Darkmoor

by Victoria Barry

“She just wants to talk to you, what about me? We did come together.”

  “I don’t know, maybe she wants to speak to us both. She mentioned Darkmoor and then got all funny about it.”

  “That’s weird, well actually, all of this is weird. What do you think is going to happen to us?”

  “I don’t know,” Matthew said meeting Catherine’s gaze, “but somehow, we will get home.”

  Catherine looked down, not wanting Matthew to see the disbelief in her eyes.

  “Catherine, Catherine, it’s me that got us here and I swear to you, I will get us home.” Matthew spoke certainly, gripping Catherine’s hands and squeezing them tight.

  “Hey you two,” Sam shouted across the camp, “Matthew! Catherine! You two ever had wolf-lizard before?”

  “A what?” Catherine asked lifting her head up to look across at Sam.

  “It’s one of the many creatures here, not one you would like to come across daily, but they do taste pretty good!” Sam explained as she held up one of the monsters. Sam had been out of camp hunting for food, and had somehow managed to capture one of Darkmoor’s mighty monsters, using only her bow and arrow.

  “A perfect shot, straight through the heart, killed it instantly,” Sam boasted. “You see, only a bow and arrow will do,” Sam went on, “with their tongues of fire tightly rolled in their snouts, ready to whip out at any moment. Then, with one fatal strike, you would be dead!” Sam bluntly explained.

  Whilst Sam had been educating everyone, Nathan and Andrew had been skinning the beast. Sam began to skewer her hairless catch ready to spit roast. The wolf-lizard’s long arms limped down into the pit of burning ash, leaving no part of the creature uncooked. Sizzling, popping and cracking accompanied the aroma of burning skin throughout the camp.

  “Well, that’s supper sorted,” Sam said proudly.

  Everyone began to sit back round the fire. Sam sat opposite Matthew and Catherine.

  Nervously, Catherine asked her, “So, how long have you all been here, Sam?”

  “I’ve been here for twelve years, Nathan, Andrew, Claire and Jasmine arrived about eight years ago. The three Afro boys arrived next, then the two wee ones, and now you.” Sam waved her hand as the smoke thickened around her.

  Not being able to remain quiet, Matthew asked shyly, “And this, this is Darkmoor?”

  Sam looked crossly at Matthew and a deafening silence descended around the camp. A cold draught blew up from the ground causing the flames of the fire to flicker rapidly.

  Matthew could feel Sam’s eyes burning through him, but feeling an overwhelming confidence welling up inside of him, more assertively he asked again, “And this is Darkmoor?”

  “How do you know that, Matthew? How do you know his name?” Sam questioned him.

  The atmosphere intensified between Sam and Matthew, as everyone else remained still and quiet.

  “Well!” Sam shouted, prompting Matthew to reveal all.

  “Because,” Matthew started, “because he told me.” The other campers gasped in amazement at Matthew’s revelation of speaking to Darkmoor.

  Sam leaned closer towards him, “Carry on,” she insisted.

  Gathering his thoughts, Matthew paused for a moment, then with everyone’s full attention, he began to tell of his experience.

  “Well, it all started when I moved into the Old Vicarage opposite Catherine, and there lived a crow, but only he wasn’t a crow...”

  Upon telling his and Catherine’s story, Sam silently stood to her feet. Using a twig she poked the beast, clear juices oozed out of the well cooked creature and dripped on the fire, causing it to spit and hiss.

  “Right everyone it’s supper time,” Sam announced causing everyone to race off to clean up ready for dinner.

  “Not you, Matthew and Catherine, we need to talk!”

  Leading them towards one of the huts, Sam closed the rickety door behind them and sat down upon a camp bed.

  “Look you two, I have been here for years and apart from me, no one else has ever seen Darkmoor, no one.” Sam lowered her voice as she mentioned his name, “I don’t want you to cause any upset, it’s bad enough without you two stirring things up. Do you hear me?”

  “But I don’t understand, what do you mean, no one else has met him? Who is he Sam? What does he want with us?” Matthew’s voice was full of desperation.

  “Look, Matthew,” Sam started her voice softening, “he’s your worst nightmare. He doesn’t care how, or what he kills, it’s his way, or no way. I don’t know how or why we are here, but somehow we are. Look, I know you would love to get home, all of us would, but you have to realise that we are-”

  “What Sam? We’re the forgotten?” Matthew voice rose as he interrupted her, “Sam, I have to go and find him, I have to understand why, I can’t live here forever!”

  “Matthew, I will not have anyone, and I mean anyone, go over there! Do you here me!” Sam ordered, “this conversation is over!” And with that Sam stood and turned to walk away.

  “No!” Matthew called to her, “no Sam it’s not! I will meet Darkmoor again and I will get home!”

  Turning slowly back to face Matthew, Sam’s eyes narrowed. Matthew walked over and whispered in her ear, “You can either help me or not, but I will not be forgotten, I would rather be killed than spend the rest of my life in here. Do you hear me?”

  Matthew looked sternly at Sam as he stepped away from her. Without saying anything else, Sam smirked before turning her back once more and returned to the camp fire.

  Turning to Catherine, Matthew grabbed her arm tightly causing Catherine to motion backwards, “I will take care of you, I mean you’re mine.”

  “Get off me!” gasped Catherine, “what are you doing?”

  Catherine shuddered, as an unrecognisable Matthew stood before her. His eyes were pure black as they pierced Catherine’s eyes. His olive skin was now burning red with anger. Catherine silently left the mud hut.

  Standing alone in the darkened shelter, Matthew couldn’t get Darkmoor out of his head. The back of his hand started to throb, and the more Matthew remembered the day’s events, the more his body drained. Laying himself down on one of the beds, Matthew closed his eyes tightly.

  Darkmoor is marching out of the mist. He is facing me now, and I can feel his dark piercing eyes burning through my skin and searching my soul. His long black hair is swaying in the chilling breeze and then, suddenly, he commands his wolf-lizard’s to kill me.

  “No, please no!” I am shouting, but there is no one to hear me. I am alone.

  The deadly monsters are plunging themselves one by one into the white misty river and have started to wade across. I can see their fiery tongues whipping around their sharp white teeth.

  My legs are numb, my whole body is shaking.

  Where is Catherine? Just then, I remember Catherine, my Catherine.

  His laughter starts to roar out across the land followed by screaming, Catherine. I hear her screaming, calling for me, Catherine!

  I can’t get to her, Darkmoor has her.

  Silence is descending around me. All the while his mighty monsters are coming closer. I look across the river to see Darkmoor. He is taking her away into the darkness. Then, I can’t see anymore, the darkness has swallowed them up and Catherine has gone.

  “No, Catherine!!” I shout, but she can’t hear me calling.

  “Catherine!”

  Chapter Eight

  Reuben’s Story

  Soaked in sweat, Matthew opened his eyes and wiped the sweat off his brow. Still breathing heavily from his living nightmare, Matthew’s eyes darted around the room before focusing upon the grey sky, which peered through the gaps in the roof. Matthew removed his dusty torn blanket and made his way outside.

  Sat next to the camp fire, trying to reignite it was, Reuben.

  “Morning Reuben,” Matthew spoke gently as he approached him.

  “Morning Matthew, did you sleep at a
ll?” Reuben asked as he threw some more twigs onto the fire.

  “Yeah I actually dreamt of-” then remembering Sam’s warning, Matthew quickly changed the conversation. “So you and your brothers, have you been here long?”

  “Yeah about six years I guess, you sort of lose track of time in here.” Reuben replied staring into the fire. Watching the dancing flames steadily grow, Reuben couldn’t help but think back to the day that changed his life forever.

  “Reuben! Reuben! Where are you?” Mama’s strong African accent boomed throughout the house, causing the pictures hanging on the walls to rattle.

  “Reuben!”

  “Mama I am here!” I shouted back from the kitchen. Her feet thundered down the hallway in my direction.

  “Don’t raise your voice to me young boy!” Mama said waggling her finger. There was no reasoning with Mama, you were best saying nothing at all except, “Sorry Mama!”

  She stood wobbling from side to side in the kitchen doorway. Her big hooped earrings swayed frantically as she glanced over the tops of her rectangular glasses.

  “Yes, Mama?” I asked nervously, trying to think of what I was in trouble for this time!

  “I’m going to the shops, so I need you to watch Claude and Oliver for me.”

  Oh great, Claude was stubborn and never did anything without objecting first. And Olli, well he was Mama’s little angel, or so he led her to believe, but every time she left me in charge, he would always get up to mischief.

  Through my fake smile, I reluctantly agreed.

  Mama stomped back up the hallway bellowing up the stairs to Claude and Olli, “Be good!” (Yeah right, I thought) then slamming the front door behind her, she was gone.

  Upon hearing the door close, Olli immediately came charging downstairs and into the kitchen.

  “What we gonna do, Reuben?” Olli eagerly asked.

  I sighed. I couldn’t be bothered to do anything. Olli asked again, only this time his eyes grew wider with excitement. Coupled with a cheeky grin, I couldn’t resist his enthusiastic and persistent request.

  Bending down to pick him up in my arms, I asked stupidly, “What would you like to do, Olli?”

  “Play football?”

  Of course! That’s all Olli ever wanted to do, play football. At the age of six Olli lived and breathed the sport.

  Begrudgingly I said, “Ok, better tell Claude.”

  Whilst Olli ran off to get his football from under the stairs, I shouted up to Claude. With no reply, I shouted up again, “Come on Claude, Olli wants to play football!”

  Dragging his feet across the landing, I could hear Claude muttering under his breath, probably cursing me, but I didn’t ask.

  “Right, we all need our coats on it’s cold out there,” I ordered, trying my hardest not to sound like the nagging older brother (or mother come to think of it!)

  “If it’s cold, why don’t we just stay in?” Claude stated.

  “Because, Olli wants to play out and I can’t leave you here alone,” I replied calmly.

  “We always do what Olli wants, it’s not fair,” Claude complained, but nevertheless continued fastening up his duffle coat.

  I didn’t reply, I couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. Helping Olli fasten his buttons, I then grabbed my coat and the three of us trudged off into the cold winter air.

  Frost nipped at our fingers and toes, it was freezing. The snow filled clouds hovered overhead, I was certain it would snow any minute.

  Claude stood at the road side, his arms firmly crossed. This time I couldn’t really blame him for sulking, as the cold air had already started to numb my body.

  Olli didn’t seem to feel the frosty nip though, he ran up and down the street with his football.

  “Olli!” I shouted. “Don’t go near that old building!”

  “Ok Reuben!” Olli’s voice echoed down the road.

  I rubbed my hands together trying to warm them up. Claude was almost blue, his teeth chattering together like a woodpecker against wood.

  “Reuben, please I’m freezing, can we go back in now?” Claude pleaded.

  I didn’t argue.

  “Olli, come on!” I called taking a few steps towards home.

  “Olli, come on, it’s freezing!” I shouted louder. Still there was no answer.

  Both Claude and I shouted, but nothing, not even the sound of his football bouncing. Just silence.

  Frantically gazing onwards, we both ran up the street desperately searching as we made our way towards the run down vicarage.

  That place sent a shiver down my spine. It stood alone at the end of our street, a rumbling wreck which could tumble down at any minute. Mama had severely warned us to stay away.

  Edging closer towards it again I shouted, “Oliver!”

  Tiptoeing up to the boundary of the Old Vicarage, my heart thumped against my chest.

  Peering over the wall, our eyes quickly darted back and forth through the broken windows.

  Sitting still upon the doorstep, minding his own business, was a crow. Although more importantly, we had found Olli and relief came over me. I smiled and called towards him, “Come on you cheeky thing.”

  Without warning, Olli set off running up the garden path towards the crow. Before I knew it, Olli had disappeared once more.

  This time he had run into the old building, that old vicarage, followed bizarrely by the crow.

  “Quick!” I commanded, “run! We have to get in there and get Olli!” thankfully Claude didn’t need telling twice.

  Together we raced around the broken wall, across the cracked driveway and headed straight through the open doorway.

  “Olli, where are you?” I whispered, not wanting to waken the nasty ghosts Mama had warned us about.

  “Olli, Olli,” Claude whispered.

  “Boo!” Olli jumped out scaring us both, causing us to jump back and accidently forcing the front door to slam shut.

  I tried to open it, without success. I yanked harder, but couldn’t force it open. It was as though, somehow, it had locked itself.

  “That’s weird,” I said quietly to myself, not wanting to frighten Claude or Olli.

  “We will have to find another way out,” I said passively.

  Holding my brother’s hands, we slowly crept down the hallway of the derelict building. The floor boards creaked as we continued our way through the eerie soulless place. A cold chill shot down my spine and I became more and more uneasy about being there.

  Olli glanced up at me, his eyes flooding with tears, his bottom lip trembling and an overall sense of fear written all over his face.

  “I’m sorry Reuben, I just wanted to stroke the crow,” Olli began explaining with tears tickling down his face. I couldn’t get mad, he didn’t understand.

  “Listen Olli, I will get us out of here, don’t worry.” I didn’t even believe what I was saying, but Olli wiped his eyes and nodded confidently.

  “Look there’s a light on down there,” Claude pointed towards the staircase which disappeared into the cellar below.

  “I’m not to sure that’s a good idea, Claude,” I don’t know why but something inside was telling me to run, run as far away from that place as possible.

  But Claude being Claude, convinced me he knew best so, I let him lead us down the wooden steps and into the dusty, damp cellar.

  It was empty, nothing. A light blub was spinning round as it freely dangled from the ceiling. The sound of bugs and insects echoed through the hollow space.

  “I don’t like this,” I felt nervous, but Claude and Olli had already reached the bottom step.

  Once I joined them, I realised the cellar wasn’t completely empty. Sat under the staircase was the crow which Olli had chased, and positioned next to the crow, was a snow globe.

  “Come on let’s not scare the crow,” I said turning to walk back up the wood wormed riddled stairs.

  Olli could resist though. I should have grabbe
d him there and then, I should have played the mean big brother card, but regretfully I didn’t.

  I let him run over to the crow. I let him pick up the snow globe. I watched in slow motion as the crow flapped his wings in temper. I watched as Olli dropped the globe causing it to smash into a thousand pieces on the floor. A cold icy wind blasted throughout the room, growing stronger and stronger.

  The howling wind engulfed our screams as an unstoppable force dragged us towards the broken glass.

  I reached out to grab Olli and Claude, with all my might I pulled them into me and told them to close their eyes. The hurricane like wind reached its maximum intensity, causing the light blub to shatter. Then darkness!

  Cautiously I opened my eyes. We were no longer in the damp, cold, cellar and we were no longer in the cold winter air.

  Everything had vanished. Our feet became wetter, darkness enveloped us. I looked down at the ground. Mud had replaced the hard cellar floor. We were outside, but not on our street. Claude and Olli clung on to me, not wanting to look.

  That crow, the same crow as before, was soaring high above us and up into the heavy stormy clouds. He cawed down at us in temper. Then, he just disappeared.

  “And then?” Matthew asked sitting on the edge of his stump, lingering on Reuben’s every word.

  “And then,” Reuben repeated staring into the incessant fire.

  “And then somehow, we ended up here,” Reuben swallowed hard trying to keep his tears at bay.

  Matthew stayed quiet for a moment before asking, “The vicarage, Reuben, where was it?”

  But before Reuben had chance to answer, Sam’s shadow appeared over the two of them, and quickly Reuben turned.

  “I was just telling Matthew,” Reuben’s voice shook nervously.

  “I know what you were telling him, Reuben!” Sam said crossly causing Reuben to stand and cowardly retreat back to his hut.

  Sitting down on Reuben’s warm stump, Sam looked intently at Matthew. “Now then,” she started, “I think we should talk about last night, don’t you?”

  Chapter Nine

  Preparing for Darkmoor

  Dear Diary,

  You will never believe this, but Matthew and I are not alone. Yesterday we found a place called the forgotten, whatever that means! Anyway Thomas and Isabella are here along with lots of other people.