11.1 - His Close Companions

For decades there have been rumours at St Simeon’s College: whispers of a door that somehow appears, once a year, in the depths of the building.

Some claim it leads to a set of rooms owned by a long-forgotten master of the college, and if you happen to meet him, he’ll invite you inside to hear a story. A tale to chill the blood. But those who hear him speak are never the same.

No one knows who the man is or where the rooms come from. There is no official record of either. And yet they both exist if you know where to look… when the cold, dark nights draw in. Would you like to hear a story? Because the Master’s waiting.

11.1 His Close Companions by Jonathan Barnes
At a provincial school, the headmaster seemingly conjures up a vengeful creature from another world. Years later, only one witness remains… and the Master knows the truth of what’s to come.

11.2 The Foxglove Cylinders by James Goss
When Merton, a young academic, investigates the Foxglove Acquisition, he uncovers a set of cylinders that could conceal voices of ancient cultures. But are they recordings or transmissions?

11.3 The Sitter by Lizzie Hopley
Dorothy Stubbs is plagued by an entity: a man who comes to her house in the dead of night and sits downstairs. Is it just a figment of her imagination? Or is the Sitter of Waterfront Close a thing to be feared?

11.4 Signal and I'll Come to You by Tim Foley
After a train vanishes in a tunnel on a rural branch line, Mr Eliot has no choice but to revisit his past to tackle the present. Why is history repeating itself? And will this be the Master’s final tale?

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