But Mrs Fossil seems unable to speak. Her face is contorted with fear or pain, or both. One of her hats has fallen off.

“We need to get down there,” Violet says, and she sets off at a run in the same direction as Boathook Man, who has vanished now into the mist.

I follow, and find myself rattling down the spiral staircase faster than is wise, but I’m more concerned about getting down quickly than I am about not slipping. We jump the last few steps, and run back down the beach beneath the dripping pier.

“Mrs Fossil!”

“Oh! Oh, Herbie!” comes her voice. “Help me!”

The sea mist is so thick now that if we didn’t have the struts of the pier to follow, we’d struggle to know which way was which.

Mrs Fossil is on her knees in the sand, clutching one arm and sobbing with pain.

“It hurts! Stings!”

“What happened?” Violet crouches down beside her. “Did you cut yourself?”

The sleeve of Mrs Fossil’s wax coat is torn to shreds, as are the many layers of clothing below that. There are angry red marks on her skin.

“It bit me!” she cries. “I saw it! Oh, Herbie, I saw it. Teeth like needles!”

“It’s OK, Mrs F,” I say. “We’ll get you back to the town. And call the doctor.”

I place my shoulder under her arm, and Violet does the same. We manage to raise her to her feet.

“But I saw it!” Mrs Fossil wails. “I saw it!”

“What did you see?” Violet says through a grunt of effort. “What bit you?”

“The mala… The mal…” Mrs Fossil tries to say, but her teeth seem to be locking together. Then her legs give way, and suddenly we’re the only things holding her up.

“We need,” I gasp, “to get her off the beach…”

But I trail off, because something is moving ahead, between us and the town. Something dark and immense. Something that is getting closer.

The Boathook Man steps out of the mist. His eyes lock onto Violet. He raises his hook-for-a-hand and points it at her. His mouth opens – a black cavern in his scraggy beard – and he bellows in a voice like a distant gale, “I find you!”

“Please,” says Violet. “We need help. We have to get this lady to a doctor.”

Boathook Man doesn’t seem to hear. He stomps forward and, with his one good hand, grabs Violet by her collar, lifting her in the air.

“You … cannot stop us!” he gusts. “I will … be free!”

“Oi!” I shout, staggering now under the unshared weight of Mrs Fossil. “Leave her alone!”

But there’s nothing I can do. Mrs Fossil is passing out, taking me with her.