by James Erith
Then the surge of power rounded the skull and headed towards his eyes.
When it flowed into his eyes, everything changed.
With a rapidity that took him completely by surprise, Kemp felt a searing pain enter his head, and it grew like a balloon filling with air.
‘What’s happening?’ he screamed. ‘It’s burning me ... MY GOD, my eyes!’ He desperately tried to pull off the hat and wrestle out of the coat, but it was too late, they were stuck on. ‘My head’s being blown apart. What – have – you – done – to – me? Help me! HELP!’
The ghost chuckled as Kemp carried on screaming.
‘Welcome to me,’ Cain said, his voice laced with triumph. ‘Welcome to the burnt-out body of Cain.’
26
The Storm Begins
Confusion reigned as players and spectators ran hard towards the cars and houses above the football field. Screams filled the air.
Archie blinked, opened his eyes and tried to focus. His head was pounding from the noise of the blast and he smelt burning hair. When his eyes focused, all he could see was a burning net and smouldering goalpost.
Daisy sprinted over. ‘Archie! Winkle!’ She kissed his forehead. ‘Thank God!’ she said, cradling him. ‘I thought you were toast. Say something – are you hurt – can you move?!’
Archie smiled dumbly and mumbled several inaudible words. Then very slowly he moved his arm and rubbed his eyes. His fingernails were black and smoking.
Daisy carefully pulled him into a sitting position. ‘Your hair’s gone all … all spiky—’
‘ARCHIE!’ Isabella screamed as she tore across the pitch to him. ‘Please, Archie.’ She ran directly over and placed her hand on his forehead. She felt for his temperature, then checked his pulse and inspected his tongue.
He smiled weakly.
‘PHEW! I can’t believe you’re OK – you are OK, aren’t you?’
Archie nodded, but his eyes were not focusing right.
‘My strips must have saved you!’
‘UH?’
‘The strips I made you put on your boots.’ She handed him a bottle of water. ‘Daisy, why don’t you get the tracksuits, while I make sure his internal organs are functioning.’
Isabella gave Archie a short examination and declared that Archie was well enough to take a couple of little sips. Daisy returned with their tracksuits and she slipped into hers before helping Archie into his.
‘Victory!’ Isabella said, ‘You did it!’
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Daisy scoffed as she pulled Archie’s top over his odd hair.
‘I’m not,’ Isabella replied. ‘The ball’s in the net. It was blown into the goal. You scored!’
Daisy didn’t know whether to hit her sister or cry. ‘No,’ she said furiously. ‘I missed and Archie got fried. Look at him – it’s a miracle he survived.’ Daisy felt a dullness consume her; her limbs were tired, sore and defeated. She could hardly bear to look at her sister.
‘He’s fine, aren’t you, Archie?’ Isabella cried. ‘Anyway you’re wrong. Admittedly your shot was heading towards the corner flag but the lightning bolt deflected the ball into the goal – I swear it. The charge of particles must have generated a force to hit it in precisely the right spot to divert it without blowing it up. It’s a miracle. It’s the goal of the millennium—’
‘Shut up! Please,’ Daisy said sharply. ‘Stop it, Bells.’
Coach was running over towards them and he went straight to Archie where he spent some time checking him over.
‘WOW-ee,’ he whistled. ‘That’s one lucky escape, young man. I thought you were brown bread for a minute. It looks like the Gods spared you – you may feel a little groggy, but you’re gonna be alright. Try standing if you can.’
Archie smiled and, with the aid of a person on each side, he stood up.
‘How do you feel?’
Archie grinned. He couldn’t quite hear or see them, but he was improving by the second.
‘That’s the match-ball in the net, isn’t it, Coach?’ Isabella asked. ‘I’ve taken a picture of it on my phone – for safekeeping.’
Coach clapped his hands. ‘You’re right! Looks like we ruddy well won. We’re only the bleedin’ champions!’ He slapped Daisy on the back, almost knocking her over. ‘Quite amazing ...’ But he stopped mid-sentence and turned to the sky, his tone serious once again. ‘Listen, if you think you can make it, Arch – you’d better get off now up that funny track to your cottage. Otherwise I’ll give you a lift back, via the school.’
‘Don’t worry, Coach. We’ll get him back in one piece,’ Isabella insisted. ‘I promise – it’s not so far. Anyway, you’re not that bad are you, Archie?’
Coach eyed them. ‘You sure? You’d better get going then. Best scarper before another of them thunderbolts gets us.’ He patted them on their backs. ‘And fast as you can! I reckon it’s going to bloody piss down.’
Coach skipped off towards the car park singing loudly. Then he yelled back at them. ‘Great goals, Daisy and bloody brilliant hairdo, Arch. You’re legends!’
Archie wavered a little and Daisy caught him. ‘You really think we can get back home?’
Archie was trying to say something. But it came out slightly askew.
‘What is it?’ Isabella said softly.
‘Storm! Go,’ he replied.
Angry rolls of thunder boomed around them.
‘Is anyone else finding this very loud?’ Daisy asked. ‘I’ve had to put tissue in my ears. Look!’ And she pulled out the paper. Suddenly Daisy’s face went pale.
Isabella spotted it. ‘What is it?’
‘I think there’s another in-coming thunderbolt.’
‘What!’ Isabella said.
‘RUN! NOW!’
They grabbed Archie round the shoulders and set off.
‘I can hear the particles gathering in the cloud, I think. Sounds like a build-up of collisions.’ Daisy stopped. ‘DIVE!’
A moment later, a massive crack tore across the sky and unleashed a lightning bolt that smashed into the exact spot where, moments earlier, they had been huddled together. The ground smouldered.
‘Bloody hell,’ Isabella whispered, her knees buckling. ‘That was close. It’s like it’s after us.’
‘It is,’ Archie mumbled. He closed his eyes and tried to work more saliva into his mouth. ‘We have to survive ... until dusk.’
‘That’s exactly what Sue was yelling about,’ Isabella said. ‘Survive till sunset.’
‘Where do you get that nonsense from?’ Daisy said. And then she twitched.
Isabella noticed. ‘What is it, Daisy?’
‘Another one – I think I can hear it!’
They reached the tree and slipped under the branches.
‘We should be safer here.’
Daisy held her hands over her ears as a couple of tears rolled down her cheeks. ‘My God. Here it comes!’
A lightning bolt smashed into the branches. The children screamed as a huge branch sheared off and crashed a couple of metres away.
They ran out hugging each other.
‘OH, NO!’ Daisy cried.
‘What now!?’
‘It’s like ... a power shower has just been switched on.’
A warm wind swirled and nearly blew them off their feet. Then the first few large rain drops like mini water balloons began to plummet out of the cloud.
‘We need to move, NOW!’ Isabella cried. ‘This is the storm from hell we predicted—’
‘Predicted?’ Daisy yelled.
‘Yeah, Sue and I ...’ Isabella’s voice trailed off. ‘OMG,’ she said, ‘we’ve got about five minutes before this playing field becomes a river.’
‘Oh, that is simply marvellous,’ Daisy yelled.
Isabella and Daisy put their hands under Archie’s armpits and folded his arms across their shoulders so he was properly supported.
‘You’ve got to move your legs, Arch,’ Isabella implored. ‘HURRY!’ she screamed, forcin
g the pace. The rain intensified as the wind blew in several directions at once. In no time, in front of them, on top of them, and behind them, a wall of water sluiced out of the heavens, pounding them, beating them hard on their heads and shoulders and backs. Isabella removed her coat and draped it over their heads. For the moment at least, it acted like a shelter.
‘Where’s the bridge?’ Daisy shouted above the din of the rain. ‘I can’t see ANYTHING!’
Isabella slowed and stared at the ground. Water heads downhill, so it’s got to be this way. If we get to the path, we’ll find it. Without knowing why, she pointed her free arm ahead of her, closed her eyes and allowed it to guide her.
Soon the feel underfoot of soft wet turf made way for hard gravel. They followed it, but every step was tricky and they couldn’t be sure exactly where they were going. Isabella rubbed the ground every so often with her foot to feel the hard path underneath. By the time they reached the bridge, the children were cold, soaked through and exhausted. And, more worryingly, water was spilling out of the river at an alarming rate – up to their ankles and rising fast.
‘Bind – tighter – scrum!’ Isabella yelled, ‘We’ve got to move together, rhythmically, in time. I’ll count.’ She realised they couldn’t hear her so she signed with her fingers: ONE, TWO ... THREE and then she flicked out her thumb.
‘Where’s the bridge?!’ Daisy screamed, before suddenly losing her footing. She screamed again as Archie hauled her to her feet.
Isabella shook her head, imploring her to keep going. ‘DON’T FALL OVER.’ She turned to Archie to see if he understood. He nodded.
Isabella counted each agonising step, the force of the water gaining by the second, pushing hard at their legs. Every breath was a struggle and their heads were bowed from the pressure bearing down upon them.
Isabella had no idea where she was headed. She simply trusted her hands and, as if by a miracle, they guided her to the rail. She breathed a deep sigh of relief. They shuffled onto the bridge, still huddled together, their feet searching for the wooden boards.
Daisy suddenly went stiff, holding the others back. She turned to the others, her eyes bulging.
Collectively they realised what she meant.
‘RUN!’
They scampered up to the brow of the bridge, Daisy leading the way holding Archie’s hand on one side, when suddenly she dived, hauling Archie forward with all her might.
Bits of wood splintered around them, the noise deafening. Daisy picked herself out of the water, her feet grateful for the feeling of land, and discovered Archie next to her. He was fine; but where was Isabella?
Daisy called out but it was hopeless; she wouldn’t be heard over the din. As she listened, the only thing she could hear was the roar of the rain and rushing water flushing everything downstream.
27
Isabella Disappears
Isabella found herself slipping and falling. The water took her as her world went blank. When she came to, her body was numb from the shock of the lightning bolt and, although she hadn’t received a direct hit, every nerve and sinew tingled like a spectacular case of pins and needles.
She coughed and gasped for breath, spluttering and ejecting the water trapped in her lungs. Her hands and feet kicked, her arms and legs moving faster than she could have possibly imagined just to keep her head above the torrents. Already, her feet were unable to feel the bottom of the river – had the water climbed so high in such a short time?
The problem was finding enough oxygen to breathe. There wasn’t a single bit of air anywhere. Her hand touched something and she grappled with it and tried to pull herself up. But it was a loose root and it fell away.
She plunged back under the surface and was pulled down river. When Isabella rose to the surface, she wondered how long she could keep floating helplessly like this and how far she had travelled.
She needed to touch down on the cottage side of the river. If she made land on the valley side, she was surely doomed – there would be little chance of crossing. Treading water as best as she could, she did a quick calculation: if the water was running from the moors down into the valley, she had to land on the right side as it flowed towards her. Isabella kicked hard until she could feel the water pushing her and then twisted to the right with all her strength, swimming at an angle into the current.
Moments later she touched on something that felt like a shrub. She put her feet down and was relieved to find herself waist high. She scrambled across the bush, her legs getting scratched to bits, and kept moving until her feet hit on solid ground.
Almost immediately, Isabella coughed and spluttered and then retched the water she’d swallowed. It felt as if her insides were coming out. She gasped for air and headed uphill for the cover of a nearby tree. She found one, leaned into it, put her head in her hands and breathed deeply.
She closed her eyes. And now it was exactly like her nightmare, except this time it was for real, the premonition she dreaded. Tears built up and for a moment they rolled freely down her cheeks. Daisy, Archie! They’ll probably think I’m dead.
She imagined them waiting for her. Please, please, no; every minute spent waiting for her was a minute wasted.
And she wondered what had happened to Sue. Did she find the boat? In any case, would a little boat survive a storm like this? Never; it would fill with water and sink in minutes.
Isabella felt herself welling up, but a ripple of water washed against her shins. The water was rising fast. She had to keep going – finding the others was futile now – she was on her own. She’d head uphill, from tree to tree and use whatever cover she could find.
Only there would she find safety.
Daisy waited for what felt like hours, although she knew it was little more than a few minutes. She shivered – grateful that the rain was not particularly cold. It was tepid – probably from being stuck up in that big cloud for so long, she thought. But Daisy knew that even warm rain quickly chills, and there was just so much of it endlessly pummelling them.
She ventured from side to side of the path as far as she dared, yelling and screaming for Isabella, but she knew it was hopeless; visibility was zero and she could hardly hear her own voice.
With every movement, her bones ached and her joints screamed out. If only she hadn’t just played a game of football. She just didn’t have the energy reserves for this kind of physical trial. If a thunderbolt didn’t get her or the rains sweep her away, she’d surely succumb – eventually – to the cold.
She stamped her feet and jogged up and down. She concentrated hard on the water further down and for a moment she was sure that she could see, much further down on the river bank, a body, someone climbing out of the water. She shook her head – it was impossible, she must be seeing things – like a mirage in the desert.
She put a hand round Archie and hugged him close. His body warmth was like a hot water bottle. He seemed better – his eyes were clearer – maybe he was back to full strength – although she smiled as she touched his odd spiky hair – especially when hers was smeared all over her face and head like the tentacles of a jellyfish.
He seemed in shock. Numb, as though his tongue had been cut out. Was it the lightning strike, or was it something else?
What he had said earlier was very odd – that the storm would come after them until sunset. How did he know that? But she didn’t need him like this, she needed him on full alert, thinking – helping. Perhaps, she thought, he needs another shock. She slapped him on the cheek as hard as she could.
‘Blimey, Daisy!’ he yelled rubbing it. ‘What did you do that for?’
‘Got you back,’ she mouthed, kissing his forehead. ‘I’m sorry – necessary.’
‘There’s no need to hit me,’ he yelled.
But Daisy hugged him tight and spoke into his ear. ‘Aw, but it did the trick. Keep moving, Archie – can’t wait here much longer – freezing.’
Archie nodded and pointed towards the track.
‘But what
about Bells?’ Daisy cried.
‘She’s a strong swimmer,’ he said and he drew Daisy’s head in to his chest. ‘She’ll be fine.’ But as he said it, he frowned. He looked at his watch. Only two-thirty. Jeez. What had Cain said: Nature will throw its full fury until sundown? Should he tell her that they had at least another two to three hours of this?
Even though they walked up and down the track almost every day – in winter, spring, summer and autumn, now, it was impossible to find.
At every turn, with the rain pounding on their heads, unable to see anything, they found themselves walking into the bank or into bushes or into trees. Eventually Archie discovered a section of fencing that had been washed up. He broke it up so they could use it on top of their heads but even then, keeping their arms in the air was exhausting and the rain stabbed at their fingers. At long last, Daisy recognised a big boulder that was just inside the bottom of the covered tree track.
A mini triumph, Daisy thought, as a long booming roll of thunder crackled gruesomely overhead. She covered her ears, wincing at the pain, but after only a few paces she realised there was a far bigger problem. She bound closely into Archie. ‘Mud!’ she yelled at Archie. ‘Look – thick mud and stones – rushing down.’
Every step forward was like walking over barbed wire; the path was laced with branches, brambles and rock.
And ever present was the thick mud and water speeding down the narrow track. Worse still, the canopy that sheltered them was being smashed in by the rain, so that branches were falling down on them – not just twigs and dead branches – but branches as thick as a man’s wrist. Even though they’d only stepped a few metres in, it was becoming obvious that the canopy was close to breaking point.
Archie tried to skip over a large branch that was heading directly towards him. He slipped as he landed and cried out, the muddy water dragging him down the hill. He dug his fingers into the bank alongside, grabbed on to a root and managed to pull himself upright.