Winter's Light by Mj Hearle

Author:Mj Hearle [Hearle, Mj]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781420296068
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Published: 2012-05-01T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 31

Following Elena’s frown, Winter only just caught the streak of white as it flew through the darkness ahead. A rabbit, perhaps? No, it was far too big to be a rabbit.

‘It looked like a —’ another animal darted through the glow of the headlights, ‘— cat,’ she finished, breaking out in goosebumps. Something was wrong. One cat running across a deserted road in the middle of nowhere might not have been weird, but two? She was about to warn Elena when another cat materialised out of the darkness, this one alarmingly close.

‘No!’ Winter cried out as Elena wrenched the car to the left, swerving away from the cat and sending them off the gravel onto the grass shoulder. Winter was thrown painfully forwards then backwards, the seatbelt biting into her chest before the station wagon skidded to a juddering halt. A troubling ticking sound came from the engine.

‘Is everyone okay?’ Her heart was pounding and there was an acid taste in the back of her mouth, but she wasn’t badly hurt.

Elena was pressing her right palm tightly against her forehead, her gaze a little unfocused. At some point her head must have hit the steering wheel.

‘I . . . yes. I’m okay,’ Elena answered, her voice trembling.

‘Is the car damaged?’

Even in her semi-shocked state, Winter knew they should be moving. As long as they stayed motionless, danger threatened. She could feel this danger gathering strength in the air about them, like a storm ready to erupt.

Elena shook her head. ‘No. I think – I think the immobiliser cut the engine when the keys were knocked loose.’

Winter didn’t know what an immobiliser was but hoped Elena was right.

‘What the hell happened?’ Sam said groggily from the back. Winter swivelled in her seat, wincing as her neck muscles twanged, a result of the whiplash. Sam was blinking at her in confusion, rubbing his broken arm with his left hand.

‘Are you hurt?’

Sam nodded with a half-smile. ‘I think I broke my arm.’

Winter relaxed a little. If he could joke he couldn’t be too badly injured.

‘Did you see them?’ Elena asked her.

‘The cats?’ Winter didn’t like her dazed expression. How hard had she hit her head? ‘Yes, I saw them,’ she answered slowly but firmly so Elena would understand the urgency in her tone. ‘Don’t worry about the cats. We have to get going. Now. Can you drive?’

It took Elena a few seconds longer before the fog finally left her eyes. ‘Yes – yes, of course. We must keep going.’

‘What’s the matter, Win?’ Sam asked, worry creeping into his tone.

‘We saw . . .’ she began to answer him but trailed off when his face paled.

‘Sam? What’s going —’

Her blood ran cold as a shadow skittered across his face. Whirling around, Winter saw a cat on the bonnet of the station wagon. Not just one – two. Now three. Four! More cats joined the group, a steady stream, materialising out of the long grass.

‘Start the car,’ Winter said too loudly. Why hadn’t they driven away by now? In her periphery, she noticed Elena fumbling around.

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