Hunter's Moon Read Free Page A

he hissed. ‘Prove it.’
    Neil jabbed the stick at his chest. ‘And you think you can scare Jeff with a brick and a stupid note about Hunter’s Moon. You can’t deny it. Your name was on it.’
    Joe grabbed Neil’s collar. ‘Listen, mate. I don’t know what you’re going on about, but I’ll give you ten seconds to get off this land.’
    Neil carried on, still shouting. ‘Did you write it in the blood of some animal you killed? And what was it meant to mean, JOE L231? Just more of your mad stuff.’
    Joe paused. He let go of Neil’s shirt.
    ‘Interesting,’ he said. ‘Very interesting.’
    A Land Rover pulled up at the end of the drive.
    ‘Sorry, Neil. I can’t give you the smack in the mouth you deserve. You’ll have to wait. That’s Mr Fenby come to pick me up. Someof us have to plan for the hunt. It’s a late breakfast up at The Manor House. Let’s face it, mate, I only deal with class. Not scum like you and your cheap pheasant shoot.’ He walked off down the drive. After a few strides he stopped and looked back at Neil.
    ‘Try a Bible. It’s not JOE, you fool. It’s JOEL. Chapter 2, verse 31. That should make you think!’
    He reached the Land Rover, jumped inside and it roared off in a cloud of blue smoke. Neil stood and stared till long after the smoke had cleared.

    The church door was unlocked. It was dark inside but Neil found a large Bible near the door. It took him a long time to find the Book of Joel. He slowly read chapter 2, verse 31.
    ‘The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood.’
    For a second time that morning a shiver ran down his spine. Tonight was Hunter’s Moon. Beware Hunter’s Moon. What did it all mean? The church clock clunked. Twelve hollow clangs. Midday. Just twelve hours to go till the Hunter’s Moon would turn to blood. The night of Hallowe’en.

EIGHT
    The air was crisp and clear. All afternoon Neil had been cutting up fallen branches with a chainsaw. Now he was ready to light a bonfire. Taking a box of matches from his pocket, he bent down to light the paper. He paused as he remembered the other night when he dropped the whole box. He looked over his shoulder. He was sure he heard asound behind him. He got to his feet and grabbed the chainsaw. He listened, waiting, as the moon climbed into the sky and the first stars glinted above him.
    Something was moving through the woods, coming nearer. Neil could only see the grey shapes of tree trunks and roosting pheasants. Suddenly he saw a shadow moving towards him through the stillness. A person. A girl with long, dark hair. She was running straight towards him. It was Tanya and she was gasping for breath.
    ‘I knew you’d be here somewhere,’ she panted. ‘I’m so glad I found you. I need to see you. I’ve got to tell you something. You can put that chainsaw down now. I’m not the panther!’
    Neil smiled. ‘Come over here while I light the fire.’
    The flames soon flared as the bonfirecrackled to life. Neil poked the branches as sparks showered into the night.
    ‘Go on, then. What is it you need to tell me?’
    ‘It’s Joe,’ she said. ‘He’s really ill. I found him this afternoon. He couldn’t stand up. I called the ambulance. He told me to come and tell you. Something about Hunter’s Moon and walnut trees. It didn’t make sense but he said you’d know. He said you must be warned. He said you need to keep watch tonight.’
    Neil looked into Tanya’s eyes. She wasn’t acting. This was real. She clung on to his arm. ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s something scary. Joe said he was planning to come up here at midnight to get proof. What did he mean?’
    Neil said nothing. He didn’t want to tell Tanya how he hated Joe. But what Tanyasaid next took his breath away.
    ‘You’re probably wondering why I didn’t go with him to hospital.’ She paused. ‘The thing is … I can’t stand him. It’s all an act. You could even call me a spy. I’m doing it for the sabs at