Eggplant, chapter 1
Bloodbath Alley was no place to be at night. Especially if you were a teenager. This might have been the reason why the fourteen year old girl was wandering down the alley to meet her three friends at eight o clock on a warm summer's night in late July.
"So what's this place we're going to tonight, then?"? she asked upon arrival.
"Hiya Debbie. Snuck out alright?"? said the boy with the blond hair and baggy black trousers.
"Yeah, I guess. So where are we goin'?"?
"The Viper."? Said the other boy, who had black hair and was also wearing baggy black trousers. "C'mon, let's go."?
They set off at a moderate pace through the lamp lit streets, which were eerily quiet.
"This place gives me the creeps."? Said Debbie.
"Wuss."? Her friend, Billie Joe, teased her.
"It's just... so dark and quiet. It's just freaky, OK? Oh, and it doesn't exactly help that we met at a place called Bloodbath Alley."?
Billie Joe let out a snort of scepticism and started walking faster. They walked for another fifteen minutes, talking and laughing loudly about school and their teachers before reaching a trendy-looking bar. They stepped inside. Billie Joe took out a cigarette and lit it. He took a long drag and offered the packet to Leon, who shook his head. Debbie, watching the process with disgust, let out a snort of irritation.
"So, who wants a drink? I'm buyin'."? Said Billie Joe, taking out his wallet.
"Don't be an idiot, you're not going to get served any time this century."? Said Debbie in a bored voice.
Billie Joe sighed theatrically and began to take something out of his wallet. "He's not as stupid as ya think, Deb."? Said Sarah.
Billie Joe took out an ID card for someone who was 18 with his picture on it.
"John Armstrong. Where did you get that?"? Debbie asked, trying not to sound interested. "Stole it off my brother, then worked on it. So, you want drinks or not?"? shrugged Billie Joe.
Everyone ordered their drinks and Billie Joe went off to get them as they searched for a table in the crowded bar. They found a six-seater at the back and sat down at it, talking quietly. Billie Joe came back with the four drinks and sat down, ruffling up his black hair to make it look spiky. They were there for about an hour, the talk gradually getting louder and more and more empty glasses appearing on the table (especially in front of where Billie Joe was sitting... ), when a thin, pale boy with white-blond hair and dark circles under his eyes came over to them.
"Can I, uh, sit here?"? said the boy nervously. He looked about their age.
"Sure."? Said Billie Joe.
"Thanks."? He said, sitting down.
"So, what's your name?"? asked Sarah lightly.
"Eggplant."?
"Eggplant? Is that a real name?"? asked Debbie.
"Yes, it is."? He sneered.
Debbie snorted in disgust, but Sarah took a closer look at the strange boy. He was thin, thin to the point of undernourished. He looked like he hadn't eaten in days and he was dressed entirely in black, not trendy, cool, modern black like her and her friends, but faded black. His clothes were strange too, a dirty shirt and trousers that looked far too big for him, not baggy just big. His shoes were like the sort of old-fashioned ones you'd see in historical films. Debbie was looking at him in disgust, Leon was listening to his iPod and Billie Joe was staring at him and talking loudly, trying to impress him, but the boy was staring rather fixatedly at someone else... her! Oh, God. Oh, the embarrassment. Had he caught her staring at him? She hoped not. She'd better stop staring and pretend to be listening to the conversation.
"... so I went to yer man, the teacher, right, and I was like, 'I'm not goin' to do what you say!' and he was like, 'I beg your pardon?' and I go, 'I'm not goin' to do what ya bloody say!' and he just goes like-"
"Isn't this place getting a little, um, crowded?"? asked Debbie as a man almost fell onto her drunkenly. "Nah, course it isn't! It's just, uh, buzzing."? Said Billie Joe.
"?I think we should leave."? Said Leon doubtfully, his dark brows knitting together.
"I know this really good place,"? said Eggplant "it's really near and it's nice and quiet. We could go there."?
"Sure,"? shrugged Debbie. "Why not?"? Sarah noticed a sulky scowl starting to form on Billie Joe's face, so she pretended to look up at the bar and frown, saying, "Hey, looks like he's started checking for ID."?. Billie Joe stood straight up like a bolt of lightning. "So, are we going to this place or not?"? he said, trying to move away as fast as possible.
Sarah smiled and stood up. She couldn't help glancing at Eggplant yet again. He had a weird look on his face; you could almost call it triumphant. Don't be silly, she thought, taking Billie Joe's expectant hand and smiling at him. Eggplant began leading the way out of the bar and along the empty streets. They turned down several alleys and eventually they came to a dark and dingy pub on a completely empty street called The Dracula. No one said anything about the less-than-welcoming appearance of the pub, because they were all to busy talking to each other. They stepped inside. There was one bored-looking person at the bar. Eggplant, Leon and Debbie went to get a table and Billie Joe and Sarah made their way over to the bar. "Five Guinness's please."? Billie Joe said in his "tough-mister-eighteen-year-old-no-this-ID-isn't-fake"? voice. The silent barman slowly and poured the drinks and slammed them down on the counter. Billie Joe handed him a fifty euro note. The barman stared at him and shook his head slowly. "Sorry. I don't have any smaller notes than this. Can't you give me change?"? Billie Joe asked. The barman shook his head again and pushed the note and the drinks towards him. "Um, OK. So these are on the house?"? The barman nodded. "Cool."? Billie Joe shrugged, handing Sarah two drinks and taking the other three himself. They carried the drinks over to the dirty table and sat down.
"How much was all that?"? Leon asked.
"Nothin'. It was for free! Cool, huh?"? Billie Joe shrugged.
"For free? Wow. Here, give us mine."? Debbie said, reaching for her glass.
"Told you this was a good place."? Said a voice from the corner, which Sarah recognised as Eggplant's. "Yeah, it is. Seems a little empty, though."? Agreed Billie Joe.
The two of them started talking, with Billie Joe occasionally getting up to get more drinks from the bar. Leon took a music magazine out of his bag and started listening to his iPod again and Debbie was listening to Billie Joe and Eggplant's conversation. Suddenly Billie Joe sat up in his chair and looked at Sarah.
"You haven't even touched your drink! Come on, drink up, they're on the house!"? He said, slurring his words. Sarah pulled back slightly; his breath stank. "Um, no, I'm alright, Billie. I'm not that thirsty, really."? She said.
"I guess you're right. This is getting borrring."? He giggled. "Let's go somewhere else."?
"We could go on back to my place if you like."? Eggplant said suddenly. His drink, Sarah noticed, was also untouched. "Okay. Come on, let's go!"? Billie Joe said.
They stood up, Debbie and Leon draining their drinks and making their way out of the pub. Eggplant led the way through the dark streets confidently, finally stopping at a dark alley. "It's down here."? He said, and disappeared. Billie Joe strolled after him, meaning to follow him, but Sarah held him back.
"Whasswrong?"? He asked.
"Don't you realize, this guy is probably a heroin addict?"? Sarah asked.
"So?"? Billie Joe blinked.
"So... He could be taking us anywhere!"?
"Come on, Sarah, it's just a bit of fun! And besides, me or Leon could easily beat up this guy! Please?"?
"OK, but... Be careful. And no more alcohol!"?
They followed Eggplant through. It was pitch black.
"Hey, where'd he go?"? Billie Joe asked.
"He just... vanished."? Came Leon's voice in the darkness. It was true; the boy was gone. "Hey, Leon, you got your torch?"? Billie Joe said suddenly, after a moment's pause. "Yeah, sure. Why?"?
"Oh, I don't know. We've just been left stranded in a dark, suspicious alley. Why on earth would we want a torch?"?
"Ok, Ok, I get it."? There was a moment's pause and suddenly Sarah had the bright beam of an extremely powerful torch shining in her face. "Thank you, Leon."? She said sarcastically.
"Oops. Sorry."? He grinned. "So, what do you want to do?"?
"I know!"? Said Debbie, her face shining. "Let's do a dare!"?
"Yeah!"? Billie Joe exclaimed. "I know one! Let's go down to the graveyard and stay there till one o'clock!"?
"You have GOT to be joking! The graveyard, this late? Are you crazy, or drunk, or both? Tell him he's nuts, Leon!"? Sarah exclaimed.
"Well... I think it's quite a good idea, actually. It sounds like good fun."? Leon shrugged. "Come on, Sarah, please? Pretty, pretty please?"? Billie Joe begged, making a puppy dog face. "Oh... Alright, I guess. But we're definitely bringing the torch."? Everyone agreed instantly and together they set off for the graveyard, Sarah trembling slightly.
They wandered through the empty streets and came to the graveyard on the outskirts of the town centre. Billie Joe went first, laughing and joking, Debbie next, grinning and laughing with Billie Joe, then came Leon, his dark brows furrowed and his sharp grey eyes darting around uneasily. Sarah followed reluctantly, shivering as she stepped inside. They began to walk amongst the lines well-kept of graves, Billie Joe often running ahead, Leon looking with interest at each and every gravestone and Debbie and Sarah trailing along behind. Suddenly Billie Joe stopped at a grave and started kicking it and laughing. Leon looked up sharply and frowned. "Billie, man, what the hell are you doing? Stop!"? Debbie let out a squeak when she saw what Billie Joe was doing. Leon ran over and started wrestling with his friend, trying to pull him away from the grave. Billie Joe started laughing harder. Suddenly there was a loud gasp from behind them and the wrestling pair stopped and turned around to see Sarah kneeling on the ground, staring at a grave which was battered and nowhere near as well-kept as the others.
"What's wrong?"? Debbie asked, concerned.
"Leon, what date is it?"? Sarah asked urgently, ignoring Debbie.
"What date? It's the 27th. The 27th of-"He was cut across by the loud chiming of a church bell. "Well, it was the 27th of July, now it's the 28th. The 28th of July 2004. Why?"? Sarah put her hand over her mouth and stepped away from the grave, nearly falling over. Billie Joe moved towards the grave and knelt down, reading the inscription. "Edwin 'Eggplant' Wright. 13th of December 1890-28th of July 1904."? He read out loud. They all knelt to look at the grave. There was a small black-and-white picture of a thin-looking boy with white-blond hair. He was dressed entirely in black.
"I think we should get out of here."? Leon said uneasily. He was pale and looked as if he was about to faint. "We can't! We haven't finished the dare!"? Billie Joe said suddenly. Everyone stared at him. "Nah, just jokin', mate! Had you going for a bit, though, didn't I?"?
"Billie, do you want us to leave you behind or something? 'Cos we will, no doubt about that... "? Debbie snarled, glaring at him.
"Aw, come on! I was just having a laugh!"?
"Well, it's not funny! We've just found out that a guy we met an hour or two ago is kind of dead!"? Sarah snapped, surprising everyone; she was normally the calm one, along with Leon. "Ok, Ok, I'm really sorry. Seriously. But you do realize it probably isn't even the same guy!"? Billie Joe apologized.
"Of course it's the same guy! We saw a picture!"? Sarah exclaimed, frustrated.
"Yeah, but-"Billie Joe wasn't going to be put down, obviously.
"Would you guys stop fighting for just one second? We have a small problem on our hands!!!"? Leon yelled, pointing to the figure moving towards them. They all stopped and stared in the direction Leon was pointing. The figure was wearing a black hooded top and was moving faster and faster towards them. He pulled down his hood, revealing his pale face. "Hi guys. What have I missed?"? asked Eggplant.
Sarah screamed, startling him slightly. He smirked. "Oh, so you found out my little secret, huh? Come on, it's not that big a deal, is it? It certainly hasn't affected me... Much."?
Suddenly his pale, thin arms reached out and snaked themselves around Sarah and Debbie's shoulders. They both shivered. Billie Joe leapt at him suddenly, startling him and knocking him out of the way. Eggplant recovered his nerves quickly and snarled, grabbing Billie Joe's raised arms. He held them and he looked as if he was about to twist them when Leon jumped on him and knocked his friend out of Eggplant's grasp, realizing that Billie Joe wasn't strong enough to tackle him on his own. The two girls stared after them, dumbstruck. Since when had shy, funny Leon been a pro wrestler? But there was no time to think about that now. Eggplant had grabbed Billie Joe's hair and, ignoring Leon's hard punches in the ribs, prepared to hit his head hard against a neighbouring tombstone. Billie Joe was squirming and struggling and grunting, but there was nothing he could do to release himself from Eggplant's iron grip. Eggplant's face twisted itself into a nasty smile and with that smile the girls realised that he was aiming to kill Billie Joe by dashing his brains out against the stone.
The two girls ran to the struggling heap that was their friends and Eggplant, trying to knock Billie Joe out of his clutches before he was killed. Suddenly, Leon realized what was happening to Billie Joe and, giving up on his punches grabbed Eggplant's neck and tried to throttle him. With no effect. The ghost was seemingly impervious to pain. Suddenly he pulled back Billie Joe's head and hit it against the tombstone. Hard. Billie Joe stopped struggling and fell still, his eyes closed. As Eggplant pulled back Billie Joe's head a second time, something struck Sarah. "C'mere, Deb, I've had an idea."? She ran back to Eggplant's grave, Debbie following. She gave the tombstone a hard kick. Eggplant stopped in mid-pull of Billie Joe's hair. His face contorted with pain and he let out a scream. Seizing the opportunity, Leon pulled his friend out of Eggplant's grip. Debbie saw what Sarah had done and began following her example. With each kick to the tombstone Leon came a little closer to getting Billie Joe away from the ghost and with each kick Eggplant got weaker and weaker. Eventually, Leon got his friend completely away from the ghost and carried him over to the two girls who were still kicking Eggplant's tombstone.
"Is he-"Sarah couldn't say the words.
"No, he's just unconscious, I checked. He's bleeding a lot,"? Leon panted. "But he probably would be dead by now if it weren't for you. You're a genius."?
"Yeah, well, we've got to find a way to stop Eggplant completely."?
"How about we dig up the grave and see if we can find anything there?"? Debbie suggested. "Okay."? Sarah said, taking charge. "?Deb, you keep kicking the stone. Me and Leon'll try and dig this thing up."? She glanced over to where Eggplant was still screaming with pain. Leon and Sarah gradually began digging up the grave with their hands. They were stopped by a scream from Debbie. "What's wrong?"? Leon asked, concerned. Debbie pointed to the screaming, squirming Eggplant. As Leon and Sarah dug into the grave, something was happening to the ghost. Large holes were being gouged in his body by some invisible force. Sarah stopped digging and stared, dumbstruck, at him. "Um, Sarah, I think I found it."? Leon said, stepping away from the grave.
"Found what?"? she asked, turning back to face him.
"The coffin."? Sarah stepped towards him cautiously, unsure. Suddenly she pulled back. "It reeks!"? she exclaimed. Leon laughed.
"Of course it's going to smell, it's a hundred years old! Come on, help me open it. You ready?"?
"What're we going to do with it?"? Leon just shrugged. "Ok, I guess that's as good an answer as any."? She muttered, walking over to help him. They began to pull at the coffin, dragging it out of the earth. They got it onto the ground and, panting, began to tug at the lid. "Wait!"? Debbie said, stopping them in their tracks. "I've got a better idea. Leon, grab that big rock over there."? Leon did as he was told. "Ok, now smash it against the coffin."? Leon and Sarah stared at her as if she was mad. "The rock will smash through the rotten wood,"? she explained. "Got it?"?
Sarah and Leon nodded and Sarah stepped back. Leon raised the rock high above his head and brought it down as quickly as he could upon the coffin. There was an echoing, painful scream from the other end of the graveyard, where Eggplant was. They all turned round to see what they would later describe as a small, black explosion. The next thing they knew, all was still. They all ran to the other end of the graveyard to make sure Eggplant was gone. And he was. There was nothing left. Nothing, that is, apart from a small black flower growing where the explosion had been.
"Wow."? Leon said, staring at the flower.
"Yeah."? Debbie said breathlessly.
"Um... guys? I don't mean to spoil the moment, or anything, but Billie's still bleeding up there. Maybe we should call an ambulance?"? Sarah said, a slightly sheepish smile on her face. "Oh yeah."? Leon said. "But shouldn't we move him down here so that the paramedics don't ask questions?"? They all agreed and Leon ran up to get his friend. Meanwhile, Debbie and Sarah sat down on the ground, exhausted. A few minutes later Leon came, carrying Billie Joe and panting heavily. "I don't suppose anyone would have called for the ambulance? Lazy brats."? He joked, setting Billie Joe down.
"Well, considering the fact that you're the one carrying all our mobile phones... "? Sarah said. Leon grinned sheepishly and took his mobile out of his bag, typing in the emergency number. He stepped away from the two girls to make the call. Sarah took a proper look at Billie Joe's wound for the first time. He was bleeding quite heavily from a gash on his scalp and he was paler than usual. Sarah took a tissue from her pocket and held it to his head, trying to stop the flow of blood. It gradually slowed down to a trickle. Leon finished the call and walked back over to them, sitting down. "They'll be here in ten minutes."? He said. Sarah smiled.
"Great."? She said.
"Hey guys, I was wondering... "? Debbie said, a cheeky grin spreading across her face. Sarah and Leon turned to look at her. "You know, considering we had so much fun tonight, what are we going to do tomorrow night... ?
"So what's this place we're going to tonight, then?"? she asked upon arrival.
"Hiya Debbie. Snuck out alright?"? said the boy with the blond hair and baggy black trousers.
"Yeah, I guess. So where are we goin'?"?
"The Viper."? Said the other boy, who had black hair and was also wearing baggy black trousers. "C'mon, let's go."?
They set off at a moderate pace through the lamp lit streets, which were eerily quiet.
"This place gives me the creeps."? Said Debbie.
"Wuss."? Her friend, Billie Joe, teased her.
"It's just... so dark and quiet. It's just freaky, OK? Oh, and it doesn't exactly help that we met at a place called Bloodbath Alley."?
Billie Joe let out a snort of scepticism and started walking faster. They walked for another fifteen minutes, talking and laughing loudly about school and their teachers before reaching a trendy-looking bar. They stepped inside. Billie Joe took out a cigarette and lit it. He took a long drag and offered the packet to Leon, who shook his head. Debbie, watching the process with disgust, let out a snort of irritation.
"So, who wants a drink? I'm buyin'."? Said Billie Joe, taking out his wallet.
"Don't be an idiot, you're not going to get served any time this century."? Said Debbie in a bored voice.
Billie Joe sighed theatrically and began to take something out of his wallet. "He's not as stupid as ya think, Deb."? Said Sarah.
Billie Joe took out an ID card for someone who was 18 with his picture on it.
"John Armstrong. Where did you get that?"? Debbie asked, trying not to sound interested. "Stole it off my brother, then worked on it. So, you want drinks or not?"? shrugged Billie Joe.
Everyone ordered their drinks and Billie Joe went off to get them as they searched for a table in the crowded bar. They found a six-seater at the back and sat down at it, talking quietly. Billie Joe came back with the four drinks and sat down, ruffling up his black hair to make it look spiky. They were there for about an hour, the talk gradually getting louder and more and more empty glasses appearing on the table (especially in front of where Billie Joe was sitting... ), when a thin, pale boy with white-blond hair and dark circles under his eyes came over to them.
"Can I, uh, sit here?"? said the boy nervously. He looked about their age.
"Sure."? Said Billie Joe.
"Thanks."? He said, sitting down.
"So, what's your name?"? asked Sarah lightly.
"Eggplant."?
"Eggplant? Is that a real name?"? asked Debbie.
"Yes, it is."? He sneered.
Debbie snorted in disgust, but Sarah took a closer look at the strange boy. He was thin, thin to the point of undernourished. He looked like he hadn't eaten in days and he was dressed entirely in black, not trendy, cool, modern black like her and her friends, but faded black. His clothes were strange too, a dirty shirt and trousers that looked far too big for him, not baggy just big. His shoes were like the sort of old-fashioned ones you'd see in historical films. Debbie was looking at him in disgust, Leon was listening to his iPod and Billie Joe was staring at him and talking loudly, trying to impress him, but the boy was staring rather fixatedly at someone else... her! Oh, God. Oh, the embarrassment. Had he caught her staring at him? She hoped not. She'd better stop staring and pretend to be listening to the conversation.
"... so I went to yer man, the teacher, right, and I was like, 'I'm not goin' to do what you say!' and he was like, 'I beg your pardon?' and I go, 'I'm not goin' to do what ya bloody say!' and he just goes like-"
"Isn't this place getting a little, um, crowded?"? asked Debbie as a man almost fell onto her drunkenly. "Nah, course it isn't! It's just, uh, buzzing."? Said Billie Joe.
"?I think we should leave."? Said Leon doubtfully, his dark brows knitting together.
"I know this really good place,"? said Eggplant "it's really near and it's nice and quiet. We could go there."?
"Sure,"? shrugged Debbie. "Why not?"? Sarah noticed a sulky scowl starting to form on Billie Joe's face, so she pretended to look up at the bar and frown, saying, "Hey, looks like he's started checking for ID."?. Billie Joe stood straight up like a bolt of lightning. "So, are we going to this place or not?"? he said, trying to move away as fast as possible.
Sarah smiled and stood up. She couldn't help glancing at Eggplant yet again. He had a weird look on his face; you could almost call it triumphant. Don't be silly, she thought, taking Billie Joe's expectant hand and smiling at him. Eggplant began leading the way out of the bar and along the empty streets. They turned down several alleys and eventually they came to a dark and dingy pub on a completely empty street called The Dracula. No one said anything about the less-than-welcoming appearance of the pub, because they were all to busy talking to each other. They stepped inside. There was one bored-looking person at the bar. Eggplant, Leon and Debbie went to get a table and Billie Joe and Sarah made their way over to the bar. "Five Guinness's please."? Billie Joe said in his "tough-mister-eighteen-year-old-no-this-ID-isn't-fake"? voice. The silent barman slowly and poured the drinks and slammed them down on the counter. Billie Joe handed him a fifty euro note. The barman stared at him and shook his head slowly. "Sorry. I don't have any smaller notes than this. Can't you give me change?"? Billie Joe asked. The barman shook his head again and pushed the note and the drinks towards him. "Um, OK. So these are on the house?"? The barman nodded. "Cool."? Billie Joe shrugged, handing Sarah two drinks and taking the other three himself. They carried the drinks over to the dirty table and sat down.
"How much was all that?"? Leon asked.
"Nothin'. It was for free! Cool, huh?"? Billie Joe shrugged.
"For free? Wow. Here, give us mine."? Debbie said, reaching for her glass.
"Told you this was a good place."? Said a voice from the corner, which Sarah recognised as Eggplant's. "Yeah, it is. Seems a little empty, though."? Agreed Billie Joe.
The two of them started talking, with Billie Joe occasionally getting up to get more drinks from the bar. Leon took a music magazine out of his bag and started listening to his iPod again and Debbie was listening to Billie Joe and Eggplant's conversation. Suddenly Billie Joe sat up in his chair and looked at Sarah.
"You haven't even touched your drink! Come on, drink up, they're on the house!"? He said, slurring his words. Sarah pulled back slightly; his breath stank. "Um, no, I'm alright, Billie. I'm not that thirsty, really."? She said.
"I guess you're right. This is getting borrring."? He giggled. "Let's go somewhere else."?
"We could go on back to my place if you like."? Eggplant said suddenly. His drink, Sarah noticed, was also untouched. "Okay. Come on, let's go!"? Billie Joe said.
They stood up, Debbie and Leon draining their drinks and making their way out of the pub. Eggplant led the way through the dark streets confidently, finally stopping at a dark alley. "It's down here."? He said, and disappeared. Billie Joe strolled after him, meaning to follow him, but Sarah held him back.
"Whasswrong?"? He asked.
"Don't you realize, this guy is probably a heroin addict?"? Sarah asked.
"So?"? Billie Joe blinked.
"So... He could be taking us anywhere!"?
"Come on, Sarah, it's just a bit of fun! And besides, me or Leon could easily beat up this guy! Please?"?
"OK, but... Be careful. And no more alcohol!"?
They followed Eggplant through. It was pitch black.
"Hey, where'd he go?"? Billie Joe asked.
"He just... vanished."? Came Leon's voice in the darkness. It was true; the boy was gone. "Hey, Leon, you got your torch?"? Billie Joe said suddenly, after a moment's pause. "Yeah, sure. Why?"?
"Oh, I don't know. We've just been left stranded in a dark, suspicious alley. Why on earth would we want a torch?"?
"Ok, Ok, I get it."? There was a moment's pause and suddenly Sarah had the bright beam of an extremely powerful torch shining in her face. "Thank you, Leon."? She said sarcastically.
"Oops. Sorry."? He grinned. "So, what do you want to do?"?
"I know!"? Said Debbie, her face shining. "Let's do a dare!"?
"Yeah!"? Billie Joe exclaimed. "I know one! Let's go down to the graveyard and stay there till one o'clock!"?
"You have GOT to be joking! The graveyard, this late? Are you crazy, or drunk, or both? Tell him he's nuts, Leon!"? Sarah exclaimed.
"Well... I think it's quite a good idea, actually. It sounds like good fun."? Leon shrugged. "Come on, Sarah, please? Pretty, pretty please?"? Billie Joe begged, making a puppy dog face. "Oh... Alright, I guess. But we're definitely bringing the torch."? Everyone agreed instantly and together they set off for the graveyard, Sarah trembling slightly.
They wandered through the empty streets and came to the graveyard on the outskirts of the town centre. Billie Joe went first, laughing and joking, Debbie next, grinning and laughing with Billie Joe, then came Leon, his dark brows furrowed and his sharp grey eyes darting around uneasily. Sarah followed reluctantly, shivering as she stepped inside. They began to walk amongst the lines well-kept of graves, Billie Joe often running ahead, Leon looking with interest at each and every gravestone and Debbie and Sarah trailing along behind. Suddenly Billie Joe stopped at a grave and started kicking it and laughing. Leon looked up sharply and frowned. "Billie, man, what the hell are you doing? Stop!"? Debbie let out a squeak when she saw what Billie Joe was doing. Leon ran over and started wrestling with his friend, trying to pull him away from the grave. Billie Joe started laughing harder. Suddenly there was a loud gasp from behind them and the wrestling pair stopped and turned around to see Sarah kneeling on the ground, staring at a grave which was battered and nowhere near as well-kept as the others.
"What's wrong?"? Debbie asked, concerned.
"Leon, what date is it?"? Sarah asked urgently, ignoring Debbie.
"What date? It's the 27th. The 27th of-"He was cut across by the loud chiming of a church bell. "Well, it was the 27th of July, now it's the 28th. The 28th of July 2004. Why?"? Sarah put her hand over her mouth and stepped away from the grave, nearly falling over. Billie Joe moved towards the grave and knelt down, reading the inscription. "Edwin 'Eggplant' Wright. 13th of December 1890-28th of July 1904."? He read out loud. They all knelt to look at the grave. There was a small black-and-white picture of a thin-looking boy with white-blond hair. He was dressed entirely in black.
"I think we should get out of here."? Leon said uneasily. He was pale and looked as if he was about to faint. "We can't! We haven't finished the dare!"? Billie Joe said suddenly. Everyone stared at him. "Nah, just jokin', mate! Had you going for a bit, though, didn't I?"?
"Billie, do you want us to leave you behind or something? 'Cos we will, no doubt about that... "? Debbie snarled, glaring at him.
"Aw, come on! I was just having a laugh!"?
"Well, it's not funny! We've just found out that a guy we met an hour or two ago is kind of dead!"? Sarah snapped, surprising everyone; she was normally the calm one, along with Leon. "Ok, Ok, I'm really sorry. Seriously. But you do realize it probably isn't even the same guy!"? Billie Joe apologized.
"Of course it's the same guy! We saw a picture!"? Sarah exclaimed, frustrated.
"Yeah, but-"Billie Joe wasn't going to be put down, obviously.
"Would you guys stop fighting for just one second? We have a small problem on our hands!!!"? Leon yelled, pointing to the figure moving towards them. They all stopped and stared in the direction Leon was pointing. The figure was wearing a black hooded top and was moving faster and faster towards them. He pulled down his hood, revealing his pale face. "Hi guys. What have I missed?"? asked Eggplant.
Sarah screamed, startling him slightly. He smirked. "Oh, so you found out my little secret, huh? Come on, it's not that big a deal, is it? It certainly hasn't affected me... Much."?
Suddenly his pale, thin arms reached out and snaked themselves around Sarah and Debbie's shoulders. They both shivered. Billie Joe leapt at him suddenly, startling him and knocking him out of the way. Eggplant recovered his nerves quickly and snarled, grabbing Billie Joe's raised arms. He held them and he looked as if he was about to twist them when Leon jumped on him and knocked his friend out of Eggplant's grasp, realizing that Billie Joe wasn't strong enough to tackle him on his own. The two girls stared after them, dumbstruck. Since when had shy, funny Leon been a pro wrestler? But there was no time to think about that now. Eggplant had grabbed Billie Joe's hair and, ignoring Leon's hard punches in the ribs, prepared to hit his head hard against a neighbouring tombstone. Billie Joe was squirming and struggling and grunting, but there was nothing he could do to release himself from Eggplant's iron grip. Eggplant's face twisted itself into a nasty smile and with that smile the girls realised that he was aiming to kill Billie Joe by dashing his brains out against the stone.
The two girls ran to the struggling heap that was their friends and Eggplant, trying to knock Billie Joe out of his clutches before he was killed. Suddenly, Leon realized what was happening to Billie Joe and, giving up on his punches grabbed Eggplant's neck and tried to throttle him. With no effect. The ghost was seemingly impervious to pain. Suddenly he pulled back Billie Joe's head and hit it against the tombstone. Hard. Billie Joe stopped struggling and fell still, his eyes closed. As Eggplant pulled back Billie Joe's head a second time, something struck Sarah. "C'mere, Deb, I've had an idea."? She ran back to Eggplant's grave, Debbie following. She gave the tombstone a hard kick. Eggplant stopped in mid-pull of Billie Joe's hair. His face contorted with pain and he let out a scream. Seizing the opportunity, Leon pulled his friend out of Eggplant's grip. Debbie saw what Sarah had done and began following her example. With each kick to the tombstone Leon came a little closer to getting Billie Joe away from the ghost and with each kick Eggplant got weaker and weaker. Eventually, Leon got his friend completely away from the ghost and carried him over to the two girls who were still kicking Eggplant's tombstone.
"Is he-"Sarah couldn't say the words.
"No, he's just unconscious, I checked. He's bleeding a lot,"? Leon panted. "But he probably would be dead by now if it weren't for you. You're a genius."?
"Yeah, well, we've got to find a way to stop Eggplant completely."?
"How about we dig up the grave and see if we can find anything there?"? Debbie suggested. "Okay."? Sarah said, taking charge. "?Deb, you keep kicking the stone. Me and Leon'll try and dig this thing up."? She glanced over to where Eggplant was still screaming with pain. Leon and Sarah gradually began digging up the grave with their hands. They were stopped by a scream from Debbie. "What's wrong?"? Leon asked, concerned. Debbie pointed to the screaming, squirming Eggplant. As Leon and Sarah dug into the grave, something was happening to the ghost. Large holes were being gouged in his body by some invisible force. Sarah stopped digging and stared, dumbstruck, at him. "Um, Sarah, I think I found it."? Leon said, stepping away from the grave.
"Found what?"? she asked, turning back to face him.
"The coffin."? Sarah stepped towards him cautiously, unsure. Suddenly she pulled back. "It reeks!"? she exclaimed. Leon laughed.
"Of course it's going to smell, it's a hundred years old! Come on, help me open it. You ready?"?
"What're we going to do with it?"? Leon just shrugged. "Ok, I guess that's as good an answer as any."? She muttered, walking over to help him. They began to pull at the coffin, dragging it out of the earth. They got it onto the ground and, panting, began to tug at the lid. "Wait!"? Debbie said, stopping them in their tracks. "I've got a better idea. Leon, grab that big rock over there."? Leon did as he was told. "Ok, now smash it against the coffin."? Leon and Sarah stared at her as if she was mad. "The rock will smash through the rotten wood,"? she explained. "Got it?"?
Sarah and Leon nodded and Sarah stepped back. Leon raised the rock high above his head and brought it down as quickly as he could upon the coffin. There was an echoing, painful scream from the other end of the graveyard, where Eggplant was. They all turned round to see what they would later describe as a small, black explosion. The next thing they knew, all was still. They all ran to the other end of the graveyard to make sure Eggplant was gone. And he was. There was nothing left. Nothing, that is, apart from a small black flower growing where the explosion had been.
"Wow."? Leon said, staring at the flower.
"Yeah."? Debbie said breathlessly.
"Um... guys? I don't mean to spoil the moment, or anything, but Billie's still bleeding up there. Maybe we should call an ambulance?"? Sarah said, a slightly sheepish smile on her face. "Oh yeah."? Leon said. "But shouldn't we move him down here so that the paramedics don't ask questions?"? They all agreed and Leon ran up to get his friend. Meanwhile, Debbie and Sarah sat down on the ground, exhausted. A few minutes later Leon came, carrying Billie Joe and panting heavily. "I don't suppose anyone would have called for the ambulance? Lazy brats."? He joked, setting Billie Joe down.
"Well, considering the fact that you're the one carrying all our mobile phones... "? Sarah said. Leon grinned sheepishly and took his mobile out of his bag, typing in the emergency number. He stepped away from the two girls to make the call. Sarah took a proper look at Billie Joe's wound for the first time. He was bleeding quite heavily from a gash on his scalp and he was paler than usual. Sarah took a tissue from her pocket and held it to his head, trying to stop the flow of blood. It gradually slowed down to a trickle. Leon finished the call and walked back over to them, sitting down. "They'll be here in ten minutes."? He said. Sarah smiled.
"Great."? She said.
"Hey guys, I was wondering... "? Debbie said, a cheeky grin spreading across her face. Sarah and Leon turned to look at her. "You know, considering we had so much fun tonight, what are we going to do tomorrow night... ?
