House of Memories by Benjamin Hulme-Cross, Nelson Evergreen Page A
Authors: Benjamin Hulme-Cross, Nelson Evergreen
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canât help you. Edgar canât help you either,â Arak called to Mary. âDonât you think itâs time you came back inside?â
Mary walked back into the house. Edgar sat frozen in his chair.
It looked like Arak had gone. Mary looked round. She could not see her anywhere.
But she saw something else.
Maryâs blood ran cold, and she dropped the sack onto Edgarâs lap.
Something huge was coming out of a dark corner.
Chapter 6
Spider
The thing was very big. It had long, thin legs like broomsticks. Its body looked like a mass of black bristles. It had small red eyes and two long, curved, black fangs.
It was a giant spider.
The spider came towards Mary. Its hairy legs scraped on the floor as it moved.
âIâm glad you came back, my dear!â The monster spoke with Arakâs voice. Arak was not a person â she was a spider demon!
Mary couldnât speak. Just like Edgar and Mr Blood, she was under Arakâs spell. They were all trapped like flies in the spiderâs web.
Arak the spider came to the table. Edgarâs eyes were wide with fear.
The spider laughed. âWho shall I eat first?â she asked. Neither of the children could speak. âI think I will begin with Edgar.â
Mary began to cry.
Arakâs two front legs reached out until they scraped against the table. Her sharp fangs were very close to Edgarâs face.
âYou two are mine!â Arak hissed.
Something hissed back at her.
Mr Bloodâs sack was still on Edgarâs lap. Something shot out of it, like an arrow. It was a snake.
Arak had no time to move away. The snake hit her in the head. It sunk its fangs between her eyes.
She screamed. Her legs thrashed around, knocking Edgar over.
The snake kept biting. Arak began to slow down. The snakeâs bite was killing her.
Arakâs spell broke as she died. Edgar and Mary could move again.
The door opened. Mr Blood was outside. The spell on him was broken too.
Edgar and Mary ran past him, out of the door and out into the night.
Chapter 7
Later
Mary and Edgar waited in the wood for Mr Blood.
Some time later, Mr Blood came out of the house. He went up to the children. For a long while they stood still, without saying anything.
Mr Blood spoke first. âArak lied to you. She wasnât like a mother to you. She had a spell on you both. She wanted to make you her slaves. I broke the spell and took you away. She hated me for that.â
âWhy did you bring us back here?â Edgar asked.
âShe still had power over you both,â said Mr Blood. âNow you are free.â
âI know this was hard for you,â Mr Blood told them. âBut we all have to face our own demons one day. I thought you were ready to face Arak.â
Edgar and Mary looked up at the Dark Hunter. He smiled at them.
âAnd I was right,â he said.
Copyright © 2013 A & C Black
This electronic edition published in April 2013 by Bloomsbury Publishing
Text copyright © 2013 Benjamin Hulme-Cross
Illustrations copyright © 2013 Nelson Evergreen
First published 2013 by
A & C Black
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square,
London, WC1B 3DP
www.bloomsbury.com
The right of Benjamin Hulme-Cross and Nelson Evergreen to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages
A CIP catalogue for this book is available from the British Library.
eISBN
Mary walked back into the house. Edgar sat frozen in his chair.
It looked like Arak had gone. Mary looked round. She could not see her anywhere.
But she saw something else.
Maryâs blood ran cold, and she dropped the sack onto Edgarâs lap.
Something huge was coming out of a dark corner.
Chapter 6
Spider
The thing was very big. It had long, thin legs like broomsticks. Its body looked like a mass of black bristles. It had small red eyes and two long, curved, black fangs.
It was a giant spider.
The spider came towards Mary. Its hairy legs scraped on the floor as it moved.
âIâm glad you came back, my dear!â The monster spoke with Arakâs voice. Arak was not a person â she was a spider demon!
Mary couldnât speak. Just like Edgar and Mr Blood, she was under Arakâs spell. They were all trapped like flies in the spiderâs web.
Arak the spider came to the table. Edgarâs eyes were wide with fear.
The spider laughed. âWho shall I eat first?â she asked. Neither of the children could speak. âI think I will begin with Edgar.â
Mary began to cry.
Arakâs two front legs reached out until they scraped against the table. Her sharp fangs were very close to Edgarâs face.
âYou two are mine!â Arak hissed.
Something hissed back at her.
Mr Bloodâs sack was still on Edgarâs lap. Something shot out of it, like an arrow. It was a snake.
Arak had no time to move away. The snake hit her in the head. It sunk its fangs between her eyes.
She screamed. Her legs thrashed around, knocking Edgar over.
The snake kept biting. Arak began to slow down. The snakeâs bite was killing her.
Arakâs spell broke as she died. Edgar and Mary could move again.
The door opened. Mr Blood was outside. The spell on him was broken too.
Edgar and Mary ran past him, out of the door and out into the night.
Chapter 7
Later
Mary and Edgar waited in the wood for Mr Blood.
Some time later, Mr Blood came out of the house. He went up to the children. For a long while they stood still, without saying anything.
Mr Blood spoke first. âArak lied to you. She wasnât like a mother to you. She had a spell on you both. She wanted to make you her slaves. I broke the spell and took you away. She hated me for that.â
âWhy did you bring us back here?â Edgar asked.
âShe still had power over you both,â said Mr Blood. âNow you are free.â
âI know this was hard for you,â Mr Blood told them. âBut we all have to face our own demons one day. I thought you were ready to face Arak.â
Edgar and Mary looked up at the Dark Hunter. He smiled at them.
âAnd I was right,â he said.
Copyright © 2013 A & C Black
This electronic edition published in April 2013 by Bloomsbury Publishing
Text copyright © 2013 Benjamin Hulme-Cross
Illustrations copyright © 2013 Nelson Evergreen
First published 2013 by
A & C Black
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square,
London, WC1B 3DP
www.bloomsbury.com
The right of Benjamin Hulme-Cross and Nelson Evergreen to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved
You may not copy, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (including without limitation electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, printing, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages
A CIP catalogue for this book is available from the British Library.
eISBN
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