Chapter 6 In the ambulance
Joy
held her head in her hands as the ambulance went over one speed hump after
another.
Then
she took her hands away from her head and said, “Oh, Dave, what about the
party? The sandwiches are still by the front door.”
“I’ll
text Dad and the others. One of them can go and get them.”
“They
won’t get a signal in the caves.”
“You’re
right. OK, I’ll phone the caves landline.”
“Thanks,
love.”
“It’s
OK.”
Dave
took out his mobile and dialled the number.
Emma
was in the staffroom making a pot of tea. She picked up the caves landline
phone when it rang.
“Smugglers Adventure…” she said.
“Emma?
It’s me, Dave. Can you ask Jack and Steve to go to Steve’s house and pick up
the sandwiches? Joy left them by the front door ... No, it’s better if they
both go. ... Joy’s house has been burgled ... yes ... yes, but Joy’s worried
about messing up Madeleine’s party ... yes ... no, we can’t come to the caves
... Joy was pushed over. She hit her head. ... Yes, we’re in an ambulance. I’ll
stay with her ... yes, see you.”
He
put his mobile in his pocket.
“Thanks,
Dave,” said Joy.
“Can
you see any better now?” he asked.
“Yes,
it was just the numbers on the phone. They’re so small. I’m all right. Thanks for dialling for me.”
“It’s
easy with the little bump on the five. Once you feel that, you know where all
the numbers are.”
“Is
there a bump on the five on my phone?”
“Yes.
It’s on every phone apart from touchscreens.”
“Oh,
right. ... Dave, why did you leave the party? Did you come to get the
sandwiches?”
“No.
I came to find you. And I was fed up. I didn’t want to stay in the caves. I
hate the way people treat me sometimes.”
“But
your friends don’t...”
“No,
it was this weird girl I met today. One minute she grabbed me and wouldn’t let
go, and then later she pretended she wasn’t there. But she was so near me that
I could feel her breath. But later on she walked all the way along the Monks’
Walk with me.”
“Who
was she?”
“I
don’t know. All she said was ‘nook’.”
“Nook?”
“Yes.
... Oh, I think we’re at the hospital.”
The
ambulance engine had been switched off. A paramedic came and opened the doors
to let them out.
Joy covered her eyes
as the paramedic helped her out into the sunshine.
Chapter 7 The West Hill Ghost
Joy
and Dave had to wait a long time in the Accident and Emergency waiting room.
When
a nurse led Joy to a cubicle to be checked, Dave stayed in the waiting room.
“Hi,”
a man’s voice said. “Do you mind if I sit next to you?”
“No,
that’s fine,” said Dave.
“You
work at the Smugglers Adventure, don’t you?”
Dave
nodded.
“They
say it is haunted.”
“Yes,
they do,” said Dave.
“Have
you ever seen a ghost there?”
Dave
held up his folded white stick in answer.
“Ah,
yes, you are blind. But have you ever heard about the ghosts there?”
Dave
didn’t answer.
“They
say there is a girl who walks the West Hill. She walks there day and night,”
the man went on. “Sometimes she wears an old blouse and trousers. Other times
she wears a silky dress...”
“Listen,”
Dave said, holding up his folded white stick again. “I haven’t seen anything or
anyone for a very long time. And I don’t believe in ghosts.”
Joy
came out of her cubicle and walked over to Dave.
“I’m
all right, Dave,” she said. “I just have to make sure I don’t fall asleep for
the next few hours. Oh. ...Who are you?”
She
was looking at the man sitting on the plastic chair next to Dave. She frowned
when she saw a tattoo on his arm. She felt as if she’d seen it before
somewhere, only smaller and slightly different.
“My
name is Enver,” the man said.
“I
guessed that. Your name is tattooed on your arm.”
“Ah,
you noticed. Anyway, Dave and I were just talking about the West Hill ghost.”
“What
West Hill ghost?”
“The
girl who walks day and night, night and day...”
“Come
on, Joy. Let’s get a taxi,” said Dave.
“We
will meet again,” said Enver. “And perhaps then you will tell me if you have
seen … I mean if you have heard or smelt it.”
“Heard
or smelt what?”
“It. The ghost.”
Chapter 8 We kill them
As
the taxi drove into Collier Road, Joy saw a police car pull away from outside
Jack’s house, which was next door to hers.
“We
just missed the police, Dave,” Joy said.
“Do
you want me to drive to them?” asked the taxi driver. “They have stopped at the
end of the road.”
“No,
don’t worry, love,” said Joy. “I’m too tired to talk to them.”
The
taxi driver stopped outside Jack’s house.
“Oh,”
he said. “It’s number 28. You said 27 when you called for a taxi.”
“Yes,
27. That’s right.”
“But
the police came out of 28.”
“Oh,
maybe they were asking Jack’s dad about the burglary...”
“Burglary?”
“Yes,
my house was burgled.”
“Ah,
in my country we do this if someone burgles our house.” The taxi driver drew
his index finger across the base of his neck.
“What
do you do?” asked Dave.
“Ah,
sorry. You cannot see. We kill them if we catch them. Well, we don’t really.
But we get very angry.”
“Which
country are you from?”
“Albania.
... Oh, here are your neighbours.”
Jack
and his dad came and helped Joy out of the taxi while Dave paid the driver.
“Are
the sandwiches still by the door?” asked Joy. “I’m really hungry.”
“No,
sorry, Joy. We took them to the caves and ate quite a lot of them. There were
some left over, but we left them there. We decided to clear up tomorrow ...
Joy, our house has been burgled.”
“What?
Yours too? How did the burglar get in?”
“Well,
there’s no sign of a break-in.”
“The woman who burgled
my house used front door keys,” said Joy. “I just can’t work out how she got
keys that fit my front door locks.”
Copyright text © 2013 Fiona
Cullen
All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 9781492309604
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