Thea really hoped it wasn’t because that tortured noise should never come from a human being. ‘The last time I came here … I think I saw something … a face, at the window. I think it could have been a face. I don’t know.’

‘A face? Someone in the monastery?’

‘I don’t know.’

The moaning choked off. Silence oozed back over them, thick with menace. Then a voice came, mewling and shattered: ‘H-h-help … help me!’

Watching in horror, Thea and Ethan stared at one of the lowest windows and kept on staring, not able to do anything else, as something began to move along the bottom edge. Something pale. Something unfurling.

Hard to tell at the distance but they looked like …

… fingers …

… spreading, one by one, clawing themselves upwards, clutching at the windowsill as if trying to drag the rest of – whatever it was – up behind them. Spidery, questing, pale … fingers.

‘Help me …’

A face bobbed up.

‘I’m just a ghostie …’

Ethan sighed. Rosie waved and laughed through the empty hole of the window, leaning on the sill for support and slapping it at intervals as she gasped with glee. Thea relaxed her shoulders, not even realizing that she had hunched them up. Ethan crossed his arms.

‘The look on your faces!’ Rosie yelled. ‘That was so worth dragging myself over here! I knew I’d get you!’

‘Hilarious,’ said Ethan, stony-faced.

Thea cringed a little for Rosie, inwardly promising to take her aside and tell her to tone it down a bit if she was to have any chance with Ethan.

‘How did you get in there? What about your ankle?’ she called over.

‘I went all Swiss Family Robinson! Made a crutch from a branch I found,’ Rosie shouted proudly. ‘Took it slow over here, then got in through this window. It’s pretty low to the ground.’

‘Well, stay there! I’ll come and help you out.’

‘I’m not.’ Ethan walked back towards the path. ‘Clearly she doesn’t need any more help if she can do that. I’m going back. She does my head in. Nice meeting you again.’

He strode off. Thea couldn’t really blame him.

She turned back to the monastery and set off through the prickly bushes, picking her way carefully. Rosie threw her crutch out of the window and onto the ground below, steadying herself with both hands as she tried to get her knee on the edge, tongue poking out of the side of her mouth, her frizzy curls bouncing over her eyes.

She didn’t see it coming.

But Thea saw it; she saw it all.

It was over in a flash, so quickly it took her brain a few moments to catch up.

Something moved behind Rosie as she looked up and smiled at Thea.

Something pale

and fast

and strong.