SOMETHING STRANGE IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD (PART 2)
"W…what…w…who are you?" stammered Jim, staring at the dog in front of him. His heart was hammering fit to burst and he felt cold sweat under his armpits. "I…I don't have any money, if that's what you want."
The dog sighed. "Jim, even making allowances for your understandable shock, that's probably the silliest thing anyone's ever said to a gigantic hound. I'm not a mugger, you know. I'm The Gytrash. Well, that might be the name you know me by. Or it might be The Barghest. Or Padfoot. Or Skriker. Or Black Shuck. Or just The Black Dog, plain and simple. I have many names. I hope you'd expect no less of a giant talking dog."
Jim vaguely remembered reading old ghost stories about the giant black ghost dog that lone travellers would sometimes meet late at night on lonely roads. They didn't tend to end too happily for the travellers. He fell to his knees and clasped his hands together. "Please, for God's sake, let me be! I have a wife and two kids, I…"
"Oh, good grief," cut in The Gytrash. "Not the old "falling on your knees, begging for mercy" thing again! Look, if I wanted to kill you, or curse you, or whatever, I would've done it already and left. I mean, time is money. I tell you, Donald Trump thinks he has problems with "fake news", but that's nothing. I've been the go-to bad guy for every low-rent spinner of yarns looking for a spooky tale for centuries now. Everyone I meet thinks I'm going to eat them. I suppose I should be grateful I've never had the Army called in to track me down, like the poor old Beast of Bodmin Moor did. So get up off your knees, Jim, before you get irreparable mud-stains on those fine khaki chinos."
Jim staggered up, before immediately slumping down to sit on the bank by the path. This was still something too overwhelming to deal with and stand up at the same time.
"Then what do you want? And how do you know my name?"
"I'm the guardian spirit of this moor, and this town. Well, and other places, too. It's my business to know what's happening to people here, and my Spidey Sense right now is telling me that some major paranormal stuff is going on around your family. My guess is that there's another spirit of some kind involved, working their will on people. A powerful one too, not just some half-arsed poltergeist breaking folks' crockery and chucking pebbles. But I don't know exactly where or what it is. That's why I need your help to end this nonsense."
"Guardian spirit? Doesn't the actual God have anything to say about that? You know, The Man Upstairs?"
The Gytrash rolled its gigantic glowing eyes. "I'll tell you what I tell every other human who ever mentioned Him – that's information shared on a need-to-know basis. And you don't need to know it, especially right now. What you do need to know is that someone or something is making Tom and Rosie, and her friends, act wildly out of character, and they're trying to achieve something by doing it. But I don't know what."
Jim shook his head. "This is all so crazy. I mean, I'm just a guy running a delicatessen. I don't know anything about spirits or magic – so why me? I mean, did I summon this thing through a Ouija board without realising it, or something?"
"I dunno – did you?" replied The Gytrash. "I mean, that's why I'm talking to you. This thing's been going on for a few months now. What's changed in your life, in your family's life, during that time? You've got to think. It could be anything, no matter how insignificant."
Jim lowered his head and stared at the rough grass and heather at his feet, trying to think back. "Well, Rosie's been dating that boy Harry, and hanging out with other lads too. Not really surprising, at her age."
"So, love is in the air?" said The Gytrash. "Now that does tend to stir up some spirits. You'd be amazed how many fancy themselves as match-makers or match-breakers. What else?"
"Well, I've been really busy at work. But I've had a lot of help from Mike, my assistant at the shop. He's worth his weight in gold, really."
"Oh, yeah?" said The Gytrash. "And this helpful fellow, did he join just before all this started?"
"Well, now you mention it – yeah, he did, just a couple of months before."
"What does he look like?"
"Maybe 20 or so, pale skin, violet eyes, odd-looking pink-dyed hair. Now you mention it, I always did think he looked a bit unusual, but, you know, kids these days…"
The Gytrash nodded grimly, "Oh, yeah. I think I might have some idea where we're going with this one now. Have you ever met his family?"
"Well, no – but then I don't usually meet the families of people I hire to work in my shop. Not if they're adults, anyway. But Alice and Rosie met him, once, when they came over for some reason. Alice took rather a shine to Mike."
"And have you ever had reason to visit him or call him at home?"
"Well, no. I'm pretty sure I have his phone number somewhere though. Look, if you're trying to imply Mike isn't what he says he is, I can assure you he gave me very impressive references."
The Gytrash gave a throaty chuckle. "Forged ones, I'm sure. Did you try checking them? No, I thought not. No-one ever checks references nowadays. I bet there's been a cherry tree somewhere in town that's been mysteriously blossoming all winter too?"
Jim nodded, dumbfounded. "Yes, up at the church."
"OK, that's enough for me. We're going ghost-hunting – for Mike." The Gytrash dropped down into a sitting position. "Get on my back, it'll be quicker than walking."
"Woah, woah, hold on now!" expostulated Jim. "Do you expect me to ride down into the middle of Ilkley on a giant black dog with glowing eyes? There'll be panic in the streets!"
The Gytrash sighed. "Jim, please give me credit for having basic intelligence. I can be invisible and imperceptible, when I need to be, and I can make you that as well, for a while anyway. I've got some really cool powers, you know."
"So can you get Leeds United back in the Premiership, then?"
"I said I had powers, Jim, not that I could work miracles. Enough now! Let's go!"
Dubiously, Jim clambered on to The Gytrash's broad back. The black fur around its shoulders and neck was as thick as a lion's mane, and he decided he'd better cling on to that. It wasn't as if the beast had reins to hold. With a deep growl, The Gytrash bounded off across the purple expanse of the Moor. Jim grasped its fur just in time to avoid being thrown clear off its back.
Meanwhile, Yuri and Ulric had just about reached their home. It was a long walk from the Swales' house to the estate and the bus service was infrequent.
"When are you going to pass that driving test?" moaned Yuri, as they slogged up the long approach road, past patches of green grass and young trees tied to stakes. Ulric had been taking lessons.
"Sooner than you will," retorted his brother. Yuri had failed his own first attempt at the test after an incident that halted all traffic through Ben Rhydding for at least an hour and left the examiner a quivering wreck. Their parents had refused to finance further lessons for him until his attitude improved, which it hadn't yet. "I don't know why you think passing the test's going to help. Mum and Dad can't afford a car for us, and Dad won't let us use his."
"We could get Saturday jobs and save up for one," shrugged Yuri.
"That'll take forever."
A loud string of electronic noises erupted out of Ulric's pocket. His mobile was ringing. "Oh God, who is it now?" He pulled out the phone and put it to his ear: "Hello, it's Ulric."
"Hi, Ricky," came a familiar voice. With a sigh, Ulric covered the mouthpiece and whispered to his brother – "It's that loser Sam." Uncovering it, he went on –
"Sam? What do you want? I swear to God, if you carry on like this I'm going to report you for stalking me or something. I don't even know how you got hold of my phone number."
"You'd be surprised how easy it is," said Sam. "Anyway, that's irrelevant. Honestly, I don't want to talk to you either, but I don't have any choice. We've got to end this thing between us."
"If that means you apologising for being such a dick to us for months, that's fine by me."
"No. No apologies. This thing between us has blown up out of all proportion to what it was. It used to be a tiny little thing, but now it's massive. However hard it might be, we've got to handle it ourselves. Like real men."
"Sam, what the hell are you blathering on about?"
"I wanna fight you, Ricky. It's the only way it can end. Winner takes all – the final showdown."
Ulric giggled. "Have you flipped your fucking lid, mate? I'm not going to waste time fighting an idiot like you. I got in enough trouble over that thing at school. If I get caught at it again, I'll get expelled and Mum and Dad will go nuts. It's not worth it."
"Yeah, I thought you'd probably chicken out…"
"Sam, just fuck off, please…"
"…so that's why I've got Rosie with me. Either you come and fight me, or I won't be held accountable for what's going to happen to her. Meet me in one hour near the bridge across the beck at the top of the Moor." The other end of the call went dead.
Ulric shot a look of blind panic across at Yuri. "That nutter's kidnapped Rosie! He wants to fight me on the Moor, or he'll do…well, he'll do something to her. We've got to save her!"
The Moor lay to the south of them, with river and then the town between. Yuri immediately started to run back towards it.
"No, wait!" Ulric grabbed his shoulder. "You'll take forever, and God knows what Sam'll have done by then. He's bound to be armed too, so we can't just go up against him bare-handed. He was talking about a final showdown! We'll go home first, get our bikes and pick up some weapons. We can tell Mum we're going for a bike ride."
The Gytrash bounded through the streets of Ilkley, Jim clinging on to its back for dear life. It was like riding a galloping horse with no saddle, and he bounced this way and that, his hat threatening to come off at any moment. It was the height of the rush hour, with the main roads full of vehicles and the pavements full of people, but The Gytrash had been right – no-one seemed to notice a thing, even when the beast didn't bother leaping and just ran right into them. It, and Jim, simply seemed to pass through everything.
"There it is!" called Jim. They were on the street on which Golden Route stood. However, even before The Gytrash had reached the front of the shop, Jim could see that all the lights were off and the "Closed" sign was hanging in the front door. A couple of elderly ladies who he recognised as regular customers were standing on the pavement outside.
As soon as The Gytrash juddered to a halt in front of The Gold Standard, Jim scrambled off its back. The old ladies had been facing away from them, nattering with each other, but they spun around as soon as they heard Jim's footsteps.
"Oh, Mr Swale!" said one of the women. "Where did you come from?" I must become visible as soon as I'm not actually in contact with it, he thought.
"Sorry, Mrs Jones, I'm in a bit of a hurry. Have you any idea where young Mike is?"
"Oh, I arrived about ten minutes ago and he was just locking up," said the other. "I'd have gone, but he said you'd be back soon, so I thought I'd wait. Then my friend here arrived. I was really hoping you had some more of that nice Wensleydale cheese."
Jim wasn't waiting to hear any more. Just as she finished speaking, he heard The Gytrash booming "I've nipped around the corner! And I think I know where the lad's gone to" in his head, although nothing was said out loud. It must have been telepathy. He ran off into the adjoining back passage.
"I'm afraid I've got an emergency, Mrs Jones," he shouted behind him, as he went. "I've got some Wensleydale in, but you'll have to wait till tomorrow!"
The two old ladies looked at each other disconsolately.
"Well, bugger me!" said Mrs Jones.
Rosie awoke from a confused dream to the insistent buzz of her mobile ringing. She was still lying in her bed, in pyjamas, covered over with a white duvet with a design of little cartoon penguins on it. She felt less drowsy. Presumably Dr Matthews' drugs were wearing off a bit. Picking up the phone from her bedside table, she glanced at it and realised that Harry was calling. There were already two earlier texts from him she hadn't answered.
She didn't really feel like talking; there were just too many questions he might ask that she wouldn't have even vaguely sensible answers for. The phone kept on buzzing and buzzing though, and in the end she decided the only way to get rid of Harry was to talk. Rosie pressed the button to pick up.
"Harry? Look, I really can't talk just now. I know you're probably worried about me but…"
Harry cut in before she could finish the sentence. "I don't want to talk about us breaking-up, Rosie. Actually, something more important's happened."
"More important!" said Rosie, indignantly. "Oh my God! Harry David Ingleston, if this isn't literally the most important news since One Direction split, I'll dump you so deep, you're gonna need a hard hat with a little lamp on to find your way out!"
"Yuri and Ulric have gone up to the Moor with their quarterstaffs to beat Sam senseless, because they think he's kidnapped you and is holding you prisoner there," Harry said, calmly.
There was a brief pause.
"OK," said Rosie. "I guess that passes the "important news" test. But how on earth do you know about it? And why haven't they phoned me? Or, you know, the police, or my Mum or…somebody? And why the heck do those two have quarterstaffs!"
"Ulric texted me. I think he's turned his phone off now or something, though. I can't get hold of him. And the answer to everything else is "Well, this is Yuri and Ulric we're talking about." They're a bit hot-headed, in case you hadn't noticed."
"Yeah, I'd noticed."
"Good. I was getting a bit worried you might want to go out with Ulric or something. Oh, sorry, my mistake, you did want to go out with him."
Agitated, Rosie flung off the duvet and jumped up out of bed. She paced the bedroom floor in her pyjamas, twirling the ends of her hair around the fingers of her free hand. "This isn't the time for that! Jesus Christ, what's going on with us all? We used to be so…normal."
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," said Harry. "But, you know, how do you think I felt when you told me I was history?"
"Look, I understand. But we've got to call the police, so they can stop them doing something stupid."
"But if we do that, Ulric and Yuri'll get arrested. Probably expelled from school too. It could really mess up their lives. Well, and Sam's too, I suppose."
Rosie sat down on her bed again, and slapped her palm against her forehead in frustration. "Then there's only one thing we can do – go up there ourselves. Meet me at the bottom of the street with your car, in ten minutes."
"Are your parents going to let you go out?"
"Probably not. I'll just have to get out of here without being noticed, won't I?"
The sun had started to go down by the time Ulric and Yuri reached the top of Ilkley Moor, and left their bikes beside the path. Beams of low sunlight shining through the clouds to the west lit up the heather and the bracken, as well as turning the base of the ominous looking clouds massed over the Moor a deeper black. They could hear, but not see, the fast-running waters of the beck rushing through a deep ravine. There seemed to be no-one around and the only noise was the far-off bleating of a few sheep.
"Where is he?" muttered Ulric, grasping his staff in both hands. "I can't see him anywhere. This had better not be some kind of wind-up!"
"There, on the bridge," said Yuri, pointing at a low platform of grey planks, with a single guard rail on either side, that spanned the beck. Sam was there, a long wooden pole in his hands.
"Shit!" said Ulric, under his breath. Sam had chosen his ground well. The bridge was too narrow for more than one of the pair to attack him at once. "I'm going first," he told Yuri. After all, when all his friends were partying, he'd studied the staff (at Chris-sensei's dojo, every Wednesday evening at the Methodist Church hall, £2 a session). Yuri had just kind of picked up what he knew from Ulric.
There was a distant rumble of thunder as Ulric strode down the path towards the bridge, Yuri following behind. A gust of wind seemed to blow out of nowhere and swept through the heather, ruffling his russet locks. Noticing his advance, Sam called out:-
"So you did turn up! I was worried you'd chicken out, but I guess the bait was too much."
"Where is she?" shouted Ulric.
"In the boot of the car," replied Sam, nodding towards his clapped-out blue Nissan Micra K12, sitting parked by the road a few hundred yards away. "I'm not sure her air-supply will last that long in there, but then I don't think this is going to take too long anyway. My jutsu is infinitely superior to yours. I won't lose!"
"Don't underestimate me, Sam!" said Ulric, reaching the edge of the bridge, and grasping his staff in both hands, as Sam also took up a fighting stance. The thunder rumbled again, closer this time. "I am your opponent!" Wait, that sentence doesn't even make any sense, he thought, but before he could think any more, Sam had shouted an ear-splitting yell and was on him, swinging his staff.
Ulric yelled back, and swung back, and the two staves met with a resounding crack. Both boys pushed forward, each seeking to use his body weight to push back his opponent. But Ulric was the stronger of the two, and Sam was forced back to the middle of the bridge. Ulric pursued him there and once again they swung at each other.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! The staves met again and again, with neither of the two able to get under the other's guard. For a moment, they separated, panting with the effort.
"You fight with strength, but without skill!" taunted Sam. "For the true staff warrior, his whole body is the staff! FLAMING DRAGON PUNCH!"
Staff in his left hand, he launched a right hook towards Ulric's face, only to scream in pain when, a moment later, Ulric swatted Sam's punch aside with a blow of his staff.
"You shouldn't telegraph your moves like that!" shouted Sam. "COBRA STRIKE EXTREME!" He wondered why the hell he was talking like this, as he aimed the staff at Sam again. He seemed compelled to spout this nonsense without consciously wanting to. In spite of his pain, Sam was able to parry the strike with the weapon in his other hand, and they returned to swapping blows. Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
Frustrated at being stuck behind Ulric, and unable to get at Sam with his own staff without hitting his brother, Yuri threw it to the ground. He ran down to the reedy edge of the beck and began grabbing stones from it and throwing them at their opponent. "BONE-BREAKING BOULDER!" he cried.
A large piece of granite hurtled towards Ulric and Sam's heads as they pushed each other back and forth, only to miss by inches and splash into the water on the other side of the bridge, shooting a fountain of it into the air. Another frigid gust of wind blasted the combatants.
"Curse you, Yuri, you red-headed dog!" yelled Sam. "You fight in the way of all cowards. Also, that was really rude! Now I will finish this duel as a real man should! This is my final blow!"
He raised his staff high to bring it crashing down on top of Ulric, but before either of them could move a muscle, they were both hit in the face by powerful jets of water. Very cold water.
"Aaaah!" they both yelled, each dropping their staff in shock.
Hoods covering their heads, Harry and Rosie stood up from behind the low mound on the other bank of the beck behind which they had been concealed. The three boys' fixation on their fight had made it much easier to creep through the dense vegetation from the road and reach it unseen. They were both carrying high powered water guns, the reservoirs in packs strapped on to their backs. Harry used them for a live action roleplaying game he was involved in, and they rarely left the boot of his car.
Raising the guns, they fired again, completely soaking Ulric and Sam's heads and torsos. The pair squealed in a most undignified way, and dropped to the ground.
"Sam! Ricky! Stop it, right now!" shouted Rosie.
"You too, Yuri!" added Harry, a hard look in his green eyes. "No more stones, or you get soaked too. There's plenty more water where that came from!"
Sheepishly, Sam and Ulric lay where they were on the planking. Harry and Rosie walked along the bank and crossed the bridge to meet them. Yuri climbed up from the water and sat down heavily on the edge of the bank, unable to look anyone in the eye.
"You're not in the boot of Sam's car!" said Ulric to Rosie, getting to his feet.
"Well, no shit, Sherlock," she replied. She took his hands in hers. "Why didn't you just think it through, Ricky? Did you really think Sam would have been able to kidnap me from our house, surrounded by nosy neighbours, where my Mum's practically sitting on guard duty, armed with a big stick? At least, without there being a ton of fuss and noise and every policeman for miles being called out to look for me? I mean, I had enough trouble getting out of there. He's not a bloody ninja, mate, and nor are you. You can't solve everything with…weird martial arts stuff."
"I'm…I'm sorry, Rosie," muttered Ulric, in a choked sounding voice. "I don't know what came over me back there…I feel like I've been saying and doing stuff I didn't really want to."
"Yeah, I know the feeling," said Rosie.
Harry turned to a crestfallen Sam. "What about you, then? Being rude and winding everyone up? Provoking fights? Pretending to kidnap people? What's got into you in the last few months?"
"I don't know, Harry. I just don't know. It's like Ricky said, I didn't want to do it, but I somehow felt I had to. Honestly, I was hoping all the way through that someone was going to ask me what was going on, but no-one ever did."
There was a moment of silence.
"He's right," said Yuri, finally. "We've not been good friends to each other, have we? We all just tried to pretend nothing was going on."
"Well, we can change that, right now," said Rosie. "Come on, let's go back to my house. I'll make everyone something to eat, and we can talk all of this over. We'd better hurry, it'll probably start raining any minute."
Ulric and Yuri hastily collected their bikes. Then they all left the bridge and trudged back towards where Sam (and Harry) had parked. Thunder continued to rumble and fat drops of rain were now starting to splash down from the dark clouds above.
Ulric phoned his anxious mother and explained that he and Yuri were cutting short their bike ride because of the weather, but had run into Rosie and the others and would be eating at her place. Rosie summoned up her courage and made a very awkward-sounding call to her Mum to explain what was going on. By the time she'd finished, they were half-way on the drive back to the house.
"Harry," she said, when she finally ended the call and put away the phone, "Mum says Dad went for a walk just after I went to bed and hasn't come back yet. She's so worried about him she hadn't even checked on me."