touched by it.” Her hand squeezes mine painfully. “Far was good, among iron and steel was good. You should not have come back.” She releases me abruptly and cocks her head.
Something flits in the corner of my vision. I whip round, but there is nothing.
The old woman’s face contorts and for a moment I think she is having some kind of seizure. “Go, go, you go now. Go before the Darkling returns.”
There is so much fear in her tone, in her eyes, that it makes my scalp prickle. I back away and rush toward the door. The mirror to my right seems to ripple. I see a face, black and grey and sharp, and then I am outside, grabbing my bike and legging it up the path toward the bridge. I jump onto my bike and pedal as if the Devil himself is after me.
Friday evenings have become game night. Tonight we play Mousetrap and Junior Scrabble. Danny teams up with me while Heather teams up with mum. Some of the words that Danny comes up have me in fits, and in the end the game descends into a competition of who can make up the silliest word with the most convincing meaning. I’m glad to see that mum and Jules are getting on again. The tension that has been simmering between them seems to have gone at least for now. It was scary for a while. I honestly thought they were heading for a break up. I’m not sure what happened between them, but I’m glad it’s sorted.
By the time the twins’ bedtime comes around, I’ve convinced myself what I saw in the mirror in the old lady’s house was nothing but an illusion conjured up by my frightened mind. The woman is obviously senile, confused. I did the right thing getting her home, but listening to her strange tales was a stupid idea. Danny asks me to put him to bed and Heather winds her arms around mum’s neck. So mum and I climb the stairs with two sleepy children while Jules tidies up the games and drinks.
I’m tucking Danny in when he grabs hold of my hand and squeezes it.
“What’s up, sweetie?”
“You have to tell Heather to stop.”
I frown at the earnest expression on his face. “Stop what?”
“Stop looking for them.”
“Who?”
“The dark ones.”
The words are different yet so close to what the old woman said that I find goose bumps breaking out on my skin. “What are you talking about, Danny?”
He shrugs his thin shoulders. “I don’t know what they’re called. It’s just what I call them ‘cos they’re so dark and grey and ugly.”
A chill snakes up my spine, but I plaster a smile on my face. It’s a coincidence, that’s all. Liam said it, a child imagination spurred on by his twin’s rejection. But if that is the case, then surely Danny should be over it by now. Heather certainly seems to have dropped her imaginary friend. The twins seem happier, so where is this is coming from? A tiny part of my brain, which I choose to ignore, quotes Arthur Conan Doyle. I park my butt and listen because I remember what’s it’s like to be a kid and have fears that I can’t explain.
“Tell me about it.”
He licks his lips, propping himself up on an elbow. “I don’t want to talk about them too much case they hear and come back. They went away on my birthday. I never seen them since then. Heather keeps looking. I’m scared she might make them come back.”
“If they’re so ugly, then why would Heather look for them?” I ask.
His eyes grow round. “That’s the weird bit. Heather thinks they’re beautiful. She doesn’t really see them, not like I do. Heather thinks they’re nice but they’re not, really not, they’re mean. They want to hurt us, I can feel it.” He swallows. “The girl on the beach…she had these big black eyes…hungry eyes.”
The image from the mirror, grey, black and sharp, springs to mind, and I blink it away. “Okay, move over.” I give him a playful pat and he shuffles back, allowing me room to lie down next to him. I bring my arm up and around him and he rests his head in the crook of my shoulder.
Something flits in the corner of my vision. I whip round, but there is nothing.
The old woman’s face contorts and for a moment I think she is having some kind of seizure. “Go, go, you go now. Go before the Darkling returns.”
There is so much fear in her tone, in her eyes, that it makes my scalp prickle. I back away and rush toward the door. The mirror to my right seems to ripple. I see a face, black and grey and sharp, and then I am outside, grabbing my bike and legging it up the path toward the bridge. I jump onto my bike and pedal as if the Devil himself is after me.
Friday evenings have become game night. Tonight we play Mousetrap and Junior Scrabble. Danny teams up with me while Heather teams up with mum. Some of the words that Danny comes up have me in fits, and in the end the game descends into a competition of who can make up the silliest word with the most convincing meaning. I’m glad to see that mum and Jules are getting on again. The tension that has been simmering between them seems to have gone at least for now. It was scary for a while. I honestly thought they were heading for a break up. I’m not sure what happened between them, but I’m glad it’s sorted.
By the time the twins’ bedtime comes around, I’ve convinced myself what I saw in the mirror in the old lady’s house was nothing but an illusion conjured up by my frightened mind. The woman is obviously senile, confused. I did the right thing getting her home, but listening to her strange tales was a stupid idea. Danny asks me to put him to bed and Heather winds her arms around mum’s neck. So mum and I climb the stairs with two sleepy children while Jules tidies up the games and drinks.
I’m tucking Danny in when he grabs hold of my hand and squeezes it.
“What’s up, sweetie?”
“You have to tell Heather to stop.”
I frown at the earnest expression on his face. “Stop what?”
“Stop looking for them.”
“Who?”
“The dark ones.”
The words are different yet so close to what the old woman said that I find goose bumps breaking out on my skin. “What are you talking about, Danny?”
He shrugs his thin shoulders. “I don’t know what they’re called. It’s just what I call them ‘cos they’re so dark and grey and ugly.”
A chill snakes up my spine, but I plaster a smile on my face. It’s a coincidence, that’s all. Liam said it, a child imagination spurred on by his twin’s rejection. But if that is the case, then surely Danny should be over it by now. Heather certainly seems to have dropped her imaginary friend. The twins seem happier, so where is this is coming from? A tiny part of my brain, which I choose to ignore, quotes Arthur Conan Doyle. I park my butt and listen because I remember what’s it’s like to be a kid and have fears that I can’t explain.
“Tell me about it.”
He licks his lips, propping himself up on an elbow. “I don’t want to talk about them too much case they hear and come back. They went away on my birthday. I never seen them since then. Heather keeps looking. I’m scared she might make them come back.”
“If they’re so ugly, then why would Heather look for them?” I ask.
His eyes grow round. “That’s the weird bit. Heather thinks they’re beautiful. She doesn’t really see them, not like I do. Heather thinks they’re nice but they’re not, really not, they’re mean. They want to hurt us, I can feel it.” He swallows. “The girl on the beach…she had these big black eyes…hungry eyes.”
The image from the mirror, grey, black and sharp, springs to mind, and I blink it away. “Okay, move over.” I give him a playful pat and he shuffles back, allowing me room to lie down next to him. I bring my arm up and around him and he rests his head in the crook of my shoulder.
Similar Books
