I breathed in sharply. "Really, even now? With all the tourists around the place?"

"Even now, young Rose," Doug answered with sternness to his voice, almost like a warning. "Don't you go there, tisn't safe."

"I won't, don't worry. Things like that creep me out," I offered in horror.

Aiden touched my shoulder, telling me it was time to leave. "We've got to go. Thank you, Barry, I'll pop by and see you soon," he said respectfully, and shook hands with Barry again as I said my goodbyes to the others.

"Everything okay?" I peered at him as we left.

"Yeah," he said complacently. "Just something came up. Nothing to worry about."

We walked in silence to the edge of the hill, this time he didn't try and hold my hand and I was glad. Something had upset him in the time he'd been away from our fire. His head was down as if he was contemplating something. I wondered why he was even walking me to the hill edge.

In the distance, Daisy's house was lit up like a beacon on the lower level. Apart from the house it was like looking into a black void, the country scene completely diminished. It was such a contrast to the other side of the hill which had the town at its basin, with lights brightly emblazoning the sky.

We reached the edge and I stood for a moment waiting for him to acknowledge the end of our walk.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" he whispered softly.

I stopped, and looked at him fully. "I'm busy, sorry."

"Okay, the day after, then."

"Um, why so urgent? I'm here all summer!" I held my hands out in amusement.

"Because I like you and I'd love to show you around the area, and get to know you better," he reached a hand forward and touched the side of my face, fingers softly caressing my cheek.

I hesitated under his touch, and then turned my head away, out of his reach. I wasn't ready for this, for him. He smiled and dropped his hand down to his side, unaffected by my response.

Remember the eyes, remember what Hannah warned. The thoughts were filling my head, making me confused.

"Sure, if that's what you want," I said in submission.

"It is. Nothing would give me more pleasure." His eyes blazed in the low light as he smiled back.

"Okay, I promise. Just give me a few days and then we'll go out. Just as friends though, okay?"

"Just as friends, promise." He reached down for my hand and held it up.

"Your hands are cold again," he whispered and stroked my knuckles. His touch made me shiver.

"It's a cold night."

With gentle soft lips he kissed my hand with a hint of pressure before releasing it slowly.

"Bye Rose. Sleep well."

"Bye," I whispered back.

I walked downward quickly, but carefully avoiding the small hillocks of wild grass. My hand, where his lips had touched, tingled with warmth. The tingle was slowly spreading over my body, with a thrill I shuddered in exaltation.

Half way down, I turned quickly. He still stood, watching my departure, and then turned and I watched his silhouette as it disappeared into the bright hill lights.

I started to run, continuing my descent, but I had to stop to tie up my boot lace which had wound its way undone. As I was kneeling down I sensed a movement, a presence coming closer to me. At first I thought that it must be Aiden returning, but it didn't 'feel' like him, the body vibration was different. I sought quickly in the darkness for a place to hide, a large juniper bush came into sight and I crawled, staying low until I was behind it.

A silhouette emerged slowly from the side of the hill, not as tall as Aiden, and slighter in frame. His walk was slow and stealthy as though he were walking with bended knees.

Closer and closer, he stole forward not five metres away. I used my eyesight to see closer but the high hill lights were blurring my vision. As if he could sense me, he walked towards me in his low walk treading every step with care.

He stopped to listen and I held my breath. I didn't know what to do. Should I jump out or stay where I crouched?

My choice was taken away from me as he stepped forward almost into my hiding place, his boot just touched my foot. As he looked down I lunged, grabbed his arm and kicked his legs to the side. His balance was lost and he lay on the ground as I pinned him down with both arms.

"Who are you?" I shouted.

"Rose? Is that you?" a familiar voice whispered.

I thought for a second to where I had heard his voice before, and soon remembered. The Irish accent gave him away.

"Pritchard? What are you doing?" I whispered back.

"I've been tracking you. Can you let me go please?" he whispered in a humoured tone.

"Um, yeah, sorry," I let go of his arms and helped him to his feet. Then I noticed his uniform. It wasn't the uniform of the fire brigade where I had last spoken to him. It was the green and khaki uniform of the army.

"Why are you wearing that?" I gestured to his clothes, almost shouting. "And why are you tracking me?"

"Wait," he stopped and listened. I heard the quiet crackle of twigs too.

"Someone else is here," I whispered and he nodded.

"Quick, I have to get you home," he said and grabbed my arm to meet his slow run back to the house. I looked behind but couldn't make out anything untoward.

As we ran Pritchard spoke slowly into a radio he had pulled from his pocket.

"This is 22495123, repeat, this is 22495123. I am in the open, confirm," he pressed a button and we waited for a reply.

"Copy 22495123, is the subject safe?" the crackly radio returned.

"Subject is safe, we have a tail. Confirm."

"Copy that. We will intercept."

We reached the end of the field and I turned to see our tail. A single shadow was approaching at significant speed, even if we ran our fastest it would still get to us before we reached Daisy's house. Pritchard saw it too and stopped. He motioned for me to get back into the hedge, and he followed suit and crouched, next to me.

"The tail is too quick, need interception, asap," he ordered.

"Pritchard, have you a gun?" I asked.

"Yes, but we've been ordered not to fire our weapons when you're in our vicinity," he said.

I looked back across the dark ground. The tail was sat in some long grass, waiting.

"What's it doing?" I whispered.

"I don't know."

"I have another tactic," I suggested. "How about I crawl around the field to the side of him and get closer, to see who he is?"

"No, you're staying right here with me," he ordered firmly.

I sat waiting. He turned to his side and retrieved a small pair of binoculars from a pouch, and held them up to see our stalker.

It was now or never.

"Sorry, Pritchard. I don't take orders from the army," I whispered and ran on low knees away from him to the right. I kept my eyes on the black shadow in the centre of the field as it stayed put. Waiting for us to move.

I could hear Pritchard whispering curses at me but I didn't answer him or stop. The grass was longer and shielded my body from sight so I picked up pace and was soon at the side of my prey, about a hundred metres away. I moved closer in, quietly, and then with my whole body on the ground I crawled forward closer in silence.

Thirty metres away, then twenty metres. I covered the ground swiftly and stopped ten metres from the black shadow.

Even from this distance I could smell something bad, putrid and off. Either there was a cowpat close by or the shadow really needed a shower.

The shadow watched Pritchard, without movement, without sound.

I leaned up onto my arms to get a better look. The shadow was a man, dressed in black and even from my vantage point I could see he was dirty. He flicked his head around oddly, as if every owl hoot or rodent squeak was painful to his ears. His hands continually flapped up and down to his head to shield the noises. So this was why he hadn't pursued us any further. He couldn't bare the night-time noise.

I had found his weakness, and I stood up and walked towards him and shouted.

"Hey you! Who are you? Why are you following me? Are you deaf? Is something wrong with your hearing?" I continued shouting as I moved step by step towards him.

He lay on his back and cowered as I grew closer. The more my ranting continued the more he cringed and trembled at the very sound in his ears. I could hear him whimper as he held his ears again. He hid his face down into the earth, his body quivered as he heard my voice.

"Rose Frost. Step away. Now."

The order came from a soldier who was flanked either side by at least ten others. All had rifles across their chests, with torches attached, as they walked slowly towards us.

"Step away, Now," he ordered again.

"It's okay. He's not dangerous," I shouted back.

The man on the floor was weeping and snivelling into the ground, he was clearly terrified at the approaching armed men.

Once they were nearer, the soldiers walked around us either side, encircling me and the man completely. Pritchard was amongst them.

"Rose, this is Captain Robinson, he's in charge," Pritchard stated, moving aside to let the Captain closer.

"You shouldn't have moved in like that, Rose. You should have left it to us," the Captain said.

"And what would you have done? Shot him?" I questioned and motioned towards their rifles. "Can't you see he's terrified?"

I knelt down beside the man, his repugnant smell was overpowering, and in the torch light I could see him a little clearer.

"Can someone shine a torch on him, please?" I asked then whispered gently to the cowering man. "It's okay. I won't harm you."

He backed away using his feet, not letting me closer. Then I glimpsed his face as one solitary torch picked out his features. I was speechless and unable to move at the horror that I saw.

The purple blistered and burned skin across one side of his face had healed leaving a septic layer on the surface, green and fetid. His eye, caught in the disfigurement, was pulled down to one side and the iris now completely white.

He turned his head as an owl hoot echoed in the night air, his hands flashed to his ears and I saw that they had faired no better. The right hand was missing three fingers, cruelly removed leaving a stump of bone protruding. But the worst part was his ears. They had gone completely, no lobe, no shell. Callously severed all the way to the skull, it was no wonder he was frightened of sounds with no ear to lessen the noise.

"My god, who would do such a thing?" one soldier whispered, but no one dared speak again as the man sat with his knees drawn to his chest and held his head.

"Sir, what is your name?" I whispered to him.

He looked at me, as if not understanding the question.

I put my crossed hands on my chest. "I'm Rose Frost, what is your name?" I pointed at him to show it was his turn.

"H-h-h-henry. H-henry C-cole," he uttered, stammering as though speech was troublesome.

I gaped in surprise. "Old Mad Cole?"

"Th-that's what they u-used to c-call me?" he asked, in recognition.

"Yes, when I was a child I used to stay with my grandmother."

"Y-your D-daisy's granddaughter?" he said as he attempted a smile.

"Yes," I smiled.

"I h-had to f-find her. I have to let h-her know." He became agitated then as though he couldn't get to his feet, his body only allowing him to get to his knees.

"Can you walk?" I asked kindly.

"N-no! They broke my knees! Only m-move on fours." He sat again and in shame put his head in his hands weeping with such might that I felt tears welling in my own eyes.

"Henry? How did you run so fast with broken knee caps?"

"J-just can. H-had to l-learn. S-scampering on fours is easier then twos," he stuttered, putting his arms across his face to hide the torchlight.

I stood up and faced the Captain.

"We need to get him to Daisy's, right now," I ordered.

"He needs a hospital," a soldier commented.

I held up a hand. "No. This man has been missing for six months. Who knows what he's been through but he's been tortured, we can all see that. He needs to see Daisy."