Goylegate - One Gargantuan Scandal! 6

CHAPTER 6
Perfectly formed, steaming piles of stones.

Outside Davina stood in a carved doorway watching Ghost curiously. Ghost leant on his rake staring at the walls. He was in deep thought about something. Davina watched him scrape the remaining leaves into a large pile, he was preoccupied.
There was a swirl of activity: two naughty boys ran past and kicked the pile scattering leaves in all directions. Ghost didn’t react; instead he continued staring at something on the walls. He then crouched down and studied some objects on the ground below him.
‘Ghost’s a freak,’ taunted one of the boys.
Ghost frowned, bent down, picked up a stone and examined it.
Davina watched Ghost run his fingers over the surface and frown. What had he found?
The boys continued to taunt him. Ghost didn’t pay attention; he was fixated on the object.
Davina was fascinated by Ghost’s non-reaction, why didn’t he shift his focus? What had caught his attention?
Davina shuffled tentatively closer; what was it? When Davina drew up close. Ghost didn’t make eye contact instead he cleared some leaves away from something he was hiding. Davina crouched beside him. The pair stared at a small pile of steaming stones. They were hot and fresh.
Davina glanced at Ghost; he silently stared back. Neither said a thing. Davina couldn’t help herself, she was mesmerised by him. Ghost’s hair was white, his skin pale and his eyes different colours: one green, one blue and as clear as pools. Ghost blinked, Davina quickly turned her attention back to the perfectly aligned stones: each was specifically balanced on top of another. ‘Did you do that?’ she whispered.
Ghost didn’t respond.
Davina was curious and went to move one of the stones.
‘Don’t,’ he murmured.
‘You can talk?’
Ghost nodded.
‘Then...’
‘I only talk when I want to and to whom I choose.’
Davina was stunned, ‘why do you talk now?’
‘Because of that stunt you pulled last night.’
‘I didn’t pull any stunt!’ Said Davina.
‘Yeh right! Then how do you explain it?’
‘What?’
‘The fact these piles of stones have appeared randomly all over the lawn. They were never here before you arrived. Then there are the stone carvings on the walls.’
Davina looked up; there were no stone carvings on the walls. Davina wasn’t going to say anything. Maybe the boy was deranged. ‘It’s just coincidence, that’s all.’
Ghost shook his head, ‘no Davina it’s more than that.’
What was he saying? ‘Okay then... How do you explain it?’ She asked.
Ghost studied Davina, ‘I reckon you’re about thirteen years old. I reckon you’re from a strange place, maybe overseas, maybe somewhere completely different. But whatever it is, there’s something ‘bizarre’ about you.’
Davina giggled, ‘that’s coming from you!’
Ghost smirked, he wasn’t normal either, in his opinion normal was dull.
Davina gazed at Ghost’s haunting eyes, ‘so why are you here?’
Ghost shook his head, ‘don’t change the subject.’
‘Tell me.’
‘You must have heard I’m dangerous.’
‘But why?’
Davina anticipated his answer, but something shifted in the forest. That something was a large, solid shape moving through the trees. ‘Did you see that?’
Ghost turned slowly, something was definitely amongst the trees. ‘I saw something earlier. I assumed it was the wind but I had me doubts.’
Davina stood up and was drawn to the forest.
‘I wouldn’t if I were you,’ said Ghost.
‘I have to Ghost.’
Ghost frowned, why did she have to?
Davina jogged towards the forest. There was definitely something there.
‘Be careful it could be something dangerous,’ called Ghost.
Davina didn’t listen; she had to find out what was out there. Maybe it held answers to her predicament. Just maybe whatever it was could give her insight into what she had to do.
Once inside the forest Davina climbed through some gorse into an area surrounded by trees.
Ghost watched her disappear into the forest and gazed up at the walls. The stone carvings had gone.
‘What on earth?’ Ghost launched himself towards the forest, he had to stop her.
In silence Davina scanned the forest. She stood quietly listening to a heavy pounding beyond the trees. Davina stared ahead. The leaves were moving. Whatever was out there intended to reveal itself. Was she ready? She stared ahead, just deciphering a glint of an eye.
‘Crack!’ Ghost bounded through the thicket.
Davina jumped and grabbed her chest. The sudden motion startled whatever was beyond the trees. Davina glared angrily at Ghost, ‘you scared me!’
‘Erm sorry... Did you see anything?’ Ghost panted, bending over to regain his breath.
Davina was silent; another pile of steaming stones had appeared. She bent down next to the stones and tentatively touched them, ‘they’re hot.’
Ghost touched them too. ‘No Davina they’re boiling.’
Davina shot Ghost a look then pushed her hair behind her ear, ‘where on earth do hot stones come from in small piles?’
Ghost shook his head. ‘Davina there’s something really weird going on here. I don’t like the feeling I’m getting.’
Davina said nothing but intensely scanned the area; what was out there? Davina chewed her lip and sniffed the air. There were the usual forest smells, but there was a stronger scent on the breeze, a scent she recognised. What was it? Why couldn’t she remember? Davina noticed some branches move; she glanced at Ghost and gestured for him to be quiet. He watched the same spot.
The burning feeling of being watched intensified.
‘Ghost, there’s definitely something huge behind the tree,’ she whispered.
Above her a woodpecker pecked making the pair jump. Both took a breath and fell silent. Both stared at the leaves, something was looking back at them. ‘Do you feel it Ghost?’
Ghost nodded, he didn’t like it. The whole place felt bizarre, something was out of kilter. ‘We have to go,’ said Ghost urgently.
Davina agreed. The pair could hear more than one creature behind the wall of leaves. They breathed heavily like weary race horses.
Davina and Ghost stood up and slowly backed towards a large boulder. The pair stood for a moment. Davina noticed Ghost trembling.
A low rumbling tone resonated, a few of the massive creatures were communicating behind the trees. Those creatures were about to reveal themselves. To their right some branches snapped. Ghost and Davina turned their attention. Was more than one thing was happening at once? Where should they focus? By the trees the culprits behind the snapping branches were about to reveal themselves. Snap!
‘So the two weirdoes’ got together then? Are they kissing in the woods? How romantic!’ taunted Sheba.
Ghost and Davina glanced at each other. Had the others seen the creatures?
Sheba signalled to the group behind her. Numerous aggressive looking kids stepped out from behind some trees. Each carried a stick.
‘The weirdoes and their weirdness together... how sweet,’ said Sheba.
Davina couldn’t stand the girl: her eyes were black, her nails were black and her hair was black. She was messed up. What’s more she had red scar cutting through the left side of her face.
‘The little bitty weirdoes together kissing in the forest...’ she sung.
‘What do you want to do Sheba?’ asked Rose, sucking up to her.
‘I think we should teach them a lesson for getting us all in trouble. Dunt ya reckon?’ Sheba smiled wickedly signalling for the group to surround the pair.
Ghost and Davina stepped back and pressed against the large stone. Ghost glanced back, something wasn’t right: the boulder was warm. Ghost stared at the stone. Was something inside? For a split second Ghost frowned was it an animal? Wink. They hadn’t seen it wink had they?
Davina and Ghost couldn’t go any further. They were blocked by the warm boulder. Another pile of hot stones formed on the side of the boulder and plopped on the ground. There again was the perfect pile. The other children didn’t notice. There was silence; each anticipating what was going to happen next.
Davina looked down then glanced at Ghost questioningly. He didn’t have answers. Ghost glanced back over his shoulder and frowned. There was now a series of boulders as far as he could see. Why hadn’t he ever seen them before? He was always exploring the forest.
Smack! The silence was broken. One of the boys whacked his hand with the stick. Ghost took a deep breath, they were in trouble.
Davina pressed back into the boulder, what should she do? She didn’t want to fight, nor would she let them win. There was only one thing for it. Davina took a deep breath.
Sheba lunged.
Davina made a roar-scream resembling a lion’s roar.
Ghost jumped, glanced back. Something weird happened. He froze in a state of fearful paralysis. What the? That call changed his life. In that elongated moment, he saw something so bizarre and so unearthly that shock overwhelmed his whole body.
He couldn’t react, he couldn’t move, instead he became rigid.
Davina prepared to fight. Nothing.
Her attackers remained motionless, petrified. Each was suspended mid-motion; each stared fearfully at something behind her. What was it?
Tears trickled over their cheeks, yet their bodies remained rigid. Why? Davina glanced at Ghost and back to the group. What had happened? The blood drained from their faces, their minds had switched to survival. Had the roar done that to them?
One girl at the front of the group unintentionally wet herself. Another sobbed.
Davina followed their gaze, as she rotated a branch snapped. The cracking sound broke the atmosphere and the petrifaction. The first attacker scurried away.
‘You bitch! You’re going to get it freak!’ screamed Sheba running.
The rest of the group glanced at each other, turned and sprinted in the direction of the school.
Behind Davina there was a heavy thud and a rustle. She turned, the boulder she had been leaning on remained in the same place. There was nothing out of the ordinary, everything appeared fine. As far as Davina could see there was forest, a few stones and Ghost trembling beside her curled up in a ball. What was wrong with him?
Davina knelt down beside him.
Ghost pushed her away and protected his head.
‘Ghost we’re fine, we’re safe now,’ said Davina in a soft tone.
Ghost shook his head and shivered. ‘What on earth are you Davina? Why did you do that?’
Davina stared at him. What did he mean? ‘I don’t understand.’
Davina looked down, another pile of hot stones plopped from behind the boulder. This time they were red hot. Davina glanced at the huge stone. Things were beginning to make sense.

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