The Word Guardians: and the Twisting Tales

by Lawrence Yarham

  “Is he saying something?” asked Yas, squinting.

  “I don’t know,” replied Sam. “I think he’s spotted us though.”

  Orfeo disappeared briefly from the stern of the boat. The boat accelerated, lifting out of the water onto hydrofoils. Then Orfeo re-appeared at the stern and waved, smugly.

  Sam throttled the jet-ski to maximum, but even Eddie on the faster jet-ski could not make headway.

  “Damn it!” vented Sam, slapping one hand on the handlebars, as he watched the yacht pull further away from them. “Why can’t we have the advantage, for once?”

  Orfeo’s boat passed under a bridge and stretched out quite a lead. Yas could still see the boat, but it was disappearing into the distance.

  “Maybe we can,” thought Yas aloud. She looked down at the back of the jet-ski and wondered what might be able to help them go faster.

  Up ahead, Orfeo’s boat leaned sharply and turned left, heading towards the shore.

  “Where’s he going now?” shouted Eddie.

  Yas looked up. Orfeo’s boat was making a tight turn but was slowing also, the hydrofoils dropping back into the water. The boat disappeared out of sight. This didn’t make sense.

  “Looks like he’s docking,” Sam shouted back. “Where are we, anyway?”

  “I think there’s a marina,” Eddie shouted. He had a slightly better vantage point ahead of them.

  “Okay,” Sam shouted back. “Let’s catch up to them, but carefully.”

  They passed under the bridge. They could hear sounds of traffic passing overhead. It was not something that Yas had expected, and she mused at how magical and different the world seemed on the water. She hugged Sam closer, gratefully.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she replied. “I was just thinking… we should do this together another time.”

  “Yes,” agreed Sam. “I’d like that.”

  Eddie, ahead of them, shouted, “he’s docking up!”

  “You go ahead,” shouted Sam. “We’ll be right behind you!”

  Both jet-skis roared into the marina way faster than they should, creating wakes. Other actors shouted at them to slow down. They throttled back, so that they could make the tight turns, and so that they didn’t attract unnecessary attention. Unfortunately, it gave Orfeo time to moor his yacht and escape.

  They docked their jet-skis at the first empty jetty and dismounted. Yas touched her hand to her wetsuit and changed back into dry clothes, skinny jeans, a dark t-shirt and her trademark ripped leather look jacket. Sam and Eddie each used word magic to change back into dry land clothes also, Sam was in a hoodie and jeans and Eddie a fitted shirt and jeans.

  “Going somewhere special?” teased Sam, looking at Eddie.

  “It’s my style,” Eddie replied defensively, gesturing to himself.

  “It suits you,” Yas complimented. “Ignore him,” she gestured to Sam.

  “Come on,” she said, switching back to the task at hand. “Let’s see if they are still on the boat.”

  Together, they ran along the jetty and around little huts and shop stores to give them as much cover as they could. There were few actors down here at this time, but some ethereal readers hovered around them. Yas briefly wondered what stories may be playing out here.

  They located Orfeo’s yacht and made their way along the boardwalks towards it. They looked around to see if they had attracted any attention. Everything seemed quiet. A little too quiet.

  “Where’s everyone gone?” asked Sam, as they crouched and made their way up to the side of the boat.

  “I don’t know,” whispered Yas.

  The boat was securely moored. They quickly stepped on board and Sam signalled to Eddie to make his way up towards the bow and come around the other side.

  Sam looked into the room that led from the stern deck. The glass doors were closed, but there was a television inside, that had been left on. It was playing news items.

  “Stay here,” whispered Sam to Yas. “I’ll check up there.”

  Sam climbed the steps next to them and made his way to the upper deck. Above the sounds of water lapping gently against the hull, she heard his footsteps above. Then he came back down again.

  “There’s no-one around,” he said. “It’s like they’ve just disappeared.”

  “Where have they gone?” asked Yas, a little frustrated. She wracked her brains. They hadn’t had that long to dock and disembark. It didn’t make any sense.

  Eddie appeared the other side of the boat.

  “Anyone?” Yas asked.

  “No,” he replied. “Nothing.”

  Sam tried the handle to the room with the television. To his surprise it was unlocked.

  He looked at Yas, his eyebrows raised.

  “One of us should stay outside?” suggested Sam.

  “I’ll keep an eye out,” said Eddie. “You two go in.”

  Sam nodded at Eddie and stepped inside, followed by Yas.

  Yas stood still, shocked by the pictures on the television. A building was in flames.

  Sam continued past the television and along the corridor that led to the bow of the boat. He checked each room to see if anyone was still on board.

  Yas meanwhile continued to watch the news.

  “Sam!” she shouted, shocked. The building in flames was the library and the reporters were talking about protests that had turned ugly.

  “There’s no one here,” Sam said, making his way back.

  He saw the shock on Yas’s face. “What’s wrong?”

  “No!” Yas said, raising her hand to her mouth. She pointed to the television.

  “What?” Sam asked, joining her and turning to watch.

  Five photographs were shown on the screen, the reporter indicating that these were the suspected vigilantes that the police wanted for questioning. The pictures were of Yas, Sam, Eddie, Janine and Peter.

  “No!” denied Yas again. “This can’t be happening!”

  The reporter continued to say that Peter Swift was a police officer who had been suspected of being in league with the rioters, helping to set the building on fire.

  “We’re not to blame!” Yas cried out, in anger. “That wasn’t us!”

  “Yas,” said Sam, grabbing Yas’s hand. “We’re still in a realm, remember. This is not real.”

  “But it’s real, here,” Yas said, defeated. “How are we going to get to Orfeo if everyone’s searching for us?”

  “That’s it,” replied Sam. “That’s what’s been bothering me ever since we saw Orfeo on the boat.

  “What?” asked Yas.

  “He got away from us in the Hanging Gardens,” replied Sam. “Why did he bother to show himself again, and why did the doorways bring us both to the same place? I think it’s too much of a coincidence.”

  “I see what you mean,” Yas agreed.

  “Think about it,” Sam continued. “He could have just floated by. Not announced his presence. We’d never have known. It’s like he was baiting us.”

  “He wanted us to follow him?” asked Yas, catching on. “Oh crap! It’s a trap! And we fell for it!”

  “Exactly,” nodded Sam.

  “But why does he want us? He’s got Akoni and Prana.”

  The face of Orfeo appeared over the top of the news broadcast, interrupting them.

  “Ahh, there you are. It’s about time you got here,” he crowed. “You don’t look like drowned rats anymore.” He paused, for effect. “More like rats in a trap!” His amusement was evident.

  “What do you want?” asked Yas, irritated.

  “I say stay away and you follow me,” replied Orfeo, ignoring her. “Don’t you ever listen to your father? Keep your head down?”

  “What do you know about my dad?” retorted Yas, getting more frustrated. Then the penny dropped. “You saw me arguing with my dad. You were watching.”

  “That’s creepy,” remarked Sam, looking at Yas.

  “It was you that changed the photographs and documents
in the folder, wasn’t it?” she continued.

  “Oh, I can’t take the credit for what you wanted to see, though,” he replied, looking at her pointedly. “I just allowed the magic to reach you.” He paused to let that sink in. Yas remembered the breeze she’d felt as she opened the folder that morning. She kicked herself mentally. She should have realised sooner that it had to have been realm magic.

  Sam looked back at Orfeo. “You’ve got serious issues, dude!”

  “Well, now that you’re here,” Orfeo continued, ignoring Sam’s comment, “I’ve arranged a little welcoming committee. Why don’t you join me?”

  “Incoming!” replied Eddie, looking worried. “We’ve got company!”

  “Welcoming committee?” repeated Sam, glancing outside to Eddie “Who did you send?” he added, turning back to Orfeo and repeating his words from earlier.

  “Where are you?” shouted Sam. “We’re coming for you!”

  “Oh, I can’t wait!” he replied, gleefully, then disappeared.

  They ran back outside to join Eddie and looked around.

  “What have we got?” asked Sam.

  “Police, coming from all directions!” he pointed.

  Sirens and flashing lights were visible at three different points in the marina with another car further back.

  “Damn it!” remarked Sam, angrily. “We need another way out!”

  “I’ve got an idea,” suggested Yas. “But I can’t believe I’m saying it.”

  “What?” asked Sam.

  “This way,” she said. She grabbed Sam by the hand, and they ran to the starboard side of the boat, where there was open water. “We jump,” she said.

  “Oh crap!” moaned Eddie. “I still can’t swim, remember!”

  “I’ve got you,” Sam replied, letting go of Yas’s hand and grabbing Eddie. “On three right?” he nodded to him.

  “Three!” said Sam cheekily and jumped, pulling Eddie with him. He figured there was no point in prolonging the suspense. Yas jumped too.

  The drop was further than they’d thought. They hit the water hard and went under. It wasn’t freezing, but the cold shocked their systems and took their breath away. They surfaced and kicked hard to tread water.

  “Just like swimming lessons, right?” suggested Sam to Yas.

  “Except I’m fully dressed and soaked,” Yas replied back. “Again!”

  Eddie floundered next to Sam, but Sam grabbed him and hoisted him up in the water for a moment.

  “You’re okay!” he urged, to try to calm Eddie’s splashing. “We just need some flippers. That would really help about now.”

  In response, their clothing changed back to wetsuits, and flippers appeared on their feet.

  “Awesome!” remarked Sam, finding it much easier to kick.

  Eddie appeared next to him with a lifejacket and his panic calmed.

  “Yas? You okay?” Sam checked.

  “Better now,” she replied, the flippers helping her keep her head above water.

  They could hear voices approaching.

  “We’d better move away from the boat,” suggested Yas.

  “Ok,” said Sam. “Which way?”

  “I noticed a dark spot over there,” Yas pointed past the bow. “No lights. No police.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” agreed Sam. “Come on then.” Yas started to swim in that direction. Sam reached out to Eddie’s lifejacket. “I’ve got you,” he reassured, grabbing the front of it. “Just kick. I’ll do the rest.”

  Eddie nodded, uncertain but calmer than he was before.

  Together, they moved away from the boat, swimming diagonally away from its bow, into a less lit area. With the flippers, they made good head way, putting a few boat lengths between them and the yacht, but it wasn’t long before they heard voices up on the deck.

  Yas twisted around to glance back at the boat and saw flashlights searching the water. She motioned to Sam and Eddie to be quiet. Together they stopped and ducked their faces down as close to the water as they dared, to minimise the amount of skin visible.

  The men moved up to the top deck where they had a better view behind. They shone their flashlights down into the water. Yas, Sam and Eddie could hear the men’s voices, but not what they were saying. She presumed that they were trying to figure out which direction the three of them had gone. She turned and continued swimming, keeping as fluid and quiet a motion as she could. Fortunately, the water was calm, and no-one had noticed them.

  The flashlights changed their focus, searching the water towards the entrance of the marina, rather than the quieter section that the three of them were in. They swam under a pier. The water was much less disturbed here and a little dirty on the surface. Yas tried not to think of what she was swimming through, keeping her head up and continuing to look around her.

  “Ergh!” remarked Eddie behind her.

  “Ssh!” shushed Sam.

  “It’s gross!”

  “Just keep swimming,” whispered Sam. “Yas has a plan.”

  Yas smiled. She wasn’t sure she would call this a plan but made a mental note to thank Sam later.

  Behind them, more flashlights were searching the marina. Two men had jumped into a small motor-powered dinghy and had roared off to where they had parked the jet-skis. The focus of the search seemed to be where they had come from, rather than where they had gone, which was great news for the three of them.

  The water became shallower, and their flippers transformed into water shoes. They stood up and made their way awkwardly across large round rocks towards the shore, staying as low as they could. They were in a part of the harbour used for seaplanes and hidden from view of the main marina by the pier and a restaurant. Yas scanned the walkway above them to try to figure out where it could take them.

  With the water about knee height, they made a dash to the shore. Eddie and Sam followed behind, Sam tapping Eddie’s lifejacket so that it disappeared, leaving them to be three dark shapes moving about.

  A ramp enabled them to make their way up onto the walkway and the three of them ran quickly to the right, into a large park on the side of the marina. At night, the park was mostly dark, and they stayed off the main paths, moving through the trees to give them shelter.

  Safely away from the water, they stopped and turned.

  “Where now?” asked Sam, breathless, doubling over.

  “Let’s get out of these clothes first,” suggested Yas, touching her legs with both hands and feeling the warmth of skinny jeans, sweater and jacket forming around her again. Eddie and Sam did likewise. Eddie shivered for a moment as he felt the warmth.

  “Okay,” said Eddie. “What next?”

  “We need to find out where Orfeo went,” Yas replied. “We still need to get to Akoni and Prana.”

  “Where do you think we should start looking?” asked Sam, catching his breath and standing up.

  “I don’t know,” replied Yas. She looked about. “I have this feeling that they are in the downtown area of whatever city this is.”

  “Any ideas why Orfeo is here?” asked Sam.

  “No. Only that he clearly had this all planned out,” replied Yas. “Let’s just find them first, then figure out the rest from there.”

  “Okay, then,” agreed Sam, grabbing her hand and nodding. “We go with your gut feel. Which way?”

  Yas looked around quickly.

  “This way,” she pointed and started half walking, half running. “It looks like it leads to a parking lot and an intersection heading downtown.”

  “Okay,” agreed Sam, he and Eddie following. “Let’s keep to the shadows.”

  They made their way from the trees onto a darker path running along the edge of the park. It was one of those trails that you wouldn’t want to be on if you were alone, at night, but it suited them perfectly.

  “Listen,” Eddie said to Sam as they ran.

  “What’s up?” asked Sam.

  “I just wanted to say thanks,” he continued. “You know for back there in
the water.”

  “Sure,” Sam shrugged.

  “I appreciate it,” replied Eddie.

  “No problem,” Sam said, slapping Eddie on the shoulder. He was glad of the gesture and genuinely surprised that he felt differently about Eddie. He wasn’t sure what had changed, only that Eddie wasn’t irritating the crap out of him at the moment. He hoped that continued.

  Unseen by any of them and in the shadows behind, a creature of the sort that the imagination conjures up on such dark unlit pathways at night dropped down from the side of a building. Its large head and mouth were drooling, its long arms almost dragging along the ground. It started lumbering along the path towards them.

  “This place gives me the creeps,” said Eddie, as they continued along in the darkness.

  “I know what you mean,” agreed Yas, just ahead. “Makes me feel cold. Nervous somehow.”

  The path started to climb up towards the side of a road. The street was lit, but not as well as the intersection a little further ahead. Yas approached the road and looked left and right for any signs of police. Fortunately, there were none.

  She signalled to Sam and Eddie and together they sprinted across the road and into an alleyway between two tall buildings the other side. She looked behind them to make sure they weren’t being followed. Her eyes widened. She thought she had spotted something, then she convinced herself that it was her imagination on overdrive. She took a deep breath.

  “We’re okay,” she soothed herself.

  Sam noticed.

  “You okay?” he asked, catching up to her and touching her on the arm.

  “Yeah,” she replied, blowing out another breath. “The lights are playing tricks on my mind. I thought I saw a shape move, in the shadows, near the streetlight.”

  Sam turned and looked but saw nothing.

  “Probably just the place getting to you,” he said, trying to be reassuring.

  “Okay,” Yas acknowledged, as they continued into the darkness of the alleyway. She hoped that he was right.

  They made their way along the block behind one of the main streets. The ground level of the buildings had doors to the backs of shops and above that were apartments with fire escape ladders. They made their way past dumpsters and around parked cars.