"Good morning, everybody, and welcome to the new term at Coal Hill School. I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas break.
"My name is Mister Chapman and I am your new Headmaster. I hope I can live up to the career of the late Mister Briggs, who I am sure you all miss.
"Before we start assembly, there are one or two items I would like to mention. Firstly, a warm welcome to my fellow newcomers, Mister Burton and Miss Green. You may remember Mister Burton, who took over the Science Room on a temporary basis before Christmas. The position has now been made permanent. Miss Green is our new History teacher. I'm sure you'll make them both feel at home, as it were.
"There is still no word on the whereabouts of our previous Science and History teachers, Mister Chesterton and Miss Wright. Some of you may have been interviewed by the police as part of the missing persons enquiry.
"In addition, it would appear that class 5C will be without a pupil this term. Susan Foreman, who left suddenly towards the end of November, will not be returning. The school received a letter from her Grandfather, saying they had left the area.
"Finally, I'm sure a lot of you will have been involved in the activities of last month, when the Army had to evacuate the area due to the discovery of a number of unexploded bombs from the War. I have been assured that the area is now safe.
"Now, if you would like to turn to page twelve of your hymn books..."
***
At lunchtime, Karen and Mary were in their usual hiding place, behind the bike sheds, smoking. Frost clung to the nearby trees.
"What do you think of Chapman?" Mary asked. She was pleased she had beaten her friend to the question, so she could follow her lead.
Karen frowned. "Seems alright, I suppose. Don't think he'll be as soft as Briggsy though."
For a few minutes they puffed away in silence, filling the cold air with their smoke.
"So, Susan Foreman's gone," Karen commented.
"Good riddance," Mary said, knowing she was echoing her friend's thoughts.
Karen nodded. "Weird one, she was. At least Mooresy will be pleased." They laughed together.
"What do you think happened to Ma Wright and Chesty?" Mary asked.
"Run off together, I reckon."
"Really? Urgh, what a horrible thought!"
Again, the two girls dissolved into a fit of giggles.
***
"What do you mean, you're scaling down the investigation?"
"Look, Mrs Hill, we've been looking into Miss Wright's disappearance, but there are no leads. We can only maintain an investigation for so long without any evidence to go on."
Linda fumed. "That's not good enough, Inspector. Barbara is my cousin and she's been missing for over six weeks now. I expect results, not excuses."
"With all due respect, your cousin's disappearance isn't the only case we have to work on. All of them involve people who are expecting us to get a result for them. We only have so much manpower to spread around."
"Well, I don't think it's good enough," Linda told him. She headed for the door, but paused before leaving the police station. "I shall be speaking to my MP over this," she announced, slamming the door behind her.
***
The little girl woke up screaming.
Within moments her mother was there to comfort her. To tell her it was only a nightmare. But, if that was true, why did it seem so real?
In the nightmare, hideous alien creatures were using her to hurt people. It was always the same. She had had the same dream now every night for weeks.
Mother said she was going to see the Doctor tomorrow. For some reason, this upset the girl even more.
***
In the offices of Davidson, Reid and Redhead (Solicitors), an argument was taking place.
"But how can the estate have been settled?"
The clerk sighed. "The estate of Mister Isaac Foreman was settled in August of last year, when his brother Jonathan came forward to claim his inheritance."
"That's impossible," declared the man.
"Why?"
"Because I'm Isaac's brother. I am Jonathan Foreman!"
***
A bald headed man in his fifties answered the door to her knock. He looked quizzically at his visitor.
"I was wondering if you knew where Ian was? Ian Chesterton, who lives next door," she clarified.
The man nodded. "Gorn, love."
"Gone?" she repeated.
"Vanished. Took off before Christmas 'e did. Run orf with a teacher from that school of 'is, the wife said."
She frowned. "Oh. Well, thank you."
"Pleasure, darlin'," the man said, closing the door.
Well, that changes things, she thought. During the last six months, she had decided that life was too short to waste. Her experiences had taught her that she should have followed her heart in the first place, not fled from her feelings and the man she was sure had feelings for her. She had returned home, hoping to pick up where she had left off. Hoping she and Ian could build a life together.
But now that was impossible. He had found someone else and gone off to who knows where. She knew she should have stayed.
Heaving a sad sigh, Carol Marshall walked off into the gathering gloom of the winter evening.
