‘A violation. Those were my words exactly, weren’t they Brenda?’ Wee Renee said. Brenda nodded.
Jennifer asked the others to tell Beverly all about what had happened in Friarmere as she knew she had inadvertently left parts out. She wanted to hear everything.
Wee Renee told the lot. Even remembering more facts than the time she had told Brenda. When she had finished, which took nearly an hour, Beverly had finished crying and was calmly taking all facts in, and processing them. Pat then told them what had happened the previous night outside Our Doris’s house.
Beverly looked at her cousin, before shouting.
‘Natalie! How can you sit here, know all this, and say these people are liars? Look at the state of them. They are all genuine people and you are just small-minded to think that this could never happen in our village. Wake up and smell the coffee.’
‘She’s more likely to wake up for cake,’ Freddie said.
‘Or pies,’ Pat said, thinking out loud.
15 – Kebab
That afternoon everyone was quite disheartened, after the visit from Rose and her daughter. Also, the previous night had left them worried and tired from lack of sleep. No one wanted to cook that night. They decided to venture out whilst it was still light, to see if they could find a takeaway and put it in the oven for later.
It did not help their mood as the weather had changed. The sun drifted away to be replaced with dark clouds, which threatened more snow or storms. It was so dark that the streetlights, which were light activated, came on in Our Doris's cul-de-sac.
Two or three of them wanted to try the Chinese takeaway first, but Wee Renee said that she had a phobia of chopsticks. Everyone burst into laughter but she assured them it was a real thing, with a real name, and she would discuss it later.
‘You don't have to eat your Chinese with chopsticks,’ Freddie chuckled. ‘We have forks in this house.’
She shook her head in horror and said she couldn't eat a Chinese without thinking about ticks, so they decided that if the chip shop wasn't open they would have a kebab. This would be an ideal opportunity for them to have a good poke around in there. Maybe, they could get the story out of the member of staff that it had happened to. Perhaps it was a load of rubbish. Rose was inclined to twist or ignore truths, they thought.
As mobile phones weren’t working, and they wanted to make one trip, they wrote everything down to cover all eventualities. Brenda laid out two pieces of paper on the coffee table and wrote kebab shop at the top of one and chip shop on the other. Freddie took control and wrote the orders from everybody in his copper plate writing.
Wee Renee, Bob, Gary, Andy, Liz, Danny, Pat and Haggis were ready to go out, the lists safely folded in Wee Renee’s coat pocket. Our Doris was quite insistent that Haggis went for a walk whilst it was daytime, as he was champing at the bit. She had not taken him out herself since the day of Anne’s party. When her sisters came, Jennifer helped Brenda with the housework and Rose took Haggis out. He probably hadn’t had a good time for a few days. Haggis definitely wouldn't be going out at night for the foreseeable future.
One of them would have to stand outside of the kebab or chip shop whilst they ordered the food, that was all. Bob wanted to take him out on his lead, anyway. Freddie thought it was a good idea as, if there were any problems, Haggis would bark, and give them an early alert.
A couple of the group took their weapons and hid them inside their coats. They were fully prepared.
It was only afternoon, but with the heavy black sky and oppressive atmosphere, Our Doris’s cul-de-sac was quite dark, even with the streetlights lit. As they set off through the snow, Haggis seemed to run from one lamppost to the next. He did not particularly want to use it in the typical dog's way, but he seemed to be sheltering in the light. He was afraid of the shadows in the bushes. Pulling Bob along, running fast through the dark patches, he waited in the light until the other’s caught up. Our Doris watched him do this from her window. He had never acted this way at night, even when it was darker than this. It was very worrying.
At the end of the cul-de-sac on the main road, there was a big modern pub. As they walked past, Wee Renee looked through the windows and turned to Pat, wrinkling her nose. Pat looked closely through the glass, turning her head left and right, to see the length of the pub.
‘It is not as cosy as ours, is it?’ Pat said.
‘No,’ said Wee Renee, ‘all bright lights and disinfectant in there.’
‘Hmmm…..what’s the betting, everything’s served with sweet potato fries,’ Pat said.
‘And a balsamic reduction, naturally.’
They tried the chip shop first, which didn’t have anything in the glass cabinets at the front. Wee Renee went in, with her list out and slapped it on the metal counter.
‘Have you got any of that, pet?’ She asked.
The man picked up the list with his left hand, still frying his chips with the right one. He mouthed the list as he read through, constantly shaking his head.
‘Unless you want chips only, you are going to be out of luck. I have run out of fish, puddings, pies, peas and gravy. I can rustle you up a spam fritter, if you like?’
Wee Renee thought that there probably would only be her and Pat that would have one of those. Everyone else needed more sustenance than just fried potatoes. If the kebab shop wasn’t open, she might get items from the shop to put with the chips.
‘I might be back.’ Wee Renee said thoughtfully. She did however, spy a large jar of pickled eggs on her way out of the door and Pat and herself decided to have one each. The man put the two eggs together in a paper bag and off they went to the see if the kebab shop was open.
Bob walked ahead of the others with Haggis. It seemed to be getting increasingly dark and Haggis seemed to be following his nose as he was pulling Bob towards the kebab shop. Bob was the first to see that it was open and shouted back to the group to say that it was. Gary said it was typical.
Bob, Andy and Liz stood outside on watch with Haggis. Pat and Wee Renee by this time had finished their eggs and they went inside with the rest of the group to pump the member of staff for information.
After ordering the kebabs, there was a brief moment where no one knew what to do. When the man asked if they wanted hot or mild sauce on their kebabs, Wee Renee, Bob, Tony and Danny had opted for the hot sauce but got mild sauce for everyone else.
There was only one man in the kebab shop, and they stood waiting at the shop window, whispering about what to do next. They did not know if there was some kind of shift system and there was a chance this man might laugh at them if they asked about the wolves. Wee Renee did not care about this and went straight for the jugular.
‘Can you tell me anything about a tale I heard about wolves. Was it you that it happened to, or someone else that works here?’
The man, who was quite large but had a kind face, put down his knife and the lettuce he was slicing. He walked over to the counter and put both his hands on the counter, straightening his arms and locking his elbows. He looked Wee Renee straight in the eyes.
‘The wolves, yes it was me. I am the only person that works here and I could never forget what happened. What did you hear?’
‘Didn't you have to go outside and wave your kebab shaver at a wolf?’ Pat asked. ‘That is what we heard. Summing it up for you.’
‘It seems that a few things have been lost and gained in the constant telling of what happened.’ He laughed but not joyfully. ‘About all this……well, it was far more serious than that. What is your name by the way?’ Gary took the lead.
‘I’m Gary, this is Wee Renee, Danny and Pat. Outside is Andy, Liz and Bob.’
‘My name is Nigel.’
‘Hello, pleased to meet you Nigel.’ Gary said. ‘I can assure you that anything you tell us in confidence and we will have heard and experienced worse, I can assure you.’
‘I don't think you have. I think you have no idea what went on. If you think that I just shook
our shaver at a dog….’ He shook his head.
‘Alright,’ said Gary, ‘I’ll go halfway with you. What we are talking about, isn’t mentioned in your story, or from what we have heard. Vampires and maybe werewolves?’
Nigel gasped. Danny smiled at him and moved forward from the window.
‘Mate, we can probably help you a lot.’
Nigel checked the kebabs, then started to tell them.
‘It was about nine o'clock last night. There had been no one in for a while and I was just thinking of shutting up. I was starting to put all the meat away in the fridge's and clean the surfaces down. When I turned around there was someone standing right where you are, from the village, who I knew was named Sarah. She had one of those wolf dogs with her in the shop. With her friends outside there was more of the dogs, or wolves or whatever they are. Lethal buggers, from the looks of it. Three of the people stood flat against my window staring in, pressing their faces against the window, so their noses squashed, moving their head from side to side. It was really weird. I have seen young teenagers do that kind of thing, when they are acting up. What I haven't seen are people in their twenties, thirties and forties do it. Standing pressed against my window with that gang mentality, trying to upset me! Straight away I was on my guard. I said to Sarah, you will have to take him out. I can't have dogs in here, it is against food hygiene regulations, you know, unless he is a Guide dog, which I can tell he isn't. You and your friends, stop doing that on my clean windows and vacate this area. I was pointing like this over the counter at the dog.’
He gestured with his finger downwards. ‘When she grabbed my hand, and tried to bite it. Honestly she did. Luckily I was a lot bigger than her and I yanked my arm back, even though she raked her fingernails through it. I grabbed up this meat skewer here.’ He picked it a massive thick skewer, putting it on the counter. ‘I cook my Lamb Tikka on it and I picked it up and took a swipe at her. Now I am not a man that takes to violence, but with those looking through the window and the wolf dogs and her grabbing at me, I wasn't having it, I can tell you. I am on my own in here, you know. I don’t have a panic button or anything. So, I got the skewer, I swiped at her and I poked her in the shoulder with it really hard. It didn't go through her coat, but I told her where to get herself off. I said I would shove it through her bloody throat if she didn't take herself, her mutts and her cronies away from my shop. She said that she'd be back and I tell you this, as soon as they went I rushed over and locked the door. Tonight I will be shut at four, whether I don't get much business or not. And I’ll keep doing it until someone gets rid of that lot. You struck a chord with me when you said the word vampires. That is what they made me think of at the window. Crazy teenagers will usually keep on blinking, but these didn’t. They were hungry and not human. White as a sheet, with a ghastly mouth. Gaping, open and red.’
‘You don't know how lucky you were last night.’ Gary said. ‘We aren’t sure whether they are vampires or some kind of wolf vampire,’ he shrugged, ‘but they aren't gonna be good for you. They would have killed you or turned you.’
‘Who knows what they are planning,’ Nigel said. ‘I think that the wolves were after the meat. They had smelled the raw meat and had drawn the vampires here with them. I have had dogs wander in before when the door has been open in the summer, and you can tell they are sniffing the raw meat, so I think it was that. I aren’t taking any chances tonight. Luckily I don't have to go off home. I live in the flat above. Once I have locked the door I am upstairs and safe. I have strong doors and shutters that I lock down here and the safe is upstairs, so I am okay. What do you know about all this? Have you seen them?’
‘Yes we have seen them around this village. The wolves, and their leader who is an older woman. Perhaps in her seventies.’ Pat told him.
‘I haven't seen her. She wasn’t with them last night.’ Nigel admitted.
‘Yes, she is an elderly woman. You will know when you see her, that she is the one. We are originally from Friarmere and that has been laid waste to by a vampire. I know it seems far-fetched and I hear myself saying these words and can’t believe I am saying them, but we have all seen it.’ They all nodded and looked at him.
‘I believe you. Maybe one time I would have thought that they were some druggies or something like that. But the look of them, and the ages of them. What they were like. The electric atmosphere that came into the shop with her. The hairs stood up on my scalp. It’s tingling now, just thinking about it.’ He scratched his head to relieve the sensation. ‘I just know you are telling the truth. I have noticed on occasion that there are people walking up and down at night, but I wasn’t really looking at them closely. Obviously, I am going to be more vigilant from tonight. I haven't had much business yet and I might not have anymore because I am going to shut up early. But I probably won’t even open tomorrow. Not until all this gets cleared up. It’s not worth losing my life over.’
‘Let's be clear, that is what we are talking about,’ Danny said. ‘Our friends, a lot of them from our band, have lost their lives, through not believing or not even finding out in the first place.’
Nigel finished their order and said he was so glad that they had come into his shop and he did not feel so isolated about the situation. They had made him feel fine about the craziness running through his mind too.
When the group got outside, they spoke to the other three about what had been said. Andy had heard bits and pieces through the door. On the way home, Haggis ran from lamppost to lamppost pulling Bob in jerky stretches, as fast as he could to his mistress. Wee Renee was quiet most of the way and as they turned into Our Doris’s cul-de-sac, she stopped in her tracks. She knew what to do.
‘I have an idea!’
‘What is it?’ Bob asked.
‘I think it’s time to feed the wolves.’
16 – Wrong ‘Un
That evening just after dark, Wee Renee discussed with Pat and Gary the possibility of a trip to the pub. She wasn't interested in mingling with the locals, as she was getting enough socialising in the house, but just to see what the lowdown was on the village. To see if anyone was talking about missing people, sightings of wolves, or if there were new tales to hear. This could be crucial towards the fight with the new foe and to protect themselves. She also wanted to see if there were any others like Our Doris.
Gary spoke to the others and after much deliberation, most of them decided to go. Andy and Liz decided to stay behind as Liz was having a bit of a weak day, especially after the jaunt around the village for kebabs. Sue thought Bob might not be welcome in the pub.
Our Doris and Brenda also stayed behind. Our Doris thought that if Anne came after her whilst they were out, they were close enough that Bob or Andy could shout from the upstairs window and they would hear them.
Haggis stayed behind with Bob as they were already having a fun time. Haggis kept deliberately rolling his little ball under the sofa. Then he would yap and look at Bob and Bob had to scrawl over, stretch his hand under the sofa, get the ball and throw it. Haggis would fetch it and roll it under the sofa again. Our Doris never stopped getting amused about this.
Andy looked out of the upstairs window when the others were ready to go. There was no sight of the wolves or Anne. The group of friends stood on the front doorstep, looking up at him.
‘Right, go!’ He shouted. Andy watched them from his sentry post, walk quickly down the cul-de-sac looking from left to right. Seeing that they had got to the door of the pub safely, he relaxed a little. They had all agreed earlier that they would go for exactly two hours. Then the other people could go to the upstairs window again, watch their return and signal if there was danger coming behind them. Andy decided he would stay there, after they had gone. The two hours spanned the peak time for Anne’s patrols. He didn’t want to take any chances.
The pub had been recently refurbished. It was part of a chain, which did meals and posh cocktails too. The lighting was very bright inside, with new wooden tables and ch
alkboard menus. It had a salad bar and a carvery, which didn't look as stocked as it should be. There were about fifteen customers and five staff.
Inside the pub there happened to be Beverly, who was in deep conversation with a man. Another man lurked round the table listening. When he saw them look at him, he sloped off and started playing on a fruit machine.
On another table, Laura was very pleased to see that her Uncle Terry was in the pub, sitting with her two cousins Sally and Kathy. She was immensely relieved, as she knew that all three of these people were members of Melden Band. Laura could tell immediately that they were not vampires or werewolves, not at the moment anyway.
The friends went to the bar and Wee Renee felt quite giddy, with all the choice available and ended up splashing out on half a lager and lime. Pat thought this sounded nice but had a pint of lager and blackcurrant instead. Everyone else opted for cokes and beers. They did not want to be under the effects of strong alcohol if they had to run home very quickly.
Wee Renee bought two bags of nuts. One for herself, and one to take home for Bob. They decided to go and split themselves between the two tables. Laura and Freddie went to sit with Sally, Kathy and her Uncle Terry. Gary, Danny, Tony, Sue, Pat and Wee Renee went to sit with Beverly and the other man that was sitting there.
Laura's Uncle Terry, and her cousins, were very glad to see her too. There were lots of embraces and Laura introduced them to Freddie, who said he was from Friarmere Band.
‘I called at all your houses yesterday. Where were you? I was having kittens,’ Laura said.
‘Sorting out music in the bandroom. It’s been long overdue, so we thought we would do it over the Christmas break.’ Terry said. ‘Do you know what is going on here, Freddie? We have had so many strange happenings.’
‘What do you know first. I’ll fill in the missing pieces after,’ Freddie advised him. Terry went on to tell them that apart from the woman walking around with the wolves, there was other weirdness afoot. Like the sudden departure of lots of members of the band, some who now seemed to be spending most of their time with this woman.
Silver Banned: Book 2 of the Saddleworth Vampire Series Page 9