The Nightmare Man (4 page)

Chapter Ten

Thursday

The next day, Luke went downstairs and met his mum in the living room.

‘Morning,’ she said, cheerfully.

‘I had another dream,’ he replied.

Sarah Jane frowned. She hated seeing her son so upset. ‘What happened?’

‘I...I can’t say.’

She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a hug. ‘You’re scared. It’s just your mind playing tricks on you.’

Luke took a deep breath then stepped back. ‘What if I wasn’t leaving home? Would that stop it?’

She stared at him, her heart breaking. ‘Oh, Luke, I’d love to say yes. I’d love to say “don’t go, stay here”, but I can’t. You can’t not do something because you’re scared.’

‘It’s more than that!’

‘I’m sure it feels like that, but it isn’t,’ she replied, gently. ‘I’ve had nightmares about you going. I bet Clyde and Rani have as well. You know how much we’re going to miss you but...sometimes, you have to be brave. And you’re so brave and so clever. Trust me. The nightmares will stop.’

He nodded, unable to speak.

‘Now, come on,’ she said with a smile. ‘Everyone’s coming round later, so you’ve got to finish packing!’

Luke nodded and left the living room.

Sarah Jane sat down and tried to stay calm. She needed to be strong for Luke. Of course he was scared. She remembered when she had first left home and how terrified she’d been. But he needed to do it. Everything would be all right in the end.

Luke’s last day on Bannerman Road went by really quickly. He finished packing and both he and Sarah Jane had a little cry as they stood in his bedroom, surrounded by boxes. Then they cheered themselves up by getting the house ready for his party.

‘Two parties in one week,’ she said, as they blew up balloons. ‘Don’t ever think you’re not going to be missed!’

And the party was truly fantastic. Everyone was there. Clyde and his mum, Carla. Rani and her parents, Gita and Haresh. Sarah Jane’s oldest friend, Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart and his wife, Doris. Professor Celeste Rivers and Toby from the Pharos Institute. Lucy Skinner and her dad from the Tycho Project. Martha Smith-Jones and her husband, Mickey. All people Luke had been through so much with. Maria and her dad sent a holographic message over from America so it was like they were there as well. It really was the greatest party ever.

But Luke wasn’t enjoying it. He was so tired and so scared. People tried to ask him what was wrong, but he couldn’t say, so they just assumed he was overwhelmed by the party and scared about leaving.

Like all good parties, it eventually came to an end and by 11 p.m., it was just Sarah Jane, Clyde, Rani and Luke. The gang. Rani had been filming the party on her digital camera and now she was pointing the camera at Luke and Clyde.

‘Here’s to Luke’s last night on Bannerman Road,’ she said.

Luke smiled weakly into the camera.

‘You all right, mate?’ asked Clyde.

‘You’d tell us if something was wrong, yeah?’ said Rani.

‘You’re going to be fine,’ said Sarah Jane. ‘This time tomorrow, you’re going to be in a mad, new, exciting place.’ She went over and took the camera from Rani. ‘Come on, all of you together.’

Rani joined the two boys and she and Clyde pulled faces.

‘Aw, nice smiles!’ said Sarah Jane.

Clyde and Rani smiled properly and Luke tried to, but he just felt so overwhelmed by everything.

‘It’s going to be brilliant,’ Rani was still babbling.

‘He’ll forget about us!’ said Clyde, laughing. ‘I’m telling you!’

Everyone was laughing. Except for Luke. He was just thinking about the Nightmare Man. The creature’s voice kept echoing in his mind.

‘
One more little nightmare from you, and I’ll be in your world.
’

He needed to find a way to stop him. But how could he when he couldn’t even tell anyone about him?

Later…

Luke was sitting on his bed. Clyde and Rani were on beanbags on the floor. Empty crisp packets and chocolate bar wrappers were scattered around them. Clyde had fallen asleep and Rani was filming him.

She yawned. ‘You’ll let me visit you in Oxford, won’t you?’

‘Of course I will,’ Luke replied.

Rani smiled and yawned again. She snuggled deeper into the beanbag.

‘Don’t go to sleep.’ Luke’s voice was barely a whisper. ‘Please.’

‘I’m not,’ Rani muttered. ‘I’m just resting my eyes.’

But, as Luke watched, she fell asleep. He was alone. He looked over at the clock as the display changed to 00:00. It was midnight. It was Friday. Today was the day he was meant to be leaving home. But he knew…he knew he wasn’t going to university. He knew that the Nightmare Man was waiting for him and that he was going to come to get his friends and his mum and everyone.

And then Luke looked down at Rani. She was still holding the digital camera. He stared at the camera, an idea forming in his mind…

Chapter Eleven

Luke’s message

‘Our world has always been full of nightmares. Creatures and aliens who want to destroy us. But we’ve always been protected. The Doctor. His friends. My mum. But tonight I don’t think anyone can save us.’

Up in the attic, Luke had settled down on the sofa. He was holding the digital camera in front of him. The Nightmare Man had said that Luke couldn’t tell anyone about him. Well, talking to a camera wasn’t telling anyone. It was just a machine.

Luke stared into the camera and continued talking. He told it about how the nightmares had begun. He spoke of what the Nightmare Man had told him. He told the camera everything. And as he was doing this, he heard the distant humming of Brahms’
Lullaby
. The Nightmare Man was getting closer. He wanted Luke to fall asleep. Luke knew that if he did, the Nightmare Man would escape.

‘So, that’s what happened. That’s why I’m up here now, trying so hard to stay awake.’

‘
But you can’t. I’m coming, Luke. It’s time to go to sleep...
’

‘No...please...’ Luke begged. But he could already feel his eyes closing.

‘
Sweet dreams
,’ whispered the Nightmare Man.

Finally, Luke’s eyes closed. For a moment, there was silence. Then, suddenly, Luke’s body started to convulse! His mouth fell open and what looked like black smoke started to pour out of him. The smoke was alive and it writhed around the attic before finally merging into a man-sized shape. There was a loud rumble of thunder as the smoke cleared and there, in the attic, appeared the Nightmare Man. Tall and pale and evil. He looked at his hands, as if seeing them for the first time.

‘I’m real!’ he said. ‘I’m here and I’m real!’

He looked down at Luke’s body and he started to laugh.

Elsewhere…

Luke opened his eyes and he blinked. Where was he? For a moment, he couldn’t remember what had happened. He looked around, but everything was dark. He moved to try and find the light switch, but then he remembered…he’d seen this darkness before. Through the doorway in the corridor. It was where the Nightmare Man had been standing. It was his home. It was darkness. It was a black void. It was cold and terrifying and there was no way out.

‘Please! Can anyone hear me? Let me out!’

But Luke Smith was alone. All alone in the Nightmare Man’s world.

Chapter Twelve

Terror at night

Sarah Jane lay on her bed and yawned. She was tired, but she couldn’t sleep. She glanced over at her clock. It was nearly 1 a.m.

‘This is silly,’ she muttered to herself. She switched on her bedside lamp and reached over for her book. Then she remembered that she had left it in the attic. She sighed, got up and pulled on a dressing gown. Then she left her room and started to climb the stairs towards the top of the house.

In the attic, the Nightmare Man was relishing being alive. He was like a child, swinging from the beams and jumping over the desks. He looked at Luke’s unconscious body and started to laugh again. Then, he heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs.

‘Night, night,’ he whispered, with a giggle, before fading away.

The door opened and Sarah Jane entered. She jumped as she saw Luke, apparently asleep on the sofa. Then she smiled. At least tonight he was getting some sleep, even if he wasn’t in bed. She found a blanket and pulled it over him. He looked so peaceful. She saw the discarded digital camera on the floor next to him and went to pick it up. Luke’s last night on Bannerman Road…she smiled. It would be good to see the party again. Sitting down, she pressed rewind and then play on the camera. And she smiled as she watched the guests from earlier. It really had been a lovely evening.

Back in Luke’s bedroom, Clyde and Rani were still fast asleep. Which is why they didn’t see the Nightmare Man step out of the wall. He looked down at them and smiled. They were going to be the first of so many…

Sarah Jane was smiling as she watched the video of Clyde snoring. She hoped Clyde and Rani would still come round to visit her after Luke left.

Then the screen went dark and there was a burst of static. Suddenly, Luke’s face filled the frame.

‘I need to tell you about the Nightmare Man…’

The Nightmare Man stood over Clyde and Rani and waved his hand over them.

‘Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Catch a tiger by the toe. If he squeals, let him go. Eeny, meeny, miny –’

His hand stopped over Rani. He smiled down at her.

Sarah Jane watched the video in shock. She watched as Luke fell asleep. She watched as the black smoke came out of him. And she watched as the Nightmare Man appeared in the attic. She dropped the camera and ran over to Luke.

‘Luke! It’s your mum! Wake up!’

In Luke’s bedroom, the Nightmare Man placed his hand on Rani’s forehead. He shuddered.

‘Oh, what sweet dreams. Soon change that...’

He stood back from her and clasped his hands together. There was an unearthly crackling sound and black smoke started to appear around his hands – he was creating pure nightmare energy! He reached down and touched Rani’s forehead again. She started to whimper as the nightmare energy entered her.

‘Please, Luke!’

Sarah Jane was almost hysterical. She couldn’t wake Luke no matter how hard she shook him.

She turned and screamed out. ‘Mr Smith, I need you!’ And as Mr Smith opened, she continued shouting. ‘K-9! K-9, where are you?’

She started to shake Luke again. ‘It’s your mum! Wake up!’

Sarah Jane’s voice was echoing throughout the house. The Nightmare Man smiled.

‘Voices crying out in the night…’

He looked down at Rani as she started to flinch.

‘Aw,’ he said with a grin. ‘Is someone else about to have a nightmare?’

Chapter Thirteen

A world of nightmares

Rani Chandra yawned as she opened her eyes. She was on the sofa in her living room. In the background, she could hear a reporter reading the news. She must have dozed off in front of the telly. Stretching as she woke up properly, she looked around for the remote control.

‘Questions were asked in Parliament today about the Prime Minister’s handling of…’

Rani found the remote and switched off the telly. She yawned again. Suddenly, the TV switched itself back on. The same newsreader was sitting in the same BBC news studio.

‘Oh, well, that’s nice,’ said the newsreader.

Rani blinked. What an odd thing for a newsreader to say, she thought. She switched the television off again. Instantly, the newsreader re-appeared on the screen.

‘No, go ahead. Switch me off.’

Rani stared at the screen. The newsreader stood up and moved in front of her desk.

‘I’m talking to you, Rani,’ she said.

Rani jumped off the sofa and crawled towards the television. She crouched in front of it.

‘How? How are you doing that?’ she whispered.

‘I’m Louise Marlowe, BBC News,’ replied the newsreader.

‘But…you’re talking to me!’ said Rani.

She reached up with her hand and gently knocked the screen. It was glass. It was solid. It was a normal television.

Louise Marlowe’s smile suddenly became a snarl. ‘Didn’t your mum ever tell you not to sit so close to the screen?’

And suddenly, impossibly, she reached through the screen and grabbed Rani’s wrist! Rani started to scream and struggle.

‘Get off me! Get off!’

But it was no good. The laughing newsreader just pulled her arm back into the television – taking a screaming Rani with her. Rani was pulled right through the screen!

The Chandras’ living room fell silent as the television set switched off.

In Luke’s bedroom, the Nightmare Man was grinning down at Rani. He could taste her fear. And he loved it.

‘Oh, but I need so much more!’ he said. Then he looked down at Clyde. ‘Oh, hello…’

Sarah Jane was crouched next to Luke as K-9 scanned him.

‘My sensors indicate that Master Luke is asleep.’ K-9 almost sounded sorry. He knew that Sarah Jane needed more information.

‘I know that,’ she replied.

She spun around and looked at Mr Smith. He was examining the footage on Rani’s digital camera. On his screen, an image of the Nightmare Man grinned at Sarah Jane, making her shudder.

‘And what about you?’ she asked Mr Smith. ‘You got anything?’

‘I’m scanning the alien’s face and running a check through my –’

But Sarah Jane turned away from him. She was scared and she was impatient. She needed her son back.

‘What’s wrong with you two?’ she said. ‘Don’t you see? That creature stopped Luke telling us about him, but oh, he’s clever. Luke didn’t record the video because he was scared, but because he knew we’d find it! He knew we’d save him!’

She crouched down next to her son and stroked his face. ‘Please, Luke, wake up,’ she said, with tears in her eyes.

For a second there was silence in the attic. Then, Mr Smith spoke. ‘I’ve completed my scan, Sarah Jane. Luke’s Nightmare Man is a Vishclar from the Saretti dimension. There are stories throughout the universe of them attempting to break into our reality.’

Sarah Jane stood up again, full of hope. The creature was just an alien. ‘Stories? So people have stopped them! How?’

‘I am still searching for that information,’ replied Mr Smith. Sarah Jane turned and looked at Luke again.

‘Please,’ she whispered. ‘Please just be okay.’