’Madonna,’ Jackie replied.
’Eighties icon,’ Agnes commented, grinning.
’Funnily enough, Angela is going to go as another eighties icon. You couldn’t get one more different than Madonna though,’ Jackie said laughing.
In Friarmere behind closed doors, children asked their parents to look after the mini squids while they went to sleep. The children told them they had to put them by the bed or else they would be worried.
They gave them as presents to their siblings, placing them on the bedside table so that they could watch them swim around.
Beneath the crack, it saw more and more. Its spawn wasn’t only inside humans that were in their houses. Other submerged creatures had swallowed the parasites or had been unconsciously possessed and now worked diligently burrowing away at the crack even more. Soon it would be big enough for the great mother to appear.
Michael went to feed his small fry. He wondered what he would do with them when they became out of control as these were now as big as walnuts.
As he walked up to the greenhouse, he could see several of them on the glass. There was a crack in one of the pane’s and a couple of them seem to be testing whether they could force their bodies through it.
Michael made a mental note that he would be putting some gaffer tape on the other side of that. It had got to the stage that when he walked towards the greenhouse, they rushed for him.
He had promised The Fellus that he would look after them, and he would. But all that he did now was chuck some chopped ham through the greenhouse door and lock it again.
Most of the foliage had been eaten. The old weeds that hung from the roof of the greenhouse were all stalk and no leaves. Lots of the moss had been cleaned off the windows, perhaps as much as half.
The ham would soon not be enough for the small fry. They had indeed flourished on it and were exceptionally healthy. Meat was the way to go. Michael wondered how The Fellus was going to use them if they were the children of some God. Surely, they would only adhere to that single authority. The Fellus did not seem concerned, but as Michael shut the door again after feeding them, seeing how large, fast and hungry they were, he became very concerned for other reasons.
Jim and Julia were keeping themselves busy that evening in their narrowboat. They had come to an uneasy alliance as Jim had agreed to not go over to the river again, no matter what was being brazen, which made Julia slightly happier.
They had the radio on while they worked. If they had had the TV on it would have distracted them too much. The couple were fully engrossed in making their costumes for Miles and Tammy’s Wedding.
Jim has decided to be a pirate. Julia has been moaning at him for weeks to be the perfect complement to her costume. She longed to be Maid Marion and was determined to be Maid Marion. This was her one chance.
What she wanted Jim to be, was Robin Hood. There was no way, Jim said that he was squeezing himself into a pair of Julia’s green tights. He wanted to be something masculine and as a Master of the water had decided to be a pirate.
Jim was glueing a piece of leather to make his eye patch when they heard the first cry. Jim didn’t think anything of it. He just thought it was someone walking past with a baby. Julia thought she recognised the pattern of the cry. When it had repeated five times, she knew that she was right
It sounded a little bit away, so she wasn’t very concerned. But she did turn off the radio and waited for Jim to cotton on.
She was making the pointy hat with a chiffon veil that she would wrap around her neck. Jim wondered why she had switched the radio off, but after today wasn’t about to question her. He heard the same cry again. Jim didn’t think anything of it. Julia put her sewing down and look at him, waiting for more.
The cry started again – almost a baby’s cry. The first couple of times, anyone would think that a baby was crying and needed help. Out in their pram, being walked around until it fell asleep. It’s Mother desperate as she had tried everything.
It was the fact that it was precisely the same cry repeated that gave it away. Once you knew it for what it was, you started to notice the small inconsistencies with a human voice. There was a slight metallic edge to it, and a perfect repetition. Julia also thought that it seemed to wait and see if its cry had done the job before trying again.
When Jim had heard it three times, he put his glue down. The penny had dropped. That was no baby. He also realised that the cry was getting closer.
Neither of them spoke but Julia’s eyes got wider as they both continued to stare at one another. The cry came again louder. Jim picked up the Stanley knife he was using to cut the leather with. Julia took up the scissors from the table that she had been using to trim her fabric.
Another cry – even closer. Jim broke his gaze away from Julia to look around the room. The windlass was inside, close to hand, ready to be picked up.
For over a minute they didn’t hear a cry, only their own breathing and loud heartbeats. Jim began to smell something and then Julia. A rotten smell of fish, excrement and death. Something that was not from this world, but it was right outside their boat.
The next cry. Julia’s heart was beating very fast. She was only breathing lightly, there seemed to be no oxygen in the boat. Jim began to sweat. He moved across three feet and put his hand on the windlass. Feeling it’s comforting weight in his hands, he turned towards the door.
The smell was in the boat, fetid and sickly. Julia put her hand over her nose. Jim walked two steps towards the door. The cry came again, it had heard him. It was mere feet away. Julia rushed forward and put her hand on Jim’s shoulder.
‘Don’t go out,’ she whispered. They heard a thumping noise unmistakably heavy on the deck of the boat. Jim stepped forward and held the handle of the door so it could not be opened. Now it was so close, that they could hear in between the cries it was not silent. It made a kind of chitter-chatter noise. A sound like it had a lot of teeth that rattled.
The smell was everywhere in the boat. Julia began to heave, to wretch even with her hand over her mouth and nose. She put her other hand over so that it would not hear her. Julia didn’t think it was Kelpie or a Sea Witch. And Jim knew that it wasn’t a Shellycoat, as there was no sound of shells.
He kept his hand on the handle - it was never tested. They did not hear it get off the boat. The blood was rushing in their ears, and Julia was just trying to force herself not to be sick.
The first sign that the danger had passed was that slowly the smell receded. Not to the place where it was completely gone. It seemed to permeate every object in the boat.
After a long time, they heard the cry again. It was much further away. Jim heaved a sigh of relief and turned around to Julia.
’Whatever that thing was, it was trying to get us outside,’ Julia said.
‘We’ll wait until tomorrow to tell her,’ Jim said. He didn’t have to explain who he meant.
‘I have heard that crying before when you were out. Jim, we are selling the boat,’ Julia said.
Graham woke in a cold sweat at about 2am. In the dream, he was the Gamekeeper. He was anxious, he was scared. Recently he had been running.
He felt a tremendous amount of pain and was shocked when he looked down to see blood. This was his blood. He began to panic in his dream, scream, back away from the blood. The fear increased which woke him up.
This was so much more than a nightmare. Every day this story was unfolding. He knew he had been shot – he had felt it cut a hole through his body, the warm blood running down from his wound, cooling as the night air reached it.
Graham got up again and made himself a tea. After, he sat in his chair watching TV to block out any thoughts of the life that he had just experienced becoming extinguished
29 Toilets
Adam was hiding out in the toilets. History was the one lesson that he didn’t have with Bob and he hadn’t done his history homework at all. He could make the excuse to himself that there were a lot of distractions and w
orry about the current troubles. The truth was, to wind down, he was on the Xbox all evening, and Netflix all night.
He thought that instead of answering questions when he wasn’t ready, he would have the whole weekend to do it, or think of more excuses. Adam didn’t care if he was marked absent from the lesson. He would tell the teacher that he was being sick in the toilet. Instead of History, he was on his phone checking his social media.
He was lucky that he hadn’t been seen entering the toilet, but another boy called Tim wasn’t as fortunate. Tim wandered into the bathroom at the same time as a group of boys looking for a new recruit to the mini-squid gang.
When Adam heard one set of footsteps coming, he wasn’t concerned and carried on silently playing around with his phone in the cubicle, with the door locked. When he heard several people coming and then the first boy's voice asking, ‘What is going on?’ Adam switched the social media off and his microphone on.
There wasn’t much to hear. This new breed of teenager, controlled by squids, wasn’t big on conversation.
’Be quiet,’ one said.
‘Hold him,’ another said.
’Fuck off,’ Tim said. Adam could hear he was starting to get a bit upset.
’Hold him,’ another voice said calmly.
There was scrambling and sounds of footsteps. Adam heard the unmistakable sound of a top being unscrewed off a bottle.
‘What’s that?’ Tim asked warily. He didn’t get an answer. The other boys weren’t concerned with his questions or his protests. Adam stood up, looking through the crack in the cubicle door. He could see the crucial area reflected in the mirror. One of the assailants was Callum. Tim started screaming.
‘Shut him up,’ was issued from one of the other boys at the back of the group. There was silence and then a very small … squelch.
Two boys helped the parasite into Tim’s left ear. Adam saw it slither inside and disappear. Tim struggled for just a short while, then abruptly stopped.
’Come with us,’ they said and all of them marched out of the boy's toilet. Adam sat with his mouth open in the privacy of the cubicle. It was another minute before he realised, he was still recording.
Julia and Jim woke up at about 10am in the morning. They had not slept until about 6am, so were very tired. Bit by bit, the amount of general noise in the centre of Friarmere had firmly pulled them into wakefulness. They both looked at one another. What a state they were in. Jim’s hair was sticking up at the back and Julia’s glasses were askew after wearing them all night. Both slept in their clothes and had slept with their weapons next to them, only relaxing when the daylight had come. Julia blinked at Jim for a while, he stared back at her. They were both hoping it had been a nightmare, but waking up like this, they realised it hadn’t been.
’Do you want some breakfast, Jim?’ Julia said.
’Not half, I’m starving,’ Jim said.
’So am I. That will be the euphoria of actually making it through the night,’ Julia said. ‘We’ll have that first, get washed and dressed. After that, I want to visit Wee Renee.’
’Plenty of coffee please for me, Jue. I’ll never get through the day without it,’ Jim said.
’The day? I don’t know how we are going to get through tonight,’ Julia said.
’Yes, I’ve been thinking about that,’ Jim said, quite clearly concerned.
Pat and Jackie had arrived at Wee Renee’s house with a bit of sewing for her to do. It wasn’t unexpected as Pat had mentioned both of them needed a few finishing touches for their outfit for Miles and Tammy’s Wedding.
Wee Renee knew that Pat and Jackie both had hearty appetites, so was going to make several bacon and egg barmcakes, so that they could help themselves. Having lunch with people was nice, and Pat brought some cake.
Wee Renee had put the bacon on, had brought the brown sauce and ketchup in, and was going through what alterations she had to make to the two ladies’ outfits when the phone rang.
’It’s Gary,’ the voice on the other end of the line said.
’Hello love, what can I do for you?’ Wee Renee asked.
’It’s what I can do for you,’ Gary said. ‘Do you want a lift over to the Wedding in the Land Rover tomorrow?’
’Oh no thank you. I thought I’d go on the bus,’ Wee Renee said.
’Are you kidding?’ Gary asked.
In the background, Wee Renee could see Pat nudging Jackie.
‘Oh yes, I haven’t been on the bus over that way for ages,’ Wee Renee said.
’But you don’t have to go on the bus, I can take you,’ Gary said.
’No, I’ve always liked going on the bus. And do you know why? I go on the top deck and then I can look down and see what people have thrown on the top of the bus shelters. You wouldn’t give it credence Gary. Mostly you see broken umbrella’s I have to say,’ Wee Renee said.
Gary was stuck for words, but if that was what Wee Renee wanted, she could have it.
’Fair enough. What about a lift back? Surely you’re not going to come out of the party to catch the last bus when you can stay with all us lot?’ Gary asked.
’Good idea. I will have a lift back, yes. Thanks, Gary. You can’t see what’s on the top of stops in the dark, can you? It does mean that I will miss my chance to look at the ones on the other side of the road,’ Wee Renee said genuinely.
‘You might get a glance on the way there from a distance,’ Gary said. ‘Why are you so interested?’
‘It’s all research. It all means something sooner or later. Thanks for thinking of me, love.’ Wee Renee put the phone down.
’Are you serious Rene?’ Pat asked.
’About what?’ Wee Renee asked.
’About going on the bus over there?’ Pat replied.
’Deadly serious,’ Wee Renee said. ‘For the exact reason that I told Gary.’
’We thought you were going to come with us in Jackie’s car. You’ve got the Wedding present to take, and you’ll be dressed up,’ Pat explained.
’Aye, that’s true. But who knows when I am going to have the opportunity or reason to make a bus journey again?’ Wee Renee asked sadly. ‘I was adding that onto the enjoyment of the day. Part of the fun.’
’Bloody hell Rene, only you would look forward to that crap,’ Pat said, ‘We’ll go out next week on the bus if that’s what you want to do. You can look to the left and the right. We’ll go on a round trip, in the daytime too. Don’t go on the bus on Saturday. It’s crazy, going out in general public dressed like that. You’ll be mocked. What if someone tries to pinch Miles and Tammy’s Wedding present off you too?’ Pat asked.
’I’d like to see them try,’ Wee Renee said.
’Come in the car with us,’ Jackie said. ‘Don’t be daft Wee Renee. What if it’s raining, you are going to be waiting at the bus stop? All your corkscrew curls will come out!’ Wee Renee thought that Jackie had a point. She had checked up on the weather forecast. It was supposed to be foggy, but not wet. They had been known to be wrong though, several times.
’I looked this morning; it says it isn’t going to rain tomorrow. As long as we can go out next week on the bus, I’ll agree to go with you in the car, thank you very much. You see I had set my heart on it,’ Wee Renee said. She smiled at them, shrieked - then ran past them. ‘Oh no, my bacon!’ they heard her say as she ran into the kitchen. Pat looked at Jackie. Both of them shook their heads.
30 Visitors
Jim and Julia packed up some overnight bags. Jim said he would find a guesthouse for them after they had spoken to Ernie and Wee Renee. As Jim put his outdoor coat on, he felt a weight in the pocket. It was the pebble he had found by the river, with a strange symbol carved on it. He had forgotten about this.
When they got outside the boat, Jim realised that he didn’t know where Ernie lived. He had heard him say that it wasn’t as far up as Wee Renee. He didn’t want to go all the way up, just to come back again.
Jim did know where Pat lived after taking the Sea Witch
there and it took them about 10 minutes to get to there. After knocking a few times and looking through the window, they realised that neither she nor Jackie were inside. Jim was stumped for a moment.
’Maybe Ernie’s house is a secret place, so the monsters don’t find him?’ Julia said.
’It’s not secret, don’t be soft,’ Jim said. ‘I’ve just never been there. I’ve never asked, so have not been told. That’s all Julia. Not everything in Friarmere is shrouded in mystery!’
‘All right Jim, keep your wig on. I’m as stressed out as you are,’ Julia said.
‘Why do you have to see him anyway?’ Julia asked.
‘Because he is the Chairman of the Band, Julia,’ Jim replied, crossly. As far as Julia was concerned that wasn’t an explanation. She could tell that Jim was short-tempered today. She wasn’t going to be the one to suffer Jim’s grumpiness hot and heavy, so she shut up.
Hell And High Water Page 19