Read Online Demon Storm by Justin Richards - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Justin Richards
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upstairs. Ben collapsed on to a soft bed. Mrs Bailey pulled a duvet up over him and he was asleep before she let go.
Hours, or perhaps days, later Ben woke. He was still tired. The curtains were drawn, so he guessedit was dark outside. But the bedside light was on. He was in a large bed in a big square room. The room was sparsely furnished – just a bedside locker, a little dressing table with a mirror, a chest of drawers and a narrow wardrobe. All the furniture was made from a dark, reddish wood.
Gemma was sitting on the edge of Ben’s bed, swinging her feet. She spoke without looking at him.
‘What do you see?’
‘Just a room,’ he said, confused. ‘What should I see?’
‘No. What do you see ?’
Ben pulled himself up so he was sitting and looked round again.
‘You’re funny,’ Gemma said. Now she did look at Ben, and she smiled. ‘I see everything ,’ she said, and there was sadness in her words. ‘But you’re all right here, at the school. Nothing can get in unless Mr Knight lets it. What you saw inside the box can’t get out. It’s sealed in tight. Actually, I think it likes it in there. Scaring kids who can see it.’
Ben didn’t answer. He didn’t want to give her any clue that he hadn’t actually seen anything in the box.
‘I didn’t used to like to talk about it,’ Gemma went on. ‘None of us did. But you’re safe here withus. With your friends.’ She jumped down from the bed and gave him a quick wave and a grin. ‘Bye.’
He drifted off to sleep again. This time he was woken by the sound of whispering close by.
‘His sister ?’ a voice was saying. It had a faint accent.
‘That’s what Gemma said. Anyway, we shouldn’t be here.’
Ben sat up again, rubbing sleep from his eyes. ‘Who are you – what do you want?’ he demanded.
A boy and a girl were standing there. He’d seen them both before, when he was drinking his soup in the kitchen. The boy looked Indian, with a round face and short black hair that was spiky at the front. He seemed to be a bit older than Ben. The girl was about eighteen, he thought, and still had a half-sneer as she stared back at Ben.
‘I’m Rupam,’ the boy said. ‘This is Maria.’
‘What are you doing here? What do you want?’
‘We could ask you that,’ Maria said. ‘Why did you come?’
‘I want to know what happened to my sister,’ Ben said. They’d mentioned Sam – maybe they knew something.
But the girl just shrugged. ‘Never met her.’
‘Gemma might know,’ the boy – Rupam – suggested.
‘She doesn’t know anything,’ Maria snapped, and Ben sensed that Rupam’s comment had annoyed her. ‘We shouldn’t be here,’ she said again, turning and walking briskly from the room.
Rupam grinned at Ben and gave him a wave. ‘See you.’
*
Mrs Bailey brought Ben clean clothes and told him that Mr Knight would like to see him as soon as he felt up to it.
Ben swallowed. He nodded but said nothing. Had he been found out? Did they realise he was here under false pretences – wherever here was and whatever he was pretending?
There was a bathroom next door to Ben’s room. He had a shower and changed his clothes. He was feeling more awake now. He wondered where Sam was right now …
Knight was waiting for him in a large drawing room at the back of the house. A log fire was burning enthusiastically in a large open grate. Knight sat in an armchair, his legs outstretched, reading a book. As Mrs Bailey led Ben into the room, Knight closed the book and set it down on a small table beside his chair. Ben couldn’t read the title – it was printed in faded gold on the scuffed leather binding.
‘Well now, young man,’ Knight said, gesturing for Ben to sit in the chair on the other side of the stone fireplace. ‘Have you come to join us?’
‘I’ve come to find out what happened to Sam.’
‘Your sister?’
Ben nodded. ‘You tested her, with that box. Then she disappeared.’
‘I had nothing to do with
Hours, or perhaps days, later Ben woke. He was still tired. The curtains were drawn, so he guessedit was dark outside. But the bedside light was on. He was in a large bed in a big square room. The room was sparsely furnished – just a bedside locker, a little dressing table with a mirror, a chest of drawers and a narrow wardrobe. All the furniture was made from a dark, reddish wood.
Gemma was sitting on the edge of Ben’s bed, swinging her feet. She spoke without looking at him.
‘What do you see?’
‘Just a room,’ he said, confused. ‘What should I see?’
‘No. What do you see ?’
Ben pulled himself up so he was sitting and looked round again.
‘You’re funny,’ Gemma said. Now she did look at Ben, and she smiled. ‘I see everything ,’ she said, and there was sadness in her words. ‘But you’re all right here, at the school. Nothing can get in unless Mr Knight lets it. What you saw inside the box can’t get out. It’s sealed in tight. Actually, I think it likes it in there. Scaring kids who can see it.’
Ben didn’t answer. He didn’t want to give her any clue that he hadn’t actually seen anything in the box.
‘I didn’t used to like to talk about it,’ Gemma went on. ‘None of us did. But you’re safe here withus. With your friends.’ She jumped down from the bed and gave him a quick wave and a grin. ‘Bye.’
He drifted off to sleep again. This time he was woken by the sound of whispering close by.
‘His sister ?’ a voice was saying. It had a faint accent.
‘That’s what Gemma said. Anyway, we shouldn’t be here.’
Ben sat up again, rubbing sleep from his eyes. ‘Who are you – what do you want?’ he demanded.
A boy and a girl were standing there. He’d seen them both before, when he was drinking his soup in the kitchen. The boy looked Indian, with a round face and short black hair that was spiky at the front. He seemed to be a bit older than Ben. The girl was about eighteen, he thought, and still had a half-sneer as she stared back at Ben.
‘I’m Rupam,’ the boy said. ‘This is Maria.’
‘What are you doing here? What do you want?’
‘We could ask you that,’ Maria said. ‘Why did you come?’
‘I want to know what happened to my sister,’ Ben said. They’d mentioned Sam – maybe they knew something.
But the girl just shrugged. ‘Never met her.’
‘Gemma might know,’ the boy – Rupam – suggested.
‘She doesn’t know anything,’ Maria snapped, and Ben sensed that Rupam’s comment had annoyed her. ‘We shouldn’t be here,’ she said again, turning and walking briskly from the room.
Rupam grinned at Ben and gave him a wave. ‘See you.’
*
Mrs Bailey brought Ben clean clothes and told him that Mr Knight would like to see him as soon as he felt up to it.
Ben swallowed. He nodded but said nothing. Had he been found out? Did they realise he was here under false pretences – wherever here was and whatever he was pretending?
There was a bathroom next door to Ben’s room. He had a shower and changed his clothes. He was feeling more awake now. He wondered where Sam was right now …
Knight was waiting for him in a large drawing room at the back of the house. A log fire was burning enthusiastically in a large open grate. Knight sat in an armchair, his legs outstretched, reading a book. As Mrs Bailey led Ben into the room, Knight closed the book and set it down on a small table beside his chair. Ben couldn’t read the title – it was printed in faded gold on the scuffed leather binding.
‘Well now, young man,’ Knight said, gesturing for Ben to sit in the chair on the other side of the stone fireplace. ‘Have you come to join us?’
‘I’ve come to find out what happened to Sam.’
‘Your sister?’
Ben nodded. ‘You tested her, with that box. Then she disappeared.’
‘I had nothing to do with
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