Soon they could see Friarmere. It looked perfect and quaint. They could almost forget why they were here. In the arctic landscape, free, they tricked themselves into thinking that they hadn’t got a care in the world. Pat and Wee Renee glanced at each other and smiled.
They were glad to be home, whatever hell they might encounter. They were so grateful for Our Doris's hospitality, but it was nothing like being in your own place with everything you knew, the shops, the pub, the bandroom. They would extend the same hospitality to Our Doris party, as they had received, naturally.
It was now mid afternoon, only a couple of hours of daylight left. Wee Renee said she was concerned about finding Bob’s den again, but Terry reminded her to just follow the footprints.
‘Oh heavens, my brain today. I don’t know where it is. Of course,’ Wee Renee said.
‘We had better get a wriggle on actually Rene, because all bets will be off as soon as it gets dark,’ Pat commented. Her friend nodded and reached in her bag for the poisoned meat. There were about ten pieces left. She considered the bag.
‘Do you think I should scatter some meat near to the den? To protect us. Should I save what I have left for that?’
‘Ooh, no. It will be more like a trail to us and by the time the drug has worked on them, if the meat is that close, they will have a chance at killing us. I think just putting it here will be the best thing to do. I’ve just had another thought too. We don't want it too near to where we are staying in case Haggis wanders out and eats some,’ Terry said thoughtfully. They all looked horrified and realised that this was a dreadful thing to happen.
Wee Renee emptied out the contents of her meat bag. The last few red lumps plopped out onto the pristine snow. She estimated they were just over a mile away from Bob’s den.
Sue’s group got to the church. The gate was shut but they opened it with the latch. She led all the children through the graveyard, up the path and towards the church door. Tony took up the rear, shutting the gate behind them. She tentatively walked up to the churches big doors. Sue hoped it was open, or that someone was inside. There was no way they would be able to break in there. They still had a short amount of daylight left but if they could not get in here, she did not know where else to try.
The door did not open as they got close to it, even though there was quite a lot of children and nine adults chattering and stomping up the path. Maybe there was no one there. She knocked on the door. Using the big knocker, she banged again. She tried the latch, nothing. Then she thought she heard a slight noise from the other side.
‘Shh!!’ she said to everyone outside. She listened again. Nothing. She was sure someone was standing six inches away from her. Just the door between them.
‘Please,’ she said, ‘is someone there. I have a lot of children here that need a safe place to stay, and it is going to be dark soon. If you are there please open up.’ There was no answer. Laura came beside her to help. This was now an urgent situation.
‘This is not a trick or anything. Do you think we would be out in the daytime, if we were one of them? Please, there are lots of children here. We need your help,’ Laura said.
‘Shout kids!’ Sue said, and they did. Help! Help us! Hello! The kids shouted.
They all heard the large door unlock. The hasp opened and inside were about six people including the vicar.
‘Come in, come in.’ They all said. The group all filed in very quickly out of the cold. A lady in a nice tweed skirt and twinset addressed them.
‘We were so worried, that you were one of those things. Tricking us.’
‘We are the ones trying to fight them. We have rescued all of these children out of his clutches and couldn’t’ think of a better place to stay. Thank you for letting us in,’ Sue said.
One of the ladies locked the door and another went to a pew against the window. She stood on it, looking through the stained glass.
‘We usually start looking through the windows at this point in the evening,’ the Vicar said. ‘We would have seen you if you had been fifteen minutes later.’
‘If we were fifteen minutes later, we probably wouldn’t have got here,’ Sally said.
‘Have you been followed?’ The lady asked at the window.
‘I don't think so. But there are two more of our party to come here. Then I will tell you our story,’ Sue said.
‘I’ll be glad to get out of the triangle, tomorrow morning, I can tell you. We’ve been lucky. But I’ve been blessing us and surrounding us in a bubble of glittery light. It’s worked, as you can see,’ Wee Renee said.
‘What triangle?’ Nigel asked.
‘Rene’s tinsel triangle,’ Pat giggled.
‘Eh!’ Nigel said.
‘Take no notice of Pat, cheeky devil. You will see my tinsel triangle, in time. And I think you will be shocked at it. When you see it in the flesh, well…. it’s hard to ignore.’
‘I’m still none the wiser. Worried but intrigued, I think I would call myself,’ Nigel said, desperate to know more.
‘I am on about the Melden triangle. We are in it now. It cuts off the top of Friarmere. This hill, Melden and Moorston are included.’
‘Surely a triangle has three points but you are only mentioning two villages.’ Terry said.
‘Aye, I’ll give you that one. You will see it. Think of it more, in technical terms, that you have a scalene triangle, not an equilateral. Does that help you?’
‘A bit. But what’s the third point?’
‘Bloody hell, Terry.’ Pat said loudly. ’The triangle is not the important part. It’s what is inside it. If it makes you feel better, the other point is the reservoir!’
‘Alright!’ Terry replied, a little embarrassed.
‘Well we’ve sorted out that bit, and I realize we aren’t talking about Wee Renee’s private parts now. Can we get to the important bit? What is in the triangle?’ Nigel asked. Wee Renee laughed. Pat elbowed her in the side.
‘I told you it sounded rude, all along Rene.’
‘Ok, I believe you. But it is what it is. It is my tinsel triangle.’
‘I thought you were on about your tuppence as well!’ Our Doris said. All the women thought it was hilarious but the two men had red, angry faces.
‘The Melden Triangle is like the Bermuda Triangle but worse! That’s it, in it’s simplest terms,’ Wee Renee said.
‘Worse than the Bermuda Triangle? Where ships and planes have gone missing?’ Terry asked.
‘Oh yes.’
‘Go on. I’ll buy it. Why?’ Nigel asked.
‘People go missing all the time. Never to be seen again. Weird lights can be seen overhead. Armies of ancient ghosts walk through it. Wee faeries dance in the day and wraith’s drift at night. Black magic rituals are performed, there are ancient monoliths, secret caves containing lost creatures and great black beasts hunt at night. There are evil mermaids in the reservoir. That is just a small part.’
‘Shit!’ Nigel said. ‘That’s is worse.’
‘How do you know all that is not a load of hokum?’ Terry asked.
‘I have witnessed most of it. Apart from the missing people.’
‘Are you calling Rene a liar?’ Pat asked. She looked at Terry out of one eye. He didn’t reply.
‘You aren’t the first to laugh at my triangle,’ Wee Renee said. ‘But now, consider this. Who lives in a house, in this part of the triangle, Norman. Who is over there, Anne. I wouldn’t be surprised if one has moved into Moorston!’
‘Oh, don’t say that, Wee Renee. It gives me the willies. We can’t even cope with two of them,’ Kathy said.
‘I am sorry Kathy. Don’t die of ignorance. Everything comes in three’s in my experience and there are two of them and one part of the triangle left we don’t know about. I am sure of it. Mark my words.’ It was a sobering thought, mostly for Pat. She knew her friends track record in these matters. She was always 100% right. The atmosphere was back however.
‘It’s so cold isn’t it?’ Kathy sa
id.
‘And bleak here. We are vulnerable. What if a really dark cloud comes over us. A snow cloud and it is dark enough for them all to get us,’ Terry said.
‘You are a little ray of sunshine today, aren’t you,’ Pat said. Our Doris looked sideways at Pat and Wee Renee. Something had better get done and quick. The ray of sunshine comment had given her an idea.
‘What are you talking about, Kathy. Cold? It’s boiling,’ Our Doris shouted. Everyone stared at Our Doris, was she having a senior moment now, and didn’t know where she was. She winked at Nigel. ‘The sun is cracking the blasted pavement between our feet. The sky is blue, the sand is warm between our toes and we can hear the sea. Can you hear that? A song.’ She lifted one of the flaps up on her earmuff’s. She started to hum the song, badly and tunelessly. As was not a musician, none of them could recognise it.
‘What are you talking about Our Doris?’ Terry said, a little agitated. She ignored him.
‘It’s so tropical. Get your bikini’s on, guess where we are going?’ Then she started to sing and they knew what she was up to.
Oh, this year
We’re off to cause some pain
‘Come on everyone!’ She raised her arms in the air, wafting them this way and that, in the imaginary hot sunshine. Now they knew the tune was Y Viva España. They began to sing.
Oh, this year
We’re off to cause some pain
In the tinsel triangle
Off to decapitate
And maim
In the tinsel triangle
If you'd like to
Walk across the moor
Have a deep snowy ramble
Then find and kill
A carnivore
Blood and guts galore!
‘Again!’ she shouted. They sang it again and again. Even Terry. It was hard to stay sad and cold when you sang that. Our Doris had a big smile on her face, her eyes were closed. She sang as loud as she was able. The song rang out through the Saddleworth Moors. Only the snow heard it. It was silly, but so beautiful.
‘Are you warmer now, Kathy?’ Our Doris asked. Kathy was rosy and content, everything was going to be ok. She would get on a plane one day again. They would win. She knew it now.
‘I feel wonderful, Our Doris. Thank you.’
‘Just a warning. If anyone says they are cold again, we all have to sing that five times! It’s the law!’ Our Doris said.
The dying embers of the day were close and they realised that soon they had to find shelter. Friarmere was becoming ever nearer. They couldn’t’ have missed it surely. Then Wee Renee saw the sign for Lazy Farm and knew it was basically opposite the entrance.
‘We are close,’ she said, ‘keep your eyes peeled.’ Our Doris was extremely relieved about this. Even though the antibiotics had been working, she was starting to flag. After all, she had retired a long time ago now and all this had been one hell of a hike in the snow. They saw the place where the footprints had gone. They followed quickly, getting off the road onto the path. The snow was still too thick for normal vehicles. Norman’s snowmobiles however, would be able to pass up the road, although they could see no tracks. He must have cut across the moors and come out just above Melden. The path off the road was too narrow for even a snowmobile, so they were happy that Norman wouldn’t come across them by chance.
‘I am pooped, I can tell you that, for nowt,’ Kathy said.
‘We will be settled within five minutes, you just wait and see,’ Wee Renee reassured her. When they got over the dry-stone wall, the others could not see where Pat was leading them too. All of a sudden they saw a flap of blue tarpaulin. The wanderers had arrived. They were surprised at how warm, dry and cosy it was underneath the tarpaulin. Unpacking commenced.
Our Doris put down the dog's thick pad so he could lie down next to her. She fed him first with items out of her backpack and gave him a drink of water. He seemed to want to lie under her blanket with her, which made them both warm. She got out her flask of soup. With six in the party, there was nearly a full tin each, but they would have to take turns with the cup. The friends each ate their sandwiches, waiting for their turn with the cup of soup. There was a small amount of coffee left and Our Doris said it would be cold by the morning, so they might as well have it now. She said she was having a nip of whisky in hers and that was up to them. Without exception everyone had a nip as well. Our Doris had given the other group the parkin but she had decided to venture into her Christmas cake that she had made a month ago. She had been feeding it Brandy on a daily basis. Our Doris always made a large one. She liked a piece of Christmas cake nearly every day with a drink at eleven o'clock. It was a deep twelve-inch fruitcake, which would remain forever un-iced. She had sliced it up at home and then packed it back into a circle. They all took some, even Terry, who wasn’t fond of anything containing dried fruit. Their bodies absorbed the sugar, butter and alcohol. It was tasty and rich, doing them the world of good.
After they had finished their meal they felt extremely content and happy. Wee Renee remembered the night that she stayed here. In the cold blackness, herself and Gary had heard the wolves. She hoped they would not hear them tonight, but feared she might. Tonight would be far more dangerous. Now they were being hunted. Before they would have found them by chance. She voiced this opinion to the others, advising them that they should sleep with their weapons out. The group then made a schedule of people for the watch. Our Doris's eyes were closing even before it was made. She fell asleep almost instantly, they gave her the last watch. Terry didn't feel too bad at all, so he took the first one and hoped he would feel tired after two hours watch. The rest fell asleep within ten minutes, apart from Wee Renee. She started to talk to thin air. Terry watched her with his mouth open. She focused on an area twelve inches from her nose. Every so often she would say a few words. ‘Aye…I see. I know. Thankyou. Aye Bless you.’ Then she laughed and said ‘Farewell, I hope to see you again.’
‘What’s going on?’ Terry asked.
‘I have just had a conversation which was very informative. I am content about what is in Friarmere now, and our future.’
‘Who told you?’
‘A wee faerie. Didn’t you see him?’
‘No.’
‘Ah yes. You aren’t open enough. You will see him as something else.
‘What?’
‘A single midge.’
‘Do you mean, like when midges are in a swarm, in the summer?’
‘Aye, that is them. But there was only one of him.’
‘I didn’t even see a single midge!’
‘Well Terry, you are sitting ten feet away after all. That’s not his fault is it?’
‘I suppose not. What did he say exactly!’
‘That all signs are good. We will have obstacles and bring disruption to The Beast’s plans. In time we will be victorious. Good night, Terry,’ she said.
‘Good night,’ he replied. Terry was alone with his thoughts. About the midge, Sally and unfortunately Pat’s husband. He sighed, watching Haggis cuddled against Our Doris. Cosy and warm together.
Anne rose as soon as it was dark and walked out to her other wolves in the pens. Her alpha pack had definitely not returned. She spoke to the wolves in another language, which they seemed to understand. She told them what had happened and that they were going to have to find some meat tonight. Anne spoke to her remaining children and said that they were going to go back to the house and get those people. If they had escaped, she would find them. Even if it meant running all the way to Friarmere. It started to snow and she knew this was not good for the wolves scent but nevertheless, she was determined to find them tonight.
Maurice went out on one of his jaunts. He liked to do this only because he might pick up information about his friends from the band. He didn't feel the cold and he was also not worried about attacking anyone, because there was never anyone about these days. The supply of liver had dried up, as the shops were empty now. Nearly two weeks had gone by
since a delivery. Maurice knew that as long as his electricity remained, he would have a supply for months, tucked away in his chest freezer.
He was standing outside the pub looking through the window when who should he see wandering around looking for victims, but Stephen Thompson.
‘Hello Steve,’ Maurice said. ‘What are you up to, as if I don't know?’
‘Just after a bite to eat, Maurice. Although The Master has plenty tucked away, but they don’t keep forever, so we might as well get some before they expire in their houses.’
‘I see, good thinking. Any goings-on up there?’
‘There is as a matter of fact. You know we had all them kids up at the school.’
‘Er…no I didn't actually.’ He was quite shocked that he had not heard this snippet or maybe they had kept it away from him. Stephen was and always had been an open book, so he would tell him everything.
‘Yeah, yeah. We had quite a lot of kids up there, that we had rounded up. The Master was using them for bait, to get the others back. They were over in Melden, you know. There is some of us over there, our cousins. So Norman’s sister, Anne went and told them that we had all these kids. Some of them, not all of them, came back. The Master did an exchange for some of the kids. But now he has a special prize in there and they have to get the oldies back over here, or he won’t get released. I don't know what they think will happen after that. If they think they are going scot, free they aren’t.’
‘What oldies?’
‘Pat, Wee Renee and Freddie. They are still in Melden.’
‘Where are the kids now?’ asked Maurice.
‘Beats me. But we'll find them. Don't you worry. We’ll find where they are, sniff them out and get them back. Probably better not to do it though until the oldies are here, or else we will be showing our hand.’
‘So who have they got? What is the big prize?’
‘They've got Gary as a hostage. Until they fetch the others. They have also got this guy from Melden. He wanted to go as an exchange, so there's two of them up there. They should last with the gang up there for a bit, until the others get back, at least.’
Silver Banned: Book 2 of the Saddleworth Vampire Series Page 26