Read Online Gravenhunger by Richard; Harriet; Allen Goodwin - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Richard; Harriet; Allen Goodwin
Ads: Link
and what was more, the further in he stretched the warmer it seemed to become. It was as if the object was giving out a heat all of its own.
There was no way he could get to it, though. It had to be a couple of metres down at least. He would have to clear away some of the soil at the surface before he stood a chance of even touching it. And it wasn’t going to be easy, either. This section of the mound was riddled with animal holes – one false move and the earth would come toppling in on itself.
Heaving himself back on to his knees, Phoenix focused the torch on the edge of the burrow and began to scoop away the soil with his bare hands…
…and behind him, hidden in the veil of falling sleet, hovered the pale silhouette.
Rose snatched her hand away and the floorboard flipped back into place.
She shook the film of grime and dust from her fingers, her skin prickling all over.
Whatever it was that was down there had felt hard and warm and – dare she even think it? – alive .
Steadying herself against the wall, she glanced out of the window once more.
The torchbeam had reappeared on the mound and the light was being focused in the same place as before.
Rose scrambled to her feet.
Light! Of course! That was what she needed! Light would make everything OK again. Light would make everything normal. She stumbled across the room and flicked on the light switch.
Nothing.
What? The electricity had been working fine earlier on. There must have been a power cut. Well, that was typical, wasn’t it?
She fumbled inside her rucksack for her torch and crossed back to the window.
It was no good – she was going to have to find out what was underneath that loose floorboard. She couldn’t just sit around all night wondering.
Gingerly she lifted it up and shone the torch inside the cavity between the attic floor and the ceiling below.
And then she caught her breath.
In amongst the dirt and the cobwebs was a rusty old iron bolt…
…and it was glowing.
8.
THE CONNECTION
How or why he suddenly sensed it he didn’t know.
The silhouette made no sound as it shimmered behind him. But in the time it took Phoenix to turn from the edge of the burrow and register its presence, he had lost his balance and fallen back against the fragile surface of the mound.
His arms jerked upwards … the torch catapulted from his hand…and beneath the weight of his fall the tunnel-ridden earth began to crumble in upon itself.
Grab something! Anything! Get a hold of the edge!
But there was nothing to grab hold of … nothing to keep him from falling into the burrow.
He glimpsed the shadowy silhouette above him… a fragment of sleety sky … and then there was nothing but raining earth and darkness.
Another second and she would never have seen it happen.
She had turned to look out of the window, the strange iron bolt now lying beside her on the sill, and watched as her cousin’s torchbeam shot up through the darkness, then plummeted to the ground and died.
Rose pressed her face against the glass, willing the light to reappear.
Something was wrong out there, she just knew it.
It was as if Phoenix had simply lost control of the torch … as if something had startled him.
She waited another few moments, then twisted round from the window and began tugging on her clothes, her fingers fumbling over the zips and buttons.
There was nothing else for it.
She was going to have to get over there herself.
Rose pulled on her waterproof and glanced around the attic bedroom.
She picked up her torch and reached for the iron bolt on the windowsill, brushing the cobwebs from its glowing surface and pushing it into her jeans pocket.
Exactly what it was, she had no idea.
But she wasn’t going to let it out of her sight.
Phoenix jolted to a halt at the bottom of the burrow and opened his mouth in a silent scream.
He was going to be buried alive…
Earth was piling up on top of him faster than he could clear it away, squeezing the breath
There was no way he could get to it, though. It had to be a couple of metres down at least. He would have to clear away some of the soil at the surface before he stood a chance of even touching it. And it wasn’t going to be easy, either. This section of the mound was riddled with animal holes – one false move and the earth would come toppling in on itself.
Heaving himself back on to his knees, Phoenix focused the torch on the edge of the burrow and began to scoop away the soil with his bare hands…
…and behind him, hidden in the veil of falling sleet, hovered the pale silhouette.
Rose snatched her hand away and the floorboard flipped back into place.
She shook the film of grime and dust from her fingers, her skin prickling all over.
Whatever it was that was down there had felt hard and warm and – dare she even think it? – alive .
Steadying herself against the wall, she glanced out of the window once more.
The torchbeam had reappeared on the mound and the light was being focused in the same place as before.
Rose scrambled to her feet.
Light! Of course! That was what she needed! Light would make everything OK again. Light would make everything normal. She stumbled across the room and flicked on the light switch.
Nothing.
What? The electricity had been working fine earlier on. There must have been a power cut. Well, that was typical, wasn’t it?
She fumbled inside her rucksack for her torch and crossed back to the window.
It was no good – she was going to have to find out what was underneath that loose floorboard. She couldn’t just sit around all night wondering.
Gingerly she lifted it up and shone the torch inside the cavity between the attic floor and the ceiling below.
And then she caught her breath.
In amongst the dirt and the cobwebs was a rusty old iron bolt…
…and it was glowing.
8.
THE CONNECTION
How or why he suddenly sensed it he didn’t know.
The silhouette made no sound as it shimmered behind him. But in the time it took Phoenix to turn from the edge of the burrow and register its presence, he had lost his balance and fallen back against the fragile surface of the mound.
His arms jerked upwards … the torch catapulted from his hand…and beneath the weight of his fall the tunnel-ridden earth began to crumble in upon itself.
Grab something! Anything! Get a hold of the edge!
But there was nothing to grab hold of … nothing to keep him from falling into the burrow.
He glimpsed the shadowy silhouette above him… a fragment of sleety sky … and then there was nothing but raining earth and darkness.
Another second and she would never have seen it happen.
She had turned to look out of the window, the strange iron bolt now lying beside her on the sill, and watched as her cousin’s torchbeam shot up through the darkness, then plummeted to the ground and died.
Rose pressed her face against the glass, willing the light to reappear.
Something was wrong out there, she just knew it.
It was as if Phoenix had simply lost control of the torch … as if something had startled him.
She waited another few moments, then twisted round from the window and began tugging on her clothes, her fingers fumbling over the zips and buttons.
There was nothing else for it.
She was going to have to get over there herself.
Rose pulled on her waterproof and glanced around the attic bedroom.
She picked up her torch and reached for the iron bolt on the windowsill, brushing the cobwebs from its glowing surface and pushing it into her jeans pocket.
Exactly what it was, she had no idea.
But she wasn’t going to let it out of her sight.
Phoenix jolted to a halt at the bottom of the burrow and opened his mouth in a silent scream.
He was going to be buried alive…
Earth was piling up on top of him faster than he could clear it away, squeezing the breath
Similar Books
