Skinned by Adam Slater

can’t believe how much Gran’s already taught
me
. She told me I’m a natural, and that’s high praise coming from her. And look, tomorrow I’ll go over more chime child stuff with you. It’ll be cool, we’ll catch up. Sorry, I know I’ve been neglecting it a bit, but it’s just so exciting learning some
real magic
, it’s, like –’
    â€˜Melissa!’ Callum interrupted before steam began to come out of her ears. He’d never met anyone better at rambling. ‘Uh, it’s kind of cold out here, in case you hadn’t noticed,’ he said with a grin. ‘We’ll talk at school though.’
    â€˜Oh, of course. Sorry! See you tomorrow, Callum.’
    She waved and made her way down the steps. Callum shook his head. If only he had as much faith as Melissa did that this would all work out fine. Gratefully, he returned to the warmth of the cottage – and Gran’s worried gaze.
    â€˜Callum,’ she said.
    â€˜Yeah?’
    â€˜What I meant to say to you earlier was – just be careful, OK?’
    Callum was about to retort, but he stopped himself. He knew Gran was just concerned, and he didn’t want to totally shut out the person who he knew deep down cared most about him. Especially when he was trying to prepare for an apocalypse.
    He took a deep breath and tried for a smile. ‘I’ll do my best.’
    On all fronts
, he thought to himself grimly.

Chapter Sixteen
    A few days passed, and nothing out of the ordinary happened. No more clues about Black Annis or the coven. Callum thought it was a bit ironic that he was so desperate to hear what would essentially be bad news, but all the waiting and not knowing was really starting to get to him.
    School seemed even more mundane than usual, given what he was facing, other than teachers warning the students to be careful given the spate of young people going missing from Leicester. But as Callum was stuffing his maths book into his bag after class, he noticed the two boys near him had theirheads bent together while they gathered up pencils and paper.
    â€˜Yeah, it was
dead weird
,’ one said. ‘We were just coming along the Stockport Road, you know by the industrial estate, at the big roundabout? Well, Dad slowed up to wait for the traffic, and these two little girls in long grey dresses ran right across the road in front of us. They didn’t look, just
ran
right across the road. Dad slammed on the brakes and honked his horn but they
still
didn’t look. It was like they couldn’t see or hear us at all. Like they didn’t even know there were any cars around them.’
    â€˜Travellers, maybe?’
    â€˜Traveller kids don’t dress like nuns! And the other weird thing was that when I looked up the drive they’d just
vanished
. There isn’t really anywhere to hide there. It was like they’d completely disappeared.’
    â€˜Ghosts!’
    Both boys laughed nervously.
    If only they knew
, Callum thought. So Melissa really wasn’t the only ordinary person who was starting to see apparitions. The Shadowing was starting to affecteverybody. Even without the threat of the coven and Black Annis, things were stirring in the Netherworld, and Callum would need to fight them – not just in Marlock and Leicester but everywhere. Probably all over the world. Callum swallowed, trying not to let his thoughts overwhelm him. Pushing his seat back as the second bell went, he quickly made his way to his English class.
    He was late anyway, and as he sat down next to Melissa, she mouthed, ‘You OK?’
    Callum nodded, but was interrupted by Mrs Higgins at the front of the class.
    â€˜Nice of you to join us, Mr Scott,’ she said, raising an eyebrow. ‘Now, if you’d all like to open your textbooks to page fifteen. In fact, Mark, Richard, why don’t you two come up here and act it out for us?’
    The two boys made their way to the