“Why not?” I was glad Sally asked. I wouldn't have dared.
“Like Snoop, the Beast is not entirely of this world. I can't reach it where it is, and Snoop isn't strong enough to kill it on his own. Unless I find a spell to pull it all the way to our world, we cannot defeat the Beast.”
“Why are you so set on killing something that looks like a rat but isn't?” Sally asked.
Mr. Jake stared into his cup but I could tell his mind was far away. “When I saw the Beast for the first time, my daughter had just turned three. She built the highest sandcastles. When she rose to the sky on the swings, her brown curls flew in the wind like a flag.” His voice faltered, and he had to swallow before he went on. “The doll was hers.” He pointed to a ragdoll sitting in a display case on the mantle. “One morning, I took her to a playground, when something black enveloped her. I thought I heard her scream but when I reached the place where she had been, she was gone.
“All the people around me thought I was crazy. They insisted there never had been a girl with me. When I returned home, even my wife told me our daughter had been stillborn. I was confused and angry. Later I found out that this sort of thing happens to all of the Beast's enemies. No victim is remembered for long except by the one person who was closest.”
I cleared my throat. “So you got Snoop to hunt down the Beast?”
“I will either force it to give my daughter back, or I will avenge her, regardless of the price. On my way there, I try to rescue as many souls as possible.” Mr. Jake clutched the mug so hard, the knuckles on his hands turned white.
I would have liked to know why the Beast was after me, but something was more pressing just now.
“Thank you for saving me.” I wasn't sure he heard because I spoke very quietly.
Sally sure didn't. She grabbed another cookie and said, “Wow, that's the best Halloween story I ever heard. Are you a writer, Mr. Jake?”
“Maybe I should become one,” he answered in a toneless voice and with a tight-lipped smile.
I reached for his arm and when he looked at me, I said, “I believe you, and I will help you if I can.”
His smile made his eyes shine and the crow's feet danced on his temples. He patted my knee, refilled Sally's cup, and leaned back. “So, have you got plans for Halloween?”
“You bet.” Sally's eyes sparkled.
For the half hour until the sun sank, we talked about Halloween and our plans for this year's trick-or-treat round. I completely forgot to ask Mr. Jake all the questions that were on my mind. Finally I yawned as I gazed out of the window and forgot to close my mouth. The blinkies I had put up earlier and that had become invisible now shimmered in an eerie blue light. The light tugged at my brain and woke warm memories—summers with my Nana, songs from my Granny and Grandpa, and cuddles from Sally, Dad and Mamá. Surrounded by my memories, I felt safe and comforted.
Mr. Jake's hand settled on my shoulder. “The ward is beautiful, isn't it?”
“You're a whiz, Mr. Jake,” Sally said. “That's spectacular. It'll be the best Halloween decoration ever if we hang up some bats and put a couple of carved pumpkins beside the gate.”
Mr. Jake just smiled and squeezed my shoulder.
Chapter Five
Sally: Here and Now
Sally hovered beside her brother's shoulder and watched his pen. It didn't move as freely as before. “What's wrong?”
“Nothing.” Tom let the pen sink. “I'm just tired.”
Sally put her arms akimbo. “I told you, baby brothers have to sleep a lot. Why don't you go to bed?”
He looked over his shoulder at the sofa with its soft cushions but shook his head. “I don't have time for that.” He picked up the pen and wrote some more.
Sally sighed. She shrunk to the size of a doll and sat on the table on the pile of finished pages. If he didn't want to sleep, the least she could do was to keep him company. She pointed to the crossed-out passages on the sheet in front of him. “You are a messy writer.”
Tom shrugged. “Only with this bit. I don't know how to start properly.”
“What's it about?” Sally inched closer and tried to read. Tom flung his arm over the crisscrossed writing but it was too late.
She exploded in a shower of faces. All of them yelled. “You are writing about my death?” Each little mouth began to shout something else. “It's my death!” and “No one is allowed to write about my death,” and “You don't even know how it is to die,” and “How dare you to write about something only I know?” One or two of her heads scolded her for losing her temper like this. After all, Tom had told her he'd write about it.
The heads merged and Sally didn't care if she still looked like herself. Her body twisted and sprouted things that didn't belong. They felt as wrong as her out of control anger.
Tom closed his eyes and whispered over and over, “You can't harm me.” He stuck his index fingers in his ears and kept whispering. After a while, he took his pen and squinted at the paper.
Sally felt her anger rise to monstrous heights. She threw herself against his belongings. A book crashed into a chair and clattered to the floor. It seemed that she could move things after all, if she was angry enough. Like whirlwind, she tore into Tom's belongings, but he didn't look up. He went on squeezing words from his tired brain.
Sally felt her body tremble. Since she had become a ghost, she had never been this angry, and it felt so wrong. Had she scared him? Love flowed from Tom to her in soothing waves. The tiny part that had scolded her the whole time became stronger. It pushed the rage down and away. Sally didn't care where it went, only that it was gone. With a hanging head, she stood beside Tom. “I tore up one of your comics. Sorry.”
Tom still didn't look up. “Don't worry. There are worse things than a torn comic.”
“It's really shredded.”
Tom lifted his head. Sally saw relief in his eyes. So she probably looked like always, black curls and all. His smile warmed Sally.
“Do something. Put the comic back together if you want, but please let me work,” he said.
Sally drifted away wishing she could be more of a help.
Tom: Diary
The next morning, Sally's teacher phoned to let Mamá know that we did not have to come to school. Apparently, a hole in the roof had caused major damage in the building and the repair firm needed at least two days to fix the worst. Mamá decided that we weren't to waste the day on TV and skating and bundled us into the car.
“I will buy groceries, and you will read in the library,” she said.
Sally protested but it wasn't much use. We drove into town. All the time, I scanned the surrounding landscape for signs of the Beast. We sped past trees, houses, gardens and people but there was no sign of it. Hoping for the best, I left the car. Mamá had parked it beside the small riverside shopping mall. From there, it was a five-minute walk along the river to the library. I didn't much like the path along the water. Several homeless people hung around there, and the back yard of the youth center. Path and grass were littered with broken glass, snippets of plastic and paper, and cigarette buds. I clung to Mamá's arm as we walked. Sally skipped ahead.
Something moved. I saw it from the corner of my eye, but when I tried to fix it, there was nothing. I walked faster and curled my fingers around the stone Mr. Jake had given me. The tingle I had felt before went up my arm and spread through my body, and I could make out a faint hint of blue in the air around me and Mamá. It was the same color as the ward around Mr. Jake's house. I felt protected.
Ahead of us, Sally squatted beside the river. With a long branch, she tried to fish a plastic canister out of the water.
“This is disgusting,” she said. “The park could be lovely, with flowers and paper bins, if only someone would care for it.”
“Be careful, mi corazón. Don't fall in,” Mamá called out.
Sally looked up and waved when something black swooped down and covered her. Without thinking, I screamed and ran toward the Beast, h
olding my stone in front of me. The blackness flitted along the ground and vanished through a crack in a nearby wall. I turned round and looked for Sally, but she was gone. Mamá stood beside the water, talking to her mobile phone, and tears ran down her cheeks. She hugged me with her free arm. Endless minutes later, the fire engine approached with howling sirens.
“Don't worry, they'll find her. Sally is a good swimmer and the river isn't too deep,” Mamá said repeatedly.
“But she didn't fall into the river. The Beast got her.” I put my arms around her. When she didn't answer, I looked up. Her face was drawn and she stared at the river. She didn't even seem to notice the firemen who launched a boat and sped downriver.
My heart hurt as if someone had cut it out without sedation. Sally had vanished, and I didn't know what to do. Again I tried to tell Mamá what I had seen, and again she didn't react. It was as if she couldn't hear my words. I cried, trying to think of something I could do to save Sally. Mamá's apathy scared me stiff. She felt the same pain I did. I could read it in her face, which was suddenly haggard and lined. I watched the firemen launch another boat. This time, they took a net along. Also, an ambulance stopped beside the fire engine.
Two firemen came closer. The older one took off his hat. He didn't look at us when he addressed Mamá. “I am sorry to tell you this, ma'am. We cannot find a trace of your daughter.” When he spoke, his voice was much higher than I had expected. “You need to be prepared for the worst.”
Mamá uttered a very low squeak and swayed. I tried to hold her up as best I could.
“Ma'am, are you all right?” The younger fireman cocked his head. Mamá crumpled like a wet cloth, and he caught her just in time.
Tears were running down my face and I wanted to scream at the men. They were wasting so much time with the river. By now, the Beast was surely gone to Timbuktu or beyond.
“She didn't fall into the river,” I said again. “The Beast came and got her.”
The older man squatted and put his hand on my shoulder. “We will find your sister, lad. But the ambulance needs to take your mother to the hospital. Is there someone you can call to pick you up?”
I shook my head. My mind was too much in turmoil to remember Dad's phone number.
“I will take care of him,” Mr. Jake said.
I was so glad to see him that I didn't even wonder where he came from. I threw my arms around him and sobbed. “It was the Beast,” I said once more.
“I know.” Mr. Jake stroked my hair until I had calmed down. Together we watched the fireman signal the ambulance closer. The paramedics injected something into my Mamá and put her on a stretcher. Then they drove away.
“I'm so sorry we're too late.” Mr. Jake squatted and hugged me, and Snoop licked my hand. “My secret alarm went off just after you left. Snoop and I tracked the Beast to this park.”
“Why didn't you give Sally a stone too?” I wiped my face and sniffed.
“I didn't think the Beast would be interested in her. So far, it has only taken kids up to ten years of age.” Mr. Jake looked tired.
“You can get her back, can't you?” My faith in Mr. Jake was enormous considering the short time I had known him. When he shook his head, I felt as if I was no longer standing on solid ground. An invisible pit had opened under me and swallowed everything that had once been good about my life.
Snoop growled. The hair in the nape of his neck rose, and he yelped at something I couldn't see.
Chapter Six
Sally: Here and Now
Worried, Sally watched as Tom put down his pen and yawned. He looked as if he hadn't slept for weeks. “Why are you in such a hurry to write this story?”
“With every passing day, the Beast grows stronger and more restless. Time is running out.” Tom stretched, walked to the window, and looked out. “The Beast knows you're here. See?”
He pointed to a black cat, prowling the perimeter of Mr. Jake's garden but keeping a safe distance from the ward. When it got too close, its form blurred and showed parts of the monster it really was. Sally hugged herself for comfort. Looking at the Beast made her feel cold despite the warmth of the room. How could she have missed seeing it before, when she was still fully human? She'd better hide. Where would be the best place?
Her gaze fell on the locket. Yes, she'd be safe there. She curled up in the soft nest of her hair. It wasn't as cozy as inside the DNA strands of her hair but only Tom could get her there.
“Sally?” Tom's whisper seemed loud in her ears. “Sally? Where are you?”
Maybe he thinks I've gone out to be eaten by the Beast. Serves him right for ignoring me all the time. She pressed her lips together.
“Sally!” There was an edge of panic in Tom's voice that tugged at her heart.
“Go away,” she said.
Tom sounded relieved. “I was worried. The Beast is still after you.” The locket snapped open and light fell on Sally.
“You're always talking about the Beast. What about me?” She shot up and hovered in front of Tom's face. “What about my feelings? I have been locked in this room for an eternity. I want to go out. I can see there is more to the world than this room.” She floated through the window but an invisible barrier catapulted her back inside, shedding blue sparks.
“I'm writing as fast as I can,” Tom said.
Sally changed her size, flopped onto the sofa and rolled onto her stomach. “You can leave when it gets dark, and sometimes in between too. Why can't I? I'm your big sister, am I not?”
“But you're also a ghost followed by the Beast,” Tom reminded her.
Sally slammed her shins on the sofa's armrests, never noticing that they didn't bounce back the way they used to when she was still a girl. “It's so boring in here. All I can do is crawl into my locket or float around the room.”
Tom's face lit up. “Snoop could play with you. Wait, I'll ask him.” He shot out of the room and clattered down the stairs. Sally wondered who Snoop was but she waited patiently. Anything was better than sitting around without anything to do. A little later, Tom returned with a sandwich and a small, white dog. Sally cocked her head because it had wings and was black. How could a dog be white but black at the same time? Sally blinked to clear this weird double vision, but the dog still didn't look any different.
“What do you want to play?” The dog's voice sounded like barking, but Sally could make out the words. Suddenly, it didn't matter what he looked like.
“Catch me if you can,” she said, and darted off.
Tom: Diary
Mr. Jake's eyes widened, and he put his hand on Snoop's collar. “Are you sure, boy?”
Snoop barked even louder. Mr. Jake fixed a leash to Snoop's collar and stood up. His face was stern. “Part of your sister is still here. We need to find her before the Beast does.”
Part of Sally? What did he mean? Had the Beast ripped off her arm? I looked around but there was no arm on the ground and no blood.
“I can't see anything,” I said.
“But Snoop can smell her. He's the best sniffer I've ever had. Let's go.” Mr. Jake took my hand, and we followed Snoop through the grass and bushes on the river bank.
I looked up at Mr. Jake. “How did she get away from the Beast?”
“She didn't,” Mr. Jake said, and I felt another pang of pain in my heart. “But something must have disturbed it before it could absorb all of her.”
I remembered how I had rushed the Beast. “Maybe the stone you gave me did it.” I told him about my attack.
He nodded. “Very likely you saved your sister from total oblivion.”
“Does that mean she'll be alright when we find her?” I tried to feel confident, but Mr. Jake's face didn't allow for hope. I remembered the sucking sensation from the Beast's attack on me and shuddered. Maybe Sally was mortally wounded. I didn't dare to ask.
Snoop squeezed through a gap in a garden fence. I wondered how we were supposed to follow him when Mr. Jake simply opened the gate. The garden was unkempt. Br
ambles, nettles and other weeds covered most of it. A bush close to the fence rustled although there was no wind.
The leash fell off Snoop although Mr. Jake hadn't touched it. The little white furball threw himself on the Beast that had been nearly invisible between the bushes. I stared at the fight. The black mass writhed and twisted but Snoop was too fast for it.
Mr. Jake grabbed my arm. “Hurry. We need to find your sister and make sure that the Beast can't get her.”
Where would I hide if I were Sally? I looked through the garden. In a corner, I discovered a ramshackle shed and pointed to it. “It's surely full of spiders and rats and mold.” I shivered.
Mr. Jake put both his hands on my shoulders and turned me until he could look right into my eyes. “Tom,” he said. “If you ever want to see your sister again, you can't afford to be afraid of minor nuisances like spiders. You have to overcome your fear to be courageous—Sally needs you. Now.”
I breathed in deeply. He was right. I had to be brave. For Sally! I approached the shed, opened the door, and squinted in the semi-darkness. Someone was sobbing in a corner.
“Sally?” I stepped in and shuddered at the touch of cobwebs on my face. I bit my lip and wiped them away before I ventured deeper into the shed. With every step, a cloud of dust rose into the air. A pile of tools clattered to the ground. I wondered how Sally had managed to get in without causing as much chaos. But she'd always been more careful.
I found her cowering in the farthest corner. She had put her face on her arms. When she heard me, her head shot up. Her eyes were full of fear until she recognized me.
“Oh, Tom.” She threw her arms around me. I felt their pressure for a second, but she stumbled right through me. My jaw dropped. Reluctantly I turned and stepped aside. Why did Sally fall though me?
Beasthunter Page 3
