He shows teeth like tombstones. “That was easy.”
I stare at my hand where a black stain has splashed me to the wrist. Dad gives me another shake and wordlessly I raise my arm to show him the Mark.
His shoulders shudder then he fixes his gaze back on Mum’s grave.
“Mum says the Darkness will come for me.”
“Your Mum isn’t here, I am and I’m not having my daughter going out and approaching strange people.”
“But what if the Darkness comes?”
“It won’t.”
“Look at my hand.” Over the last couple of days the Mark has darkened. Now it looks like a hole through my palm.
“It’s just a skin condition.” Dad won’t meet my eyes. “You’ll be fine. If I have to lock you in your room I will.”
“You have to let me out. It’s school tomorrow.”
“We’ll see.” Dad rolls awkwardly in his chair towards the living room.
I lie in bed and stare at my hand. I can’t take my eyes off it. The Mark seems to grow every time I look away.
I know the ghost is waiting outside. I’ve seen him. At least when Dad lets me out he’ll be right there. But I’m afraid it might be too late by then.
A compilation CD is playing on a loop. My ears are tuned into the sound rather than the song. I’m terrified that the noise will suddenly cut out. I know that means the Darkness is coming.
I hear the mechanical rumble of Dad’s stair lift. Then it falls silent. My heart stops.
It’s here!
No, my music is still thumping loud as ever.
My heart stutters back to life and I clutch my chest as the stair lift coughs and continues to climb.
Finally Dad rolls into my room. I lie with my back to him and refuse to turn.
“Taylor, it’s time to get up.”
“A-are you going to let me out?” Hope trembles in my voice.
“No.” The carpet shushes as Dad comes nearer. His hand falls on my back. “This is for your own good, when you see there’s no Darkness coming, you’ll be able to get better.” In the periphery of my vision I see him pick up The Tale of Oh-Fa and remove it from my bedside.
Still I cradle my fist under my chin and refuse to speak. My skin is numb where the Mark stains it. When the Darkness comes will my whole body feel the same way?
“Taylor, come to the kitchen. You have to eat something.”
I shake my head.
“I’m angry with your mum, you know.” His voice is low and I almost look at him.
“Why?” My eyes fall on a shadow on the wall and I jerk. Is it moving?
“She’s done this to you with her horror stories. I should have been stronger that day, when it all started for you. I should have taken you away.”
Staring through the dawn-brushed window I realised I was looking at the spot the ghost had occupied for those three weeks after Mum’s funeral. During the final week I didn’t eat or sleep. Dad considered hospitalising me, I know he did. But finally he relented and let me out. Luckily the killer had been easy to find and Mark, even for a young teenager, so the Darkness hadn’t taken me. It had been close though. Everywhere I looked the shadows had been trembling.
So I had around three weeks to find Justin and get him to take me to his killer.
The school corridors were quiet once more. Hush reigned where usually there would have been pre-class chaos. One of the boys from the lower school jostled me as he ran through the common room. I caught him with a frown, but he had already stopped dead with one foot raised in ridiculous apprehension. He licked his lips as he slowly put down his foot and edged between the static groups. I watched him break into a self-conscious jog as soon as the double doors closed on his back, then turned as Hannah closed her hand around my elbow.
“You’re here early.” She dragged me towards an unoccupied table. “You missed the police yesterday. They talked to us in assembly, then Tamsin went home.” She lowered her voice. “Justin's missing. Isn't it awful?”
I nodded as we skirted the news-thrilled whisperers. Then I stopped, pulling Hannah short.
Tamsin had leaped to her feet and now stood over her hags. Her blonde hair was in its usual perfect waves, but her make-up was just that little bit off, giving her face the expression of a plastic doll left too long by a roaring fire. The reddening of her cheeks added to the effect of heat-blast Barbie.
“What would you know about it?”
She slammed her hand down on the table, making books jump. Her girlfriends avoided her eye and one in particular leaned from her wrath, so unbalanced it looked like she’d fall off her chair any second.
Tamsin spun to face the rest of us. “You’re all thinking it, aren’t you? That he’s run away and it’s my fault because he was my boyfriend. Well, you’re wrong.” She tottered away from the table, fists clenched. “Anyone else want to say it? Come on.” Her eyes narrowed as she zeroed in on Hannah and me: somehow the only others standing in her eyeline. “How about you, Oh?” She angled towards me, propelled by fury. Her face thrust against mine, her hot breath slightly sour. This close I could see how the whites of her eyes had become yellowed and bloodshot. They were eyes I’d seen in the mirror often enough. She had been crying. A lot.
“You want to say something?”
For once I stepped back, my instinct to provoke dead in my throat. Tamsin placed both hands flat on my chest and tensed to shove. I raised my hands and Hannah spoke over my shoulder.
“We don’t think it’s your fault, Tamsin.” Her soft voice soothed. “No one does. They’re just trying to make sense of what’s happened.”
“You’d have been the first to say it if it was someone else,” I snapped. So maybe the bitch was still kicking in there. Behind me Hannah groaned.
Tamsin snarled and raised a hand. I knew the slap was going to land and had barely a second to brace myself for head-spinning contact. But it never came. I blinked to see Pete standing with one hand around Tamsin’s wrist.
“Get off me.” Tamsin wheeled on him. “I’m going to kill her.”
Pete tilted his head meaningfully. Behind him James stood with his arms folded, Harley at his side.
“This isn’t the time.” James’ eyes raked me from head to foot and I shuddered, feeling as if I needed a shower. “Pull it together, Tamsin.”
Slowly she nodded and Pete released her. She stepped into James’ orbit. “You’ll get yours.” Her lips twitched and James curled a big hand around her shoulder, holding her still.
“Mr Barnes wants to talk to us.” He spoke to Tamsin, but remained looking at me. “Let’s go.”
The whole common room watched as the four headed towards Mr Barnes’ office. Breathless silence persisted for a moment, only the rustling of paper and nervous clearing of throats filled the air. Then heads closed together and the gossip started up more persistent than before. Where was Justin Hargreaves? Why would he have run away? Had something sinister happened?
Only I knew that he wouldn’t be coming back. And I very much needed to speak to the dead bastard.
“Your eczema’s bad again.” Hannah poked at my glove. “Is that why you ditched school yesterday?” Her tone held a gentle accusation.
“I’m sorry, Han. It came on really fast.”
“It always does.” She rubbed her fingers through her dandelion hair. “I just wish you’d let me know. I looked for you all morning. After that assembly, I was worried.”
“I didn't realise.” I shouldered my bag. “I really am sorry.”
“You could have answered your phone, or replied to my texts. I couldn’t even concentrate on Supernatural I was so worried.”
I nodded, thinking of my phone turned to silent in my pocket the whole time I was breaking into the mariticide's house. It was late when I'd picked up Hannah's worried messages, too late to get back to her. “I can't say it won't happen again, but I'll try harder.” My heart played a panicked staccato; Hannah couldn't be mad at me.