I tore my eyes from the poster, wondering if James even remembered what happened to Icarus at the end of the story.
“We’re all here?” James cast his green-eyed gaze around the circle of plastic chairs. For the first time I noticed Pete leaning against the back wall. He was the only one who wasn’t lowering his hand from the winner’s salute.
I nodded towards him. He didn’t nod back.
James walked towards me. I hadn’t actually realised how strong he was until he grabbed my arm. I wanted to turn to Justin, but James was dragging me towards an empty chair in the middle of the circle. “Sit here.”
I sat and tried to ignore the sensation of all those eyes on me, but the pressure of the hostile gazes made my skin itch. The light from the single hatched window fell on my face and I shifted. As I moved a hand squeezed my shoulder. I jerked and looked up. It was Justin. I exhaled.
James sniggered. “Everything alright, Oh? You seem jumpy.”
“A fly in my hair.” I wriggled to get more comfortable. “Now what?”
There were two chairs still empty; one next to Tamsin, the other next to Harley. Harley lounged back with eyes half-closed; he wasn’t expecting anything of interest to happen. His curls lay flat against his head, and his arms were folded. He made no move at all when Pete dropped into the chair next to him and sat with his fists in his lap.
James took the seat next to Tamsin and her hand immediately crept onto his thigh, her nails tickling his leg in a very familiar gesture. Next to me Justin stiffened. They’d found his body only a short while ago. She hadn’t grieved for long.
“Pete, you’re proposing Taylor for membership of the V club.”
Pete nodded tightly and the light caught his shaved head. I tried to catch his eye, but he didn’t look at me.
“Anyone second the motion?” James stretched lazily and threw one hand behind Tamsin’s chair. She said nothing.
Around me cloth rustled as the others prepared to get up and leave. It was over. I’d never find Justin’s killer.
Then Tamsin stood up. Her fingers trailed up James’ torso, lifting his shirt slightly as she rose. Then she posed; one hand on her jutting hip, the other on James’ shoulder.
“I’ll second.” She pouted as an incredulous chorus shattered the quiet. “But Jamie, will you let me set the dare? Just for tonight.”
The others fell quiet. They’d seen through her, just as I had. This was nothing more than a way to torment me more. She was convinced I’d fail her dare. Their appreciation bit the air.
James frowned. “You know the rules.”
Tamsin walked her fingers up his neck. “I’ve got a really good one and don’t I have a few points saved up?”
James hung his head, thinking. Then finally he nodded. “Majority decides – if the club agrees, we’ll suspend the rule for tonight.” He looked around the group. Most nodded quickly, their faces feral with anticipation. Only Pete shook his head. I closed my gloved fist over the Mark on my palm.
21
THE STUPIDEST THING I’D EVER DONE
I stood with my toes just over the yellow line and allowed another train to speed by without me. The passengers stared at me with sullen incomprehension: why wouldn’t I want to cram myself into the carriage with them?
Sweat was pouring off me and I did a little jog on the spot. Crowded as the station was, I wasn’t even looking for ghosts. I was about to do the stupidest thing I’d ever done. Ever.
I hunched my shoulders and glanced along the platform. A little way down, so it didn’t look like we were together, James, Harley, Tamsin and Pete were standing in a group. Harley had his video phone out but he’d just turned it off, again. They were getting impatient.
How long did I have before they decided I’d failed the dare?
“I don’t think you should do this.” Justin hopped up and down behind me.
I ignored him. A bunch of late night commuters sprinted down the steps, glanced at me standing so close to the edge of the tunnel, then barrelled past, slowing only when they saw the display. Three minutes till the next Northern line train. They had time.
Of course, sometimes the displays were wrong.
I looked down at the yellow line again. It stood out, seemingly the only real colour in the filthy tunnel. There were posters on the walls opposite, flanking the station sign: large curved boards advertising Jack Daniels whiskey and “five star hotels at three star prices” in Sharm el-Sheik.
The picture on the Jack Daniels board was black and white anyway. The pyramids on the holiday board must have been bright once. Now the colours were muted and smeared with soot. My eye followed the curve of the tunnel down to the track. Black metal shone in oily lines. My feet trembled.
I leaned so that I could see a little way into the tunnel. It was a black hole, shuddering with the sound of distant trains, the stonework so stained I could barely see the pattern of interlocking bricks. A flash of movement beneath a rail drew my eyes to a small group of mice. There were probably rats in there as well.
In order to come down here I’d travelled on what Tamsin was quick to remind me was the longest escalator on the underground system. I’d felt sick and dizzy all the way, clutching the black rubber hand rail as the moving stair took me down and further down into the earth. I felt as though I’d been swallowed.
Crisp packets moved on the tracks, whipped up inside a sudden cyclone. The mice scurried away and another train appeared in front of me. I rocked back on my heels and Justin steadied me as doors opened a few steps down from where I stood.
A flood of people emerged, jostling, ignoring one another. The commuters who had run past me leaped on. The doors slammed with a high-pitched beep and the train heaved off again.
This time the display said three and a half minutes. I only had to stay in the tunnel for twenty seconds. I’d have three minutes to get there and back before the next train. If I was going, I had to go now.
I rocked forward and Harley raised his phone, but my feet wouldn’t move.
“You’re doing it, aren’t you?” Justin hopped again. “I wish you wouldn’t.”
“I have to,” I hissed.
“If you’re going, you have to go now.”
“I can’t move.” I glanced at Tamsin. She was openly laughing at me. “I can’t let them see me like this.” Tears came into my eyes. “I can’t fail in front of them.”
Justin swore viciously then exhaled. “I’m only doing this because… well, you’ll thank me later.”
Then he shoved me off the platform.
I shrieked as I stumbled forward and my feet met air. Then the back of my head smacked into the rim, my feet thudded on the ground and my shocked ankles collapsed. I shunted forward onto my hands and knees and gasped as my hands closed on the metal tracks.
Above me I heard panicked cries and a woman’s scream.
“Quick, take my hand.”
I looked up. A man leaned over the edge of the platform and his tie fluttered in the breeze that told me a train was moving somewhere. The whites of his eyes showed as he jerked his arm. “Reach for me.”
Justin landed next to me. “You’re here now. Do this fast.”
Tears wet my cheeks as I staggered to my feet. I looked into the tunnel. It was black as the Darkness. The Darkness could be just a few steps away waiting for me to come to It. My pulse raced until it felt like my chest was about to burst open. The only chance I had to save myself was to go into the dark. So I groaned and ran into the tunnel.
Ten steps in, that was the challenge. As I ran Justin ran with me, counting. “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Stop, Taylor.”