Terror of the Nightwatchman

by Tommy Donbavand

  Reluctantly, Resus slid the chainsaw away and produced a machete instead. “You always spoil my fun,” he grumbled. He began to hack at the branches, pausing every now and then to allow Luke to locate the next droplet of blood.

  Eventually, they came to a stop. “This is where it ends,” said Luke, allowing his features to shrink back to normal. “Whatever’s got Cleo must have stopped bleeding – or else found a way to heal the wound.”

  “So what do we do now?”

  Luke shrugged. “Beats me, but it might help to know which country we’re in for a start…” He put his hand into his jeans pocket, then sighed heavily.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “I must have left The G.H.O.U.L. Guide at home when I ran over to Cleo’s house this morning,” said Luke. “We haven’t even got Mr Skipstone to help us.”

  “What about these?” Resus bent to collect a handful of feathers that lay at their feet. “Do they give us some kind of clue?”

  “They could have been here for ages,” said Luke. “This place is swarming with all kinds of exotic birds.”

  Resus tucked the machete back under his cape. “In that case I’m stumped,” he admitted.

  “We could climb a tree to see if we can spot anything from higher up,” Luke suggested.

  The vampire peered at the thick canopy above them. “You want to climb up there?”

  “Have you got a better idea?”

  “Unfortunately not,” sighed Resus. He turned and stabbed his strong vampire nails into the bark of a nearby tree and began to pull himself upwards. “But I lent all my rope to Twinkle last week, so we’ll be doing this the hard way too!”

  “Fair enough,” said Luke, “but some of us haven’t got vampire fingernails! Even my werewolf claws wouldn’t take my full bodyweight.”

  “No problem,” beamed Resus, pulling one hand away from the tree trunk and plunging it into his pocket. He dropped ten metallic fake nails down to Luke. “Look after them – they’re my spares!”

  Luke slipped the nails over the ends of his fingers, sunk them into the tree and began to climb.

  Chapter Three

  The Catch

  By the time Luke pulled himself onto the wide branch opposite Resus, he was out of breath and his arms felt like they were on fire. “Where did you learn to climb like that?” he puffed.

  Resus was perched cross-legged on his branch. “Vampires are naturally good at this sort of stuff,” he said. “It comes from centuries of trying to escape angry mobs with pitchforks and torches.”

  Luke clambered warily to his feet, clinging tightly to the tree trunk. There was a stiff breeze, and it felt as if the tree was swaying violently – although Resus didn’t seem to have any problems balancing.

  “Can you see anything?” Luke asked, trying not to look down. He closed his eyes and pressed his face tightly against the rough bark.

  Resus swung himself up onto a higher branch. “Not a lot,” he replied, “unless you mean more trees, that is.” The jungle stretched as far as he could see in every direction, with no sign of civilization. Then suddenly the vampire’s attention was caught by something off to the left.

  “What is it?” hissed Luke. “What can you see?”

  Resus frowned. “Probably nothing,” he replied. “I thought I saw a tiny glow of light for a moment, but it must be my mind playing tricks on me.”

  “Well, my mind isn’t playing tricks,” said Luke. “It knows I’m far higher than it ever wanted me to be.”

  Resus skipped over to Luke’s branch and grinned. “Don’t tell me the wicked werewolf is afraid of heights?” he teased.

  Luke swallowed hard. “I’ll just feel better when my feet are back on solid gr—”

  He stopped, staring at something behind his friend.

  “What’s the matter?” asked Resus.

  “Remember I said this place must be swarming with birds?” Luke whispered. “Well, look behind you…”

  Resus slowly twisted round on his branch to see a large black bird perched nearby, watching them intently. He let out a sigh of relief. “It’s just a raven! You had me going there for a minute. There are ravens all over Scream Street.”

  “Exactly,” replied Luke. “But we’re not in Scream Street – and I don’t remember learning that they like to hang out in the jungle.”

  “It can’t be that unusual,” said Resus. “Look, there’s another one over there. And another. Maybe they followed us through the Hex Hatch.”

  Sure enough, there were now several of them perched in the trees around the boys, all peering intently at them with dark, beady eyes.

  “This isn’t good…” Luke said quietly.

  “They’re just birds,” said Resus. “What harm can they do?”

  As if on cue, the ravens took off from their various perches and launched themselves at Luke and Resus, screeching wildly. Within seconds, the pair were lost in a churning cloud of black feathers.

  Luke shielded his face as powerful wings batted him and jagged claws scratched at his skin. “Resus!” he cried, but all he could see were more and more feathers descending.

  The vampire had pulled his cape over his head and was trying to curl up into a ball. Ravens were pecking and tearing at the cape with their sharp beaks.

  Luke knew they had to get down from the tree. If they could get to the ground, they might be able to run deeper into the jungle, where the ravens couldn’t follow. He cautiously reached out with a scratched, bleeding hand and dug the fake vampire nails into the tree trunk. Moving blindly, he swung himself off his branch. “Resus, we have to— Aargh!”

  It was a few seconds before Luke realized he was falling. The fake nails had simply slipped from his fingers and he could still see them, lodged in the bark, before they were lost from view as the ravens dived after him. A grim thought flashed across his mind as he wondered who would reach the ground first.

  “LUKE!” shouted Resus.

  To Luke, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. As he crashed through the smaller branches, his vision was filled by the rapidly approaching flock of birds, beaks open wide. For a brief moment, the ravens appeared to merge together to form a snarling, shadowy creature with blazing white eyes.

  Luke shook his head to clear the image. He couldn’t be far from the ground now; it would only be…

  “Gotcha!” cried a voice as two strong arms caught him and lay him gently on the ground. Luke gazed up in astonishment as a large, round figure turned towards the looming ravens and let loose a raucous screech of his own.

  “SHACKAWWW!”

  The piercing scream was like nothing Luke had ever heard and seemed to come from every direction at once. The effect was instant. The birds scattered, twisting in the air to alter their course. Within seconds, they were gone.

  The figure turned back to Luke and beamed down at him through rotten teeth. “You’re safe now, little lamb!”

  By the time Resus reached the ground, Luke was wrapped in a blanket and had an old woolly hat slipped onto his head. A huge ogre was fussing around him.

  “Seriously, I’m fine!” Luke was saying, trying just as hard to free himself from the cocoon. “There’s no need to mollycoddle me!”

  Resus gave a relieved grin. “That hat looks good on you,” he said.

  The ogre spun round and beamed at the young vampire with tears in his eyes. “Another little angel!” he cried, whipping a sheet from around his waist and stumbling towards him.

  Resus backed away, hands raised. “No, it’s OK,” he protested. “I’m fine!”

  The ogre shook his head and kept coming. He was covered from head to toe in gaudy tattoos of insects, fish and animals – and he had a neat hairstyle inked onto his scalp.

  “I gots my orders!” he insisted. “Any little darlings that Spider finds, he has to treats them nice and takes them to Miss Ursula.” When he reached Resus, he pulled him into his thick, hairy chest, cuddling him tightly.

  “What’s going on?” asked L
uke. “And who’s Miss Ursula?”

  “Don’t you worry your little head, poppet,” soothed the ogre, stroking Resus’s cheek. “Spider’s here to look after you now. Nothing’s going to hurts you any more!”

  “Nothing was hurting us to begin with,” retorted Resus, pulling himself away.

  “Apart from a flock of killer ravens,” Luke reminded him. He turned to the ogre. “Spider… Is that your name?”

  The ogre nodded solemnly.

  “Thank you for catching me,” said Luke, “but how did you do that thing with the birds? How did you scare them away like that?”

  Spider tapped the side of his nose. “I might looks like an ordinary ogre,” he beamed, “but I’ve gots special powers!”

  “Special powers?” said Resus. “You mean, like a superhero?”

  “You coulds say that,” admitted Spider. “I haves the power to take on the shape and sound of any animal, anywheres in the world.”

  “And birds, too?” asked Luke.

  Spider nodded. “I just tolds those ravens to leaves you alone – in a language they could understands. I used the power of a sabre hawk!”

  “Fantastic!” exclaimed Resus.

  Luke suddenly felt a glimmer of hope. “We’re looking for a friend,” he said. “A mummy. She went missing last night. Would you be able to help us find her?”

  “I don’t sees why not,” answered Spider, “but I needs to takes you to Miss Ursula first. The quickest way is on the back of a speeding panther.”

  “You can change into a panther?” gasped Resus. “Cool!”

  Spider closed his eyes and cricked his neck from side to side. “Stands back and prepare to be amazed!” he commanded. Then he yelled, “Power of a panther!”

  Chapter Four

  The Camp

  “This,” grumbled Resus, “is embarrassing!”

  Luke smiled. The boys were looking on as Spider prepared himself for the transformation. They had expected the ogre to scream out in pain as his bones splintered and muscles reformed, as with Luke’s transformations – but instead he simply waved his arms around for a moment before dropping to his knees and purring.

  “Er … is that it?” Resus asked.

  “I think so,” Luke replied as Spider crawled over to lick his hand. “And I think he wants us to climb aboard…” Soon the boys were perched on the ogre’s back as he crawled slowly – very slowly – through the undergrowth.

  An hour later, Resus still hadn’t emerged from his sulk. “He scared the birds away,” he grunted. “I was stupid enough to believe he was a superhero!”

  “Shh!” Luke hissed, glancing behind them.

  “What?” asked Resus, twisting round and almost falling off Spider’s back in the process.

  “I thought I heard footsteps,” said Luke. “But maybe not.” He leant forward and spoke into Spider’s ear. “Are we nearly there yet?”

  “Mowwl!” rumbled the reply. Spider paused briefly to lick the back of his hand and use it to clean his face before continuing at an unsteady plod.

  “Now I know he’s taking the plasma,” Resus scowled. “I bet this Miss Ursula person doesn’t even exist!”

  “Oh, but she does,” said a soft voice. The boys jumped as a beautiful woman with short, red hair stepped out from behind a tree.

  “Another rescue, Spider?” she asked the ogre.

  The ogre rose up onto his knees, causing Luke and Resus to slide off, then writhed around for a moment as though twisting himself back into human form. “Yes, Miss Ursula,” he said with a wink, “and I let them into my little secret, too!”

  “Little secret, my fangs!” scoffed Resus. “He hasn’t got any powers at—”

  Ursula gave the vampire a stern look to silence him. “Spider believes in his abilities,” she said, “and as long as he’s helping us, I’m willing to indulge him.”

  “Us?” asked Luke. “Who’s us?”

  Ursula smiled. “Allow me…” She clapped her hands. Instantly, dozens of children emerged from various hiding places around them and began to approach cautiously. Among them was a second woman, also very pretty, with long, dark hair.

  Luke turned back to Ursula and stared. Everything about her was utterly wonderful – from her sparkling sapphire eyes to her flawless skin and silky auburn hair. Long, black, perfectly manicured fingernails—

  Luke rubbed his eyes. “You’re under an enchantment charm!” he exclaimed. “You’re a witch!”

  “Morag and I are both witches,” explained Ursula, gesturing towards her friend, who smiled at the new arrivals.

  “This is incredible!” said Resus. “What are you all doing here?”

  “Miss Ursula saved us!” cried a young banshee.

  “Saved you?” said Luke. “Saved you from what?”

  “Saved us from our dreams.” A young ghost stepped forward and shook Luke’s hand, sending shivers up and down his spine. “I’m Ryan,” he said. “Miss Ursula rescued us all – me, Addie, Jorden and the others. After he took us.”

  “I thought I’d never wake up again!” said the banshee.

  “I was in bed in my cave – that’s where he came for me!” shuddered a troll.

  “That’s what happened to our friend Cleo!” cried Resus. “Someone kidnapped her! We followed a trail of invisible goo to this jungle but didn’t know where to go next.”

  “You can see the trails?” said Ursula, frowning. Then she gave Luke a smile. “Of course, you’re a werewolf…”

  Resus rubbed at the scratches on his hands. “Too bad he didn’t think to transform when we were attacked by those ravens.” The children gasped at the mention of the birds.

  “Sounds like you’ve had a run-in with them too,” said Luke.

  “Are they coming, Miss Ursula?” cried Addie. “Is he back?”

  “Of course not,” the witch reassured her. “Spider will watch out for us, won’t you?”

  The ogre saluted. “Right away, Miss Ursula!” he declared. He took a step away from the group and shouted, “Power of a squirrel!” Then, with a cry of “Chatter! Chatter!” he scampered for the nearest tree and began to climb.

  “That one suits him better,” muttered Resus. “He’s definitely nuts!”

  “What’s with the ravens?” Luke asked the two witches. “Why did they attack us?”

  “It’s not the ravens you need to worry about,” Ursula replied. “They attack, yes, but they do it at his bidding; he won’t have been far behind. That’s why Spider got you away so quickly.” They both ignored a spluttered cough from Resus.

  “His bidding?” queried Luke. “I don’t understand. Who won’t be far behind?”

  Ursula’s voice trembled as she said the name. “The Nightwatchman.”

  Luke and Resus wanted to know more about the Nightwatchman, but Ursula insisted that they make camp first as the group had been walking all night.

  Morag explained that the children had all been kidnapped from different G.H.O.U.L. communities. They were now searching the jungle for improvised Hex Hatches – like the one Luke and Resus had stumbled upon – in order to return to their homes. They travelled under cover of darkness, using what little moonlight filtered down through the trees to guide them.

  Each of the children had a job to do, from collecting firewood to gathering food, all under the watchful gaze of Spider, who sat happily on an overhanging branch, gnawing on a twig.

  Before long, the group was sitting around a small fire, talking contentedly as they feasted on nuts and berries.

  “Tell us about the Nightwatchman,” said Luke when they had finished eating. The other children fell silent.

  “He’s a dark, powerful creature,” declared Ursula. “He steals children in the midst of their nightmares and brings them here to keep them asleep.”

  “Why would he keep them asleep?” asked Luke.

  “The Nightwatchman feeds on terror,” explained Ursula, “and there is no purer form than the fear a child experiences during a bad dream. The l
onger he keeps them in their nightmares, the more scared they become and the stronger he grows.”

  “But why only take kids from G.H.O.U.L. communities? There must be millions of normal children having nightmares every day.”

  “Normals might have frightening dreams about unusual life-forms such as vampires and werewolves,” said Ursula. “Children like you, however, start their nightmares from that point, and they can only get worse.”

  Resus shuddered. “Do you think that’s what happened to Cleo?” he asked. “She was having a nightmare and that attracted the Nightwatchman to her?”

  “I’m certain of it,” replied the witch. “Although you shouldn’t have followed her here. You’ve both put yourselves in a lot of danger!”

  “But Cleo’s our friend,” Luke said simply. “We came to rescue her, just like you’ve rescued all these kids.”

  “Each child’s release was very dangerous,” Ursula said. “It’ll only be a matter of time before Morag and I are caught and punished by the Nightwatchman.”

  “Then why do you do it?” asked Luke.

  Morag spoke up. “Because she cannot walk away,” she explained. “She would not be Ursula Twist if she didn’t try to rescue each and every child.”

  Luke’s eyes widened. “Ursula Twist?” he gasped. “Are you any relation to a witch called Nelly Twist?”

  Ursula looked surprised. “Nelly Twist is – was – my mother. She passed on from this world a long time ago.”

  “But we met her!” exclaimed Resus. “She came to life from the pages of a book and gave us this!” He fumbled inside his cape and produced a vial of blood.

  Ursula laughed. “Then I take it you have travelled here from Scream Street?”

  Luke nodded. “We collected all six of the founding fathers’ relics,” he said. “But now I have to give them back to their original owners to try to reverse their magic – and I didn’t know what to do with the witch’s blood. Do you think it will work if I return it to you?”