When Ernie realised that Father Philip had fresh information and rehearsal had officially ended, he made an executive decision as Chairman.
‘People! Instead of you having to crank your necks right around to listen to Father Philip, I think it is time to adjourn. Go into The Dark Pennine Tales room and have a nice cuppa,’ Ernie announced.
Sue went into the kitchen and advised Brenda and Ann who began making the drinks. Everyone put away their instruments. Ernie and Freddie switched on the lamps around the edge of the room. People started to file in, chattering away. When Wee Renee entered, she went to position a chair at the front for Father Philip, to tell them in style.
Within ten minutes of his arrival, everyone was ready to hear the next instalment. Father Philip was clearly in need of the tea he had been given as he drank it, straight away, hot. His hands cradled the warm empty cup as he began.
’You all know about what happened at Sunday School and afterwards last night when Wee Renee attended the Confirmation classes?’ Father Philip asked.
’Not everyone knows, Father Philip,’ Ernie said. ‘She met some of us at the Pub, but a lot couldn’t go, so they don’t know everything about what went on.’
’They’ll get the gist of it as we go along,’ Wee Renee said. ‘Any questions and we can answer them.’
’Tonight, I decided to knock on a few doors and see what the children were like once they were away from other kids at the Sunday School. When they were alone so to speak. To see if they acted normally,’ Father Philip said. A few of them nodded and thought that this was a good idea to go and get a bigger picture.
’I didn’t expect what I found,’ Father Philip said. ‘In the first house, they were all sitting with the television off, not speaking - all of them. Joe, his older brother and their parents. Their mother even asked me if I wanted to go and lie down.’
’I think that’s probably when they are pouncing on folk. When they are asleep,’ Wee Renee said.
’I think you’re right. Me and Adam were heavily pressured to go for a sleepover at the weekend. Callum was acting out of character. It felt uncomfortable and strained on the phone. It was a bit nasty. Because of that, we didn’t want to go,’ Bob said.
’If you’d have gone there, I bet you would be in the same boat as them now,’ Ann said, from the back.
Liz got off her chair and got down next to Bob, putting her arm around him, she squeezed his shoulders. Hazel got down on the other side, next to Adam and tapped him on the leg. They were glad that the two boys were safe.
’So, after the comment about lying down,’ Father Philip said. ‘I ran out and quickly made my way up to the second house in Springmeadow’. He cleared his throat. ‘They were expecting me - the door had been left open and I found them in the same state. Parents and children in a trance. They don’t seem to be able to hide it when you’re not actively talking to them.’
’This is an epidemic,’ Freddie said.
’It’s getting like the Vampires all over again,’ Carl commented.
’What do you mean?’ Martyn asked, who wanted to know everything about what was going on, as he had not been part of it.
’Infection is occurring in houses, behind closed doors. Before you know it, it is out of control. That’s what we mean Martyn. The Vampires did that too,’ Carl said sadly. He had lost his wife Kate, during that time.
‘Isn’t it always the way with this type of matter? One day you are normal, the next you are in a very sticky predicament, and you never saw it coming,’ Freddie said.
’What do we have to do to stop it?’ Sue asked. ‘I wanted to say nip it in the bud, but it looks like the bud has already flowered!’
’We have to find the source. We have to find the producer of the spawn, the greater intelligence that is controlling them. There has to be one. They can’t have appeared out of thin air,’ Wee Renee said. Father Philip nodded and stood up to go.
’Would you like a lift back, Father?’ Rick asked, who probably lived the closest to St Dominic’s Church.
’Yes, please Rick, because this isn’t the only issue going on in Friarmere, is it?’ Father Philip commented.
’If it’s the Kelpie, or the Sea Witch you are bothered about, I think you’re quite safe,’ Gary said. Father Philip realised he hadn’t told them.
‘I forgot to tell you, there’s something else,’ he said. There was a collective groan throughout The Dark Pennine Tales Room. Wee Renee expected to hear about the Shellycoat. Father Philip sat back down, collecting his thoughts.
‘When I was on my way to visit the kids, I heard howling in the Park and walked over to see what it was. There, rising up out of the river was like this … giant snake monster. It was swirling high above the water. It was this creature that was making like the vibrating howl sound,’ he said. For a few seconds, the room was deafening in its silence. This was new.
’Did it have the head of a dragon?’ Wee Renee asked.
’I didn’t see it. Its head looked to be under the water. What was uppermost was its tail. In the dark, the thing looked to be black. Like smoke coiling up at first. I’ve never seen anything move so strangely. The worst aspect was how the sound vibrated through you even far away,’ Father Philip said honestly.
‘How big was it?’ Gary asked.
‘As thick as, I don’t know … a big dog. It could have been thicker. As for length, I didn’t see all of it. If I had to guess I would say thirty to fifty feet,’ Father Philip said grimly. Jim immediately rose.
‘I need to get home to Julia. Two women aren’t going to be a match for that if it decides to strike on the narrowboat,’ Jim stated grimly. Wee Renee sat back in her chair and closed our eyes. This was getting out of control.
The ghostly pirates were almost in Lancashire. The draw was getting stronger. An evil place inland, where they could rape and pillage, as once they had in life.
Their essence seemed to be getting stronger. When they looked down, they could see themselves reflected in the river beneath. The dark water acted as a mirror, with every moonbeam picking out a different new detail that had become visible.
Soon their bodies would be dense enough to combat humans. Their entrails, chains and nooses hung down, drifting beneath them in the flowing water, forever part of them. They gorged themselves on the evil and malevolence from the Melden Triangle. Their souls swimming in it – feeding, nourishing, breathing.
Once again, Graham dreamed of the Gamekeeper. This time when he looked down at his own body, he was covered in blood. He did not know whether this was his or someone else’s.
When he woke up, he still wanted to be a Gamekeeper at Miles and Tammy’s Wedding, but he would not be adding this new aspect to his wardrobe.
Graham hoped to not dream again. It was becoming a bit too real. Frighteningly vivid. As far as Graham was concerned, he had decided on his outfit, he didn’t need the idea popping back in his brain every evening.
He would have to watch what he ate. Drenched in a heavy sweat, Graham was exhausted and got the feeling he had been tensing himself up during the nightmare. He even had the idea that there was more, but he couldn’t remember it.
It was 4am. Graham was wide-awake, anxious and nervous from the dream. He went downstairs, poured a glass of milk and put the TV on. Flopping down in his chair, he pulled a throw over himself. Within an hour he had fallen asleep in the chair. He dreamed again of the Gamekeeper. Luckily for him, this time he didn’t remember.
26 Brazen
Wee Renee woke up when it was still dark on Thursday morning. She wondered why she was awake as she hadn’t had a bad dream.
Wee Renee was always able to switch her thoughts off at bedtime, so it wasn’t all this trouble on her mind, and she didn’t need to use the toilet. She had just gently awoken into a full state of consciousness. After a minutes thought and the sure knowledge that she was not going to get back to sleep, she had an inkling of what had woken her.
This wasn’t good. She put on
her dressing down and slippers before walking down the stairs, and straight out of the back door into the early morning.
’Sid, do you want me? Is that you?’ Wee Renee asked quietly into the night. He was immediately before her. A tiny blinking and glittering marvel. The Wee Faerie that had advised her on many occasions.
’I thought it was. So, you know we’ve got our hands full then,’ Wee Renee said. ‘It’s actually starting to annoy me.’
’There isn’t much you can do about it, only let it unfold,’ Sid said.
’Hmm … Why is it happening?’ Wee Renee asked.
‘Friarmere has lost all its luck,’ Sid said.
’Hold your horses there Sid. What do you mean? We went out of our way to ensure that it did have all the luck. A good man was sacrificed for that,’ Wee Renee said.
’Do you think you are the only people that can kill? You know how precious The Berberer was. Now we have none. She and her mate were taken from this world out of greed,’ Sid informed her.
Wee Renee felt sick at the thought of that.
’So, this is why all this is happening in Friarmere?’ She asked.
’It was always there, waiting for its chance. The ground has cracked, and many evil beings have come forth,’ Sid said.
‘Oh aye, I know that I’ve had close encounters,’ Wee Renee added.
‘They still flock to this area. Death and evil flow into the river and draws them to its source,’ he said.
‘When you say still flock to this area, do you mean there is more on the way?’ Wee Renee asked.
‘There is,’ Sid said.
‘Hells bells,’ she said.
’An old foe wishes to use this against your Village,’ Sid said.
’Great. Who? The same one as before?’ Wee Renee asked.
’That is not clear. A supernatural force masks their identity, but I know their essence. Their cold heart. I have sensed it before, working against you,’ Sid said.
’Thank you for this, Sid. Not to be rude, but is this why you have come to visit me? To tell me it is going to get worse in Friarmere?’ Wee Renee asked.
’It is not only Friarmere,’ Sid said. ‘Think about it.’ She did, and it didn’t take her long to realise what he meant.
‘It’s the whole of the Melden Triangle,’ Wee Renee said sadly.
‘Streams and rivers are now joined underneath the crust. Waters that never mixed before. Even more are trying to connect. They are giant veins of malevolence across the land. The infection is running outward,’ Sid told her with no emotion.
‘I get what you mean. I need to check on the other Villages. Can you give me any more help?’ Wee Renee asked.
’You need to bring in friends. Friends of the night, to combat this. The worst will be at a very inconvenient time but at a convenient place. Warn all of those that need to play their part,’ Sid said.
And with that, he disappeared.
Wee Renee wandered back into her kitchen, put the kettle on and sat at the kitchen table. She remained there for a long time, trying to decipher Sid’s riddles. She thought she knew what they meant, but there was always the possibility that she was wrong. Today she had phone calls to make.
When Jim and Julia opened their curtains that morning, Jim was shocked to see that there were figures on Black Island.
’Jue! Jue!’ he shouted. ‘Come and look at this quick.’ Julia could tell by his tone that it was serious, so rushed over to the window that he was looking out of. She too could see the figures on there.
‘They’re out in broad daylight, just like that. They don’t care anymore,’ Jim said, storming out onto the deck. He grabbed the windlass, his hands feeling comforted by the weight of it. He walked straight out onto the canal path without stopping and began to stride angrily towards the riverbank.
‘Jim!’ Julia shouted. ‘You come back right now. Think about what has happened to Jackie and Darren!’ But Jim was seeing red and the blood pumping in his ears made it hard for him to hear Julia. He was flailing the windlass about as he went over. Flexing his muscles.
Julia rushed back into the boat to find a weapon quickly and came back out with a sink plunger. She trotted after Jim, shouting loudly at him to stop.
Jim was about fifteen feet from the edge of the riverbank. The Kelpies on the island were watching him approach while talking in their own language.
Finally, Jim addressed Julia’s cries.
’They don’t give two hoots any more Jue,’ Jim said. He carried on walking towards the riverbank. His eyes caught something unusual in the grass. It seemed like a sizeable carved pebble. Jim bent down to pick it up, his eyes still on the Kelpies.
‘What the hell is this?’ Jim said to himself. He could see that the Kelpies weren’t moving, they were watching him. He took a second to look at the strange artefact that he had in his hands. There was a symbol or small picture carved on its flat surface. He immediately put it in his pocket. Julia was still coming up behind him. That is what saved his life.
As she shouted to alert him, he also heard it emerge. Out of the bushes came something monstrous. It had wet glassy eyes. They were slightly curved inward, not outward as a normal eye was. They were a window to its dark soul. Its body was unnaturally midnight black. The beast was massive, its shoulders hunched. What must be its forearms, were outstretched towards Jim.
‘Jim!’ Julia shouted as Jim heard the approach by the rustling of the charcoal colour shells on its back. He stumbled backwards … nearly fell. The Shellycoat moved slower than Jim. Jim pointed in shock to the approaching form.
‘Its … it’s the Shellycoat,’ Jim mumbled.
‘It’s not Brad Pitt!’ Julia shrieked sarcastically.
Julia ran towards him, pulling him backwards. The Shellycoat moved a couple more steps, before realising that its prey had help and was out of reach.
‘Get back on that boat now Jim,’ Julia said pushing him along the path. She waggled the sink plunger at the river and their predators.
At a swift walk, they travelled to safety. Once they were finally on their canal boat, Jim stood on the deck, still shouting at them.
’Brazen you are. We’ve killed one of you, and we’ll kill the rest. You don’t know who you’re messing with!’ Jim shouted.
’You are baiting them, Jim. Let’s go out for breakfast. I don’t want to see them anymore. I’m contacting the gang about this,’ Julia said.
From his angle at the other side of the Park, Martyn saw this exchange. He didn’t see the Kelpies, they were behind some trees, due to his eye-line. He didn’t see the Shellycoat that was behind the long grass.
Martyn did see Julia waggling a sink plunger at the river and Jim shouting from his narrowboat a few minutes later.
Martyn looked again. There was nothing there. If he hadn’t seen the Kelpie himself, he would think they were as mad as a box of frogs.
27 Alien
By about 10 o’clock that morning, Wee Renee thought that she had worked it out. The convenient place she thought was Moorston. However, she didn’t know why they would be fighting over there when everything was happening over here. The inconvenient time would be Miles and Tammy’s Wedding. Although she thought that Miles and Tammy would see it as more than an inconvenience.
Incidents were happening more and more. She could see that it was due to come to a head in two days. Friends of the night could only mean one thing, which confirmed to her that the place was Moorston.
She hadn’t eaten that morning. The thought that just as much was going on over there was terrifying. She would have to start investigating Moorston today, but before that, she had to rule another area out. She picked up the phone and called Our Doris.
Wee Renee thought she had missed her, as the phone rang for a long time. Just as Wee Renee was about it put it down, it was picked up by a breathless Our Doris.
’I haven’t caught you at an inconvenient time, have I?’ Wee Renee asked.
’No, I was just half out of the do
or, taking his Lordship for a walk. He was determined to not come back in and answer the phone,’ Our Doris said.
’Listen Our Doris,’ Wee Renee said. ‘You know from the other day that there is trouble in Friarmere. It’s got worse since you were here on Sunday. Sid came to visit me this morning and told me that it is in other areas of the Melden Triangle.’
‘By heck,’ Our Doris said.
‘Without putting yourself in danger, do you think you can check out The Melden Dike? You haven’t heard of anything, have you? No unusual spawn, like the one I found on Sunday?’ Wee Renee asked.
Hell And High Water Page 17