Creeping Terror by Justin Richards

Author:Justin Richards [Justin Richards]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780571270491
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Published: 2011-10-14T04:00:00+00:00

‘Beware the green.’ Reverend Growl stood by the blackboard, looking down at everyone else like the class teacher.

Ben sat with Rupam and Maria at the desks arranged into a long table. Gemma was perched on the other side, sitting on the desk, her feet on the bench seat and her chin resting on her knees. She looked bored. Knight stood leaning against the wall, arms folded.

‘After the experiences of young Ben and Rupam yesterday, and our own observations of the approaching vegetation and plants, I think we now know what that warning means,’ Growl said.

‘Is that why the villagers are appearing?’ Knight asked. ‘Are they manifesting as some sort of warning?’

‘Quite possibly,’ Growl agreed. ‘Let me tell you what my nocturnal studies have unearthed, then I think things will become a little clearer.’

‘About time,’ Maria muttered.

The early morning sunlight was angling in through the dusty windows of the schoolroom. A shadow fell across the table in front of Ben and he turned to see Sam standing behind him. She smiled, putting her finger to her lips.

‘From the way the plants are growing and advancing, and from the satellite printouts that Webby provided showing a ring of vegetation round the village, it’s very clear that the church is right in the middle. Here in the school we are close to the edge of the village, but the church is the epicentre if you like.’

‘Does that mean the church itself is the key to the problem?’ Knight asked.

‘Possibly. Or it may just be coincidence. The church is in the middle of the village after all. And even if this was entirely random, something would have to be in the middle of it.’

Growl picked up the printout of the pamphlet about the history of the church that Rupam had brought. ‘This is the best source of information we’ve got. It was written in 1937, so it’s as up to date as we’re likely to find. There are a few line drawings, like this one of the tower.’

He held it up, but it was too far away for the others to see any detail.

Oblivious to this, Growl went on, ‘Now, it’s interesting, as this would appear to show the tower as it was before the Puritans vandalised it. But more of that in a moment.’

He turned to another page of the printout. ‘We do learn a few interesting things, though I doubt they are relevant. But did you know that one of the graves in the churchyard is arranged north–south, rather than the traditional east–west that the other graves follow?’

‘So what?’ Sam said, though no one but Ben could hear her.

‘Why is that important?’ Ben asked.

‘It quite possibly isn’t important at all,’ Growl admitted. ‘But let us now turn our attention to the name of this village.’

‘Templeton,’ Rupam said.

‘And why do you suppose it is called that?’ There was no reply, so Growl continued, ‘I’ll tell you. It’s because the Knights Templar had a temple here. Oh, a long time ago, and all trace of it has long since gone.

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