Catching a psychotic killer: read Chapter One of Endgame by Sarah Barrie

The two twelve-year-olds giggled and shushed each other as, beers in hand, they quietly shut the fridge and tiptoed to the back door. Jacob's dad was throwing a post-game barbecue tomorrow for the footy team so he'd never notice a few missing cans from an overstocked fridge. Jacob knew the door squeaked when it got to about the half-open mark, so he was careful to open it just enough for him and his best friend Aaron Baker to slip through. Aaron bumped him as he squeezed past and fumbled one of the beers. Jacob's eyes widened, his breath hitching in panic until Aaron managed to pin the can against his stomach and readjust his grip.

The breath fell from Jacob's mouth in relief, sending both boys into a fit of fresh giggles as they raced to the back gate. He had his little red camcorder ready-the one his grandma had given him a couple of Christmases ago. His older brother Bobby said it was a stupid present 'cause phones can record everything, but Jacob liked it. He could store videos on memory cards and stash them away 'cause his dad kept an eye on his iCloud account. Yep, this was the perfect way to spy on Bobby, without Dad or Bobby finding out.

Bobby had snuck out earlier to join the party down on the beach. Dad had said he couldn't go 'cause they'd swapped the party from Friday night to tonight and he needed to be at his best for the charity game tomorrow - the rep coach was going to be there. But Bobby had wanted to see some girl and had taken off as soon as Dad had started snoring. Bobby was nearly nineteen so Dad couldn't really tell him what to do, but it didn't stop him trying.

Excitement singed in his veins as they drank the Carlton Dry and trekked the short distance through the trees to the main road. Jacob owed his brother for ratting on him over trying one of the cigarettes Billy Wilson had brought to school and sold for five dollars each. Bobby had been an arsehole since he'd been caught posting that disgusting stuff with that weirdo girl online. Jacob felt a bit bad about that. He and Aaron had set the camera up to catch them smoking pot, not doing that. But Bobby had found the camera and taken the memory card, so Jacob had had no idea what he'd filmed until everything blew up and that girl died. He reckoned Bobby deserved everything he got. And if Jacob could get some good footage of Bobby tonight, he'd hold it over him next time Bobby decided to be a jerk.

A cool breeze scattered leaf litter across the road. Wilfred Barrett Drive was bordered by tall trees and thick scrub. The sprawling sub urban houses of Noraville sat to the north, with nothing but bush, beach, the cemetery and a couple of sports grounds to the south. It was a long, dark, winding road, creepy from the safety of a car, even more so on foot. And then there were the stories.

'Have you ever seen her?' Aaron whispered, his thoughts obviously going in the same direction as Jacob's.

'Nah,' Jacob said as bravely as he could. 'It's just a stupid story.'

'Nuh-uh,' Aaron said, eyes wide. 'One of James's friends saw her hitchhiking.'

'He's just making that up.' But he couldn't help throwing a look over his shoulder, just in case.

'He swears he's not. His friend said it was really cool.'

It would probably be cool to see a ghost. But if Jenny Dixon turned up out here right now, he didn't think it would be very cool at all. At least, he wouldn't be. He'd probably do something really embarrassing like run away, crying.

His skin prickled and he looked around again. Wondered at every small noise in the bush around them. All dark, all quiet. Just the occasional car passing and the soft sound of the breeze teasing the tops of the trees. A few more steps and a trio of ducks burst up out of the vegetation, squawking and flapping. The boys jumped in fright.

'We should have brought a torch,' Aaron whispered.

'Use your phone.' Jacob could see the lights from the power sta tion up ahead, together with the streetlight that pointed the way off the main road and onto the one they'd follow to the beach. 'There's Bungary Road. We're almost there.'

They picked up their pace, moving through the carpark, where they dumped their beer cans, and on to the top of the long wind of steep steps that led to Jenny Dixon Beach.

'I can hear them,' Aaron whispered.

Jacob heard them, too. Laughing, joking, singing. He tiptoed down the first few steps until he could see the beach. A long way down was a bonfire where a couple of dozen guys and girls sat or stood around, tossing back drinks and being silly. Aaron was on his heels as they crept towards them.

Jacob was so intent on the group ahead he was almost on top of the pair before he noticed them.

'Come on.' That was his brother's voice.

'Bobby, I said no, like, three times already!'

Jacob's eyes widened. Another silent step and he could see Bobby had a girl pressed up against the towering wall of rock that divided the beach from the reserve. Bobby's face was buried somewhere between the girl's throat and the low neckline of her cotton dress as she squirmed.

Jacob bit down against a giggle and pointed. Aaron moved closer and peeked as Jacob opened the camcorder.

'You don't really mean it,' Bobby cajoled. 'You came out here with me. Maybe just - '

'Get off!' She shoved him and he stumbled back with a laugh, hands up.

'Steady on.' His face was sickly sweet. 'Just kiss me then.'

'I'm going back to the others.'

This was even better. Bobby was getting rejected on camera.

'Wait - '

As Bobby lunged at the girl, Aaron leant forward, phone extended. When the flash went off, Jacob's heart dropped into his stomach.

'Hey! Who's there?' Bobby called out.

Aaron turned to Jacob, face stricken. 'Uh-oh.'

'You forgot to turn the flash off!' Jacob hissed.

'Jacob! Aaron? You spying little brats!' Bobby spat. 'I'm going to get you!'

The boys ran, pursued by the sound of heavy footsteps pounding up the steps towards them. Jacob felt the beer swish sickeningly in his stomach as he used the handrail to propel himself up, up, up. He swung around a corner too fast, crashed into Aaron and they both tripped. Aaron fell forward, the thud making Jacob flinch. Jacob pulled him up, dragging him on, limping and whimpering.

When they reached the top and Aaron went down again, Jacob shoved them into the closest bit of scrub, careful not to go in too far-there was a sheer drop down to the beach somewhere close by and he didn't want to find it. His friend's face was a pained grimace. Jacob tried to breathe quietly as a wave of nausea hit him. He swallowed it down as Bobby ran past. They waited. Waited.

'Where are you!' Bobby shouted from somewhere in the distance. 'What the f---!'

'I think he's pissed he can't find us,' Aaron whispered.

'Shhh. How's your foot?'

'I think I twisted my ankle. It's okay. Aching a bit.' He started giggling. 'Did you get the video? Who was the chick?'

'Dunno. I saw purple hair. I can't believe you didn't turn off your flash!'

'Sorry. But I bet the photo was good. Uh ...' Aaron reached into his pocket. His eyes widened. 'Oh no! My phone must have fallen out of my pocket!'

'Uh-oh ... your dad's gonna kill you! I'll call it.'

'Wait! We have to wait till we know Bobby's gone!'

'Maybe he found it. Maybe the photo is what he was yelling about.' Jacob cautiously crept from the scrub, brushing off twigs and leaves as he stood, looked around. 'I think he's gone. He's not gonna risk us getting back and waking Dad up and not being there.'

'You're probably right. But ... what if he gets back and wakes your dad up and we're not there?' Aaron asked.

Jacob didn't like the sound of that. 'Okay, I'll call your phone. We might be able to find it.' He pressed his number and they strained to listen.

'I can hear it!'

'Yeah, me too. But it sounds like it's over there somewhere.'

'But we didn't go over there.'

Jacob felt more than a bit sick. 'But Bobby did. I hope he didn't smash it.'

'Me too. Ow!' Aaron said as he took a step. 'My ankle really hurts.'

'Are you gonna be able to make it back?'

'I hope so.'

'You sit over here on the post and keep calling. It should light up. I'll find it for you. Then I'll help you walk back. Find you a stick to lean on.'

'Okay.'

Jacob handed his phone to Aaron. 'Keep calling until I answer.'

Jacob followed the sound, eyes scanning the tree-dotted, grassy expanse. Why couldn't he see it? He should see the light from the screen. But wait. He turned his head from the reserve to the dense bushland bordering it. The sound was coming from in there. His heart kicked up a notch. How could it have gotten in there? Bobby was either waiting in there to jump him or ... What were the chances his brother would wait around in there, even to pummel him? Slim. More like he's tossed it in there so they wouldn't be able to find it. So they'll get in trouble for losing it. Yeah, that was exactly what his arsehole brother would do.

He stopped at the impenetrable wall in front of him and pushed a couple of heavy branches out of the way, almost tripped over another and picked it up. Deciding it would make a good walking stick for Aaron, he tossed it out to the path.

The ringtone cut out then picked up again. There! A glimmer of hope shot through him as a faint light penetrated the darkness. He took a couple more difficult steps in-did a quick, shuddery dance backwards as he walked into a spiderweb. He tried again, branches scratching at his arms as he did his best to protect his face. His dickhead brother was going to pay for this. The brave words in his head were a desperate attempt to ignore the uneasiness crawling over his skin as the claustrophobic darkness enveloped him.

Again, the ringtone cut out then restarted, as he followed what was now his only light source: the tiny dot that was the phone screen.

Slowly, slowly, he got closer. He noticed the ringtone sounded funny. Off-tune. Was it damaged? Shit. Aaron was gonna cop it. Ouch. He jarred his knee stepping on some uneven ground. They'd both be limping home if he wasn't careful. He edged his way around a couple of large, rough-barked trees. He was almost there. He could just make out the bright colours of the Sydney Roosters screensaver. He was a bit disorientated from darkness and the beer but the phone seemed to be off the ground. While his mind tried to make sense of that, he stumbled upon the silhouette of the decaying tree trunk it was sitting on ... and the faintly illuminated figure hunched on the ground beside it.

He jerked to a halt. It was a woman, her back turned to him, her attention on something on the ground in front of her. His eyes strained against the darkness to make out matted dark hair, a dirty white dress. She swayed and twitched, humming the tune the phone made. But the sound was just as wrong to his senses as her movements. Then something at her feet jerked and moaned.

The phone stopped ringing, all light and sound vanished. One petrifying moment bled into two. Jacob stepped back, a twig cracking underfoot as the phone flicked to life again. The woman's head snapped around with almost unnatural speed. Her face was deeply shadowed, save for the glint of two piercing, malevolent eyes that locked on his.

Utter terror rocketed through Jacob. 'I - uh ...' His bladder let go as he staggered backwards, unable to drag his eyes from hers. With a bone-chilling screech, she lunged, limbs contorting at odd angles as she clawed through the tangled undergrowth towards him. A scream tore from his throat.

He bolted, crashing through branches and into trees, ignoring the sticky grab of spiderwebs, the searing pain as something sliced his cheek.

Tripping and stumbling, he beat his way back, his sobs inter mingling with desperate gasps of air. The fight to get out, get away, seemed to take too long, then he burst through, losing his footing as the last of the clinging branches let go. He fell, flailing, bare limbs skidding painfully across loose gravel, leaving him in a heap on the path. The silence stretched.

A hushed, malicious giggle. The same terror that had initially propelled him forward now held him paralysed.

He stared into the dark void. Helpless.

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