The white shape stormed around the room thrashing against the walls, the floor, even the roof, again and again it hurled past the children until at last it seemed to sense there was someone there and it roared up in front of them. A blast of stinging cold air hit them like a fist, worse than any force ten gale. Disgusting went flying, howling with fear, but nobody could hear him above the appalling noise the Scream was making. The other children grabbed for the wall and managed to stay on their feet. The Scream seemed to look at them then it faded back a couple of feet, as though studying them from a different angle. Then even over all the din they heard the sound of the chapel clock next door chime 10.15.
The Scream heard it too, for instantly it screeched right across the attic going faster and faster, then it seemed to spin round and round like a whirlwind becoming narrower and narrower and denser and denser until it became so dense that it actually became solid.
‘It’s turning into someone,’ Victoria groaned. The shimmering form suddenly focused and became still and the white figure of a girl came into view.
‘It’s the girl from the room,’ whispered Sally. ‘The second one.’ But no one answered, everything had suddenly become quiet and still because the ghost had started to walk!
Slowly, precisely, the figure of the girl stepped towards them across the wooden floor and each footfall echoed making a noise much louder than the slight figure suggested. After what felt an age the figure reached the edge of the floor and she raised her head to stare at the children still pressed right back against the wall. Two blazing eyes that seemed to burn them in a cold blue flame seared across the room. Then the beautiful mouth in the beautiful face opened and a thin scream came out and the children screamed with her, and the scream dissolved her back into the white cloud that came hurtling towards them like a runaway lorry.
Again and again the Scream hit them, buffeting them like they were in a hurricane, smashing them to the floor in a heap as it vented its fury. Suddenly it was quiet again and the stunned children risked a glance. The white figure of the girl had appeared again right beside them and stood glaring at them from only centimetres away.
Victoria felt Disgusting whimpering at the bottom of the pile and a feeling of protectiveness reminded her she was in charge. Shaking, she forced herself to her feet, pushing her knees back so her quivering legs would support her.
‘What do you want?’ she said and her voice stumbled and fumbled with the words. The figure didn’t reply, the blazing eyes mocking her.
‘I said what do you want?’ she said, her voice steadier. Then to Disgusting who was trying to reach her hand. ‘It’s all right, Dizzy.’ She took a step forwards. ‘You’re frightening my brother,’ she said and as she said it the white figure sprang forward and an almost solid hand slapped her across the face.
‘Ow,’ said Victoria, more annoyed than hurt. Now the Scream had started again and was hurtling around the children this time thumping and crashing into them, pushing down Daniel who was trying to stand up beside Victoria. But Victoria was already up and she forced herself to stay that way holding tightly on to the wall.
‘Leave us alone!’ she said bravely and letting go of the wall she stepped forward to face the girl. The Scream seemed to go mad and this time, concentrated on Victoria, hurtling round and round her once more closing up like a whirlwind, becoming tighter and tighter, only this time Victoria was in the middle. Daniel was now on his feet again and trying to grab her, but it was like trying to grab a waterfall, solid, but nothing to actually hold on to.
The Scream’s howling rose even louder until it hurt their ears and then in a single split second it shot through the open doorway and away up the passageway and Victoria was gone with it.
