Voices in Stone - Emily Diamand Page 0,38

that this was just like one of the stories the police tell when they come into school for those ‘stranger danger’ talks.

I made plans in my mind for what I’d do if Merlin tried anything. Drop-kick him, grab Isis and run. He only kept walking though, and after a while we were so high I could see the whole valley below us, all the leaves rustling in waves. A line of smoke drifted out of the trees, up into the blue. It must’ve been from the protest camp, but for a moment it was like going back thousands of years, to when there weren’t cars or towns or motorways, to when the whole country must’ve been wild woods and sparkling rivers. A robin sang its little up and down song, and everything was moving and stirring so you could almost feel the planet turning under your feet. Then, just on the edge of my sight, I thought I saw a little boy staring at me from between the trees.

Huuuurrr…

I ran to catch up with the others, not looking back.

Merlin was talking to Isis about ley lines, and she had this studied look on her face, so I couldn’t tell if she was interested or just focused on walking.

I followed them, keeping my eyes on Merlin and trying not to see any little boys appearing in between the trees. I wished more than ever that I had a phone, so I could ring Mum, or the police, or someone. I decided on this thing I’d seen on TV, how if you’re kidnapped you should try to make friends with your captor, so they’ll see you as a person, not someone they can skin or whatever.

“How long have you been at the protest camp?” I asked him.

“I’m not in the protest camp,” he said. “I don’t see eye to eye with them.”

I wondered who he would see eye to eye with. Some of Dad’s conspiracy-freak friends probably.

“Okay – how long have you been in the woods then?”

“A year. Year and a half,” said Merlin.

“A year?” said Isis. “But what about in the winter? Aren’t you cold?”

Merlin shrugged. “My teepee’s got a wood burner, and this is a wood.” He picked up a stick from the ground. “I’m not short of fuel and I don’t need much.”

“But you don’t have electricity or anything.”

Merlin shrugged. “I’m not here to write a blog, I’m here to answer the earth’s cries.” He looked at Isis and me, weighing us up. “Same as you.”

“Actually my dad made me come.”

We walked in silence for a bit after that, then Isis said, “I know where we are.” There was something weird to her voice.

“You can feel the energy?” asked Merlin.

Isis shook her head. “I recognise this place. From when I came here before, with my mum in the summer.” She turned to Merlin. “Where the ley lines cross, is there a standing stone?”

“Yeah,” said Merlin. “An awesome one.”

Isis stood still, looking shocked, or scared, I don’t know. I wished we weren’t here, with Merlin and standing stones and invisible little boys. I also wished I hadn’t left a Mars Bar back in the camper van, because I was really hungry. A little further on the trees opened up and we were at the edge of a neat grassy clearing. The standing stone was in the middle, and another footpath led off from the other side of the clearing. The standing stone was small, more like a standing lump. It was the same kind of grey as the rocks at the quarry, but softer-looking, like it was being slowly washed away. Not impressive at all, and there wasn’t any sign of any ley lines, not that they even exist. I wandered over and read the notice attached to a little fence around the stone. I can’t remember exactly what it said…

No, you can remember. You will remember exactly, word for word.

Um, oh. It said: THE DEVIL’S SPEARHEAD. THIS NEOLITHIC MONUMENT IS MADE FROM AN UNUSUAL LOCAL STONE TYPE, THOUGHT TO BE IGNEOUS IN ORIGIN. ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THE STONE WAS ERECTED AROUND 3500 BC, BUT ITS ORIGINAL PURPOSE IS UNKNOWN. THE NAME DATES FROM THE LATE MEDIEVAL PERIOD, WHEN IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE STONE HAD DROPPED TO EARTH DURING A BATTLE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL.

“Come on,” said Merlin, next to me. “Let’s hug.”

I jumped back, ready with my karate kick, but he didn’t mean me. He climbed over the fence and hugged the standing stone, face pressed against it,