Chapter Twenty
The screams continued ‘AAAARRRGGHH. AAAARRRGGHH.’ Tom and Jodie were still looking at each other.
Tom did not know what to do. It might be a trap. The creatures could be waiting for them. But the girl was obviously in danger. They had nearly killed Jodie because of his fear and indecision. He had to do something. He broke away from Jodie’s stare. ‘You stay here and call the police on your mobile,’ he said as he began to descend into the sewer.
‘No. I’m coming as well. We’re in this together,’ she said as she followed behind him.
At the bottom of the ladder Tom stepped into the sewage with not a little disgust and helped Jodie down. He realised that Jodie was not the sort of person you could tell what to do, and so had not even bothered trying to stop her. He also remembered that she had told him she had felt afraid and powerless against the creatures before and wanted to rid herself of these feelings.
The screaming continued ‘AAAARRRGGHH. AAAARRRGGHH.’ Tom hurried in the direction of it with Jodie behind. Visibility was not very good but navigating through the tunnel was not difficult with it being so narrow.
After about 30 metres, Tom noticed that the tunnel, which was not exactly straight, began to veer to the left. They were both making a lot of noise running through the sewage but Tom could still hear the screaming, which was getting louder all the time. They passed a tunnel leading off the one they were in. The smell of the sewer was terrible and their jeans and trainers were soaked but they carried on.
They were going so fast that they nearly passed the opening in the tunnel where the screaming was coming from. Tom stopped and Jodie rushed into him. Tom could see that Jodie was just as out of breath and as sickened by the smell of the sewer as he. They went towards the opening. It was a small hole in the wall of the tunnel. They climbed into it without hesitation.
The new tunnel was not part of the sewage system, for the ground was solid mud and the walls and ceiling were wooden, exactly like...the creatures’ hideaway, thought Tom suddenly. But Tom had stopped worrying about whether it was a trap or not; all he cared about was saving or trying to save the girl who was obviously in danger. He did feel scared for Jodie but he knew that he could not stop her from helping him.
They hurried on towards the screaming, which was now very loud. Tom knew they were getting near to it, and he had his knife ready. It was dark, however, and he could not see much. His adrenalin was high and he knew that any at any second they could be in danger.
Then suddenly the screaming became too loud and Tom tripped over something on the floor. Jodie nearly fell on him but managed to pass over the top of him. The screaming then became muffled and was coming from where Tom had fallen over.
Tom got up and bent down at the object making the screams. He picked it up: it was a tape recorder. He turned it off quickly, for its noise was too much for his ears and nerves to bear, and dropped it on the floor. Damn, he thought to himself, it was a trap after all!
He looked around him with his knife at the ready, and then at Jodie. He wondered where the driver or, he gulped, the creatures were. He then heard the answer. From ahead in the tunnel but still quite far away he could hear the sounds of footsteps – coming quickly towards them.
‘Quick, let’s go before they catch us!’ said Jodie. She pulled him away and they started to run in the direction they had come. Tom overtook her and grabbed her hand to help her go faster. They reached the end of the tunnel.
But the hole had disappeared; there was a wooden wall where it should have been. How could they have been so stupid to have allowed themselves to be trapped? asked Tom in his head, as he tried to force himself against it. But it would not budge.
The footsteps were much louder now and so not so far away. Jodie pulled Tom out of the way. ‘Let me have a try,’ she said. Tom saw Jodie begin to feel around the wooden wall for some kind of catch before he turned towards the approaching footsteps to protect her.
‘I’ve got it!’ she said. Tom went back to her. She then moved some kind of lever and the wooden wall came back a little. She grabbed its edge and pulled it towards her.
‘YEEEEEWWWWGGHH.’ Behind her came the screams of one of the creatures. Tom turned around to face it with his knife, but it jumped on him before he could do anything. It was crazed and ripping at Tom’s head with its nails, screaming its horrible voice. ‘YAAAAAWWWWGGHH.’
Tom tried to stab it but it was all over him.
In his struggle he saw Jodie with a rock from somewhere. She came over to the creature and smashed it on the head. The creature then stopped for a moment, then turned to face Jodie.
Tom pushed its body away from him. Jodie then hit it again and it immediately went still and fell to the ground. But Jodie was not finished and continued to hit it with the big stone. Tom could see all her anger at the creatures came out and she would not stop. ‘Now who’s scared and powerless, you filthy creature! Die, die, die!’
‘Jodie, stop. The others will be here soon. Come on, let’s go,’ said Tom, as he got up, grabbed her, and pushed her through the hole to the sewer. He went after her and could now hear the other creatures right behind them.
They ran back the way they had come in the wet sewage. Tom was leading as usual and holding Jodie’s hand so that she kept up with him.
‘EEEERRRGGHH! EEEERRRGGHH!’ The creatures screams were horrible in the echoey tunnel: a mixture of shock, anger, and grief. Tom assumed they were because the creatures had found the probably dead other creature.
Tom pulled Jodie on as fast as he could but he was still cautious about what was in front of them. Tom had also not seen the driver in the tunnel. After what seemed like a couple of minutes, Tom heard the creatures behind them running and screaming. This made him move a little quicker. Eventually they came to the ladder down which they had first entered the sewer.
Jodie went up it first. ‘The manhole cover’s been replaced. I can’t push it open: it’s too heavy,’ she said after a short time as Tom climbed up alongside her. The creatures were getting louder and nearer and could catch them at any time.
Tom helped her to push it up. It was too heavy, however, and they could not get it open. Tom then heard some splashing footsteps getting nearer: the creatures were almost here.
North End Page 20
