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The Old Ways · Strand 002

The Leaving

By Matt Watson

A newcomer breaks a village ritual that demands you walk home without stopping or looking behind you.

10 documents
The Old Ways 002 001 · 1 of 10

Bellmere Parish Notice - The Leaving

BELLMERE PARISH NOTICE
Notice dated 16 September.

Residents are reminded that the Leaving will take place this evening.

One person from each household must attend Hollow Field after sunset.

Take bread to the northern stone.

Leave separately.

Return home alone.

Do not stop.

Do not answer anyone behind you.

Do not look back.

New residents should ask a neighbour if they are unsure of the route.

by Matt Watson
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The Old Ways 002 002 · 2 of 10

Text Messages - Tom and Daniel, 18:36

T
Tom Hale
Messages with Daniel Price
DANIEL PRICE · MOBILE
18:36
Mrs Bell has been round again
what now
apparently one of us has to do the village bread thing tonight
definitely you
knew you’d say that
I cooked
she gave me a list of rules
of course she did
leave bread at stone
walk straight home
don’t stop
don’t answer anyone
don’t look behind you
anyone?
that’s what she said
and?
she said “especially if you know them”
okay fuck that
twenty mins
love you
love you too
by Matt Watson
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The Old Ways 002 003 · 3 of 10

Oral History Recording - Edith Bell, 1987

BELLMERE LOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY
Oral History Recording
Extract
Recorded1987
IntervieweeEdith Bell
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
INTERVIEWER:What follows people back from the stone?
EDITH BELL:We never called it anything.
INTERVIEWER:But you heard it?
EDITH BELL:Every year.
INTERVIEWER:What did it sound like?
EDITH BELL:Depends who you’ve buried.
[pause]
INTERVIEWER:What did you hear?
EDITH BELL:My father.
EDITH BELL:He’d died that February.
EDITH BELL:First he called me Edie.
EDITH BELL:Then he told me my stocking was falling down.
[pause]
EDITH BELL:He used to say that when I was little. Walking to church. He’d tap my leg and tell me to pull it up.
EDITH BELL:Nobody else ever said it.
INTERVIEWER:Did you answer him?
EDITH BELL:No.
EDITH BELL:He started crying.
EDITH BELL:Then he said he was cold.
EDITH BELL:Then he asked why I’d left him in the ground.
[pause]
EDITH BELL:Then he started running.
INTERVIEWER:Did you look behind you?
EDITH BELL:No.
INTERVIEWER:Why not?
EDITH BELL:Because my mother told me something before I left.
INTERVIEWER:What?
[pause]
EDITH BELL:Whatever comes back with your face got it because you gave it to them.
by Matt Watson
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The Old Ways 002 004 · 4 of 10

Text Messages - Tom and Daniel, 21:39

T
Tom Hale
Messages with Daniel Price
DANIEL PRICE · MOBILE
21:39
bread delivered
congratulations
officially a local now
don’t look behind you 😂
piss off
21:43
someone else is out here
neighbour?
behind me
probably someone else doing it
they’re following me
fuck off tom!
footsteps are matching mine exactly
stop it. Get home before your dinner gets cold.
21:49
?
Where are you?
I keep nearly looking
TOM! Just get the fuck home your scaring me!
by Matt Watson
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The Old Ways 002 005 · 5 of 10

Voice Message - Tom to Daniel

Voice Message
From Tom to Daniel
Time21:50
[AUDIO PLAYBACK]
TOM:Dan.
TOM:Don’t ring.
TOM:Just listen.
[footsteps]
TOM:It’s close.
TOM:Really close.
[second set of footsteps audible]
TOM:It keeps changing.
TOM:Mum. You. Mum again.
[pause]
TOM:Now it sounds like you.
[footsteps]
TOM:It’s saying everything half a second before I say it.
[second voice, faint]
SECOND VOICE:Stop.
[second voice, faint]
SECOND VOICE:Stop.
SECOND VOICE:Tom, stop.
[pause]
TOM:Did you hear that?
TOM:That was you.
[breathing]
TOM:It’s right fucking behind me.
[second voice, very close]
SECOND VOICE:TOM, HELP ME.
[pause]
TOM:No.
[footsteps quicken]
TOM:No.
TOM:No.
[recording ends]
by Matt Watson
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The Old Ways 002 006 · 6 of 10

Text Messages - Tom and Daniel, 21:53

T
Tom Hale
Messages with Daniel Price
DANIEL PRICE · MOBILE
21:53
keep walking
Tom?
answer me
21:55
I looked
WHY
it sounded like you were hurt
what did you see
[pause]
Tom
me
what do you mean
standing there
run
i was smiling
RUN
21:57
where are you? Answer your fucking phone!
nearly home
I’ll come outside
no
why
stay inside
Tom?
lock the door
what’s happening
[pause]
sorry
No further messages sent from Thomas Hale’s handset.
by Matt Watson
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The Old Ways 002 007 · 7 of 10

Police Incident Log - A417

Police Incident Log
Date:22:31
Subject:A417, approx. 1.4 miles outside Bellmere

Police attended the A417 following reports of a male standing on the grass verge close to the eastbound carriageway.

Male located approximately 1.4 miles outside Bellmere.

He was barefoot and wearing trousers and a shirt. No coat.

Male remained stationary as officers approached and did not respond when first spoken to.

After repeated attempts to engage him, male gave his name as Thomas Hale and provided an address in Bellmere.

No visible injuries noted.

Hale appeared confused but was able to answer basic questions.

OFFICER: Do you know where you are?

HALE: Yes.

OFFICER: Where?

HALE: Nearly home.

OFFICER: How did you get here?

[pause]

HALE: I walked.

OFFICER: From where?

HALE: Hollow Field.

OFFICER: Were you with anyone?

HALE: No.

[pause]

HALE: Not when I got here.

Hale declined medical treatment.

Officers transported him to his home address.

by Matt Watson
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The Old Ways 002 008 · 8 of 10

Text Messages - Daniel and Mrs Bell

B
Mrs Bell
Messages with Daniel Price
DANIEL PRICE · MOBILE
sorry to message so late
tom said to tell you if anything happened tonight
he's back
police brought him, they found him out by the motorway
he's hardly speaking
did he look behind him
he told me he did
what did he see
he saw different people. Me, his mother, himself.
Mrs Bell what's wrong with him
[pause]
Daniel
do not let him touch you
by Matt Watson
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The Old Ways 002 009 · 9 of 10

999 Call Transcript - Hollow Field

999 Call Transcript
Caller:[REDACTED]
Date:17 September
Time:06:43
Call handler:[REDACTED]
CALLER:There’s a body in Hollow Field.
OPERATOR:Are you sure they’re deceased?
CALLER:Yes.
OPERATOR:Can you tell me what you can see?
[pause]
CALLER:I don’t know how to say this.
OPERATOR:Just describe what you can.
CALLER:There’s no skin on him.
by Matt Watson
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The Old Ways 002 010 · 10 of 10

Body-Worn Video Transcript - Number 11

Body-Worn Video Transcript
Date:17 September, 14:42
Subject:Number 11, [REDACTED] Lane

Following examination of the body recovered from Hollow Field, a wallet containing Thomas Hale’s driving licence and a mobile telephone registered to him were recovered beside the body. The deceased was provisionally identified as Thomas Hale, 38, of Number 11, [REDACTED] Lane.

Identification was confirmed through dental records.

At 14:42 officers attended Hale’s home address to speak with Daniel Price.

[recording begins]

The front door was opened by the male located by officers on the A417 the previous evening.

The male had previously identified himself as Thomas Hale.

OFFICER: Is Daniel here?

MALE: Upstairs.

OFFICER: And your name?

[pause]

MALE: Tom.

OFFICER: Thomas Hale?

MALE: Yes.

[approximately six seconds silence]

OFFICER: Sir, I need you to step outside.

MALE: Why?

OFFICER: Step outside please.

[pause]

MALE: You found him.

[recording ends]

by Matt Watson
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