Darkmoor by Victoria Barry Read Free Book Online Page B

Darkmoor?”
    “How do you know that, Matthew? How do you know his name?” Sam questioned him.
    The atmosphere intensified between Sam and Matthew, as everyone else remained still and quiet.
    “Well!” Sam shouted, prompting Matthew to reveal all.
    “Because,” Matthew started, “because he told me.” The other campers gasped in amazement at Matthew’s revelation of speaking to Darkmoor.
    Sam leaned closer towards him, “Carry on,” she insisted.
    Gathering his thoughts, Matthew paused for a moment, then with everyone’s full attention, he began to tell of his experience.
    “Well, it all started when I moved into the Old Vicarage opposite Catherine, and there lived a crow, but only he wasn’t a crow...”
    Upon telling his and Catherine’s story, Sam silently stood to her feet. Using a twig she poked the beast, clear juices oozed out of the well cooked creature and dripped on the fire, causing it to spit and hiss.
    “Right everyone it’s supper time,” Sam announced causing everyone to race off to clean up ready for dinner.
    “Not you, Matthew and Catherine, we need to talk!”
    Leading them towards one of the huts, Sam closed the rickety door behind them and sat down upon a camp bed.
    “Look you two, I have been here for years and apart from me, no one else has ever seen Darkmoor, no one.” Sam lowered her voice as she mentioned his name, “I don’t want you to cause any upset, it’s bad enough without you two stirring things up. Do you hear me?”
    “But I don’t understand, what do you mean, no one else has met him? Who is he Sam? What does he want with us?” Matthew’s voice was full of desperation.
    “Look, Matthew,” Sam started her voice softening, “he’s your worst nightmare. He doesn’t care how, or what he kills, it’s his way, or no way. I don’t know how or why we are here, but somehow we are. Look, I know you would love to get home, all of us would, but you have to realise that we are-”
    “What Sam? We’re the forgotten?” Matthew voice rose as he interrupted her, “Sam, I have to go and find him, I have to understand why, I can’t live here forever!”
    “Matthew, I will not have anyone, and I mean anyone, go over there! Do you here me!” Sam ordered, “this conversation is over!” And with that Sam stood and turned to walk away.
    “No!” Matthew called to her, “no Sam it’s not! I will meet Darkmoor again and I will get home!”
    Turning slowly back to face Matthew, Sam’s eyes narrowed. Matthew walked over and whispered in her ear, “You can either help me or not, but I will not be forgotten, I would rather be killed than spend the rest of my life in here. Do you hear me?”
    Matthew looked sternly at Sam as he stepped away from her. Without saying anything else, Sam smirked before turning her back once more and returned to the camp fire.
    Turning to Catherine, Matthew grabbed her arm tightly causing Catherine to motion backwards, “I will take care of you, I mean you’re mine.”
    “Get off me!” gasped Catherine, “what are you doing?”
    Catherine shuddered, as an unrecognisable Matthew stood before her. His eyes were pure black as they pierced Catherine’s eyes. His olive skin was now burning red with anger. Catherine silently left the mud hut.
    Standing alone in the darkened shelter, Matthew couldn’t get Darkmoor out of his head. The back of his hand started to throb, and the more Matthew remembered the day’s events, the more his body drained. Laying himself down on one of the beds, Matthew closed his eyes tightly.
    Darkmoor is marching out of the mist. He is facing me now, and I can feel his dark piercing eyes burning through my skin and searching my soul. His long black hair is swaying in the chilling breeze and then, suddenly, he commands his wolf-lizard’s to kill me.
    “No, please no!” I am shouting, but there is no one to hear me. I am alone.
    The deadly monsters are plunging themselves one by one into the white misty river and have