July 1998
Five days before…
The heat of the day held deep into the night, and at nearly 11 p.m., it showed no signs of letting go. The air was hot and thick in Neve’s bedroom despite her windows being wide open. Each time the warm breeze picked up, the wooden frame groaned under the strain, threatening to split. But it made little difference. There was no respite from the ground-cracking heat that had sucked the moisture from the air.
Neve lay on her bed. Her covers were scrunched into a ball at the end of it. On the wall beside her a poster of The Backstreet Boys smiled back. Beside them, one of NSYNC, who they all had a huge crush on. Perfect smiles on the faces of perfect boys with perfect teeth. On the floor next to the bed sat Chloe and beside her, the hem of her top pushed high up her midriff, exposing her stomach, lay Georgia. She was too hot to care that a deep bruise on her ribs was visible. Holly wasn’t there. She had been caught by the police when Michael stole the booze from Mr Busby’s off-licence, and despite them not arresting her, they insisted – as it was late, and she had been drinking – they needed to take her home. Michael, who made it home unscathed, said he could hear her parents shouting at her from his house in the next street. They’d not seen her since, and no one had mentioned it beyond Michael’s testimony of how much shit she was in.
In the background Georgia’s mixtape played, and they all succumbed to the sounds of Boyz II Men serenading them. Chloe and Georgia hadn’t intended to stay so late. The boys were away with Baz’s dad in Nottingham, so it gave the girls the perfect excuse to gossip, and before they knew it the strong summer sun had slipped behind the horizon and night staked its claim. They spoke idly of leaving school, their prospects for their exams results and, in their absence, the boys. Georgia was called out for liking Baz, making her blush. Neve knew Georgia wouldn’t stand a chance, for Baz – for all of his bravado and pranks – was secretly a bit of a romantic, and his affections were directed towards Chloe. Content they had teased Georgia enough, Chloe thought it would be fair to turn the attention towards Neve, asking for juicy details about Jamie. Neve resisted, only reiterating what they all knew. They kissed two days ago on the bench near the country park.
‘Aw, come on, Neve. You must have more!’ teased Georgia, happy the topic of conversation had moved away from herself and Baz.
‘Honestly, there isn’t anything to tell,’ Neve said defensively.
‘There must be!’ pushed Georgia.
‘I promise.’
‘Come on, Neve,’ Chloe said exasperatedly, rising to her knees. ‘You have to tell us something, it’s killing me not knowing.’
‘There is nothing left to tell.’
‘You can’t hold out on us. We don’t have secrets from each other. And besides, you and Jamie is the only thing happening in this crappy village.’
‘I’m not holding out, Chloe, honestly. I just don’t know what’s going on with me and him. I haven’t seen him since.’
Since their kiss, Jamie had disappeared. It had only been two days. But after weeks of speaking every day, it felt longer. He was working with his dad at the pub, that was normal. Neve hoped she’d not seen him for that reason alone and not because he’d realised he didn’t like her. It had played on her mind since he hadn’t kissed her goodnight after walking her home.
‘Do you think he’s gone off me?’ she asked quietly.
‘No,’ said Chloe. ‘Of course not. He’s just shy, and busy helping his dad. From what I gather, since the mine closed, the pub’s been quieter than usual.’
‘So why does he have to be there so much?’ Neve asked, desperately.
‘Jamie’s dad had to let go of most of his staff. Jamie is working instead. Probably costs his dad less to employ a 16-year-old. It’s a bit shit really, isn’t it? I mean, the mine closing has really fucked things up for us,’ Chloe said quietly to no one in particular. ‘I heard my dad saying they are probably going to fill it in soon.’
‘What?’
‘That’s what they’ve done with all the other mines. Once they’re closed, they throw a load of dirt down there and fill it.’
‘Oh,’ said Neve, thinking about what Jamie had said about one day going down into the mine. Perhaps he wouldn’t get the chance. ‘It’s kinda sad.’
‘No way, it’s a good thing,’ said Georgia. ‘Fucking place is creepy.’
‘Yeah, but still. It would have been good to go down it, see for ourselves. I bet the boys would be up for it,’ Neve said, motivated by the assumption that Jamie would approve of the idea.
‘Are you saying we should break in?’ Georgia smiled.
‘Why not? By the sounds of it, it might be our only chance.’
Outside, the breeze picked up again, snapping the window open, the wooden frame cracking under the strain, making Chloe jump. Worried it would snap entirely, Neve got up to put the latch on, and as she did, she saw the shape of someone walking away from her house, in the direction of the mine. Their form was only defined when it was directly under one of the working streetlights. Even still, Neve knew it was him.
‘Shit, guys. Look.’
Chloe and Georgia sprang up to the window to peer outside.
‘Fuck, is that him?’ Georgia asked. ‘So creepy, what is he doing?’
‘I don’t know,’ Neve said quietly.
The Drifter stopped under a streetlight and looked up at it. Neve gave the others a confused glance, and a shiver ran up her spine as she saw the mild panic in their faces. He stood, unmoving, just looking at the light. It was weird, unnerving, but they couldn’t take their eyes off him.
‘He must be bloody boiling,’ continued Georgia, noticing his dark trousers and long workman’s coat. ‘This is so creepy. He looks like he’s from a different time.’
Chloe didn’t comment, she just watched while the colour slowly drained from her face.
‘Chloe, is that is the same man you saw near the mine?’ Georgia asked. Chloe didn’t respond but nodded, unable to look away.
As Neve and Georgia turned back to look at him, he was no longer fixated on the light above him, and instead had turned his attention in the direction of her house. He had seen them at Neve’s window. Neve panicked, pulling the curtains closed, and Georgia dropped to the floor to hide under the windowsill. Chloe stood frozen to the spot. Neve dragged Chloe down with her, and the three of them pressed their backs against the wall directly under the window.
‘What the fuck?’ Neve asked, rhetorically, not noticing Chloe’s terrified expression. ‘How did he know we were there?’
‘What if he comes to the house?’ said Georgia, her words snagging in her throat.
‘Hang on, I’ll look.’
Neve slowly turned and shuffled onto the balls of her feet. Hiding behind the window ledge, she slowly raised herself behind so her eye line came above the window frame. She looked from outside her house and traced the road down towards the light where he stood. But he had gone. She looked further down the road; he wasn’t there. He had vanished, just like smoke.
She told them he had disappeared, and Georgia breathed a sigh of relief. Chloe, however, remained quiet, her face ashen.
‘Chloe? Are you all right?’ Neve asked, and all Chloe could do was nod.
‘Chloe? What’s wrong?’
Chloe took a deep breath and told them she was fine.