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Contents ( 89)
  1. The Secret of Cold Hill
  2. Table of Contents
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. 79
  82. 80
  83. 81
  84. 82
  85. 83
  86. 84
  87. Acknowledgments
  88. About the Author
  89. The Cold Hill Ghost Stories

Yet again the woman did not appear to notice him. She tapped busily on her tablet, then looked up and right through him, with a blank expression.

‘My wife,’ he said. ‘I think she might be unwell – is it possible that—’

Now four people suddenly stood in front of him, blocking his view of her again. He heard her check the reservation name, then gather their coats and lead them to a table. Jason followed them in, feeling very weird, as if both conspicuous and inconspicuous at the same time. He was walking strangely, his feet unable to feel the ground, almost as if he was floating. None of the diners took any notice of him.

I’m freaking out. Having a panic attack. Need to get home and wash my hands. Get in the shower.

He saw a sign for the toilets, in a completely different location from before, and went through into a unisex cloakroom. A woman came out of a door with a female gender symbol on it. ‘Is there another lady in there, by chance?’ he asked her.

She walked straight past, without answering.

Was everyone in here this rude? he wondered.

He went over to the door, not daring to go in. ‘Emily?’ he called out. Then, louder, ‘Em? Are you in there? Are you OK?’

No response.

Sod it. He decided to go in and see for himself. ‘Em?’ he called out, cautiously. ‘I’m coming in!’

The toilet was empty.

83

Thursday 27 December

Stepping back out into the restaurant, Jason was finding it hard to focus. All the faces of the diners were blurry, as if he was looking at them through misted-up glass, and the room seemed to have become two-dimensional, so he could not tell how far he was from any of it.

He felt panic rising.

Where was she?

His phone pinged, suddenly.

15

Fifteen what?

He crashed into a table, but the four occupants did not appear to notice, and miraculously no glasses fell over. They ignored his profuse apology. He weaved towards the door, as if he was completely drunk, still unable to feel his feet on the ground. Was there another room where Emily could be? Had she gone outside?

‘She’s vanished,’ he said to the greeter.

No reaction.

‘You didn’t see a lady – my wife – go outside?’ He was aware of the desperation in his voice.

His phoned pinged a second time. Was it a text from Emily? He looked down.

14

The countdown again? It seemed to be going more slowly now. Why?

He went out into the street, into the howling gale. There were white flecks, like sleet, in the air.

‘EMILY!’ he shouted, looking around, frantically. ‘EMILY? EM!’

Had she panicked and gone back home to check on the fridges? She must have done – but why on earth had she just gone off without saying anything? And on her own, back to the place that was scaring her so much?