Darkmoor by Victoria Barry Read Free Book Online Page A

Catherine?”
    “No,” Catherine stuttered, “I came with Matthew.”
    “Hum,” said Sam moving away from Catherine, “well, where is he?”
    Sam stared past Catherine, noticing that a young man was standing in the doorway of the hut. Catherine quickly turned her head, glad that Matthew was at last present.
    Stepping past Catherine, Sam headed towards Matthew.
    Placing her arm across his shoulder she whispered, “So, Matthew, Jasmine tells me you have met Darkmoor?”
    Matthew looked into Sam’s eyes. A shiver shot down his spine as she mentioned Darkmoor’s name. Opening his mouth to speak, his throat became dry.
    “Listen to me, Matthew,” Sam’s soft voice turned stern, “I don’t want anymore talk of Darkmoor, we will talk afterwards, just me and you, is that clear?” Sam’s word’s sounded more like an ordered than a request. Unsure of what to say, Matthew said nothing, and giving Sam a crooked grin, he followed her down to the camp fire.
    Perching himself next to Catherine, Matthew asked, “Are you ok?”
    “I am now, what did Sam want with you?” Catherine lowered her voice, not wanting Sam, or the others to hear her.
    “She just said she wanted to talk to me after supper that’s all,” Matthew replied casually, not wanting to unnerve Catherine.
    “She just wants to talk to you, what about me? We did come together.”
    “I don’t know, maybe she wants to speak to us both. She mentioned Darkmoor and then got all funny about it.”
    “That’s weird, well actually, all of this is weird. What do you think is going to happen to us?”
    “I don’t know,” Matthew said meeting Catherine’s gaze, “but somehow, we will get home.”
    Catherine looked down, not wanting Matthew to see the disbelief in her eyes.
    “Catherine, Catherine, it’s me that got us here and I swear to you, I will get us home.” Matthew spoke certainly, gripping Catherine’s hands and squeezing them tight.
    “Hey you two,” Sam shouted across the camp, “Matthew! Catherine! You two ever had wolf-lizard before?”
    “A what?” Catherine asked lifting her head up to look across at Sam.
    “It’s one of the many creatures here, not one you would like to come across daily, but they do taste pretty good!” Sam explained as she held up one of the monsters. Sam had been out of camp hunting for food, and had somehow managed to capture one of Darkmoor’s mighty monsters, using only her bow and arrow.
    “A perfect shot, straight through the heart, killed it instantly,” Sam boasted. “You see, only a bow and arrow will do,” Sam went on, “with their tongues of fire tightly rolled in their snouts, ready to whip out at any moment. Then, with one fatal strike, you would be dead!” Sam bluntly explained.
    Whilst Sam had been educating everyone, Nathan and Andrew had been skinning the beast. Sam began to skewer her hairless catch ready to spit roast. The wolf-lizard’s long arms limped down into the pit of burning ash, leaving no part of the creature uncooked. Sizzling, popping and cracking accompanied the aroma of burning skin throughout the camp.
    “Well, that’s supper sorted,” Sam said proudly.
    Everyone began to sit back round the fire. Sam sat opposite Matthew and Catherine.
    Nervously, Catherine asked her, “So, how long have you all been here, Sam?”
    “I’ve been here for twelve years, Nathan, Andrew, Claire and Jasmine arrived about eight years ago. The three Afro boys arrived next, then the two wee ones, and now you.” Sam waved her hand as the smoke thickened around her.
    Not being able to remain quiet, Matthew asked shyly, “And this, this is Darkmoor?”
    Sam looked crossly at Matthew and a deafening silence descended around the camp. A cold draught blew up from the ground causing the flames of the fire to flicker rapidly.
    Matthew could feel Sam’s eyes burning through him, but feeling an overwhelming confidence welling up inside of him, more assertively he asked again, “And this is