Raggy Maggie

by Barry Hutchison

  ‘Slow down,’ Billy cried.

  I didn’t. Instead I shifted my weight and nudged the handlebars. The bike edged sideways and we shot past the silver car, close enough to touch it. The driver’s eyes were still wide and staring as we roared by him. Behind us the police siren screeched louder as they also hurried to overtake the other car.

  This was madness. I’d never even sat on a motorbike before today, and now I was riding one in a high-speed police chase. What was I thinking?

  Billy’s voice crackled in my ear. ‘We’ll go to jail for this.’

  ‘Maybe not,’ I replied. ‘We might die first.’

  There was a pause, before Billy spoke again. ‘That doesn’t make me feel better.’

  ‘How are we doing?’ I asked. Even through the helmet intercom I was having to raise my voice to make it heard above the roaring of the engine and the wailing of the siren.

  I felt Billy twist in his seat. When he turned back he said, ‘Not great.’

  ‘How close?’

  ‘About eight or nine metres.’

  The power inside me throbbed. It ran like a shiver along the length of my spine and sat there at the base of my skull. Lurking. Waiting for me to set it free.

  I could crush the police car. I could yank it off course, send it smashing into a wall. I could blow it to pieces with just a thought. I could do anything, and there would be no way for them to stop me.

  The electricity buzzed impatiently in my head, rattling my teeth in their sockets. The wheels of the bike swallowed up the road. We were less than a mile from my house now. I had to get rid of the police. They couldn’t be allowed to slow me down, even if that meant killing them.

  No! I shook my head, pushing away all thoughts of killing anyone. The power within me hissed and spat, like a wild animal trapped inside a cage. What was happening to me?

  ‘More bad news.’ Billy’s voice startled me. The handlebars wobbled in my grip, sending the bike weaving on to the wrong side of the road. A horn blared. I hauled the bike left, just in time to avoid a head-on collision with another car.

  ‘What is it?’

  Billy pointed towards the wing mirror. I glanced in it. The road behind was filled with blue lights now, all flashing together.

  ‘Another car and two motorbikes,’ Billy shouted. ‘It’s no use, we need to stop.’

  ‘My mum might be dead,’ I roared. ‘Your little sister might be dead. Do you really want me to stop?’

  Billy’s tone was uncertain. ‘Maybe they can help.’

  ‘They can’t help, Billy. No one can help us.’

  ‘But they’ll catch us. We can’t get away.’

  ‘We can,’ I argued. I focused on one of the sparks that flashed around inside me. Could I do this? Could I go there again? And if I could, could I take someone else along with me? I had to try.

  ‘How?’ Billy demanded.

  The spark I concentrated on slowed down almost immediately – much quicker than had happened before. My mind shut around it like a steel trap, pinning it in place.

  ‘Because I know a shortcut,’ I announced, as the world around us began to shimmer and change. ‘Now hold on tight and close your eyes. And whatever you do, don’t open them again until I say so.’

  The surface of the road was a spider’s web of cracks. Weeds and moss grew and twisted through the gaps, pushing the chunks of broken stone further apart. The bike’s wheels bounced hard on the uneven ground, throwing us around on the seat.

  The sirens had stopped. The police cars were no longer in sight. There wasn’t a whole lot in sight, for that matter. A dark, desolate landscape stretched out in all directions. Here and there the ruined remains of buildings jutted out of the ground, like broken, rotting teeth from a diseased gum.

  A mile or so ahead lay a warped mirror image of my village. Even from this distance I could hear the howls and screams of the creatures that inhabited it.

  ‘Whoa!’ Billy cried. ‘Where are we? How did you do that? Why is it so dark?’

  ‘I told you to keep your eyes closed.’

  I’d done it. I’d actually brought Billy with me. I could barely believe it. Now all I had to do was keep us alive long enough to get back out.

  ‘Is this Hell?’ asked Billy, his voice tinged with panic. ‘It’s Hell, isn’t it? We crashed, and now we’re in Hell. Well that’s just great…’

  ‘It’s not Hell,’ I said. ‘Well, not the one you’re thinking of, anyway. You know how Caddie went away when you stopped thinking about her?’

  Billy sounded embarrassed talking about it. ‘Yeah.’

  ‘This is where she went. I think…I think this is where they all go. Imaginary friends. When they’re forgotten.’

  He pushed air out through his teeth as he looked around. ‘Wow,’ he muttered. ‘No wonder she went nuts. Is this where yours went?’

  ‘Yep.’

  ‘And was he crazy?’

  I felt Mr Mumbles’ hands at my throat again. Saw his stitched-up lips. Smelled his rotten-meat stench. ‘Pretty much,’ I said.

  I pulled the bike off the road and on to the hard-packed desert floor that lined either side. It was smoother than the shattered tarmac, and the bike’s vibrations eased away a little as the tyres found traction.

  Twisting the throttle, I sent the motorcycle roaring across the dusty ground, front wheel aiming for the village. I didn’t dare go as fast here – the scorched ground was much more uneven than the road we’d left behind – but at least there was no danger of a police roadblock springing up in front of us.

  The howling and screeching and wailing of the creatures in the village rose in volume as we drew closer. I felt Billy shudder in the seat behind me, but was surprised to find my own hands were rock steady. It was a stillness born of determination – I knew what I had to do, and I would let nothing stop me.

  As we reached the first of the village’s buildings I slowed the bike to a stop. A few shadowy figures scurried across the far end of the street. They moved as if their limbs all bent the wrong way, awkward and insect-like. I found myself despising them. I hated this place and everything in it. One day I would destroy them all. One day I would make this whole world burn. One day.

  But not today.

  ThuBOOM.

  The ground beneath us gave a faint shudder. The vibrations carried up the bike and along my arms.

  ThuBOOM.

  ‘Did you feel that?’ Billy asked. Along the street, the creatures had frozen in place, their heads raised. Listening.

  ThuBOOM.

  A broken slate slid down the roof of the building beside us. It shattered on the ground just a metre or so from the motorbike’s front wheel. I watched the broken fragments bounce into the air as the tremors came again.

  ThuBOOM.

  They were becoming louder now. More slates slipped from the roof. The creatures along the street turned and fled, running away on their ridiculously spindly legs.

  ThuBOOM.

  ThuBOOM.

  ThuBOOM.

  ‘It’s speeding up,’ I muttered. ‘It’s like…’ My throat tightened as I suddenly realised exactly what it was like.

  ‘An earthquake?’ Billy suggested.

  ‘No, not an earthquake,’ I replied, revving the bike’s engine. ‘It’s footsteps.’

  ‘Footsteps? Footsteps of what?’

  Pulling the bike out on to the street, I jabbed a thumb over my shoulder. I felt Billy turn and heard him swear below his breath.

  ‘There’s something coming,’ he yelped. ‘It’s…it’s…’

  ‘Big and scary and looks like a dinosaur?’

  ‘Yes. How did you know that?’

  ‘We’ve met.’

  The surface of the street was littered with rocks, charred metal and the occasional arm, leg or head that had once belonged to one of the creatures in here. Burning piles of rubbish smoked and spluttered at irregular intervals all the way along it. It wasn’t easy to steer the bike through it all, and every second the thun
derous footsteps of the creature behind us grew louder.

  ‘We have to ditch the bike,’ I announced, cutting off the engine and swinging myself off the leather seat. I yanked off the helmet and let it drop to the ground.

  Billy hesitated. I followed his gaze back along the street. The dino-beast was at the village already. Hot tendrils of saliva hung from its jaws and tangled around the four curved tusks. Its pink, beady eyes were fixed on me. I could see the hunger in them, burning and all-consuming.

  ‘Come on, Billy,’ I hissed, grabbing him by the jumper and hauling him off the bike. ‘Don’t just sit there. Run!’

  Billy got rid of his helmet as I dragged him into the mouth of a narrow alley between two crumbling houses. Shapes whispered, watching us from the darkness. Something sobbed. Boy, girl, it was impossible to tell. A furious roar from the dino-beast silenced them all, and we passed through the alley without any problems.

  Before we left the passageway I glanced back out into the street. A foot the size of a steamroller slammed down on to the motorbike. When it lifted, there was nothing but a tangle of metal left on the ground. Mr Preston would be devastated. Assuming he was still alive.

  The next street was empty. We sprinted along it – me in front, Billy a few steps behind. The dino-beast’s head was visible above the ruined rooftops of the buildings we’d just passed. It swung left to right, its eyes swivelling in their sockets as the monster searched for us.

  ‘How much further is it?’ Billy asked. The second he spoke, the dino-beast’s head turned sharply. It took a step after us, barely even noticing the two houses. Both buildings crumbled as the creature tore through them. It threw back its ugly head and roared in triumph as it resumed the chase.

  ‘Up the hill,’ I wheezed. ‘Not far.’

  The road had begun to curve steeply upwards. It slowed us down until we were barely going faster than a good walking pace. The dino-beast thudded up behind us, the hill proving no problem for its powerful legs.

  I felt the heat of its breath on my back; heard the chomping of its razor-sharp teeth. Billy and I were side by side now, and I could see my own terror reflected on his face.

  With a final effort we reached the top of the hill. My legs burned like fire. My heart machine-gunned in my chest. I sped up, making a sprint for where I knew my house to be.

  I heard a grunt behind me, and realised Billy was no longer by my side. I didn’t stop, but managed to turn round far enough to see what had happened. Billy was on the ground, face twisted in pain, his hands tight around his ankle.

  The dino-beast pounded up the hill, its enormous feet shattering the ground with every step. It’d be on him in seconds. Biting him. Devouring him. Tearing the flesh from his bones.

  A whisper swirled inside my head. Leave him, it said. It’ll buy you time.

  I saw him lying there. Saw the monster closing on him.

  Saw the flecks of blood and foam on its teeth. I stopped running. The voice in my head hissed in disgust. I tried to ignore it, but it was difficult.

  If we switched places, would Billy go back for me? Would he risk his own life to save mine? No chance.

  Luckily for Billy, I’m not him.

  The muscles in my legs tightened like coils as I U-turned and sprinted back towards my fallen classmate. The shadow of the dino-beast flooded the road around us. I didn’t dare look up, and instead focused on my feet and on making them go faster.

  Saliva poured like fat raindrops on to Billy and me as I threw myself at him. A cloud of hot, choking breath rolled down over us, and I knew the monster’s teeth were about to snap shut.

  I landed awkwardly next to Billy. My hands clawed out for him. It felt like a lifetime before they found his arm.

  The jaws of the beast were closing around us. I glanced up into the dark passageway of its throat. This was going to be close.

  I thought of a spark. Trapped it. Held it. Billy screamed. The monster’s teeth clamped shut.

  But for the second time that day, it was a second too late.

  Chapter Sixteen

  HOME SWEET HOME

  We opened our eyes and found ourselves in the same spot on the same street in a different reality.

  The road beneath us was solid and unbroken. The houses around us were all in good shape. Most importantly, the dino-beast was nowhere to be seen.

  ‘Can you move?’ I asked, jumping up.

  ‘After that?’ Billy gasped. ‘I can hardly speak.’ He tried moving his leg, but it was slow going.

  ‘Catch me up,’ I said, already running. Billy’s knowledge of Caddie might have been useful, but I didn’t need him. I could handle her on my own. The sparks were surging through me again. I was primed and ready to fire, and my target was almost in sight.

  The door to my house was ajar as I closed in on my front gate. A chill breeze swirled into the hallway, billowing the net curtain into a hazy, ghost-like blob. It was the only movement I could see inside.

  My hands caught the posts on either side of the gate and I vaulted over. I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary until I’d landed on the path.

  The garden was full of dolls. Dozens of them. Hundreds, maybe. They stood there, still and silent, watching me through painted porcelain eyes. I recognised at once the matching outfits almost all of them wore. It wasn’t difficult. After all, I was wearing the same one myself.

  My God, I thought. The faces. I even recognise the faces.

  And I did. There was Darren Woolston from my English class. Over there was Elizabeth…something, from the year above. Even Morag the secretary was there, dressed in a miniature version of the same outfit she’d been wearing that morning.

  My eyes flitted from face to face, finding dozens I could identify. Every face was different, but the expression on each one was the same. Trapped. Tormented. Haunted.

  I tore my eyes from the dolls and hurried for the door. At least I’d found out what had happened to everyone in school, although a big part of me really wished that I hadn’t.

  ‘Mum? Mum, are you here?’ I yelled, crashing in through the front door and into the little hallway that opened on to the living room.

  No answer came.

  I hurried through to the kitchen, the tremble in my voice betraying my growing sense of dread. ‘Mum? Mum, where are you?’

  Nothing.

  I ran back through to the hallway, where the stairs led to the upper floor of the house. I was halfway up before I spotted the shape on the living-room floor.

  The shape of a person, slumped behind the couch.

  I backtracked down the steps, watching the shape through the wooden railings of the stairs. It wasn’t moving.

  ‘M-Mum?’

  I inched forward, my legs shaking too much for me to move any faster. The couch blocked my view of the shape on the floor, but the image of it was already burned on to my eyes. Dark. Motionless. Mum-sized.

  The wheels of the couch gave a squeak as I rolled it aside. The shape on the floor still made no move. A black sheet had been thrown on top of it. At first I thought maybe it was just a pile of bedclothes.

  Until I saw the hand. It stuck out from beneath the sheet, palm upwards, fingers uncurled. A large patch of blood had dried into the pale brown skin. It wasn’t Mum’s hand. It wasn’t Mum.

  It was Ameena.

  I dragged the sheet away from her, even though I was terrified of what I might find underneath. I was relieved to discover she was in one piece. Battered and bloody, but more or less intact. A faint groan wheezed through her lips and her eyelids fluttered like butterfly wings.

  I didn’t speak until her eyes opened all the way.

  ‘What happened?’ We both asked the question at the same time. I half expected her to laugh, but she didn’t.

  ‘Not sure,’ she winced, gingerly propping herself up on to her elbows. ‘I remember you asking me to keep an eye on her, and then…Nothing.’

  She tried to sit up, but the movement made her eyes lose focus, and she slow
ly lowered herself back on to the carpet. Just before she did I noticed a bloodstain where her head had been resting.

  ‘Wait there,’ I told her. ‘I’ll get you a drink.’

  I stood up, but didn’t make it any further. Caddie stood on the other side of the couch, her dark eyes trained on me. Raggy Maggie was clutched under one arm. In the other hand she held the small kitchen knife Mum uses for chopping vegetables. The knife wasn’t big, but it almost looked like a sword in her tiny grip.

  ‘Yay!’ she cheered. ‘You made it. Your daddy told me you would.’

  ‘Where’s my mum?’ I demanded.

  ‘I told you,’ she said, smirking. ‘She’s dripping from the ceiling of the—’

  Lightning flashed through my brain and the couch flipped into the air. It hit Caddie hard, and slammed her into the wall that divided the living room from the kitchen. She hit the floor with a thump.

  A few seconds later she crawled out from under the upturned couch, the knife and the doll still in her hands. Only the smile had been dropped.

  ‘I’m going to ask you again,’ my voice said, without me even thinking the words. ‘Where’s my mum?’

  She hesitated long enough to tuck Raggy Maggie back under her arm. Her eyes blazed as she shouted, ‘Drip. Drip. Drip.’

  Another buzz of electricity passed through me and a tornado swirled around her. It lifted her off her feet and spun her round and round in the middle of the room. Faster and faster it went, until the white and red of her dress blurred into pink.

  She lost her grip on the knife and it was spat out by the whirlwind. The blade whistled past me, centimetres from my face. I didn’t flinch.

  ‘I’m not playing games,’ warned the voice inside me. Was it even my voice at all? ‘Tell me where my mum is,’ it said. ‘Now.’

  ‘Wheee!’ Caddie was laughing as she twirled in the air.

  My teeth clenched and a high-voltage charge criss-crossed over my skin. The mini-tornado spun faster. It sucked the ornaments from the mantelpiece; ripped pictures from the wall. All the while Caddie’s high giggle filled the room.