Doctor Who_ Psi-Ence Fiction - Chris Boucher [69]
It was definitely lighter. There was a moon. She tried to see where it was rising but she couldn't since the whole sky seemed to be the same distant washed-out grey.
'Are you coming with us Tommy?' Meg asked.
'Why not?'
The four of them began to walk away.
'No waitl' Josh called after them. ‘I'm sorry. Listen don't go. I'm really sorry.
No more arsing about, I promise. Meg, you've got the board and stuff. At least leave me the board and stuff. I want to try this.'
Meg paused. 'You can't do it on your own.'
Yes I can. Why can't I?'
Chloe stopped walking. What would be the point of that? she thought.
'What would be the point of that?' she said loudly. 'Nobody would believe you no matter what you said had happened.' Unless, she thought, he really does want to do it for his own peace of mind.
'And how important is that?'Josh demanded. I'm doing this for my own peace of mind.'
No, Chloe thought, no. This cannot be coincidence. He was reading her mind. He had to be reading her mind. But before she could say anything the torch went out and there was a heavy metallic clunk from the direction of gate. It was followed by a rattle and several more heavy clunks.
'Now what?' Tommy said. 'Another hilarious ghost impression?'
'That sounds a lot more like the destruction of private property to me,'
Ralph said gloomily.
Chain slithered in a clinking rush and the cemetery gates creaked.
Meg and Chloe made their way back to the entrance. Tommy and a more reluctant Ralph followed them.
Josh was waiting by the open gates. There are usually tools in these places,' he said, 'if you know where to look.' He brandished the pickaxe he had used to break open the padlock. 'That's what you call a lock pick. A lock pick? No? A definite sense of humour bypass, you people.' He switched the torch back on and shone it down the stony track which zigzagged through the old graveyard and led eventually to that part of the cemetery that was used for current burials. 'Old or new? Which do you reckon would be the most haunted?'
"There's not a chance I'm doing anything like this where someone's just been buried,' Ralph said.
'Dead's dead,' Tommy remarked. 'I don't see that it matters that much.'
'It would matter to the relatives,' Ralph said.
'You think they'll have locked some of them in here then?' Tommy snorted.
'Overlooked them in the rush to get home for tea?'
'Supposing we're caught?' Ralph asked.
'Relax Ralph. I don't think what we're planning to do is illegal,' Josh said.
'You don't need to worry about getting caught.'
'How would you feel,' Ralph continued imperturbably, 'if you found out that a bunch of drunken students had been playing with a Ouija board on the grave of someone you cared about?'
Tommy said, 'I think I'd probably regret not going for the cremation or the burial at sea.'
It was a facetious comment Chloe thought, and although she couldn't see it on his face she could hear the smirk in his voice. She found herself wondering why she had once felt his manner was reassuring. 'Ralph's right,' she said. 'I think Ralph's right. We should stay in the old section.'
'If we're going to use a gravestone,' Meg agreed, 'let's at least use an impressive Victorian one. Not that we'll see too much of it of course. Not unless someone knows where the light switch is.'
As if on cue the moon finally began to break through the clouds and the graveyard brightened faintly. It was a strange luminous effect, giving no more than the palest of monochrome impressions.
Josh said, 'Someone must have heard you. Someone or something!
Chloe sighed. 'Shut up.' She was disappointed at how little difference the moonlight made, but the moon was still rising and the clouds were still breaking up, she thought, so things would probably get a bit brighter. A bit brighter and a lot stupider. 'You've got the torch,' she said to Josh. 'You'd better pick the