Darkness Watching (Darkworld #1) (6 page)

“Yeah, ‘night,” she said. I saw her collapse onto her bed as we shut the door.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“For the record,” I said to Sarah, “I’m
not
planning on getting hammered this week.”

“Good, me neither.” Sarah smiled. “Anyway, I’m knackered. ‘Night.”

“‘Night.”

Before I could go into my own room, the flat door opened again, and David came in.

“Are you okay?” he said.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Alex is off her face, though,” I said.

“I saw. Is tomorrow the day we register?”

“Yeah. Stupidly early.” I added,”I’m not a morning person at all. This should be fun.”

“I suppose we have to do it,” said David. “Are you two going to Redthorne tomorrow?”

“I guess,” I said. “Except, well, I’ve never been clubbing before.”

“Me neither,” he said. “I think I’m going anyway, though. It might be a good way to get to know people.”

“True,” I said.

“Well, I should be getting to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ash.”

“‘Night,” I said as I went into my own room.

It was a start. I had three friendly flatmates, who, as an added bonus, were on my course, meaning I’d have someone I could walk to lectures with. And, even though I’d been here just a few hours, I felt an affinity with the place itself. It felt safe.

Before I closed the curtains, I looked out the window at the fields and trees beyond. Then I jumped back as something flew past. A shadow passed overhead, like a low-flying bird, except bigger than any bird I’d seen.

Yawning, I shut the curtains firmly. I was more than ready for sleep. It seemed as soon as I closed my eyes, my tiredness overpowered me and I sank into dreams.

onight,” Pete announced, “I’m gonna get laid.”

Silence followed this little announcement, as the other four of us―Sarah, Alex, David, and I―tried to gauge whether he was serious or not.

“By who?” Sarah ventured. “Danielle?”

“
Anyone,”
Pete said. Like the previous evening, he sipped from a can of beer, lounging back in his seat as if he owned the universe.

“Well, best of luck with that,” Alex said, looking at him with unconcealed dislike. She was back to her normal self today, without as much as a mild headache to show for the night before. She seemed pretty embarrassed about her behaviour, though.

Right now, we relaxed in the kitchen, anticipating our first night out of the term. To a nightclub, appealingly called Satan’s Pit, in Redthorne, the nearest town to Blackstone. I’d never been clubbing before, but I hoped Satan’s Pit wouldn’t be full of guys like Pete.

Our first full day at Blackstone had consisted of more introductory talks. Thanks to the eight a.m. registration time, we all resembled walking zombies on our library card photos, which would last for the entire duration of our studies. The rain didn’t help, and neither did getting lost on the way to the Second Hall, which, as it turned out, was on the opposite side of campus to the Great Hall. When we’d finally joined the line of drowned-rat-zombie-students and tried to make ourselves presentable, I looked more like a soaking wet, grumpy teenager than a sophisticated student.

Afterward, we’d come back to the flat to dry off. I’d managed to connect to the Internet on my laptop and add my new flatmates on Facebook. Well, I’d found Alex, Sarah, and David. I wasn’t overly keen to have Pete and Terrence as friends.

Terrence totally blanked Alex when she’d asked him if he was going out to Satan’s Pit. I didn’t know why he was so hostile, but I supposed I’d meet all kinds of people at university. I was determined to avoid the anti-social weirdo label this time around.

Pete was still drunk from the night before. Judging by the smell, he hadn’t bothered to change his clothes, either. David, however, wore a normal T-shirt and jeans today. Alex, Sarah, and I agreed he was the only remotely ordinary guy in our flat.

“Anyway,” said Alex, “I, for one, am drinking no more red wine. That’s a promise.”

“Good plan. Do you remember any of last night at all?”

“Most of it. I think something flew into my window. Might have been a dream, though. It looked too big to be a bat or a bird.”

“I think I saw it too!” I said. “Something flew past my window, just after I got in. Weird.”

“Unless we both dreamt the same thing,” said Alex. “I was totally out of it.”

“I was awake. I definitely saw something.”

“Maybe it was a waking dream?” said David.

I felt a shiver run through me as a repressed memory lurked at the corner of my mind.

“Is a waking dream literally just that?” I said. “I mean, you’re awake but dreaming at the same time?”

“Kind of,” said Sarah. “Have you ever had sleep paralysis?
That’s
freaky. You’re awake but, your muscles haven’t woken up yet, so you can’t move. I had it once. My eyes were open, but I couldn’t move at all.”

“That happened to me!” I said, momentarily forgetting to disguise the intense relief in my voice that at least
one
of the weird things had a rational explanation. “It was horrible. Like I was paralysed.”

“That’s what it feels like,” said Sarah, shuddering.

“Well, it wasn’t that. Never mind,” said Alex. “Have any of you guys seen Terrence today?”

“Not since this morning,” I said.

David shook his head.

“I don’t like him,” said Alex decisively. “He gives me the creeps. Have you seen the sign on his door?”

“Yeah, it’s a quote from Dante,” I said. “Kind of a weird thing for a physics student to have on his door.”

“
Abandon hope, all ye who enter here,”
said Alex.”It’d be funny if Terrence didn’t look so much like a serial killer. For all we know, maybe he
does
have a collection of torture instruments in there.”

“Maybe he’s raising the devil,” I said lightly.

David gave me a weird look. Great, so much for watching what I said.

“I don’t know,” said Sarah. “Maybe he’s just trying to tell people to go away.”

“He’s boring,” said Pete. “Maybe he thinks being a dick will help him get a shag.”

“And downing ten cans of Strongbow will?” said Alex.

Pete shrugged, tipping his can back to catch the last drops. “You’ll see.”

“I’m hungry,” Alex announced. “Anyone fancy a trip to Bargain Burgers?”

We’d discovered the on-campus restaurant whilst looking for the Second Hall earlier.

“Sounds like a plan,” said Sarah.

“Good excuse not to cook!” I said.

“Yeah,” Alex said. “Wish we had catering. Instant noodles and omelettes are all I can do.”

“Same,” I said. “My mum’s attempt at culinary lessons didn’t work. I still burn everything even if I use the microwave!”

The fire safety talk, which involved a demonstration of what would happen if someone poured a cup of water over a wok when it caught fire―a sudden whirlwind of flames―had made us all reluctant to be the first to use the reputedly temperamental oven in our kitchen.

When we got back from the burger bar, I phoned Mum and Dad to let them know I’d settled in okay, facing the predictable one hundred and one questions about my new flatmates. Then I rang Cara, who also wanted to know every detail―especially whether I’d met any cute guys.

“I’m not looking for a boyfriend,” I reminded her semi-truthfully. It had crossed my mind once or twice that being at uni would give me far more opportunities to meet guys than seven years at an all-girls’ school, but to get that close to someone without revealing everything about myself didn’t feel right.
Mentioning invisible demons would send any guy running a mile.

“I’m going clubbing tonight, anyway.”

“Seriously? That’s awesome! You’ll love it. If you come visit me, you should totally come with me to Frisson. They’ve got this new DJ―he’s
fit.
”

“Sure,” I said, after listening to her burble about this dreamy new DJ for at least twenty minutes.”I’ve got to go now, anyway; need to get ready.”

“Sure thing! Have fun―but not
too
much fun!”

“Bye,” I said.

Then I surveyed my wardrobe. New black dress―the only one I’d liked out of the hundreds Cara had insisted I try on―check. New plain, black flats―ditto; heels combined with alcohol and my less-than-reliable sense of balance didn’t seem like the best idea―check. Basic makeup, check. Silver earrings, check. I hesitated before putting on my new amethyst pendant, too.
Might as well wear it.

My hair was too straight and plain to do much with, but I combed the tangles out of it, wondering if the others would think the dress was a bit too Goth. But I liked black. It was simple and didn’t clash with anything. One nice outfit was all I owned, and all I wanted, really. I had no patience for spending forever applying an inch of makeup that I’d probably forget about and smudge anyway.

I decided to check on the others. David waited in the corridor, hands in his pockets.

‘You look nice,” he said.

I felt myself flush. “Thanks,” I said, awkwardly. “Um, so do you.”

Idiot.
He wore the same plain T-shirt and jeans as earlier. Guys were lucky no one expected them to make an effort.

He didn’t laugh at me, which was a surprise.

“Have you been into the town before?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I’ve been to Blackstone, when I came here on the visit day, but I’ve not been to Redthorne yet.”

“It’s nice. We should go to the shopping centre there sometime this week. Might as well make the most of having no lectures.”

His words bounced around my head as I tried to figure out whether he meant
we
as in
me and him
, or the whole flat.
Stop that. Of
course
he means all of us.
It was Cara’s fault for talking about boyfriends.

Sarah spared me further embarrassment by coming out of her room just then. She wore a flowery green dress and matching flats. No heels. At least it wasn’t just me. I sacrificed height in favour of keeping my balance.

“I like the dress,” I said.

“Yours is nice, too. Is Alex still getting ready?”

“Just coming!” said Alex.

A second later, she opened her door. She wore a cute, little black dress and butterfly slides in her vivid red hair. Her heels made her the same height as David.