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By Root 748 0

Was she looking for them now? If you looked for them you could always find patterns and coincidences. You could build a whole insane world round them. That was how astrologers worked. You shouldn't look for patterns and coincidences because that way lies madness and death. What should she say to him?

Where did you get that thought from? Did you think I wouldn't notice that you're stealing my thoughts? She was still trying to come up with a reply when Ralph spoke.

'Not really, no,' he said. 'I'm not afraid of the dark as it happens.'

Josh put his foot in the ironwork of the gate and swung himself up so that he was within reach of the top of the wall. 'Just dark cemeteries right?'

Chloe was relieved that the question had not been directed at her after all, but the relief was short-lived when she realised she had muffed an obvious opportunity to bale out on this whole stupid project. 'I'm not that keen on dark cemeteries,' she said. 'Since you mention it.'

Josh was busy scrambling over the top of the wall and he gave no sign of hearing her as he disappeared into the darkness.

'I'm not that keen on climbing over walls in the dark,' Meg said.

'We could follow the wall round,' Tommy suggested. 'See if there's another way in.'

'Or we could just go,' Ralph said. 'I still say this is in pretty bad taste after what's happened.'

We can't just leave him in there,' Chloe said, irritated at not being able simply to agree with Ralph and go. She had the torch. There was nothing to stop them leaving the obnoxious moron where he was. 'We can't leave him in there on his own. Can we?'

'Why not? It was his idea,' Ralph said. 'He's not scared. He thinks it's all crap.'

Torch?'Josh pushed his hand through the gate. 'Gimme my torch, Chloe.'

Chloe handed him the torch. 'How come you're the only one with a torch?'

she asked as he worked it back through a gap.

'All part of my master plan,' he said, 'to cast you into the darkness. And let the ghouls have their ghoulish way with you.' He gave a horrible chuckle and ducked away behind the wall.

Chloe leant in close to the gate. 'Where are you? What the hell are you doing?'

'Oh my God,' Josh's horrified voice came from the darkness. 'Oh no. Keep away from me. Keep away! No don't touch me! No! Don't!' He screamed and fell silent.

'What's happening to him?' Ralph pushed in close to the gate, craning and peering to see into the darkness beyond.

Tommy and Meg both held back slightly.

'What's going on?' Tommy said. 'Can anyone see anything?'

'Where's the damn torch?' Meg asked. 'Can you see it? Did he drop it?'

A deep voice grunted, 'No he didn't, now I have the torch!' and Josh ducked back into view with the torch held under his chin. He growled a bit and then hooted with laughter. Shining the torch through the gate, he giggled 'You should see your faces.'

'You moron!' Chloe shouted. 'You stupid moron!'

'That's a tautology isn't it?'Josh chortled. 'As quality insults go it lacks a certain style don't you think?'

'Try dickhead, you dickhead!' Meg raged.

Ralph said, 'Nice one, Josh. I was obviously wrong about all this being tacky.'

'Oh come on, lighten up, guys,' Josh said, flashing the torch beam backwards and forwards across their faces. 'lighten up? Geddit? Lighten up. I love it! Is there no end to the boy's talent? Not so's you'd notice.' He tucked the torch under his arm and shone it on the gate. Using both hands he began shifting the loops of chain, pulling them round so that he could work the padlock through to the inside of the gate. 'Come on, it was a gag.'

'And a very funny gag it was too,' Tommy said. 'Not.'

'OK, let's leave idiot-features to it,' Meg said. 'You were right Ralph. This was a rubbish idea from the off.'

Chloe said, 'Yeah, let's go. I'm not stumbling about in the freezing dark any more just to keep some stupid moron amused.' She looked back the way they had come and strained to make out the twisting route of the dark road home. It seemed to her that it was more clearly defined than before. She could