Banshee Angel Of Judgement (12 page)

“
An easy day
for you then,” Micky nodded.

“
What have you
got?” Andy returned the question.

“
Me, the
coaster over there,” he motioned to the ride they were approaching
with his thumb, “The Witches Drop,” he added
theatrically.

“
What’s that
like?”

“
Alright when
the parks busy as you’re kept going all day but just as boring as
all the rest when it’s not,” Micky said knowledgably.

“
Do you think
it will be busy tomorrow?” Andy asked.

“
No, not
really, maybe Sunday or Monday it might not be to bad but the first
day’s usually pretty dull,” Micky turned the corners of his mouth
down as he spoke.

“
Why’s
that?”

“
Just the way
it is. Mind you they spent a fortune on advertising this year so
you never know,” Micky didn’t think it would be any different this
year even with the ads running on TV over the past week.

“
Yeah, I saw
the ads on the box,” Andy said knowing he’d talked about them with
Micky the other day. “My mum has been going on about them all week
as well. She thinks it’s funny that I’m working here and there’s
them advertising how much fun it is on the telly.”

“
Really,”
Micky said unsurprised.

“
Yeah, she
keeps saying that I’ll have no time for any fun,” Andy
smiled.

“
Well, she’s
wrong there because you can have as much fun with the punters as
you want,” Micky knew just how good it was to joke along with the
customers as well as wind them up if they looked scared or asked a
silly question which happened all to often.

On the horizon
the day could be seen following the sun
leaving the cold night to the rising moon to casting
its light through the fog. The trees appeared as eerie figures
reaching out of the mist at the men as they exited the park into
the dark depressing forest. Andy gave a shiver though he didn’t
feel the cold as yet.

C
hapter 16

The mist
glowed as the moonlight shone through it giving it
an other worldly look. Trees were
reduced to shadows of themselves, only the closest recognisable for
what they were. The road vanished into the whiteness, which
surrounded the two men, a short few yards before them as the mist
grew thicker in the chilly night air.

“
Did you hear
that,” Micky jokingly tried to worry Andy.

“
What?” Andy
responded as his older friend had hoped.

“
I thought I
heard something,” Micky said quietly as if afraid to be
heard.

“
What?”
Repeated Andy fear prickling at the back of his mind though he
tried to dismiss it as he suspected that Micky might just be trying
play a practical joke on him.

“
Well it
sounded like a voice,” Micky continued his pretence.

“
I didn’t
hear anything,” Andy lowered his voice as he began to be drawn into
the gag, “what did it say?”

“
Well it
sounded like,” Micky paused for affect, “Andy!” He sprang towards
the tall younger man suddenly as he shouted out his
name.

Andy jumped
back almost losing his footing at the start that his friend had
given him even though he had at first guessed this was his
colleague’s intention. “You cunt!” He pushed the older man as he
regained his balance, whilst Micky heehawed his glee.

“
Hoi, careful or I
’ll
get the ghost to you,” Micky said as he staggered into the verge by
the road.

“
You started
it,” Andy grinned back.

“
Just trying
to lighten you up,” Micky giggled back.

“
Lighten me up
or trying to scare the shit out of me so you can slide home
faster?”

“
Well that is
an idea,” Micky’s breath added to the mist.

“
You can do
your own shitting if you want to go sliding anywhere,” Andy gave a
shiver as the cold night began to seep in through his
coat.

“
Getting a
bit chilly,” Micky commented though he to could feel damp coldness
of the fog.

“
Yeah,” Andy
pushed his hands into his pockets for added warmth, “I’ll be glad
to get home and get something to eat.”

“
What’s your
mum making
you?”

“
I told her
I’d make something myself since I was working late tonight. What
about you?”

“
No idea what
ever the girlfriend has thrown together I suppose,” Micky shrugged
his shoulder nonchalantly.

“
Oh, right I
think I’ll just grab some roasted cheese or something. I’ve got a
craving for roasted cheese though so I think I’ll just have that,”
Andy could just about taste it as he made his decision.

“
Is that all?” Micky said incredulously
at the thought of just having a couple of slices
of roasted cheese after a long days work.

“
I make a pile
of them,” Andy simply answered.

“
Still, it
doesn’t sound like much,” Micky didn’t think Andy had thought about
it enough, after all melted cheese on toast was more a lunch or
supper than a main meal to him.

“
I’ll have plenty,” Andy knew he’d have half a loaf of
bread
and a bottle of cola to
wash it all down, more than enough to fill him as he got on with
his studies.

“
Well, I’ll be
having more than some roasted cheese I hope.”

“
I’d laugh if
when you got in that’s what your girlfriend had made up for you,”
Andy chuckled at the thought of his friends face if that were
true.

“
She’d try it
and get told were to go,” Micky said defiantly.

“
Yeah and I bet she’d boot your
balls for you,” Andy joked.

“
I’ll boot your
s if
you’re not careful,” Micky nudged Andy playfully in his side as
both hooted with laughter.

Out of the glowing fog the
haunted house drifted into view looking more frightening to Andy’s
eye cutting his jollity short as he glanced in its direction. Micky
noticed the other man’s stiffening as he too looked at the
crumbling facade.

“
BOO!”

Andy gave a
little jump at Micky’s shout. His heart raced, “Fuck, don’t do
that.” The shock showed in his wide eyes as he stared at the
hysterical figure next to him.

“
What?” Micky
said after a moment innocently, a guilty wide grin plastered across
his face.

“
You know what,” Andy’s heart st
ill hammered away easing slowly back to its normal
rate.

“
I don’t
believe you’re so easily frightened,” Micky shook his
head.

“
It just looks
spooky that’s all,” Andy tried to excuse himself.

“
Cause it’s
foggy,” Micky said with disbelief evident in his voice.

“
You don’t
think it looks like something straight out of a horror film?” Andy
asked trying to convince his friend.

“
No, where’s
the green lighting effects to give it that creepy look,” Micky said
as they past the old tumble down building with its rubbish strewn
over grown little front garden.

“
Yeah, but I
bet you’d not spend the night there by yourself,” Andy
defended.

“
Why would I
do that when I’ve got a nice comfy bed at home?” Micky countered
before adding, “Anyway it looks like the witches ghost isn’t
home.”

“
Well I’m still glad it’s behind us now,” Andy felt himself
relax as the old house was left behind disappearing back into the
fog
as quickly as it had
appeared.

“
Unless that
was another old house,” Micky tried to continue the teasing,
unsuccessfully.

“
Right and
I’ll really believe that,” it was Andy’s turn to shake his
head.

“
Well you
never know till you try,” Micky said cheerfully.

“
I take it
you’ll just be watching the telly tonight?” Andy asked more for
something to say than real curiosity.

“
Probably,
though I might play the Playstation for a bit if I can’t find
anything on the box.”

“
What game
are you playing?” He asked the older man.

“
Hitman 2, so
what you up to?”

“
The studying
that I was supposed to be doing last night but got railroaded
from,” Andy hoped he’d get more revision done than he had the
previous night.

“
Till you’re friend drops by again that is,” Micky
remembered how it used to be when he was at school studying for his
exams and how hard he found it to get the time to revise
as there was always something or
someone to distract him from the homework he had to
do.

“
I hope not
because I really need to get down and get some swotting done,” he
said, “I know I’ve got plenty of time left before my exams but you
know what its like.”

“
Yeah.” Micky
smiled knowingly.

A crying sound
came through the mist, low plaintiff sounding like a child
whimpering because they were lost, not sure where to get help. Both
men look at each other then strained to see through the mist but
saw nothing so picked up there pace to head along the roadway
towards the sound.

“
Is some
one there?”
Andy called out.

For a moment it went
silent then crying came again in the same low whining way a child
sounds. Still the men saw nothing but the trees on both side of
them and the moonlit fog.

“
Hello!” Micky
called out more forcefully than his younger partner had a moment
before. The crying continued this time without stopping.

Out of the
mist a shadow appeared that turned quickly into a figure crouching,
arms wrapped around the legs, face buried into its knees sobbing,
white looking, long flowing hair hiding the side of her face. The
small figure shook as the sobs grew in intensity. The girl wore a
dress with a high waistline, short sleeves, which looked more like
a nightdress than something that you’d wear on a cold foggy
night.

Both men
approach the girl, concern evident on the
ir features. “Hello, are you alright?” Micky said
quietly trying not to frighten the young girl.

“
Are you
lost?” Andy added as they came closer to the crouched
figure.

The crying
stopped as they stood looking down at the strangely dressed figure
for such a chilly night. Andy reached down to touch the child’s
shoulder but halted as the figure lifted its head and in one motion
rose and turned towards them.

The men stood
transfixed by the white eyes, twisted flattened nose, gaping mouth
filled with sharp
broken
teeth. As it began to straighten, talon like fingers reached out to
Andy’s wrist, eyes locking on his. A scream emanated from the
creature, sending waves of fear through Micky as Andy was caught in
a trance, fixed by the creatures gaze.

Micky grabbed
out to his friend pulling him away from the ghastly apparition as
it was about to grasp hold of Andy’s wrist. Micky dragged his
colleague back along the way they had come.

Andy didn’t know where he
was at first as he was hauled along stumbling as they went then
pulled back to his feet.

“
What the fuck
was that?” Micky shouted out of breath as Andy finally came to his
senses and began to move of his own accord.

“
Oh God,” Andy
whimpered.

“
Come on it’s
alright what ever it was its back there,” Micky assured the younger
man.

“
Are you
sure….” Andy’s voice trailed off as ahead the screaming figure
appeared out of the fog, hair flowing, arms stretched out toward
them.

The men veered
to the left into the woods to escape the screaming spectre. The
sound
causing chills to race
up their spines. Adrenalin sending their hearts racing, pounding so
hard that they were sure they would burst out of their
chests.

They crashed
through stinging branches that clawed and seemed to lash out at
them. Andy stumbled again then Micky fell. Andy continued on after
finding his balance again, without his buddy for a moment before
noticing he wasn’t there. He stopped to return for Micky as the
other man staggered to his feet. The two men crashed into each
other as silence fell on them.

“
What the fuck
was that?” Micky asked again as they pushed away from each
other.

“
I don’t know
and I don’t want to find out,” Andy answered his tall slender frame
shaking from the panic he felt within.

“
Where are we anyway?” Micky scanned the foggy
wood
ed surroundings hoping to
see something that would let him know.

“
No idea,”
Andy also began searching for some clue. “I knew we should have
went the long way.”