The Watcher in the Woods Page #3

that other night. The night we...

Now, I've told you

never to talk about that night!

All that time gone by, and her looking

like it was yesterday it happened.

- How could that be?

- Get hold of yourself, man!

It's been nearly 30 years.

Now, none of us could look the same,

could we?

There.

What was it I seen, then?

Has she come back from the grave

to haunt us for what we done, Mr Keller?

Is it the ghost of Karen I seen?

Works every time!

We should bring Ellie.

It might curb her appetite.

- What took you so long?

- I saw her again.

- What are you talking about?

- In the mirrors.

She was reaching out, begging me,

pleading with me to help her.

- She's trapped and needs my help.

- Oh, come on, Jan!

- It means something, Mike.

- You're not making sense.

There's something I've got to do.

Maybe she wants me to find out

what really happened that night.

- How?

- I don't know, but I've got to find out.

Stay!

Didn't you see the signs?

This is private property!

Mr Keller, I had to see you.

It's about Karen Aylwood.

- What about Karen Aylwood?

- She needs help.

- How would you know that?

- I've seen her.

- Where?

- In mirrors.

Mirrors. You see yourself as Karen?

No! It was her image!

Why was she blindfolded in the chapel?

I've gotta know what happened that night!

Why do you? You're a stranger here.

It's none of your business.

Don't you see? She needs my help.

She's trapped somewhere...

That's enough. I've better things to do

than listen to hysterical fantasies.

What happened to Karen

was a tragedy that touched us all,

changed us all, but it's best forgotten!

- Have you ever forgotten?

- Get out of here!

- Mr Keller, please.

- I said, clear out.

Tom Colley?

Tom Colley?

Please, don't be angry.

I didn't mean to come inside.

I called but nobody answered!

- You ain't no ghost.

- I'm the girl you saw in the chapel.

You ain't Karen come back to haunt us.

Why would she do that?

Can't talk about that.

Mr Keller, he said not to.

Nasty poacher hurt its paw,

but old Tom'll make it right.

Like he did for you, eh?

Nearly right now, ain't you?

Not like them poor little ones there.

When I finds 'em like that, dead,

I buries 'em.

Tom, was Karen dead when you found her?

Never found Karen. Looked and looked.

Here. Hold.

It won't hurt you none.

They know when you try to help.

- Karen needs your help, Tom.

- Needs me?

Yes, she needs you.

But Karen's gone.

- Tom, if you knew Karen was trapped...

- Awful things, traps. They hurt.

- You'd set her free, wouldn't you?

- If I could find her.

You don't have to, Tom. All you have to do

is tell me what happened in the chapel.

Why did you blindfold her?

What was it you did?

You and Mary Pierce and John Keller?

Mr Keller said mustn't talk about that.

- Mary Pierce said you were playing a game.

- She said?

Yes, Tom. What kind of game?

Ring Round the Roses, it was.

Never meant to harm Karen.

Loved Karen. Wouldn't ever hurt her.

There was three of us.

Me and Mary made our way

to the secret meeting place, the old chapel.

We had blindfolded Karen.

That was what John Keller had told us to do.

She was the new one, you see.

John Keller was already in there.

You have been brought to this place to prove

yourself worthy of our secret society.

We number only three. We alone

have passed this test of courage.

Many have tried and failed.

Once we link hands, you must not show fear,

you must not speak, you must not remove

the blindfold, you must not move at all.

We shall hold hands around you and you

must not break the circle of our friendship.

Whatever happens, whatever we say or do,

you must abide by our code.

Banish all thoughts from your mind.

Do you understand?

Let us join hands...

...and concentrate.

Mary Pierce, Tom Colley and I, John Keller,

we are looking upon you, Karen Aylwood,

willing you to be as one with us.

We ask the question, is this person worthy...

She wasn't there any more.

When the bell come down,

she was gone already.

- Are you sure?

- I told 'em what I seen.

"Where could she have gone?" they says.

There was no other way out.

And they looked and looked...

and never found nothin'.

Tom...

Nice to me, she was.

So nice.

She was my friend.

Ellie.

Where'd you hear that song?

From Jan. She was humming it at the pond

the day she fell in the water.

Come in, child. There's something

I want to show you. I think you'll like it.

- My mother said I was never to bother you.

- It's no bother.

Come on. I was just about

to have some tea and cakes.

OK!

This belonged to my daughter.

I gave it to her on her fifth birthday.

She loved it.

She played it at night

before she went to sleep.

It's the same tune you heard at the pond.

Listen.

Your sister tells me you hear... other things.

Voices that tell you to... do things?

I was just dreaming.

Not when you named Nerak.

She named herself.

Listen, child. Listen to the music.

See if you can hear that voice again.

- Mrs Aylwood.

- Hi, Jan.

Look at the music box. Isn't it pretty?

In a minute, Ellie. I've something to tell

Mrs Aylwood. I just came from Tom Colley's.

He said it was some kind

of initiation ceremony.

He said there was a flash of light,

just like you saw,

but when the bell crashed,

Karen was already gone.

There was no other way out.

That's what Tom Colley said.

The bell crashed. Karen was already gone.

Karen. Must help Karen.

Must help.

No! We must listen.

How can we help Karen?

Door. Must open door.

- What door? Where?

- Chapel.

Soon! Very soon! Help Karen very soon!

Karen, tell us how.

No, not Karen, but need help.

- If you're not Karen, who are you?

- Tell me what to do, Karen, please!

No! Not Karen!

Stupid, stupid, stupid!

- Who are you?

- Ellie!

- What have you done to her?

- It just happened.

I didn't want to hurt Ellie! I love her!

Mom?

Mom...

It's all right, baby.

Everything is gonna be all right now.

I'm taking you out of here. I'm taking

both of you away from here tonight.

No! You can't. Not now, Mom!

It's not Karen outside there.

Don't you understand? It's someone else!

You get your things ready.

We're leaving here right now.

- What's happening?

- I don't know.

- The battery's shorting.

- It's trying to stop us.

Nothing's trying to stop us.

- We must go back.

- Don't be ridiculous.

- If we go back, they'll start again!

- Jan, stop it. Just stop it!

- What are you doing?

- We have to get off the bridge!

Come on! Get out!

- Enough of this hysteria! Give me the keys!

- I can't!

Sorry she made you angry.

You're not Karen. I know that.

I don't know who you are,

but, please, leave my little sister alone.

- Stop that.

- Mom, I can't. I can't stop!

There's something I've got to do,

or Ellie and I'll go on being haunted!

Whatever is out there

won't tell me what it wants!

Stop it this minute!

Mom, I'm scared.

Whatever it is out there,

it's not going to use you, either of you.

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