“Why?” Shark responded.
“Because I have no idea which fucking direction we’re heading in. We should have been back at the Black Pathway by now, but we ain’t.” Gary answered. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a mobile phone. “We’ve got no choice, we need to call someone for help.” Gary told Mary and Shark.
Gary dialled in 999 on his mobile. The phone flashed up that there was no signal, and that his call couldn’t be made.
“Fuck it!” Swore Gary. “Shark, Mary… have you got your phones on you?” He asked. The pair nodded. “Try calling 999. My phone’s got no signal.” Shark was the first to try dialling the number. She hit exactly the same problem, and then, so did Mary. “Shit. It must be the moor blocking out reception… or maybe Knighton Mountain.” Gary said. He tried ringing 999 again. No signal. “Jesus, why do these sodding things NEVER work when you need them to?” Gary cursed. “And why won’t this mist just shift? If it’d clear, then we’d be okay, we could see where the fuck we were going.”
“Haven’t you got a compass or something like that?” Asked Shark.
“No, Shark, I don’t have a compass.” Replied Gary, in a sarcastic voice. “I didn’t think that I’d fucking well need one, just following a pathway. How about you? Did you remember to…”
“Hey, don’t start getting shitty with me, Gary. I was only asking…”
“Yeah, well don’t.” Gary said, angrily. He shook his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to have a go at you like that.” He apologised.
“S’okay.” Replied Shark. “We’re all pretty stressed out.”
“You can say that again… look, I don’t know what to do.” Gary admitted. “Should we just carry on, in the direction that we’re going? Or backtrack? Or just stay put, wait for the mist to lift? Problem there is, it might not clear for hours… and I don’t fancy being stuck out on this fucking moor when it gets dark, which it will do in about two hours time.”
“I say that we keep heading forward. Sooner or later, we’ve got to come off this moor.” Suggested Shark.
“Shark’s right. We should keep moving.” Added Mary. Gary took a deep breath.
“Okay. You’re right. That’s what we’ll do.” He said, looking down at his mobile phone, which still had no signal. “That’s what we’ll do.” He repeated.
Chapter Twenty One
Howard Trenton had a change of heart. He pulled the knife away from Alex Crennell’s neck, and pocketed the blade.
“The big bad knife’s gone away, Alex.” He said. “But remember, be on your best behaviour or…” Howard Trenton didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence. Alex suddenly turned around, and kicked out at Howard as hard as he could, catching the smaller man in the groin. Howard buckled forwards, clutching at himself, in pain. Alex followed through with a vicious punch to the side of Howard’s face, and he went crashing down to the muddy floor. In an instant, Alex was down on Howard, sat astride him.
“You fucking freak!” Said Alex, before punching Howard in the face again. “You fucking nut-job!” Alex went on. He hit out again, splitting Howard’s lips.
“You’re making a bad mistake, Alex.” Howard said calmly, through a mouthful of blood.
“Shut up, you fucking…” Alex went to punch Howard again, but instead found himself flying backwards as Howard powerfully jerked his body from out underneath him. Now it was Alex’s turn to land on his back, in the mud and peat. Howard quickly got to his feet, and approached Alex. Alex tried to get up, but slipped, this time falling face-first onto the wet and dank moorland. He felt impossibly strong arms wrap around him, from behind, and then Alex was dragged back up, onto his feet.
“What did I warn you, Alex?” Asked Howard.
“Let go of me, you crazy fucking cunt.” Snarled Alex.
“No.” Responded Howard, tightening his grip.
“You’re fucking crushing me! Let go!” Shouted Alex.
“No.” Howard whispered into Alex’s ear. “We need to talk.” He continued. “As a matter of urgency.”
***
Gary, Mary and Shark stood on the edge of Skerrington Forest.
“Well, we got off the moor.” Said Gary. “It’s just a shame that we’ve come off it in completely the wrong direction.” He added.
“What is this place?” Asked Shark.
“It’s Skerrington Forest.” Replied Gary.
“I thought that Skerrington Forest was past Knighton?” Commented Mary.
“Some of it is, but the forest is L-shaped, bordering Knighton to the east and the south. We’ve hit its south side. We should have been heading east.” Pointed out Gary.
“Well, can’t we just head back out onto the moor? Re-trace our steps?”
Mary asked. Gary gave her a withering look.
“You want to go back out onto the moor? In this mist?” Said Gary. Mary shrugged her shoulders.
“It was just a suggestion.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Mary, I know that you’re just trying to be helpful, but we really don’t want to be heading off back onto…”
“Hey, Gary, don’t fucking patronise her.” Interrupted Shark. Gary stared at her.
“I’m not trying to patronise anyone.” He protested.
“Well it sounded pretty fucking patronising to me.” Argued Shark. “Go easy on Mary, okay? She’s just lost her boyfriend, for fucks sake.”
“Alex wasn’t my boyfriend!” Snapped Mary.
“Oh, you know what I mean.” Shark tried to reason.
“If anyone should be upset, it’s me.” Said Gary. “Me and Alex were mates for a long time.” He reminded Mary and Shark.
“This isn’t some fucking competition, Gary.” Commented Shark, sourly.
Shark looked towards the darkness of Skerrington Forest. The mist had lifted slightly, and visibility was a little better.
“Look, we need to stop arguing amongst ourselves, and work out what we’re going to do. Where does the forest lead to, Gary?” She asked.
“Knighton Mountain. But if we follow the edge of the forest, and head east, then eventually, it’ll twist north, and we’ll be back on the way to Knighton. Whatever, if we take that route, then sooner or later, we’re gonna hit the Black Pathway again. It cuts straight through the forest.” Gary advised.
“Right, then that’s what we need to do. Follow the edge of the forest… hey, which way’s east?” Queried Shark. Gary pointed to his left.
“It’s got to be that way. Skerrington Forest is on the southern edge of Coldsleet Moor only. So, yeah, we go in that direction.” He advised.
“What time is it, now?” She wanted to know. Gary looked down at his watch.
“Half four.” He answered.
“Do you think that we’ll be able to reach Knighton before it gets dark?” Shark asked.
“Well, we’re off the moor now, so the going should be easier, and the mist has lifted a little… yeah, we should get there before nightfall.” Gary confirmed.
“Okay. Then let’s keep on moving…” said Shark. She checked her mobile phone. “Still no signal. What about you two?” Gary and Mary checked their telephones.
“Nothing.” Said Gary.
“No signal at all.” Advised Mary.
“Well, there’s nothing we can do about that. Let’s go.” Instructed Shark, and she began to lead the way, skirting along the edge of the dark and foreboding Skerrington Forest.
***
Howard carried an unconscious Alex Crennell over his shoulder.
“Why did you have to go and fuck up like that, eh Alex? Why did you have to go and attack me? There was no need for it. I’d put away my knife… and I hadn’t told you, but I’d sort of, well, warmed to you again… just a little. It was nice having you as company… a bit like the old times. Well, it was sort of nice. You’re still an irritating, boring little fucker, but, hey ho, we can’t change who we are, eh Alex? I didn’t tell you, but I was going to let you off… not kill you… after all. I’d had a change of heart, and that doesn’t happen very often, Alex. Once I’m set on doing something, I usually carry it through.” Said Howard. He shook his head. “I don’t know what it is about you, Alex, I really don’t. Even after all of the jibes and piss-taking that I’ve suffered from you over the years, I just can’t bring myself to absolutely hate you. Even when I came up here, this morning, onto the Black Pathway… with every intention of wiping you and that bitch Mary from off the face of the Earth forever… I still couldn’t hate you. And even now, Alex, even now… I don’t hate you. And I don’t really want to kill you, either. Mary… now she’s different… a worthless little whore. A fucking prick-teasing bitch. She means nothing to me, Alex, nothing at all. But you… it’s always been so difficult. My feelings, I mean. I think I just miss the times when we WERE friends, all those years ago. Yep, that’s it. There’s a little piece of my childhood, lodged somewhere in my fucked-up head, and you’re written all over it, stamped right through it.” Smiled Howard.