Horror Stories from Horrified - Volume One (2)

only the bellies of a few r ainclouds w er e visible, faintly smear ed w ith moonlight.
He low er ed his gaze towar ds the sea, w her e similar ly the moonlight glow ed only on
the cr ests of a few waves, and towar ds the r im of the coast, w hich looked even
dar ker than the sea. How ever , the coast?s far end was studded w ith lights belonging
to Kyletoll, the near est village. A Hogmanay fir ew or k fizzed up out of those lights
and disappear ed in a scatter of r ed spar ks.
?Is that you?? waver ed a near by voice, Jimmy?s.
?Aye. Ar e ye okay??
?I suddenly felt? weird. Must?ve been that big dr am w e had w ith Gr anny
Ander son. It w ent to my head just as I walked into this stor m.?
Lachie felt he had substance again. He unzipped the pocket and took out the
tor ch. In his other hand was the bag containing the bottle of Islay Whisky he?d
bought in the off-licence in Kyletoll. The feel of the tor ch and the w eight of the bag
w er e r eassur ing. But his r elief was counter ed by his disquiet at w hat Jimmy had
said. For he?d been about to say the same thing. He?d felt w eir d momentar ily, w hich
was sur ely because the w hisky hit his system at the same time that the cold w ind
hit it.
They star ted follow ing the br ae-r oad dow n towar ds the sea, the tor ch-beam
skitter ing over the asphalt ahead, the w ind blasting ar ound them. Lachie tr ied to
make conver sation. ?Well, I?m no sor r y to see the back of thon last year. It was
shite.?
Jimmy agr eed. ?Aye, all them folk I liked w ho died. Bow ie. Pr ince. The lassie w ho
played Pr incess Leia in Star Wars.?
Lachie was puzzled. ?Bow ie? David Bow ie? Dead? And Pr ince? When did that
happen? They never died last year. What ar e ye talking about, Jimmy??
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