Ryan and Adam had missed the last bus home. It was pouring with rain.
“We can’t even ring for a lift,” said Ryan. “My mobile has run out.”
“We’ll have to walk home,” groaned Adam.
“But it’s pouring with rain,” grumbled Ryan. “How long will it take us to walk?”
“It’s only a couple of miles, if we take the short cut,” said Adam.
Just then, they heard a voice in the darkness. “Don’t take the short cut. D-don’t walk past Tommy Bones’s pond,” said a shaky voice.
The boys saw an old man in the corner of the bus shelter. He had watery red eyes and he smelled of beer.
“D-don’t go by Tommy Bones’s pond at night,” he said.
“Why not?” asked Ryan.
The wind howled. The rain came down even faster.
“If you go that way and Tommy Bones steps into the road…” The old man stopped.
Ryan laughed. “What will happen if Tommy Bones steps into the road?”
The old man got to his feet with the help of a stick. He looked at Adam and said, “You tell your mate.”
Then, he left the bus shelter, muttering, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”