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by Angela Blythe

  ’Well then, I’ll leave you to that fun and get on my way. Lots of stops to make,’ Wee Renee said.

  The next place had an open door most of the time. Wee Renee was visiting the Pub, and Lauren was behind the bar. Wee Renee ordered a cheese salad baguette for lunch.

  ’Listen, Lauren, I know there wasn’t a lot of fun to be had, and I might know your answer but look … something else is going on, and I have been approached to solve it. Do you think that you and Rick would like to be a part of that?’ Wee Renee asked.

  Rick now lived with Lauren. He was out at work today. Lauren’s response was unexpected but very welcome

  ’I would love to do it, Wee Renee. And I am sure Rick would too. He spoke about trying to solve some old Melden Triangle mysteries himself many times. You can count on us. It was meant to happen too, as I have cover tonight so I can be there. If there is a problem with The Grange at any time, you know you can always come here, don’t you? All of us could have our meetings here,’ Lauren said.

  ’You are kind, and we may have to take you up on that at some point,’ Wee Renee said. She took her cheese baguette and sat quietly by the fire in the pub. While she ate it, she watched the clientele come in and out. The pub was quite busy, and Lauren was constantly rushing between either the kitchen or bar. After about half an hour Wee Renee had rested and decided to make the last couple of stops.

  ’Cheerio Lauren, see you tonight,’ Wee Renee shouted. Lauren waved back, and Wee Renee went out into the damp cold afternoon.

  She called at Beryl’s but got no answer. She was probably taking Bambi for a walk. After walking up Court Street, she walked into Lee Street.

  Maurice was in, and even though she was offered a cup of tea, she declined on this stop. She told him all about it immediately.

  ’What do you think, Maurice? Do you think we should get the old gang back together? Lots of the others are interested’ Wee Renee asked.

  ’It sounds great,’ Maurice said, ‘and I’m definitely on board. Listen though, Wee Renee, if it involves a lot of walking around the Moors, I don’t think I’ll be able to do that part. You might have to just go and report back to me, my leg now is terrible. I’m going through rubbers on my stick like nobody’s business. And the Moors, it’s very uneven terrain. I’d find it hard to manage. Nevertheless, I’ll be up at The Grange tonight.’

  ’I’m calling at Freddie and Brenda’s next. Do you want me to see if they will give you a lift up?’ Wee Renee asked.

  ’That’ll be a big help if they can. It will save me a couple of painkillers tonight when I get home,’ Maurice said.

  ’Well if they can’t, I’ll call back. Take it that they will be, or I’ll get someone else like Gary to come and fetch you. Don’t worry,’ Wee Renee said.

  ‘Okay, I’ll be ready at 6:30 so that they can come and get me there for seven. Whoever turns up,’ Maurice said.

  Wee Renee set off up to Freddie and Brenda’s. Brenda had a woman in the house that was measuring them up for new curtains, so was involved with that. Brenda watched them both and could get the gist of what was going on through the glass doors into the living room as Freddie spoke to her. He was very interested and said that Brenda would be too.

  Freddie said that the pair of them had spoken at length about the fact that they wanted lots more adventures before they popped their clogs and that they would pick Maurice up on the way.

  ’Thanks very much,’ Wee Renee said.

  She came out into the drizzly afternoon. It was now after 2 o’clock. She decided that she needed some more groceries. As she walked back into the Village, she thought about how hard it was to keep the facts from these people. Her friends wanted to know everything. If she told them, there would be no point in them coming tonight. There was no doubt that they were eager!

  She wanted Tommy and Suzanne to have a good chance of telling their tale in its original form. When all her friends had agreed to join this new investigation, it meant that was that she had a lot of enthusiastic helpers. While she knew she could always bank on Pat, she was also positive about everyone else’s involvement now – many hands made light work.

  After going to the shops, she walked up the bank to her little house. Wee Renee unpacked what she had bought today. First, she would make a few phone calls before having her toast and beans. Then she would contact the people who worked, or in Bob and Adams case, were at School.

  The first person Wee Renee called was Terry in Melden. Even though he lived over there, he was a member of Friarmere Band and had been invaluable in so many ways during their past traumas. Without Terry’s help, many of her friends would have succumbed to be vampires or a vampire-werewolf hybrid.

  It was Terry who had saved them, and she would be forever grateful. Not only that but his Dentist’s Surgery had housed several of them for two nights in the gravest of dangers.

  Terry was so excited and happy to come. He also said he would contact Sally and Kathy and see if they wanted to join them. They were two other friendly and capable helpers that Wee Renee was happy to have onboard.

  Wee Renee then called Joe in the shop. Wee Renee knew he would be there until about 5.30 as the Hardware Shop seemed to open a little later than everywhere else, in case somebody needed to pick something up on their way home. He was happy to attend and said that he might call Craig and Darren.

  Next was Gary who immediately said yes. Andy and Liz would be coming, and Wee Renee also rang Carl in Melden, who definitely wanted to attend.

  She tried to call Beryl, who didn’t answer again. The last people were Sue, Tony, Bob and Adam. Wee Renee called the house, and Sue answered the phone. Without hesitation, she answered for the four of them. They would be there.

  Wee Renee looked at the evidence on her living room walls again. She thought about how she had got everyone on her heroes wish list for tonight. It would be exciting for them and also, they would hear a great tale off her neighbours. Part of their tradition recently – in their special room.

  With so many people there, Tommy and Suzanne should also feel comforted and impressed by how many people were on the case. Suzanne especially needed to be reassured in this matter.

  At about 6.45 pm they all began to descend on The Grange. They arrived in two’s, three’s and four’s in their cars. Jackie picked up Wee Renee on her way up there with Pat. Even Suzanne and Tommy put Bella in the car and drove up there, the rain was so very heavy. Who wanted to be out on a night like this?

  Everyone was congregating in the room with the big fire. To the credit of Gary and Carl, there was now a roaring crackling blaze lit, at the other side of the room. They hadn’t taken long to get that going. The gang liked to have this room either dark or just with a couple of lamps illuminated.

  When they told her tale tonight, Wee Renee thought that Tommy and Suzanne probably needed a bit of light to give them confidence. To make it all less creepy. It might be hard, to be frank about the details, in the dark and with a large unknown audience.

  When the two of them entered The Grange with Bella, Pat was just on her way through into the kitchen and saw them in the hall. She asked them to sit in the Band rehearsal room until they had all their seats sorted, so they didn’t have to hang around. Pat offered them a hot drink and said she would take it in for them. Just before she left, she turned back and chuckled.

  ‘Here Tommy, what do you think of Wee Renee’s tinsel triangle eh?’ Pat said mysteriously, raising her eyebrows at Tommy and backing out of the door.

  Tommy and Suzanne turned to the empty room with all the chairs set out in formation and took a seat on two of them.

  ‘What does she mean?’ Suzanne asked.

  ‘It’s the scary map, Suze, calm down,’ Tommy said. Now the room was quiet in the vampire’s old house. Deathly quiet.

  This actually made them a little more nervous thinking about what they had to face – similar to waiting in a Doctor’s waiting room – but worse.

  When all the ladies had got the chair
s into position, Wee Renee moved two of them. She felt the storytellers should be up at the front, close to the fire. Otherwise known as the Tommy and Suzanne party. No-one knew what to do really. This was the first time they had done all this. Pat went and got Tommy and Suzanne and they got their first look at The Dark Pennine Tales Room, as it had become known.

  Around the edges of the room, there were side tables that held various objects. Lamps, torches, piles of books and what looked like some old medical equipment. The chairs were all quite plush armchairs, mostly upholstered in velvet or leather and they all faced in a large semicircle towards the fire, which was roaring now. An enormous antique mirror was over the fire. It was slightly tilted, so faced down on them a little.

  Suzanne wondered how many times the Vampire Master had looked in there, plotting how to kill his victims, or admiring himself bathed in someone’s blood. Then she remembered they had no reflection, so thought probably never.

  The two visitors were happy to see that all the faces were smiling at them when they entered. That was something at least. The carpet was especially thick in here, and Suzanne hoped that Bella didn’t do anything naughty on it.

  ’Come in and sit down over here,’ Wee Renee said kindly, gesturing to the two chairs close to the fire. As they walked over, she introduced them.

  ‘For those of you who don’t know them, this is Tommy, Suzanne and their doggy Bella. They live a few houses down from me and had heard of our reputation as monster killers. When they came across well … … what I would say is quite a macabre set of findings, they knew they needed help. I’ll let you tell it all properly Tommy,’ Wee Renee said.

  ’Oh yes. Macabre a good description. It was not nice,’ Tommy said. Wee Renee sat back down in her chair.

  ‘You tell your tale in your own time and everyone else, could you please wait until he has finished before you ask questions,’ Wee Renee said, firmly.

  Tommy immediately began to relay the events of the previous day. Suzanne felt a little nervous to speak, so was quite happy that Tommy was telling the story. The firelight shone in his eyes. It seemed almost magical.

  After a short while, she felt able to tell them a few facts that Tommy had missed slightly. She stroked Bella’s head and was happy that the dog was with them. When Tommy had finished his tone changed, to signal the end of the story.

  ’So that’s it. What do you make of all that?’ Tommy asked.

  ’Would you like some more tea and cake before the questions?’ Brenda asked. They both said that they would, and everyone got a refill as they mulled over the facts of Tommy’s and Suzanne’s story. After they had sat enjoying their tea, looking into the fire, the questions began.

  ‘How long do you think it was watching you?’ Gary asked.

  ’Well I saw it out of the corner of my eye, and then I was so shocked that I had seen it. Tommy was trying to make conversation with me, I wasn’t replying, and then Tommy noticed it. It backed off but still followed us in the fog,’ Suzanne said.

  ‘Ah yes, I get that. But did you have a strange feeling maybe before that, and after?’ Gary asked.

  ’Do you know, I did. I had a weird feeling as soon as we got onto the Moors. I’ve been up there with Bella in the dark before, it hadn’t bothered me and what we have found earlier had not been on my mind at all. It certainly wasn’t that I was scared to see the droppings and the bone again. It’s just … as soon as we got on there, I just wasn’t comfortable,’ Suzanne answered.

  ‘If I wasn’t with Tommy, I wouldn’t have gone any further. I felt like a pervert was lurking or something. Of course, after we had seen it, we felt like it watched us all the way back. Whether it did, or it didn’t is another thing. I can’t judge it now. This morning neither me nor Bella could go there again,’ Suzanne said honestly.

  ’Yes, that’s something. What does Bella make of it all?’ Sue asked.

  ’Inquisitive about the objects at first, I would say,’ Tommy said, ‘but once we had seen it, once it had come closer she acted very strange. Her ears went down with her tail between the legs. She was not comfortable at all. She didn’t bark or whine though, which is unusual.’

  ’Thinking back,’ Freddie asked, ‘can you remember any other strange items that you have found there - before the last couple of days I mean. I don’t go up to the Moors, I have no idea what is usually strewn about. What I’m thinking is, has this been going on a long time?’

  ’It isn’t a place we go to a whole lot. We like to go down by the canal more than up there. We just did it for change. We have been up there before. As far as we are concerned, that stuff could have been there for months,’ Tommy said. ‘We haven’t found anything on our previous trips.’

  ’No, it won’t have been up there for months,’ Tony said. ‘We see people going up there quite a lot with their dogs up to the Moors when we drive over to Melden. Besides that, the footpath would be overgrown if no-one was using it. The Moors will retake that footpath easily if it’s not used. What’s the footpath like?’

  ’You’re right Tony, it’s not overgrown. It’s quite clear and bare,’ Tommy answered.

  ’A lot of ramblers go too,’ Joe stated. ‘They come into my shop sometimes to get camping items off me, and they tell me they’re going up onto the Moors. I see them go up Church Road. The way they get on there is a commonly used path.’

  ’So why now? This is all of a sudden,’ Wee Renee mused.

  ’When the thing was there, did you feel like it was a creature, you know an animal. Or I don’t know, a man in a gorilla suit or something else. Something supernatural. Something peculiar?’ Lauren asked. ‘I don’t know if I’m explaining myself right.’

  ’I know what you mean, and I would say that it is a real live thing, made of flesh and blood but something that we would consider supernatural I suppose, or unknown. Maybe mythical,’ Suzanne said, frankly to Lauren.

  Bob had been thinking about it for a while and then came up with a summation of the beast that he felt was correct.

  ’So, if you had to pigeonhole him, would you say that it is like a Bigfoot, or Yeti on the Moors?’ Bob asked.

  Suzanne and Tommy looked at each other quickly. That struck a chord with them.

  ’Yes!’ Tommy said. ‘That is a good description of it. Very tall, dark and furry, definitely dark eyes. Pointed ears, like a dog, I think. I suppose you would say humanoid, standing on two legs. Not thin. Bulky really. Just a thing of nightmare’s,’ Tommy said. Bob nodded wisely at them both.

  ’Was there a smell to it?’ Adam asked.

  ’Not as I remember. There was certainly a weird electric atmosphere though. I couldn’t smell them,’ Suzanne said, ‘but I’m glad they were far enough away that I didn’t have to definitely say no. It wasn’t a good night to judge that. There was the fog last night and that sort of smelled, and there’s the wind on the Moors. The heather and the peat and all the other stuff, now I remember it, the heather was the strongest smell. If I’m not mistaken, the wind was blowing towards it, which would mean the smell would be behind them.’

  ’Yes, that’s right,’ Tommy said.

  ’You must have talked about this last night,’ Terry said, his daughter Sally sat beside him taking it all in wide-eyed and excited. She was up for another mystery, and this was proving to be fantastic already. Sally hoped when they found it, that it didn’t disappoint her.

  ‘What do you think is going on?’ Terry asked kindly. His face looked at them both, questioningly. The firelight glinted off his bald head and reflected in his glasses.

  ’We think that something is up there. Living up there somewhere, I don’t know where, because it’s so inhospitable. Perhaps the fur comes into play for that, and they live in the open. I think it has killed at least two people because I have a feeling that the pelvis and bone were from an adult and I am sure that the doll was from a child. Even though we couldn’t find it with Wee Renee, I believe I saw it in the morning. It’s horrible. I think that they are eating the pe
ople too. That’s their food, from the state of the bone. Other than that, I don’t know. I just know that the Moors is not for us anymore and should be out of bounds for everyone else!’

  David didn’t like being told what to do. He was told what to do in work all the time and so once he got out of work, he liked to do exactly as he wanted.

  He liked to walk. He loved the freedom and the fact that he made his own decisions. Tonight, he had decided and that he would walk upon the Moors. He would stick to the footpath, he didn’t want to end up neck-deep in any bogs or getting lost.

  He wore all the proper hiking gear. David had done this before. He loved night walking. This Moor had been his friend so many times. Up here he was at one with nature. David felt like the wind blew through his mind, and it cleared it. Made him a new person. David might even say he was addicted to this feeling. He needed this tonight, to prepare him for the next day.

  When he was just a short way up the path, he heard a noise. It was an odd, grunting, pig-like noise, but he thought there were plenty of animals –a deer or a sheep, that could be making that kind of sound.

  Then he heard a growl. Again, this could be many things. There was nothing around here that was bigger than him. He was the top of the food chain. But a growl was slightly more worrying than a grunt.

  He carried on walking and tried to block it out. To his right, he started to hear something again. Now he could see it, an animal, but he couldn’t identify it as it was too far away. It was low to the ground, on all fours, dark, furry and very big. David considered that it may be a large dog. He hoped that people hadn’t been releasing their banned breeds up here and now he would have to deal with that.

  The dog seemed to be staying where it was, so he walked a few more steps. He noticed how it had followed him and seemed to be watching him closely. This actually could be quite interesting. David took out his phone and switched it onto torch mode to shine at the creature. By the time he looked away from the phone, it had disappeared.

  ’Shit,’ he said. ‘Typical.’ He put his phone in his pocket out of the rainy weather.