The Ghost Train E-Book

Mark L'Estrange

• Herausgeber: Next Chapter
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

The hectic seaside town of Brompton-On-Sea sizzles in the summer heatwave. Holiday makers and locals alike find distraction and amusement on the pier, where the Cranville family have owned and run the fun fair for generations.

The rides on offer rival any of those offered by the biggest theme parks in the country, but at a far more reasonable cost. Pete Cranville, the senior member of the clan, assures that all his attractions offer their guests true value for money.

The Ghost Train is a particular favourite with visitors. Located on the very edge of the pier, it might seem a little out of the way, but it is still one of the fair’s most popular rides.

And for those who make it out alive, it truly is a marvellous experience.

Leseprobe

THE GHOST TRAIN

MARK L'ESTRANGE

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

About the Author

Copyright (C) 2022 Mark L’Estrange

Layout design and Copyright (C) 2022 by Next Chapter

Published 2022 by Next Chapter

Edited by Graham (Fading Street Services)

Cover art by CoverMint

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.

For Georgia, sorry you drew the short straw.

ChapterOne

“Oh, come on, you did promise,” Cherry’s voice had adopted that irritating ‘whiney’ tone that she employed whenever she was not allowed to have her own way.

She tugged at Simon’s sleeve, scrunching the arm of his new leather jacket.

“Get off,” he snapped, trying to pull his arm away, but Cherry kept her grip, almost ripping the leather in the process. Simon slapped her hand away. “Will you get off now?” he yelled. “If you tear this jacket you’ll be paying for a new one.”

Cherry reluctantly let go of his sleeve and looked on while he readjusted the fabric.

Her bottom lip began to protrude. “There’s no need to shout,” she protested. “I wasn’t going to tear the stupid thing.” She felt the urge to remind Simon that his jacket had been paid for using her credit card, but decided against it, not wishing to send him off into one of his moods again.

In truth, she had already spent a fortune on him since they had broken up for their summer holiday, and they were only in the first week of their break. The problem was that Cherry could not help herself. Simon was her first real boyfriend and now that everyone else at university knew that they were an item, she did not want him to dump her because she knew that she would end up being the outcast from the rest of the group.

Even so, there were times when being his girlfriend really sucked. In fact, if she were being totally honest with herself, that was most of the time.

She waited for him to readjust his jacket, then gently slipped her arm inside his, so that they were linked.

Simon had a bit of a reputation amongst their fellow students. His nickname was ‘psycho’ because he was known for never refusing a dare no matter how dangerous, illegal, or just plain stupid, it might be, so long as there was some form of reward in it for him, usually in the form of a pint, or three. Once, he had even walked into the local police station at midnight, wearing nothing but a pair of skimpy briefs to ask for directions. Fortunately for him, on this occasion, the officers on duty had seen the funny side and sent him off with a warning about public decency.

The main thing Cherry hated about him was his dark moods. Simon could switch in a second from being a reasonable pleasant individual into a spiteful, mean-spirited, cantankerous old sod. Often there did not even need to be a reason for the change, and this was what Cherry found the most perplexing.

They were just approaching the entrance to the pier which hosted the arcades, countless attractions, and stalls as well as a pub and the funfair. It was rumoured to be the oldest attraction in Britain, having originally been a steam fair back in Victorian times.

Unlike the vast majority of piers around Britain which were supported by wooden structures, the Brompton-on-sea pier was built using a concrete foundation, made up of dozens of individual towers which stretched along the entire 8000 ft structure, which also made it the longest pier in the country. No one knew exactly when the pier was built as the local records office was all but destroyed during the first world war. But word of mouth had it that the Cranville family had owned the pier for over two hundred years.

As they were about to pass the entrance gangway, Cherry stopped, refusing to move. Her arm, still linked in Simon’s, caused him to jerk backwards, almost losing his balance.

“What the hell!” he demanded.

“You promised,” Cherry moaned, her bottom lip starting to quiver.

Simon sighed, loudly, not caring that it might convey to Cherry, as well as those passing, that she was being a pain in the neck. It was not that late, but he was gasping for a pint, and all she wanted to do was waste time going on rides at the fair.

There was a pub halfway along on the pier, but Simon knew that some of the boys would already be propping up the bar at their local, ‘The Smuggler’s Arms’. Even so, he knew that there was no point in dragging Cherry there with a face like a slapped arse, so if push came to shove, he could still manage a couple of swift ones on the way back from the fair.

Reluctantly, he turned and headed toward the entrance.

Cherry squealed loudly and hugged his arm so that he could feel it squashing against her breast. After his sacrifice, he intended to receive full compensation in the manner of a shag on the lawn outside Cherry’s dormitory. Fortunately, the building had several quiet, out-of-the-way places where the security guards never ventured, most of which they had already christened during the past term.

It was a pain, Cherry living in an on-site, all female apartment where the rules specifically stated no visitors of the opposite sex. Simon had tried to sneak in on a couple of occasions, but the main desk was manned around the clock, and the back entrance was alarmed, so no dice.

He knew that he could possibly get away with smuggling Cherry back to his place. He rented a room in town, and although his landlady had also stated no visitors, she often went out in the evening, so it was just a question of timing. But he knew for a fact that on Thursdays she invited a group of her friends over for their weekly tea-and-scandal get together, so tonight was definitely out.

They chose the right-hand side of the pier so that they could watch the last of the sun slip behind the horizon as they made their way down towards the fair at the far end.

The boardwalk was heaving with locals and tourists down for the first week of the school break. Excited youngsters skipped along the wooden panels ahead of their parents, eating candyfloss and toffee apples, absentmindedly bumping into people as they glanced over at the various stalls on either side of them.

One young girl was aiming directly for Simon, so at the last moment he swung Cherry around so that the two of them collided instead. The young girl called out “Sorry” as she continued on her way, not bothering to look up at her latest victim.

Cherry brushed the incident off without comment.

By the time they reached the booth where the tokens for the fair were bought, the sun had all but disappeared and the sky had taken on a dark navy hue. It had been a particularly warm day but now that they were on the pier, even with the attractions all around them, the night wind could already be felt, whipping through the gaps between the various rides.

Cherry shivered and clung closer to Simon as they stood in line to buy their tokens.

With only one person in front of them, Simon asked, “What do you want to go on?” Then quickly added, “And don’t say everything, you can pick three things.”

Cherry gazed around her. “Umm, how about The Waltzer, The Bumper Cars, and The Dipper?”

Simon repeated their choices when he reached the front of the queue, and the man on duty calculated the number of tokens needed and dispensed them from his machine after taking Simon’s money. “Enjoy yerselves,” he muttered, smiling, and showing off his broken and blackened teeth.

The queue for the Dipper seemed to be the longest, so they opted to go on the Waltzer first, followed by the Bumper Cars. As they stood together in line for the Dipper, the harsh wind cut through Cherry’s denim jacket, causing her to shiver, animatedly. She only had on a flimsy blouse and bra underneath and regretted her decision not to wear a pullover that evening. Although, in truth it was a conscious decision because she knew that Simon liked to see her breasts protruding between her low-cut tops.

Simon, on the other hand, with his thick leather jacket appeared impervious to the drop in temperature. Cherry snuggled up against him, wishing that he would offer to take his jacket off to drape it around her, but knowing that there was realistically no chance of that ever happening.

Once on the Dipper, although they were exposed to the elements in the open-top car, the excitement of the ride helped Cherry to forget about how cold she was.

“That old bastard overcharged me,” Simon cursed as they descended the ramp from the ride.

“How do you mean?” asked Cherry.

“He said we needed twenty tokens for the three rides, and he charged me accordingly, but look,” he held out his hand to show Cherry. “I’ve still got two left, so we only needed eighteen, lying git, I’m gonna have him.”

As Simon began to head back towards the ticket booth, Cherry pulled him back.

“What yer doing?” he demanded. “Get off.”

Cherry pointed off into the distance. “There’s a sign there that says no refunds for token purchased,” she explained, gently, “so there’s no point going back. Why don’t we use them up somewhere else?”

Simon frowned. “But he conned me out of these and there’s no way I’m gonna let him get away with it.”

Cherry pulled a face. “Please don’t,” she pleaded. “If you start any trouble the other stall holders will only gang up on us, then we’ll be thrown out by security and end up being banned. Let’s just leave it, it’s no biggie.”

Simon considered her idea for a moment.

As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. He had witnessed how the workers on the pier stuck together when one of their own was being berated by an unhappy customer, and it was not pretty.

The last thing he wanted was to be manhandled off the pier in front of all these people. Hard as it was for someone like him, Simon decided to swallow his pride and leave things alone. But inside he was still fuming.

As they walked back through the fair, they decided to use the alternative boardwalk to the one they arrived by as it protected them from the wind, and brought them closer to the main entrance of pub.

Although not a big drinker, Cherry decided that the night wind called for a large gin and tonic to ward off the cold.

As they manoeuvred their way around a protruding stall with a variety of stuffed toys in protective plastic covers dangling from hooks, they heard a voice calling out to them.

They turned together, and saw a middle-aged man off to their right, waving them over.

“What’s he want?” Simon asked, rhetorically.

“Dunno,” replied Cherry, “but he seems desperate for us to go to him.”

From this angle, neither of them could see much of anything concerning where the man was standing as their view of him was obscured by a couple of shooting galleries which were just far enough apart to allow them to pass.

The man seemed genuinely excited at the prospect of luring them towards him, so Simon decided that it was worth investigating, even though he had no intention of parting with any more cash, regardless of what the man’s deal was.

Cherry, on the other hand was somewhat more reluctant to advance. The area where the man was standing appeared almost to be in shadow, obscured as it was behind the two rifle ranges.

As usual though, Simon had obviously decided that he wanted to investigate as he pulled Cherry behind him, without asking for her opinion.

As they emerged between the two shooting stations, they found themselves in front of the entrance to a Ghost Train. There were hardly any lights across the frame, which explained why the area appeared to be in shadow.

The signage for the train was old, battered, and looked to be in need of a decent coat of paint. There was a sign in front of the rail track which stated, ‘Scariest ride on the pier’. Neither of them seemed convinced.

Another sign draped from the operator’s booth. It read: 4 tokens per person.

“Roll up, roll up,” the man shouted, backing away towards the bottom of the wooden stairs which led up to the ride. “You’ll not regret having a go on the scariest ride on the entire pier.”

He grinned broadly as he spoke, evidently confident in his own words. The man wore an old, battered pair of grease-stained overalls with a checked shirt which, even in this light, looked in dire need of a wash.

On his head he wore an old station-master’s cap, with the badge missing. It reminded Simon of one of those old Will Hay films his dad made him watch when he was a kid.

Having surveyed the ride for a few seconds, Simon shook his head. “No thanks mate, not interested,” he called out.

“Oh, come on,” the operator beckoned, “you’ll be my first customers of the night.”

Cherry felt sorry for the man. It was obvious that his ride had been ferreted away almost out of sight because it did not attract many customers, and the poor bloke seemed desperate.

“Come on,” she whispered in Simon’s ear, “let’s give it a go.”

Simon turned to her. “Are you joking with me,” he replied, keeping his voice low so that the man could not hear him. “It looks like it’s about to collapse, probably why it’s buried out here and not in the main area with all the other rides.”

“It’s lovely and dark inside,” the man blurted, “perfect for young lovers on a cold and windy night.” The man winked at Cherry.

Cherry blushed.

“Sorry mate,” Simon shouted, “we’ve only got a couple of tokens left, and we don’t plan on spending any more tonight, sorry.”

Simon began to turn away, pulling Cherry with him.

Before taking their first step, the man shouted, “tell you what, as my first customers of the night I’ll do you a special price, just two tokens. Now I can’t say any fairer than that.”

Simon stopped. He had been convinced that the operator had only been interested in taking their money, but considering he was willing to let them have a go for a fraction of the price, Simon was in.

He turned on his heel and dragged Cherry towards the attraction. In his haste, Simon did not give her a chance to coordinate her feet, and Cherry tripped over herself and tipped forward. Simon, not wishing to risk wrenching his shoulder, released her hand and Cherry fell headfirst onto the wooden pier.

The sound of her hitting the wooden boards made Simon wince.

Cherry turned back to look at him with tears in her eyes.

“Oh, your poor little darlin’.” The ride operator ran over and bent down to help her up before Simon had a chance to move. “Now come on,” he coaxed, “let’s make sure that nothing’s broken.” With that, the man began gently squeezing Cherry’s wrists, working his way up her arm with each new grasp.

Agitated by the man’s overfamiliarity, Simon reached down and grabbed Cherry by the waistband of her jeans, hoisting her off the floor. “Get up you stupid cow, you’re making a spectacle of yourself.”

Cherry pushed herself off the floor, almost knocking the man over in her haste to stand up. “Sorry,” she muttered apologetically, under her breath. She tried not to make it look obvious in front of her boyfriend, but her apology was aimed at the man for almost knocking him aside as she rose.

Whether he realised it was for his benefit or not, the man stood up, smiling.

He removed a red and white spotted hankey from his pocket and used it to wipe his mouth before replacing it. “That’s better,” he said, looking directly at Cherry. “Nothing broken. No harm done.”

Cherry brushed herself off with her hands. Her right knee felt particularly sore as it had taken the brunt of her weight when she had landed. She suspected that there might be blood seeping through her jeans, but as they were dark blue and would not show she did not want to draw attention to the situation and annoy Simon.

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve, clearing away the tears which had started to develop when she went down.

“Now then,” offered the man, walking back towards his spot, “a lovely ride on my Ghost Train will be just the ticket to take your mind off your accident,” he winked at Cherry.

“Come on then,” said Simon, not bothering to enquire if his girlfriend was hurt or not.

They made their way towards the front of the attraction. Simon dropped his last two tokens in the man’s hand as they passed him.

The man touched the brim of his cap as a thank you.

Simon jumped in the first car and shuffled to the far end. Cherry stepped in and sat down beside him. The operator set down the safety bar and clicked it into place. He tested it by pulling it back towards himself to make sure it was locked in.

Once he was satisfied, he smiled at Cherry one last time before making his way into the control booth near the main entrance.

From behind the dirty glass, he began depressing buttons on the panel before him, until the machinery roared into life, giving Cherry a start. She slid in closer to her boyfriend and leant up against him for support in anticipation of what was to come.

Simon automatically swung his arm around her shoulders as the wheels of the train car began to turn.

He looked up at the booth as the car rode past it.

There was something odd about the controller’s expression which unsettled him, but he chose to ignore it, believing it was probably just a trick of the light.

The car crashed through the swing gates and rumbled along the track. Once they were clear, the gates closed behind them, plunging them into total darkness.

Cherry grabbed Simon’s hand and pulled it further around her as if it were some sort of comfort blanket.

From all around them they heard the sounds of maniacal laughter echoing through the tunnel. There were sporadic flashes of light, each revealing some hellish caricature of a witch, or a demon, or a mad axeman wielding his weapon in their direction.

Cherry closed her eyes to prevent herself from screaming when the next figure came into view. She was beginning to wish she had not been so keen to try out the ride, but then reminded herself that these things usually only lasted a couple of minutes and were perfectly safe.

The car took several steep turns, first one way, then the other. The speed with which it ran along the track made them both feel as if the car were about to leave rail.

Suddenly, without warning, the car plummeted down a steep slope, gathering speed as it went. It reminded Simon of the big dipper they had been on earlier, except this time they were not in the air above the ground, so where was the car going?

Before he had a chance to consider the possibilities, the car levelled out once more.

Seconds later, they hit a buffer, so hard that they were both propelled forward, slamming themselves against the safety bar.

The force of the blow knocked the wind from both of them.

Heaving for breath, the two of them stayed within the relative safety of the car while they regained their composure.

Finally, Simon shouted. “What the fuck was that?” His voice echoed within the cavernous enclosure. The floor and walls which surrounded them appeared to be carved out of solid rock. In the distance, there was the faint sound of water crashing against a solid object.

Cherry took in huge gasps in an attempt to stabilise her breathing. The air was cold and filled with the aroma of salt. She held her hand over her mouth and coughed several times before she felt able to speak.

“What’s happening?” she whined. “Did the car come off the rail, or something?”

Simon, now fully recovered except for a throbbing pain across his midsection where he had rammed the safety buffer, pushed the bar away, and jumped down from the car. He held onto the side of the backrest for a moment until he was confident that he could stand.

He looked down at the floor. Even in the dim light of their surroundings, he could see that the car’s wheels were still on the track.

Simon looked about him, puzzled by their predicament.

In the distance he could see the track winding back up at a steep incline, disappearing into the darkness. His first thought was that ride had manoeuvred them down a separate side rail, possibly as a safety precaution if the computer which controlled the attraction had detected a fault further along the track.

He suspected that any minute now the controller would emerge from some hidden doorway and guide them back up to the pier, apologising profusely for the mishap.

He waited.

Cherry meanwhile had managed to steady her breathing sufficiently to emerge from the car. She stood beside it and shivered, involuntarily. The chill sea breeze cut through her flimsy outer clothing causing her teeth to chatter.

“Shush,” hissed Simon, annoyed by the sudden intrusion into his concentration.

“I’m freezing,” moaned Cherry. “I want to go home.”

“We’d be there by now if you hadn’t ‘ave insisted we come to this stupid fair in the first place, so you only have yourself to blame,” Simon shouted, unsympathetically.

Cherry stamped her foot on the cold stone floor. She knew there was no point in either arguing with Simon or trying to garner any compassion from him when he was in such a mood, so instead, she merely wrapped her arms around herself and tried to boost her circulation.

After a minute, feeling scared and alone, Cherry sidled up to Simon and placed her head on his shoulder. “What are you doing?” she enquired, softly.

“I’m listening out for your mate the controller. His computer must have told him we’ve been diverted from the usual track so a rescue should be imminent.”

“I hope so,” Cherry sighed, “I really don’t like it down here.”

“And when he finally arrives,” Simon continued, sounding irritated, “I’m gonna give ‘im a piece of my mind. This thing is a bloody death trap, I’ll ‘ave health and safety onto him by tomorrow, just you see if I don’t.”

“Oh, please don’t antagonise him, babe, or he might leave us down here out of spite.”

Simon turned to Cherry and rolled his eyes. He hated how wet she could be, sometimes.

Just then, they both heard a noise.

“At last,” said Simon.

They waited. There was definitely something moving somewhere in the distance.

Cherry clung on to Simon’s arm.

“Oi,” Simon yelled into the blackness. “We’re over ‘ere.”

There was no reply, just the sound of something slithering across the floor emanating from the far end of the tunnel.

They both spun round in the direction of the noise.

It was impossible to make anything out in the shadows.

“I don’t like this,” Cherry whimpered, “let’s just get out of here, please Simon.”

“How, yer stupid cow? We can’t exactly climb back up the track, have you seen how steep it is?”

Cherry knew that he was right but staying put still seemed to her like a worse idea.

The sound grew louder as whatever was making it moved closer.

Still, they were unable to see anything.

Instinctively, they both moved backwards towards the steep incline.

Seconds later, the cause of the ‘slurping’ sound came into view.

Cherry screamed, her voice echoing throughout the enclosed space.

Simon gawped as he saw what looked like several large worm-like creatures come into view. They were enormous, easily a full six feet in length, and at least a couple of feet in diameter.

Cherry continued to scream the closer they drew to the pair.

She backed off away from the approaching monstrosities, accidently landing the heel of her boot in the middle of Simon’s foot. Before she could adjust herself, her full weight bore down on his instep.

Simon called out in shock and surprise, and shoved her away from him, catapulting her towards the oncoming creatures.

Cherry slipped on the wet floor, and before she had a chance to regain her balance, she had pitched forward and slammed down onto the hard stone floor.

Before she could move away, the nearest worm reared up as if being suspended by some invisible rope, and a gaping maw opened up in the front of its face, displaying several rows of razor-sharp teeth.

Cherry’s scream was lost in her throat as the creature surged forward and engulfed Cherry’s head. Her arms swung wildly at the creature’s torso without making any obvious impact, before she finally slumped back against the floor, dead.

The other creatures began to home in on her lifeless corpse, their eagerness evident by the speed with which they surrounded her.

Within seconds Simon could hear gurgling, sucking noises coming from the monstrous beings, as they appeared to be slurping the very moisture out of Cherry’s body.

Frozen in place while he watched the grisly scene unfold before him, Simon soon became aware that two of the creatures were moving away from the pack. They had no eyes that he could make out, but somehow, they appeared to have realised that there was more than just one victim in their midst.

The two beasts reared up the front of their bodies and began slithering in his direction.

Stirred into action, Simon took several quick steps back, away from the onslaught. But catching his heel on a protruding piece of rock, he fell backwards and landed hard on his rump.

Now he was almost at eye-level with the approaching beasts.

He pushed himself up, his tailbone throbbing, and scrambled backwards, desperately trying to gain a secure foothold so that he could regain his feet. But in his haste, Simon kept losing his traction until he was merely performing a parody of some farcical street dance.

The speed with which the creatures attacked was terrifying, and before he had a chance to make a break for it the first of them was upon him.

Simon screamed as the lead creature lurched forward with its enormous mouth open. The multiple rows of teeth slammed down on his calves, and Simon could feel his

bones splintering in the vice-like grip.

Mercifully, he passed out from shock before the second creature reached him.

ChapterTwo

“Time now please, ladies and gentlemen,” the course gravelly tone of Cyril Armstrong landlord of the Smuggler’s Arms, reverberated throughout the pub. Once he had finished shouting the order, his hand reached up above the bar and grabbed the rope which belonged to the giant brass bell he kept hanging there, solely for this purpose.

With a firm yank he battered the inside of the dome several times, the noise causing several punters to wince. Cyril had been told often enough that his voice was loud enough for every living soul within a mile radius to hear the order, but he was a traditionalist and felt that the clang of the bell sent the point across better than even his booming voice.

“Come on then,” said Jeremy, “best be off before Cyril starts getting’ leary.”

“Have you tried calling Psycho?” asked Colin, knocking back what was left of his pint.

Jeremy nodded, raising his own glass to his mouth. “Texted him twenty minutes ago, still no answer.”

“That’s odd,” remarked Colin, belching loudly into the back of his hand.

“Pig.” Stated Susan, evidently disgusted by her boyfriend’s behaviour. “He only acts like this when he’s with his crew,” she declared, turning to face the girls at the table. “Believe it or not, he can be quite the gentleman when we’re out on our own.”

“I believe you,” said Jenny, busy shuffling the remnants of her crisps into one corner of the bag. “Dave’s the same.”

“I wish that were the case with Wingnut over there,” Connie replied, nodding in Jeremy’s direction. “He was born a slob and now wears it like a badge of honour.”

Jeremy Ruskin had earned the nickname ‘Wingnut’ whilst working for his father’s metal shelving supply company, although most people called him ‘Winger’ for short. Connie knew he preferred ‘Winger’, so she only used the full version to wind him up.

Jeremy ignored his girlfriend’s comment and turned back to face the lads. “Perhaps he and Cherry have decided on an early night,” he suggested, winking at them, slyly.

Dave glanced at his watch. “Nah,” he observed, “it’s way too early for a Friday night. Besides, he told me earlier that they would be dropping in before closing.”

Colin shrugged. “Who knows with those two, if Cherry started one of her whingeing offensives perhaps Psycho just gave in for a quiet life.”

Just then, a spinning beermat caught him on the side of his cheek.

Colin spun round. “Ow, that bleedin’ hurt.”

“Serves you right,” replied Susan, “that’s my mate you’re talking about.” Susan had been the first one amongst the group to really get to know Cherry, which had been long before she started to go out with Simon, and although Susan was not his biggest fan, she saw how happy her friend was around him, so she sat back and stayed out of it.

The boys in the group were particularly mean to Cherry, although usually behind her back, because her parents were quite wealthy, and they classed her as spoilt. In truth, Susan felt that she was pretty lonely being an only child who had hired help to look after her throughout most of her childhood while her parents were away attending some prestigious event, or the other.

If Susan was being totally honest, there were occasions when Cherry’s ‘spoilt-brat’ persona reared its ugly head, but in fairness to her friend those occasions were particularly rare, and they had succeeded in them receiving discounts in several shops and restaurants.

As the friends finished their drinks, Martha, Cyril’s daughter, came over to gather up their empties. “Goodnight, good people,” she said, cheerily. “See you all soon.”

“’ere Martha, fancy a moonlit stroll along the beach?” asked Colin, cheekily.

Martha looked up and pulled a face. Turning towards Susan she said, “How do you put up with him?”

Susan shuffled along the table until she was within range, then shot Colin a hard punch on his arm. “I ask myself that, more often than not, if I’m being honest.”

Colin turned around, rubbing his arm where the blow had landed, a hurt expression on his face.

The six of them piled out of the pub and into the warm night.

The beach was directly across the road from the pub car park, and as usual they all drifted towards that side of the street. The tide was on its way out, and they could hear the sound of the water gently lapping against the shore as they walked back into town.

In the distance they could see the flashing lights from the funfair.

“I wonder if they stopped off at the fair on their way to meet us,” questioned Connie.

“What and miss out on a pint just to ride the big wheel,” Dave sneered, “no chance.”

“Maybe Cherry twisted his arm?” offered Jenny.

“She does love the fair,” Susan added. “She once told me that was part of the reason why she chose to study down here instead of moving further away.”

“I thought it was because she didn’t want to move too far away from her daddy’s bank account,” Colin suggested, laughing at his own joke.

Susan yanked his arm back. “Will you stop making fun of her, she is my friend you know.”

Colin held up his hand in surrender. “Only joking,” he assured her.

They continued their walk along the road until they were close enough to the fair to be able to smell the succulent hot dogs that were sold along the entrance to the pier.

Jenny breathed in the heavenly aroma. “Oh, let’s stop off for a dog,” she suggested, looking at her boyfriend, “I’m starving. Those crisps never fill me up”

“Good idea,” agreed Connie, “we can have a quick scout for Cherry and Simon while we’re here.”

Colin stopped himself from groaning at the thought of having to search for his girlfriend’s friend, but the hot dog certainly sounded like adequate compensation.

The boys queued up and bought the meaty treats for themselves and their respective girlfriend’s. While they waited, the girls walked further along the pier over to the entrance of the fair and scanned the crowd for their friends.

From this distance, there were far too many people criss-crossing their line of sight for them to be able to locate the couple. But the friends continued their vigil until their partners brought over their dinner.

A four-seater bench became free just as they started eating, so the group moved in with Colin and Jeremy opting to sit on the outer arms so that they could all squeeze on.

* * *

Out of sight of the group, Peter Cranville, the most senior living member of the Cranville clan, made his way through the crowds towards the Ghost Train. As he neared the attraction, Jeb Cranville the operator caught his eye and smiled at him.

Peter waited until he was a few feet away from Jeb before speaking. “How many?” he asked, checking around him to ensure that no one else was close enough to hear their conversation.

“Two,” replied Jeb, proudly. “Went down about half-an-hour ago.”

Peter nodded. “Have you checked on them?”

Jeb shook his head. “Nah, I wanted to wait until things quieten down, just in case I got me another bite.”

A trio of teenage girls walked by on the other side of the passageway, giggling, and shrieking with delight as they gazed at the mobile the girl in the middle was holding.

“Fancy a good scare to finish your evening off?” Jeb called over to them. The girls looked up from their screen long enough to wave the offer off before continuing with their task.

Peter waited for them to be out of earshot before he turned back to Jeb. Frowning at the operator, he said, “You know better than to take more than two at a time, what were you thinking?”

Jeb shrugged his shoulders. Although Peter was only a couple of years older than him, he was still their elder which commanded a certain respect from the rest of the family. Therefore, whatever he said, went. “They were girls, they’d be no trouble,” Jeb muttered, lowering his gaze to show Peter that he was not trying to challenge his authority.

“Girls or not, I said only two at a time,” Peter barked. “Now don’t let me down or I’ll put someone else on here.”

Jeb flushed red. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. Don’t move me off. I’ll make sure I stick to the rules.”

Peter could tell by the man’s tone that he appreciated the seriousness of his elder’s admonishment. Everyone in the family knew that to be left in charge of the Ghost Train was the highest honour, bestowed only on those Peter could trust without question.

Peter’s first cousin Harry had run the attraction for over ten years before suddenly being taken ill and dying earlier that month. Initially, Peter had closed the ride down out of respect for over two weeks, but he knew that because of the ride’s main function, he could not leave it closed for long. Therefore, he had thought long and hard before deciding who would take over Harry’s position, and Jeb knew it. So, the last thing he wanted to do was let Peter down, especially since he had only just been given the task.

“I’ll make sure I don’t make the same mistake again,” Jeb apologised again, trying to look his elder in the eye to prove his sincerity. “Trust me, you won’t have cause to worry.”

Peter waited a moment for effect, before nodding his understanding and turning away to continue his patrol of the pier.

Jeb heaved a huge sigh of relief as he watched the elder walk away.

* * *

Having finished their dogs, the six friends stayed put for a while and looked out across the pier, watching the waves forming out at sea.

On a clear night such as this, with the stars lighting the way, it was possible to imagine all sorts when gazing out at the choppy water.

After a while, the men especially began to grow restless. “Come on,” suggested Jeremy, “let’s do something, I’m fed up with all this.”

The others glanced from one to another, then nodded a silent agreement. Although some of them, Susan and Connie especially, could sit and gaze out at the sea for hours without feeling bored, they had to accept that the rest of their friends did not feel the same, and even though it was a warm night, just staying put in one place did leave one vulnerable to the night air.

“Come on then,” offered Connie, standing up and stretching, “let’s go for a walk and see if we can locate Cherry and Simon.”

Dave groaned. “Do we have to?” he mumbled. “I’m getting ready to call it a night.” As if to cement his position, he yawned loudly.

“How do the rest of you feel?” asked Jenny, feeling loyalty to her boyfriend, but at the same time not wishing to appear disloyal to her friends.

“Well, I’m ready for a walk,” said Susan, “so a brisk stroll around the fair to see if we can find them suits me as much as the walk home.”

“Come on, Dave,” said Colin, “we’ll do a quick round, then if we can’t find ‘em we’ll head off, what d’yer say?”

Dave shrugged. “Fair enough,” he agreed, grabbing his left ankle with his left hand, and pulling hard to stretch out the muscle before repeating the operation with his other leg.

“Should we split up, or stay together?” asked Connie, not aiming her question at any specific member of the group.

“Let’s stay together,” replied Jeremy, “otherwise we’ll spend all night trying to find each other again.”

They moved off together and made their way down the pier and into the main body of the fair. Being a Friday night, the crowds were still fairly thick, so rather than stay together in a line, they manoeuvred themselves into pairs, and staggered their formation.

Although they had agreed to stay together, when they reached the first arcade, they realised that if they all went in to look for their friends there was a good chance that they might pass by on the pier, out of sight. So, they decided to split up after all, with Jeremy and Connie going through, and the others walking around to meet up at the far entrance.

They used the same tactic for the next arcade, and again for the third, by which time they had made their way to the far end of the pier, without success.

“This is stupid,” announced Colin, clearly frustrated by their lack of progress. “They’re probably shacked up at Cherry’s place with their phones switched off, and good luck to them I say.”

After a moment, Jeremy agreed with his friend. “Colin’s right, let’s just leave it, it’s not like they’re kids or anything.”

Susan sighed. “I suppose so,” she agreed. “Who fancies a spin on the Waltzer before we make our way back?”

In truth, Susan would have felt better if they had located their friends. But then she knew that she was only being overprotective for Cherry. After all, she was a big girl and old enough to take care of herself. But sometimes she did have the feeling that Simon bullied her and tried to cajole her into situations she was not altogether comfortable with.

Cherry had confided in her on a number of occasions.

The trouble was, whenever Susan suggested that Cherry leave him, or at least threaten him with it in order to make him shape up, Cherry would always back down and start making excuses for his behaviour. If Susan pushed the matter, Cherry would even pretend as if she was at fault for making too much out of nothing.

In Susan’s eyes, there was only so much she could do if her friend refused to heed her advice. She had even thought of confronting Simon herself. She was not afraid of him, and she believed that he knew it. The problem was that if Simon then went running to Jeremy, he would feel torn between his best friend and her, and she really did not want to put him in that situation.

In truth, Susan’s suggestion that they have a go on one of the rides was really just a ploy to give them more time to see if the others showed up. But to her surprise, the idea seemed to take flight.

“Oh, yeah,” agreed Jenny, “that’s my favourite.” She pulled Dave closer to her and planted a kiss on his mouth in anticipation of what she believed was bound to be a negative response.

Jeremy glanced at Connie, who nodded and smiled at him.

“Come on then,” he said, cheerily, “let’s go and get the tickets.”

They had to wait for the ride to make a full circuit before they could hop on.

They decided to use two cars, for even though they had managed to squeeze six in one before, the girls had not enjoyed the experience of being crushed each time the car swung either one way or the other.

In the end, Susan and Colin had their own car, while the other four shared one between them.

After the ride, they all made their way back along the pier, using the opposite side to the one they had arrived by just in case Cherry and Simon happened to be on that side.

The pub on the pier had already closed for the night, but there were still a couple of stragglers finishing off their drinks, so Jeremy looked through the grimy window to see if his friends were amongst them.

Once he was satisfied that they were not there, the group moved on.

As they passed the various stalls on this side of the pier, the hawkers called to them, offering them guaranteed prizes if they only took part in whatever attraction they ran.

It was generally the girls who smiled in response and shook their heads, whereas the boys merely ignored the callings.

Further along, Connie noticed a jewellery stall. The sign outside boasted that everything on sale was handmade and specifically crafted by the owner.

Unable to resist, she pulled back on Jeremy’s arm. “Just a sec, I want to have a look in here,” she explained, unlinking her arm from his as she knew he would have no interest in joining her.

Jeremy sighed as he watched her engage in conversation with the middle-aged woman in charge. Noticing that the others had not realised they had stopped, he called out to them to hang back a moment.

The lads obliged, sauntering slowly back towards their mate. Susan and Jenny, on the other hand, seemed to have found their own attraction as they hovered around a shop selling scarves, belts, and an assortment of accessories.

“We’re back here,” called Colin, not wanting them to wander off too far out of sight.

Jenny waved back, distractedly, just to show that they had heard.

The old woman who ran the shop sat at the far end on a wooden rocking chair. She smiled up as the girls entered, displaying several missing teeth. “If yer see somink yer like, make me an offer,” she called, brightly.

“Thank you,” replied Jenny, as they began to browse.

Back at the jewellery counter, the three boys stood in a huddle, complaining to each other about how impossible it was to go anywhere with their respective partners because of their annoying habit of wanting to stop at every second shop to see what was on offer.

Connie, meanwhile, had found herself a charming bracelet which appeared to be a perfect match for a necklace she had back at home. The necklace had been a gift from her parents the last time they had visited her, and now she wondered if this might be the place where they purchased it.

The price was a little steep at £25, but the more she admired it, the surer Connie was that she was going to purchase it. She turned back to gauge Jeremy’s opinion, for what it was worth, but he was evidently too distracted with his mates to notice.

The owner of the stall noticed the crestfallen expression on Connie’s face when she turned back, unable to interest her boyfriend. “Were you hoping he might go halves with you?” the woman asked, chuckling.

Connie felt her face flush. “No,” she replied, shaking her head, and smiling. “That would have been too much to hope for. He’s not big on presents, that one,” she indicated over her shoulder.

The woman smiled. “Tell you what my lovely, as you’re such a pretty one, I’ll let you have it for £15, whaddya say?”

Connie’s immediate response was to refuse the kind offer. She had a personal dislike for people who bartered in shops, especially when the price tag was so clear and concise. If she could not afford something, she had learned to go without. After all, the shopkeepers had their living to make too.

Before she had a chance to respond, the woman placed her hand on top of Connie’s, covering the bracelet. “It’ll do my heart good to know that such a pretty thing will be worn by such a lovely girl,” she said, leaning in close enough so that only Connie could hear her.

Connie shook her head. “No, I couldn’t do that,” she insisted, “this must have taken you ages to make, it’s so pretty.”

The woman nodded. “All the more reason for me wanting you to have it,” she assured her. “I love to see my handiwork go to a good home.”

Connie stared down at the woman’s hand covering her own. She felt slightly uneasy, almost as if she were afraid that the stall owner might not let go unless she accepted her kind offer.

The woman was not exactly gripping her hand, and Connie knew that she could snatch it away if she felt compelled. But that would appear rude, and besides, the woman was being extremely kind and generous, and did not deserve such a discourteous response.

“Well, if you’re sure,” Connie muttered under her breath. “It is so lovely.”

“Then it’s settled,” the woman confirmed, triumphantly. She removed her hand from Connie’s wrist and held it out for the money.

Connie paid her in cash, presuming that was what the woman preferred. The woman thanked her and stuffed the cash in a bum-bag she had tied around her waist, before turning away and busying herself with something which Connie could not see.

Connie waited for a moment for her receipt, but after a while it became obvious to her that the woman was no longer aware of her presence, so she turned back and walked over to the men.

“What yer get?” asked Jeremy, feigning interest.

Connie held up her wrist for her boyfriend to admire her latest purchase.

After looking at the bracelet for a moment, he asked, “Haven’t you already got one like that?”

Connie dropped her arm back by her side, without answering. “Come on,” she said, “let’s find the girls.”

Jeremy looked back at his mates and shrugged, then they all moved off together towards the shop which they had seen Susan and Jenny disappear into, earlier.

To their surprise, the two girls were nowhere to be seen.

Dave walked inside the shop just to make sure they weren’t crouched down out of sight, admiring some of the merchandise. But the shop was empty, save for the old woman in the rocking chair who barely lifted her head off her chest when he entered.

“Excuse me,” Dave called, “but have you seen two girls come in here in the last ten minutes, or so?”

The old woman looked at him and shook her head, before returning her attention to the leather strap in her lap, which she was busily stitching.

Dave was sure that he had the right shop, and his initial instinct was to challenge the woman further, but given her age and general frailness, he was too afraid of upsetting her with his interrogation.

He walked back out without thanking her and joined the others. “She says she doesn’t remember seeing them,” he announced, signalling over his shoulder with his thumb at the old woman.

“But this is definitely the right place,” insisted Colin, looking around him just to make sure he had not miscalculated how far away the girls were standing when he shouted over to them.

“So where have they wandered off to?” Dave asked, rhetorically.

The group stayed in place, almost as if they were afraid to breakaway in case they too became separated from the group. They all looked around in different directions to try and locate their friends.

Finally, Connie spoke up. “Well, they can’t have gone far. They’ve only been gone a couple of minutes.” Taking out her mobile, Connie scrolled down to Susan’s number and hit the dial button. After a couple of seconds, the others could hear Susan’s voice over the loudspeaker. “Where are you two?” asked Connie. There was discernible relief in her voice upon hearing her friend answer.

“We’re over here,” answered Susan, excitably. “Look to your right, over here.”

The group turned as one and saw Susan in the distance waving them on.

Connie disconnected the call without replying, and the group moved towards the girls. As they came into view, the group could see that the two friends were standing in front of the Ghost Train. Jenny appeared engrossed in conversation with the ride operator, who was gesturing animatedly towards his attraction with his back to the approaching group.

As the others arrived, they could hear Jeb describing to Jenny the history behind his attraction, and what made it superior to others of the same ilk.

Colin walked up to Susan and grabbed her by the elbow. “What the hell were you thinking wandering off like that?”

Susan began to look tearful, so Colin, realising that he was holding her much harder than he had intended to, released his hold.

“We were only over here,” replied Susan, rubbing her arm where Colin had grabbed it. “This nice man called us over to offer us a free ride on his Ghost Train.”

Colin glanced over his girlfriend’s shoulder, towards the ride.

Jeb, having turned around, now noticed the small group gathered in front of him and his expression changed immediately. No longer the cheerful, grinning fairground assistant, his face now wore a scowl where his smile had been a moment before.

“What she say?” asked Dave from behind. “A free ride, I’m up for that.”

Jenny turned back to face her friends. “Jeb’s offered us all a free ride because they have just repaired his track and he’s looking for volunteers to test it.”

As she spoke, Jeb looked down at Jenny, his mouth opening and closing without speaking. It was clear to Connie that he was not amused by Jenny’s announcement.

Jeremy looked at Connie. “Whaddya say then, a free ride to finish off the evening?”

Before she had a chance to reply, Jeb shouted down from his post. “Sorry, must be a misunderstandin’ with the young ladies, I only said I would offer them a free ride when the track was fixed, but it’s still being sorted.”

Jeb turned away from the group and pretended to concentrate on something on the control panel in front of him.

Jenny spun round. “But you said…”

Before she had a chance to finish her sentence, Connie sidled up beside her and gently took her arm. Jenny turned to look at her friend, and Connie shook her head as if to tell her to leave well alone.

Jenny was convinced that she had heard Jeb offer her and Susan a free ride only moments before the rest of the group turned up, but she could sense from Connie’s look that there was no point in arguing the toss.

Reluctantly, she shrugged her shoulders and grabbed Dave’s arm before leading the rest of them away from the attraction.

Jeb watched them leave. Although he had managed to control it on the outside, inside he was quivering with rage. He had been so close to convincing the two girls to come for a ride he could almost taste it.

Pete would have been well impressed with him for managing another couple of victims before closing, but now his chance had slipped away.

Still, as far as he was concerned it was Pete’s fault anyway. Jeb would have had no qualms taking on all six of the friends and sending them down into the cavern beneath the pier to meet their fate.

But he knew better than to disobey Pete, especially after receiving a warning earlier.

ChapterThree

Once the pier had closed for the night, Jeb carried out Pete’s instructions just as he always did after a kill. Using the hidden entrance behind the control box, he cautiously navigated his way down the stone steps towards the cave beneath the pier, where they fed the creatures.

The going was always precarious due to a combination of the steps, which had been carved out of the rough stone, being uneven where the stone had crumbled away over time, and the fact that the ground was always wet as a result of the ceiling and walls dripping sea water onto it.

In Jeb’s opinion—and he knew that it was one shared by several other members of the clan—it was only a matter of time before the entire thing caved in on itself, doubtless taking that part of the pier with it.

But Pete and the other elders would not hear of it. To them, the caves were as sacred as the creatures which dwelt below, and it was up to the clan to do everything in their power to ensure that the structure was maintained, and the creatures regularly fed.

Sometimes it seemed to Jeb as if the elders treated the caves like some form of ancient temple, and those things which lived below as Gods. But he knew there was no point in raising the issue. All the elders cared about was that their ancient traditions were upheld.

As he reached closer to the bottom, the wind coming up from the sea sprayed a fine mist of sea water in his face. Jeb closed his eyes to stop the salt from stinging. As he did, he missed his footing on the next step, and only just managed to catch hold of the rope banister at his side before falling headlong down the final stairs.

Jeb held on tightly, feeling the striations of the rope bite into his flesh. Above him, the hanging lights waved in the breeze, the metal shades clanking against the rock. It was at times such as this that he almost regretted taking on the responsibility of running the Ghost Train with its added responsibilities.

He knew for a fact that there were others amongst the crew who would give anything to take over from him, but there was no way that he was going to relinquish his position so soon after being awarded it.

Such a failure would never be lived down. His only option then would be to leave the pier altogether, and that, he knew, would mean surviving on the outside.

A horrendous thought.

Steadying himself, Jeb inhaled a deep breath before continuing to the bottom. Straight away his nostrils were assailed by the stench of fresh blood. He slapped a hand across his mouth to prevent him from vomiting. The taste in his mouth was vile, almost as if he had drunk some of the coppery liquid himself.

He had hoped that he would become accustomed to the smell by now, but it appeared that his senses were not prepared to give up without a fight.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, Jeb could see the metal door at the end of the corridor which led directly to the creatures’ feeding ground.

This area of the cave had no light fixture above it, so the corridor itself was bathed in darkness, with the merest hint of light emanating from the gaps around the door at the end.

Jeb stared into the darkness. He hated this part of the journey the most for no matter how hard he stared and tried to concentrate on the ground ahead of him, the impenetrable darkness made it impossible for him to see where he was going.

Once again, he cursed his stupidity for not bringing a torch.

He considered returning to the booth above him to retrieve the one he kept beside his control panel for just this occasion but having come so far without it, Jeb decided to just finish the job and be done.

Jeb edged toward the door at the end of the passage. He released a deep sigh when he finally made it, grateful that the shifting tide had not somehow created some enormous fissure in the stone floor for him to plunge into, never to be seen again.

He shook the image from his mind and slowly pulled open the rusted door. The metal scraped along the stone floor begrudgingly. Jeb stopped after it was wide enough for him to see inside. The lights in this part of the cave were few and far between, but still enough for him to make out if any of the creatures were still around.

Fortunately, they had all disappeared back into the sea, having first made short work of their sacrificial offerings.

Jeb yanked open the door the rest of the way and stepped out into the cave.