Darkfall: Shadows of the Deep by Lee Mountford

Author:Lee Mountford [Mountford, Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2022-09-28T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY

Fucking coward!

Tom stood at the edge of the cliff, looking down at the waves below. He did his best to will himself to just step forward and end it. However, his body wouldn’t comply. He’d been trying all day, walking up to the edge, then retreating back to the graveyard. Now, it was night.

Just jump. Do it!

Tom held his breath. His body was trembling. He then leaned forward and his top half tilted over the edge a little, causing a wave of vertigo to overcome him.

A little farther and you're done. Finish it.

He closed his eyes. Directly below him was a small, rocky beach, only about ten feet wide. He’d spotted it during one of his walks out to the edge, realising that it would be a quicker death than drowning.

Stop it, he chastised. You’ll scare yourself out of it. Do it. Fucking jump!

He leaned forward more. The graveyard was directly behind him, and the protection the walls and headstones offered was gone. He was exposed, with the night wind whipping around him and making him sway as he pushed his toes as close to the edge of the cliff edge as he dared.

This is it. No backing out. Just let yourself drop. Yes, yes, go. End it.

With his heart in his mouth, Tom lifted a foot. His breathing quickened. He was ready.

‘Keep your voice down,’ he heard someone say from behind. The sudden words were enough to startle Tom, then he caught himself. He instantly set his foot back down and withdrew, panting quickly.

No, you were so close!

Tom took two steps back and hunched over, trying to get control of his breathing, the moment of truth now gone. He twisted his head around to look at the two moving figures in the darkness, outlined by a swaying lantern one of them carried. They were in the graveyard, their lower halves hidden by the stone wall. Both figures carried spades.

‘No need to be quiet,’ the other voice said. ‘No one else up here but us.’

Tom quickly hunch-walked back to the other side of the wall, trying to hide. The men hadn’t seen him yet, but standing out at the cliff edge put him in the open—they’d notice him soon. By the time he reached the wall, he was scrambling on all fours, and he spun around and pressed his back into the wall, keeping as low as possible.

‘Why are we coming out to the edge?’ the first man asked.

‘To stay out of the way, idiot,’ the other replied. ‘No one is likely to come up here, but they’re even less likely to venture out this far. Plus, out here the noise of the sea will probably drown out any noise we make.’

‘Let’s be quick, then. I don’t wanna get caught doing this. Getting locked up aside, I’d never live it down.’

‘Don’t go thinking you’re above this kind of thing, Peter. If you were, you wouldn’t be out here with me. Remember that.’

‘I’m aware. Let’s just get on with it. Which one?’

‘This one.

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