I must bring them some more energy.
Enough to make them glow bright white with it. Enough for this to work. I can steal it from a moment in the past which has energy to spare, bringing it forward to the present day. Just like I did when I sent some energy back to Lisa, at the moment when she needed help the most. That never worked, but I can try again here.
Maybe this time it will make a difference.
But when? Where can I find enough energy? They need a whole life’s worth – five lives, ten lives, maybe more. More than I can steal from any ghost in the past or the future.
I go back to 1994. To the night that Rima and the others died. Kasper is sleeping in his bedroom. It’s clean and white, with blue curtains covering the window.
I’d almost forgotten what he looked like when he was a real, living human. He sings with life. His skin is so pink, blood pumping below the surface. He’s snoring like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
This is it. The moment that Rima, Felix, Kasper and all the other students in the building died. It wasn’t a gas leak, or an explosion, or a fire that killed them. It was something mysterious and unknown. It was me.
I killed them. I’m going to kill them. I am killing them, right now, at this moment.
I can take their energy – their life forces – and use it to stop Norma. I can kill them in the past to protect their spirits in the present day. This is the only way to ensure Norma is gone for good. I have to do it. I need my father dead.
I reach to Kasper in 1994, asleep in his bed. I suck up his energy and bring it through into the present day, sharing it with the circle. It pours through me into Leah like a tsunami from the past.
The living Kasper’s head falls back in agony. He’s still asleep, until he isn’t. Until he’s dead. And then I keep going. Because, if this is going to work, I’ll need the life force of every single student in this building.
It might be selfish, but I would sacrifice far more to destroy my father one final time.
FELIX
They were losing. Their circle was struggling, collapsing inwards as they ran out of energy. Felix pushed more into Leah as fast as he could, focused on nothing but summoning up every dreg. Leah was so dim and see-through that he could barely make out her outline. She was about to disintegrate. Felix’s gaze flickered to Kasper’s face, desperately memorizing his features one last time.
Then a tornado of energy exploded out of nowhere, flowing through them. Claudia was glowing golden, funnelling it all into Leah.
Norma dropped Harriet and collapsed to her knees, flickering from bright white to dim monotones. She wailed, clawing at her own face and keening.
“What’s happening?” Norma shouted.
The new energy kept pouring in – more than any one ghost could provide, more than ten ghosts, more than a hundred. Claudia was sparking white, crackling like lightning or fireworks, like a nuclear explosion in slow motion.
Norma writhed. “Help me,” she begged her granddaughter, as her arms split apart into dust.
“Rest in peace, Gran,” Harriet said in a flat voice. Felix couldn’t tell if it was a threat or a wish.
Harriet lunged forwards and sucked down the last of Norma’s energy, tearing her apart and scattering her to the wind until there was nothing left but her scream, echoing around them.
The roof went silent. All the battling ghosts stopped to look.
Leah released the connection, and the energy flowing around the circle disappeared. The stump of Kasper’s finger was sizzling and sparking from the energy transfer.
“We did it,” Leah said, awed. “He’s gone.” Her face crumpled up. “I’m free. At last.”
Yes, I killed them all. I’m not sorry. What else could I have done?
Without me, they would have all lived. They would have graduated university. They might have lived happy lives. Instead, they’re all trapped here inside their eighteen-year-old bodies. Because I wanted to get rid of my father.
I needed them here, to defend us.
Does that make me worse than Harriet? Yes. So be it. I have always found modern ethics hard to grasp, I have to admit. What’s a little murder, between friends? All that matters is that he’s gone now. For good, I hope. Though there’s always the chance he’s being born again right at this moment, a new life beginning that’s ready to be terrorized. I can’t see far enough ahead to know for sure that we’ve escaped him. But I can hope. All any of us can do is hope.
Chapter 27
HARRIET
Norma was gone, and Harriet was free. The deaths and fear and violence were over, and she never had to think about her gran again. She could be her own person for ever, at peace at last.
Somewhere behind her, a long wail turned into sobs. Claudia was curled in Leah’s arms, screaming. The ritual had been too much for Leah. She was fading fast, about to disintegrate.
Rima was pushing energy into her, but Rima was dim herself now. It wasn’t going to be enough.
Harriet couldn’t let them go. Not now.
She sprinted towards Leah, dropping the shield away.
Kasper was crouched down by Felix, who was sitting in an exhausted heap. He moved to block Harriet’s path as she approached Leah.
“Let me help her,” she panted.
Kasper looked wary, but let her through.
Harriet pushed her energy into Leah. Her atoms were unravelling fast, and it would take a lot to bring her back. But she was willing to sacrifice anything for these people who had welcomed her into Mulcture Hall, who had given her opportunity after opportunity to redeem herself, who had finally let her escape her grandmother.
Even if she’d ruined everything, she could still give them this. Friendship was about more than taking what she wanted from people.
Harriet closed her eyes, growing dizzy as Leah started to brighten. Even with Norma’s energy, Leah was going to need more than she could give.
“Thanks, kid. But you need to stop,” Leah whispered to Harriet, weak and barely audible. Claudia’s crying faded into hiccups.
Harriet shook her head. This deserved to be Leah’s energy. No one cared if Harriet lived or died, but Leah would leave mourners behind if she disintegrated now.
Harriet felt herself fading away as she gave Leah the last dregs of her energy. She closed her eyes and prepared to disintegrate. Then, hands gripped her shoulders and tugged her backwards.
“That’s enough,” Rima said. “Thank you. But that’s enough.”
Harriet nodded, closing her eyes. Then she crumpled to the ground.
RIMA
Harriet lay still on the rooftop, face pressed into the floor. This girl had done so many monstrous things. She deserved nothing more than death. But she’d helped them. She had been willing to sacrifice herself for Leah.
There was a tingle of hope in Rima’s belly. Perhaps it wasn’t too late for Harriet Stoker, after all.
Rima didn’t understand what had happened while they were completing the ritual. Somehow, energy had appeared out of nowhere, right when they had needed it most. Claudia had started glowing brightly, so she must have brought it to them from somewhere.
Was that her power? Could she create energy out of nowhere?
There was a yip behind them, and Cody rubbed along her legs.
“I thought I’d lost you!” Rima said, and grinned so hard that her cheeks hurt. They’d got rid of the Tricksters, and they were all still here, weak but clinging on. This wasn’t the end of everything, after all.