The Watcher in the Woods Page #4

Not Karen!

We've got to hurry!

Nearly too late.

- Hardly ever happens.

- What hardly ever happens?

Ellie, you said it hardly ever happens.

What does it mean?

I don't know, Jan.

I can't remember.

"Do again tomorrow."

Do what?

I don't know.

I'm scared.

Good, you're up. Mom said not to wake you.

Seen my thing to watch the eclipse?

No.

Dad says you can't look straight at the sun

or it'll ruin your eyes.

- I hope he gets here in time to see it.

- Daddy's coming?

Mom called him.

Help me look, Jan. It's nearly too late.

Nearly too late.

Here it is!

That's funny. I looked in there before.

We can all take turns using it.

It hardly ever happens.

Hardly ever happens.

- What hardly ever happens?

- I just told you. The eclipse.

There are lots of moon eclipses,

but a sun eclipse is special.

What time does it start?

12.30. Oh, rats!

When Mike did this, it came out elephants,

not Ring Around the Rosey!

Ring Round the Roses, it was.

What's wrong?

Nothing. Tell Mom I'm going back to sleep.

- Hello?

- You gotta do something for me!

- Jan, what's wrong?

- I think I know what those circles meant.

- The overlapping ones meant an eclipse.

- There's an eclipse today.

And the circle at the pond

meant a circle of people.

I can't explain it all,

but I have to get Keller, Tom and your mom

to the chapel now before the eclipse.

I need your help. Tell her anything.

Say it's a matter of life or death.

Jan?

Where are you going?

I'm going to the chapel with John Keller,

Tom Colley and Mary Fleming.

I want them to repeat

the ceremony they held, linking hands,

like in a seance

when people make objects move.

- I think that's what happened to Karen...

- No! You mustn't do that!

Whatever happened to my Karen

could happen to you.

Mrs Aylwood, I have to do it.

Whatever is haunting Ellie and me

will never leave us alone.

God be with you, child.

- Karen Aylwood's dead!

- How do you know that?

She never would have put her mother

through suffering!

Part of the suffering is not knowing.

Maybe we can find out what happened,

how she disappeared before the bell fell,

or how she died, if she died.

I told you before, it's none of your business.

Mr Keller, it was your idea, wasn't it?

The secret society?

The initiation ceremony?

Don't you wanna know the truth?

Who do you think you are to disrupt lives

and reopen old wounds?

They never really healed, did they?

Isn't that why you lock yourself away

in that dreary house,

a prisoner of your own guilt?

Mr Keller, I don't have much time.

But you owe it to Karen

and you owe it to yourself

to try to help make this happen.

- They should have been here by now.

- They won't come. Not back to this place.

But they are! They're coming!

Nerak, look...

Nerak, get over here!

Nerak! Come back!

- I can't.

- You must.

We're running out of time.

We can't waste it arguing.

It may not work, Mrs Fleming,

but we must try!

We have to repeat the ceremony.

No. No!

Whatever happened 30 years ago

was during an eclipse.

The same thing's happening now,

so maybe we can bring her back.

Nerak!

Nerak!

Nerak!

Nerak!

Nerak!

Nerak!

Nerak.

Don't do it. When Karen did it, something

went wrong. She was never seen again.

The circle won't be broken this time.

No, no, no! We ran away once before

and we've regretted it ever since.

- We must not run out again!

- The blindfold.

Mr Keller, I have to know exactly

what you said and did that night.

- I told Karen...

- To me, Mr Keller. I'm Karen now.

- Say it to me!

- Very well.

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 and you must not break

our circle of friendship.

- If anything happens to Jan, I'll break it.

- Don't interfere! Move away!

We are looking upon you, Karen Aylwood,

willing you to be as one with us.

We ask the question: is this person worthy?

Listen.

Ready to return.

I have been trapped on your planet.

Karen was my intervention.

We exchanged places by mistake.

Magnetic pull of the eclipse

transferred our positions.

Now exchange places again.

- Almost time.

- Ellie!

I must return home.

Where's home?

What happened to Karen?

Continue. Continue.

My power comes from you,

the three linked as before,

when darkness comes at noon.

- The eclipse.

- It's almost time. Hurry.

Go on with the ceremony, Mr Keller!

We've gotta beat the eclipse.

Come on!

We shall hold hands around you.

You must not break our circle of friendship.

With joined hands,

we call upon the powers of the universe

to grant us...

This is our chance!

Don't break the circle!

Mary. Give me your hand!

Must return home.

Time's running out. Hurry.

- Hurry.

- But where is Karen?

Karen was in the way.

Mistake. Transferred by mistake.

In error we exchanged places.

Karen's still in my dimension.

Trapped and suspended.

Must reverse the process.

Concentrate.

Exchange persons again. Transfer back.

Now. Later too late.

Now.

Now. Now.

- It's taking me!

- Jan, you have to get out of that!

I can't!

Jan, move! Move!

Break the ring! Break it!

It's Karen.

We brought her back!

Jan.

Karen.

You're home.

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