“And what would that be?” asked Lucas, returning from the toilets and tucking his shirt back into his trousers.
”I think we need to know what the hell is going on tonight,” Old Graham explained, “so I brought down me old radio.”
Harry slapped his hands together and congratulated the old man. “Excellent,” he said.
Now maybe we can find out just what the hell is going on with this weather and when the power will be back on.
Deep down, Harry wasn’t so sure he wanted to know.
Chapter Eleven
“What’s the plan?” asked Ben. His body had transitioned from shivering to full-blown quaking now. It felt as if the very air were made of ice. “We need to get out of here soon. I’m freezing”
Jerry nodded agreement, his face lit by one of the dusty candles that Ben had found in the bottom drawer of a backroom filing cabinet. His arm was still around Jess’ waist; she didn’t seem to mind currently, but Ben suspected that if she’d not had a fright earlier her need for personal space may have been greater.
“Guess we should grab the beers from the office and try to make it back to yours,” Jerry said, shrugging his arms.
Nice try, thought Ben. He was fully aware of his friend’s lame attempts to create a social situation in which he could get Jess drunk, but he wasn’t about to play along. “Leave the beers behind, okay? They’ll only slow us down. Let’s get Jess home, then we’ll go back and crash at mine. I’ve got to be back here tomorrow morning so no parties.”
Jerry’s face sagged and his lower lip drooped like a mackerel’s. “Well, it would only be polite to invite Jess back as well. She may want company after the night she’s had.”
The two boys turned their attention to Jess and the girl began to fluster. “Well,” she said. “I should…you know…really get back to my mum and dad. They’ll worry otherwise. Another time though, yeah?”
Ben smiled as Jerry did the opposite.
Like I said, nice try.
“I think that’s sensible,” said Ben. “Where is it you live, Jess?”
“Birmingham Road, just past Mappleborough Green. You know it?”
Ben nodded. “Yeah, it’s on our way. I live just past it.”
Jess pulled away from Jerry’s grasping arm and clapped her hands together. “Great. We should probably get going then.”
In agreement, the three of them gathered their things and prepared to get going. Ben got the store’s keys from the shelf below the counter and locked the rear fire exit. Then they made their way to the front entrance. Ben would be unable to set the store’s alarm, but seeing as it was freezing, half-ten at night, and nobody’s mobile phone worked, he was pretty sure his father would let him off this one time.
Pretty sure…
“Wrap up warm,” Ben advised everyone as he ushered them out, pulling closed the thick glass fire-door behind them. He inserted the key in the lock and turned it, before pulling it out again and placing it back in his jean pocket. “Ready?” he asked.
Jess and Jerry nodded.
They made their way forward into the snowfield that had been a public footpath only yesterday. It now seemed more like arctic tundra than a paved urban area. The wind continued to pick up plumes of snow that gathered on the air in wispy spirals. Ben had no hood on his jacket; he had to cover his face with a hand in order to keep the airborne snowflakes out of his nose and mouth. At the same time, his booted feet were getting numb as he kicked and heaved through the thick slush.
“I can’t believe how bad it’s gotten,’ Ben commented.
Jess replied. “I know. It’s really scary! The snow was bad last year, too, but this is like the end of the world or something.”
Jerry’s expression lit up. “Like The Day after Tomorrow. I totally said that earlier.”
Jess sniffed, then said, “I wasn’t being literal, but, as I recall, humanity survived in that one, didn’t they?”
Ben laughed. “She’s got you there!”
“Yeah, well, it was the end of the world for the two thirds of the population that didn’t make it. Try telling them that humanity as a whole would make it.”
“Maybe I would,” said Ben. “If not for the fact they were all fictional characters.”
“Dude, that movie was totally based on science. It could happen.”
Ben wiped his face clean of snow and took a deep breath. Once his lungs had air, he said, “Jurassic Park was based on science too. Does that mean we could get attacked by dinosaurs any minute?”
Jerry jumped up and down in mock outrage (the only kind of outrage he was capable of in Ben’s experience). The snow crunched and gave way beneath his feet. “Dude, don’t even get me started on Jurassic Park. That shit is less than ten years away. I swear to you that when we’re middle-aged we’ll be taking our kids to ride T-Rex and big-ass Brontosauruses.”
Jess began laughing. “Is this what you two are like all the time? You crack me up!”
They both blushed. Ben hated when Jerry got him involved in one of his asinine nerd-fiction routines. It had been embarrassing him his whole life. It was his own fault though; sometimes he just couldn’t resist winding Jerry up. It was one of life’s few pleasures.
“You know what?” said Jess, still giggling. “If we stop by my house, I can leave a note for my parents. I’ll crash at yours like you said. It could be fun.”
Jerry’s face lit up and, if Ben was honest, he too was pleased at the thought of having Jess back to his place; she seemed pretty cool. All they had to do now was make it home – which, right now, seemed easier said than done.
###
Ten minutes later, Jerry had to stop. Jess wasn’t thrilled about it because somewhere in the snow was the tall, hooded man that had frightened the life out of her earlier. She was certain of what she’d seen.
Well, pretty sure anyway.
“Dude, I can’t see two inches in front of me!” Jerry bumped into the back of Ben, sending them both into a stagger, the deep snow making it hard to keep balance.
Jess laughed at them. “Come on, Ant and Dec. I’m freezing my tits off here.”
Jerry regained his balance, pushing against Ben’s shoulders to steady himself. Ben huffed, most likely irritated that he was being used as a steadying post.
“Hey, if you want me to warm them up for you,” said Jerry with a smirk, “just let me know.”
“Nice try,” she said. “But I’m not as easy as that.”
Ben chuckled and pointed at his friend. “Wounded!”
“Hey, she said she wasn’t easy – not impossible.”
“Well, I must admit that’s closer than you get with most girls.”
“You ain’t so hot yourself, Gandalf.”
“I told you to stop calling me tha-”
“Children, children,” Jess interjected. “Put away the testosterone and try to remember I’m not a Star Wars figurine. I don’t like being fought over, and my packaging stays on.”
“Worth more like that anyway,” Jerry muttered. “Besides, I thought most girls liked being fought over.”
Jess stopped walking and put her hands on her hips. “Well, I’m not most girls.”
The three of them shared a laugh and they continued struggling onwards, crunching their footprints into the twinkling snow. The increasing blizzard made it difficult to see – and to hear – but they all saw clearly the shadowy silhouette standing before them.
Jess froze at the sight. Earlier, when she had been pounding on the door of the video shop, begging to be let in, she had been terrified, but during her time with Ben and Jerry she’d come to the conclusion that perhaps she had just been spooked – or maybe even a little bit insane. Now though, she was certain that what she’d seen earlier was very much a reality; not a figment of her imagination. The same hooded figure now towered over her like a prison wall, making escape seem impossible. Beneath its grey cowl, the same glowing white eyes were studying her once again. The figure must have cleared seven feet – maybe even eight – and was looking down at them all like children. A long, tattered cloak covered its entire body from head to snow (its feet were not visible).