Sons of Night E-Book

J.P. Häkkinen

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 179

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

Sons of Night is a mystery novel for children (over the age of nine). It's the beginning of summer vacation. A small town of Fort Sara is sleeping peacefully. Three schoolboys, Toby, Matty and Marc, are feeling bored and looking for something to do. Then, a mysterious van appears in town and strange events start to unfold. Soon the boys find themselves in the middle of a dangerous game. What is going to happen when the darkest hour of the night comes?

Leseprobe

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

ONE

Toby was sweltering. The dark forest seemed to swallow him even though he tried to run down the path as fast as he could. Toby cursed his bad shape. F'kin fatso! Slow lump! A voice echoed from the trees. And where on earth was that annoying sound of knocking coming from? Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet turned into soft mud and his pace slowed down even more. Now Toby panicked for real. What was happening? That tapping sound kept coming closer and closer. Clearly someone was chasing him but he couldn't understand who and why.

”Toby, are you in there?” A voice was heard somewhere in the darkness.

The tapping continued. Toby tried desperately to struggle forward in the mud. He could hear the voice already beside him. Toby cried out in terror and woke up in his bed, dripping wet.

”Did we wake you up?” A sarcastic voice asked behind the ventilation window. ”We agreed that we'd leave at eleven o'clock, if you remember?”

Still half-asleep, Toby groped his cell phone from the table. Indeed, it was already few minutes past eleven, he had overslept heavily. The voices Toby heard from outside belonged to his friends, the brothers, Matty and Marc. The boys had agreed earlier that they would go to the school yard to see the destruction. The spring semester had ended last Saturday and some of the pupils had apparently celebrated the event far too boisterously. Toby tried to remember what day of the week it was today. Guess it was Thursday. On summer vacation, the days got mixed up easily.

Feeling still a bit dizzy after the abrupt waking, Toby staggered to open the window curtain. Bright daylight blinded him for a moment and he had to squint his eyes to see outside. Two grinning faces stared against him. Matty, the older of the brothers, had brown flattop hair and narrow, tanned face with deep dimples. Two years younger Marc had little longer and lighter hair and he was a head shorter than his big brother. Otherwise, the brothers were like two peas in a pod, brown and slender both.

”What happened in there?” Matty asked, chuckling. He claimed that Toby's scream had been heard all around the neighbourhood.

Toby stretched and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He told the brothers that he had seen a terrifying nightmare. In the nightmare, for some reason, he had been in a dark forest and someone had been chasing him.

”Then your knockings and calls mixed up in the dream,” Toby said, continuing that he had already thought his days were numbered, until he had woken up.

The boys burst into laughter behind the window. Matty joked that they had, if not quite a major role, then at least a side role in Toby's dream. Toby wasn't amused at all. He moaned that he had just seen the worst nightmare of his life and his friends only laughed at it. Behind the window, the laughter continued. The brothers chuckled at Toby's hair which was sticking out all over the place. They thought it looked like a spike strip. Ostentatiously, Toby threw himself back on the bed.

Matty and Marc had to press they faces up against the window to be able to see inside.

”Come on! We've got to get going!” Matty lost his temper when he saw that Toby had gone back to bed. ”We need to go to the grocery store too.”

”I have to have some breakfast first,” Toby mumbled, face against the pillow.

The brothers wondered why anyone would eat breakfast at midday. Toby grimaced towards the window, saying he would have lunch then if it had to be so precise.

”I'll just have a quick snack,” Toby promised.

Matty told Toby to hurry up, Marc and him wouldn't wait all day. Matty was about to wisecrack something about Toby's eating habits but he managed to keep his mouth shut. Toby had probably heard enough comments and taunts about his overweight already. He had been bullied at school for that matter since the first grade.

The brothers waited Toby in the front yard. The first week of summer vacation had been warm and sunny and this day was no exception. When they had left home, the thermometer had shown already for twenty-five degrees Celsius. Matty and Marc decided to sit down in the shade of the wall. The brick wall felt enjoyable cool after the cold night of early summer.

”How long will it take?” Marc asked, looking mischievously at his older brother.

”Hmm… Toby and breakfast,” thought Matty in a sarcastic tone.

Marc corrected, laughing, that it was lunch.

”Oh… right. A lunch,” Matty continued. ”I'm optimistic and say half an hour.”

Marc laughed at his brother's thoughts but stopped immediately when he saw Toby appearing in the front yard. Matty praised Toby that it was the fastest lunch he had seen in his life. Toby was still chewing food in his mouth. He recalled promising the boys that he would be quick and eat just a small portion. Marc inquired Toby what that small portion consisted.

”Chocolate cereal and a piece of cake,” came the reply.

The brothers were laughing again.

”So, a small and nutritious breakfast,” Matty needled. ”The most important meal of the day.”

Again, Marc corrected that it was Toby's lunch, not breakfast.

Toby didn't want to harp on food anymore but changed the subject, asking why the boys had knocked on the window. Because last time he checked they had a doorbell. Matty said they had assumed that Toby's Dad was in the evening shift that week. They had reckoned he could still be sleeping and would wake up to the sound of the doorbell. Toby said his Dad was up already but praised that the brothers had thought pretty nicely anyway.

”By the way,” Marc suddenly urged. ”How come you were still sleeping?”

”Well, it's summer vacation now, after all!” Toby grinned.

”Yeah, it is!”

Wide, happy smiles spread over all three boys' faces. The thought of two and a half months of freedom felt more than good. Although going to the school, voluntarily, seemed a bit silly, the trio still decided to go to have a look what had happened there at the weekend.

The brothers had come by bicycle so Toby fetched his bike from the garage too. Just when the boys were about to leave, the front door opened and Toby's Dad, Luke, peeked outside.

”Hello Matthew and Marcus!” Luke always used their given names.

He wondered how the brothers were so tanned already, so early in the summer, but then guessed that they had probably spend some time in the sports field. Matty and Marc admitted that that was the case. Luke glanced, smiling, at Toby who looked white as a sheet, standing beside the tanned brothers. He said the brothers should try to drag Toby to the sports field too. Toby ignored the uncomfortable subject and informed his Dad that they were going to the school. Sports and stuff could wait for better time and cooler weather. Dad reminded Toby that lunch would be at one pm, no sooner nor later. Or maybe later, but it would be served cold then. Toby promised to be back on time.

TWO

Fort Sara, the hometown of the trio of boys, was a small mill town with a population of about three thousand. Primary and secondary schools were located side by side close to the town center. Primary school pupils came from district of Fort Sara alone, but secondary school had pupils also from smaller neighboring villages. Matty, the trio's oldest, would start the sixth grade in the fall, Toby would go to the fifth grade and Marc to the fourth. At the moment, however, the boys weren't interested in studying or other school stuff. It was their summer vacation, after all.

The day before, the local newspaper had published a news where their told that there had been done some vandalism at school area. Both schools had suffered several damages. According to the report, the plantings had been partially destroyed, the shades of the lights had been smashed and the garbage cans had been overturned. The main door of the secondary school was smudged with spray paint as well. Although the boys didn't always like going to school so much, this kind of anger against the school received no understanding from them.

A sad sight met the trio at the school yard. Even though the report gave the impression that the vandalism was outrageous, they hadn't been able to imagine such a horrible view beforehand. Flower and shrub plantings were messed up totally, apparently by motocrossing over them with moped or motorcycle. Outdoor lights had been destroyed systematically and an asphalt drawing, primary school student work, was smeared by burning rubber. The trash bins had someone managed to get in right positions by then and there was no longer loose trash on the ground.

While the trio were wondering the sight at the primary school yard, a familiar figure walked towards the boys from the main door. Janitor's robust presence evoked fearful respect amongst pupils. However, behind this intimidating appearance was a fair man who was kind to the good but strict to the bad. Frank the Janitor, as the pupils called him, had a good heart. Most kids liked him and so did Toby, Matty and Marc.

”The criminal always returns to the scene of the crime!” Frank shouted from a distance, grim expression on his face.

Then he immediately flashed a mischievous smile and blinked at the boys.

”Relax, it was a joke! So, why do you guys bother coming here on your vacation?”

The boys looked at each other. Toby was usually the one who opened his mouth first in situations like this.

”We just came to see what has happened here,” Toby replied.

”Yeah, some 'hard worker' has been here last weekend,” Frank said, imitating quotes with his fingers.

The janitor told he had just been scraping spray paint off the main door and was on his way to lunch break. Gardeners would fix the plantings, but the lights he could fix himself when he'd have time to do it.

Frank rubbed his black stubble pensively.

”Say, guys… Do you have any idea who might be behind this?”

The trio glanced at each other again. They had a hunch alright but could they tell Frank about it. Toby cleared his throat.

”Umm, well, at least we have a good guess,” Toby dodged.

”Well, probably we have the same suspects,” Frank replied, continuing that the boys didn't have to give any names in case they didn't want to.

He was sorry about the fact that there was no proper evidence available. Apparently, the vandals had turned the surveillance cameras around with a long cane or something. The only thing one could see in the camera recordings was sky or plain wall. The police had, of course, visited and taken photos of the tire tracks on the lawn but none of them alone would be useful, Frank doubted.

”Are the traces still there?” Marc dared to ask Frank the Janitor. ”I thought we could also take some pictures and make investigations of our own.”

Frank chuckled and shook his head. He had smoothed out the soil already and even planted new grass seed there. The plantings were still unrepaired but there the soil was so soft that there weren't any clear traces. Anyway, Frank urged the trio to keep their eyes and ears open. All new tips, which would help to catch the perpetrators, would be welcome. The boys promised to be vigilant.

”I guess it wasn't the first time something like this happened?” Toby thought.

Frank sighed and said that it really was not. Minor vandalism had been done in the past and that was why the cameras had been mounted last spring.

”But they didn't seem to help,” he continued. ”I guess they must be installed in a metal cage or something so that they can't be reached.”

The janitor looked weary. He wiped the sweat from his forehead.

”Work is work, after all, but it's so damn hot. I envy you your summer vacation.”

The boys were smiling broadly. Toby told Frank that they were about to go to the grocery.

”Maybe we'll get some ice cream and sodas, and…” Toby tempted the janitor feeling hot.

”Ok, stop that good-holiday-mooding already!” Frank interrupted and tried to look angry.

He said he was already an old man and you shouldn't be teasing old people. Nor people at any age, he added.

”Move a long, you smirking buggers!” Frank ordered playfully. ”I wouldn't go hanging around in my workplace on vacation either.”

The trio laughed at Frank's jesting. The janitor glanced at his watch and was already about to go to lunch break when he turned around towards the boys once again.

”Oh yeah, just remembered that Fanny was here before you came. She was, as usual, fussing around and about,” Frank said with a grin. ”She was going to the grocery also, so beware.”

When Frank the Janitor had left, the boys stayed at the school yard for a while. Matty wondered, laughing, would they dare to go to the grocery then. Toby spat on the ground meaningfully, cursing that Fanny was the last person he wanted to bump into at the moment.

”Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!” Toby imitated Fanny's speech and gestures. ”Why she has to keep snooping around! Every damn place!”

Matty and Marc laughed heartily at Toby's imitation. Matty suggested that Toby could perform a Fanny-show next Christmas celebrations at school.

”Just a grey, curly wig and glasses and a trench coat so no one would tell the difference.”

Fanny was a retired school cleaner who was still continuously worried about the school and especially the pupils. All the pupils, and most of the school staff also, thought it was just too much. And annoying as heck. Frank the Janitor had once said that Fanny had appeared even in his nightmares. Her real name was Annie Fowler but the pupils had nicknamed her Fanny already years ago. Even when she was still working as a cleaner, she used to bitch about everything.

”Well, anyway, let's go to the grocery store,” Matty finally said. ”It's three versus one, I think we can handle one Fanny.”

THREE

The grocery store was about half a kilometer away from the school. It was located in the same street as the school, called Borough Street, which run through the center of Fort Sara. Sometimes there had been three stores in Fort Sara but nowadays Weston's grocery was the only one. The city's large retail chains had forced smaller stores to shut down in Fort Sara too.

On the way to the grocery, Matty and Marc, as usual, rode like maniacs. The weather being agonizingly hot, Toby got annoyed immediately.

”Why do you always have to pedal like mad men?” Toby snapped behind the brothers. ”You'll get a heat stroke or something.”

Matty and Marc glanced behind and slowed down when they saw Toby's pained and, at the same time, irritated look. Matty apologized, saying that it was unintentional. Toby thought they were riding so fast solely and exclusively because they were in monster shape.

The boys were in many respects different from each other. Matty and Marc had always liked to play and do all kinds of sports and therefore were physically in top form. Toby, on the contrary, had always been a little chubby and hated sports, especially sports at school. His strengths were more mental. He was inventive and brave while the brothers, especially Marc, were more timid and cautious in many situations.

After noticing Toby's irritation, Matty led the talk back to vandalism at school.

”Would even Archie and Zac do stuff like that?”

”Well, damn sure they would!” Toby huffed. ”You can expect anything from them. The police could be notified straight off. If they compared the tire tracks with the Monkey Twins tire patterns, they would match one-to-one for sure.”

The Monkey Twins was a tough guy duo in the secondary school. The name was invented by Toby and it spring from the Monkey branded mopeds the duo used to ride. Archie had an old Honda Monkey and Zac's moped was a newer chinese copy of Honda. Both bikes, of course, were tuned up and ran like a beast. With them, the duo was terrorizing the whole town.

”Damn, if we'd have a picture of those traces!” Toby fretted.

He blustered that they could have been able to compare the tire patterns themselves and then give a tip to the police. Toby praised Marc's idea of taking pictures and said he had planned something similar activity for summer vacation.

”We would investigate and solve all kinds of suspicious things!”

”That's an awesome idea!” Marc got enthusiastic. ”We'd get some action!”

”An action? Yeah, right!” Matty laughed at his little brother's enthusiasm. ”There's enough action in SpongeBob SquarePants for you.”

”Fuck you!”

”Oh my goodness,” Toby began to imitate Fanny again. ”That's terrible language! Shame on you!”

A little verbal brawl between the brothers ended in uncontrollable laughter. Marc laughed so hard that he drifted to the road verge and almost hit the Weston's banner stand. With a quick steering maneuver, he somehow got back on the road.

”Hey, there's popsicles on sale today!” Marc yelled casually as if nothing had happened.

Matty and Toby laughed at Marc's twists with tears in their eyes. They marveled how he had still managed to read the banner in that hassle. Laughing, the trio turned into the driveway. Toby spotted first the familiar looking rollator which was parked near the entrance.

”Speak of the devil. It's Fanny's rollator all right. I so hoped that she would have gone home by now.”

The boys parked their bicycles beside Fanny's rollator. Marc suggested, grinning, that they should let the air out of her tires. Toby shot down the suggestion immediately. He said they wouldn't lower themselves to the Monkey Twins level, under any circumstances. Even if Fanny was annoying as heck. Matty agreed with Toby, saying that the they were the good guys, not the bad ones.

Suddenly, the automatic sliding door of the store opened. All three turned their heads towards the entrance. They were relieved when they saw just a mother with a small child coming from the store, instead of Fanny.

”Boy, are we nervous or what!” Matty chuckled. ”Come on, let's go now! She won't eat us!”

A pleasant coolness surged towards the boys as they entered the grocery store. They couldn't see any sign of Fanny or other customers. The boys walked through the fruit and vegetable section and went directly to the ready meals aisle. Matty and Marc had planned to have pizza for lunch.

”Didn't your Mom make lunch ready for you?” Toby teased. ”So, now you have to eat unhealthy ready meal.”

Matty patted his flat belly and replied that he and Marc could afford it.

”How about you? Ice cream, soda and candy, or what did you say to Frank.”

It was just joking, Toby excused, he was going to buy only that cheap popsicle Marc had spotted. He claimed he was about to start a diet from that day on. The brothers laughed at Toby's diet talks. They recalled hearing something similar coming from his mouth before, without noticeable results.

”I really am surprised if you manage to get past the candy shelf with empty hands,” Matty yet blurted.

”It's a piece of cake!” Toby insisted. ”And no pun intended!”

The brothers got their pizzas and the trio headed to the freezer cabinets to get the popsicles. Even then, there was no sign of Fanny anywhere.

Toby opened the freezer door and began to poke around the assortment.

”Let's see what flavors we have in here? Pineapple and strawberry, at least.”

Marc and Matty were peeking over Toby's shoulder.

”Give me the strawberry. What about Matty, which one…”

The trio of boys were so focused to select the popsicles that none of them had noticed the approaching danger. Fanny had appeared out of nowhere behind the boys.

”What's going on in here?” Anger could be heard in Fanny's creaking voice. ”Why do you keep the freezer door open needlessly! Oh, my goodness sake! Have you not been taught that you must choose before you open the freezer door.”

The boys froze with fear. Toby recovered from the shock first and slammed the door shut.

”But you couldn't see them,” Toby tried to defend himself. ”And the door wasn't open that…”

”No buts and excuses!” Fanny did not let Toby finish the sentence.

She complained something about the present day youths who had no manners. Always had to be correcting, she claimed.

The boys' faces turned as red as a fire truck as they were listening Fanny's preaching. They frantically thought how to get out of the unpleasant situation. Finally, Fanny snorted audibly and moved on towards the cash desk, mumbling herself.