Voices in Stone - Emily Diamand Page 0,47

to discuss,” he said. “Maybe we will, if you change your mind?”

Isis spun around and hurried after the others. He was so infuriating, and completely selfish! She didn’t need him to tell her then, she’d work it out…

A large window was on her right, looking out over the playground. Through it she could see a boy, Gray’s friend from UFO club. He was running, flapping his arms as if fighting off a swarm of bees, and his shouts could be heard even inside.

“Go away! Go away! Go away!”

People outside had stopped what they were doing, staring or laughing uncertainly, as if maybe this was a joke.

“What’s going on today?” she asked, catching up with the others, who’d stopped facing the door leading from the library. Mr Gerard, the deputy head, had just pushed it open and was heading straight towards them.

He was wearing the expression of someone who’d found what they were looking for.

Chapter Eighteen

Gray

Jayden was freaking out. Shouting, running a couple of steps one way, spinning around and running the other way. People were laughing and making jokes, but none of them were helping him.

I shoved past a couple of Year Eight boys, grabbed hold of Jayden’s arms and tried to pull him to a stop. “Jayden!” He was looking past me, his eyes not quite focused. “Jayden, what are you doing?” He noticed me at last.

“They won’t leave me alone,” he said.

“Who?”

“The boys.”

“Get lost!” I shouted at the crowd gathered around. “Leave him alone!”

But Jayden shook his head, his eyes too wide. “Not them.” He pointed, his arm swinging in a wide arc. “Them!”

“Come on,” I said, pulling him out past the gathering. The Year Eights tried to follow, but I swore at them until they went away.

“What are you talking about?” I asked Jayden. “What are you doing?”

“There’s loads of them…” He was looking behind us, counting quietly. “Fifteen!” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “They’re all different ages, from babies to old men.” He gripped onto my arm.

“Who are?”

“Them,” whispered Jayden. “The ones no one else can see.”

I got this shivery shock.

“You don’t believe me!” he said.

“I do.” I was so relieved it wasn’t just me, but terrified at the same time.

“They’re following me around,” said Jayden, staring at nothing. “They won’t leave me alone.”

“Are they still here?” I asked, and Jayden nodded silently.

“I wish they’d shut up. They keep going on, but I’m not doing anything. I haven’t even touched them!”

Another cold shiver. “What are they saying?”

Stop, stop, stop! Except it wasn’t Jayden who said that; the voice was much deeper. I turned around, and my heart nearly stopped in fright. Standing next to me was this tall man. His hair was clipped in angles, and he was wearing a blue hoody, these stupid, ultra-wide trousers and mirrored sunglasses. On his wrist was a massive watch, with a touchscreen display. He looked like someone, but I couldn’t think who.

“Stop what?” I said. “What are you talking about?”

Jayden squeaked. “Are they talking to you as well?”

I shook my head, not taking my eyes off the man who’d just appeared.

“How do you know what they’re saying then?”

“Because there’s a man next to me who’s saying the same thing.”

Jayden looked either side of me, his face more scared than ever. “I can’t see any man.”

“And I can’t see any babies, Jayden.”

Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!

It was hard to think through the shouts of the ghost-man.

Jayden was shaking now. “Someone told me Isis has cursed the school, so it’s full of ghosts.”

“Do you actually believe that?”

“I don’t know!” he shouted. “I don’t even believe in ghosts, and now there’s a whole gang of them following me around!”

For a moment even I wondered if Isis had done it, somehow. I mean, she’s done a lot of stuff you’d never believe. I’ve seen a monster go inside her, and light pour out of her like the sun.

Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop! said the man, like a broken record.

Angel and that creepy Mandeville were ghosts, I knew that, but urban-future man didn’t look the way they did. He was more solid, and more… blank. Like, if you see a photograph on a computer and then you see it printed out, the picture’s the same, but they’re different too. The man in front of me, he wasn’t ghostly, you know? He was something else. He was like the figures at the standing stone, but more… finished-looking.

He took a step towards me. Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!

“They’re getting closer,” said Jayden, panicking.

“Merlin walked straight through