Free Skinned by Adam Slater Page A

surprised when the train came to a stop and he saw the sign for Leicester hanging over the platform.
    â€˜Come on,’ Melissa said, gathering her coat. As they disembarked, Callum felt his hands tingling more and more furiously. He knew he should tell Melissa that something was up, but as he opened his mouth to speak he was interrupted by the whoop of a police siren.
    â€˜What’s going on?’ Melissa said. They walked quickly out of the ticket hall to the front of the station, where a crowd was gathering. One police car was already parked in the forecourt and another was pulling up to the pavement beneath a jaunty sign announcing ‘Welcome to Leicester!’
    In contrast to the sign’s cheerful message, nearby stood a sobbing woman with three police officers gathered round her – one asking questions, one taking notes, and another radioing out an alert.
    â€˜. . . She was just with me . . . sh-she was right next to me . . .’ the woman was saying between sobs. ‘I stopped to use the ticket machine outside thestation and when I turned around she was . . . she was just
gone
. . .’ Her shoulders began to shake, and then she stopped and sniffed hard. One of the officers stepped in.
    â€˜What does your daughter look like, madam?’
    â€˜She’s just a girl, she’s only eight-and-a-half years old . . . please!’
    â€˜Can you describe her for us?’
    â€˜Sh-she has long blonde hair – it’s almost white – and blue eyes. Big blue eyes. Her name’s Rachael! Please, you have to find her . . .’ The woman’s tears overwhelmed her, and one of the officers put an arm around her.
    â€˜Oh no!’ Melissa said, turning to Callum. ‘Do you think it’s . . .’
    Callum nodded, but he couldn’t speak. He could feel the maddening buzzing in his hands, and he knew that a vision was about to hit him. He reached out to a wall to steady himself and tried to open himself up to the image.
    It was quick, but it was enough to set his head spinning. He had a flashing vision of a hag-likewoman dragging a blonde-haired girl into an alleyway and then throwing off her hood. Callum blinked as the vision faded, and swallowed hard. He was almost certain the woman was the same one he’d seen in his previous vision – and he was also certain that it was the girl the woman had just described.
    â€˜Melissa, we have to go NOW!’ he hissed, his heart racing with panic.
    â€˜What did you see?’
    â€˜Black Annis – she was dragging the girl away. I think they must be somewhere nearby; she can’t have got far on foot. Come on, we might still have time.’ Callum pushed desperately through the small crowd and out on to the road. Melissa ran behind him, trying to keep up. She stumbled backwards as a car sped out in front of them.
    â€˜Callum, wait!’ she shouted. ‘We don’t even know where we’re going!’
    Callum slowed down, panting. ‘I saw an alleyway, next to a café.’
    â€˜OK, just think!’ Melissa said as she caught up tohim. ‘We need to find out exactly where it is. Did you see what the café was called?’
    â€˜Sunrise . . . The Sunrise Café,’ Callum said, then reached out and grabbed a passing man’s arm. ‘Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me where the Sunrise Café is?’
    The man eyed Callum suspiciously for a moment, then answered, ‘Next road along, on the left.’
    Callum and Melissa broke into a sprint. Callum could see the café up ahead, and the relentless tingling in his hands ramped up again. He rounded the corner into the alleyway, but then skidded to a halt. He was totally unprepared for what he saw.
    The alley was a dead end. Hunched against the brick wall at the far end was a woman dressed in ragged clothes, her hair clumped like thick ropes, hiding her face.
    Her clawed hands were holding something . . . someone.
    Callum