by Karen Binnie
Chapter 32
Jason closed the great oak doors behind him as he left Clarintor to her fate with the Grand Master. At the centre of the polished oak table sat the All Seeing Eye, sleeping among the tumultuous clouds of the night within the globe. Clarintor watched carefully the Grand Masters movements as he caressed the thick glass revelling in triumph at his latest trophy. It was as if Clarintor were not there, lost in the moment as he was, like a lover gently caressing his woman’s skin, his fingertips danced across the surface, if it were not for the deep amber of his eyes that betrayed him, he would have appeared almost human. She kept her amusement hidden when the eye refused to open on his command, the eye had only one master and that was her.
Without looking in her direction he commanded she approach, his spiny finger tapped impatiently scratching the polished grain, of the table, “You will command the eye to open” he demanded.
Clarintor edged slowly round the table until she faced him from the opposite side, her hands were shaking, any attempt must be successful yet she barely had time to master the art, only having used it as a contact to Pete. This she knew was possible, her only option right now was to contact Pete although she had said she released him, he was still a puppet of her power, now to force the eye to reveal his whereabouts.
The Grand Master watched as she placed each hand either side of the globe, “No tricks, unless you wish your right ear to match the left, show me what you do, I will then decide if you are worth saving.”
Clarintor allowed her life force to tease the glass of the eye as she had done before, willing it to acknowledge her and open, seconds passed as her racing heart began to slow, the dense boom of the drum within her chest grew louder with each beat. She could sense his frustration and anger stabbing at the air as she closed her eyes, the sweat beads of concentration evident. She focussed on Pete as the eye reluctantly raised its lid, first glancing at the Grand Master then shooting her a displeased look. The liquid within became cloudy, wisps of black darting back and forth, fowling the image. ‘Come on’ she thought ‘don't fail me now.’
The image blurred into life, through the black void of the eye she witnessed the scene through Pete's eyes as the Grand Master leaned forward closing in to join her.
Realisation of what was happening gradually stabbed at her thoughts as she witnessed the dawn of her pretentious demonic birth but the scene was all wrong as her memories of that day returned. Tadge had been the only witness, the one to kill her twin, she watched as his powers combined with the girl destroyed Marinus and could not help the smile that caressed her lips. Beneath the cloak his heart stopped beating as she sucked the life force from her brother but in her memories, Tadge had left thinking his task complete only this time there were witnesses, lots of witnesses.
A sense of foreboding washed over her as she watched in horror the bolt strike her body, Clarintor doubled at the table, feeling the pain, ‘No this cannot be.’
The poison spread quickly through her veins giving her very little time to witness who had dealt the sickening blow, her body fought against her mind as it began to shrink beneath her. The hideous laugh from across the table echoed across the room, amusement on the face of the Grand Master as he watched her demise. This, the final act of Clarintor’s play a joy for him to watch, far more entertaining than dealing with her himself. It took longer for the grown Clarintor to die than her former self, her eyes popped from their sockets and sat on the cheeks that withdrew into her skull, steam hissed from her clothes as the final remnants of her body crumpled upon the table, turning to a fine dust which soiled the polished wood.
The Grand Master frowned at the tarnished grain, she could of at least had the decency to defile the floor. He began to laugh, a deep throated belly laugh cut off in the instant he witnessed Kroil wrench the eye from its pedestal.
The thick air grew with his anger when his eye vanished from sight, just a mark in Clarintor’s ash, the only indication that it had even been there, no matter, a minor setback, he knew where to find Kroil and the eye but would Kroil be able to command it? Walking over to the waiting cabinet he gently closed the doors as his frustrations rocked the room, “JASON.”
The darkness rose like a veil lifted from a brides face and sunlight danced across my sleeping eyes, the warmth awakening my body to face reality. Opening my eyes slowly it was difficult to focus at first, the pain in my back, stiff from the way I had been lying. Reluctantly I stretch out my limbs, awkwardly trying to push my muscles back into life. I feel groggy, like I’ve been asleep for days, knocked completely out so not even a vision or nightmares came to haunt me but I can’t stop yawning, the weariness evident throughout my body. Lazily I scrub away the sleep from my eyes and blink against the sunlight streaming into the room. The voile curtain sways gently against the breeze of the open window allowing the sunlight to chase at the shadows. It must be lunch time, the sun sits high in the sky, I wonder what has made me sleep in for so long, I’m usually an early riser. My tongue leeches itself against the back of my teeth, the inside of my furry mouth, dry as a bone and in desperate need of a drink.
With what little energy I have I manage to throw off the duvet, that’s strange, I’m still wearing my clothes. I struggle to release my legs still numb with sleep and swing them over the edge of the bed, my wandering feet eventually finding my slippers. Easing up I find myself yawning again as I pad up the hall in the direction of the kitchen, modes of dust floating before my eyes in the stale air.
Memories seem lost to me, I have no idea what day it is or why dad left me to sleep for so long. The aches in my body tell me I must have been ill.
The bright light of day greets me as I enter the kitchen, the sunlight penetrating every inch of the ranch slider doors, I open the first cupboard to block out the brightness and locate a glass from the shelf. In robotic fashion I close the door and shuffle over to the sink, struggling against the force of the cold tap, I can barely find enough strength to wrench it free. The pipes whine and groan and with a thump the water splashes into the sink, I wait for it to flow freely, a habit gained after reading the warnings issued by the local council that old pipes contain traces of metal which should be flushed free before drinking. I watch the cool water splash my hand as the glass overflows, I turn the tap off as I lift the water to my dry lips. The dripping tap like a hammer inside my skull as I attempt to refresh my tongue now threatening to walk away from its anchor in disgust.
As I drink, my gaze wanders towards the tiled floor and a dark stain which lies there, what the hell! To my right a dirty tea towel crumpled yet crisp next to the dustpan and brush filled with the crushed remnants of dad’s favourite coffee mug. Ugghh! He has left it lying on the side and not even washed the floor, he must have left in a hurry.
I place the glass on the counter top and reach for the dirty towel, I have to clean up the mess. I lift up the dustpan and brush when something else catches my eye, glinting in the rays of sun, I drop them in stunned silence, the contents spilling once again across the floor as the shards of pottery clatter on the tiles.
The tiny studs on the small band of leather sends pricks of light across my face, I stare at the object, Alice's collar, the bell long torn from its ring. The collar stabs at my heart like a bad dream as my legs buckle from under me I reach forward to grab it, wrapping my fingers around it so tightly my knuckles are white. Alice, Al'ice, his image plays at the fringes of my mind, my beautiful Al'ice, my love, where is he?
I return to my room clutching the small collar in my hand, I leave the mess in the kitchen, what does it matter to me now. The hollow in my heart grows throughout the afternoon as I lie there curled up in a ball, the past week’s events replaying themselves in my mind like a bad movie I can’t stop.
Only once did I move, tearing myself away from the images to relieve myself, a brief moment of practical luxury when a distant knock dares to invade my privacy. Lost in my heartache I do not realise someone is outs
ide, I do not hear the scrape against wood as a leaf of paper passes under the door, I do not hear the gentle footsteps on the drive of the retreating visitor. The best bits and bad bits of the movie have left me torn and broken, my mind and body battered from the turmoil as I sit there on the cold porcelain, my puffy face and sunken red eyes staring into oblivion.
I am roused by my need to pee once again, no matter how sad, how hard the pain, bodily functions need to be answered, as I flush the toilet a slight smile creeps over my face as I remember that awful bucket which sat like a festering devil in the corner of my room in Kamerrean.
My smile fades, even the gentle flush of water cannot ease the pain, the ghost which stares back at me from the mirror makes me jump. I look like hell, my face drawn and pale, my short hair clinging to the side of my head like damp towels on the bathroom floor, I have no-one, there is no-one left to comfort me.
I reach into the shower cubicle and turn on the tap, looking down at my clothes I don’t have the energy to remove them and step into the shower. Even the shockingly cold water fails to break my spell as I will the pain to wash away. The gentle smell of oranges grows as I turn the dial to warm and finally drag my clothes from my body, this is my natural smell, the smell that Al'ice adored. I lean against the shower wall and drink in my fresh scent, what hope is there for me now, I close my eyes and return the dial to blue hoping the shock will cause a reaction, sending my dull senses back to life.
“Aggghh that’s cold!” I scream into the silence.
There’s no mat on the floor and I nearly slip across the tiles as I grab for the only towel on the rail, it smells dank and mouldy but it doesn’t bother me. I have to get dry and dressed quickly, Tadges final words whispered in my ear came flooding back to me in the shower, Kate is alive.
The last few moments of my life in Kamerrean rush through my thoughts, Al’ice must be alive, Jez promised me he would find me, I punch the wall in frustration.
“Ow!”
I’ve scraped my knuckles, the reality I don’t know what’s happened to Jez or where he is, he just kind of disappeared with the naked boy in those dying seconds before the explosion.
They must all be out there somewhere, Tadge, Jez, Cooper and especially Al’ice, he must be alive. Closing my eyes, I try to relax despite the pain in my hand, I can sense the calm, winding like a snake towards me, relax I tell myself and concentrate on that snake, come on, yes at last it is heading in my direction.
“Jez, Jez, are you there?”
Nothing. Not even a hint in the distance, a new wave of panic flutters at my chest. He can’t be gone, de..dead. I would know I would sense his loss, even though I can’t find him, I know he’s not dead.
I brush my teeth quickly and ruffle my hair dry with the musty towel, I had forgotten how short it was and now I look like an upturned toilet brush. My stomach rumbles, groans in protest at the neglect, now I’ve come to my senses I’ve awakened my body. I grab some clothes from the laundry on my way to the kitchen and start dressing and searching for food.
First stop the fridge, woah! A bad idea, what’s that smell? I hold my nose as the chunks of soft cheese pour into the sink from the milk carton, how long have I been asleep? The bread was hard, scraping the mould from the crust I cut the loaf, it’s stale but not mouldy inside, I search the cupboards for something else. Dad’s marmalade, urgh, I hate that, I hate the strips of orange peel but there’s nothing else, except tins of beans, spaghetti, packet rice & pasta. Dad always shopped on Sunday, he wouldn’t of had time............................I don’t have the time to cook I’ve got to check if Kate’s ok.
I pick out the lumps of jelly from the marmalade with a knife and slap it across the thick slice of bread I cut earlier, grabbing the front door keys from the dish on the shelf I run out the door, slamming it behind me.
I jog across the street gulping on hard lumps of bread, my stomach groaning as it eagerly awaits the not so tasty morsel, I didn’t feel that hungry but weak and my empty pit has to be satisfied.
I feel strangely nervous as I approach Kate’s house, I don’t know why, perhaps it has something to do with the cold grey look on her dead face the last time I saw her but Tadge wouldn’t lie, he must have found a way to save her after all. After knocking, forgetting my bruised knuckles which now sport pricks of blood, I drum my fingers impatiently against the rotten door frame at the silence beyond, perhaps it was too good to be true or I suppose she could just be out.
There was a shuffling along the hall and a shadow fell across the small opaque window of the door, my heart leaps to my throat as the door creaks open. For several awkward silent seconds we both stand and stare at each other with a look of bewilderment, Kate opened her mouth to speak just as I launch myself at her almost crushing her bones in the process.
“Jol, what the f..., is that you? What's the rush, where's the fire?”
I release her from the hug and stand back holding onto both hands tightly, I didn’t want to let go.
“It's just so good to see you, to see you alive.”
“Of course I’m alive, though I think I took something I shouldn’t have at the party, all I seem to do is sleep.”
She pulls her hand from my grasp and rubs at her eyes, “You look different, you’ve cut your hair! Oh man, Jol I don't know what to say, I heard about your dad, the police were round asking, if I knew where you and your Gran had gone.”
She pulled me back into a comforting hug, I didn’t want to let go, with the mention of dad came a stab of truth, I could of cried if there were any tears left but my ducts were like the desert.
“You ok?” she asks, rubbing my back to comfort me.
I wonder how much of what happened, she remembers.
She pulls back and leads me by the hand to the kitchen, “you wanna drink?”
My stomach groans loudly in protest, my stale bread clearly not enough to stifle its needs, “got anything to eat, I'm starving.”
“What, your Gran not feeding you? I suppose with the shock and all, your hair looks great, I thought you were never going to do that? God Jol, you do look like crap though, how do you feel?”
“Better now I've seen you, what you got to eat?”
I sit on the kitchen stool and can’t help but stare at Kate in wonder as my stomach continues to protest. She shoots me a concerned look as it growls in anticipation and begins searching the cupboards, they didn’t seem to have much in them as usual.
Kate is walking and talking, it just seems too good to be true, the last time I had seen her, well it didn’t matter, here she was alive and well. She hasn’t mentioned anything yet so I’m hoping she doesn’t remember, it would be just too much to explain and would she believe me? She had looked so pale and cold the last time I had seen her with the ghostly veil of death, watching her now in the kitchen is just brilliant.
“Mum never bothered shopping as I’m supposed to be staying with you, remember! There's a heap of eggs though, we've always got heaps of eggs, fancy an omelette? What you staring at, have I grown another head or something?”
“Sorry I’m just hungry, eggs are fine.”
“Sweet, how many eggs you want?”
“How many you got?”
“12”
“Then 6, 6 for me and 6 for you.”
Kate looks at me surprised, eggs were the one thing closest to an animal that I would ever eat but I didn’t eat them often, I’m not surprised she’s looking at me like that but I’m sooooo hungry, just how long have I been sleeping?
I watch her eagerly as she whisked the eggs, my stomach just wouldn't shut up, “hey listen, sorry about running out on you, Gran just turned up out of the blue, you know how much I've missed her and well I left a note for dad to explain but, well you know!”
Why did I say that? I can’t believe how easily the lie just rolled off my tongue but it is for the best I suppose, I’ll stick to the story. If Kate knew what had happened to her since the party then she would q
uestion me but if she doesn’t then it’s best to lie, It’s just a white lie, a huge white lie but she would never believe the truth anyway.
The eggs sizzle as they hit the fry pan, the juices in my mouth flowing with anticipation, “Kate what day is it?”
“Saturday, I think, say, where's your Gran anyway?”
Saturday, Saturday, there was something important about Saturday, what the hell was it? oh yeah! “Oh she's gone to meet the lawyer at the airport, he's come over with dads will.”
There I go again, my second lie, here they are rolling of the tongue like I’m used to it, Al’ice would be proud, no shocked at the apparent ease of my lies, perhaps my time in Kamerrean has brought out the difference in me more than I realise. I mustn’t allow myself to dwell on what I don’t know, although my heart aches, it is for the not knowing, Al’ice is out there somewhere and he knows where to find me, I will see him soon, of that I am certain. The lies, the charade are all for Kate's sake, I cannot tell her the truth.
Kate dishes up two plates of omelette, the saliva in my mouth ready as I grab my fork and stuff a large piece in my mouth.
“Hey watch, it's hot!” says Kate, amazed at my frenzied attack on the meal.
“No it's fine” I manage to mumble, oh it is good, at least my stomach seems grateful.
“Hey what happened to your glasses?”
I shrug my shoulders, “contacts, take some getting used to,” another lie.
I watch Kate pick at her food, she should eat, keep up her strength but I can’t find a reason to tell her why. My best friend and I can’t even tell her the truth, it’s killing me but I have to protect Al’ice. I can’t even invite her back home, how would I explain Grans abscence, this situation is impossible!
Kate thought it was great to see her friend in such a good mood, but wondered if she was in delayed shock, she had expected her to be in floods of tears especially after losing her mother and brother just over a year ago and now her dad. Kate worried what would her best friend do now? She would stay with her Gran but would that be here? No, she didn't think so, the thought made her sad as she offered her omelette to Jol and surprised when she took it, she wondered when she last ate.
I savour the last of the omelette and lick the grease from my fingers as Kate passes me a cloth, I have to know exactly what she remembers.
“Say, how you get on with Gregor at the party, did things work out?”
Kate jumped on the old sofa and patted the seat beside her. I sit down and wait, eager to know what happened, what she remembers? She does have a grave look on her face, perhaps she remembers something after all.
Reaching into her pocket, Kate holds out her hand, “here’s your stone, you can keep it, it didn’t work.”
For some reason Kate’s memories of the party are a little jaded and the stone bothered her, it was just a stone after all but when she placed it on her bedside table it bothered her. It was if the stone was watching, calling to her, so from then on she had kept it in her pocket, hidden from view, she was glad to be rid of its presence once and for all.
I look at the unassuming pebble in my hand, the catalyst to everything that happened. I marvel at how ordinary it seems, the cool polished blackness reminds me of the rocks beside the river in Kamerrean, perhaps that’s where it has come from.
“So what happened, last I saw, you and Gregor looked wrapped up in each other.”
Kate ran her fingers through her dishevelled hair, “to be honest I don’t know, I remember kissing him and then he pushed me away, thank god he’s not back at college next year and I don’t have to face him.”
“What did you do to him?”
“Hey, I don’t know, he was fine one minute, then……………..Oh!”
“Oh, what!”
Perhaps pressing Kate about the party was wrong, she had clearly just remembered something.
“He gave me a cigarette.”
“But you don’t smoke.”
“Yeah! I know! It tasted funny, I felt sick.”
“Oh!”
This news didn’t shock me, Kate was always ready to try anything, good or bad!
Kate looked up warily, then gave me that cheeky grin of hers, “I met someone else.”
“Already!” now that shocked me, “that’s fast, where?”
“At the party.”
“Kate, you’re terrible.”
“No, not really, I was being sick in the bathroom, when he came to help, he was so kind, my knight in shining armour, he’s at Uni, he’s an American!”
My mind swirled in a sea of fog, the séance, what was that guy’s name, he was an American,“what’s his name?”
“Stanton, Stanton Baxter, hey what’s wrong? You’ve gone a pale shade of grey.”
I shake my head, “No just surprised. When are you seeing him again, that’s if you are seeing him again?” I need to know, if she’s seeing Stanton then I’ll have to tell her about the séance, I don’t really want to bump into him again, he’ll have too many questions.
“Hopefully on Monday, I’m going to catch the train to town and see if I can find him, I’ve got his wallet.”
“How did you end up with that, what have you been up to Kate?”
I’m hoping her version of events is a little different to reality.
Kate began sniggering and snorted a funny laugh, “I have no idea, I remember him helping me, I remember feeling cold and he gave me his jacket, then after that nothing. I woke up in bed at home, still wearing his jacket, I have no idea but I’m pretty sure he never touched me, he was too much of a gentleman. I still have his jacket and the wallet was inside, I’ve been expecting the Police to be round charging me for stealing but they haven’t. Boy did I get a fright when they came round asking about you, I thought my heart was going to spring out of my chest it was beating so fast.”
“Maybe he just walked you home?”
“Sweet, I hope so, I told you he was my knight in shining armour.”
“So you’re just going to turn up at Uni and give him his wallet, you’re either brave or stupid, I can’t decide which. What Uni does he go to?”
“I have no idea, but man he’s gorgeous, I’ve got to see him again, he promised to take me to Vermont.”
“I thought you said you can’t remember what happened, you’ve only met him once, he could be a psycho or something, Kate you’re mad!”
“Yeah! but it’s kind of exciting.”
“You can’t just go off with this guy!” If only just because, whatever happened that night, Stanton had to remember something, or some of it at least, I should go with her, maybe meeting him won’t be as bad as I think.
“Maybe I should come with you, stop you making a fool of yourself, what if you can’t find him?”
“Then I’ll keep looking, it’s the holidays, what else am I supposed to do, you can come if you want?”
I can’t let Kate go off on this wild goose chase alone, god knows what strife she could get herself into, I nearly lost her once, I won’t let that happen again. Think Julianne, think, I’ve got to stick to my story. “I might be stuck with the lawyer on Monday, wait till I find out, I want to go with you, we can always go on Tuesday if you’re not in such a hurry.”
“I’ve got to work at the coffee shop on Tuesday, all day, can you believe it! We could go on Wednesday but I don’t want to leave it too long, he might go home for the holidays or something.”
It had been a close call last night, Jez had only found his ring and this troubled him.
Al’ice’s features appeared in his dreams, he was laughing but he looked sad, a huge weight upon his shoulders, the fate of his people.
Jez saw himself hand over the book, allowing Al’ice to savour their fathers words as they discussed Eldeen’s scrolls. Why had Jez been so kind when his brother had what he truly wanted, what he craved and desired.
The burgundy trees of Kamerrean closed in around him, he was trapped, trapped from the light, his sense
s dulled as the shadows came to take him. Slipping away into the darkness Jez woke suddenly as the huge mouth roared in front of his eyes, its fangs ready and sharp.
His movement so sudden he set off the alarm, he heard the footsteps first before the figures came into focus at the foot of his bed.
Oh Crap!