The Hollows(51)

Tonight! 9pm at the Archery Ground. A Big Surprise you won’t want to miss! Spread the word.

It was seven thirty now. ‘Have you seen Ryan and Frankie?’ I asked.

‘Oh, are they friends again? That’s cool.’

‘So you haven’t seen them?’

‘No. Why, what’s up?’ He handed out two more flyers.

I shook my head. I didn’t have time to explain. I didn’t even know what I’d say. But before heading away I said, ‘What’s the big surprise?’

He grinned. ‘Oh, it’s something special for our fans.’

‘It’s related to the murders?’

He winked at me.

I didn’t have time for his teasing. Where would Frankie and Ryan have gone? I knew they sometimes hung out at the playground, and headed in that direction. They weren’t there. I was pretty sure they wouldn’t go into Penance, not after Frankie’s scare last night. I ran back towards the ice cream kiosk, which was where I’d last seen them, and spoke to the young woman behind the counter.

‘I’m looking for my daughter,’ I said. ‘Have you seen her?’

I described her and Ryan.

‘I think I saw them heading that way,’ she said. She pointed to the path that snaked around the lake towards a wall of pines.

‘Thank you.’

I jogged in that direction, though there were so many people around that I had to keep slowing or stopping.

I deeply regretted coming somewhere that had no phone signal. How easy it would be if I could phone Frankie right now – except she had lost her phone, hadn’t she?

My heart was beating hard and my mouth felt dry. Nikki had said ‘bad things happen here’, but I knew she wasn’t just worried about the history of this place. To be that jittery, to tell me to pack up and leave, she must have known something concrete. Something that meant Frankie was in danger.

The path ahead of me cleared, and I ran towards the trees.





Chapter 27


Frankie and Ryan ran up the slope, back the way they had come. The ground seemed rockier and hillier this time, and when they reached the top, Ryan stopped where the path split into three.

‘Right,’ Frankie said.

‘Are you sure?’

Now, scared and on the cusp of panic, she was doubtful. Scarred by her recent experience in the woods near Penance, Frankie had no confidence in any of their decisions. She turned to look back at the lake, shimmering in the near distance. If the lake had matched her mood, its surface would be churning, mist rising from it. The water would be black.

‘Yes, go right.’

When they were a little further along, she asked, ‘Who’s the man with them? The one with the crow mask.’ But Ryan shook his head.

They reached another crossroads. Left led up a gentle slope and right would take them deeper into the trees. Her inner compass told her the resort was to the right, but she had no memory of walking through such thick woods on their way here.

Who was the crow? Thinking about him made her feel nauseous and cold. The way his masked face had turned towards them. The aggressive way he had stooped to pick up a couple of rocks. Maybe she was being stupid, but she was certain she could feel loathing emanating from behind the mask.

‘It could be their dad,’ Ryan said. ‘And this is their idea of a great family day out.’

Despite everything, she laughed. But the laugh got caught in her throat. Because she could hear them, not far behind. Two young voices.

‘This way,’ said Buddy.

‘You sure?’ asked Darlene.

Then a man’s voice. ‘Go right.’

‘But—’ Buddy began.

The man spoke over him. ‘We have to get that phone. I’ll go left. You two go right. If you spot them, shout. Okay?’

‘Okay,’ said Buddy.

‘Hurry,’ Frankie urged.

But Ryan didn’t move. ‘It’s just Buddy and Darlene coming our way. Maybe we should stop. Reason with them.’

‘Reason?’

They’re going to bury us alive. No one will ever find our graves. She was starting to panic again, her legs turning to rubber, the breath sticking in her throat.

Ryan was still trying to be rational. ‘Come on, you were the one who wanted to talk to them. This is our chance.’

She could hardly believe she was hearing this. ‘That was before we realised what psychos they are.’

But he still didn’t move. ‘I’ll just apologise, get it out of the way. Say sorry for badmouthing Penance.’

‘No! That won’t work. They’re not normal. They’re evil.’

‘I don’t think—’

‘Ryan! Please. We can’t reason with them.’

She could hear the other two coming down the path towards them.

‘Oh God,’ she said. ‘Ryan, please.’

‘No. I want to straighten this out. I want us to be able to enjoy the last few days of our vacation without having to look over our shoulders the whole time.’

She realised then what he was doing. He was trying to make up for last night. His dad had probably given him a lecture about being a man, and here he was trying to be macho and show her he wasn’t the kind of guy who let weirdos in masks scare him.