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19 - Ghost Attack
It was difficult to see exactly what was happening in the semi-darkness, but Xephos was just able to make out Xevphera pushing past Honeydew and hurling herself at the attacker. At the same time, the dog rushed forward snarling savagely.
  "WATCH OUT!" Xephos cried, as the knife struck down at Xevphera. But she had already disappeared . . . vanished into thin air. They watched open-mouthed as the confused youth fell to the floor, the dog gripping his ankle in its tightly-clamped jaws. They retreated into the shadows as the police descended on him.
  "You're nicked, mate!" they heard one of the policemen say.
  Crouching in the darkness, no one spoke as the youth was dragged off, the dog still barking and being restrained by another policemen.
  "Well done, boy!" the policeman kept saying.
  Honeydew told them all to keep low whilst he went and had a word with the police. After another five minutes, the blue flashing lights had melted away into the night, the youths gone with them . . . Dead Man's Lane completely dead again. Honeydew made his way back to them.
  "Brilliant, Honeydew!" Xephos said.
  "Yes, brilliant!" another voice said from somewhere behind them.
  They jumped round and saw Xevphera standing in the shadows.
  "How did you disappear like that?" Xephos asked in an incredulous voice.
  "Because I'm a . . ."
  "Little mermaid and you can do most things!" Lalna finished for her.
  "Wrong!" Xevphera retorted. "Because I'm a ghost - remember?"
  "Keep quiet!" Honeydew ordered. "We need to keep moving whilst the coast's clear. Where's the dog?"
  They all looked round. The Alsatian had disappeared. "He'll be back," Xevphera said. "We're his friends. He'll not let us down."
  High above their heads, the clouds rolled in and the moon and stars disappeared. A breeze sprung up and it began to rain.
  "That's all we need," Lalna complained, as they crept out from the end of the lane. They crossed the road and stood on the edge of a large expanse of waste ground.
  "There they are - the Five Arches!" Honeydew pointed across the barren area to a huge road-bridge crossing the railway. The lines ran into an arched tunnel, but on either side, bordering the waste ground, a series of five smaller arches sprouted from the undergrowth.
  "The arches used to be garages and workshops," Honeydew whispered. "They were abandoned years ago . . . that middle one is Scullion's old place."
    Lalna was staring down at the ground. "Look at these tracks!"
  Honeydew took the torch form his pocket, switched it on and aimed the beam downwards. "Motorbikes . . ." he said. "They speed around here. They use it like a race track."
  Xephos looked down at the tyre patterns rutted into the ground, "Who does?"
  "More bad guys!" Xevphera whispered.
  "Hell's blooming Angels for all I care!" Honeydew mumbled. "Stop gassing and follow me!"
  He shone his torch ahead and started across the waste ground towards the arches, Xephos and the others following close behind.
  An ominous roar sounded from somewhere over on their left.
  "I don't believe it!" Xevphera shouted. "The motorbikes - they're here!"
  Everyone sped up, like insects running for cover. The rain fell faster and the ground became muddier. Honeydew slipped and fell heavily, twisting his ankle.
  The roar became louder . . . more threatening. A light shone out in the distance . . . and then two lights . . . becoming larger and brighter with every passing second.
  "We need to get out of here!" Lalna cried desperately.
  "I've twisted my damn ankle," Honeydew uttered.
  Xephos and Xevphera helped Honeydew back to his feet as the two huge machines sped towards them.
  "Do you think they've seen us?" Xephos asked.
  "They've seen us all right!" Honeydew stammered. He reached down and picked up his torch - it was still lit. "They've seen this!" He switched it off.
    "Give me the torch," Xevphera shrieked. "I'll sort them out!"
  "What are you going to do?" Xephos asked.
  "You'll see."
  They watched in wonder as Xevphera ran some distance away and switched on the torch. The leading bike turned and headed towards it, homing in on the light like a moth to a candle flame.
  "What's she doing?" Lalna whispered.
  "Trust her!" Xephos replied.
  "I'm not so sure, lad!" Honeydew muttered. "I'm not so sure!"
  Xevphera shone the powerful beam straight at the approaching motorcycle. It accelerated towards her . . . but she never moved!
  Xephos could hardly bring himself to watch. "It's going to smack straight into her!"
  But as the lethal machine bore down on her, the only collision was between one very confused motor-cyclist and a rubber torch. The bike skidded on the muddy ground and crunched on to its side, the rider screaming beneath it. They watched as the toppled machine slid to a halt. The second biker roared over and pulled up beside it.
  You ok, mate?" they heard him shout.
  The bruised rider replied with a string of swear words, his curses ringing through the damp night air.
  "Serves him right!" Xephos chuckled.
  Even Honeydew cheered up at the spectacle. "That Xevphera's a gutsy lass."
  "Glad you think so!" Xevphera whispered, sneaking up form behind.
  "I wish you'd stop doing that!" Lalna said, his voice trembling.
  "Sorry!" Xevphera said softly. "Look who's back!"
    As the two motorcycles cruised slowly away, they turned and saw that the dog was back by Xevphera's side.
  "Good bye!" Xephos said, affectionately patting the dog's head. "We're five again!"
  "He's disappeared almost as much as you do," Lalna said to Xevphera in a teasing sort of way.
  "That's because we're two of a kind," Xevphera said, crouching down and stroking the Alsatian's head. "He's beautiful, aren't you baby?"
  Honeydew was too busy looking ahead to take any notice. "We need to get the torch back . . . and then let's get off this open space before they come back."
  "Leave it to us!" Xevphera said. She whispered in the dog's ear and he set off towards where she was pointing. it returned a minute later with the torch in its mouth - it was still lit.
  "Good boy!" Honeydew said, taking the torch from the dog and hurriedly turning it off.
  They finally moved on across the waste ground and arrived by an overgrown archway. Through the clinging weed-like vegetation, Xephos read the faded letters stencilled across the rusted metal doors:

SAMUEL SCULLION & Co.

"That's the way in," Xevphera whispered. She pointed to a gap between the rusted metal door and the stonework.
  "It looks a bit tight," Lalna said.
  "Just big enough for you know what to get in and out!" Xevphera said.
  "Those damn dolls!" Honeydew stammered.
  Xephos scanned around. No one in sight! He swallowed hard. "Can we squeeze through?"
  "And what about Honeydew?" Lalna joined in. "He's far too big."
  "It's ok, son!" Honeydew groaned. "My ankles done for. I think I've sprained it. You'll have to go in there without me. Here . . . take this!" He passed Xephos a small haversack. "There's a few things in there that might come in handy."
  Xephos looked inside . . . matches, a candle and some rolled-up netting. "Thanks! Are you sure you'll be ok?"
  "I'll be fine. In any case, I can keep watch. If I need to, I can use this." He held up his mobile.
  "Ok! Let's go!" Xephos said with as much confidence as he could muster.
  "Right!" Xevphera said. "It looks like we're back to four again!"
  The dog ran up to the gap and sniffed at it. His fur stood on end and he began to whine.
  "that's what he thinks about going in there!" Lalna said.
  To make the point, the dog tucked his tail between his legs and slouched away.
  "Ok, wrong again . . . We're the three musketeers!" Xevphera said with a half-smile. "We'll manage."
  The bank of black cloud moves across the moon and it grew overhead; the rain began to fall faster. Honeydew groaned and rubbed his ankle - he looked tired and cold.
  Things had not gone well . . . and the worst was probably still to come.
  Xephos and Lalna watched as Xevphera strode over to the door where the gap was. I t was the only part of the arch not overgrown with weeds . . . because its still in use, Xephos thought to himself.
  Xevphera got down on to all-fours and pulled on the metal; the gap widened. "Ok, let's get in there!" she said determinedly. "I'll go first."
  Xephos watched, half in admiration, half in horror as she crawled through the tight space. "Come on then!" she called from the other side. "Bring the torch."
  "Ok, Xephos . . . let's go for it!" Lalna whispered in his ear.
  Xephos nodded. He took the torch from Honeydew, got down on to all-fours and crawled towards Xevphera's shadowy face. A shiver ran down his spine as he heard a sinister scurrying from somewhere in the blackness behind her.
  So this is it, he thought to himself, the last of the Dawn Demons.
20 - Lair of the Dawn Demons
The three friends found themselves inside a large vaulted room. It was damp and smelt fusty, like the inside of the derelict house.
  They crouched by the door and Xephos scanned around with the torch.
  It was an enormous untidy storage space. Lots of wooden crates were scattered around. Shelves, many of them collapsed, were stacked with rusty tins. Cardboard boxes lay on the floor, covered in mould, misshapen, everything in a state of neglect and decay.
  "I can't see anybody, can you?" Xephos asked, his voice quaking slightly.
  "No!" Xevphera whispered. "Let's move on. There's some sort of door space on the far wall."
  As Xephos and Lalna followed Xevphera, something small scurried between two crates in the distance.
  Xephos' heart began to beat faster. "Did you see that?"
  "Yes," Xevphera murmured in a low voice. "just stick together."
  They passed close to some dirty wooden crates stacked on a pallet. The labels had long since faded or dropped off.
  Xephos saw that one of the boxes had the lid hanging off. He couldn't resist standing up and peering into the top. His heart almost stopped when he saw the contents: painted dolls' heads - sailor dolls' heads, their beady eyes staring up at him . . . lifeless, but sinister!
  "What is it?" Xevphera asked in a hushed tone.
  "Body parts . . . for the Dawn Demons!"
  Xevphera winced and pulled a face. "Let's go . . . keep moving!"
  They crept on, Xephos growing more nervous by the second, sure that something was hiding in front of them, waiting to jump out!"
  Now only one row of crates stood between them and the door space.?
  "I'm sure there's something hiding just in front of us," Xephos whispered.
  Xevphera pressed up close by his side. "you're right! listen . . . I can hear it moving."
  Xephos listened. He listened so hard he could hear his own heartbeat. Xevphera was right . . . there was something moving up ahead.
  "What shall we do?" Lalna asked nervously form behind.
  Xephos clenched his fists again. "I'm going to have to face it."
  Xevphera picked up a length of wood form the floor. "We'll face it together."
  "Don't forget me!" Lalna whispered. Xevphera picked up another piece of wood and passed it back to him.
  The three of them took a deep breath and leapt around the side of the crate. A shrill scream echoed around the empty space as a tatty-looking cat jumped into the air. It hissed and spat at them, before running off and disappearing underneath a pile of rubbish.
  "God!" Xephos gasped. "I've never been so glad to see an old moggy!"
  "Me too!" Xevphera sighed.
  Lalna said nothing. He was still shocked and speechless.
  They headed on towards the dark door space in the corner. As they approached, Xevphera stopped in her tracks. "I can hear something else."
  They crouched and listened.
  Xephos felt his heart turn to ice as a horrific high-pitched giggling sounded form somewhere beyond.
  "They're down there!" Lalna said, his voice shaking "Now what?"
  "We face them!" Xevphera said. "Come one!"
  They followed her through the door space. She shone the torch ahead, lighting up a creepy winding passage. The torch beam sent numerous spiders shooting back up their webs and a rat scurried away into a dark corner.
  "Do we have to go down there?" Lalna asked, clutching his wooden weapon.
  The horrible giggling sounded again, distant and menacing. Xephos agreed . . . The prospect of doing down the spooky passage did not seem a nice one.
  Xevphera tried to reassure them. "We'll be fine . . . just stay close," she said, raisin her piece of wood.
  They crept slowly on . . . A faint light flickering in the distance. The giggling stopped and all went silent. Xephos was sure he could hear Lalna's heart beating behind him - or was it his own?
  A hollow-sounding voice screeched from behind them.
  "Three blind mice, three blind mice . . . see how they run!"
    The three friends swung round and Xevphera's torch lit up the face of the demonic figure. It was standing about ten metres behind back at the door space. A Dawn Demon, wielding a baseball bat and glowering at them. There was black hair, the sailors hat was wonky. Thin painted cheekbones gave it an expression of devilish purpose. Its red eyes had a strange blue glow to them that made Xephos feel sick when mixed with the red.
    "It spoke!" Xephos said, not sure what else to say.
  "Doesn't surprise me It's like I told you - these last two are more powerful than the others," Xevphera whispered/ "There's no telling what they can do."
  "Ok! What now?" Xephos whispered.
    But before anyone had a chance to reply, the doll screamed a high-pitched scream and charged straight at them.
  Xevphera didn't hesitate. She ran to meet it and brought her weapon crashing down on its head. It never flinched . . . just kept on running. It ran straight through Xevphera, lunging at Xephos and struck his right knew heavily with the bat. As Xephos screamed and fell to the floor, the doll swung another blow and struck Lalna in the stomach, sending him reeling back into the wall. The attacker shrieked in glee and ran on, disappearing around the bend of the passage.
  As Xephos and Lalna groaned and tried to scramble back to their feet, Xevphera reappeared from the shadows. She bent down to examine the torch where Xephos had dropped it - it laid smashed on the stone floor.
  "What hit me?" Lalna groaned.
  Xephos rubbed his knew frantically, trying to ease the pain. "They're too strong for us!" he sighed. "But we can't give up now. We need a plan."
  "Well try and think of something," Xevphera whispered in a determined tone of voice. "And quick!"   Xephos slid down on to the floor, his back up against the cold stone wall. He tried to forget the pain in his knee and concentrate on the haversack that Honeydew had given him. He rummaged in the bag, took out the candle and matches, lit the candle and looked deeper into its contents . . . saw the netting.
  "Ok! Sit with your backs to the wall, like I'm doing . . . you on one side and Lalna on the other. Hurry!"
  Lalna was only too happy to sit down. He was still winded from the blow on his stomach. Xevphera sat opposite him, the soles of her plimsolls pressed up firmly against the soles of his trainers.
  "Now what do we do?" Xevphera asked. She sounded as if she was enjoying herself.
  "Hold this netting between you and keep it tight," Xephos ordered. He held the candle in one hand and rolled out the netting on the floor with the other. He passed one end to Lalna and the other to Xevphera.
  Xevphera pulled tightly on the netting. Lalna pulled back hard on his side. The net stretched out upright between them, like a small tennis net.
  "Now what do we do?"
  "Wait!" Xephos said, walking away from them. He walked back up the passage, back towards the door space, leaving Xevphera and Lalna hidden in the shadows. The net wasn't visible at all. "Hold that net really tight," he whispered.
  He stood in the middle of the passage, took a deep breath, and shouted at the top of his voice. "COME OUT AND FIGHT! WE'RE READY AND WAITING! WE'RE NOT SCARED! YOU'RE JUST DOLLS - SILLY LITTLE SAILOR DOLLS - CONTROLLED BY A CROOK . . . A COWARD . . . SCULLION!"
  Xephos' challenge echoed down the passage and faded away. All went deathly silent. Xevphera and Lalna sat like stone statues and held the net tight. Xephos couldn't even hear them breathing. he stretched out his arm, holding the candle high; half expecting to see something creeping into view - but there was still nothing.
  "SO YOU'RE SCARED . . . YOU'RE NOT DAWN DEMONS, YOU'RE JUST FAIRLY DOLLS. YOU SHOULD BE ON THE TOP OF A CHRISTMAS-"
  Xephos never had chance to finish. A high-pitched scream rang through the corridor as the Dawn Demon charged. Even in the shadowy darkness, Xephos could see that it was still holding the baseball bat poised high above its head.
  As the doll came into view, the candle lit up its face, enhancing its demonic features. Its head stood out and glowed like some sort of ghastly hologram. It hit the net and crashed to the floor, the baseball bat rattling across the ground and arriving at Xephos' feet. Xevphera and Lalna tried desperately to wrap the net around the creature, but it was too strong. It bit and clawed and tor the net apart, springing back to its feet.
  And that's when Xephos brought the bat down with incredible determination, and knocked its head clean off its shoulders.
  Everyone winced as the grotesque wooden head clattered down the passage, still shrieking and screaming. The wriggling body fell back on to the netting and Xevphera jumped on it, sitting on it and wrapping it up at the same time. With its head separated from its shoulders, the doll had no sense of direction . . . it quickly lost its strength and the wooden body lapsed into stillness. The head rolled to a standstill and went silent, staring up at the roof of the passage with painted lifeless eyes.
  "Wow . . . you've done it again, Xephos!" Lalna shrieked.
  Xephos walked down the passage and held his candle over the doll's head. he gazed down triumphantly at the useless lump of wood.
  "One to go!" he said, almost to himself.
  Xevphera walked over to him. "but twice as strong!" she said. "This time we'll be up against all of Scullion's power - the whole caboodle!"
  Lalna trotted up to them. "You mean the full Monty!"
  "Call me what you will!" A hideous voice sounded from somewhere down the creepy passage.
  The three friends edged around the bend of the creepy corridor and gasped at the sight of the silhouette standing in the candlelit doorway at the end of the passage.
  it was the last remaining Dawn Demon - twice as big as any of the others, about the same size as Xephos - and wearing a black and gold sailor suit.
  "Whoaah!" Lalna whined. "It's massive!"
  "It's only as big as us!" Xevphera said, clenching her fists.
  Xephos glanced from the devilish fiend standing before them to Xevphera's face, full of grim determination.
  Uncle Ridge had been right. Her desire for revenge had been a danger to him - and to Lalna. Along with Honeydew, she had brought them here - to face this evil of all evils. It was her battle, not theirs!
  And then Xephos thought of Xevphera's mum and how Scullion had taken everything form her . . . made her so desperate that she'd walked off the end of the pier - taking her own life as well as her daughter's. And then his mind flashed to old Honeydew, sitting outside in the cold and wet, nursing his sprained ankle, his house burnt down and his allotment hut in ruins. And he thought of Aunt Kim and how her garden had been wrecked - Aunt Kim, who would never hurt anyone.
  Still clutching the candle in his right hand, he clenched his left fist as the anger welled up inside him. he stared ahead at the sinister figure, still standing in the doorway at the end of the passage. He braced himself, sure the doll would charge.
  "OK," Xephos yelled at the top of his voice. "LET'S FINISH THE JOB . . . WHO'S WITH ME?"
  "Count me in!" Xevphera shrieked.
  "Me too!" Lalna cried.
  But the Dawn Demon just stood there, leaning casually agasint the door frame. It folded its arms and began to laugh hysterically. It was a laugh guaranteed to send shivers down the spine, cover the skin in goosebumps, make the hairs on the back of the neck stand on end.
  The three friends took a deep breath and stepped forward - nobody sure what to do, but determined to face up to the last of the Dawn Demons.
  But the doll just turned, walking into the room and slammed the door.

21 - Battle of Wits
It was Xevphera who got to the door first. Without hesitation, she pushed it open and Xephos and Lalna followed her inside.
  The big doll sat back in the swivel chair and glared t them over a large desk strewn with musty papers.
  "Come in, why don't you?" It squawked in grating high-pitched voice.
  Xephos looked nervously at the creepy face. Unlike any of the previous dells, this one had no hair. It's eyes seemed even more penetrating and red and its expression altogether more threatening.
  "So you can speak!" Xephos said.
  "Shut up!" the doll snapped back. It leant back in the chair and put its hands behind its head. "I could kill you all!"
  Xephos was shocked at the brutal manner in which the doll spoke. His stomach began to churn as Xevphera stepped forward. "I'm already dead, you stinking creep . . . thanks to Scullion. You're just a lump of wood!" she said, her voice trembling with emotion.
  The hideous figure slapped its wooden hands on the desk and a cloud of dust rose into the fusty air. It began to giggle hysterically. "I am Scullion!" the doll shrieked. "This is me . . . inside this 'useless lump of wood', as you call it - bigger than the other dolls because I was going to display it in the entrance tot he biggest, glitziest arcade in town. But it never happened . . . thanks to Detective Inspector Prior."
  "And we'll destroy you like all the other dolls," Lalna said bravely.
  The Scullion doll paused, stood up and stared across at Lalna with an expression of pure evil. "I could jump across this desk and snap your neck in a second."
  The three friends tensed, stepped back and braced themselves.
  Lalna's voice trembled slightly. "No way!"
  "We're together!" Xevphera said defiantly. "All for one and one for all."
  "Like the Three Musketeers!" Xephos added.
  Turning to face him, the Scullion doll scowled and giggled at the same time. "Xephos Blue! You interfering brat!"
  Xephos stared back and saw the fuzzy image of Scullion's face superimposed over that of the doll. He wasn't sure whether it was real, or in his mind, but the thing, taught face, red eyes and thin, snake like lips became clearer by the second.
  "I'm the one who really caused you trouble," Xevphera snapped angrily. "Xephos just got involved . . . came along for the ride."
  The doll turned its spooky head toward Xevphera. "I can't kill you - you're already dead, like your useless mother."
  Xevphera's face puffed up and her eyes blazed with anger. "Exactly!" she said, raising her weapon. "And it was you that killed her."
  "Don't flatter me! She killed herself! I did her a favour. I loaned her money. She only had to pay back what she owed . . . plus a little extra for my trouble."
  Xevphera raised her weapon even higher. "   Plus a whole lot extra. You took everythin . . . left us with nothing. we had nowhere to live. We couldn't even afford to eat. And in the end Mum was so desperate she decided the only way out was for us both to die."
  The Scullion doll shirked with laughter. "Do you really think I care?"
  Xevphera leapt forward and brought the stout piece of wood down towards the doll's head. But the Scullion doll was not only bigger, it was quicker than the others.
  It caught hold of Xevphera's weapon, wrenched it out of her hand and snapped it like a flimsy twig. Xevphera jumped back, shocked at the doll's lightning reaction.
  "Enough!" the Scullion doll screeched. "It's time to put an end to all this. I'm sick and tired of interfering brats, old men, and stinking run-down seaside towns . . ."
  "So what are you going to do?" Xevphera hissed.
  The doll glared across at Xephos. "You should never have come here! You've mucked up my plans - you and your pal. I think it's time you were taught a lesson!"
  The Scullion doll leapt over the desk and pinned Xephos to the wall. "Ahh, poor little boy! I'm going to squeeze the life out of you. And then you and Xevphera can be together forever!"
  Xephos gasped and pushed at the doll's face. It wouldn't budge. It held him in a vice-like grip and stared him straight in the eye. Xephos screamed at his two friends, "GERRITOFF!"
  Xevphera pulled frantically at the doll's neck. Lalna did the same. The Scullion doll shrieked and giggled hysterically. It pushed against Xephos so hard hewn could hardly breathe. "Say goodbye, Xephy-boy!"
  Lalna wrestled an ancient-looking fire extinguisher off the wall. He tried to pull out the pin and release the lever, but it wouldn't budge . . . it was too rusted.
  "Give it here!" Xevphera shrieked.
  As Xephos struggled to breathe, Xevphera snatched the heavy metal extinguisher form Lalna and brought it down heavily on the back of the doll's head. CLANG!
  The Scullion doll released its grip momentarily and Xephos managed to wrestle himself free.
  "Run for it!" Xevphera shrieked. "It cant kill me . . . you and Lalna get out of here!"
  Xephos slid along the wall and leapt out of the door, Lalna hot on his heels. The two friends ran out into the blackness of the winding passage. Xephos' candle had long since disappeared.
  "It's me he's after!" Xephos yelled, sensing Lalna's presence, close behind.
  But Lalna never answered. The Scullion doll had already caught up with him. It punched him heavily in the back and knocked him to the ground . . . clambered over him . . . screaming after Xephos.
  Xephos ran on, trusting his instincts to lead him back to the entrance, all the time the last of the   Dawn Demons shrieking behind . . . closing in on him.
He reached the door space at the top of the passage and leapt through into the vaulted chamber. "I've got to get outside . . . think of something," Xephos said to himself.
"I'm closing on you, Xephy-boy!" the doll shrieked form behind. "Nearly time for bye-byes!"
  Xephos ignored the taunting voice. He sprinted on harder and his heart filled with hope at the sight of the heavy metal doors and the gap where they'd crept in.
  "I'm still here, Xephos!" the voice giggled behind him.
  He pulled heavily on the corner of the door and thrust himself trough the gap - but the doll gripped his left foot and stopped him. With his head sticking through into the cold night air, he looked around frantically and saw Honeydew still sitting there with the dog by his side. "HELP!" Xephos yelled. "GET ME OUT!"
  "Good grief!" Honeydew yelled back.
  The dog ran over and licked Xephos' nose. Honeydew grabbed Xephos' arm and began to pull for all he was worth. At the same time, the Dawn Demon pulled so hard on his foot it felt as if his ankle was about to break.
  Xephos felt his trainer loosen. Thankfully, his lace wasn't tied very well and, as the Scullion doll pulled even harder, his trained came off. He slid through the gap and out into the cold air.
  "What's going on?" Honeydew croaked. "is everyone ok?"
  "It's behind me! Keep back and phone the police!" Xephos yelled at the old man.
  He scrambled to his feet and ran on, towards the edge of the waste ground, not sure where he was going or what to do, but sure that the Scullion doll would still be on his tail. Maybe the Alsatian would attack it and slow it down.
  He was right. As he ran along the fence bordering the railway embankment, he heard the dog barking frantically form somewhere behind. And then a pitiful series of yelps told Xephos that his pursuer had got the upper hand. The Dawn Demon closed in again.
    "YOU CAN'T ESCAPE ME, XEPHOS . . . I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! STOP YOU INTERFERING THAN SHE'LL HAVE NO ONE TO HELP HER!"
  Xephos' heart felt as if it was about to burst. He saw a gap between the iron railings and a plan formed in his mind. He plunged through the gap and hurtled down the steep railway embankment. Seconds alter he was running along the edge of the railway lines, the shrieking sailor only fifty or so metres behind.
  Xephos looked up the line - no trains. He glanced behind - no trains - just his pursuer closing the gap between them. He sank to his knees and braced himself for the attack. He looked up the line again - and thought he saw a distant light!
  'Yes! A train!' he thought to himself. I've got to keep running.
  With renewed hope, he leapt to his feet and ran on towards the approaching train. But with every step his legs turned more and more to jelly. He had no more energy.
  "THIS IS IT, XEPHY-BOY!" the voice sounded from behind. "YOU'RE ALL MINE!"
  The horrific figure jumped on to Xephos' back, knocked him to the ground and pinned him to the rails. It sat astride his chest and leered down at his face.
   "You're dead meat, Xephy-boy . . . about to join that friend of yours, Xevphera . . . become a stupid ghost, just like her and her mother . . . walk in paradise forever - and all that crap . . . ha ha ha . . ."
  Xephos gazed upwards, past the doll's face, to the sky. Towards the horizon he could see that it was blood-red. Uncle Ridge's words rang through his mind: 'Red sky dawning . . . sailor's warning!'
  'This is it!' Xephos thought to himself. Uncle Ridge tried to warn me . . . the final showdown.
  The super-strong doll gurgled and giggled, revelling in Xephos' helplessness. It was so intent on his demise that it never saw the train in the distance. It wrapped its heavy wooden hands around Xephos' neck and began to squeeze.
  Xephos tried desperately to slide his left hand into his pocket. But it was no good. The doll was too strong. As it squeezed tighter, he felt the faintness coming over him. 'This is it . . . the end!'
  The train sounded a loud whistle, and for the first time the doll looked up and saw it. It instinctively released its grip on Xephos - just for a few seconds, but time enough . . .
  Xephos plunged his hand into his pocket and felt the coldness of the shiny metal.
  At lightning speed, he withdrew the handcuffs, snapped one half around the doll's wrist, the other on to the rails.
  The Scullion doll hardly had time to work out what had happened. It stared bewilderedly at the stainless-steel band around its wrists. At the same time it looked up again at the approaching train. "What the . . .?"
  Xephos wriggled and tried to free himself, but he was trapped firmly under the doll's weight. The Scullion doll pulled, and pulled but the handcuffs held it fast - like an animal snared in a trap. It shrieked and screamed into the cold dewy air, the train looming ever closer.
  Xephos lay there, the noise of the diesel engine filling his ears. This is the end, he thought to himself, but at least Scullion will go with me. But then the doll pulled so hard it wrenched its arm clean out of its socket. It jumped to its feet, put one foot on Xephos' chest and glowered down at him. "nice try, Xephos," the gruesome figure grinned. "it was nice knowing you . . . I don't think!"
  The train was only seconds away. Xephos tried to roll off the line but the doll's heavy foot held him firm. It was so strong he couldn't move a muscle. This was surely the end!
  "Like I said, Xephos . . . bye-bye!"
  "AND 'BYE-BYE' TO YOU TOO!" a familiar voice yelled, only just audible above the noise of the approaching train.
  All in a blur, her arms around its neck, her hands covering its eyes. "Guess who?" she taunted.
  With only a second to spare, the doll stumbled backwards down the line with Xevphera still clinging on in true piggyback style. It screamed its curses and tried to shrug Xevphera off. But she held on with all her strength.
  Freed form the doll's heavy foot, Xephos instinctively rolled himself off the rails. The train arrived at almost the same instant. He clenched his teeth as the train ploughed into the wooden sailor, the roaring of the diesel engine drowning out its screeching cries. He looked over his shoulder as another figure scrambled down the embankment toward shim. "Are you ok?" What happened?" Lalna shrieked.
  Xephos looked back to the railway lines, to the spot where the last of the Dawn Demons had met his fate. An ominous ring of black mist hovered above the rails. He climbed slowly to his feet and Lalna joined him. The two of them watched in awe as the cloud began to change and distort. Xephos thought he could see Scullion's evil features in it . . .thin, bony face . . . scowling through thin snake-like lips.
  "What is that?" Lalna whispered to Xephos.
  "It's Scullion's spirit!" Xephos replied. "Or at least, what's left of it!"
They continued to stare as Xevphera materialized in the ghostly mist . . . and then two other spectral figures joined her. Xephos recognised one of them as Uncle Ridge.
  "What's going on?" Lalna asked.
  The dog stayed close to Xephos' legs, whining and winging, all its fur standing on end.
  "Scullion's victims . . ." Xephos said knowingly. "They're joining forces."
  "I can't see anyone," Lalna said frustratingly.
  It seemed that Lalna could only see the ring of black mist. But Xephos watched in fascination as the three ghostly figures linked hands and stood in a circle beneath the black cloud. The figures glowed . . . brighter and brighter . . . until they formed a glowing ring so bright that Xephos had to shield his eyes.
    "What's happening now?" Lalna gasped. "What can you see?"
  "They're stronger than him," Xephos said, "the three spirits - Uncle Ridge, Xevphera . . . and her mother. They're forcing him back . . . to where he belongs . . ."
  Lalna nodded. They watched the black cloud begin to fade and break up . . . finally disappearing altogether.
  And then Xephos watched the three figures walk off into the distance and fade in the same way.
    The two friends stood in silence. They walked towards the railway line, to the post where the black cloud had hovered . . . nothing to see, like it had all been a dream.
  Honeydew appeared form somewhere in the distance, limping badly. "Are you all right, lad?" he asked. "What happened here?"
  Xephos turned away form Honeydew's worried expression back tot he railway lines. He saw in his mind's eye the remnants of the doll being ground to dust . . . all traces of the last remaining Dawn Demon gone forever.
  "It's over," he said. "Scullions gone and Xevphera's gone. She rescued me, gave her life - except she was dead already, I suppose. There's only the dog left."
  The Alsatian licked his hand. 'The Three Musketeers, Xevphera would have said,' Xephos thought to himself. He felt a lump form in his throat. He tried to explain to Honeydew what had happened. But it was all too much to take in.
  "Come on," Honeydew said. "Let's get home. You can tell me later."
  The old man struggled the short distance to the station, the two boys taking it in turns to support his weight - his ankle had swollen badly. The dog went with them. Honeydew muttered something about keeping it . . . good company for him . . . a trusting friend and all that.
  From the station, they took a taxi. It was a clever idea; as far as the driver was concerned, the three of them had just returned on the night train and needed a lift home.
  But when they did finally get home, Aunt Kim was up and waiting for them. And as she quite rightly said - they had some explaining to do!

Epilogue
The following day, the weather was glorious.
  With as much sorted out as could be sorted out, Xephos' mu had returned to take the boys home, and they were all sitting on the seafront. Xephos' mum and Aunt Kim were sipping tea on the promenade. Xephos, Lalna and Lomadia were sitting down on the beach in sight of them.
  Lalna looked out over the flat calm sea. Xephos played with Lomadia, digging in the sand. "Look, Xephos!" Lalna suddenly said. "There's boat out there. I think it's the lifeboat . . . it must be on a practice run."
  Xephos gazed out to where Lalna was pointing. At first he couldn't see anything. And then he saw the small vessel - a faint glimmer of orange and blue - a good way out to sea. "Yes, I can see it," he said enthusiastically. "I couldn't see it at first . . . those people paddling - the girl and her mum - they were in the way."
  Lalna looked puzzled. "What people? I can't see anyone paddling!"
  Xephos got up and sauntered down to the shoreline. He peered out over the small waves to the girl and saw that she was standing on the surface of the water. She waved at him and a familiar voice sounded softly in his head: "Thanks for everything, Xephos! We did it - the Three Musketeers. Say Hi to Lalna . . . Take care!"
  He stumbled further into the sea - he couldn't help it. He waved back at her. "Xevphera! Xevphera! Don't go!"
  "Xephos! Are you ok?" a voice shouted form behind.
  Xephos looked back. Lalna was staring at him in a strange way. Lomadia had stopped digging; she looked concerned.
  He struggled for words . . . turned back tot he sea and pointed . . . but she was gone.
  This time he knew that Xevphera was gone forever. He turned back and waved to Lalna . . . waved to Lomadia . . . went back to his place on the beach.
  "Come on, Xephos!" Lalna said. "It's my turn to but the ice creams."
  Xephos smiled and nodded his head. "Brilliant!"

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

19 - Ghost Attack
It was difficult to see exactly what was happening in the semi-darkness, but Xephos was just able to make out Xevphera pushing past Honeydew and hurling herself at the attacker. At the same time, the dog rushed forward snarling savagely.
  "WATCH OUT!" Xephos cried, as the knife struck down at Xevphera. But she had already disappeared . . . vanished into thin air. They watched open-mouthed as the confused youth fell to the floor, the dog gripping his ankle in its tightly-clamped jaws. They retreated into the shadows as the police descended on him.
  "You're nicked, mate!" they heard one of the policemen say.
  Crouching in the darkness, no one spoke as the youth was dragged off, the dog still barking and being restrained by another policemen.
  "Well done, boy!" the policeman kept saying.
  Honeydew told them all to keep low whilst he went and had a word with the police. After another five minutes, the blue flashing lights had melted away into the night, the youths gone with them . . . Dead Man's Lane completely dead again. Honeydew made his way back to them.
  "Brilliant, Honeydew!" Xephos said.
  "Yes, brilliant!" another voice said from somewhere behind them.
  They jumped round and saw Xevphera standing in the shadows.
  "How did you disappear like that?" Xephos asked in an incredulous voice.
  "Because I'm a . . ."
  "Little mermaid and you can do most things!" Lalna finished for her.
  "Wrong!" Xevphera retorted. "Because I'm a ghost - remember?"
  "Keep quiet!" Honeydew ordered. "We need to keep moving whilst the coast's clear. Where's the dog?"
  They all looked round. The Alsatian had disappeared. "He'll be back," Xevphera said. "We're his friends. He'll not let us down."
  High above their heads, the clouds rolled in and the moon and stars disappeared. A breeze sprung up and it began to rain.
  "That's all we need," Lalna complained, as they crept out from the end of the lane. They crossed the road and stood on the edge of a large expanse of waste ground.
  "There they are - the Five Arches!" Honeydew pointed across the barren area to a huge road-bridge crossing the railway. The lines ran into an arched tunnel, but on either side, bordering the waste ground, a series of five smaller arches sprouted from the undergrowth.
  "The arches used to be garages and workshops," Honeydew whispered. "They were abandoned years ago . . . that middle one is Scullion's old place."
    Lalna was staring down at the ground. "Look at these tracks!"
  Honeydew took the torch form his pocket, switched it on and aimed the beam downwards. "Motorbikes . . ." he said. "They speed around here. They use it like a race track."
  Xephos looked down at the tyre patterns rutted into the ground, "Who does?"
  "More bad guys!" Xevphera whispered.
  "Hell's blooming Angels for all I care!" Honeydew mumbled. "Stop gassing and follow me!"
  He shone his torch ahead and started across the waste ground towards the arches, Xephos and the others following close behind.
  An ominous roar sounded from somewhere over on their left.
  "I don't believe it!" Xevphera shouted. "The motorbikes - they're here!"
  Everyone sped up, like insects running for cover. The rain fell faster and the ground became muddier. Honeydew slipped and fell heavily, twisting his ankle.
  The roar became louder . . . more threatening. A light shone out in the distance . . . and then two lights . . . becoming larger and brighter with every passing second.
  "We need to get out of here!" Lalna cried desperately.
  "I've twisted my damn ankle," Honeydew uttered.
  Xephos and Xevphera helped Honeydew back to his feet as the two huge machines sped towards them.
  "Do you think they've seen us?" Xephos asked.
  "They've seen us all right!" Honeydew stammered. He reached down and picked up his torch - it was still lit. "They've seen this!" He switched it off.
    "Give me the torch," Xevphera shrieked. "I'll sort them out!"
  "What are you going to do?" Xephos asked.
  "You'll see."
  They watched in wonder as Xevphera ran some distance away and switched on the torch. The leading bike turned and headed towards it, homing in on the light like a moth to a candle flame.
  "What's she doing?" Lalna whispered.
  "Trust her!" Xephos replied.
  "I'm not so sure, lad!" Honeydew muttered. "I'm not so sure!"
  Xevphera shone the powerful beam straight at the approaching motorcycle. It accelerated towards her . . . but she never moved!
  Xephos could hardly bring himself to watch. "It's going to smack straight into her!"
  But as the lethal machine bore down on her, the only collision was between one very confused motor-cyclist and a rubber torch. The bike skidded on the muddy ground and crunched on to its side, the rider screaming beneath it. They watched as the toppled machine slid to a halt. The second biker roared over and pulled up beside it.
  You ok, mate?" they heard him shout.
  The bruised rider replied with a string of swear words, his curses ringing through the damp night air.
  "Serves him right!" Xephos chuckled.
  Even Honeydew cheered up at the spectacle. "That Xevphera's a gutsy lass."
  "Glad you think so!" Xevphera whispered, sneaking up form behind.
  "I wish you'd stop doing that!" Lalna said, his voice trembling.
  "Sorry!" Xevphera said softly. "Look who's back!"
    As the two motorcycles cruised slowly away, they turned and saw that the dog was back by Xevphera's side.
  "Good bye!" Xephos said, affectionately patting the dog's head. "We're five again!"
  "He's disappeared almost as much as you do," Lalna said to Xevphera in a teasing sort of way.
  "That's because we're two of a kind," Xevphera said, crouching down and stroking the Alsatian's head. "He's beautiful, aren't you baby?"
  Honeydew was too busy looking ahead to take any notice. "We need to get the torch back . . . and then let's get off this open space before they come back."
  "Leave it to us!" Xevphera said. She whispered in the dog's ear and he set off towards where she was pointing. it returned a minute later with the torch in its mouth - it was still lit.
  "Good boy!" Honeydew said, taking the torch from the dog and hurriedly turning it off.
  They finally moved on across the waste ground and arrived by an overgrown archway. Through the clinging weed-like vegetation, Xephos read the faded letters stencilled across the rusted metal doors:

SAMUEL SCULLION & Co.

"That's the way in," Xevphera whispered. She pointed to a gap between the rusted metal door and the stonework.
  "It looks a bit tight," Lalna said.
  "Just big enough for you know what to get in and out!" Xevphera said.
  "Those damn dolls!" Honeydew stammered.
  Xephos scanned around. No one in sight! He swallowed hard. "Can we squeeze through?"
  "And what about Honeydew?" Lalna joined in. "He's far too big."
  "It's ok, son!" Honeydew groaned. "My ankles done for. I think I've sprained it. You'll have to go in there without me. Here . . . take this!" He passed Xephos a small haversack. "There's a few things in there that might come in handy."
  Xephos looked inside . . . matches, a candle and some rolled-up netting. "Thanks! Are you sure you'll be ok?"
  "I'll be fine. In any case, I can keep watch. If I need to, I can use this." He held up his mobile.
  "Ok! Let's go!" Xephos said with as much confidence as he could muster.
  "Right!" Xevphera said. "It looks like we're back to four again!"
  The dog ran up to the gap and sniffed at it. His fur stood on end and he began to whine.
  "that's what he thinks about going in there!" Lalna said.
  To make the point, the dog tucked his tail between his legs and slouched away.
  "Ok, wrong again . . . We're the three musketeers!" Xevphera said with a half-smile. "We'll manage."
  The bank of black cloud moves across the moon and it grew overhead; the rain began to fall faster. Honeydew groaned and rubbed his ankle - he looked tired and cold.
  Things had not gone well . . . and the worst was probably still to come.
  Xephos and Lalna watched as Xevphera strode over to the door where the gap was. I t was the only part of the arch not overgrown with weeds . . . because its still in use, Xephos thought to himself.
  Xevphera got down on to all-fours and pulled on the metal; the gap widened. "Ok, let's get in there!" she said determinedly. "I'll go first."
  Xephos watched, half in admiration, half in horror as she crawled through the tight space. "Come on then!" she called from the other side. "Bring the torch."
  "Ok, Xephos . . . let's go for it!" Lalna whispered in his ear.
  Xephos nodded. He took the torch from Honeydew, got down on to all-fours and crawled towards Xevphera's shadowy face. A shiver ran down his spine as he heard a sinister scurrying from somewhere in the blackness behind her.
  So this is it, he thought to himself, the last of the Dawn Demons.
20 - Lair of the Dawn Demons
The three friends found themselves inside a large vaulted room. It was damp and smelt fusty, like the inside of the derelict house.
  They crouched by the door and Xephos scanned around with the torch.
  It was an enormous untidy storage space. Lots of wooden crates were scattered around. Shelves, many of them collapsed, were stacked with rusty tins. Cardboard boxes lay on the floor, covered in mould, misshapen, everything in a state of neglect and decay.
  "I can't see anybody, can you?" Xephos asked, his voice quaking slightly.
  "No!" Xevphera whispered. "Let's move on. There's some sort of door space on the far wall."
  As Xephos and Lalna followed Xevphera, something small scurried between two crates in the distance.
  Xephos' heart began to beat faster. "Did you see that?"
  "Yes," Xevphera murmured in a low voice. "just stick together."
  They passed close to some dirty wooden crates stacked on a pallet. The labels had long since faded or dropped off.
  Xephos saw that one of the boxes had the lid hanging off. He couldn't resist standing up and peering into the top. His heart almost stopped when he saw the contents: painted dolls' heads - sailor dolls' heads, their beady eyes staring up at him . . . lifeless, but sinister!
  "What is it?" Xevphera asked in a hushed tone.
  "Body parts . . . for the Dawn Demons!"
  Xevphera winced and pulled a face. "Let's go . . . keep moving!"
  They crept on, Xephos growing more nervous by the second, sure that something was hiding in front of them, waiting to jump out!"
  Now only one row of crates stood between them and the door space.?
  "I'm sure there's something hiding just in front of us," Xephos whispered.
  Xevphera pressed up close by his side. "you're right! listen . . . I can hear it moving."
  Xephos listened. He listened so hard he could hear his own heartbeat. Xevphera was right . . . there was something moving up ahead.
  "What shall we do?" Lalna asked nervously form behind.
  Xephos clenched his fists again. "I'm going to have to face it."
  Xevphera picked up a length of wood form the floor. "We'll face it together."
  "Don't forget me!" Lalna whispered. Xevphera picked up another piece of wood and passed it back to him.
  The three of them took a deep breath and leapt around the side of the crate. A shrill scream echoed around the empty space as a tatty-looking cat jumped into the air. It hissed and spat at them, before running off and disappearing underneath a pile of rubbish.
  "God!" Xephos gasped. "I've never been so glad to see an old moggy!"
  "Me too!" Xevphera sighed.
  Lalna said nothing. He was still shocked and speechless.
  They headed on towards the dark door space in the corner. As they approached, Xevphera stopped in her tracks. "I can hear something else."
  They crouched and listened.
  Xephos felt his heart turn to ice as a horrific high-pitched giggling sounded form somewhere beyond.
  "They're down there!" Lalna said, his voice shaking "Now what?"
  "We face them!" Xevphera said. "Come one!"
  They followed her through the door space. She shone the torch ahead, lighting up a creepy winding passage. The torch beam sent numerous spiders shooting back up their webs and a rat scurried away into a dark corner.
  "Do we have to go down there?" Lalna asked, clutching his wooden weapon.
  The horrible giggling sounded again, distant and menacing. Xephos agreed . . . The prospect of doing down the spooky passage did not seem a nice one.
  Xevphera tried to reassure them. "We'll be fine . . . just stay close," she said, raisin her piece of wood.
  They crept slowly on . . . A faint light flickering in the distance. The giggling stopped and all went silent. Xephos was sure he could hear Lalna's heart beating behind him - or was it his own?
  A hollow-sounding voice screeched from behind them.
  "Three blind mice, three blind mice . . . see how they run!"
    The three friends swung round and Xevphera's torch lit up the face of the demonic figure. It was standing about ten metres behind back at the door space. A Dawn Demon, wielding a baseball bat and glowering at them. There was black hair, the sailors hat was wonky. Thin painted cheekbones gave it an expression of devilish purpose. Its red eyes had a strange blue glow to them that made Xephos feel sick when mixed with the red.
    "It spoke!" Xephos said, not sure what else to say.
  "Doesn't surprise me It's like I told you - these last two are more powerful than the others," Xevphera whispered/ "There's no telling what they can do."
  "Ok! What now?" Xephos whispered.
    But before anyone had a chance to reply, the doll screamed a high-pitched scream and charged straight at them.
  Xevphera didn't hesitate. She ran to meet it and brought her weapon crashing down on its head. It never flinched . . . just kept on running. It ran straight through Xevphera, lunging at Xephos and struck his right knew heavily with the bat. As Xephos screamed and fell to the floor, the doll swung another blow and struck Lalna in the stomach, sending him reeling back into the wall. The attacker shrieked in glee and ran on, disappearing around the bend of the passage.
  As Xephos and Lalna groaned and tried to scramble back to their feet, Xevphera reappeared from the shadows. She bent down to examine the torch where Xephos had dropped it - it laid smashed on the stone floor.
  "What hit me?" Lalna groaned.
  Xephos rubbed his knew frantically, trying to ease the pain. "They're too strong for us!" he sighed. "But we can't give up now. We need a plan."
  "Well try and think of something," Xevphera whispered in a determined tone of voice. "And quick!"   Xephos slid down on to the floor, his back up against the cold stone wall. He tried to forget the pain in his knee and concentrate on the haversack that Honeydew had given him. He rummaged in the bag, took out the candle and matches, lit the candle and looked deeper into its contents . . . saw the netting.
  "Ok! Sit with your backs to the wall, like I'm doing . . . you on one side and Lalna on the other. Hurry!"
  Lalna was only too happy to sit down. He was still winded from the blow on his stomach. Xevphera sat opposite him, the soles of her plimsolls pressed up firmly against the soles of his trainers.
  "Now what do we do?" Xevphera asked. She sounded as if she was enjoying herself.
  "Hold this netting between you and keep it tight," Xephos ordered. He held the candle in one hand and rolled out the netting on the floor with the other. He passed one end to Lalna and the other to Xevphera.
  Xevphera pulled tightly on the netting. Lalna pulled back hard on his side. The net stretched out upright between them, like a small tennis net.
  "Now what do we do?"
  "Wait!" Xephos said, walking away from them. He walked back up the passage, back towards the door space, leaving Xevphera and Lalna hidden in the shadows. The net wasn't visible at all. "Hold that net really tight," he whispered.
  He stood in the middle of the passage, took a deep breath, and shouted at the top of his voice. "COME OUT AND FIGHT! WE'RE READY AND WAITING! WE'RE NOT SCARED! YOU'RE JUST DOLLS - SILLY LITTLE SAILOR DOLLS - CONTROLLED BY A CROOK . . . A COWARD . . . SCULLION!"
  Xephos' challenge echoed down the passage and faded away. All went deathly silent. Xevphera and Lalna sat like stone statues and held the net tight. Xephos couldn't even hear them breathing. he stretched out his arm, holding the candle high; half expecting to see something creeping into view - but there was still nothing.
  "SO YOU'RE SCARED . . . YOU'RE NOT DAWN DEMONS, YOU'RE JUST FAIRLY DOLLS. YOU SHOULD BE ON THE TOP OF A CHRISTMAS-"
  Xephos never had chance to finish. A high-pitched scream rang through the corridor as the Dawn Demon charged. Even in the shadowy darkness, Xephos could see that it was still holding the baseball bat poised high above its head.
  As the doll came into view, the candle lit up its face, enhancing its demonic features. Its head stood out and glowed like some sort of ghastly hologram. It hit the net and crashed to the floor, the baseball bat rattling across the ground and arriving at Xephos' feet. Xevphera and Lalna tried desperately to wrap the net around the creature, but it was too strong. It bit and clawed and tor the net apart, springing back to its feet.
  And that's when Xephos brought the bat down with incredible determination, and knocked its head clean off its shoulders.
  Everyone winced as the grotesque wooden head clattered down the passage, still shrieking and screaming. The wriggling body fell back on to the netting and Xevphera jumped on it, sitting on it and wrapping it up at the same time. With its head separated from its shoulders, the doll had no sense of direction . . . it quickly lost its strength and the wooden body lapsed into stillness. The head rolled to a standstill and went silent, staring up at the roof of the passage with painted lifeless eyes.
  "Wow . . . you've done it again, Xephos!" Lalna shrieked.
  Xephos walked down the passage and held his candle over the doll's head. he gazed down triumphantly at the useless lump of wood.
  "One to go!" he said, almost to himself.
  Xevphera walked over to him. "but twice as strong!" she said. "This time we'll be up against all of Scullion's power - the whole caboodle!"
  Lalna trotted up to them. "You mean the full Monty!"
  "Call me what you will!" A hideous voice sounded from somewhere down the creepy passage.
  The three friends edged around the bend of the creepy corridor and gasped at the sight of the silhouette standing in the candlelit doorway at the end of the passage.
  it was the last remaining Dawn Demon - twice as big as any of the others, about the same size as Xephos - and wearing a black and gold sailor suit.
  "Whoaah!" Lalna whined. "It's massive!"
  "It's only as big as us!" Xevphera said, clenching her fists.
  Xephos glanced from the devilish fiend standing before them to Xevphera's face, full of grim determination.
  Uncle Ridge had been right. Her desire for revenge had been a danger to him - and to Lalna. Along with Honeydew, she had brought them here - to face this evil of all evils. It was her battle, not theirs!
  And then Xephos thought of Xevphera's mum and how Scullion had taken everything form her . . . made her so desperate that she'd walked off the end of the pier - taking her own life as well as her daughter's. And then his mind flashed to old Honeydew, sitting outside in the cold and wet, nursing his sprained ankle, his house burnt down and his allotment hut in ruins. And he thought of Aunt Kim and how her garden had been wrecked - Aunt Kim, who would never hurt anyone.
  Still clutching the candle in his right hand, he clenched his left fist as the anger welled up inside him. he stared ahead at the sinister figure, still standing in the doorway at the end of the passage. He braced himself, sure the doll would charge.
  "OK," Xephos yelled at the top of his voice. "LET'S FINISH THE JOB . . . WHO'S WITH ME?"
  "Count me in!" Xevphera shrieked.
  "Me too!" Lalna cried.
  But the Dawn Demon just stood there, leaning casually agasint the door frame. It folded its arms and began to laugh hysterically. It was a laugh guaranteed to send shivers down the spine, cover the skin in goosebumps, make the hairs on the back of the neck stand on end.
  The three friends took a deep breath and stepped forward - nobody sure what to do, but determined to face up to the last of the Dawn Demons.
  But the doll just turned, walking into the room and slammed the door.

21 - Battle of Wits
It was Xevphera who got to the door first. Without hesitation, she pushed it open and Xephos and Lalna followed her inside.
  The big doll sat back in the swivel chair and glared t them over a large desk strewn with musty papers.
  "Come in, why don't you?" It squawked in grating high-pitched voice.
  Xephos looked nervously at the creepy face. Unlike any of the previous dells, this one had no hair. It's eyes seemed even more penetrating and red and its expression altogether more threatening.
  "So you can speak!" Xephos said.
  "Shut up!" the doll snapped back. It leant back in the chair and put its hands behind its head. "I could kill you all!"
  Xephos was shocked at the brutal manner in which the doll spoke. His stomach began to churn as Xevphera stepped forward. "I'm already dead, you stinking creep . . . thanks to Scullion. You're just a lump of wood!" she said, her voice trembling with emotion.
  The hideous figure slapped its wooden hands on the desk and a cloud of dust rose into the fusty air. It began to giggle hysterically. "I am Scullion!" the doll shrieked. "This is me . . . inside this 'useless lump of wood', as you call it - bigger than the other dolls because I was going to display it in the entrance tot he biggest, glitziest arcade in town. But it never happened . . . thanks to Detective Inspector Prior."
  "And we'll destroy you like all the other dolls," Lalna said bravely.
  The Scullion doll paused, stood up and stared across at Lalna with an expression of pure evil. "I could jump across this desk and snap your neck in a second."
  The three friends tensed, stepped back and braced themselves.
  Lalna's voice trembled slightly. "No way!"
  "We're together!" Xevphera said defiantly. "All for one and one for all."
  "Like the Three Musketeers!" Xephos added.
  Turning to face him, the Scullion doll scowled and giggled at the same time. "Xephos Blue! You interfering brat!"
  Xephos stared back and saw the fuzzy image of Scullion's face superimposed over that of the doll. He wasn't sure whether it was real, or in his mind, but the thing, taught face, red eyes and thin, snake like lips became clearer by the second.
  "I'm the one who really caused you trouble," Xevphera snapped angrily. "Xephos just got involved . . . came along for the ride."
  The doll turned its spooky head toward Xevphera. "I can't kill you - you're already dead, like your useless mother."
  Xevphera's face puffed up and her eyes blazed with anger. "Exactly!" she said, raising her weapon. "And it was you that killed her."
  "Don't flatter me! She killed herself! I did her a favour. I loaned her money. She only had to pay back what she owed . . . plus a little extra for my trouble."
  Xevphera raised her weapon even higher. "   Plus a whole lot extra. You took everythin . . . left us with nothing. we had nowhere to live. We couldn't even afford to eat. And in the end Mum was so desperate she decided the only way out was for us both to die."
  The Scullion doll shirked with laughter. "Do you really think I care?"
  Xevphera leapt forward and brought the stout piece of wood down towards the doll's head. But the Scullion doll was not only bigger, it was quicker than the others.
  It caught hold of Xevphera's weapon, wrenched it out of her hand and snapped it like a flimsy twig. Xevphera jumped back, shocked at the doll's lightning reaction.
  "Enough!" the Scullion doll screeched. "It's time to put an end to all this. I'm sick and tired of interfering brats, old men, and stinking run-down seaside towns . . ."
  "So what are you going to do?" Xevphera hissed.
  The doll glared across at Xephos. "You should never have come here! You've mucked up my plans - you and your pal. I think it's time you were taught a lesson!"
  The Scullion doll leapt over the desk and pinned Xephos to the wall. "Ahh, poor little boy! I'm going to squeeze the life out of you. And then you and Xevphera can be together forever!"
  Xephos gasped and pushed at the doll's face. It wouldn't budge. It held him in a vice-like grip and stared him straight in the eye. Xephos screamed at his two friends, "GERRITOFF!"
  Xevphera pulled frantically at the doll's neck. Lalna did the same. The Scullion doll shrieked and giggled hysterically. It pushed against Xephos so hard hewn could hardly breathe. "Say goodbye, Xephy-boy!"
  Lalna wrestled an ancient-looking fire extinguisher off the wall. He tried to pull out the pin and release the lever, but it wouldn't budge . . . it was too rusted.
  "Give it here!" Xevphera shrieked.
  As Xephos struggled to breathe, Xevphera snatched the heavy metal extinguisher form Lalna and brought it down heavily on the back of the doll's head. CLANG!
  The Scullion doll released its grip momentarily and Xephos managed to wrestle himself free.
  "Run for it!" Xevphera shrieked. "It cant kill me . . . you and Lalna get out of here!"
  Xephos slid along the wall and leapt out of the door, Lalna hot on his heels. The two friends ran out into the blackness of the winding passage. Xephos' candle had long since disappeared.
  "It's me he's after!" Xephos yelled, sensing Lalna's presence, close behind.
  But Lalna never answered. The Scullion doll had already caught up with him. It punched him heavily in the back and knocked him to the ground . . . clambered over him . . . screaming after Xephos.
  Xephos ran on, trusting his instincts to lead him back to the entrance, all the time the last of the   Dawn Demons shrieking behind . . . closing in on him.
He reached the door space at the top of the passage and leapt through into the vaulted chamber. "I've got to get outside . . . think of something," Xephos said to himself.
"I'm closing on you, Xephy-boy!" the doll shrieked form behind. "Nearly time for bye-byes!"
  Xephos ignored the taunting voice. He sprinted on harder and his heart filled with hope at the sight of the heavy metal doors and the gap where they'd crept in.
  "I'm still here, Xephos!" the voice giggled behind him.
  He pulled heavily on the corner of the door and thrust himself trough the gap - but the doll gripped his left foot and stopped him. With his head sticking through into the cold night air, he looked around frantically and saw Honeydew still sitting there with the dog by his side. "HELP!" Xephos yelled. "GET ME OUT!"
  "Good grief!" Honeydew yelled back.
  The dog ran over and licked Xephos' nose. Honeydew grabbed Xephos' arm and began to pull for all he was worth. At the same time, the Dawn Demon pulled so hard on his foot it felt as if his ankle was about to break.
  Xephos felt his trainer loosen. Thankfully, his lace wasn't tied very well and, as the Scullion doll pulled even harder, his trained came off. He slid through the gap and out into the cold air.
  "What's going on?" Honeydew croaked. "is everyone ok?"
  "It's behind me! Keep back and phone the police!" Xephos yelled at the old man.
  He scrambled to his feet and ran on, towards the edge of the waste ground, not sure where he was going or what to do, but sure that the Scullion doll would still be on his tail. Maybe the Alsatian would attack it and slow it down.
  He was right. As he ran along the fence bordering the railway embankment, he heard the dog barking frantically form somewhere behind. And then a pitiful series of yelps told Xephos that his pursuer had got the upper hand. The Dawn Demon closed in again.
    "YOU CAN'T ESCAPE ME, XEPHOS . . . I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! STOP YOU INTERFERING THAN SHE'LL HAVE NO ONE TO HELP HER!"
  Xephos' heart felt as if it was about to burst. He saw a gap between the iron railings and a plan formed in his mind. He plunged through the gap and hurtled down the steep railway embankment. Seconds alter he was running along the edge of the railway lines, the shrieking sailor only fifty or so metres behind.
  Xephos looked up the line - no trains. He glanced behind - no trains - just his pursuer closing the gap between them. He sank to his knees and braced himself for the attack. He looked up the line again - and thought he saw a distant light!
  'Yes! A train!' he thought to himself. I've got to keep running.
  With renewed hope, he leapt to his feet and ran on towards the approaching train. But with every step his legs turned more and more to jelly. He had no more energy.
  "THIS IS IT, XEPHY-BOY!" the voice sounded from behind. "YOU'RE ALL MINE!"
  The horrific figure jumped on to Xephos' back, knocked him to the ground and pinned him to the rails. It sat astride his chest and leered down at his face.
   "You're dead meat, Xephy-boy . . . about to join that friend of yours, Xevphera . . . become a stupid ghost, just like her and her mother . . . walk in paradise forever - and all that crap . . . ha ha ha . . ."
  Xephos gazed upwards, past the doll's face, to the sky. Towards the horizon he could see that it was blood-red. Uncle Ridge's words rang through his mind: 'Red sky dawning . . . sailor's warning!'
  'This is it!' Xephos thought to himself. Uncle Ridge tried to warn me . . . the final showdown.
  The super-strong doll gurgled and giggled, revelling in Xephos' helplessness. It was so intent on his demise that it never saw the train in the distance. It wrapped its heavy wooden hands around Xephos' neck and began to squeeze.
  Xephos tried desperately to slide his left hand into his pocket. But it was no good. The doll was too strong. As it squeezed tighter, he felt the faintness coming over him. 'This is it . . . the end!'
  The train sounded a loud whistle, and for the first time the doll looked up and saw it. It instinctively released its grip on Xephos - just for a few seconds, but time enough . . .
  Xephos plunged his hand into his pocket and felt the coldness of the shiny metal.
  At lightning speed, he withdrew the handcuffs, snapped one half around the doll's wrist, the other on to the rails.
  The Scullion doll hardly had time to work out what had happened. It stared bewilderedly at the stainless-steel band around its wrists. At the same time it looked up again at the approaching train. "What the . . .?"
  Xephos wriggled and tried to free himself, but he was trapped firmly under the doll's weight. The Scullion doll pulled, and pulled but the handcuffs held it fast - like an animal snared in a trap. It shrieked and screamed into the cold dewy air, the train looming ever closer.
  Xephos lay there, the noise of the diesel engine filling his ears. This is the end, he thought to himself, but at least Scullion will go with me. But then the doll pulled so hard it wrenched its arm clean out of its socket. It jumped to its feet, put one foot on Xephos' chest and glowered down at him. "nice try, Xephos," the gruesome figure grinned. "it was nice knowing you . . . I don't think!"
  The train was only seconds away. Xephos tried to roll off the line but the doll's heavy foot held him firm. It was so strong he couldn't move a muscle. This was surely the end!
  "Like I said, Xephos . . . bye-bye!"
  "AND 'BYE-BYE' TO YOU TOO!" a familiar voice yelled, only just audible above the noise of the approaching train.
  All in a blur, her arms around its neck, her hands covering its eyes. "Guess who?" she taunted.
  With only a second to spare, the doll stumbled backwards down the line with Xevphera still clinging on in true piggyback style. It screamed its curses and tried to shrug Xevphera off. But she held on with all her strength.
  Freed form the doll's heavy foot, Xephos instinctively rolled himself off the rails. The train arrived at almost the same instant. He clenched his teeth as the train ploughed into the wooden sailor, the roaring of the diesel engine drowning out its screeching cries. He looked over his shoulder as another figure scrambled down the embankment toward shim. "Are you ok?" What happened?" Lalna shrieked.
  Xephos looked back to the railway lines, to the spot where the last of the Dawn Demons had met his fate. An ominous ring of black mist hovered above the rails. He climbed slowly to his feet and Lalna joined him. The two of them watched in awe as the cloud began to change and distort. Xephos thought he could see Scullion's evil features in it . . .thin, bony face . . . scowling through thin snake-like lips.
  "What is that?" Lalna whispered to Xephos.
  "It's Scullion's spirit!" Xephos replied. "Or at least, what's left of it!"
They continued to stare as Xevphera materialized in the ghostly mist . . . and then two other spectral figures joined her. Xephos recognised one of them as Uncle Ridge.
  "What's going on?" Lalna asked.
  The dog stayed close to Xephos' legs, whining and winging, all its fur standing on end.
  "Scullion's victims . . ." Xephos said knowingly. "They're joining forces."
  "I can't see anyone," Lalna said frustratingly.
  It seemed that Lalna could only see the ring of black mist. But Xephos watched in fascination as the three ghostly figures linked hands and stood in a circle beneath the black cloud. The figures glowed . . . brighter and brighter . . . until they formed a glowing ring so bright that Xephos had to shield his eyes.
    "What's happening now?" Lalna gasped. "What can you see?"
  "They're stronger than him," Xephos said, "the three spirits - Uncle Ridge, Xevphera . . . and her mother. They're forcing him back . . . to where he belongs . . ."
  Lalna nodded. They watched the black cloud begin to fade and break up . . . finally disappearing altogether.
  And then Xephos watched the three figures walk off into the distance and fade in the same way.
    The two friends stood in silence. They walked towards the railway line, to the post where the black cloud had hovered . . . nothing to see, like it had all been a dream.
  Honeydew appeared form somewhere in the distance, limping badly. "Are you all right, lad?" he asked. "What happened here?"
  Xephos turned away form Honeydew's worried expression back tot he railway lines. He saw in his mind's eye the remnants of the doll being ground to dust . . . all traces of the last remaining Dawn Demon gone forever.
  "It's over," he said. "Scullions gone and Xevphera's gone. She rescued me, gave her life - except she was dead already, I suppose. There's only the dog left."
  The Alsatian licked his hand. 'The Three Musketeers, Xevphera would have said,' Xephos thought to himself. He felt a lump form in his throat. He tried to explain to Honeydew what had happened. But it was all too much to take in.
  "Come on," Honeydew said. "Let's get home. You can tell me later."
  The old man struggled the short distance to the station, the two boys taking it in turns to support his weight - his ankle had swollen badly. The dog went with them. Honeydew muttered something about keeping it . . . good company for him . . . a trusting friend and all that.
  From the station, they took a taxi. It was a clever idea; as far as the driver was concerned, the three of them had just returned on the night train and needed a lift home.
  But when they did finally get home, Aunt Kim was up and waiting for them. And as she quite rightly said - they had some explaining to do!

Epilogue
The following day, the weather was glorious.
  With as much sorted out as could be sorted out, Xephos' mu had returned to take the boys home, and they were all sitting on the seafront. Xephos' mum and Aunt Kim were sipping tea on the promenade. Xephos, Lalna and Lomadia were sitting down on the beach in sight of them.
  Lalna looked out over the flat calm sea. Xephos played with Lomadia, digging in the sand. "Look, Xephos!" Lalna suddenly said. "There's boat out there. I think it's the lifeboat . . . it must be on a practice run."
  Xephos gazed out to where Lalna was pointing. At first he couldn't see anything. And then he saw the small vessel - a faint glimmer of orange and blue - a good way out to sea. "Yes, I can see it," he said enthusiastically. "I couldn't see it at first . . . those people paddling - the girl and her mum - they were in the way."
  Lalna looked puzzled. "What people? I can't see anyone paddling!"
  Xephos got up and sauntered down to the shoreline. He peered out over the small waves to the girl and saw that she was standing on the surface of the water. She waved at him and a familiar voice sounded softly in his head: "Thanks for everything, Xephos! We did it - the Three Musketeers. Say Hi to Lalna . . . Take care!"
  He stumbled further into the sea - he couldn't help it. He waved back at her. "Xevphera! Xevphera! Don't go!"
  "Xephos! Are you ok?" a voice shouted form behind.
  Xephos looked back. Lalna was staring at him in a strange way. Lomadia had stopped digging; she looked concerned.
  He struggled for words . . . turned back tot he sea and pointed . . . but she was gone.
  This time he knew that Xevphera was gone forever. He turned back and waved to Lalna . . . waved to Lomadia . . . went back to his place on the beach.
  "Come on, Xephos!" Lalna said. "It's my turn to but the ice creams."
  Xephos smiled and nodded his head. "Brilliant!"