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Back The Lightning Catcher Save as PDF
Chapters (45)
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
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  20. 20
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  29. 29
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  35. 35
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  37. 37
  38. 38
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  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. Acknowledgements

All those weather freak-outs have got to be connected, so Sam and I are on high alert for clues about this weird overload. My new Moth Man discovery is completely different, but he’s linked – I’m sure of it. Sam and I will figure it all out and maybe get famous from it, and then this journal will be the official record of how we solve the mystery of Folding Ford.

2

Fight! Fight!

22nd July

A massive day for the investigation! Discovered a HUGE amount of stunning new knowledge. Mum dragged us to a pointless jumble sale in the stupid village hall, and that’s how it started, because guess what? The Moth Man was there.

As soon as he walked in, the entire room went quiet. Everyone turned to stare. The same mad hair streamed down his back. The same coat flapped behind like a giant bat had got loose. But no moths.

I grabbed my sister. ‘Hey, Lily,’ I whispered. ‘Who is that?’

‘How should I know? But whoa – he is so completely gigantic. Imagine how long his innards must be.’

‘Remember the man with the moths I told you about?’ I pointed at the Moth Man. ‘Him!’

Lily rolled her eyes. ‘Give it a rest, Alfie.’

‘For real. I swear.’

The hall was so quiet you could hear rain pouring off the roof.

I leaned closer to Lily. ‘Look at their faces. Nobody likes him.’

‘That lady does,’ Lily said.

The Moth Man was rummaging through a stall full of electrical junk run by an old black lady – the only black person other than Dad that I’ve seen since we moved here – with silver beads threaded through her hair and a walking stick. He poked about impatiently, picking up an electrical extension cable without looking at her, even though she was talking nicely to him and smiling her head off.

The jumblers started to murmur again, softly, an up-and-down tune full of questions. Loads of eyes watched him hand money over, and he was every type of awkward a human can be. Kind of cross, but embarrassed, and also maybe in a massive sulk, like he hated the whole world. And he still gave me shivers.

‘Ugh – looks like he’s getting ready for something deadly. Someone so creepy shouldn’t be buying that much cabling,’ Lily said, like she was an expert.

‘Look at his coat,’ I said. ‘Looks like it’s made of skin.’

The Moth Man was on the move. This time, I had to follow. He’s the best clue I’ve seen since we moved here: a man who takes moths for a walk on a lead and turns a whole room silent. He must be something to do with the weirdness of this village.

‘What are you doing?’ Lily said, but I ignored her.