your pyjamas,” she added. “It’s freezing out there.”
“You’ll be fine,” Samuel reassured her.
“Thanks … that’s reassuring,” she muttered sarcastically. “Think of me while you’re back in your warm bed and I’m facing who knows what outside!”
“You’ve got Lucy with you,” he protested. She grunted.
“S’pose so. See you later.”
Samuel stood on the doorstep and watched Fiona walk across the courtyard towards the big house. “Bye then,” hecalled out, partly to encourage her. “See you in the morning.”
She turned and waved, before vanishing beneath the archway, towards her own house.
The cold crept around his feet and he shivered inside his slippers and dressing gown. He waited a moment or two, listening to the silence, then closed the door of the cottage.
A while later, Fiona had almost succeeded in falling asleep, when Lucy suddenly stood up. Fiona heard her claws clicking against the wooden floorboards. The dog stood near the half-open door, ears flattened, body tense and began to release a low threatening growl.
“What is it, Lucy? What is it, girl?”
But the dog remained where she was, refusing to budge.
Fiona crept out of bed, taking a few tentative steps towards the door, her heart pounding.
The dog never moved from her position.
Fiona knew that the corridor outside would be pitch-black. She’d be able to see nothing.
Fearfully, she put her hand on the door knob, and pulled the door open a fraction, her heart hammering in her chest like a drum.
A light was glimmering in the dark deserted corridor.
Fiona stared.
The girl stared back, a candle held high in one hand.
“Hello!”
Her face was pale and gleaming.
Fiona screamed, slammed the door shut and ran back to her bed. She stayed there, shivering, watching the pool of light under the crack of the door. Lucy had started to bark.
Suddenly there was a flurry of footsteps and the light vanished abruptly. The door burst open and Chris Morton appeared, looking ruffled and dishevelled.
“What is it?”
“Mum,” Fiona cried, clutching at her mother in a way she hadn’t done for years.
“What on earth is it? A nightmare?”
“Yes, yes, that was it.”
Despite her terror, Fiona was even more determined to keep quiet about what she’d just seen. She made a huge effort to pull herself together.
She’d talk to the others in the morning, maybe, but they mustn’t let their mother know what was happening … otherwise she’d sell up and leave. And they couldn’t let that happen.
“I’m fine, Mum. It was just a silly nightmare. It must have been that cheese sandwich I had before bed. They’re supposed to give you weird dreams. I guess I gave Lucy a fright too.”
Chris Morton shook her head. “D’you want Lucy to stay in here for the night?”
“I don’t mind,” Fiona murmured, trying to play it down.
“Well, if you’re sure …”
“I’m fine now, honestly.”
“Go to sleep then,” Chris Morton instructed her and closed the bedroom door behind her.
All was quiet in the house. A little girl with ice-cold hands paused at the head of the staircase and peered down. She had been bored for many a long year, but now life was just beginning to get interesting again.
Outside it was snowing. She remembered how that used to look, when the trees were glittering and leaning under the weight of it. Everything would turn to glass as it slowly froze under the blue light of the moon. Winters were so much colder back then.
She heard someone approaching on the staircase. Chris Morton was climbing the stairs back to her room, after fetching a hot drink from the kitchen.
The little girl leant over the banister and watched in silence.
Chris Morton pressed a light switch and the first-floor landing glowed with artificial light. The little girl melted away. The older woman was talking to herself, while the girl listened, invisible as air.
“Thank goodness. The power’s back on.”
The upstairs
“You’ll be fine,” Samuel reassured her.
“Thanks … that’s reassuring,” she muttered sarcastically. “Think of me while you’re back in your warm bed and I’m facing who knows what outside!”
“You’ve got Lucy with you,” he protested. She grunted.
“S’pose so. See you later.”
Samuel stood on the doorstep and watched Fiona walk across the courtyard towards the big house. “Bye then,” hecalled out, partly to encourage her. “See you in the morning.”
She turned and waved, before vanishing beneath the archway, towards her own house.
The cold crept around his feet and he shivered inside his slippers and dressing gown. He waited a moment or two, listening to the silence, then closed the door of the cottage.
A while later, Fiona had almost succeeded in falling asleep, when Lucy suddenly stood up. Fiona heard her claws clicking against the wooden floorboards. The dog stood near the half-open door, ears flattened, body tense and began to release a low threatening growl.
“What is it, Lucy? What is it, girl?”
But the dog remained where she was, refusing to budge.
Fiona crept out of bed, taking a few tentative steps towards the door, her heart pounding.
The dog never moved from her position.
Fiona knew that the corridor outside would be pitch-black. She’d be able to see nothing.
Fearfully, she put her hand on the door knob, and pulled the door open a fraction, her heart hammering in her chest like a drum.
A light was glimmering in the dark deserted corridor.
Fiona stared.
The girl stared back, a candle held high in one hand.
“Hello!”
Her face was pale and gleaming.
Fiona screamed, slammed the door shut and ran back to her bed. She stayed there, shivering, watching the pool of light under the crack of the door. Lucy had started to bark.
Suddenly there was a flurry of footsteps and the light vanished abruptly. The door burst open and Chris Morton appeared, looking ruffled and dishevelled.
“What is it?”
“Mum,” Fiona cried, clutching at her mother in a way she hadn’t done for years.
“What on earth is it? A nightmare?”
“Yes, yes, that was it.”
Despite her terror, Fiona was even more determined to keep quiet about what she’d just seen. She made a huge effort to pull herself together.
She’d talk to the others in the morning, maybe, but they mustn’t let their mother know what was happening … otherwise she’d sell up and leave. And they couldn’t let that happen.
“I’m fine, Mum. It was just a silly nightmare. It must have been that cheese sandwich I had before bed. They’re supposed to give you weird dreams. I guess I gave Lucy a fright too.”
Chris Morton shook her head. “D’you want Lucy to stay in here for the night?”
“I don’t mind,” Fiona murmured, trying to play it down.
“Well, if you’re sure …”
“I’m fine now, honestly.”
“Go to sleep then,” Chris Morton instructed her and closed the bedroom door behind her.
All was quiet in the house. A little girl with ice-cold hands paused at the head of the staircase and peered down. She had been bored for many a long year, but now life was just beginning to get interesting again.
Outside it was snowing. She remembered how that used to look, when the trees were glittering and leaning under the weight of it. Everything would turn to glass as it slowly froze under the blue light of the moon. Winters were so much colder back then.
She heard someone approaching on the staircase. Chris Morton was climbing the stairs back to her room, after fetching a hot drink from the kitchen.
The little girl leant over the banister and watched in silence.
Chris Morton pressed a light switch and the first-floor landing glowed with artificial light. The little girl melted away. The older woman was talking to herself, while the girl listened, invisible as air.
“Thank goodness. The power’s back on.”
The upstairs
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