The Enchanting of Muckulberry Hall

By Tom Caine

A war is being fought between two powerful forces for control of planet earth. It has been raging on and off, for well over two thousand years. And as the centuries have past, neither side has been able to gain an outright victory.

Dominant for the last two thousand years, have been the forces of the Dark Ones, and their human allies and slaves. Their objective is to exploit without any limit or regard, the natural resources of the planet. And to the Dark Ones, every living thing on the planet is a resource! As the human-race began to develop, the Dark Ones discovered among these humans, more than enough allies to assist them, in their need to accumulate and destroy. These humans, whose ego’s, and lust, for wealth and power, almost match that of the Dark Ones, themselves.

Assisting the Dark Ones are savage creatures, creatures that inhabit a parallel word to our own. These creatures, under the control of the Dark Ones, have been coming and going between the two worlds for as long as humankind, has been around. Legends, myths, and horror stories, began to enter human psychic memory, almost from the very beginning. Stories which included shape changers, humans infected after being bitten, by Lycan or Vampires. Many other creatures, also moved between the two worlds, leaving their own mark, on the human psychic! Those people unfortunate enough to be bitten, and who do not die, develop the ability to change between the two forms, at will.

It is summer, 2019. The forces opposed to the Dark Ones and their human allies, are now vastly outnumbered. The majority, of the human population, has up until now, lived in almost complete ignorance of a war, which has raged about them, for millennia. The planet is now under complete siege, global warming, oceans heavily polluted with toxic waste, and plastic. Wilderness areas being destroyed at an unprecedented rate, along with the biggest extinction, of wildlife, since the age of the dinosaurs. We have reached a tipping point, we either destroy the Dark Ones, and their human allies, or we resign ourselves to life on a dying planet.

The worlds sanctuaries are under siege. And with the war threatening to become overt, the conflict now risks spilling over into the worlds, general population. The Muckulberry hunters, along with fellow hunters from sanctuaries all over the planet, have their backs to the wall. But news of the coming of a mighty hunter, who has been gifted with tremendous powers, and abilities, having been touched by Gaia, herself! Has bought renewed hope. His coming was foretold over a thousand years before, by the spirit of Muckulberry henge. But has his arrival, come in time for him to fulfil, his destiny

Lady Claudia Muckulberry, with the full support of her new champion, and a small army of dedicated hunters, has decided that it’s time to finally break, the insane power of the Dark Ones, and their willing human allies. She intends to sever the head from the ravenous snake, once and for all, therefore restoring sanity, and balance back into the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Oct 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781504321877

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Copyright © 2020 Tom Caine.

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ISBN: 978-1-5043-2184-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-2187-7 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 10/28/2020

CONTENTS

Part One

One

Two

Three

Part Two

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Part Three

Nine

Ten

Part Four

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

PART ONE

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ONE

I T WAS THE start of another school year, and the school coach which had been sent from Mukulberry Hall, was parked in the train station car park. It had just turned four thirty in the afternoon, and it was already dark. A strong wind was blowing a mixture of rain and snow across the station, and the adjoining car park.

The sleet was being driven so hard, by the gale force wind, it stung any area of skin left exposed. Old Alfwald, the school’s driver and handyman, had kept the coach engine running, and the heater control turned to its highest setting while he waited for the train to arrive, which as usual was running late.

He knew that professor, Elspeth Croaker, who took care of discipline for the school’s girls, would be standing on the platform, heedless of the cold and the driving sleet. She would also be extremely annoyed by the fact that the train was late again. He chuckled to himself as he remembered something that he had overheard professor Cocksedge say, a year or so ago, to the effect that no matter how cold it became, Elspeth Croaker’s personality would always be colder.

She had been accompanied to the station by professor, Loftus Bodger, who was responsible for the discipline of the Muckulberry boys.

He was a rather absent minded, untidy looking old soul, who looked as if he had somehow been transported through time, into the present day, from somewhere in the earlier part of the last century.

Fortunately for the boys he was a happy go lucky sort of academic, who could never quite see anything wrong, or lacking in his boy’s behaviour, which was something that also seemed to annoy his colleague, professor Croaker. In fact, when he came to think about it, there really wasn’t that much at all, that didn’t annoy her. But contrary to what a lot of people thought, Alfwald knew that underneath it all, the professor had a heart of gold, and would go to just about any lengths to help take care of her girls, as she always liked to refer to them.

He chuckled to himself, as he remembered back to the days of his youth, when as a very young man he would be waiting here at the station at the beginning of each school year. He had taken over driving the old school bus, on his father’s retirement. It was the very first school bus that Muckulberry Hall, had purchased, replacing the old horse drawn carriages, which used to pick up the students from the station. He remembered his old Father telling him how he used to freeze while he waited, wrapped in his long heavy coat, and wearing a fur hat with earmuffs, sitting outside on the seat of his carriage, one of six, if his memory served him right. His father had been the last of them to pass away, and just like his father he would never leave the Muckulberry estate, with its famous forest and henge. Its farms, and river which cut through part of the estate, and the large lake and wetlands, which took the run-off from the river during the winter and spring rains.

He knew that the world beyond the vast Muckulberry estate was a hard and dangerous place, especially for people such as himself, and he would only leave it on school business, such as today, or when lady Muckulberry, the schools principle asked him.

Alfwald gave a start, as the sound of the trains whistle brought him out of his reverie. It wouldn’t be long now, and the coach would be full of young boys and girls, all about to start their first year at Muckulberry Hall.

As the old steam locomotive, wheezed and puffed its way past the car park, into the even older station, he watched as the carriages slowly trundled past through the driving sleet.

He could just make out the pale indistinct faces of the young students, pressed up against the carriage windows, peering out. They always looked the same he thought, a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. Of course, most of them took it all in their stride, but there were always one or two, who seemed to struggle a little at first.

The train had stopped, and he could just make out the glow of the lights at the rear of the guard’s wagon. There were great clouds of steam, and smoke, billowing out of the station, which was instantly swept away by the gale force winds. The rail line along with the station and train, were all privately owned now, by the Muckulberry Trust. Which had purchased the line during the line closures of the sixties, as a result of the Beeching act, or more infamously known as the Beeching axe.

The line and station, as well as the old steam locomotive and carriages, were all kept in pristine condition by a small army of local rail and steam enthusiasts, one of whom was Lady Claudia herself.

After a short wait, Alfwald saw the first students begin to appear, and professor Croaker was leading the way, carrying her huge black umbrella. Luckily the children had all brought their own, and all that Alfwald could really see of them was a long line of black umbrellas, all pointing into the wind. All except for one, which was held by one of the boys, and he had left the shelter of the station with his umbrella facing the wrong way, and now it was inside out, and looked just like a long black stick. Luckily, one of the girls walking behind him took pity on him, sharing her brolly with him. Just as they approached the coach, Alfwald opened the coach door, it sprang open with a loud whooshing sound, and he told the eager students to fold their umbrellas, and leave them on the parcel shelf, at the front of the coach. He had parked the coach in such a way that the door was protected from the worst of the driving sleet.

The children immediately started to board the coach, desperate to get out of the icy cold wind. The first of them to get aboard had started to cause a bit of a jamb, as some of them couldn’t make up their minds where to sit. ‘Ah! Now children, please don’t just stand there, get a move on, straight down to the back of the coach and take a seat if you don’t mind. Off you go quickly now, you are holding up the others.’ He squeezed past the boarding children, and professor Croaker, on his way to unlock the baggage compartment, which ran along the lower side of the coach. Ready for the station porters who would soon be wheeling out a trolley, loaded with cases, school bags, and sporting equipment, of various sizes and description.

‘Terrible weather so it is professor Croaker, just terrible!’ ‘I can see that you have lost none of your powers of observation over the years, Alfwald. Would you kindly tell professor Bodger to hurry himself along please, some of these poor children could catch their death of cold out there!’

‘I shall professor Croaker! I shall indeed, just as soon as I unlock the baggage compartment.

‘Are there you are Alfwald, these are the last of our new students, and don’t they look smart in their Muckulberry topcoats and hats?’ ‘Oh! Please professor Bodger, will you kindly get a move on, we really do need to get the children on board the coach.’ Professor Bodger smiled and just shrugged his shoulders. ‘The porters are bringing the baggage out now Alfwald.’ He bobbed his head and smiled, and then followed on after his charges. ‘Coming, my dear professor Croaker, I am right here with the last of the children.’ ‘I can see that for myself, professor Bodger, you really must try and do better, some of these children are quite wet! Luckily, they are all wearing their school topcoats, you know how lady Muckulberry worries about the health and well being of her students. Some of these poor creatures, will be lucky if they don’t spend the rest of the week in the infirmary!’ Alfwald could never quite come to terms with the fact, that although most of the new students were twelve years of age, they looked more like they were seventeen, or eighteen, year olds.

Lady Muckulberry had once explained to him, that it was because they were specials, and whatever it was that gave them their special abilities and powers, also seemed to increase the rate of their development, physically, mentally and emotionally. To all intent and purposes, they were in their late teens, fortunately for them, the process seemed to slow down and stop by the time they were in their early twenties. It was one of the reasons that one of the old lords of Muckulberry Hall, had opened a school for them in the first place. That and the fact that the Muckulberry’s also produced specials, of their own. They knew that these special children would never have fitted in anywhere else, but at Muckulberry Hall. Surrounded by young people just like themselves, they were able to feel more at home. They were encouraged to develop their special abilities and powers, free from any ridicule and danger, because they were different.

‘Excuse me! Do you mind if I sit here?’ At first, Amelia had thought that the boy hadn’t heard her, and was just about to ask again, when he turned and looked at her. He had been so absorbed in looking at the icy sleet being driven into the window of the coach by the powerful wind, that he had become oblivious to everything else. He had been watching the sleet as it began to slowly slide down the window, forming an icy ridge along the top of the rubber seal. He hadn’t realised that someone had spoken to him, but finally the girls question registered, and he turned to find himself looking at one of the prettiest girls he had ever seen. She was wearing her school hat, and her long blond hair hung down her back like a blond cape, flowing down over her topcoat.

He couldn’t quite believe that she had asked to sit beside him, and his mouth opened and closed twice, before the first words came out. ‘Um, pardon! I’m sorry, of course please by all means.’ By now he had become quite red, flustered by his lack of attention. ‘You are perfectly safe! I shan’t bite you, or anything.’ She held out her hand. ‘My name is Amelia, Amelia Blanchford.’ He shook her hand. ‘I’m pleased to meet you Amelia. I’m Geoffrey Carter, but you can call me Geoff, if you like. I’m sorry about before, its just that you took me a little by surprise.’

‘Oh, I am sorry Geoffrey, I seem to have that effect on most boys, I don’t know why?’ A voice piped up from the seat behind. ‘I can tell you why!’ And suddenly, a face appeared between them from over the back of their seat. ‘Hi, I’m Torna O’Conaráin, and this is my twin sister Blánaid.’ Geoff turned in his seat and could see what Torna had meant. Blánaid was as pretty as Amelia, but in a different sort of way, her hair was also long, but it was as black as night as was Torna’s. ‘Hello, I’m Geoff, and this is Amelia, it sounds like you have travelled a long way just to go to school?’ ‘We have, we have indeed Geoff, all the way from Eire, that would be Ireland to you, just in case you didn’t know. We’re not the first O’Conaráin’s, to be sent to Muckulberry Hall, all the O’Conaráin twins get sent here.’ ‘That seems to be a rather odd tradition, do you know why?’ ‘I’m afraid we don’t, Blánaid and I have often asked our parents, even our grand parents, but none of them would tell us, they just said that it was an O’Conaráin tradition and smiled at us. And so here we are, Amelia, banished to England and Muckulberry Hall.’ ‘Isn’t it strange, I’ve never heard of twins, from Eire, being sent to school here, but I know that I’m not the first Carter to be sent here, what about you Amelia?’ ‘Well now that you mention it, I’m not the first Blanchford either. Do you think that all of the other children on the coach are like us, what do you think Torna?’ ‘I think that the four of us should stick together, and form our own little group, and try to find out if all the pupils at Muckulberry Hall, have the same family tradition as we do, and if they are like us.’ ‘You say like us, Torna, but what does like us mean exactly, what’s so special about us?’ The moment that the words had left his mouth, Geoffrey’s memory flashed back to a continuing series of incidents that had happened to him over the years, as he was growing up.

The strange things which he thought he had seen, whenever he went for walks through the woods or hills, or along the riverbanks on his father’s estate in Devon. The old family pile, as his father always referred to it. As he grew older the strange sightings and visions continued, and he had now begun to see them even when he was in town. Some of the most vivid and frightening ones he had ever seen, were when his parents had taken him to Winchester, and then again when they had taken him to London, where he had experienced some of the worst ever.

On his last visit to see the family physician, for his once yearly check up, he remembered something that he had overheard his father ask the physician, almost under his breath. It had seemed a little strange to him at the time, but he had since put it ftom his mind. ‘He is becoming a lot more aware, and he is starting to see more and more now. I have explained certain things to him Cadmus, but obviously not everything. I’m now beginning to realise what my parents went through with me, before they sent me to Muckulberry hall.’

What was it, that his father was reluctant to tell him, he wondered? And what did it have to do with being sent to Muckulberry Hall. He told the others what he had been thinking, and about some of the things which he had experienced growing up. They were all shocked, when they discovered that they had all experienced very much the same things. That what their parents and other grown ups had told them, was just their childish imaginations, may now have been real after all.

‘Do you think it is what we all have in common Geoffrey, the ability to see what the grown ups call the fantasy world, and that the things that we see are in fact, real after all.’

The four new friends were now huddled closer together, and their faces were now full of intrigue and suspicion. ‘What do you think we should do Geoffrey?’ ‘Well, I think we should say nothing, we must keep what we have just found out, a secret just between ourselves. Once we have settled into Muckulberry Hall, we should all make a list of all the things, or creatures if you like, that we have seen. And as soon as we have some free time, we should all meet and compare our lists.

I think that we should all be prepared for a shock! Because I believe that our lists will contain the same sort of creatures, and if they do, we shall have to investigate further.

We will need to find out what Muckulberry Hall is all about, and just why we have been sent here. Because I am beginning to think, that it has a lot more to do with just study and learning.’

‘Oh no, I was hoping that you weren’t going to say that Geoff, Blánaid has been telling me for years that it wasn’t just our imagination. She kept telling me that there was something, that we weren’t being told.’ ‘You see Torna, we never needed to take those pills, to calm us down whenever they said that our imaginations had become overactive, we both knew what we had seen. They said the pills would help us to fit in with the other children, without frightening them Amelia.’ Amelia nodded her head, and she had a sad look on her face. ‘I was told the same sort of things, and they also gave me pills!’ Geoffrey looked at them and nodded his head. ‘So was I, I would just pretend to take them, and when no one was looking, I just spat them out, and flushed them down the toilet. But then I would start to see the creatures again, and a lot more often. Some looked quite funny and harmless, but others didn’t look very friendly at all. They would scare me half to death, if I caught so much as a glimpse of them, and so I would start to take the pills again.’

Their revelations were interrupted by professor Croaker, who was standing at the front of the coach next to her seat, which was just behind the drivers. Professor Bodger was standing beside her, busily polishing his pince-nez which had become misted up again.

The moment that professor Croaker started to speak, Professor Bodger started to nod his head up and down, as if he was agreeing with everything that she was saying. But as they all learned later, whenever the two professors were together, and she was talking, he would do the same thing. Only he wasn’t nodding in agreement, as everyone had first thought, he would be humming a little tune to himself under his breath, and he was merely nodding his head along with the tune.

It was all that those pupils within hearing could do, to stop themselves from laughing out loud.

But for the moment, they were all listening and paying attention. ‘Now children, we shall be leaving in just a few minutes, just as soon as our driver, Mr Alfwald finishes with the luggage, and decides to join us. It will take approximately three quarters of an hour to reach the Muckulberry estate, and a further fifteen minutes to reach the Hall, once we have passed through the main gates. I should warn you all that the gates are controlled from the gate house, which is manned day and night, by the school’s security staff.

Of course, we are not prisoners here at Muckulberry Hall, it is just that given the times in which we now live, your safety and security is of the utmost importance. The faculty and staff, here at Muckulberry feel a very strong sense of care and responsibility, for every one of you, just as your own parents and family do.

She finished with a slight florish of her hand, which caught professor Bodger around the side of his head, almost causing him to drop his glasses. ‘Oh, dear me, professor Bodger, do sit down! What on earth do you think you are doing, standing right on top of me like that! Please sit, before you have an accident.

Which reminds me children, that once the coach has started to move, you must all remain seated, as standing while the coach is in motion is a serious breach of school rules. As professor Bodger will be only to happy to tell you all, it would really upset me to have to hand out punishments to anyone, especially before you have even reached the school.’

She smiled, and then sat down again, her large black umbrella now folded, and held firmly across her knees. ‘I don’t believe it!’ ‘You don’t believe what, Torna?’ ‘My grandfather has an old wolfhound, and whenever it looks at people the way professor Croaker just looked at us, it was just about to bite them.’ They all started to laugh, the tension caused by their recent discovery and revelations, seemed to ease and fade somewhat.

Geoffrey didn’t say anything, but he was quite relieved, now that he knew for certain that whatever it was that had been passed down to him, was real, and not just his imagination. Also, that whatever it was, he wasn’t the only one with the strange ability. He leaned closer to Amelia and spoke in a hushed voice. ‘You know Amelia, that if we do this, we could well discover things that we would rather not know about ourselves, or our families. It seems that this ability we have, is passed down, but only through certain families, and it doesn’t affect every generation.

I would love to have a look through the old school records, to see how far back they go, and how many of our family ancestors have attended Muckulberry Hall.’ ‘You know what they say about curiosity killing the cat, Geoff?’ He sat back, a look of surprise on his face. ‘I thought that you would have been all for it, Amelia.’ ‘Of course, I am silly! I’ve never believed in that saying, you know I have a big ginger cat called ---’ ‘Now, don’t tell me, he’s called Marmalade.’ ‘No, she isn’t, she is called Acorn, because she spends more time climbing about in oak trees, than anywhere else. There is a rather large forest, next to my home, and when I used to play with her, and chase her about the forest, that’s when I began to see, well, you know, those things or creatures. Do you think we should give the twins a chance to back out of this?’ ‘Yes, I think it’s only fair, but I don’t think that they will want to. I believe that they are just as curious as we are, and they want to find out the truth just as much as we do.

You know Amelia, I honestly think that grown ups can be a lot more childish, than children, when it comes to this sort of thing. We tend to except what we have seen, whereas they instinctively try to deny anything, which they can’t rationalise with what they have been taught. Maybe they should be the ones taking the pills, what do you think?’ Amelia started to laugh. ‘I believe that I have finally found someone, who thinks the same way that I do.’ They both sat back in their seats, seemingly lost in their own thoughts. The coach was very quiet now, with just a few murmured voices, which broke the silence every now and again.

The storm had grown so fierce that the howling of the wind, and the sound of the sleet being driven against the windows and the side of the coach, had everyone sitting back, with a look of foreboding on their faces. Even the sound of the coaches tired old engine, had been drowned out.

Geoffrey had been rubbing small circles, in the mist covered widow next to his seat, so that he could see out and watch as the storm battered the countryside beyond. Occasionally a set of weak yellow head lights would appear, like opaque phantoms, from vehicles passing in the opposite direction.

Amelia had just started to doze, when Geoffrey suddenly gasped out loud, and sat back rigid in his seat. Amelia turned as she heard him gasp, and she saw the look of surprise and shock on his face, which had turned white, and he was staring straight ahead.

She put a comforting hand on his shoulder and gave him a gentle shake. ‘What is it Geoffrey, what did you see out there?’ Geoff didn’t respond, he just kept staring ahead, he had taken hold of Amelia’s hand and was holding it so tightly, that he was hurting her. ‘Please Geoffrey, let go of my hand, you are hurting me.’ She shook him again, only harder this time, and he gave another start, and then released her hand. His face seemed to relax once more, and he looked at her, his eyes still staring, but now with some sort of recognition in them. ‘What is it Geoffrey, please, you are scaring me, what did you see out there?’ ‘I don’t really know, I mean I’m not sure, in the headlights of that car which just passed us. They were standing just clear of the trees, by the side of the road, three maybe four of them!’ ‘Three maybe four, what Geoffrey, what did you see?’ ‘You know those really frightening creatures that I was telling you about, the ones that I saw that time in Winchester and then in London, well they are here! As we passed them, they ran back into the trees, and started to follow the coach.’ Amelia’s mouth opened, but she didn’t speak, and her eyes had taken on an almost haunted look, after a moment or two she shook her head, as if trying to clear her mind. ‘I think that we should tell Torna and Blánaid, what you have just seen.’ But before she had a chance, Torna was leaning over their seat again. ‘There’s no need, Geoff, Blánaid saw them as well, and she says that it was one of the clearest sightings she has ever had, in spite, of the storm. And as far as Blánaid and I backing out, forget it, whatever it is that you intend to do, we shall all do it together, the four of us.’

Blánaid was now also leaning over the back of the seat! Amelia looked at her three new friends and repeated her earlier question. ‘Well, what is it that you both saw out there in the storm?’ Geoff looked at Blánaid. ‘Do you want to tell them Blánaid?’ ‘I think I would prefer it if you told them, Geoffrey.’ ‘As you wish, but if what you saw out there was different, you must tell me.’

‘I will Geoff, trust me, I will.’ Geoffrey lowered his voice, so that only they could hear what he was about to tell them, over the sound of the howling storm. ‘Oh well, here goes, what I saw looked like three or four big wolves, and I mean big, only they were standing on their hind legs. Is that what you saw, Blánaid?’ ‘It is Geoffrey most assuredly, it is exactly what I saw, Werewolves, or Lycan as some people call them!’ ‘But I thought that they were just a myth, besides, as far as the stories go, they can only transform when there is a full moon, and I can’t see any full moon out there tonight!’ ‘Well it would appear Amelia, that the myth and the stories about Werewolves are true. Maybe, the bit about full moons might not be, or its only under certain conditions, like full moons, or severe storms, whatever, that enables them to transform. Maybe they transformed somewhere else and were brought here, how do we know! And I hate to inform you, but we have a lot more to worry about now, because if werewolves or lycan really do exist, what about vampires and all the rest of them!’

‘Well if you mean the wee people, I can tell you right now that leprechauns do exist, Blánaid and I have both seen them, and not down at the bottom of our garden. They are far to wary of humans, to ever want to get that close.’ ‘I believe you, and I’m sure that Amelia does as well Torna, but leprechauns are one thing, lycan are another.’ ‘Well that’s a shame, isn’t it, I would prefer that there were just the little people, why do we have to contend with lycan and vampires, and god knows what other nasties there are out there waiting for us?’ ‘I don’t know what to say Torna that would make you feel any better, because whatever we have all seen, or thought that we saw, there is a very good chance that they will be real, as well!’ Torna groaned and put his head on his sister’s shoulder. ‘I wish you hadn’t said that Geoff, you know, I’ve seen some really horrible and very scary looking creatures. Maybe we should just stick to taking the pills, what do you think?’

‘Your, not serious Torna, you can’t be?’ With his head still resting on his sister’s shoulder, Torna opened an eye and looked up at Amelia, then he suddenly sat upright, a big grin on his face.

‘Of course I’m not, Amelia, I was just testing to see if you and Geoff were serious, now that we’ve got that sorted out, what are we going to do?’ ‘Lets just get to school first, and get settled in, and then we can do as Geoffrey has already suggested, we can meet later and plan how we are going to find out what is really happening at Muckulberry Hall, and why we have been sent there.’

Not long after the sighting, Alfwald turned the coach off the country road on which they had been travelling, turning onto an even narrower country lane. The lane had large oak trees, with a thick mass of rhododendrons, forming an almost impenetrable hedge growing between them, and which followed the laneway to either side. Every so often, Geoff could just make out what must have been a dry-stone wall, in between the breaks in the evergreen foliage of the rhododendrons.

Amelia had been peering through the clear spot, which he had made on the window. ‘It all looks a bit depressing out there, don’t you think?’ ‘Yes, it does Amelia, but it will look better once the storm has passed. Just imagine what this lane will look like in the spring and early summer, once all the wildflowers are in blossom, and the trees have their new leaves. The rhododendrons will also be in bloom.’ Torna had been listening to their conversation, and he leant forward. ‘Really, to be sure, you two are incredible especially after what we have just discovered, and what you and Blánaid saw not more than ten minutes ago Geoff. You are sitting there talking about flowers and rhododendrons with Amelia, as if you haven’t a care in the world.

Just look out there will you, those ugly overgrown dog things, could jump out at us, at any moment.’ ‘Oh really, Torna, now you are letting your imagination run away with you. I thought you were twins, Blánaid doesn’t seem to be too worried, and she’s the one who saw them.’

Torna took a quick look at his sister, who seemed to have dozed off, and he became all conspiratorial, putting a finger to his lips, don’t tell Blánaid that I said this, but she has always been the braver out of the two of us, especially when it comes to the real scary, creatures.

I don’t mind the nicer looking friendlier ones, like the wee leprechauns, or the wood elves. But the trouble is, that being twins, whenever Blánaid sees one of the real nasty ones and has a nightmare, I end up having the same nightmare, and I get to see the wretched things as well. Being a twin, isn’t all that it’s made out to be, and that’s for sure.’

‘I can sympathise with you Torna, I’m not to sure just how brave I shall be, if we are ever confronted by them. But at least you and Blánaid have each other, Amelia and I have no brothers or sisters.’ Torna sat down again, looking a little guilty, and Amelia snuggled a little closer to Geoffrey, and put her hand in his. ‘At least we have each other now Geoffrey, we are not completely alone, not anymore, and we do have the twins.

I’m beginning to feel that for the first time ever, I’m not alone.’ Amelia had just finished talking, when the coach gave a sudden lurching bounce, as one of its front wheels hit a large pothole in the lane. All those who had been asleep, were now fully awake, as most were lifted slightly from there seats by the impact. The incident had started professor Croaker off again, and onto one of her pet dislikes. ‘I really don’t know, Loftus, the number of pot-holes in the counties roads and lanes, and the complete lack of proper maintenance, it’s a disgrace.

I think it seriously calls into question, the competence of the shire council, and the general laziness of the council workers, or whoever is sent to fix them, really, it’s quite disgraceful!’ By now professor Bodger had removed his pince-nez, and was vigorously cleaning them again, his head was nodding up and down, as he was hummed another little tune to himself.

The louder and more agitated professor Croaker became, the faster the lovable old science professors head began to nod. Torna lent forward again, and he was laughing. ‘Those two should be on stage! They would bring the house down. I wonder if all the teachers at Muckulberry are like them, Ouch!’ Blánaid had boxed her brother, across the back of his head. ‘What was that for, Blánaid?’ ‘Mother would have done the same if she were here, you know that she doesn’t like you talking about other people like that, and so she asked me to do it for her.’ ‘Oh, she did, did she, what else did mother ask you to do? Are you seeing this Geoff, so much for the inseparable twins, and you complaining about being an only child, an all, would you care to swap places for a few days?’ Geoffrey couldn’t answer, as he and Amelia were both laughing, and were soon joined by Blánaid. ‘What? What’s so funny now, I don’t see that there’s anything to be laughing about, so I don’t, not at all.’ ‘Oh! Really Torna! For someone who says that he wants to play rugby for Ireland, one day, you can be such a baby.’ ‘I don’t know about me playing rugby for Ireland one day, I think you are hard enough to play for Ireland today, Blánaid, so I do.

A word of warning Geoff! Don’t upset her, not when she has a hockey stick in her hands, trust me, I’m telling you this for your own good, because she has a real fiery Irish temper, so she does.

Father once warned me, he said Torna! Torna he said, this was when he had caught me tormenting Blánaid, and she had hit me, and made my nose bleed. He said son, O’Conaráin women are not to be tampered with, if you get them mad, they can become very unpredictable and dangerous, so they can. ‘Torna sat back in his seat, satisfied that he had just passed on, a piece of life saving information to Geoffrey, a revelation in fact.

Geoffrey was desperately trying to keep a straight face. ‘I shall keep your warning in mind, thank you Torna. What was it again! Blánaid and hockey sticks, a bad temper, and very, dangerous!’ And then he burst out laughing, followed by Amelia and Blánaid. ‘I don’t know, you try and give a brother the heads up, and everyone just starts laughing at you.’ Then he also joined in the laughter, as Blánaid threw her arms about him, and gave him a huge hug, and a big sloppy kiss. ‘Ugh, Blánaid, I wish you wouldn’t keep on doing that! Father said that as I am the eldest, I should be looking after you.’ ‘Oh, did he indeed, I think that he was pulling your leg dear brother, honestly, I don’t think two minutes really makes that much of a difference.’

She smiled at him and put her hand on his, ‘I do feel safer having you here with me, dear brother, especially now.’ Torna was about to thank his sister, when there was an almighty crash on the roof of the coach, and some of the pupils began to scream. Professor Croaker, sprang to her feet, children, children, please don’t upset yourselves, it was probably just a tree branch, which has been blown down from one of the trees, please calm down, there is nothing to worry about, remain in your seats.’

She started to walk down between the seats of the coach, reassuring the more frightened of the children.

Geoffrey had noticed that the driver, Mr Alfwald, hadn’t slowed down when the crash on top of the coach had occurred, but that he had increased speed, and was still doing so.

After the initial crash there was no more noise, just a huge dent which bulged down in the centre of the roof. Professor Croaker was about half way down the coach, when there came another loud crashing sound, which came from the roof again, and then another, and the roof just above the professor’s head buckled even further, and three holes appeared, with what looked like, sharp black pointed nails, poking through them. There were now more noises, which sounded like something sliding and moving about on the roof of the coach, and what to Geoffrey and his new friends, sounded like something snarling, and roaring. Then everyone was thrown forward, as Alfwald slammed on the brakes, and there came an immediate squealing of tyres, followed by an unearthly ear splitting roar, from the top of the coach, as it suddenly decelerated, and whatever had been on the roof was suddenly thrown forward, and was heard rolling and crashing its way down the roof. There came a terrible noise of what sounded like nails, clawing and scratching for purchase, as whatever it was went hurtling down the top of the coach. And then a large black object, was seen to go flying past the windshield, and the coach suddenly surged forward again, as it accelerated away down the lane.

Professor Bodger, was now on his feet, standing halfway between professor Croaker, and Alfwald. ‘Goodness gracious, that is a big dent, isn’t it! I think that you were right professor Croaker, it must have been a rather large tree branch, it’s lucky for us that it didn’t come through one of the windows.’ Geoffrey was about to say something, when he felt Amelia’s hand on his shoulder, she was shaking her head. ‘No Geoffrey don’t say anything, you will only frighten the other pupils. We know what it was, and no tree branch put those holes there, if the professors wish to call it a tree, in order to stop the other pupils from being scared, then let it remain a tree branch for now, but I think that we should try and have a look at the top of this coach, as soon as we get a chance.

The professors had returned to their seat and were locked in a rather animated conversation. Alfwald was now driving the coach at the same steady speed, which he had been driving previously. Whatever it was that had crashed onto the roof of the coach, it had left the old driver, remarkably unaffected. Geoffrey rubbed another circle in the mist covered window, taking another look outside. He could see that the storm was starting to ease, and through breaks in the clouds, he could see that they were now driving through more open country. The dry-stone wall was still there, but gone were the dense masses of rhododendrons, and the woods full of large oaks. He could just make out the open fields and meadows, across the other side of the wall, and the odd large tree dotted about here and there. But how far the open fields and meadows extended, was impossible to say given the poor light, and the stormy conditions. While he had been looking out at the change of scenery, he had noticed that the sleet had stopped, although it was still raining, and the wind still buffeted the coach from time to time. He felt Amelia shake his arm, and when he looked, she pointed to the three holes in the coach roof. The rain had been steadily coming in through the holes, and was dripping down onto the floor, and running down toward the back of the coach, where it had begun to pool in front of the rear bench seat.

‘Think just how powerful those lycan must be, Geoffrey, to be able to do that to metal, how do we fight a creature like that?’ ‘There must be ways, Amelia, or there would be no human beings left alive. We just have to find them, along with the courage to do whatever needs to be done, what choice do we have.’ Geoffrey rubbed another clear spot in the misted-up window and returned to peering out of it again. The dry-stone wall, along with the fields beyond had vanished, they had been replaced by a large dressed stone wall, which he guessed would have been a good ten feet high. He knew that they had arrived at the Muckulberry estate. The little research that he had done before leaving home, had informed him that the entire Muckulberry estate, was surrounded by this high stone wall. The construction of which had began a few centuries earlier, and according to what he had read, it was only finally completed in eighteen seventy-two, when the Muckulberry family had stopped acquiring more land. The Muckulberries, he had read, were an extremely private family, shunning the shallow elite social world of their peers.

They were known and respected for their long history of service to England, both in government, and the army. Unfortunately, two German world wars, had decimated the male Muckulberry line, and now there was only lady Muckulberry, and a son and heir, who owned a vast wheat property in Canada, and a daughter, who was the immensely rich widow, of an Australian mining magnate.

The Muckulberry fortune was reputed to be one of the largest, in the world, and as he sat looking at the wall as they drove by, he thought to himself that it would have needed to be, for to pay for the construction of such a wall, would have cost a small fortune. He thought of his own father’s estate in Devon, and how hard his father worked, just to keep the old slightly run-down estate going.

The two world wars had also been unkind to the Carter family, but unlike the Muckulberries, his family didn’t have a vast fortune behind them. He smiled to himself when he thought back on all the fun he had, growing up on the family estate, and realised that he wouldn’t have swapped it for anything, not even the vast Muckulberry estate, and fortune.

Geoffrey felt the coach begin to slow down, and then he saw the indicator start to flash, as they were about to turn and enter the grounds of the estate. They had finally arrived, and as he kept looking, he could see the lights of the gate house suddenly appear, and the heavy wrought iron gates begin to swing open. The coach passed through the open gates, which closed the moment the coach was clear of them. A uniformed security guard carrying an umbrella, ran up to the driver’s side window and spoke with Alfwald. Geoffrey sensed that Alfwald was telling him what had happened, as he began to look about nervously. Whatever the guard had been told, Geoffrey knew that it would have had nothing to do with a tree branch. Finally, the guard ran back into the gate house, and Alfwald continued driving up a long tree lined avenue, which led to the hall, and which according to professor Croaker, was a good ten minutes drive away from the gate house.

Geoffrey guessed that the security guard had been told what had happened, and he was now probably on the phone to the hall, advising them.

The trees lining the avenue, stopped well short of Muckulberry Hall. And were replaced by immaculately manicured lawns, and well cared for gardens. The Hall was huge, four and even five floors in some areas, with turrets and spires. It even had crenellated battlements that were part of the original castle, towering high above. And which still ran around a good part of the massive building. Geoffrey wasn’t surprised, as he had seen pictures of the Hall before, and had read about it. He knew that there had been people living here, since before the Romans had arrived and driven out the local Britons. The Romans then proceeded to build a huge villa, part of which it was rumoured, still existed somewhere deep within the bowels of the Hall. Then the Saxons had arrived, but they had left little in the way of buildings behind, preferring to live in their own wattle and daub thatched buildings. Which when abandoned, rotted away leaving nothing behind to show that they had ever existed, except for where the timber post holes had been.

It was left to the masters of constructing monumental buildings in stone, the Normans, who having defeated the Saxons, built castles, abbeys and cathedrals, right across England, Wales and Scotland, and then finally Ireland.

One of those castles was built here at Muckulberry, and large parts of it were still standing in the form of towers, and crenellated battlements. Over the proceeding centuries, large parts of the original castle had been pulled down and redesigned, most of the work being carried out during the Tudor period. There had been further alterations and additions, which had started in the mid nineteen thirties, and had continued, on and off, up into the later part of the nineteen sixties.

With the last major changes having been made in nineteen eighty-five, when the entire building was modernised, with the installation of gas and electricity, heating and plumbing. It had all been done at the instigation of lady Muckulberry, and the board of directors, which consisted of her son and daughter. They had moved to have the original school pulled down, and have part of the great Hall itself, converted into the new school. The old school site was now a heated indoor swimming pool, tennis courts and hockey pitches.

Geoffrey had read that a lot of historians and architects, especially the more recent trendy, self opinionated and vociferous ones, hated what had been done to Muckulberry Hall over the years. But as soon as he saw it, through the dim light of the winter afternoon, and through the light drizzle of rain, which was all that remained of the storm, he had loved it.

Almost a thousand years of history, most of it still standing, from the Norman Conquest in ten sixty-six, and the Tudors! If the stone henge, was included, which dated back to the Neolithic, then it becomes thousands of years of standing history, Geoffrey could feel his excitement rising as he thought about exploring the place, from top to bottom.

Alfwald stopped the coach on the large expanse of driveway, just in front of the grand entrance to the Hall. And standing there to greet them as tradition dictated, were the deputy principle, professor Magnus Skillikorn and the boy’s house masters, professors, Servius Quinkan and Theophilus Whitelocke, along with the girl’s house mistresses, professors, Felicity Lovelock and Porsha Fortescue-Cumstock.

Alongside of them, stood some of the school’s senior prefects, and the house senior prefects. Geoffrey had already been made aware, that anyone of the prefects were permitted to hand out punishment, in the form of extra duties, detention, or study, as they saw fit. For any infringement of the school’s code of conduct.

Alfwald was the first to exit the coach, and he had already unlocked the baggage compartment. A small group of first, and second year students who were probably on punishment duties, were helping to carry their cases and bags into the lobby.

Before the deputy principle could step forward to welcome them, professor Croaker and professor Bodger had walked straight up to him. They had followed Alfwald off the coach, the moment he had opened the door and stepped down. Geoffrey guessed that it was something to do with the mystery tree branch, which had supposedly been blown onto the roof of the coach.

He walked up to Alfwald. ‘Excuse me Sir, but may I ask you something?’ Alfwald looked up from what he was doing, and a big smile spread across his friendly old face. ‘There’s no need to be calling me Sir, young master, just call me Alfwald, that’s my name.’ ‘Thank you Alfwald, may I ask you where the coach is kept, it is going to need quite a few repairs done to the roof you know, its leaking from where that large tree branch landed.’ ‘Really, is it, young master? Well I didn’t know that, I thought there might have been a bit of a dent and some scratches on the paint work, but a dent and some holes you say, well now, that’s different isn’t it, we can’t be driving around the country side in this sort of weather, with holes in the roof can we.

Now what was it that you asked me again?’ Alfwald stood there smiling and scratching his head.

Geoffrey knew that he would like old Alfwald and was happy that his instincts about him had been right. ‘I asked where the coach was kept, Alfwald.’ ‘Oh yes, so you did young master.’

He pointed along a driveway, which led away to the rear of the great Hall. ‘If you follow that driveway all the way around to the back of the building, you will see the stables and what used to be the old coach house, and which is now the school’s garage, that’s where all the school’s vehicles including this old coach are parked. And just behind that, is my workshop where I take care of the vehicles that need to be serviced or repaired. I will park the coach in there tonight, so that I can have a look at it, first thing tomorrow.’ ‘Thank’s Alfwald, it really is a lovely old coach, it’s a pity that a falling tree branch has caused so much damage.’ ‘Never you mind, young master, I shall have her looking as good as new again, before you even know it, you see if I don’t.’

Having checked to see that the luggage had been taken from the coach, Alfwald closed the luggage compartment, climbed aboard his coach and drove off toward his workshop.

Geoffrey felt someone tugging at the sleeve of his coat, turning he saw that it was Amelia. ‘Geoffrey, pay attention, the deputy principle has almost finished his welcome. We are about to go in, what were you doing?’ ‘I was talking to old Alfwald, I asked him where he would be leaving the coach, remember, I said that I wanted to have a look at the damage that was done to the coach roof, before he or anyone else can repair it.’

The deputy principle, professor Skillikorn, had already left for the principle’s office, along with professor Croaker. They both knew that lady Muckulberry, would want as much information as possible about the attack on the coach. It had been left to professor Bodger, and the schools house masters and mistresses, along with the school’s prefects, to lead the newly arrived students into their new school for the first time. They were followed by some of the schools monitors and the juniors, who were still bringing in their luggage.

‘Come along everyone, its time that we were in the dining room, if we don’t hurry, we shall be late for our supper and anyone late for school meals, can find themselves on detention, or worse, especially if they don’t have a valid reason.’ Professor Bodger ambled off again, followed by his entourage of prefects and monitors, as well as all the new students. They were trying to keep up while looking at the magnificent interior of the Hall, with its marbled floor and columns, the statues, carvings and wood panelling, as well as the huge staircase, and landings, which led up to the floors above. More than once, Geoffrey and his new friends had to run after the professor, as they were constantly being left behind, spending too much time looking at the opulent finishes, and the art works, that were on display wherever they looked. They finally caught up just as everyone, had started to enter the dining hall. And when it finally came their turn to enter the hall, they all stopped once again, in astonishment. The hall was huge, with high raking ceilings and exposed ancient looking rafters, and beams, which were lined in between with timber.

At the far end of the dining hall was a gable wall, which had a magnificent stained rose glass window, high up above the floor. The floor at that end of the hall had been raised, to form a dais with wide steps leading up to it from either side. Central to the dais, Geoffrey could see a large solid timber table which was set for the school’s professors and teachers. All the chairs around the table were wonderfully carved, and halfway along the far side of the table, was an even more elaborately carved chair. Which he could only guess belonged to the principle, lady Muckulberry.

The rest of the hall was set out with solid timber tables and benches, which started about thirty feet from the door, and ended about the same distance from the dais. There were four rows of tables, set about seven or eight feet apart, with two rows of huge square cut timber columns, which divided the massive hall into three equal parts. There was also a series of windows evenly spaced along the east wall, the whole effect, was quite awe inspiring. ‘If you think this is something, you should see the assembly hall.’ It was one of the school monitors, who unseen by Geoffrey had been going around the new students, telling them where to leave their topcoats, while they were having their supper. ‘My name is Bryne, Bryne Davies, and this is Angus McCloud, we are sixth year students, what’s your name?’ ‘I’m Geoffrey Carter, and these are my friends, Amelia, and the twins, Blánaid and Torna.’ ‘We are pleased to meet you all, just a word of advice, most of the school and house senior prefects, hardly acknowledge any juniors below third form, it’s a bit below their dignity I think, unless of course its when they are handing out punishments, for breach of school rules or conduct, and the schools senior monitors are nearly as bad. In all fairness though, they are kept very busy with their studies, and after school there is compulsory prep, they do their studies and prep, while watching over the junior forms doing theirs. Its three quarters of an hour for juniors, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tuesday and Thursday, it’s either cadets if you join, or sport.

I thought I would just let you know, being new an all. There are a few other friendly, helpful prefects and monitors, who try to help new students and juniors when they can, you shall meet them all sooner or later I’m sure. Here take this Geoffrey!’

And Bryne shoved a piece of paper into his hand. ‘What is it?’ ‘It’s what could save you from a lot of detentions, Geoff, it’s a list of the names of all the strictest, and nastiest of the schools prefects and monitors, that’s what it is. Make a copy when you can for your friends, and with that Bryne left, on some other errand.

Amelia and the twins came and stood round him, what did he give you Geoff?’ Geoffrey showed them the list, unfortunately for Amelia and Blánaid! The names on the list were the boy’s senior prefects and monitors. ‘I’m sorry girls, that was all he gave me, I’m afraid.’

‘I say, you juniors there! Cut along to your table its right down at the front of the hall, nearest the dais. You can join your house table, once you have been told what house you are in! Now get a move on, before you find yourselves on detention.

The four of them hurried to the front of the hall, they could see their table set apart from the rest. The other new students were seated already. The four of them had just sat down, when from somewhere a bell started to chime the hour. As soon as it started, out onto the dais walked the principle lady Muckulberry, in full gown and mortarboard. She was followed by the vice principle, professor Skillikorn who was similarly attired, along with the rest of the schools teaching staff. Including professors Croaker, and Bodger. And were now also wearing their mortarboards, and black gowns.

As soon as lady Muckulberry appeared on the dais, all the students stood up from their benches, and faced the dais in complete silence. Not a sound was heard, or a word spoken, while the teaching staff sat down at their usual places at the head table, making themselves comfortable. Only then did lady Muckulberry speak. Except for the new students, most had heard her little welcome speech before. When she had finished, the new first year students were officially part of the Muckulberry family, as she liked to refer to the faculty, and students. She then went on to thank professors Croaker and Bodger, for taking such good care of the new students during the unfortunate incident, on the way back from the station. Then she went on to thank the brave and loyal Mr Alfwald, for keeping control of his coach, and bringing them all safely to Muckulberry Hall.

She finished, by reminding them