“I don’t fucking know! I was just walking, that’s all. I thought I was heading back to Coldsleet, but I must have got lost what with all of this bloody mist. Hey, can you hurry up, Gary? I’m waist-deep in this shit and I can’t get out. It’s sucking me down, man!”
“Just keep talking, Alex. I don’t think that we’re far from you now.” Said Gary.
“Okay, okay.” Replied Alex, from somewhere nearby.
“Alex, whatever you do, don’t try and struggle. I watched a documentary a couple of years ago, about people getting trapped in quicksand. You have to just keep still, mate, don’t wriggle around, struggle… it’ll just make you sink faster.” Instructed Gary.
“But I’m not in fucking quicksand!” Whined Alex Crennell.
“I know you’re not, Alex, but it’s the same bloody principle. So just try and stay as still as possible. Understand?”
“Yeah, I understand… Gary, how deep are these sodding peat-bogs?” Alex shouted out.
“Deep enough to drown you. So just keep still.” Replied Gary.
“Okay. I’ll try.” Said Alex. “But can you hurry up? Please?” Alex pleaded.
“We’re nearly with you, Alex. Just hang on in there.” Gary tried to assure him. He looked around to Mary and Shark, who were following behind him in silence; they both looked scared.
Gary trudged forward, across the moor. His feet were starting to sink deeper into the peat with every step that he took.
“Shit, this place is fucking treacherous.” He said to Shark and Mary. “We’re gonna have to tread carefully.” He advised. Gary took another step, and his boot sank into the squelching black peat, right up to his calf. Gary started to fall forwards.
“Shark! Grab me, grab me!” He said. Shark put her arms around Gary’s waist.
“What’s the matter?” She asked.
“My foot’s stuck in some mud.” He told her. “Pull me back.” He instructed. Shark heaved backwards.
“Mary, you’re gonna have to give me a hand.” She said. Mary also put her arms around Gary’s middle, and the two young women both pulled at him. Gary felt his foot coming out of the peat.
“That’s it. Keep pulling.” He said. Gary’s boot popped free of the peat bog, and he stepped back, away from it. “Thanks.”
“Are you okay?” Asked Shark.
“Yeah, but we can’t carry on forward anymore. It’s too dangerous.”
“But what about Alex?” Responded Mary.
“Shit.” Cursed Gary to himself. “Alex!” He called out. “Alex! Are you okay?” There was no reply. “Alex? Talk to me!” Gary shouted. Silence. “Alex, just let me know that you’re okay! Say something!” Gary’s request was met with continued silence.
“Do you think he’s…”
“Yes, Mary. He must have gone under.” Said Gary. Mary put her hand to her mouth. Gary laid a hand on her shoulder, and shook his head. “We tried. There’s nothing more we can do. We’ve got to get back to the pathway. If we don’t get off this fucking moor, one of us is going to have an accident next.”
Gary Ackley looked around. The moorland mist was now so thick, he could barely see more than a couple of feet in front of him.
“Bollocks!” He suddenly cursed.
“What is it?” Asked Shark.
“I’ve lost my bearings… I can’t remember which way that we came from.” Gary admitted.
“I thought that the pathway was back down there.” Replied Shark, pointing to her right.
“Are you sure?” Gary said to her, seeking assurance. Shark nodded.
“Yeah, I think so. Look, we can’t stay here, so let’s just walk. We’ve got to get back on the trail.” She said.
“You’re right. We need to get back on the trail, and home to Coldsleet.”
“Should we phone for help? I mean, for Alex?” Mary asked.
“I don’t think there’s any point.” Gary answered. “ALEX!” He shouted once more, at the top of his voice. “ALEX! CAN YOU HEAR ME?” He bellowed, but to no avail. “It’s no good. He’s gone. Come on. Let’s find the Black Pathway. Mary, we’ll call the emergency services as soon as we get back on the trail, to let them know what’s happened.” He said.
“Okay.” Replied Mary.
“Let’s go. I’ll lead the way.” Gary walked in front of the two young women, and they slowly began to trek across the mist-shrouded Coldsleet Moor. In completely the wrong direction.
***
Howard Trenton walked behind Alex Crennell, holding a knife up to the base of Alex’s neck.
“You did good up there, Alex. That was one hell of a performance.” Howard said, smiling. “Ten out of fucking ten… well done!”
“I still don’t understand…”
“Why I made you do all that? I would have thought that was perfectly obvious, Alex. For fucks sake, you’re really not very bright, are you? No wonder I stopped hanging around with you when we were younger… you’re lack of IQ would have probably rubbed off on me.” Sighed Howard. “I needed to get your beloved friends off the Black Pathway, make them get lost… and we’ve done it, Alex, we’ve done it! You and I, together, working like a team again, just like we did when we were kids! They’re heading south, instead of east… they’ll be off this moor soon, but nowhere near the Black Pathway.” He advised.
“How do you know which way they’re heading? I can’t see them, so how can you?” Alex asked.
“Because I can scent their trail.” Howard answered, matter-of-fact.
“You can what?” Alex responded, confused.
“I can scent their trail. We’re about a minute behind them, and they’re heading south, right off the moor and into Skerrington Forest. They’re fucked.” Howard chuckled.
Alex could feel the sharp tip of Howard’s knife against the back of his neck.
“Hey, Howard, how about you put the knife down now? I’m not gonna do anything stupid.” He requested.
“Oh, I know that you won’t, Alex. Because if you do, it’d be just like I said earlier… I’d catch up with you and slice you into little pieces.” Reminded Howard. “But I’ll keep the knife pointed right at you. In fact, I insist that I do.” He grinned.
“Okay, okay, but I’d just feel easier if…”
“Shut your gob, Alex. There’s nothing more to say on the matter. As I said earlier, behave yourself, and I won’t hurt you. Now let’s just drop the subject.” Howard said, firmly.
“Can I ask you something?” Asked Alex.
“If you must.” Replied Howard, already bored with his new travelling companion.
“What did you mean, when you said that you could scent the trail of the others?” Alex was curious to know. “I know that you come up here a lot… have you learned all of that tracking stuff or something? Is that what you meant?” Howard laughed at this.
“You really are a fucking fool, Alex Crennell.” Replied Howard, who was enjoying humiliating his former friend. “Normal people don’t track using scent… they usually follow other signs. But not me. I’m different.” He advised.
“I don’t understand… how can you track by scent? You know, if people don’t usually do it that way?” Alex asked.
“Because my daddy was an alien,” smiled Alex, “and I’m guessing that a heightened sense of smell was one of his genetic gifts to me… bless the little bastard.” Confided Howard, and this time he burst out laughing.
***
The sound of Howard Trenton’s manic laughter echoed across Coldsleet Moor.
“What the fuck was that?” Asked Mary, frightened.
“It was somebody laughing… Alex?” Said Shark.
“That wasn’t Alex.” Replied Gary, remembering Alex’s high-pitched, childish little giggle. “There must be somebody else out here, up on the moor. Another walker.” He went on. “HEY!” Gary shouted out. “HEY! WE NEED HELP! CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE NEED HELP!” His shouts for assistance were met with silence. Gary turned to Mary and Shark. “They must have moved on.”
“What, in a couple of seconds?” Replied Shark, sarcastically. “HELP!” She called. “HELP! WE’RE LOST!”
“They’re not answering. Are you sure that it couldn’t have been Alex?” Mary asked.
“It wasn’t fucking Alex.” Snapped Gary Ackley, losing his cool. “Okay, that’s enough. Everybody, stop walking.” He said.