Arnie Jenks and the House of Strangers Read Online Free PDF Page B

little stunned, ‘I really have made a mistake.’
    â€˜Well, if you are ever up this way then do call in. It would be nice to put a face to you.’
    â€˜Yes, I may do that Mrs Bailey,’ said Arnie, hardly absorbing what she was saying.
    â€˜Just call me Lou. Everybody else does,’ she said.
    â€˜I’m sorry to have wasted your time,’ he said quietly.
    â€˜That’s all right love, no harm done. Goodbye.’ The line went dead.
    â€˜Bye,’ said Arnie, slowly replacing the receiver. He could see her now in his mind. The face of a cheery woman dressed in her Sunday best smiling out from an aged photograph hanging beside his Aunt Lavinia’s chair. His great-great-grandmother – Louisa Bailey.
    He looked down catching the sight of his watch. It read 9pm and then the month: May – just as Emily had said. He stared up at the audience around the table.
    â€˜You’re really
not
actors are you?’ he asked solemnly.
    Emily shook her head gently.
    Mrs Bowers butted in. ‘I’m not sure what to make of all this. But one thing that’s clear is my food is about to spoil! Are we going to eat it or not?’
    â€˜Never mind food!’ shouted Arnie. ‘I want to know what’s going on here!’
    The clock on the wall started to chime and a stiff breeze blew up from nowhere circling the room like on a very blustery day. The lightly coloured plates and saucers high up on the kitchen dresser started rattling dangerously, before being whipped up and spun into the air.
    Arnie and Emily reacted at once dashing to catch the falling china. But they tripped and collided tumbling over onto the floor as the pieces smashed and scattered all around them.
    As the last strike of the hour sounded out and the wind died away, they found each other clutching the same fragment of a bowl. The gas lamps glowed brighter for a second before suddenly blowing out, collapsing into darkness.
    Slowly, daring to open his eyes, Arnie saw the reflection of the moon splashed across the wall like paint being thrown. His watch face glinted and he looked down. The month read February.
    â€˜How did that happen?’ he said, dropping the broken china.
    A small cry from across the room made him jump.
    Emily was now standing alone by the table – her hands held up to her face.
    Arnie followed her stare. Everything was bare and all the people had gone.

CHAPTER FIVE

    The Three Old Men

    Emily ran fast. She was out through the kitchen and raced to the top of the stairs before Arnie managed to catch up with her.
    â€˜What’s happening! Where am I?’ she whispered hoarsely, her face anxious, eyes manic.
    â€˜You know where you are. Shabbington Hall.’
    â€˜But the others. Where did they go?’
    â€˜I…’ said Arnie, searching himself for an answer, ‘I don’t know. Maybe…they’re still down there – but not
now
…you see I think…’
    Emily wasn’t listening. She had reached out to a table littered with dead flowers and was crushing the dry petals between her fingers. ‘I’ve never seen this here before and look! This passage – it’s tiled red but…’ she said, striking her shoe hard ‘…it’s black slate now, and where’s my linen cupboard? It should be right there.’ She pointed to a shelf that was empty save for an old pot of paint and a pickle jar crammed with stiff brushes.
    â€˜I think time’s moved on and your cupboard with it,’ Arnie said, scratching his head.
    â€˜What do you mean “time”?’
    Arnie took a deep breath. ‘Well, you might find this difficult to believe but I’m actually from 2014.’
    â€˜
Two thousand and fourteen
?
’
Emily’s eyes widened.
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜So you’re
not
a guest visiting the young master of the house?’
    â€˜No, and I don’t think there
is
a young master