Halton Cray (Shadows of the World Book 1) by N.B. Roberts

Author:N.B. Roberts
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2014-09-08T05:00:00+00:00

Twenty-one

THERE ARE DEMONS

‘What is your substance, whereof are you made, that millions of strange shadows on you tend? Since every one hath, every one, one shade, and you, but one, can every shadow lend.’

– William Shakespeare, Sonnet 53

Stacey returned the next day for work. Evans decided the best thing was to walk around the entire house with her straight off, showing every room was free of ghosts and goblins. She even got her into the shop – after a few unsuccessful attempts – to show her afresh the faces carved on the ceiling, demonstrating how the darkness had carried them all away.

Everything returned to normal, except that Stacey soon dropped me for lunch on Saturdays, ever since Darren changed jobs and could meet her at the Cray each week. Thom had been right concerning my friendship with her. We continued to grow apart despite working under the same roof, which as it turned out gave a more rapid and consequential effect. I saw now that our shared job venture had introduced a ‘make or break’ situation. It had re-introduced that truth that our differences outweighed our commonalities, which were born in a time of finding ourselves. There was no coldness between us, just a shortage of interest on both sides. When I did see her, which was only at work, we chatted generally, as either of us would do with any other co-worker. Even after months, Stacey still occasionally referenced Thom as a ghost or fiend of some kind. This no longer annoyed me as it once did; it hurt to hear him spoken of like that. She grew ever fonder of Evans, more so than anybody else there, which I could not fathom.

Since the blackout nobody had reported hearing the strange noises. I heard nothing myself, but seemed to be the only one surprised by the fact they’d stopped. Everybody else at the Cray bought into Thom’s fabrication of events, which the newspaper article conveniently backed up. I knew the escaped mental patient hadn’t gotten into the Cray at all. However, I did see a figure dash behind Geoffrey in the shop, which was too small to be Thom or the stranger.

In spite of the secrets Thom and Halton Cray shared, my attachment to them both increased. Every other day that I wasn’t at the Cray was stagnant. It felt something akin to sitting in a waiting room, impatient to hear my name called. My working days at the Cray were all I looked forward to, most especially since Thom had begun giving me lessons in pen spinning. This was chiefly during my breaks, or any time I could sneak away to see him. I probably began it, somewhat subconsciously, as a way to strengthen our bond so that he wouldn’t leave, or at least he wouldn’t hurry to. But every day I saw no evidence of him going. I saw and heard nothing more of Carla-Louise either. I began to think that Thom never intended to leave at all, but that he told me in order to keep me, shall we say, passive.

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