I nursed a coffee in the kitchen and tried not to check the time every two minutes. Every bulb was blazing, even the ones under the cupboards, yet it still felt as if the shadows were closing in. Although it was a sunny day there was a quality to the light that suggested approaching night. The air was oppressive and I felt anxious and on edge, as if I was in the eye of a storm and it was about to break.
Justin watched me with solemn eyes. Finally he spoke. “I'm coming with you.”
I tightened my hands around my mug. “I know how hard that will be for you.”
I knew I should tell him to stay behind, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't want to do the dare alone. And if something went wrong I wanted someone with me. Someone I liked.
I caught my breath. I... liked Justin. I explored the sensation as if I was probing a broken tooth with my tongue.
Sure, he was good-looking, but he'd always been attractive; his attitude had made me immune. Somehow this last fortnight he'd become a friend and that had exposed my heart. I glanced at him then quickly away, afraid that he'd somehow be able to spot the change in me.
He knew about my curse and more than that, he was helping to keep the ghosts away. With Justin I felt safe and perhaps understood for the first time since my mum had died. With deepening depression I found myself wishing that there was a way that he could remain by my side, but when I found his killer he'd move on and leave me alone once more.
I thought of my mum’s promise to me with a snigger. Was this the “love” that I was supposedly guaranteed? An unrequited crush on a dead teenager.
Hysterical laughter bubbled in my chest. At least if I was going to die tonight, I'd have had this feeling. Tainted with darkness as it was, it was better than the nothing that had filled me until now.
I swallowed it back. “I'd better find Dad and say goodbye.”
Justin's fingers edged across the table until they touched my wrist. “Hey.” He smiled gently as I looked up. “We're going to be alright.”
We met the others at the bus stop so we could go together to the site of Justin's death. Before we left I had pulled the glove over my hand with shaking fingers. I'd never seen a Mark so black and I was pretty certain the Darkness was coming for me, maybe even tonight. If I could just stay ahead of it for a few more hours I’d know who Justin’s killer was and could pass the Mark on.
I wasn’t even entertaining the thought that my plan wouldn’t work.
I glanced along the back seat of the bus and my eyes skidded past Tamsin, Harley, Pete, and James: the group that had escorted Justin. One of them had to know what really happened that night.
Justin was sitting on an empty seat in front. He glanced back every so often, with an expression that said he was checking on me. And each time he turned his head I sensed the effort it took him not to look at Tamsin and James.
Biting my lip I looked out the window. Another ten minutes and we’d be getting off the bus. Apparently our stop was only a short walk from the building site. I fidgeted in my seat. I wasn’t comfortable putting my toes on the bus floor. The shadows beneath the seat were definitely darker than they should be and they sucked at my heels when I put them down.
We stood outside the chippy on the high street. It was that odd witching hour in the suburbs of London between the shops closing down for the day and the bars opening up for the evening. A few doors remained open, a vendor selling sari silk, a Costcutter, a newsagent. These hopeful businesses spilled electric light and noise onto the pavement, but the street was fairly quiet and most shops were dead.
A man walked towards us with two huge dogs on leads. All three of them wore studded collars and I couldn’t take my eyes off the hounds. They weren’t friendly. As they drew level with us one of them sniffed towards the chip shop while the other drooled and looked at me with eyes so black they reminded me of the void imprinted on my hand. Inadvertently I took a step backwards and the dog growled.
Its owner glared at me as if I’d deliberately antagonised his animals and a flash of anger warmed me. Where did he get off?
I was sick of feeling hunted and being scared. I was going to climb that scaffolding and then the idiots with me would have to tell me what really happened to Justin. Then I could get rid of the Mark and… and Justin would be gone.
I was trying to keep my glances at Justin to a minimum. He stood next to Pete and watched me with wary brown eyes, so different from those of my one-time friend. Justin was the only one of us wearing a uniform, the others had insisted on hoodies and jeans for this trip, and he looked a little lost. His skin was still pale, his face pinched and nervous. Of course, when he was last here, he’d died. I should be checking on him, not the other way around. I gave him an encouraging smile.
“What’re you gurning at?” Tamsin peered around James, seeing nothing but the Costcutter on the other side of the road.
I spread my gloved hand. “Nothing. Just thinking about stuff.”
“Freak.”
We stood a hundred metres down from the building site and I wondered if they’d stopped here last time too. Pete’s hands were wrapped around the portion of chips he’d just bought. Grease and vinegar dripped from the paper onto the gum-stained pavement. Tamsin curled her lip and my own stomach rolled at the smell.
James nodded at the security insignia that hung on the link fence that surrounded the building site. “We need another diversion. You ready?”
Pete nodded and tilted his head. “I’ll need Tamsin this time.”
Arm-in-arm the couple walked down the street towards the building site. Suddenly the girl pulled away. “You can’t talk to me like that!”
“I was only kidding.” The boy thought he could talk his way out of whatever he’d said.
“What about the other day? What about the party? I’ve had enough.”
“Where did that come from?” It was the boy’s turn to pull back.
“You’re a total waster. It’s over.”
“What?” He was shouting now. “You can’t just dump me!”
“Get over yourself, I just did. Anyway, why would you care, you want someone with some ‘junk in their trunk’, right?”
“I was
“Hey.” The guard’s voice reached us. “What’re you doing?”
“Didn’t you see? She just dumped me.” The boy rubbed his bald head. “I can’t believe it.” He looked at his right hand as if he’d forgotten he was clutching a bag of chips. “I don’t feel like these any more. You want them?”
The guard glanced left and right, then shrugged. “Go on then.”
The boy leaned on the fence. “Did you see her? She was fit. Out of my league really…”
“Come on.” James pulled on my sleeve. “We’ve got a minute or two. Let’s get round the back.”
Tamsin rejoined us and fluffed up her hair. “Did you see Pete try and make me eat those greasy carbs?”
“It worked.” James put his arm around her shoulder and led us down a side road to the rear of the site. “Pull up your hoods, girls. There’s CCTV everywhere.” Harley was already donning his and now James too covered his hair and pulled the cowl low over his eyes. Instantly he seemed even more menacing.
I shivered and tweaked my own hood over my eyes, narrowing the world to a tunnel.
The fence was at least six foot, but there was no barbed wire or anything. I was about to set my hands and feet on it when Harley grabbed my shoulder. I turned, mouth opening, and saw a couple hurrying past us with their heads down.
“Boo,” he shouted and they crossed quickly to the other side of the road.
