Page 18 of One Wild Night
‘You don’t have to leave,’ Kitty says. ‘Stay.’
‘That’s okay, have family time, we’ll go sit in the lounge,’ Dylan insists. ‘Shout us when dessert is ready.’
‘Well, okay,’ Trish says. ‘If you’re sure.’
‘Great, thanks, see you in a bit,’ Dylan says as he heads for the door. ‘Come on guys.’
We take to our feet and follow Dylan into the hallway but, instead of going into the lounge, he heads for the bottom of the stairs.
‘We need to get out of here,’ he blurts, his skin still white as a ghost as he wipes his mouth with this hand. ‘My God, we really need to get out of here.’
‘What? Why?’ Mikey asks. ‘It seems like we won’t get picked up until morning.’
‘The snow is the least of our worries,’ Dylan replies. ‘It’s Jamie.’
‘Pat said he was probably asleep – that sounds like Jamie?’ I say.
‘Shit,’ Mikey says quietly. ‘He’s not in there, I went in to get my socks off the radiator, there was no sign of him, but his clothes were in there, so he’s still in his work wear.’
‘No, he isn’t,’ Dylan says solemnly. ‘He’s in the dining room.’
‘No, Dill, he wasn’t there,’ I remind him. ‘Whatever booze you have stashed – God knows where – must be strong. He wasn’t in there with us, remember?’
‘Oh, he was,’ Dylan insists again. ‘I think we were eating him.’
I snort with laughter… until I realise he isn’t joking.
‘Dill…’
‘Think about it,’ he interrupts me. ‘One minute they’re talking about the meat shortage, next they’re giving Jamie a “special job” for a “big strong boy” or whatever. And then there’s that barn, the one with something inside it, that Pat was adamant we couldn’t see. Plus, think about it, Jamie definitely has the most meat on him. if you were going to eat one of us, it would be him.’
‘You’ve lost your mind,’ I tell him. ‘It’s weird, and alarming, that Jamie has vanished, but, come on, Dill, they’re weird farmers, they’re not cannibals or monsters.’
‘Have you seen your face?’ he asks me. ‘They’ve made you look like a monster. I’m telling you, none of this is normal. At first I thought I was being daft, then I thought dangerous spirits…’
‘The only dangerous spirit is the one you’re sipping when we’re not looking,’ I point out, trying to laugh it off.
‘I don’t think he’s right about us eating Jamie but I do this something is weird here,’ Mikey says. ‘Perhaps we should go out and look for him.’
‘Yeah, and I’m pretty sure Kitty is planning on cutting all my hair off, while I’m asleep, which I don’t fancyat all. We could head back to the bus?’ I suggest. ‘Maybe he went back for something, like a charger or…’
‘Or we were just about to eat him,’ Dylan says again.
‘Probably best we get him out of here anyway,’ Mikey says to me directly. ‘The press will have a field day, if he accuses these people of… I can’t even say it.’
‘Let’s go to our rooms, grab our things, have one last sweep for Jamie, and meet here, as quickly as we can,’ I suggest. ‘Maybe it’s best if we sneak out?’
‘I think so,’ Mikey adds.
‘Me too,’ Taz chimes in.
‘Iknowso,’ Dylan says. ‘I’ll stand guard here. Come on, hurry, we’ve only got until they’ve finished eating.’
‘Okay, let’s make it quick,’ I reply.
We all head off in our assigned directions, apart from Dylan, who has taken point at the door.
My heart pounds in my ears, as I run up the stairs, to Kitty’s room, to grab what few things I have here. I know it sounds silly, because I just left her in the dining room, but I’m half expecting her to be in her room when I get there, smiling manically before she pounces on me and shaves my head. Or perhaps that’s just the horror movie fan in me but, either way, cannibals or not, I cannot wait to get out of here.
