Chapter 4: MIDNIGHT ADVENTURE
Jack loved roast dinners. It was one of his favourite meals but that evening he felt jumpy. A mixture of exhilaration and fear was playing havoc with his appetite. Tasty pieces of chicken sloshed with gravy seemed lumpy and flavourless. Crisp roast potatoes didn’t seem quite as scrumptious as usual, nor did the treacle tart pudding slip down so well.
Lou, on the other hand, wolfed down every last scrap with gusto. She too was excited about their plans but with no trepidation or anxiety. She had felt refreshed after her bath and put on a smart blue and white-striped top and fashionable sequinned jeans before calling round at the Johnsons’ caravan. She wore her string necklace of shells and had the air of a fresh-faced young sailor girl, buzzing with energy and providing delightful company.
But she could tell that Jack was uneasy and not his usual ebullient self. He had clearly had not told his parents about their ghost-hunting mission. She understood why not and did not refer to it. She hoped he would not back out at the last minute. Lou wasn’t the least scared but it was not an adventure even she wished to undertake alone.
Jack did not let her down, although he came close to bottling it as daylight disappeared and night closed in on the caravan. He shared a bedroom with David and, as 11pm approached, gave him one final prod to ask him if he’d come along, too.
‘No, Jack,’ hissed David, cross at being woken up. ‘I’m not coming, sorry. I hope it goes well but I’m not up for it.’
Jack slipped out of his sleeping bag, quietly pulled his trainers on and his warm coat. He’d got gloves in the pockets if he needed them. Barney, the family border collie, looked up and gave a slight whimper as he slipped from the bedroom and over to the door. Jenny, the golden retriever, carried on sleeping. Jack patted Barney’s head and then, as gently as he could, opened the caravan door and closed it softly behind him again.
He’d hidden his bike behind the shed so that he could get to it easily with the minimum of noise. Jack cycled away without switching his lights on. He could see easily enough – the full moon was rising and already bright.
It was surreal to cycle through the caravan site at such a time although lights still burned in several windows and the occasional peal of laughter could be heard. That was reassuring in a way, but where he was going there would be no warm lights or pleasant sounds of holidaymakers enjoying themselves. He and Lou were off to a bleak, windswept moorland in the dark. It would be spooky enough without, well, anything spooky happening. How would they feel if it did? Probably terrified! Yet if Lou had the courage to go, so did he and, anyway, he could not have let her go off alone.
Lou opened the cottage door as soon as Jack cycled into the drive. She had her bike ready and jumped straight on it.
‘Thanks for coming, Jack. I’m pleased I’ve got you with me. Are you ready?’
Jack nodded and Lou gave his arm a squeeze. They cycled towards Abersoch and Jack felt himself fervently wishing they could carry on to the seaside resort which, even at nearly midnight, appeared welcoming and friendly. The lights still blazed in the pubs and restaurants and the agreeable aroma of cooking smells wafted up on a sea breeze.
Within a minute they left the road to Abersoch, turning right up the steep, unlit lane towards Mynytho. Once again, Jack was forced to dismount. Lou got off and walked alongside him. When the gradient eased, they got back on their bikes and pedalled away, further and further into the darkness.
They didn’t secure their bikes this time, instead they pushed them behind the trunk of a large tree overlooking the picnic area. That would allow them a quick getaway if they needed one, pointed out Lou, somewhat to Jack’s alarm.
The pair took the muddy track past the village school and out onto the open moorland. Lou had a small rucksack on her back with a torch inside and a couple of chocolate bars in case they got peckish. She did not need the torch – the bright moon provided enough natural light.
‘Are you warm enough, Jack?’ whispered Lou. ‘It will get chilly when we stop walking.’
Jack nodded. He had two thick jumpers on under his coat and two pairs of socks.
Lou looked at his worried face, pale in the moonlight. ‘Don’t worry, Jack, I’ve never let you down before and I never will, do you understand? This is another fun adventure for you to tell everyone when you’re back at school. You’ll be the leader of the pack by the time I’ve finished with you.’
She grinned at him, and Jack grinned back and started to relax. He loved being with Lou and he knew how pleased she was that he’d been brave enough to come. What’s more, he reassured himself, there would be nothing to see save the moon and stars and nothing to hear but the wind and possibly an owl or two.
‘Come on,’ said Lou, putting her hand into his.
They began to walk along the grass path alongside the dry stone wall to Mrs Owen’s home. In fact, they nearly walked past it. It was difficult to see in the dark but Lou glanced into the shadows of tall trees and saw the weather vane fixed to the chimney stack glinting in the moonlight.
‘We’re here,’ whispered Lou. ‘There’s the garden gate. Let’s hope it doesn’t creak when I open it.’
It did creak, ever so slightly, and Jack’s heart skipped a beat. So did Lou’s. It wouldn’t do to get caught by Mrs Owen sneaking into her garden at the stroke of midnight. She might think they were the ghosts – or worse, burglars.
‘You see that big bush over in the far corner, Jack. Let’s go and crouch behind it. It will give us a good view of the garden and the hillside beyond the wall,’ said Lou.
He followed her. The moonlight was so strong he was glad they were both in dark clothing. No-one would be able to see them – but maybe a ghost could sense them, it occurred to him. The thought made him shiver.
Lou felt him tremble alongside her and gave his hand a squeeze. ‘We’ll be ok, remember my promise – you’ll never come to harm with me at your side. Here, let’s use my rucksack as a cushion to sit on, it will be more comfortable.’
That was a good idea. Jack felt more relaxed now he could actually sit down. Lou kept his hand in hers and he suspected that she too, despite her strong nerves, drew comfort from having him close.
They looked about them. It wasn’t a bad vantage point. The moon was high in the sky above, a brilliant white disc on a black canvas. Few stars were out and they were but weak pin pricks in comparison; their faint radiance struggling to compete. The trees and shrubs dotted around became forbidding silhouettes, casting strange lunar shadows.
Lou checked her watch, which she could see easily. It was midnight. If anything was going to happen, it would be soon. They would give it half an hour at most then if nothing untoward occurred, would slip away.
Her nerves were also starting to jangle a little. This was a new experience even for her. The slightest sound from within that monochrome canvass in front of them took on an ethereal, unworldly quality.
If a breath of wind shook the tree branches, or rattled the chimney pot it sounded like the work of ghosts. If the wind died, the stillness seemed unnaturally calm. Without any assistance from the spirit world, this was already a surreal and disquieting experience. For Jack it was only the presence of Lou’s warm hand in his which made it slightly less than unbearable. Without Jack there, Lou also would have struggled.
A sudden gust caught an empty flower pot by surprise, overturned it and rolled it around Mrs Owen’s small patio. Jack gasped in fright and Lou squeezed his hand hard, but it had made her jump, too.
A small grey blob appeared in the middle of the lawn and scurried around before disappearing. Lou felt Jack stiffen. ‘It’s only a mouse, Jack,’ she whispered. An owl hooted from high in a tree. It’s night-time, of course owls are hooting, that’s perfectly normal, Jack told himself.
Lou glanced at her watch. It was nearly a quarter past midnight. She was cold and stiff and Jack was trembling from fear or the cold, or both. It didn’t look like anything was going to happen, dec
ided Lou, unwilling to keep Jack there any longer.
Then something did happen, suddenly and dramatically. There was no mistaking it this time!