Harcourt was ignoring them, her eyes on Gray and Isis. “Shouldn’t they get out as well?” she asked, a nasty triumph in her voice. “I could take them up to our offices and give them… biscuits. Look after them until you can sort this all out.”
The policewoman threw a surprised glance at her. “I don’t think that will be necessary.” She leaned into the car again, now taking in Isis with her eyes red from all the crying she’d done earlier, and Gray obviously frightened.
“We’re here of our own accord,” Isis said nervously.
“All the same,” said the policewoman. “Perhaps you should get out.”
Gray’s face was tight with strain, a sheen of sweat gleaming across his brow.
“I don’t think I can,” he whispered.
“You’re going to accuse me of abducting them, aren’t you?” cried Stu. “Silencing truth-seekers with scandal. Well it won’t work, not on me!”
“I wonder why the children want to stay in the car?” said Dr Harcourt, her tone insinuating and sly.
“We better get out,” Isis said to Gray.
He nodded, opening his door, but he moved as if stepping out to his doom.
As soon as Isis’s foot touched the ground, the air seemed to fill with the rushing sounds of the wind, even though she couldn’t see a leaf or blade of grass moving. Angel popped out alongside her and let out a little squeak.
“It too big,” she said, before vanishing back into the car.
Gray made a noise, and Isis turned. He was pressed against the other side of the car, eyes wide in his terrified face.
“Are you all right?” said Dr Harcourt, a false kindness in her voice. She turned to the policewoman. “I could take them up to the quarry offices, wait for their real parents to turn up.”
“Don’t you go anywhere near them!” shouted Stu. “I know what you’re up to!”
Another police car pulled up, and two policemen got out of it.
“Is it them?” Isis asked Gray, although she still didn’t know what Gray could see, or why she couldn’t.
He nodded.
“I think the children are ill,” said Dr Harcourt. “We have a medical station, and several trained first-aiders.”
Isis walked around the car, her feet seeming to swirl colours out of the tarmac. She shook her head. She knew she wasn’t seeing what was really there.
“I’d be happy to take them up to our offices,” said Dr Harcourt, walking around the car in the opposite direction to Isis.
“No you don’t!” shouted Stu, moving to block her, his hands up in something like a karate pose.
“Stop that!” shouted the policewoman, and now the policemen were running, hurtling in to grapple Stu, pulling him back while he flailed at Dr Harcourt.
“Can’t you see? She’s one of them! Where’s the rest of your Organisation, Dr Harcourt? Is that even your name?”
Gray was wide-eyed and pale beside the car, not even watching the scene going on behind him. Isis spotted a small, unfenced spinney of trees, just ahead on the road. She knew the way now, in the part of her that wasn’t using words.
She took another step, leaned close and whispered in Gray’s ear.
“Run.”
Chapter Twenty-five
Gray
I didn’t look, didn’t think, I was just running. One foot after another, fast then faster.
“Stop!” shouted Dr Harcourt.
“Don’t stop!” yelled Stu. “Don’t let her get you! You’ll wake up tomorrow and you won’t remember any of this!”
I don’t even know what Stu thought was happening, I only knew I couldn’t stay still, not with them everywhere.
They were with me as soon as I got out of Stu’s car. Hundreds of them, walking towards me from the road, standing by the hedges, surrounding us. It was like a hall of mirrors, except reflections don’t move and call out. They don’t reach for you, crying, Listen! Listen! Listen!
I thought, This is a dream, isn’t it? I even squeezed my eyelids shut, hoping I’d wake up. But all those versions of me were still there when I opened my eyes. So many of them. Like zombies in the films, their words blending into a solid murmur: Listenlistenlistenistenlistenlistenlistenlisten.
“Run!” whispered Isis.
I thought, Are you crazy? But what else was there? Stu was going mental, that Dr Harcourt was getting creepier and creepier. And also Isis knows this stuff, better than Dad, better than Stu. They’re all about the theories, but Isis lives it.
We raced up the verge and into the trees. Air burned in my throat, but I was only thinking about keeping ahead of the mirror-mes. I had to swerve and dodge to keep out of their grasp, my heart