbled.
‘Can’t help it!’ Liam said with a trace of a smile.
‘I mean it, Liam. What’s going on between you and Mr Jackman?’
Liam’s smile vanished. That was one question he wasn’t going to answer. ‘That’s between me and him.’
‘Not if you want my help, it’s not.’
So that’s how it was, eh? Liam scrutinized Nova carefully. ‘We all have our little secrets, Nova. Even you.’
Nova suddenly grew still. ‘What does that mean?’
‘Never mind.’
‘No, if you’ve got something to say, let’s hear it,’ Nova insisted. ‘Go on.’
All right then. She’d asked for it. ‘What d’you like to do in your spare time, Nova? Watch telly? Go for a walk?’ asked Liam after a pause. ‘O r maybe you like to
do something a little more radical? More gross but more radical?’
Nova clasped her trembling hands together in an effort to stop them from shaking.
‘Shall I tell you one of my hobbies?’ Liam continued. ‘I love to go to the toilets on the second floor. You know, the ones at the back of the hotel? Listening to you make
yourself vomit after every meal is better than watching a horror film on the telly.’
Nova’s mouth fell open. ‘You know?’
‘Of course I know. You’re in there three times a day at least, so it’s either chronic long-term diarrhoea or vomiting.’
‘How dare you? You have no right to spy on me!’ Nova exclaimed, horrified.
‘Spy on you? D o me a favour! D’you think I’ve got nothing better to do?’
‘Obviously not!’ Nova was furious.
It took me a few moments to realize that.
It was as if a blue light shone out from my eyes onto all the things around me and then bounced right back at me. To be honest, it freaked me out a bit. Why could I suddenly see so clearly?
There had to be blue light entering the tunnels from some place I hadn’t yet been, somewhere I hadn’t yet discovered. Or maybe there was some kind of luminous metallic ore in the rocks
around me. Deep down, I knew I was clutching at straws but there had to be a logical explanation. I just needed to find it. Either way, I had to get out of here. Now. At once. I started walking,
then running towards what I thought was the nearest exit. But I couldn’t feel anything. It took a few seconds to realize that although my feet were making contact with the ground, I
couldn’t feel the ground against my feet, pushing back. I stopped abruptly and stared down at my feet in the cold blue semi-light. I jumped tentatively. My feet left the ground, then seconds
later they landed. I stopped. But I hadn’t felt the ground that time either. The rock fall must’ve damaged some nerves in my legs or back. That’s why I couldn’t feel
anything. But then, how come I could still walk and run? I didn’t understand it. Terrified, I started sprinting again – in case I was running on adrenaline or luck only and one or both
of them were about to run out. I should’ve been getting closer to the entrance by now.
But instead of getting lighter, it got darker and darker until I was racing as fast as I could, until my heart was burning and I had one hell of a stitch and still I kept running, until I was
swallowed up by the dark, with nowhere left to run but onwards to nowhere.
22. Liam
Nova slammed her bedroom door shut. ‘Liam, are you here?’
Liam slowly faded into view before her. ‘What d’you want?’
‘I want to know what all that was about?’
‘All what?’
Nova’s severe scowl was truly impressive. It was enough to sour milk and then some. ‘Don’t play games, Liam. How come Mr Jackman knows who you are?’
‘That’s my business,’ said Liam, turning away slightly.
Nova strode towards him, aiming to grab his arm and turn him round to face her. But her hand went straight through his body. She inhaled sharply with surprise, then looked annoyed. ‘I wish
you wouldn’t do that,’ she grumbled.
‘Can’t help it!’ Liam said with a trace of a smile.
‘I mean it, Liam. What’s going on between you and Mr Jackman?’
Liam’s smile vanished. That was one question he wasn’t going to answer. ‘That’s between me and him.’
‘Not if you want my help, it’s not.’
So that’s how it was, eh? Liam scrutinized Nova carefully. ‘We all have our little secrets, Nova. Even you.’
Nova suddenly grew still. ‘What does that mean?’
‘Never mind.’
‘No, if you’ve got something to say, let’s hear it,’ Nova insisted. ‘Go on.’
All right then. She’d asked for it. ‘What d’you like to do in your spare time, Nova? Watch telly? Go for a walk?’ asked Liam after a pause. ‘O r maybe you like to
do something a little more radical? More gross but more radical?’
Nova clasped her trembling hands together in an effort to stop them from shaking.
‘Shall I tell you one of my hobbies?’ Liam continued. ‘I love to go to the toilets on the second floor. You know, the ones at the back of the hotel? Listening to you make
yourself vomit after every meal is better than watching a horror film on the telly.’
Nova’s mouth fell open. ‘You know?’
‘Of course I know. You’re in there three times a day at least, so it’s either chronic long-term diarrhoea or vomiting.’
‘How dare you? You have no right to spy on me!’ Nova exclaimed, horrified.
‘Spy on you? D o me a favour! D’you think I’ve got nothing better to do?’
‘Obviously not!’ Nova was furious.
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