Derry Girls: New Horizons, Part 1

Snake in the grass

CRUNCH.... SNAP.....CRACK.

Whatever the noise was. It was enough to wake James from his slumber. Father Peter and Marco were sound asleep in the tent. The wee English fella stepped out of his sleeping bag and grabbed his video camera and a flashlight. As he stood outside the tent, James pressed record and pointed both the flashlight and camera towards where the sound was coming from. The flashlight shone eerily against the tree trunks in the distance but there was no one there. He shifted from left to right every time the noise occurred. It sounded like stone crashing on stone, a single clattering noise, so he thought. The only other sound he could hear was his English breathing. The night had brought a brisk chill in the air which he felt as he shuddered standing in his shorts and t shirt. James scrunched his eyes and tilted his ear towards the strange sound.

CRACK!

James gasped with fright as he turned to his left. The sound was closer but there was still no one there. There was silence. He could only hear his own voice whispering and shaking from both fright and the cold. Asking himself what the noise was.

"Hiya James?"

Feeling a hand on his shoulder; James jumped.... He jolted round to see a figure standing there. The flashlight jolted everywhere before he could see who it was.

"....... Orla?" He squeaked. "What is wrong with you? You scared the shit out of me!" He groaned. His face contorted with fear.

"Ach, that's a grand impression of Erin, that is, James." She laughed. James shushed her.

"What are you doing up at..... 3am?" James whispered, looking at his watch.

"I needed the toilet. What are you doing up?" Orla replied curiously.

"Shhhh.... Listen." He whispered. James pointed and they both listened. Orla furrowed her eyes with curiosity, but there was nothing.

"I don't hear anything." Orla said. Shaking her head. "Why, what was it?"

"Well, if I knew, I would have said." James huffed.

"Fair answer. Alright, Night James." She yawned, she ruffled his hair and bounced back to her tent.

"Yeah.... Night Orla." He looked around, feeling himself shudder from the cold again. He sauntered cautiously back to his own tent. Neither of them had noticed that Coco Pops had been standing outside Clare's tent the whole time. His ears erected, on alert.

A few hours later, just before 7am. Orla was up again. Always the early riser. She stood in her t-shirt, long shorts, and husky slippers as she breathed in the early morning air. Strapping her hunting knife around her waist, she walked over to the campfire to get it going again. She then regarded the fire with a strange curiosity. Her eyes widened, she hummed an alarming groan at the scattered pieces that lay on the ground. She darted quickly over to the boy's tent.

"Marco?..... James?....." She whispered in alarm.

"Oi! What d'ya want?" A voice came from behind.

Orla jolted round and sighed to see Marco in front of her. She was just about to speak when the tranquil silence of the campsite; the gentle crackling of logs on the smouldering campfire, the splendour of the sun shining through the small gaps between the fir trees..... There was a sudden, bone chilling scream. James darted out of the tent. Everyone quickly clambered out of their tents in succession, Clare, Laurie, and Erin along with the younger pupils. Father Peter poked his head out of the tent in alarm while Coco Pops barked hysterically. They all looked in the direction of the scream. Meanwhile, Sister Michael and Sister Josephine had just descended upon the camp.