The Power of Dark. Robin Jarvis

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      He didn’t wait any longer. If she wanted to get soaked and risk her life out here, that was her business. At least he’d tried to help.

      Clinging to the other railing, he made his way across the bridge and ran on to the quayside of the West Cliff. He was almost home. Before rushing there, he paused and turned back for one final glimpse of the deranged woman.

      Verne blinked and rubbed his eyes. Strange lights seemed to be shining from her hands. Bright colours were pulsing and glowing over her outstretched palms. The boy shook his head and backed away. It was an insane night; he must be seeing things. He was exhausted and anxious to get indoors – and he couldn’t wait to text Lil.

      At the Wilsons, Lil had carried Sally upstairs because the steps were too steep for her. As usual, the little dog had broken wind all the way, a habit that had earned her the nickname ‘furry bagpipe’.

      Changing out of her school uniform, Lil viewed the contents of her wardrobe with a scowl.

      ‘I have got to get rid of these drab clothes and cloaks,’ she said. ‘I’m sick of the whole goth thing. I’ve been shoved into bodices and black lace since I was a baby. I need some bright colours in my life.’

      She cast her eyes round her bedroom. The walls were a dark blood-red and the woodwork and ceiling were black. It was high time for a change – and not just for her. She was close to launching a daring scheme, which the money from the badges would help fund. By the time she was done, Whitby would be a blaze of colour and the forthcoming Goth Weekend would have the gloominess slapped out of it.

      Delving into the back of her wardrobe, she reached for a large bag filled with balls of wool and colourful knitting. Lil was a fast and skilled knitter. She made witchy tea cosies and other woolly novelties for the shop, but this stash was part of her secret plan. She wasn’t the only one who was fed up with the austere black costumes that thronged the streets. Lil was sure the locals would appreciate her campaign to brighten up their hometown.

      Before she could pull the bag out, her mobile rang. Lil hoped it was Verne, but it was her mother.

      ‘You all right there, luv?’ Mrs Wilson asked. ‘Your dad and me are stuck in the shop waiting for this shocking weather to ease off.’

      ‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ the girl answered.

      ‘If you’re scared on your own I can send your father over. I’ve drawn a chalk circle round him, performed a protection spell, given him my rain hood and put a sachet of rowan under it so he doesn’t get struck by lightning, and he’s chewing some ginger that he can spit into the wind and ward off the worst of it, so he’ll be OK.’

      ‘He’ll get soaked! Don’t send him out in this. I’m not frightened of a stupid storm. Besides, I’m not on my own; I’ve got Sal here.’

      ‘Fat lot of good she is. Now are you sure, darling? Because I’ve been casting the runes as well and they say something terrible is going to happen.’

      ‘Oh, Mother, stop it.’

      ‘This is no ordinary storm, Lil. It’s a warning – or worse.’

      ‘Save that for the customers.’

      ‘Light a votive candle and invoke the forces of protection like I’ve showed you.’

      ‘Bye, Mum. Gotta go.’

      Lil ended the call. Her mum was always a bit over the top and right now Lil could do without the melodrama. She checked her phone for texts, but there were none. She hoped Verne was OK. He should have reached home by now.

      The storm outside was louder than ever. Her bedroom window rattled furiously in the frame and, in spite of her scepticism, the girl felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Maybe her mother was right. There was something strange and unnatural about the ferocity of this weather. The hairs rose on the back of her neck and Lil began to feel afraid.

      Although she was deaf and half blind, Sally had also sensed something was wrong. The little Westie was gazing up at the window, head tilted and ears flicking. A low growl started in her throat. That in itself was unnerving: Sally was a very quiet dog and hardly ever barked.

      ‘It’s all right,’ Lil said, trying to reassure the pair of them. ‘It’ll blow itself out soon.’

      Sally rose slowly. Her tail was down and she became rigid, her lips pulling into a snarl.

      ‘Don’t worry, Sal. We’ll be fine. It’s just the silly old wind; nothing to –’

      As she spoke, there was a loud splintering and Sally started to bark.

      Lil ran to the window. Looking down, she saw the roof of the shed being ripped from its sides and go spinning across neighbouring gardens. Sally barked even louder and darted forward. Clamping her teeth on the leg of Lil’s jeans, she pulled as hard as she could.

      Lil barely noticed. Plant pots were shooting from the unroofed shed like rockets and one of the walls had lifted off the base. It flipped over the garden wall and sailed sideways.

      ‘Unreal,’ she breathed.

      Sally let go of the denim. She barked some more, but when that had no effect, she pushed her nose under the trouser leg and nipped the girl’s ankle.

      Lil yelped as the dog reclamped her jaws to her jeans and started to drag her away from the window, forcing the girl to hop after.

      There was an almighty rumble, louder and deeper than any sound Lil had ever heard. It juddered right through her and the pain in her ankle was forgotten. The house shook as a massive slice of the cliff face calved away and came thundering down the slope, on to the Wilsons’ garden. Soil and stones slammed against the cottage and Lil’s bedroom window exploded inwards. The spot where she had been standing only moments before was speared with broken glass and rubble. The gale came screeching into the room, whipping up the bedding, wrenching the curtains from the rail and scattering yesterday’s birthday cards.

      Sally resumed her urgent, frightened barking as she backed against the door, with Lil frozen and gawping by her side. As she stared, a text beeped into Lil’s phone.

       Finally back!!! OMG u won’t believe what just happened!!!!

      In the midst of her fear, Lil almost laughed. She looked around at the devastation and prepared to take a photo of it to send to Verne. Then she saw the scene outside the gaping window and her mouth fell open.

      The darkness was choked with swirling debris, and other things that had been seized by the unnatural hurricane. Ancient coffins had been ripped from the exposed ground high above. They bounced down the collapsed cliff, rupturing and splitting open, spilling their occupants and surrendering them to the ferocious wind. Now dozens of nightmarish figures were flying in the sky. Old bones, some still wrapped in the tattered remnants of the clothes they had been buried in, were whirling through the air like autumn leaves. Skeletons somersaulted and tumbled on the wind, colliding, entangling, spinning round each other as though performing some ghastly, supernatural dance. Sticklike arms flailed, legs kicked СКАЧАТЬ