played rugby?
‘Barry, sir?’ asked Daniel Reeves.
‘Yes, that’s right, Kevin Barry. I’ve been researchingthe history of Castlerock and I had heard stories that he actually played against the school a year or two before he died. But I just haven’t been able to find any evidence, which is very disappointing. However, I will bash on, as indeed you boys must do now – to the science laboratory, I believe.
Right on cue, the bell to end class came, and the boys left for their science class. Eoin hung back and cornered Mr Finn.
‘Sir, can I ask you a question about Castlerock?’
‘Of course, young Madden, fire away.’
‘Well, do you know the little wood down by the stream? I just wondered what that was used for in the olden days. It has a strange atmosphere and I was wondering why it had been left as a wilderness when the rest of the school was used for buildings and playing fields.’
‘That’s a very good question, Eoin,’ said Mr Finn. ‘I confess I haven’t a clue, but I’m working my way through the – sadly incomplete – school records and may find an answer to your query yet. Now run along, Mr Magee won’t be happy if you’re late for his class.’
Eoin tapped Dylan on the shoulder as they were leaving the last class that day.
‘Fancy a run?’ he asked. ‘The Js are having a sessionfor forwards only so I’m off the hook.’
‘Yeah, suppose so,’ muttered Dylan, who hadn’t been very communicative since the phones had gone missing. They went back to their dorm and quickly changed into tracksuits and trainers, locking the door as they went.
It was a bright, sunny autumn day and they enjoyed pushing themselves hard with sprints and chases through the fallen leaves. With the light closing in they finished off with a wind-down jog, which took them past the woods.
‘You’re always down here,’ Dyl panted. ‘What is it about it that brings you here so often?’
Eoin paused, not sure whether he wanted to bring another of his friends into his secret life on the edge of the spirit world. Alan hadn’t been fazed by it at all but he was worried that Dylan might blab about it around the school – or think Eoin was going mad.
‘Nothing really, I just like the atmosphere. It’s perfect when you need a bit of peace.’
They stumbled through the glade to the Rock, and Eoin was startled to see a young man standing there, wearing a red, yellow and black hooped rugby jersey.
‘What the …?’ gulped Dylan. ‘Let’s get out of here!’
‘No, it’s OK,’ said Eoin. ‘I know him. There’s nothing to be afraid of.’
‘Who is he?’
‘That’s Brian. I met him a couple of years ago. He was killed playing rugby—’
‘Killed? So he’s a … a ghost?’ Dylan whispered, looking rattled.
‘Hello, Eoin,’ said Brian. ‘Had you a good summer? It was a bit boring for me, but I woke up this morning and found myself out here. Is there something going on at the school?’
Brian had been a great help to Eoin as he struggled to master the skills of rugby and the loneliness of boarding school life. He always seemed to crop up at the moments Eoin needed him most and Eoin thought of him almost like a big brother.
‘Nothing major,’ Eoin started.
‘And who’s your friend?’
‘Dylan, Dylan Coonan,’ Eoin replied, glancing at Dylan, who was staring at Brian with his mouth open.
‘Yes, Dylan. You’re the winger aren’t you?’ asked Brian.
‘Yeah,’ Dylan replied, nervously.
‘Pleased to meet you,’ said Brian, stretching out his arm before he pulled it back, realising Dylan could be a bit frightened by shaking the cold, dead hand of a ghost.
‘What brought you to Castlerock?’ Eoin asked.
‘I’m not sure. There’s something funny going onthough,’ said Brian. ‘I get a strong feeling that there’s another spirit around the place.’
‘That’s weird. I was down here last night and saw another guy in a rugby shirt – it looked like a Belvo one. He didn’t
‘Barry, sir?’ asked Daniel Reeves.
‘Yes, that’s right, Kevin Barry. I’ve been researchingthe history of Castlerock and I had heard stories that he actually played against the school a year or two before he died. But I just haven’t been able to find any evidence, which is very disappointing. However, I will bash on, as indeed you boys must do now – to the science laboratory, I believe.
Right on cue, the bell to end class came, and the boys left for their science class. Eoin hung back and cornered Mr Finn.
‘Sir, can I ask you a question about Castlerock?’
‘Of course, young Madden, fire away.’
‘Well, do you know the little wood down by the stream? I just wondered what that was used for in the olden days. It has a strange atmosphere and I was wondering why it had been left as a wilderness when the rest of the school was used for buildings and playing fields.’
‘That’s a very good question, Eoin,’ said Mr Finn. ‘I confess I haven’t a clue, but I’m working my way through the – sadly incomplete – school records and may find an answer to your query yet. Now run along, Mr Magee won’t be happy if you’re late for his class.’
Eoin tapped Dylan on the shoulder as they were leaving the last class that day.
‘Fancy a run?’ he asked. ‘The Js are having a sessionfor forwards only so I’m off the hook.’
‘Yeah, suppose so,’ muttered Dylan, who hadn’t been very communicative since the phones had gone missing. They went back to their dorm and quickly changed into tracksuits and trainers, locking the door as they went.
It was a bright, sunny autumn day and they enjoyed pushing themselves hard with sprints and chases through the fallen leaves. With the light closing in they finished off with a wind-down jog, which took them past the woods.
‘You’re always down here,’ Dyl panted. ‘What is it about it that brings you here so often?’
Eoin paused, not sure whether he wanted to bring another of his friends into his secret life on the edge of the spirit world. Alan hadn’t been fazed by it at all but he was worried that Dylan might blab about it around the school – or think Eoin was going mad.
‘Nothing really, I just like the atmosphere. It’s perfect when you need a bit of peace.’
They stumbled through the glade to the Rock, and Eoin was startled to see a young man standing there, wearing a red, yellow and black hooped rugby jersey.
‘What the …?’ gulped Dylan. ‘Let’s get out of here!’
‘No, it’s OK,’ said Eoin. ‘I know him. There’s nothing to be afraid of.’
‘Who is he?’
‘That’s Brian. I met him a couple of years ago. He was killed playing rugby—’
‘Killed? So he’s a … a ghost?’ Dylan whispered, looking rattled.
‘Hello, Eoin,’ said Brian. ‘Had you a good summer? It was a bit boring for me, but I woke up this morning and found myself out here. Is there something going on at the school?’
Brian had been a great help to Eoin as he struggled to master the skills of rugby and the loneliness of boarding school life. He always seemed to crop up at the moments Eoin needed him most and Eoin thought of him almost like a big brother.
‘Nothing major,’ Eoin started.
‘And who’s your friend?’
‘Dylan, Dylan Coonan,’ Eoin replied, glancing at Dylan, who was staring at Brian with his mouth open.
‘Yes, Dylan. You’re the winger aren’t you?’ asked Brian.
‘Yeah,’ Dylan replied, nervously.
‘Pleased to meet you,’ said Brian, stretching out his arm before he pulled it back, realising Dylan could be a bit frightened by shaking the cold, dead hand of a ghost.
‘What brought you to Castlerock?’ Eoin asked.
‘I’m not sure. There’s something funny going onthough,’ said Brian. ‘I get a strong feeling that there’s another spirit around the place.’
‘That’s weird. I was down here last night and saw another guy in a rugby shirt – it looked like a Belvo one. He didn’t
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