Mirror Man by Jacques Kat (ereader for textbooks txt) 📗

I finally touched it, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and a shiver ran right through me.

‘What was that lad?’ asked Mr Phillips.

‘I don’t know, something made me shiver.’

‘Maybe the former owner has dropped by to say hello.’ He chuckled.

I really hoped they hadn’t. I didn’t know if I believed in ghosts and all that nonsense. But I had seen something lurking in the corner; perhaps Mr Phillips was right, and its former owner had appeared to watch over it.

Then I wondered what it was about The Suit that had evoked the same reaction in me.

Chapter Ten

I stayed later than I normally would, feigning I still had work to do so I could make sure Mr Phillips was all right, which he seemed to be by the end of the day. He’d become engrossed by the flail, which I’d helped him to move (it was heavier than it looked). I wondered how knights were able to carry them with all their armour on and ride a horse at the same time.

On my way out, I reminded Mr Phillips to lock the door after me; he nodded he would.

Outside, I glanced over the road, spotting The Suit leaning on a lamppost, watching the shop. He saw me and smiled, but it wasn’t a nice smile this time. It was creepy, and it made me shiver more than last time. He broke my gaze to look at his fingernails.

Tyres screeched, followed by a bang.

My eyes darted to where the commotion came from. A woman stood at the other side of the road, looking down the street with her hands clasped over her mouth. I followed her line of sight and spotted a car that had mounted the kerb. Farther down the road, a scooter lay with its front wheel still spinning. Its rider lay around four metres away from the bike. I glanced back to where The Suit had been standing, but he’d vanished. Again.

No one went over to the rider in the road. A couple of people stood and stared, while someone shouted that they were going to ring an ambulance. Everyone appeared to be in shock, but after a few seconds, they started to move. A woman ran over to check the occupant of the car; it appeared to me as though the car had pulled out on the scooter at the junction.

‘It’s not good,’ I said out loud. I wracked my brain for what I’d seen on TV and how they dealt with accidents, but all that popped into my head, to begin with, were the Carry On films. I knew I had plasters in my pocket, though I didn’t think they would help anyone here.

I searched my brain for something else, then remembered the TV series Angels. I knew then I had to talk to the rider, keep him awake, and make him comfortable.

I ran off towards him and stopped a little way off to see if I could see his face. He had an open-faced helmet on, mirrored sunglasses, and a scarf covering his mouth and nose. His leg twitched, and he groaned. I got down to him as fast as I could.

‘My name is John-Michael,’ I said looking at my own reflection in his mirrored sunglasses. He didn’t answer.

I cast my eyes up and down his body; there didn’t appear to be any injuries on the outside. Just a couple of grazes on his fingers. He groaned again, and his fingers trembled.

‘Hello, what’s your name?’ I asked.

He didn’t answer.

‘Hello!’ I repeated.

‘Hi,’ he groaned and tried to move.

‘You need to stay still. Don’t move and remain calm,’ I told him.

‘Okay,’ he whispered.

‘I think you’re going to be alright. An ambulance is coming. I’m going to put a plaster on your finger. It’s only a small graze,’ I said, retrieving a plaster from my wallet.

He sighed heavily. ‘I’m Daniel.’

‘Hi, Daniel.’

‘Come out of the way quick. I’m a first-aider!’ someone shouted at me.

I moved to let the man look at Daniel. Then sirens could be heard coming round the corner, and up pulled a police car, its tyres screeching. I protected my ears until the sirens stopped.

PC Williams got out with another officer and began shouting instructions to bystanders and his colleague. He spotted me.

‘Go home, John.’

‘But I…’

‘But nothing. Get yoursen off home. Now.’

I crossed my arms and turned my back on the carnage. ‘I can’t believe you’re sending me home when I helped,’ I muttered under my breath.

*

‘You’ve been awfully quiet,’ said Grandad as we sat around the table for tea. ‘Is something the matter?’ he asked.

I hadn’t spoken a word since PC Williams told me to get off home. Questions swirled around my head that I didn’t understand, memories of my dad mixed with visions of the accident. I didn’t know what my dad had to do with Daniel. I hoped it didn’t mean he would die too. I couldn’t conceive of the idea. And would it be my fault if he did?

‘I witnessed something awful today,’ I told him.

Mum slapped her hand on the table. ‘Oh, here we go.’

Grandad ignored her, keeping his eyes on my reflection. ‘What did you see, son?’

‘Someone got knocked off their scooter, down near the shops.’

‘Oh, gracious!’ Grandad gasped, though his eyes flicked disapprovingly to Mum before returning to me. ‘Were they alright?’

‘I hope so. He looked alright on the outside. His name’s Daniel.’

‘You spoke to him?’ asked Mum.

‘Yeah. No one checked on him to start with. They were more interested in the driver of the car. I thought it best someone went over. It was okay, he had sunglasses on,’ I told her. I was sure I saw a touch of a smile on her face. I hadn’t seen her smile for so long, it was hard to tell if that’s what it was.

‘That was very brave of you, lad,’ said Grandad.

‘Do you think you could find out if he’s alright? I’d like to know,’ I said.

‘Yeah, I’ll call PC Williams after tea.’

‘Thanks.’

I shuffled