Darkmoor (4 page)

From within the cracks of the ground came a piercing, deafening sound which caused Matthew and Catherine to cover their ears. Looking back towards the void, Matthew and Catherine’s eyes widened in amazement.

Suddenly, out of the empty void shot a black arrow which was twisting and turning through the air. Its sharp, sleek beak cut cleanly through the night. With his wings pulled down by his side, Clever Crow continued to spiral through the heavy clouds like a tornado. Climbing higher and higher, majestically he silhouetted against the bright moon. Then Crow emitted a final screech.

Crow stopped abruptly, unfolded his wings and started to flap them quickly trying to catch the wind. Hovering above Catherine and Matthew, Crow’s beady eyes darted across the land below. Firmly focussed on Matthew and Catherine suddenly, Crow tucked his wings back down at his side.

“Get down!” Matthew shouted pulling Catherine down into the mud.

Crow thundered down towards them, accompanied by another bout of screeches. Crow whooshed past them, his dagger claws narrowly shaving their hair. Flying only a few inches from the ground, Crow turned back around and aimed once more for the two youngsters.

However, this time Matthew stood tall with his feet pressed firmly into the mud. Matthew raised his hand up to hit out at Crow, who attacked him with his razor sharp claws.

“Ouch!” Matthew screamed.

Catherine, still with her head in her hands, frantically asked, “Matthew! Matthew! Are you ok?”

“Yeah I’m fine. Where is he? I think he’s gone!”

Matthew looked down at the back of his hand. Crow’s razor sharp beak had slashed it open, causing ruby red blood to pour out and down his fingers.

“Matthew,” Catherine said noticing Matthew’s blood, “you’re hurt!”

“It’s only a little cut, I’ll be fine,” Matthew said smiled through gritted teeth. Throbbing pains shot up his arm and Matthew felt his cold blood pulsating faster.

“Where is he?” panicked Matthew looking up towards the sky.

“I don’t know.”

Silver mercury started to jet out from the cracked walls, filling up the void before them. Within in a few minutes, the once empty space was full of silver liquid, which soon illuminated the dark sky. Calmly the silver, creamy, river flowed gently lapping against the river banks. Up from the river bed silver veins sprouted and slithered across to the opposite side. Churning deep into the mud, the sparkly veins of mercury awoke the buried trees. Creaking for joy the trees happily welcomed the blood of life, pushing past the life sucking mud and stretching their baron branches towards the rays of the moonlight.

Gazing across the opposite side of the river, Matthew and Catherine witnessed the slithers of mercury performing their healing touch upon the woodlands.

Directly across from them, on the other side of the river, a familiar figure rustled out from within the trees. Silently, Crow stared back towards them.

Gaining their full attention, Crow slowly submerged his whole body into the river and sank gently down to the river bed. Catherine and Matthew could just about make out Crow’s motionless shadow. Then once more Crow opened his mighty wings and started to flap them furiously, causing silver droplets to rise into the air creating an enormous silver cloud.

Completely mesmerised, Catherine and Matthew stood speechless as every little drop of mercury vacated the void, leaving it dry. Crow stood masterful in the now enormous empty space, and dragging his wings back, fired himself back up into the dark sky.

Using his sharp black beak, Crow cut open the cloud causing white mist to snow down and fill the empty void. Crow then darted down once more and plunged himself head first into the newly created misty river.

Catherine and Matthew could feel their hearts pounding in fear, but couldn’t stop watching, waiting for Crow to return. But Crow had vanished and had been replaced by a human figure, which began to stroll across the bottom of the void.

Catherine and Matthew watched on nervously. The ‘thing’ trudged itself along, leaving slivers of silver mercury on its well worn boots. As the mist lifted, both Matthew and Catherine were able to observe the figure’s thick black hair cascading down his back. Brushing his hair back, the figure tilted his head skywards and roared an evil laugh.

“Who is he?” Catherine said trembling with fear.

Matthew’s throat was bone dry, leaving him unable to speak.

Hearing Catherine’s voice, the dark figure quickly turned. His long black hair swished around his long narrow face. Casting his burning eyes onto Catherine and Matthew he called across,

“There’s no need to whisper Catherine, I have the hearing of a crow don’t you know!”

“Did you eat him? Did he eat him?” Catherine screamed back at him in disgust then looked towards Matthew for some reassurance.

Matthew just shrugged his shoulders, and the man started to laugh again.

“Oh my dear,” the man said sarcastically sympathising, “I am Crow.” His mocking laughter shook the ground. Trying to make sense of what had just happened, Catherine fainted into the mud.

Matthew looked down at her, feeling unable to help.

“How can that be possible?” Matthew asked nervously.

“If I told you that Matthew, then I would have to kill you!” the man stared hard towards him.

“How do you know who I am? And what is this place? And you who are you?” Matthew asked quickly.

The man paused for a moment then answered, “Well it’s a very long story Matthew, one which I will share with you some day, but for now I have some work to do.”

“Wait...” Matthew called anxiously towards the man. “How could you be?”

“Oh it’s very easy if you know how. Being the crow and then the old man, I thought would be the easiest part, but tricking you, well that was just too easy!” the man once more laughed mockingly across at Matthew.

“But who are you now!?” Matthew asked sternly.

The man’s eyes narrowed and Matthew felt vulnerable as he stood there alone. As the man’s mood seemed to darken, the atmosphere grew cold around them. The rain clouds rumbled and the lightning crashed down around him.

“Silentium! Silentium!”
the man shouted up towards the sky, causing the heavens to silence.

Whispering he teased, “Just three simple words, Matthew, that’s all.”

“What!” Matthew shouted back.

“I am,” the man opened up his arms and looking up to the sky continued, “
I am Darkmoor!”

Thunder and lightning accompanied his announcement, making the earth shake. As the explosive thunder echoed through the land, the trees started to sway. The storm roared on as Darkmoor turned his back on Matthew.

The tremendous sound made Catherine awake from her coma and shaking her head, she tried to make some sense of her surroundings. Noticing Matthew standing on the river side, Catherine managed to scramble to her feet.

Noticing Catherine standing besides him, he grabbed her hand tight.

Sensing they were still watching him, Darkmoor knelt down in the wet dirt. Placing his fingers into the mud he circled them around creating mud pies at his feet. Lifting his dirty hands into the sky, Darkmoor clapped them twice. The thunder and the lightning obeyed Darkmoor’s command.

“Awake! Awake! Advoco! Advoco!” Darkmoor called as he stood over his mud pies. Suspending his hands over the mini mountains, Darkmoor spoke again.

“Advoco!” Instantly summoning the monsters buried in the mud to arise.

Recognising their master’s voice, one by one they reformed themselves from the tiny mud mounds to mighty monsters.

As mud dripped off the monsters bodies, Catherine and Matthew could truly appreciate Darkmoor’s masterful magic.

Each monster was covered in black shabby hair, except for two hairless arms which protruded out from under their manes. Their arms formed down into three fingers which swished about like elastic dangling in the dirt. No legs were needed as the monsters skimmed across the mud.

They had long and narrow jaws like wolves, with saliva drooling uncontrollably from the corners of their crooked snouts. Opening their mouths they revealed razor sharp white teeth. Suddenly, they started to howl for their master. Big, dark, fearsome eyes bulged out of their sockets, which darted around as they sniffed the cold night air.

Matthew stood there both fascinated by Darkmoor and scared by what Darkmoor was doing. As he lined up his troops one by one on the river side opposite them, Darkmoor called across in a chilling voice.

“Matthew, I look forward to seeing you again soon!”

“Please Sir,” Matthew pleaded, “How do we get home?”

Darkmoor chuckled loosely causing his troops to howl, “Do you really think I would tell you that? Ah poor Matthew and his little friend trapped in Darkmoor. Where would all the fun be if I let you go home? And besides, you two should know I am the master of
all
tricks!”

And with that, Darkmoor turned his back on Catherine and Matthew and retreated through the dense woodlands. Clapping his hand twice the monsters stood to attention, and then like soldiers they followed their sergeant into the darkness.

Then, Darkmoor and his mighty monsters were gone.

Chapter Five

A light in the darkness

Catherine scurried around in the mud, frantically searching for
her bag.

“It has to be here somewhere, Matthew,” she panicked, digging in the mud.

“What?” Matthew asked.

“My bag and diary, I’m sure, wait, never mind I’ve found it!”

A relieved Catherine quickly pulled open her bag to check if her diary was still inside. With a pen in one hand and the diary in the other, Catherine leaned over the blank pages ready to write.

“What date is it today, Matthew?” Catherine asked in a confused manner.

“Are you crazy!?” Matthew asked, astonished at Catherine’s relaxed attitude, “haven’t you realised what’s just happened to us?”

Here they were lost without anything, or anyone. The car boot sale had completely vanished, the comforting sound from the swarms of people had faded long ago, and yet here Catherine was acting as if nothing had happened.

Looking up at a bewildered Matthew, she shrugged her shoulders, “What?”

“You seriously think now is a good time to be writing in your precious diary!?”

“I have to! I write in it every day. It will only take a few minutes and besides there’s nothing else to do!” Catherine lifted the diary up close to her face. Steadying it on her knees she started to write...

Dear anyone,

Help us, please if anyone can read this, please help we’re trapped in,

“Where are we, Matthew?”

A place called Darkmoor, or is that the man’s name. The man is Crow!! It’s all very confusing, but once I know more I will let you know. It’s dark, wet, cold, and we are both really scared. So please if you find this help us.

Yours hopefully,

Catherine Rose and Matthew Khan.

Catherine ripped the entry from her diary before placing it back into her bag. Then standing up, she threw the bag over her shoulder.

“What are you going to do with that?” Matthew quizzed Catherine.

“I am going to find somewhere to leave it and hope someone will find it.” Catherine answered as her eyes searched her surroundings.

“You really think someone else is going to come here?” Matthew asked sarcastically.

“Yes I do,” Catherine replied trying to sound positive.

As Catherine looked at Mathew she felt saddened. He stood with his head hanging down towards the floor, twirling the mud round with the tip of his trainer. She stepped closer to him and put her hand gently on his shoulders, then said, “Matthew, look at me. We have to believe we are not the only ones here.” Catherine paused as Matthew lifted his eyes up from the ground to meet Catherine’s gaze.

But Matthew’s eyes appeared hard and cold towards her. A sense of dejection was written all over his face.

“Look around us, Catherine. Do you really think anyone else would live here?” Matthew spoke sternly.

Removing her hand off his shoulders, Catherine stepped back as she felt her eyes fill with tears.

The wind gradually blew stronger. The sound of bare tree branches chattered together and the ground underfoot was like a mud bath. As the silence descended around them both, Matthew reached out for Catherine’s hand.

“I’m sorry Catherine, it’s not your fault.” His eyes softened and he smiled at her.

“Come on,” he continued, “we can’t stay here, let’s try and find some shelter.”

Together they walked along the river bank, their feet squelching in the mud.

“This is
so
horrible,” Catherine whined as the mud started crawling over her white pumps, then camouflaging itself against her black leggings.

“I know,” Matthew replied looking down at his soggy clothes.

They walked along the river for what felt like miles. Their bodies shivered uncontrollably in the cold air. The moon shone through the broken trees casting ghostly shadows upon the ground. Fearfully, Matthew and Catherine shifted their eyes from left to right as they continued deep into the unknown.