Read Online The Moon Stealers and The Children of the Light by Tim Flanagan - Free Book Online Page A

Both of the men held onto their weapons, and, while the Grey Man
began lifting the heavy wooden hatch upwards, Edgar nervously peered into the
darkness below.
    Everyone held their breath and waited. Waited for a
sound or scream to echo from beneath the floor, or a creature to leap out and
attack them.
    There was silence.
    Edgar moved closer to the edge of the trap door and
tried to look inside, but he still felt vulnerable. He could see the outline of
a simple wooden staircase that went down sharply towards the floor. The cellar
then seemed to expand beneath the full length of the building, leaving dark
corners and shadows they would not be able to explore until they were
physically inside.
    ‘Look,’ whispered the Grey Man. He was pointing to an
empty mattress that was lying on the floor of the cellar. A jumble of sheets
and pillows were scattered on the top whilst an empty wine bottle lay upturned by
the side. The Grey Man also noticed something beside his hand. On the underside
of the hatch door was a shiny new bolt.
    ‘Someone’s been sleeping in here,’ said Edgar.
    ‘And, whoever it was put this bolt on the inside to
lock themselves in.’
    ‘As we managed to open the hatch from this side. I
think we can assume the cellar is currently empty.’
    Edgar leant further into the opening so that he could
peer inside. Satisfied there was no immediate danger, he took the first step
onto the ladder. It creaked slightly beneath his weight, but he continued down
into the cellar. The Grey Man let the trap door rest on the floorboards,
grabbed more candles from behind the bar and followed Edgar.
    At the bottom of the stairs, the floor felt cold and
damp beneath their feet. The uneven stone that made up the walls was black with
age, but had white salty crusts where lime and minerals had leached out of the
stone and crystallized in the air. Along one wall was a crudely made wine rack
that allowed the bottles to be stacked horizontally, as well as some cardboard
boxes that sagged slightly at their sides from the dampness in the air.
    The Grey Man lit some more candles and began placing
them around the room. Edgar walked over to the mattress. As well as the empty
bottle of wine beside the bed, there was also a kitchen knife and an open first
aid box. Bandages had been pulled erratically from the box as if someone had
been desperate to use them. Blood soaked gauze was tossed against one of the
walls, confirming that the owner of the mattress was probably injured.
    Reassured that the cellar was empty, they blew out the
candles, leaving them positioned where they were, and climbed back up the
staircase to the restaurant.
    ‘Someone’s been living down there,’ said Edgar as he
emerged from the hatch. ‘But, whoever it is has been injured, maybe when they
trapped the creature inside the fridge.’
    ‘While you were in the cellar, I found out where we
are,’ said Flora with a smile on her face. In her hand was one of the menu
cards. She turned it over and showed Edgar. Printed on the back was the address
of the restaurant they were in. ‘We are in a small town called Ingleton,’ she
explained.
    ‘Where about's is that?’ the Grey Man asked.
    ‘On the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales. My
ancestors come from Pendle Hill, just to the south of here.’
    ‘I’ve heard of Pendle Hill before,’ said Edgar, trying
to search his memory for the information that was attached to the name.
    ‘I suggest we gather as many supplies as we can and
find some transport,’ said the Grey Man. ‘We should then leave here as soon as
we can tomorrow.’
    ‘ Pendle Hill ,’ repeated Edgar.
    ‘Where will you go?’ Scarlet asked the Grey Man.
    ‘I will start the hunt for my son where my journey
began, back in the Forest of Dean .’
    ‘The Pendle Hill witches,’ said Edgar, as the name
clicked into place.
    Everyone stopped talking and turned towards Flora.
    ‘You mean you’re a witch?’ asked Max.
    Flora looked uncomfortable, knowing