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Authors: Benjamin Hulme-Cross
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frame. Mary looked in the mirror and saw something coming, behind them.
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âLook out!â cried Mary. The two stone crows were flying through the air towards them. Mr Blood raised his spear and Mary threw herself to the floor. As she fell, the rope that tied her to Mr Blood pulled him over too.
The crows screeched overhead and smashed into the mirror. Glass and stone pieces tumbled to the floor and then the corridor was silent again.
In place of the broken mirror, they now saw a set of narrow stairs.
Mr Blood led the way up to a door at the top of the stairs. He opened it and they both stepped through into a large, cold room.
Edgar lay on a slab of stone in the middle of the room. He wasnât moving.
A huge crow sat on his chest. Blood dripped from its beak. There were wounds to Edgarâs neck. The screech of the crow grew louder and louder.
Mr Blood and Mary dropped their spears and fell to their knees, covering their ears to block out the evil sound. The crow opened its beak wider and wider. Mary felt that the screeching sound was drilling right into her brain.
She reached down for her spear. The crowâs great, black eyes seemed to grow wider. Mary hurled the spear.
It flew at the crowâs open beak and went down its throat. The screech stopped at once.
The candles blew out and the sound of wings came back. Mary felt feathers on her face. She screamed until the sound of wings stopped.
Mr Blood lit his candle and Mary held her breath.
The floor was covered in black feathers and black blood. The crow was dead. And Edgar was slowly sitting up.
âWhy did the house send you the letter?â asked Mary as they walked away from Crow Hall.
âI fear it had evil plans. It wanted more victims,â said Mr Blood.
âAnd it nearly had one,â said Edgar rubbing his neck.
âBut how can a house become evil?â asked Mary.
âSometimes, when terrible evil has taken place in a house, the house itself becomes a force for evil,â said Mr Blood.
âSo the crows were just the form the evil took?â asked Mary.
âYou are wise,â said Mr Blood smiling at her. âAnd you are brave,â he said to Edgar. Edgar gave a broad grin.
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First published 2015 by
A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP
www.bloomsbury.com
Bloomsbury is a registered trademark of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Copyright © A & C Black 2015
Text copyright © Benjamin Hulme-Cross 2015
Illustrations © Nelson Evergreen 2015
The moral rights of the author have been asserted.
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers
A CIP catalogue for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-4729-0816-2
ePub: 978-1-4729-0817-9
To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com . Here you will find extracts, author interviews, details of forthcoming events and the option to sign up for our newsletters .
Â
âLook out!â cried Mary. The two stone crows were flying through the air towards them. Mr Blood raised his spear and Mary threw herself to the floor. As she fell, the rope that tied her to Mr Blood pulled him over too.
The crows screeched overhead and smashed into the mirror. Glass and stone pieces tumbled to the floor and then the corridor was silent again.
In place of the broken mirror, they now saw a set of narrow stairs.
Mr Blood led the way up to a door at the top of the stairs. He opened it and they both stepped through into a large, cold room.
Edgar lay on a slab of stone in the middle of the room. He wasnât moving.
A huge crow sat on his chest. Blood dripped from its beak. There were wounds to Edgarâs neck. The screech of the crow grew louder and louder.
Mr Blood and Mary dropped their spears and fell to their knees, covering their ears to block out the evil sound. The crow opened its beak wider and wider. Mary felt that the screeching sound was drilling right into her brain.
She reached down for her spear. The crowâs great, black eyes seemed to grow wider. Mary hurled the spear.
It flew at the crowâs open beak and went down its throat. The screech stopped at once.
The candles blew out and the sound of wings came back. Mary felt feathers on her face. She screamed until the sound of wings stopped.
Mr Blood lit his candle and Mary held her breath.
The floor was covered in black feathers and black blood. The crow was dead. And Edgar was slowly sitting up.
âWhy did the house send you the letter?â asked Mary as they walked away from Crow Hall.
âI fear it had evil plans. It wanted more victims,â said Mr Blood.
âAnd it nearly had one,â said Edgar rubbing his neck.
âBut how can a house become evil?â asked Mary.
âSometimes, when terrible evil has taken place in a house, the house itself becomes a force for evil,â said Mr Blood.
âSo the crows were just the form the evil took?â asked Mary.
âYou are wise,â said Mr Blood smiling at her. âAnd you are brave,â he said to Edgar. Edgar gave a broad grin.
Â
First published 2015 by
A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP
www.bloomsbury.com
Bloomsbury is a registered trademark of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Copyright © A & C Black 2015
Text copyright © Benjamin Hulme-Cross 2015
Illustrations © Nelson Evergreen 2015
The moral rights of the author have been asserted.
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers
A CIP catalogue for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-4729-0816-2
ePub: 978-1-4729-0817-9
To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com . Here you will find extracts, author interviews, details of forthcoming events and the option to sign up for our newsletters .
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