Deadly Laughter

By MARK STEPHEN

DEADLY LAUGHTER

When four wealthy teenagers found themselves amongst the ruins of an old Chinese palace they were not impressed. What real significance could these old stones play in their lives?  It was ancient history and that was boring. Did they really care about Nui the Ox or Chikyo the monk both dead for centuries.  It is said that those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it. If the legends were true then many people had said and done things that displeased Niu and paid a terrible price but that was then and this was now. Today things were different and no one thought that they were immortal.

It was all legend and superstition or so Justine and Rick thought until they heard that unearthly laughter. Who was it, where were they, and what had become of the two girls? A few foolish words spoken in haste and suddenly things changed. From nowhere a mist had descended and the smell of orange blossom filled the air, although it had been many months since the trees had been in bloom. Could it be that somehow Nui was still around watching, listening and laughing? When he laughed, the legend said, everyone laughed, but when he stopped someone was always dead?

They all knew about deadly substances like poisons and venomous snakes but was it possible that apart from those dangers there was another one that they could not see but only describe as deadly laughter.

• Language: English
• Publisher: MARK STEPHEN
• Release date: May 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781513039053

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE.

The camp.

Money makes the world go around and helps people travel, some in great comfort. Even a simple camping trip can be luxurious if you pay enough and their parents had paid plenty. Last holiday it was Egypt, the one before South America and now China. Next to these ancient ruins laborers had erected six large tents in a circle and four smaller ones amongst the trees. In the center were twelve chairs and on the long table a delicious assortment of food and drink. Each tent had two raised beds with blow up mattresses and the Chinese were busy erecting four ablution stalls when the group arrived.

Twelve people walked up the slope, four in their thirties and eight in their teens. Mr. and Mrs. Swift led the group and Mr. and Mrs. Simms were along as support. The reason was clear, with eight teenagers who were used to doing whatever they wanted and having everything they asked for, it took four adults to make sure that there were no problems. They had all walked to these ruins while others carried what was required to make sure they were comfortable. They certainly did not have to ‘rough it’ although they could still claim to have hiked in the wilds of China.

Having rested, showered, changed and eaten they sat back in the recliners with various cold drinks. This was camping the right way. Someone else carried the gear, erected the tents, prepared the food and cleaned up and they just enjoyed the trip. It had been the same with the other places so they knew what to expect.

Tom, Mr. Swift, introduced Donghai as the person who would be telling them about the ancient ruins that they would be exploring the following day.

Donghai looked different to the other Chinese. He was taller; more heavily built and wore his hair with a top knot. His English was good and he started off by telling them that his family had lived in that region for thousands of years and he believed Niu was one of his ancestors.

They all knew that Niu (The Great One) had been a famous Emperor long before Chin established China. In his days China had been divided into many small areas with warlords controlling them. Donghai, whose name meant eastern sea, explained that his ancestors lived in a small village at the foot of the mountains that they could see across the water.