wasn’t me so it must have been you.”
“But why would I want to kill everyone?” I demanded.
“You tell me!”
“I wouldn’t! And I didn’t! Don’t be ridiculous, Tim.”
I stood up. That was a mistake.
“Don’t come near me!” Tim yelled, and suddenly he sprang out of his chair and jumped out of the window. This was an impressive feat. The window wasn’t even open.
I couldn’t believe what had happened. I knew Tim was stupid but this was remarkable even by his standards. Maybe sleeping in a suit of armour had done something to that tiny organism he called his brain. At the same time, I was suddenly worried. I knew who the killer was now and I knew who was lined up to be the next victim. Tim was outside the house, on his own. He had made himself into a perfect target.
I had no choice. I went after him, jumping through the shattered window. I could see Tim a short distance away, running towards the tail of Crocodile Island. I had no idea where he was going. But nor of course did he. He was panicking – just trying to put as much distance between the two of us as he could. Not easy considering he was trapped on a small island.
“Tim!” I called.
He didn’t stop. I ran after him, following the path as it began to climb steeply up towards the cliffs. This was where the island tapered to a point. I slowed down. Tim had already reached the far end. He had nowhere else to go.
The wind blew his hair around his head as he turned to face me. He was still holding the knife. I noticed now that it was a butter knife. If he stabbed me with all his strength he might just manage to give me a small bruise. His face was pale and his eyes were wide open and staring. The last time I had seen him like this was when they had shown
Jurassic Park
on TV.
“Get back, Nick!” he yelled. It was hard to hear him above the crash of the waves.
“You’re crazy, Tim!” I called back. “Why would I want to hurt you? I’m your brother. Think about all the adventures we’ve had together! I’ve saved your life lots of times.” I thought of telling him that I loved him but he’d have known that wasn’t true. “I quite like you!” I said. “You’ve looked after me ever since Mum and Dad emigrated to Australia. We’ve had fun together!”
Tim hesitated. I could see the doubt in his eyes. He lowered the butter knife. A huge wave rolled in and crashed against the rocks, spraying us both with freezing, salt water. I looked past Tim at the rocks, an idea forming in my mind. There were six iron grey rocks, jutting out of the sea. I had noticed them the day we had searched the island. And of course, rocks like that have a name. Long and slender with pointed tops, standing upright in the water…
They’re called needles.
I’m not exactly sure what happened next but I do know that it all happened at the same time.
There was a soft explosion, just where Tim was standing. The earth underneath his feet seemed to separate, falling away.
Tim screamed and his arm jerked. The butter knife spun in the air, the sun glinting off the blade.
I yelled out and threw myself forward. Somehow my hands managed to grab hold of Tim’s shirt.
“Don’t kill me!” Tim whimpered.
“I’m not killing you, you idiot!” I yelled. “I’m saving you!”
We rolled back together, away from the edge of the cliff … an edge that was now several centimetres closer to us than it had been seconds before. I was dazed and there was grass in my mouth, but I realized that the killer had struck again. There had been a small explosive charge buried in the ground at the end of the cliff. Someone had detonated it and if I hadn’t managed to grab hold of Tim, he would have fallen down towards to the sea, only to crash onto the needles fifty metres below.
We lay on the grass, panting. The sun was beating down on us. It was difficult to see. But then I became aware of a shadow moving towards us. I rolled over and looked up at the figure, limping
“But why would I want to kill everyone?” I demanded.
“You tell me!”
“I wouldn’t! And I didn’t! Don’t be ridiculous, Tim.”
I stood up. That was a mistake.
“Don’t come near me!” Tim yelled, and suddenly he sprang out of his chair and jumped out of the window. This was an impressive feat. The window wasn’t even open.
I couldn’t believe what had happened. I knew Tim was stupid but this was remarkable even by his standards. Maybe sleeping in a suit of armour had done something to that tiny organism he called his brain. At the same time, I was suddenly worried. I knew who the killer was now and I knew who was lined up to be the next victim. Tim was outside the house, on his own. He had made himself into a perfect target.
I had no choice. I went after him, jumping through the shattered window. I could see Tim a short distance away, running towards the tail of Crocodile Island. I had no idea where he was going. But nor of course did he. He was panicking – just trying to put as much distance between the two of us as he could. Not easy considering he was trapped on a small island.
“Tim!” I called.
He didn’t stop. I ran after him, following the path as it began to climb steeply up towards the cliffs. This was where the island tapered to a point. I slowed down. Tim had already reached the far end. He had nowhere else to go.
The wind blew his hair around his head as he turned to face me. He was still holding the knife. I noticed now that it was a butter knife. If he stabbed me with all his strength he might just manage to give me a small bruise. His face was pale and his eyes were wide open and staring. The last time I had seen him like this was when they had shown
Jurassic Park
on TV.
“Get back, Nick!” he yelled. It was hard to hear him above the crash of the waves.
“You’re crazy, Tim!” I called back. “Why would I want to hurt you? I’m your brother. Think about all the adventures we’ve had together! I’ve saved your life lots of times.” I thought of telling him that I loved him but he’d have known that wasn’t true. “I quite like you!” I said. “You’ve looked after me ever since Mum and Dad emigrated to Australia. We’ve had fun together!”
Tim hesitated. I could see the doubt in his eyes. He lowered the butter knife. A huge wave rolled in and crashed against the rocks, spraying us both with freezing, salt water. I looked past Tim at the rocks, an idea forming in my mind. There were six iron grey rocks, jutting out of the sea. I had noticed them the day we had searched the island. And of course, rocks like that have a name. Long and slender with pointed tops, standing upright in the water…
They’re called needles.
I’m not exactly sure what happened next but I do know that it all happened at the same time.
There was a soft explosion, just where Tim was standing. The earth underneath his feet seemed to separate, falling away.
Tim screamed and his arm jerked. The butter knife spun in the air, the sun glinting off the blade.
I yelled out and threw myself forward. Somehow my hands managed to grab hold of Tim’s shirt.
“Don’t kill me!” Tim whimpered.
“I’m not killing you, you idiot!” I yelled. “I’m saving you!”
We rolled back together, away from the edge of the cliff … an edge that was now several centimetres closer to us than it had been seconds before. I was dazed and there was grass in my mouth, but I realized that the killer had struck again. There had been a small explosive charge buried in the ground at the end of the cliff. Someone had detonated it and if I hadn’t managed to grab hold of Tim, he would have fallen down towards to the sea, only to crash onto the needles fifty metres below.
We lay on the grass, panting. The sun was beating down on us. It was difficult to see. But then I became aware of a shadow moving towards us. I rolled over and looked up at the figure, limping
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