started to wade across. I can see their fiery tongues whipping around their sharp white teeth.
My legs are numb, my whole body is shaking.
Where is Catherine? Just then, I remember Catherine, my Catherine.
His laughter starts to roar out across the land followed by screaming, Catherine. I hear her screaming, calling for me, Catherine!
I can’t get to her, Darkmoor has her.
Silence is descending around me. All the while his mighty monsters are coming closer. I look across the river to see Darkmoor. He is taking her away into the darkness. Then, I can’t see anymore, the darkness has swallowed them up and Catherine has gone.
“No, Catherine!!” I shout, but she can’t hear me calling.
“Catherine!”
Chapter Eight
Reuben’s Story
Soaked in sweat, Matthew opened his eyes and wiped the sweat off his brow. Still breathing heavily from his living nightmare, Matthew’s eyes darted around the room before focusing upon the grey sky, which peered through the gaps in the roof. Matthew removed his dusty torn blanket and made his way outside.
Sat next to the camp fire, trying to reignite it was, Reuben.
“Morning Reuben,” Matthew spoke gently as he approached him.
“Morning Matthew, did you sleep at all?” Reuben asked as he threw some more twigs onto the fire.
“Yeah I actually dreamt of-” then remembering Sam’s warning, Matthew quickly changed the conversation. “So you and your brothers, have you been here long?”
“Yeah about six years I guess, you sort of lose track of time in here.” Reuben replied staring into the fire. Watching the dancing flames steadily grow, Reuben couldn’t help but think back to the day that changed his life forever.
“Reuben! Reuben! Where are you?” Mama’s strong African accent boomed throughout the house, causing the pictures hanging on the walls to rattle.
“Reuben!”
“Mama I am here!” I shouted back from the kitchen. Her feet thundered down the hallway in my direction.
“Don’t raise your voice to me young boy!” Mama said waggling her finger. There was no reasoning with Mama, you were best saying nothing at all except, “Sorry Mama!”
She stood wobbling from side to side in the kitchen doorway. Her big hooped earrings swayed frantically as she glanced over the tops of her rectangular glasses.
“Yes, Mama?” I asked nervously, trying to think of what I was in trouble for this time!
“I’m going to the shops, so I need you to watch Claude and Oliver for me.”
Oh great, Claude was stubborn and never did anything without objecting first. And Olli, well he was Mama’s little angel, or so he led her to believe, but every time she left me in charge, he would always get up to mischief.
Through my fake smile, I reluctantly agreed.
Mama stomped back up the hallway bellowing up the stairs to Claude and Olli, “Be good!” (Yeah right, I thought) then slamming the front door behind her, she was gone.
Upon hearing the door close, Olli immediately came charging downstairs and into the kitchen.
“What we gonna do, Reuben?” Olli eagerly asked.
I sighed. I couldn’t be bothered to do anything. Olli asked again, only this time his eyes grew wider with excitement. Coupled with a cheeky grin, I couldn’t resist his enthusiastic and persistent request.
Bending down to pick him up in my arms, I asked stupidly, “What would you like to do, Olli?”
“Play football?”
Of course! That’s all Olli ever wanted to do, play football. At the age of six Olli lived and breathed the sport.
Begrudgingly I said, “Ok, better tell Claude.”
Whilst Olli ran off to get his football from under the stairs, I shouted up to Claude. With no reply, I shouted up again, “Come on Claude, Olli wants to play football!”
Dragging his feet across the landing, I could hear Claude muttering under his breath, probably cursing me, but I didn’t ask.
“Right, we all need our coats on it’s cold out there,” I ordered, trying my hardest not to sound like the
My legs are numb, my whole body is shaking.
Where is Catherine? Just then, I remember Catherine, my Catherine.
His laughter starts to roar out across the land followed by screaming, Catherine. I hear her screaming, calling for me, Catherine!
I can’t get to her, Darkmoor has her.
Silence is descending around me. All the while his mighty monsters are coming closer. I look across the river to see Darkmoor. He is taking her away into the darkness. Then, I can’t see anymore, the darkness has swallowed them up and Catherine has gone.
“No, Catherine!!” I shout, but she can’t hear me calling.
“Catherine!”
Chapter Eight
Reuben’s Story
Soaked in sweat, Matthew opened his eyes and wiped the sweat off his brow. Still breathing heavily from his living nightmare, Matthew’s eyes darted around the room before focusing upon the grey sky, which peered through the gaps in the roof. Matthew removed his dusty torn blanket and made his way outside.
Sat next to the camp fire, trying to reignite it was, Reuben.
“Morning Reuben,” Matthew spoke gently as he approached him.
“Morning Matthew, did you sleep at all?” Reuben asked as he threw some more twigs onto the fire.
“Yeah I actually dreamt of-” then remembering Sam’s warning, Matthew quickly changed the conversation. “So you and your brothers, have you been here long?”
“Yeah about six years I guess, you sort of lose track of time in here.” Reuben replied staring into the fire. Watching the dancing flames steadily grow, Reuben couldn’t help but think back to the day that changed his life forever.
“Reuben! Reuben! Where are you?” Mama’s strong African accent boomed throughout the house, causing the pictures hanging on the walls to rattle.
“Reuben!”
“Mama I am here!” I shouted back from the kitchen. Her feet thundered down the hallway in my direction.
“Don’t raise your voice to me young boy!” Mama said waggling her finger. There was no reasoning with Mama, you were best saying nothing at all except, “Sorry Mama!”
She stood wobbling from side to side in the kitchen doorway. Her big hooped earrings swayed frantically as she glanced over the tops of her rectangular glasses.
“Yes, Mama?” I asked nervously, trying to think of what I was in trouble for this time!
“I’m going to the shops, so I need you to watch Claude and Oliver for me.”
Oh great, Claude was stubborn and never did anything without objecting first. And Olli, well he was Mama’s little angel, or so he led her to believe, but every time she left me in charge, he would always get up to mischief.
Through my fake smile, I reluctantly agreed.
Mama stomped back up the hallway bellowing up the stairs to Claude and Olli, “Be good!” (Yeah right, I thought) then slamming the front door behind her, she was gone.
Upon hearing the door close, Olli immediately came charging downstairs and into the kitchen.
“What we gonna do, Reuben?” Olli eagerly asked.
I sighed. I couldn’t be bothered to do anything. Olli asked again, only this time his eyes grew wider with excitement. Coupled with a cheeky grin, I couldn’t resist his enthusiastic and persistent request.
Bending down to pick him up in my arms, I asked stupidly, “What would you like to do, Olli?”
“Play football?”
Of course! That’s all Olli ever wanted to do, play football. At the age of six Olli lived and breathed the sport.
Begrudgingly I said, “Ok, better tell Claude.”
Whilst Olli ran off to get his football from under the stairs, I shouted up to Claude. With no reply, I shouted up again, “Come on Claude, Olli wants to play football!”
Dragging his feet across the landing, I could hear Claude muttering under his breath, probably cursing me, but I didn’t ask.
“Right, we all need our coats on it’s cold out there,” I ordered, trying my hardest not to sound like the
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