Chapter 16

With great difficulty, the boy finally managed to land the boat at the jetty on the biggest of the three islands.

"Climb out," he said to a shivering Ella. "Walk up to the highest point and wait."

She did as he said. She was cold and wet and afraid, but she knew she could not escape death now.

"Why are you going to kill me?" she asked simply.

He looked out over the water. "They used to call these islands the Furies," he said. "The Furies were three old women who punished people who had com­mitted crimes in their own families. And do you know how they punished them? They drove them mad."

"But why punish me?" asked Ella. "I've done nothing!"

"No," said the boy, taking a gun from his pocket. "But you have to pay the price for what was done to me."

"What happened to you? What's made you like this?"

"Sit down," he said, "and I'll tell you a story."

Sam sat up in bed. The girl with the golden hair and the white dress had come back and was smiling at him.

“Can you hear the storm?” said the voice in his head.

He could hear it. It frightened him, but it was exciting. “Let's go and catch it. Come on.”

He followed her onto the landing and down the stairs. Mummy was in the living-room, but Fin and Daddy had rushed out after the pendulum game. He wondered where they were.

The little girl was very close to Sam now. He want­ed so much to touch her, but didn't dare. She smiled.

“Let's go outside and play. I know a good place to catch the storm.”

Sam didn't want to go down the coast path again, but he didn't want the girl to go without him. So he opened the hack door quietly and followed her into the storm.

"Where are you?" She had disappeared, but he knew where to find her. Holding Teddy tightly, he ran down the lane and towards the cliffs. The sea looked angry but beautiful. "Where are you?" he cried again.

“Over here, over here! Let's go and catch the storm!”

"Can't we catch it here? I don't want to go to the lighthouse again."

“Don't be silly! It'll be fun! We're only going to play!”

And she ran off towards Pengrig. Sam was really scared now, but he wanted to be with her. He raced after her.

It was getting light when the boy finished speaking, and for Ella everything had changed. She wanted to say something, but he wouldn't listen.

"Shut up!" he shouted, but there was desperation and fear in his voice. "You've got to die! It's the right thing!"

"But..."

"Shut up! Please! Don't speak to me. Don't say any­thing. Don't make me like you!"

He lifted the gun. Ella screamed, jumped up and started to run away. She heard him following close behind her.

Chapter 17

Fin stood next to Dad as the motorboat fought its way through the stormy sea. It was light now, and the waves were dangerously high. The powerful boat was is hardly moving forward at all.

At last they passed Pengrig headland and could see the islands. Sam's finger had pointed to the largest of the three, but Fin looked through the binoculars at the other two, just in case.

"See anything?" asked Dad.

"Nobody on the two small islands."

“I still can't believe we're doing this. All for a bloody pendulum!"

But Fin knew the pendulum was right. The question was not where but would they be too late?

They reached the biggest island at last. Fin could still see nothing, but the jetty was on the other side. Slowly the boat moved round the island and they saw a rowing boat at the jetty.

With difficulty they moored the motorboat and climbed onto the jetty just as a gunshot rang out. Fin gave a shout and raced up the path. If Ella was dead, he didn't want to live either. He didn't deserve to live. But he would take the boy with him. At first he could see nobody, but then he saw two heads behind a rock. Ella's head was on one side. The boy must have shot her.

"You bastard!" screamed Fin as he raced towards them. "I'm going to kill you!"

"He's already dead," said a voice.

It was Ella's voice, but Fin hardly recognized it. He walked round the rock and stared at the two figures. Ella had not moved. She was holding a gun. There was blood at the side of the boy's head.

Dad came racing up. "Ella! Thank God! Are you OK?"

Ella said nothing. Dad looked at the boy, then began to hug his daughter. She didn't move. But she didn't put her arms around her father. She said nothing. Fin looked at the boy. He was huge, but his face, even with blood on it, looked strangely mild.

"Let's go home," said Fin. "He's dead."

Dad checked the boy's pulse. "He isn't dead, but he will be unless we act fast. Run to the boat and get my mobile!"

As Fin ran back to the boat, he wondered what had happened. The boy had wanted to kill Ella, but how could sweet little Ella have managed to shoot him? He raced back with the mobile, and Mr Parnell called the air ambulance.

Fin was not really listening to Dad's conversation. He was looking after his sister, who was still staring at the boy in a strange way. Dad had to repeat his question.

"His name, Fin? Do we know the boy's name?"

"It's Ricky Prescott," said Ella suddenly. The words seemed to free something within her, and she began to cry.

Dad's face suddenly went white. He watched Ella as if he were expecting her to say more. But she just went on crying.

"The air ambulance is coming," said Dad, to break the silence.

"Will they take Ella, too?" asked Fin.

"I'm not going to hospital," said Ella. "I'm going home!"

Fin put his head closer to hers "And I'll be with you all the time. I won't leave you again. You'll soon be happy again and all this will be forgotten. It'll be part of the past."

Dad looked at him and muttered something. Fin could just hear it: "The past doesn't let go so easily."

Sam was more frightened than he'd ever been before. It was light now, but the storm was like a wild animal. And the little girl was gone. He was nearly at the light­house now.

“Can you find me?” said the voice at last.

Sam looked around but could see nobody.

“Come up to the lighthouse! Come on! Catch the storm!”

He could see her now. She was jumping up and down near the edge of the cliff. She pulled a face at him.

"Don't!" said Sam, nearly crying now. "I want to go home!"

“You're scared of the storm! Scared of the storm!”

"I'm not! Please don't hide any more!" But she was gone again.

“Come and find me! Come and find me! Catch the storm!”

Then suddenly he heard her scream. It was a terrible scream. And he saw her again. She was running straight for the cliff edge.

"Stop! Come back!" he shouted, but she ran on, and he followed. The sea and the rocks opened before them.

Then suddenly she wasn't there.

"No!" screamed Sam into the wind. She couldn't be gone! He heard her voice calling from below, and ran on. The land fell away and the sea opened up below him.