A Spectre in the Stones

by John Kitchen

  The professor was wandering around with Justin. They were looking at where the inner circle used to be. They were deep in talk, and Lloyd was thinking as he watched them – layers of thought.

  At the top of his consciousness were ideas about the disrupted ley lines, and the stones from Brookley Henge, plundered and used to build Sarson Hall. But lower down, where his thoughts were more random and harder to define, nebulous ideas flitted around, evasive thoughts that were out of his control, and, in these, he wanted to be talking to the professor like Justin, about his own big hypothesis, thrashing out his own ideas. And, sliding among the half-defined dreams was Jenny, and the house in Highgate village and Hampstead Heath – picnics and football, laughing and… He struggled to blank those thoughts, trying to concentrate on the henge and the ley lines.

  James came and sat beside him. “There was certainly a double henge here,” he said. “Justin tells me you spotted that.”

  “Yeah, you could tell where the stones had been. It’s like someone’s massacred the place. Didn’t the Tudors have no respect for ancient monuments?”

  The professor laughed. “That’s a fairly recent development in the human psyche. And there isn’t much of it around even now.”

  Lloyd wriggled into a more comfortable position. “While you was out there,” he said, “I’ve been trying to get my head around all this and I think I got a new idea. It’s like – I been trying to fit all the pieces together.”

  James looked at him, and it was weird how Lloyd could read people’s looks. When Dave looked at him, his eyes showed that supercilious arrogance, and with Justin it was like, warmth – a kind of welcoming embrace, but with the professor it was different. The look was more… interest and… respect.

  “That’s exactly what you should be doing,” he said. “I’m still trying to take it in, but you’ve been living with this for the past two weeks. You’ll have more of an idea where the pieces fit.”

  “Not till you said about Sarson Hall being made out of stones from up here, I didn’t,” Lloyd said. “But now I’ve got, like, this theory.”

  Justin eased them up so he could sit on the stone as well.

  “It’s tied up with the other theory, the one I told you before – how these stone circles sort of direct the ley lines. It’s like, they’re power points. Do you see what I’m saying?”

  James nodded.

  “Well, say these power points work like magnets – because there are forces like that in the earth, isn’t that right? I mean, Earth is like one big magnet, isn’t it?”

  “Absolutely,” James said.

  “Well, what I been thinking is this. We got this ley line, right? Running up from Stonehenge, no problem. But, then, there isn’t no line running on to Avebury – and I couldn’t figure why. I mean, there are some stones here. The magnet wouldn’t be so strong, but it’s still here.”

  James leaned forward. He looked at the ground and he was nodding.

  “Well this is my theory, right? Because the stones was shipped over to Sarson Hall – en masse like, it’s like – the main magnet has moved, and now there are these two forces working on the ley lines, the one up here and the one down at Sarson Hall.”

  “There are three, really,” James said. “Because we’ve still got Avebury, don’t forget.”

  “I didn’t think of that. But – well – if that’s three forces, it’s like the ley line don’t know where to go no more, and that’s how it’s got broken up. I mean, it’s all in pieces in that field next to the henge, isn’t that right, Justin? And it’s all in pieces around Sarson Hall. I bet we could find bits of it all the way from here to the hall if we tried, all messed up.”

  “And possibly running all the way to Avebury?” James said.

  “What do you reckon, Rudi?” said Lloyd.

  Rudi grinned. “I reckon you’re a genius,” he said, and they laughed. But the professor was still mulling over the theory.

  “What can we do about it, then?” he said suddenly.

  Lloyd sat up. “You asking me, man?”

  “Of course I’m asking you. It’s you that’s come up with the idea.

  I can’t think of a more capable guy to work on a solution, can you?”

  Justin looked at Lloyd and he had his warmest smile on. “And I’m telling you, Lloyd – that, coming from the professor, is just about the biggest compliment you could ever hope for.”

  “Is that right?” said Lloyd. “Do you rate me, then?”

  James gave an enigmatic shrug. “Justin knows me better than most,” he said. “You just get your head around the solution – like you did the theory. And we’re here to help you – me, Justin, Rudi. But it’s you that’s got the links with the paranormal, and you’re the one who can divine ley lines. We’ve got to accede to you.”

  It was almost too much. It was pushing him into isolation and, if he was honest, all he wanted now was to be one in a team. “That’s a big ask, man,” he said. “It’s not doing me no favours neither. I know I do stuff independent like – but – I need help with this.”

  “We’ll be around, don’t worry,” James said. “I told you, we’ll support you every which way. All I want you to do is carry on developing your theories, keep thinking things through just like you’ve been doing.”

  They made their way back to the car, leaving the stones stark against the darkening sky and, all of a sudden, Lloyd shivered. The full grimness of Sarson Hall had grabbed him again.

  When they got back the bleak edifice was there, imposing itself, a monolith in its own right, blocking out the last dregs of daylight, and, in spite of the weekend, with its dazzling sunshine and the fun of being with James and Jenny, he was now held in the grip of the place again.

  Caitlin was waiting, sitting on the step and, even in the gloom, he could see the tell-tale hollows around her eyes and the distress of sleeplessness. Under the mop of hair her face looked pale and bloodless – and he knew he had to get to her.

  James stood beside the car, looking around at the grounds and he rubbed his hands uneasily. At last he said, “Well, guys, I think I must make tracks. Tutorials and lectures in the morning, and a big consultation with a Ph.D. student.” He was holding out his hand and Lloyd took it. Suddenly he was in awe of this guy, and he had this uneasy feeling that James was slipping through his grasp. He was going back to London and his Ph.D. students and Lloyd couldn’t compete with that… but he needn’t have worried. As he took the professor’s hand, James suddenly pulled him towards him wrapping him in a huge hug, just like he’d done with Justin up at the British Museum. He did the same with Rudi too, and then he said, “It’s been really fantastic, boys. I hope we’ll be seeing lots more of you.”

  He hugged Justin then. “Keep in touch,” he said. “And see to it you get these boys back up to London as soon as you can.”

  The doubts melted. It was going to be okay.

  “It might be an idea to make a trek next weekend,” he added. “Between here and Brookley Henge – see if Lloyd’s fragmented ley line theory works. Could you manage that, do you think?”

  Justin nodded. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”

  “See you do,” James said, and then he grinned. “I’d best go and pay my respects to your Housefather… remind me?” He looked at Justin.

  “Dave Trafford.”

  “Ah, yes, Mr Trafford,” said James. “Now boys, let me know what happens next weekend.” He put an arm around Lloyd again and smiled. “And you keep up the good work, young man. You’re doing amazing things here.” Then he bounced up the steps, past Caitlin, and he waved.

  “Thanks again, Mister,” Lloyd said, and Rudi’s voice chimed in.

  “Yes, thanks.”

  Justin was moving towards his van. “See you tomorrow?” he said. And it was all disintegrating – but there was new stuff for Lloyd to be working on… and there were memories. No way would those memories ever melt away.

  First, though, there was Caitlin.

  “
I got to talk to her,” he said. “And full respect to you, Rudi, man, but it’s best I do it on my own. You know what she’s like.”

  Rudi nodded. “That’s okay. I’ll go up and unpack the case, shall I?” And Lloyd gave him a probing stare, but he was grinning.

  “You know what it means if I say yes to that?” he said. “It means I must trust you like I never trusted no one. Because that travel case is real special.”

  “So?” Rudi said, grinning back. “Shall I unpack it?”

  “As long as you keep your thieving hands off my jazzy boxers.”

  Rudi skipped up the steps and Lloyd headed for Caitlin, but when he sat down, she hardly moved.

  “You okay?” he said.

  She clasped her chin into her cupped hands. “You got to be down there tonight,” she said. “You got to stop me doing that sleepwalking stuff.”

  “Did the ghost give you a bad time?”

  She shook her head. “I kept myself awake all night, didn’t I?” There was a flat weariness in her voice. “I tried reading – and I was pacing up and down. I never got in bed once. I listened to my iPhone and I barricaded my door with chairs and my wardrobe.”

  “You shifted that wardrobe? All on your own?”

  “I thought, if I did that and I started sleepwalking – with all that stuff in front of the door, I couldn’t get out.”

  “That’s real rough, man,” he said, and he put a hand over hers. It wasn’t an instinctive move. It demanded even more courage than he’d needed to face the ghost. He was afraid she’d pull away – but she didn’t. Instead she turned her hand gently under his and let her fingers close around his hand and she was staring blankly across to the skeletal trees.

  A surge of blood sent him dizzy when she gripped his hand, and there was a moment’s confusion. He didn’t know what to say.

  “You haven’t got no more worries,” he mumbled at last, and his voice caught in his throat. “I’ll be there like – tonight and every night from now on.”

  She turned and looked at him. She had long, curling eyelashes. He’d noticed them before, but the impact was stronger this evening. “You’re not a bad kid, Lloyd Lewis,” she said and then, with a movement that was as ephemeral as the touch of a bird’s wing, she brushed his cheek with her lips and, at the same second, released her grip. Then she stood up and slipped back into the house.

  For a few minutes, he didn’t move.

  There were so many things in his head – so many things that were happening to him – all new and all at once… but still nothing was straightforward.

  He kept a low profile for the rest of the evening. He and Rudi told Martin about London and James and Jenny Appleyard, but it all seemed to flow over him again. Friday night had been a wake-up call, but Saturday and Sunday seemed to have reinstated his apathy, and there was only a laconic half interest.

  They went down to the television lounge, but Craig Donovan had the controls and Lloyd noticed he was trying to catch his eye. He carefully avoided looking at him, and when he went to bed, he was certain Craig would be there in the morning, and that was a big distraction.

  The events of the weekend had fallen around him like an avalanche – getting involved with the professor, the trip to London, finding out why the ghost was parading around Sarson Hall instead of up at Brookley, coming up with his new theory, being told by James to get it sorted… and that was the hardest bit. He’d hoped for guidance from the professor, but at least he’d still have Justin. That was the one constant in his life – Justin and Rudi.

  He’d have Justin’s support with Craig Donovan, too.

  He was certain Craig had another kid lined up. The guy had been turning himself inside out to catch Lloyd’s eye in the television lounge. He was beginning to suspect what Craig was up to as well – and it repelled him.

  As he lay there, the delinquency that raged beyond the bedroom door burnt itself out and, once again, only the embers of chaos were left – groans of uneasy sleep, creaking floors, unnatural banging in the rooms, the sickly stench, and after the uneasy peace had fully instated itself, he crept into the passage.

  The elements in the North Wing were in riot again, but, this time, he understood why. The building had displaced the earth’s forces and the earth was rising up in protest.

  At the end of the passage, in the eerie moonlight, he saw Caitlin.

  It was something of a routine now, steering her back to bed, but it was also something he was strangely comfortable with. In fact, he liked doing it. He liked holding her shoulders and guiding her. He liked the gentle motion of manoeuvring her onto her bed and pulling the duvet over her. He liked running his fingers through her hair, seeing the half-hooded glances. He looked forward to it, because it always left him with an inexplicable contentment.

  This time he bent down and brushed his lips against hers and, as he did so, he sensed a slight flutter – just the hint of movement from her lips.

  The ghost didn’t show again, and, once more, that disappointed him. He’d broken so much new ground and he wanted to tell the Beaker man. In a way, its absence reinforced his dilemma. James Appleyard wasn’t giving him any guidance and now, neither was the ghost – and, next morning, his worst fears about Craig Donovan were confirmed.

  All through breakfast he could sense his eyes boring into him and, as they were leaving, he forced himself to face up to the fact, and he looked directly back.

  Craig jerked his head towards the stairs and made for the landing.

  “You’re getting the hang of this,” he said.

  “I knew you was trying to catch my eye last night,” said Lloyd. “You got more homework?”

  “Yeah, tomorrow.”

  Lloyd nodded. “That’s no problem,” he said. “But I been thinking. I reckon it would be easier if you gave me the envelope tonight. I can keep it in my bag, no sweat. I mean, Rudi and Martin aren’t going to see it in there, are they? And it would be less hassle than trying to get down the showers in the morning. There’s too much stuff going on in the morning and you know what Christine’s like. She goes crazy when we turn up late, and, if we both keep turning up together, she’s going to start making connections.”

  “That’s good thinking,” Craig said. “If that’s okay with you – keeping the stuff in your room – and you’re sure the other kids won’t get hold of it?”

  “No way, man,” Lloyd said. “I’ll put it right down the bottom of my bag.”

  Craig’s grey eyes were still cold. There was a lot of malice there, and he was staring too hard into Lloyd’s face.

  “You carry on like this, black boy, and it won’t be long before we start working as a team,” he said. “I could start cutting you in if you do this stuff right.”

  “No sweat,” Lloyd said. “Give me the stuff down the shower room – soon as we get back, okay? I’ll keep my bag with me so I can stash it.”

  He began to retreat towards the stairs and Craig waited. He’d clearly taken on board what Lloyd had said about them being seen together.

  “Meet me, break, so I can show you the kid,” he said.

  It nagged at the back of Lloyd’s head all day though, because he wasn’t certain he could rely on Dave.

  But he was going through with it. No way was he going to spend the rest of his life being Craig Donovan’s errand boy and he wasn’t going to get involved with the kind of stuff the guy was in to, either.

  From now on it was going to be “The Lloyd Lewis Show.” He’d decided that. If he didn’t take control – of Craig, and the ghost – then, no one else would. That was certain.

  He picked up the envelope after school and made a big show of putting it at the bottom of his bag.

  There was no hint of suspicion either. It looked as if Craig was warming to him – but Craig was down there below the average slug, and this thing had to be stopped.

  He took the bag to his bedroom and retrieved the envelope. Then, shoving it into his back pocket, he went into the grounds to find Justin.r />
  Justin was by the mound, and he was staring at it. “Did you say the ghost seemed to react when you mentioned this hill?” he said.

  “Yeah. He sort of mouthed off this load of stuff and it was like he got quite emotional about it.”

  Justin scuffed with his foot. “There’s something in there,” he said. “We’ll have to take a look some time.”

  “Could we make it tomorrow?” said Lloyd. “Because I got other stuff in my head right now. I got to do another delivery for Craig Donovan. I got the envelope.” He pulled it out and shoved it in Justin’s direction.

  Justin lay the spade down and took it and his face darkened. He turned it over, running his hand across its surface. Then he put it to his ear and shook it. “Do you know what this is?” he said.

  They wandered over to a felled tree trunk and sat down. “I think I got an idea,” said Lloyd.

  “I think it’s cannabis. He’s dealing,” Justin said.

  “That’s what I thought. And it’s stuff like that what killed my mother.”

  He handed the envelope back.

  “Aren’t you going to open it?” he said, but Justin shook his head.

  “You’ve got to take it to Dave unopened. If it’s open when Dave gets it, Craig will say you planted the stuff.”

  “What have I got to do?” Lloyd stared at the envelope. “It don’t feel like there’s anything bulky in there.”

  “It’ll be taped to paper – spread thinly – but I’m certain that’s what it is. You just go and see Dave – tell him what’s going on. Say you’re suspicious about the envelope. I mean, you know Craig isn’t doing kids’ homework, so there’s got to be something else. Play the innocent though. Don’t let on you suspect that it’s drugs. Let Dave find that out for himself.”

  “Say he asks how I come to be doing this stuff for Craig?”

  “Well, how did you?” Justin said.

  “He caught me late one night in the computer room, didn’t he? I was Googling poltergeists – like you said. He told me he’d report me to Dave, and I’d already been gated – so I couldn’t risk it.”