Alex was stood beside one of the windows, looking out into the blackness, when his eyes widened. ‘Tom’s coming back, and he’s got someone with him!’
‘What?’ asked Joanne. ‘Do they look like ghosts?’
‘Don’t be daft,’ said Kate, crossing over to join Alex by the window.
‘It’s too dark to make out. There’s three of them,’ said Alex, peering into the darkness.
The others all backed away from the door when it opened with a loud creak and Tom marched in.
The first person was a woman with dark hair. She had a very natural prettiness to her and her eyes looked around the room nervously. The second person was a man, about the same age as the woman. He had short, slightly gelled-up hair. His jeans had mud stains on them and he looked a little annoyed. The final stranger was much older than the first two. He was tall, thin and had a shiny bald head. He wore a long black coat, black trousers, white shirt and a blue waistcoat. His pointed, cat-like face was looking around the entire room as if trying to soak in all the details.
‘And who are these people?’ asked Kate with her arms folded.
Tom flopped down on one of the camp beds in the corner of the room. ‘I found them creeping about outside.’
‘We weren’t creeping! And there was no need to knock me to the ground like that!’ protested Danny.
‘No, indeed. We were simply having a look around the place,’ continued the Doctor.
‘They’re all British,’ said Alex.
Tom was now engrossed in a magazine. ‘They seem harmless enough,’ he mumbled dismissively.
‘It still doesn’t explain what they’re doing here,’ protested Kate. ‘They could be dangerous.’
‘We’re not dangerous,’ said the Doctor. ‘And I could ask you the same question. What are you doing here?’
‘Ghost hunting,’ said Mark excitedly.
‘Ghost hunting?’ queried Danny. ‘Oh, well then, you’ll be at home with the Doctor and Caroline.’
‘You’re hunting too?’ asked Joanne.
‘Well, in a way we are,’ said the Doctor. ‘Caroline here wanted to do some investigating and we found out about this place.’
‘We didn’t hear a car driving up,’ said Alex suspiciously. ‘Even this far away from the gates we would have heard some kind of noise.’
The Doctor hesitated. ‘We…we walked.’
‘A long way from the nearest town, isn’t it?’ asked Tom.
‘Does it really matter?’ said Caroline quickly. ‘The point is, we all seem to be here for the same reasons.’
‘I think we should all have a sit down and talk about this. It’s best that we settle things now and get to know each other’
‘Suits me fine,’ said Mark, who had managed to keep his cheery disposition.
‘Whatever,’ said Alex. ‘But I don’t want you three ruining this investigation.’
A loud crashing sound interrupted the Doctor and made the group freeze where they stood.
‘What was that?’ asked Caroline.
‘It sounded like it came from outside,’ said Danny.
‘And in the distance as well,’ added the Doctor.
‘The van!’ shouted Tom, jumping up from the camp bed, throwing the magazine to the floor, grabbing his coat and torch and bolting for the door.
The Doctor watched Tom head into the darkness and stopped the others. ‘You come with me,’ he said, pointing to Alex. ‘The others, stay here.’
Alex was gob-smacked. ‘Now wait just a-’
‘Fine! Stay here then,’ said the Doctor as he headed for the outside.
Alex grumbled angrily and then chased after the mysterious man.
Tom had already reached the gate and yanked the hefty metal doors open. He was expecting to see his trusty white van, but instead he found nothing. The van had mysteriously disappeared and an empty space was where it had once been.
Tom looked around him, confused, when the Doctor appeared with Alex.
‘Where’s the van?’ asked Alex.
‘I don’t know,’ said Tom quietly.
‘What do you mean you don’t know?’ asked Alex. ‘You left it here. Did you leave the keys in the ignition.’
‘Oh, don’t be an idiot, Alex,’ said Tom angrily.
‘Where you followed here?’ asked the Doctor.
‘Not as far as I’m aware, but…’
‘But what?’ asked the Doctor, trying to look Tom in the eyes.
‘Well the others swear this gate was locked when we arrived. Then we heard a clanking noise and it was open.’
‘Kate told you!’ spat Alex.
‘I don’t believe you,’ said Tom, throwing his arms in the air. ‘You agreed with me that it must have been already open.’
The Doctor rolled his eyes and raised his voice. ‘Arguing will get us nowhere. I think it’s best if we all head back to the chapel and make sure the grounds are safe and secure. It’s obvious someone is playing a joke with you, and it’s plainly obvious that there is someone else out there.’
Tom and Alex looked nervously around them. The wind was picking up now and the noise of the rustling trees was getting louder.
‘We better get back to the others,’ said Alex quickly.
As the three of them turned, a chilling scream came from back towards the chapel. The three men looked at each other, the same thoughts running through their minds, and then they quickly sprinted back in the direction of the chapel.
‘Who is Harold J Stevens? Who is Harold J Stevens? Who is Harold J Stevens?’
‘Be quiet, Joanne,’ said Mark, who was fighting back the tears.
‘Who is Harold J Stevens?’ asked Joanne again.
‘What’s wrong with her,’ said Caroline anxiously. ‘Who’s Harold J Stevens?’
‘Don’t you start,’ said Kate, who was now warily perched on one of the camp beds in the corner of the room.
‘Where’s Danny?’ asked Caroline. ‘Where the hells he gone?’
The door was swinging open, banging in the wind and Danny was nowhere to be seen.
‘It’s too dark in here,’ sobbed Mark. ‘What’s wrong with her?’
‘Who is Harold J Stevens?’ asked Joanne again. Her eyes were white and full of fear.
The Doctor, Tom and Alex had only been gone for a few minutes when the candles had blown out and the wind had knocked the door open. Joanne had screamed and by the time Mark had fiddled around with finding a torch, Danny had disappeared and Joanne had gone into some kind of fit.
‘What’s going on?’ asked the Doctor as he and the other two burst into the darkened chapel.
‘She just started rambling,” said Caroline, “and then Danny disappeared.’
Out in the darkness Danny was walking across the prison grounds. He was wearing no coat and seemed defiant against the blowing wind. He had one purpose in mind and listened to the voice within his head.
Find it Danny. Find the object of which I seek.
‘I’m looking, I’m looking,’ said Danny. He wasn’t going to let this thing order him about.
It’s for your own good.
Danny located a small brick building and pushed open the iron door. Musty air got up his nostrils and he sneezed. Giving a final look around him he stepped into the doorway and shut the door.
In the chapel, Joanne was still shaking and mumbling. Her pupils were dilated and she was shaking violently.
‘Can you help her?’ asked Mark.
‘I could if I knew what was wrong with her,’ said the Doctor desperately.
‘What happened outside?’ asked Caroline.
‘Our friends’ van has gone.’
‘What!’ exclaimed Kate. She grabbed Alex and looked up into his eyes. ‘I knew this was a mistake.’
Suddenly the door was flung open again. A shape was silhouetted in the moonlight.
‘Whose that?’ asked Tom. ‘Speak up!’
‘Harold J Stevens,’ came the whispering voice of the figure. The door slammed shut again and the candles magically flickered back on. Joanne was unconscious and the wind had died down.
The Doctor looked at Caroline and then walked slowly to the door.
‘Don’t open it,’ said Caroline.
The Doctor looked back at her, grabbed the handle and pulled the door open.
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