Read The Remarkables (The Remarkable Owen Johnson, part 1) for Free Online Page B

around he saw movement from the back of the room. At the far end, which ran the length of the house, was a man in a long grey jacket and a hat with a narrow brim. It was the man he had seen in the park on his journeys to and from school.
    “Who..?” Owen began to ask, but instinct told him that now w as not the time for questions. He ran from the room to the hallway and made for the front door. Before he could reach it something cold hit his back and he stumbled. Landing on his hands he noticed that the tingling sensation had returned to them, as had the feint glow.
    He turned his head and saw the man standing in the doorway to the kitchen, his hands raised towards him.
    “Do not run,” it instructed in a strained , rasping voice that was so strange sounding it encouraged Owen to do the exact opposite.
    Owen slowly stood up and felt his back, his hands quickly withdrawing from the su dden cold sensation they felt. His bag was covered in ice.
    The front door behind him burst open , through which walked Mrs Argyle purposefully.
    “Run!” Owen shouted. Mrs Argyle stood firm, and swung her right arm in a wide arc towards the centre of her body. As her hand passed in front of her chest Owen felt a strong force push him from his left hand side, launching him through the air into the living room where he landed safely on the sofa. Before he landed though, he saw a white ball of light pass quickly down the hall, through the spot that he had stood. He sprang back up to see Mrs Argyle striding down the hallway, holding her arms close together in front of her, her palms facing together.
    “Go!” s he called out, not looking at him but staring toward the kitchen and the man that stood within. Owen ran back out of the room into the hallway, just behind Mrs Argyle as she passed by. The long window by the front door was frosted over, whereas normally it was completely clear. He was about to exit through the front door when he noticed a bright light coming from behind him. Stopping he turned back to look over his shoulder.
    The kitchen was bathed in a white glow, and even from what must have been over three metres away Owen could feel the bitter cold that was emanating from it. He could see the outline of Mrs Argyle and her hat, still stood with her arms held forward. He could also see the man silhouetted in the kitchen, a dark shadow from which the light seemed to be emitting. The black and white tiled floor on which he stood was slowly being replaced by a layer of ice.
    “Who are you?” Mrs Argyle responded in her usual calm voice, unperturbed by the arctic conditions that were enveloping the house.
    There was no vocal response from the kitchen, but the light d id seem to become more intense. Mrs Argyle took a couple of steps back then lunged forward, resting down on one knee. She thrust her arms further towards the kitchen, hands apart and palms pointing ahead.
    The man lurched back but remained standing, directing his arms towards Mrs Argyle as she did to him, focusing the light upon her. Owen could see her grey coat was becoming covered in ice, which was making a crunching sound as she moved back slightly. Then the man jumped forward suddenly, sending a ball of light at her which Mrs Argyle deflected back past the man. It hit the kitchen cabinets which were instantly encased in a thick layer of ice.
    From the light , flurries of snow were starting to form, swirling around the man so that he looked like he was standing in a giant snow globe. He pushed forward again, knocking Mrs Argyle into the air, her back hitting the ceiling. She fell back to the ground but landed cat-like on all fours; her hat still perched on her head as if stuck there with glue.
    Pouncing forwards she sprinted towards the kitchen, her arms thrust before her. The man was flung backwards, crashing into the kitchen cupboards, shattering the icy covering he had just created. He fell and slid on the icy floor, settling by the glass doors that led to the garden