Dead Gorgeous

by Malorie Blackman

  ‘Raye, who was that loser?’ Andrew said with belligerence.

  ‘A friend of mine. And someone who tells me the truth,’ said Raye pointedly.

  Slow, burning red crept across Andrew’s cheeks. Raye followed Liam out to the reception area. But apart from Dad and Miss Dawn it was empty.

  ‘Dad, where’s Liam?’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Liam. The boy who just came out of the lounge.’

  ‘You’re the first person to come out of there in over ten minutes,’ said Dad, returning to the mass of papers in front of him.

  Raye shook her head as she had another look around. Dad never noticed anything unless it was directly related to the hotel. A marching band could stride through the foyer and out the back and if they didn’t stop to book in first, Dad would never know they were there.

  ‘I saw him, dear,’ said Miss Dawn. ‘But he’s gone now.’

  ‘Which way did he go?’ asked Raye eagerly.

  Miss Dawn shrugged. ‘To the beach would be my guess. He’s good-looking, isn’t he?’

  ‘Is he?’ said Raye. ‘I hadn’t noticed.’

  ‘Of course you hadn’t, my dear,’ said Miss Dawn with a definite twinkle in her eyes.

  Raye’s cheeks flamed. She went back into the lounge before the air around her head caught fire.

  ‘Ah! How romantic!’ she heard Miss Dawn sigh from behind her.

  But as Raye regarded Andrew, she was feeling anything but romantic.

  38. Brothers

  ‘Nova, did you call me?’

  Nova swung round, faint from relief when she saw Liam. ‘Yes! Yes, I did. I’ve been calling you for ages.’

  ‘I was in the middle of doing something, you know,’ Liam said with frost. ‘Something important.’

  ‘So is this! Up there! Quick! Joshua’s looking for you.’

  Liam looked up immediately.

  ‘He found a tunnel and thinks it may lead to where you are. But I’ve been calling and calling him and he hasn’t answered,’ Nova said, on the verge of tears.

  ‘Why didn’t you stop him?’

  ‘How? Tie him to a boulder?’ Nova tried to defend herself.

  ‘Stay here. I’ll find him,’ said Liam grimly.

  It took all of Liam’s powers of concentration to think himself into the tunnels. He hadn’t done so since the cave-in . . . Usually, all he had to do was think of himself at a place and he faded out of his current location and appeared at his new destination. And more often than not, he could move faster than a blink if he really wanted to. He called it tuning. Like tuning a radio station away from one channel and immediately to another. But thinking himself into the tunnels was proving difficult. He suspected that the cave-in was what had killed him but he’d never had the nerve to check and make sure. So since then he hadn’t been in the tunnels. Not once. The thought of walking through them to be confronted by his own body didn’t appeal in the least. But now he had to find his brother.

  Liam closed his eyes and forced himself to think of the tunnels, to imagine himself inside. Nothing happened. Maybe if he picked a specific spot. He’d been through the cliff entrance before. You had to crawl on your hands and knees for a couple of metres but after that the tunnel opened out so that you could stand up. If he could just think himself into the part of the tunnel where it broadened out. Liam forced himself to concentrate on the tunnel and nothing else. He cleared his mind, then filled it with the image of the exact place he wanted to be. He knew the moment it worked. Even with his eyes closed he could feel the darkness. He opened his eyes and looked around, but he couldn’t see his brother.

  What was Joshua thinking of, coming into the tunnels like this? If he was so convinced that Liam’s body was in there, didn’t that tell him something, like how unsafe the tunnels were in the first place?

  ‘Joshua?’ Liam’s eyes quickly became used to the gloom. The walls, the very air, were tinged with a bluish light which made everything around him very clear but very cold. Liam felt an iciness creep over his body that he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Everything inside him screamed for him to get out of there. Now!

  But he couldn’t.

  He looked around again. Joshua was nowhere to be seen. Liam walked further along the tunnel.

  ‘Joshua?’ he called, even though he knew he wasn’t in a state where his brother was likely to hear him.

  Liam closed his eyes and thought himself another fifty metres along the tunnel. Then another. And another. With each reappearance, the tunnels sloped steeply downwards. Liam remembered that, from the cliff face, the tunnels sloped downwards for quite a while before there was a sharp incline towards the hotel gardens.

  There was still no sign of Joshua. But the icy dread biting at Liam when he first entered the tunnels was now threatening to swallow him whole. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before – sick, blinding panic combined with a fear that gnawed at him from deep within. ‘Joshua, for God’s sake . . .’

  Liam couldn’t take any more. He was about to fade out and think himself back onto the beach when he heard a faint thudding sound. Just ahead, the tunnel bent sharply to the left. Liam remembered that the rise upwards happened just after this particular bend. At least, he thought it did. It’d been a long time.

  It took all his powers of concentration just to stay put. Something about the tunnels, or in the tunnels, was zapping his strength. He could feel himself getting weaker. Maybe he should just get out while he still could. Being a ghost was bad enough. Being a ghost forced to wander up and down the tunnels and nowhere else because he couldn’t think himself out would be an absolute nightmare.

  There it was again – the thud-thudding. Liam moved forward tentatively. He stopped abruptly, taking a deep breath, then another. ‘Get it together,’ he told himself fiercely.

  After all, there was nothing in the tunnels that could hurt him any more. Only his brother. Liam turned the corner to see Joshua sitting down with his back against the tunnel wall. His knees were drawn up as he stared straight ahead. His torch was still on and lay with his rucksack on the floor beside him. Joshua’s left fist thumped slowly and steadily on the ground.

  ‘Josh, what’re you doing?’ Liam squatted down to ask.

  Joshua didn’t move, didn’t blink. Liam tried to touch his brother’s arm, but his hand moved straight through it as if Josh were the ghost and not Liam. He tried to force himself to focus so that he could materialize, but it just wouldn’t work. In the tunnel his concentration scattered like thistledown before a high wind. One thing at a time. What was Josh doing? Focus on that. Liam glanced down at Josh’s hand. In that moment, he realized why Josh was thumping the ground. Pure frustration. Nothing more, nothing less.

  ‘Josh, you have to turn back,’ said Liam, hoping against hope that something of what he said would get through.

  But Josh didn’t move.

  Liam looked around desperately. Further ahead, the tunnel was completely blocked from floor to ceiling. He stood up, horror like an alarm bell clanging in his mind. He stared at the rocks and rubble blocking the path. Instinctively he knew what was underneath the debris. Like a rabbit caught in a car’s headlights, he could do nothing but stare.

  Joshua jumped to his feet and moved towards the rubble. He took the rock hammer out of his rucksack and began hacking away at it like a man possessed. Years of anger and bitterness erupted out of him as he pounded at the barrier. Above Joshua’s head, some of the rubble began to shift. Dust began to rain down from the tunnel ceiling. Joshua ran his hands over his hair to shake it off, then carried on digging at the base of the pile of rubble.

  Liam sprang forward as more rubble was dislodged from further up the mound. ‘Josh, don’t do this. It’s not safe. You’re going to cause a rock slide,’ he said desperately.

  Joshua carried on digging.

  ‘Josh, no.’ Liam desperately tried to drag Joshua’s arm away from the rubble. He made contact. His body was solid as he snatched Joshua’s rock ha
mmer out of his hand.

  Joshua stared at him, stunned. ‘NO!’ he yelled, pulling away. ‘You’re not real. You’re just a wish in my head, but I’m not going to stop. Liam’s here, I know he is.’ He turned back to the rubble and started pulling rocks and stones and earth behind him in a frenzy.

  Dropping the hammer, Liam tried to pull harder at Joshua’s arm, but already he was dematerializing. Joshua dived to pick up the hammer before Liam could stop him and started hacking at the rock fall with renewed vigour.

  ‘Stop it. You’ll bring the whole lot down on your stupid head,’ Liam shouted.

  The rain of dust above them was getting heavier. Then came an ominous cracking sound. Liam remembered it. How could he have forgotten? That cracking sound was the last sound he had heard before he died . . . Joshua started hacking at the pile of rubble even harder than before, using his other hand to pull away the loose scree his hammer dislodged. Liam could see blood on Joshua’s fingers where the jagged bits of rock had torn at his flesh. The cracking, rumbling noise was getting louder.

  ‘JOSHUA!’ Liam grabbed Joshua’s arm and pulled him backwards. But not fast enough. A crack like the lash of a whip echoed around them as the pile of debris slid down like a rocky avalanche. Liam managed to pull most of Joshua’s body out of the way, but not all. Joshua screamed in agony as his legs below the knees were pinned under a mass of rocky debris at least three-quarters of a metre high. Liam tried to pull him backwards, but Joshua screamed even harder and then his head and body flopped like a rag doll’s.

  ‘JOSHUA!’ Liam cried out.

  But it was no good. Joshua was pinned like a butterfly to a collector’s card.

  ‘Help! HELP ME!’ Liam yelled.

  But he and his brother were quite alone.

  ‘Please God, no. Please, please . . .’ Liam begged.

  Gently, he lowered his brother’s head to the ground. He had to get help and fast. It might already be too late. Where was Nova? Still on the beach? She was the only one who could see him no matter what. He couldn’t risk going back to the hotel, only to remain invisible.

  ‘Hang on, Joshua,’ Liam pleaded. He tried to fade out and return to the beach, but he stayed right where he was. Frustrated he slammed his fist into the tunnel wall beside him. It didn’t hurt, but his hand didn’t pass through either. He had to calm down. But how, with his brother lying unconscious at his feet? Liam turned his head away, closed his eyes and forced himself to concentrate.

  ‘Liam? Thank goodness. Did you find your brother?’ asked Nova.

  Liam opened his eyes. He was back on the beach with Nova right in front of him. ‘Josh is trapped. Get help. He’s hurt.’

  ‘What’s happened?’ asked Nova.

  Liam turned to her with such a burning expression on his face that he almost seemed to glow with it. ‘Go and get help – NOW!’ he yelled.

  Without another word, Nova turned and ran.

  39. Help

  Andrew and Raye sat opposite each other. They’d been talking for the last ten minutes but they weren’t back on the easy, friendly footing they were on before.

  ‘Rainbow, haven’t you ever done something you’ve regretted afterwards?’ Andrew asked.

  ‘No,’ Raye lied.

  ‘Then I feel sorry for you,’ said Andrew, standing up. ‘I really like you, but if you don’t know how to forgive then maybe you’re not half the girl you like to think you are.’

  Raye sprang to her feet. ‘Now wait just a – ‘

  But before she could let fly with her indignation, Nova tumbled through open French windows, gasping for breath.

  ‘Nova, what’s the matter?’ Raye ran over to her.

  ‘It’s Joshua. Mr Jackman,’ Nova gasped, struggling back up onto her feet as she dragged air back into her lungs. ‘He needs our help. He’s in a cave . . . down at the beach and he’s trapped. He needs our help.’

  ‘Slow down,’ said Raye. ‘Where is Mr Jackman?’

  ‘In a cave above the ridge near the old, broken boat,’ Nova explained in a rush. ‘Oh, please hurry. Get Dad to phone for an ambulance. I have to go back.’

  ‘I’ll come with you,’ Andrew told Nova at once.

  ‘Raye, get help. Quick,’ Nova urged.

  As Raye ran from the room to tell her dad, Andrew and Nova raced back to the beach.

  Liam knelt down on the ground beside his brother. Joshua’s breathing was erratic and shallow and his skin had lost almost all of its colour. Liam tried to touch his brother’s forehead but his hand passed right though Joshua’s head. ‘Joshua, hang on. Help is on the way,’ he whispered.

  Joshua’s eyelids fluttered open. He looked straight at Liam, but Liam knew he couldn’t be seen. He was no longer solid. The tunnel effect again.

  ‘Liam . . . you . . .’ Joshua struggled to speak as the words fell out on a mere sigh.

  ‘Can . . . can you see me?’ asked Liam.

  Joshua nodded. The movement of his head was only slight but it was enough. ‘Real. . . ? Not imagining . . .? ’

  ‘No, you’re not imagining me,’ Liam smiled. ‘You didn’t imagine me in the dining room either. I really was there.’

  ‘. . . was so afraid . . .’ Joshua’s eyes closed.

  ‘Josh, wake up. Don’t fall asleep,’ urged Liam.

  Joshua opened his eyes reluctantly.

  ‘Stay with me, Joshua,’ said Liam.

  ‘T-that’s what I’m t-trying to . . . do . . .’

  Liam froze at those words. He stared at Joshua in horror. ‘You stupid fool!’ he snapped. ‘You may be older than me now but I’m still your older brother so listen up. I don’t want you here, Josh. I’m dead. You’re not. I wasn’t a very good brother.’ Liam paused and thought for a moment. ‘I wasn’t a very good son either. But I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me. Don’t you understand that? I couldn’t bear it. I just couldn’t.’

  ‘But I . . .’ Joshua began softly.

  ‘But nothing! You don’t owe me anything, Josh. And certainly not your life. I don’t want it. And it isn’t yours to give to me anyway.’

  ‘. . . miss you,’ Joshua breathed.

  ‘I miss you too, you idiot,’ Liam replied angrily. ‘But if you want to do something for me, go out and have a life. And make the most of it – for both of us.’

  ‘Dad’s fault . . . shouldn’t have quarrelled . . . with you…’

  ‘Haven’t you been listening to a single word I just said?’ Liam raged. ‘It wasn’t Dad’s fault. And it wasn’t your fault – and it wasn’t even my fault. It was an accident. I was unlucky, that’s all.’

  Liam stopped abruptly.

  It wasn’t Dad’s fault . . .

  Where had that come from? Liam had spent so long, maybe for ever, believing exactly that. Blaming Dad, blaming Josh too, if he was honest. But he didn’t any more. His death was just one of those things. But life went on.

  ‘Tell Dad it wasn’t his fault,’ Liam said slowly. ‘Tell him, the whole point of life is not how you die, but how you live. Tell Dad I love him very much – and I’m sorry.’

  ‘Liam, I . . .’ Joshua closed his eyes and his head lolled to one side.

  ‘Joshua? JOSHUA . . .’ Liam yelled. ‘Wake up. Wake up. WAKE UP . . .’

  40. Andrew and Liam

  ‘Andrew, you can’t go up there. It’s too dangerous.’

  But Andrew was already searching the cliff face for likely handholds. Much as he wanted to just get going, he knew he had to take his time and work out each move carefully – or there’d be two people going to the hospital, not one.

  Nova grabbed his shirt and pulled him back. ‘You can’t do this. For all we know, there’s another ton of rubble waiting to rain down on the next person brainless enough to go in there.’

  ‘Mr Jackman needs help and I can’t do anything from down here,’ Andrew argued.

  ‘You could get hurt too,’ said Nova unhappily.

  ‘I won’t. I’ll be careful. Besides, I’
m a trained first aider!’

  ‘This isn’t funny.’

  ‘I’m not laughing. Mr Jackman might be in shock or worse and with no one to help him he won’t stand a chance.’

  ‘But Liam’s in—’

  ‘What about Liam?’ Andrew said quickly.

  Nova shook her head. ‘Nothing.’

  Andrew studied Nova. What wasn’t she telling him? ‘What’s Liam got to do with this?’

  ‘Nothing,’ Nova insisted. ‘Can’t we wait for an ambulance and the coastguard?’

  ‘By the time they arrive and get Mr Jackman out, it may be too late,’ said Andrew. ‘Nova, I’m not being a hero. Believe me, if there were some other way to do this, I’d be doing it.’

  And wasn’t that the truth. He didn’t even like heights much. Without another word, he started up the cliff face. If he paused to think about the stupidity of what he was trying to do, he’d probably bottle out.

  ‘What d’you want me to do?’ Nova cried out from below him.

  ‘Pray,’ Andrew called back.

  He breathed deeply to fill his lungs and steady his nerves. Keep climbing, he told himself. He’d be OK if he just thought of this as a climbing wall like the one at his local sports centre back home. He’d be fine if he took his time – and didn’t look down. OK, now he’d reached the underside of the ridge, but how was he going to get onto it to reach the tunnel entrance beyond? He could try to swing along beneath it, but Andrew doubted that his arms were strong enough to take his entire weight for anything longer than a few seconds. There was only one other option. He’d have to climb past the ridge, then hopefully make his way round and then down onto it. He carried on climbing, getting higher and higher, searching all the time for a way to move across the cliff face so he’d be over the ridge.

  ‘Where’re you going?’ Nova shouted from below. ‘The ridge is to your right.’

  ‘I know. Shut up!’ Andrew called back, immediately sorry he’d answered at all when he lost concentration and slipped half a metre. Below him, Nova let out a strangled scream. ‘Focus!’ Andrew hissed to himself.