Ghosts on Board by Fleur Hitchcock Page A

height and next to her is a smaller figure who appears to be clinging to her arm. It must be Billy. ‘It’s also called the Fearful Forest because of the terribly afraid faces on the trees. I think some of them were once ghosts,’ says Flora Rose. ‘It’s not wind in the trees – it’s screaming you can hear.’
    â€˜Screaming?’ says Jacob, shivering. ‘I’m not sure I can stand too much of this.’ He’s standing with his back to the sea. I suppose it’s like standing with your back to the wall.
    â€˜Then you’ll understand why I chose to leave,’ says Victor. ‘Anyway, chaps – Jacob, old fellow, light us a fire and tell me a spot about the meteorites, eh? Who’s got them?’ His eyes widen and a long smile creases his face. ‘And what do they do?’
    â€˜Don’t, Jacob,’ starts Eric, slightly too late to stop Jacob who looks infinitely more cheerful now the topic of conversation has moved away from ghosts.
    â€˜Meteorites. We get powers depending on where they land. We’ve all got different powers. Tom can  …  Ow! Snot Face, why’d you kick me?’ Jacob hops around clutching his leg.
    â€˜Oh, this is boring! Can I see the forest?’ interrupts Tilly. ‘Can we go there? Sounds spooooky.’
    â€˜I disagree. This meteorite thing sounds very interesting,’ says Victor, looking better, but still a little see-through. ‘And here the fog’s so thick you can’t even see a hundred yards. Let’s go back to that nice place you’re from, so much warmer, and you could show me your pretty space rock and we can eat more heavenly cake.’
    â€˜Oh, I think he’s right,’ says Flora Rose. ‘I know I brought you here, Tilly – but now we’re back, I don’t feel at all good about this. Can’t we go over to the mainland? It was so nice. And really this place is so dark.’
    â€˜Ooh,’ says Tilly. ‘Look at the seagulls! Aren’t they weird?’
    â€˜We keep our meteorites in our – Geddof!’ yells Jacob at a large gull which seems to be stalking him. ‘Pockets. Go away, you foul creature.’
    Victor grabs Jacob by the elbow. There’s a sort of a tussle while Victor forces Jacob upright, and Jacob sags. Jacob’s sweatshirt gets hitched over his belly, the seagull flies off and Victor straightens up his top hat, a large grin spreading over his face. ‘How wonderful!’ says Victor.
    Wonderful that the seagull flew away? Or wonderful that Jacob keeps meteorites in his pocket? I look again. Victor definitely has something in his hand. I can see because the hand is more transparent than solid and there’s definitely something extra in his palm.
    â€˜Jacob, Victor – I saw that!’ I say.
    â€˜What?’ says Victor.
    â€˜That! You took something out of Jacob’s pocket – it’s in your hand.’
    Victor splays his hands, opens his jacket. I can’t see anything and feel really stupid.
    â€˜Tom,’ glares Jacob. ‘Guests – be polite.’
    â€˜But –!’
    â€˜It’s nothing,’ says Victor, turning his back on Jacob and heading towards the end of the jetty.
    I whisk my meteorite from my pocket into my backpack. I don’t know what he’s done with Jacob’s stone, but he definitely took it. Not that Victor would be able to use mine – because it only works for me.
    But I suppose he doesn’t know that.
    And I don’t know for sure that Jacob and Eric’s meteorite only works for them.
    I’m still staring at him, wondering how he did that, and how to get the meteorite off him, when Tilly grabs my backpack. ‘I’m going this way,’ she says, yanking the torch off the side. ‘Do any of you scaredy cats want to come with me?’
    â€˜Don’t!’ shouts Flora Rose from alarmingly close.