Shifting to reach the pocket, I dig around till I grab it. I pull it out, undo the tie and drop the necklace into my hand. As the pendant hits air, a howling rolls around the camp. Many voices, all of them sounding like women screaming in the dark.

‘Put it away!’ May shouts.

I don’t ask questions, just shove it back into my pocket, not bothering to use the bag. The howling stops, but the shadows are moving faster now.

‘Ya just showed them. Ya have it. We have it.’

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t know.’

May tucks herself into a tight ball, rocking backwards and forwards in a way I’ve seen traumatised people do on TV. Sam crawls over to her and wraps her in his arms. She shudders but doesn’t relax.

‘They come after you, they don’t stop once they know, once you’ve touched it,’ she mumbles and it becomes an uncontrollable storm of words.

Rhi slips her hand into mine.

I look up to find Sam glaring at me over May’s head. ‘What didja do?’

‘Me?’

‘She said they want ya, we all saw it. So what didja do, Tace? They don’t come after people like this, not so openly and not for nuthin. So what’d you do?’

‘I didn’t do anythin. I’ve been at home for God’s sake, bein a good girl … I mean there was Potters’, but we all went there. I, I only found it, I didn’t take it!’

‘Neither did I, but they’ve been tormentin me ever since, just for touchin it. They can’t torment the one who took it, he’s long dead, so they go after the ones who touch it. Who know of it and don’t return it.’

‘That’s not fair!’

‘Neither is bein driven mad for sixty years!’ May shouts again and all goes quiet. Even the night seems to still.

‘But they said those whitefullas …’ Sam’s voice interrupts our match. He looks sadly at his aunt. ‘They said those whitefullas did this to you.’

May’s fragile hand reaches up and cups his cheek. ‘They did. One of em had a wife, got her jewellery made up from local stones as a present, to show off his money. My old dad tried to warn im, but he wouldn’t listen. He cursed that poor woman into an early grave. But instead of takin them things back, instead of fixin his mistake, he punished Dad for bein right by stealin me. Made me touch it, wear it while he—’

Sam pulls her tighter into his arms. The devastation across his face is too hard to watch. I look across at Rhi instead.

‘Laney had it, hidden in her room. But I think Troy gave it to her. Memba what e was sayin bout the necklace?’