The Midnight Chimes

by Paula Harrison

  Nora’s eyes were wide. “Do you think the vampire that came here yesterday didn’t feed so that the bats couldn’t warn us it was coming?”

  Miss Smiting nodded. “That iss exactly what I think.”

  “So this vampire can take off his shadow and let it walk around separately,” Aiden said thoughtfully. “That must make it even harder to hunt down.”

  “It’s definitely a neat trick.” I stifled a shiver. “But how does the vampire survive without feeding?”

  “Vampires can eat human food for a short time,” Miss Smiting said. “They walk in both the human and the Unseen World, remember? They especially like burgers and steaksss – anything meaty, actually. But never fear – soon Erasmus will follow its tracks and vanquish the nasty creature. Just make sure you travel home together and keep your eyes open for anything suspiciousss.”

  “Should we look out for someone with fangs and a cloak?” I suggested, but for once neither Aiden or Nora laughed. I guess we were all freaked out by what had happened earlier.

  Miss Smiting eyed me seriously. “They could look like anyone, Robyn Silver. That is what makes them so dangerousss.”

  “Do you get the feeling there’s something they’re not telling us?” I said to Aiden on the way home.

  “I reckon there’s a lot they’re not telling us,” Aiden said. “If a vampire can get its shadow to walk right into Chime headquarters then we have a big problem. I reckon the creature already knew who Cryptorum was and what he does, and now they probably know about us too.”

  I shivered. “I thought Grimdean House would be safe. And the shadow went straight for that cupboard with the wish.”

  Aiden shrugged. “That probably doesn’t mean anything. It could have been looking for something else, like weapons.”

  I wasn’t so sure.

  When I got home, I dug out the Wishes and Mysteries book I’d borrowed from Cryptorum’s bookcase and hidden under my bed. Mum knocked on the door and I covered the book with my quilt.

  “Honey, can you watch Annie and Josh for a few minutes?” Mum said. “We’ve run out of milk and I’ve got to pop to the shop.”

  “Can’t Ben or Sammie do it?” I jumped up, knocking a pile of stuff off my bedside table.

  “Ben’s gone to a friend’s house and Sammie’s training for this gym competition which means a lot to her. Come on – we all need to pitch in and help out.”

  I just managed to stop myself rolling my eyes. The “we all have to pitch in” speech was one I’d heard a billion times. I wanted to point out that it wasn’t ALL of us helping out – it was just me. But I didn’t because then she’d start telling me off and I’d never get back to my wish book.

  “Actually – before I forget – can you bring Josh and Annie home from school tomorrow and again next Monday?” Mum went on. “I’ve got some delivering to do for Dazzling Design and I won’t be able to get to Grimdean House for home time.”

  I pulled a face. Mum worked for a greeting card company, and she sorted and packed big boxes of cards which she kept in our basement. She’d never asked me to bring Annie and Josh home before though. “I can’t! I’m staying for my club after school. Mr Cryptorum’s expecting me to be there.” I searched for a more convincing reason. “We’ll be studying more creatures – nocturnal animals and stuff!”

  “Robyn! You’ll just have to miss Bat Club. It’s only for a couple days. You spend too much time at Grimdean House anyway – you’re tired and grouchy all the time. I’m a bit concerned about it to be honest.” She studied me.

  My stomach plunged. She wasn’t about to ban me from going to Bat Club altogether, was she? I should’ve remembered to bring home the ice-cream-tub mouse house to remind her how lovely and educational it was. I quickly gave her a big smile. “All right! I’ll fetch them home – don’t worry! You go to the shop. We’ll be fine here.”

  When she’d gone, I pulled out Wishes and Mysteries from under the quilt. It was just my luck to miss Chime training the week we found out there was a vampire in town. I thought of the walking shadow and stifled a shiver. It had wanted that wish. That had to mean something bad.

  I flicked through the pages, reading the chapter headings. Stopping at Wishes Made by the Very Young, I read a bit: Young children’s wishes are the most interesting of all. The brilliant sheen—

  “Robyn!” Annie burst in, recorder in hand. “This is the new song that Miss Mason taught us today.” She began playing the tune – squeaking on all the high notes.

  I hid the book again and waited for her to finish. “Awesome! All right, you’d better go. I’ve got homework to do.”

  “Don’t you want me to play some more?” Annie piped a few random notes. The squeaky noise was starting to give me a headache.

  “Maybe after dinner,” I told her.

  Annie’s cheeks went pink. “You didn’t like it, did you? I wish you’d let me play to you.” She ran off, leaving a bright wish bubble floating in the air. The wish felt like silk and it didn’t pop when I touched it. The bubble was clearer and brighter than any wish I’d ever made. In the centre was an image of Annie playing her recorder and me clapping and smiling. I waited for it to pop but it didn’t.

  I turned back to the wishes book. There had to be something in here that explained why Annie’s wish looked so perfect and lasted so long. The wishes that endure without bursting are those that are heartfelt, I read, while frivolous wishes that the wisher does not really mean will vanish quickly. So that explained why Annie’s wish hadn’t popped. She’d really meant what she said.

  I read some more. Children’s wishes appear bright, clear and strong because they are young and innocent. Consequently, their final wishes are the strongest of all. (See page 47) I frowned. Their final wishes. What did that mean?

  Flicking forward through the book, I scanned a few paragraphs. There was a lot about final wishes. A long time ago some guy called Malcolm Malnear had watched an old lady make a wish just before she died and it had come true. She’d wished that no one should knock down her house after she was gone. Sure enough, someone had tried to do it but their axes had bounced off the wooden walls. The house was indestructible. It must have been weird to watch.

  Then Malcolm Malnear had gone round the country trying to find out if other people’s last wishes had come true. He found more stories proving that the same thing had happened over and over again.

  I closed the book. None of this really explained why the shadow-walking vampire had been after the wish made by Mr Cryptorum’s wife. Except. . . A horrible tingle ran down my back. . . Miss Smiting had told us it was her last wish before she died. I’d thought maybe Cryptorum was just being soppy. But maybe . . . MAYBE he’d trapped the wish in the glass case because if it got loose it could come true.

  Opening the book again, I read the final sentence at the bottom of the page. Therefore I must conclude that the last wish a person ever makes will come true, particularly when that wish is a strong one. So why did the shadow-walking vampire want the wish? Did that mean the wish was something terrible?

  “Robyn! Josh is being mean to me and he stole my recorder!” Annie yelled.

  I sighed and stashed Wishes and Mysteries under the bed again. I needed to talk to Aiden and Nora about this.

  Sammie burst in. Didn’t anyone in this family ever knock? “Annie says Mum’s out and you’re meant to be watching her and Josh. So why are they literally destroying the living room? You’re so irresponsible!”

  “Why didn’t you stop them, then?” I snapped back.

  By the time I got to the living room, Josh was jumping up and down on the sofa and holding Annie’s recorder out of her reach. I took it off him and wiped Annie’s tears away. A shadow swept past the window, sending an icy prickle down my neck, but it was only the shadow of a tree caught in the moving headlights of a car.

  A vampire in town was really bad news. A vampire that could get inside Grimdean House without being spotted was even worse. All this time I’d wanted C
ryptorum and Miss Smiting to let us out to fight monsters. Now the monsters were coming to find us.

  The Bird of Death Comes to Visit

  iden and Nora weren’t as excited by my discovery in the Wishes and Mysteries book as I thought they’d be.

  “But people’s final wishes came true,” I said. “Don’t you think that’s amazing?”

  “Are you sure they really came true?” Aiden said. “It doesn’t sound very likely if you think about it.”

  “It was in the book!” I protested. “This guy, Malcolm, saw it happen.”

  “But the book’s really old, right? So maybe it’s just a legend.” Aiden shrugged. “Anyway Cryptorum’s probably only kept that wish because it was his wife’s.”

  We were standing on the back steps of Grimdean House after school. A weak orange sun was sinking behind the firs at the far end of the garden. My hands were freezing and my breath hung in the air like a little misty cloud. Mr Cryptorum was marching across the lawn to the weapons shed. I’d already told him why I couldn’t stay late for Bat Club and he didn’t seem very happy.

  “I’d better go.” I sighed. “Annie will get upset if I don’t collect her on time. You’ll have to tell me what he says about fighting vampires tomorrow.”

  “The Compendium of Ancient Beasts and Fiends says all you have to do is pierce a vampire through the heart with a silver weapon,” Nora said. “I think the hard bit is spotting one because they look the same as everyone else.”

  Unlocking the shed, Cryptorum called across the garden. “Are you lot going to chat all day?”

  “He’s even grumpier than usual,” Aiden said to Nora. “We’d better go.”

  Reluctantly, I went to find my kid brother and sister. Mrs Lovell was in her cubicle in the entrance hall chatting to Miss Mason. The music teacher swept her blonde hair over her shoulder. A large crate of tambourines stood on the floor next to her sparkly boots. I found Josh swinging off the railing in front of the mansion while Annie played ear-splitting high notes on her recorder.

  I took Annie’s hand, which was even colder than mine. “All right, let’s go.”

  Darkness thickened as we walked down Demus Street and the wind picked up, rocking the bare branches of the trees.

  When we got in, Annie dived straight for the kitchen cupboard. Everyone in our house knew that when Mum was out, the cookies were fair game. Mum staggered through the door a few minutes later with a big sack of cards.

  “You’re early! Can I go back to find Aiden?” I started putting my shoes on again.

  “Sure – just don’t be late for tea.” Mum set the sack down on the table.

  A guilty feeling wriggled in my gut as I raced back to Grimdean. It was true that I’d see Aiden, but Mum probably thought I’d gone to his house. The wind had dropped and the puddles on the pavement were starting to freeze. The street lamps flickered on one after the other but I veered away from the light. Tonight it felt safer in the shadows, out of sight. I patted my pocket, checking that the torchblade was still there.

  The door to Grimdean House was ajar and lights were blazing in the hallway. I was surprised the place wasn’t locked up. Our secret Chime training wouldn’t stay that way very long if people walked in on us. I reached the bottom of the steps just as the clock began to strike the hour. Each chime vibrated through my bones and I stared up at the golden clock face. It was strange to think this Mortal Clock had activated my special powers. It must have some pretty powerful enchantments inside.

  I was thinking about that as I ran up the steps and I almost missed the tiny movement at the corner of my eye. Someone was sitting in the shadows where they could barely be seen. Blonde hair glinted under the woman’s hood, and I caught a glimpse of red lipstick and pale skin. There was a plastic crate on the step below, full of tambourines.

  I edged closer. “Miss Mason! Are you all right?”

  The music teacher rose to her feet, pushing back her hood. Her eyes glittered in the darkness and her red-and-silver scarf was wound tightly round her throat. “Robyn, what are you doing here? Did you forget something?” She gave me a shiny smile.

  I hesitated. Why was she talking so loudly and slowly? Did she think I couldn’t hear very well? “No, I just came to see Aiden. He stayed late today.”

  “Well, I’m just waiting for a lift.” She indicated the crate of tambourines. “I don’t want to carry these all the way home, do I?”

  Honestly, she was acting as if she was talking to a five-year-old. “Bye, Miss Mason.” I went inside but the teacher put her hand on the door before I could close it.

  She followed me into the brightly lit entrance hall. “Maybe I should come with you. I’m sure you don’t want to wander round such a big old house by yourself!”

  “It’s OK! I know where to find him.” The last thing I wanted was for Miss Mason to discover Cryptorum training the others. I needed to get away and warn them that she was still here.

  Miss Mason lowered her voice, her eyes full of concern. “Nothing’s wrong is it? You seem a bit anxious.”

  Something was wrong. Why was she hanging around like this? I dropped my gaze, suddenly afraid I was giving my thoughts away. The fake diamonds on her boots glittered in the light. Something stirred in my memory. Her boots were studded with rhinestones.

  “You wait here,” she suggested. “I’ll go and look for your friend.”

  “I can find him. Don’t worry.” I frowned. I knew something about boots decorated with rhinestones. There was something weird going on here. What was it?

  I studied her very closely and suddenly I realized exactly what was wrong with her.

  Miss Mason had no shadow.

  Mine was stretched behind me across the floor and joined to me at my feet. The bright electric light here in the hallway made my shadow dark with clear-cut edges. I shifted and it moved with me. But there was nothing joined to Miss Mason.

  A horrible cold feeling slithered all the way down my throat. If Miss Mason had no shadow that meant she’d sent it somewhere else. It was shadow-walking right now – probably round this house – all by itself. If Miss Mason could shadow-walk then she had to be a vampire.

  I was standing right beside one of the most dangerous creatures of the Unseen World.

  But she might not know that I was on to her. My pulse raced. I forced myself to look at her and smile. My hand rested on the torchblade in my pocket. What had Nora said? Pierce her heart with silver? But she looked like a person. She was the music teacher!

  I chickened out. “Sorry, I’ve got to go.”

  “Not yet!” She grabbed my arm with fingers like cold steel.

  I tried to push her off. Her smile vanished and her eyes burned like black fire. Dark veins bulged from her pale cheeks. Gripping on to me, she raised her other arm. I pulled out my torchblade and flicked the sword open. The silver blade gleamed and she released me in surprise.

  Dodging round her, I ran off down the passageway. I had to find Cryptorum and the others. It was pitch-black and my steps echoed in the silence. I stopped and listened for footsteps following me, but the only thing I could hear was my heart hammering in panic. Was there movement in the darkness? I could see so little – I might not know until it was too late. Goosebumps rose on my arms. Holding my sword ready, I switched on the light.

  The corridor was empty.

  I shuddered, remembering the black veins spread across the vampire’s face. Why hadn’t I realized what Miss Mason was? I was a Chime – I should’ve known. Why had she come here in disguise? She’d been here for weeks – teaching classes and running a recorder group. Annie was in that group too. My stomach lurched. Something terrible could have happened and I wouldn’t have been able to stop it.

  Running to the back door, I found it was locked and there was no key. On the stone paving in front of the lawn was a massive bird, bigger than a large dog, with black feathers and a beak as sharp as a blade. It was like no bird I’d ever seen and it had a nasty watchful look, as if it was wonde
ring whether I tasted nice.

  I rattled the door again but there was no way to open it and I couldn’t see Cryptorum or the others. Did they know about the monster bird? Maybe they’d come inside to get away from it. Swinging round, I made for the stairs, taking them in twos. By the time I got to the north wing, my lungs were ready to explode.

  As soon as I stopped, I heard music. A soft melody was drifting from Cryptorum’s study and light gleamed under the door. I huffed. There was a gigantic black-feathered bird in the garden and I’d nearly been kidnapped by a vampire, and here were my friends having a nice relaxing time.

  I opened the door. “Guys!” I stopped.

  Miss Smiting was kneeling on the carpet, her body swaying slightly, while a long reedy pipe floated above her in mid-air. The snake-woman’s expression was blank and her arms hung limply by her side. There was nobody playing the pipe but I knew the snake charmer had to be Miss Mason.

  Across the room, a shadow darted beside the bookcase. Books zoomed off the shelves – their pages turning in one long flick from beginning to end – then each one thumped on to the floor, adding to a growing pile.

  I’d found Miss Mason’s shadow.

  I froze, uncertain whether to hide or draw my sword. The shadow showed no sign of having noticed me. The books kept flying off the shelves and landing on the floor. I glanced quickly at the white cupboard where Mrs Cryptorum’s last wish was kept. It had been shut tight with two large padlocks.

  Creeping round the desk, I knelt down beside Miss Smiting. Her slit-like pupils had narrowed to thin black lines and she looked as if she was locked in a dream.

  “Miss Smiting, are you all right?” I whispered.

  Her gaze was fixed on the pipe and she never glanced at me. The music made me think of dry dusty lands and strange fruit. I took the snake-woman’s arm and shook her. “Miss Smiting! Wake up!”

  Her eyelids flickered. She was in there somewhere. I was sure of it.

  Half the bookshelves were empty now. Maybe if I grabbed the instrument I could stop the music and bring Miss Smiting out of her trance. I watched the pipe, ready to make a move. . .