by Anh Do
Kelly went cold all over. Sid had put himself in grave danger by sharing this, and even though she did not know him well, she feared for his safety. KG techs scanned LifeScape constantly – everyone knew that! Was Sid stupid, brave, or just fed up? More and more, people seemed tired of grumbling quietly behind closed doors.
Could it possibly be true? Kelly had heard rumours about the days growing shorter, but hadn’t believed them. It seemed impossible that one man could do that much harm, even a man as powerful as the Soul Collector.
She hovered her mouse over the click to read more link. She was curious, but reading this far was dangerous enough – what if the snooping techs were tracking her user behaviour right now?
Kelly felt like such a coward. Here was Sid, standing up for what he thought was right, yet she couldn’t even summon the courage to click a link! She tried to exert downward pressure on her finger, but could not find the will.
Besides, she told herself, what was the point? What could she do about any of it? What could any one person do against such unstoppable and far-reaching power? All someone like Kelly could do was keep her head down. Blend in. Survive.
And then, just like that, the article disappeared. In its place was a video of a cat chasing a ball of string.
The KG had deleted the post. Most likely, they were now on their way to wherever Sid lived. Kelly felt sick at the thought.
She snatched her phone to take a selfie. If anyone asked, she could say that was why she had logged on to LifeScape. She hadn’t actually clicked the link, right?
She snapped a shot and uploaded it to her profile without even looking at it. A moment later the photo popped up, and instantly Kelly regretted not checking it before sharing.
In the slightly blurred photo, her hair was wild despite the hair tie, her locks bursting out in unkempt tangles. Plus, she looked worried and … there was that strange bump in the middle of her forehead!
Kelly reached up to feel it – it was even bigger than it had been in the lift.
What’s going on?
4
Prophecies and Portents
Stanley Solomon hurried to his room, telling himself he would not stop to look upon the painting that hung outside the door.
He had once been foolish enough to think himself immune to William’s temper. Stanley had known the man all his life, and had worked for his parents before him.
Eight years ago, alarmed at how corrupt William had become after donning Lucifer’s Ring, Stanley had tried to convince him that not all beauty needed to be captured to be appreciated. That painting people into pictures was wrong.
Legend said that the ring enhanced its wielder’s worst qualities – in this case greed, selfishness and insecurity. The Collector had rewarded Stanley’s candour with a painting.
He tried not to look, but he always did.
He felt a stab of pain in his heart as he looked into his wife’s beautiful eyes.
No one had ever returned from one of the Collector’s paintings, but there had to – had to – be a way, Stanley thought. That was the only reason to exist now. To find that way. To get his wife back.
Still, if he wished to ever succeed, he needed to stay useful to the Collector. And so, he pushed his feelings down once more and turned to the crate that had been delivered to his door.
Inside his room, Stanley prised the crate open and lay the books it contained upon the table.
One in particular had caught his attention back at the dig site. Most books this old were falling to dust, but this one seemed unnaturally intact. Small and light with gold binding, its pages were not brittle but soft, unstained and legible. The illustrations – sirens, Medusa, the gods of Ancient Greece – were still colourful and vibrant.
This book was clearly special.
A knock at the door startled him.
‘The Soul Collector calls you to attend,’ announced a guard. ‘Plane leaves in ten minutes.’
‘On my way,’ said Stanley. He tucked the book into his pack.
Ten minutes later, Stanley sat in his small room at the back of the Collector’s private jet, listening to the engines roar. William had a magnificent set of cabins in its belly, with plenty of things to occupy him, so he rarely visited Stanley in the tail section. Stanley would be left undisturbed while he examined the cover of the mysterious book, its title written in Ancient Greek.
Prophecies and Portents As set down by Damasos Anastos
Hmm, thought Stanley. Never heard of a soothsayer by that name before. He frowned, and opened the book.
Herein find a collection of vision in sequence, as told by Damasos to Isadora, under the light of a red moon.
Stanley read on. It would, if nothing else, be a good distraction.
First came accounts of earthquakes, floods and volcanoes. One foretold that a great mountain ‘in a land shaped like a warrior’s boot’ would explode and bury a city. Stanley frowned again – could it mean Vesuvius? Italy did look a bit like a boot.
He checked his notes: particle-scanning estimated the book predated the burial of Pompeii by at least two hundred years.
He continued, deciphering more passages that grabbed his attention.
One foretold a great plague borne by rats. Another seemed to predict the Industrial Revolution. There were clues about the Renaissance, and the conquering of the Americas. There was ‘a war in which humanity takes to the skies’ that would ‘end with an explosion in the form of a gigantic mushroom’. As he read on, Stanley began to think the book must be a joke, planted by one of his assistants. It was just too accurate.
Then again, he had run the particle scanner over it himself.
He turned to the next passage.
Misfortune will come as a man rich in wealth but not in soul will discover unearthly oddments that grant him power none should have. He shall suck his kingdom dry of beauty, and even daylight itself will not be safe from his thirst.
Stanley went to the door. No one was around. He returned to the book and, heart thumping, read on.
The world will suffer at his hands, yet hope remains. With the return of long-forgotten magic, slumbering spirits released from Purgatory will find new homes in human souls. The Golden Unicorn, the Minotaur and the Griffin will be born again as children of humanity. Only these three united in common purpose can fell him who seeks to triumph over all.
Stanley turned the page.
The more you take, the more you leave behind. This is where the Golden Unicorn will be found.
What was this? A riddle? Unicorns? Beasts of myth and legend? Surely not. But he had seen many strange things in recent years, things which he never would have believed in his youth.
Could this be the key to the Soul Collector’s undoing?
‘Stanley.’
William’s crisp voice startled him. He glanced up to see the Collector standing at his door. Did the man somehow know what Stanley had just read? Did the ring give him telepathic powers as well as everything else?
‘Y-yes, William?’
‘My, you look as white as an egg. Did you find something?’
Stanley glanced down. He wasn’t the best of liars.
‘What is it?’ William swept in to look at the passage over which Stanley’s fingers trembled. He frowned. ‘It’s all Ancient Greek to me. That’s why I have you!’ He slapped Stanley on the back. ‘What does it say?’
‘Something about Pompeii,’ Stanley mumbled.
A half-truth could help him sound believable. ‘Something might be buried there. I need more time to decipher it, these old books are not always clear …’
This old book was about the clearest Stanley had ever read.
‘Interesting.’ William sniffed and turned back to the door. ‘Well, I hate to interrupt, but we aren’t far off landing. Come, I want you to help me pick the best vantage to paint from.’
Stanley swallowed and closed the book, trying to seem relaxed. ‘Of course.’
As he followed the Soul Collecto
r out of the cabin, he could not help but imagine a unicorn horn stabbing through the albino cloak into its wearer’s back.
5
Hornets
Kelly’s alarm went off for the seventh time.
‘Gah!’ she exclaimed, jumping out of bed. She was going to be late for work – again! She quickly threw on her uniform.
‘Hold up,’ her mother called, as Kelly raced for the door. ‘Don’t forget your lunch …’
Hannah stepped out of the kitchen holding a lunchbox. She had big green cat-like eyes, and luxurious brown hair that belonged in a shampoo commercial.
Her mum really was beautiful, Kelly thought, a quality she was relieved to have avoided inheriting. Maybe she got her looks from her father? Kelly often thought how nice it would be to have a photo of him, just one, but Hannah said there weren’t any.
‘What’s that?’ Hannah asked Kelly.
‘Mum, I’m in a hurry.’
‘Your forehead …’
Kelly reached up. She had totally forgotten about the lump, and as she felt it, she realised it was now even bigger than it had been the night before.
‘I bumped it, that’s all,’ said Kelly impatiently, but she still couldn’t remember when. Still, surely she must have? What other explanation could there be?
Hannah looked uncertain. ‘Okay, but try not to get your photo taken with that thing. It looks unusual and …’
Kelly flopped her fringe over the lump. ‘There, happy now? Which reminds me, you are overdue to upload a selfie. The Hornets will come buzzing if you don’t.’
‘Hornets’ was slang for the KG – partly due to their yellow-striped uniforms, but also the way they mindlessly swarmed to wherever their ruler commanded. At the mention of them, Hannah looked worried.
‘Mum, look, there are loads of beautiful women in the Kingdom. I don’t wanna sound harsh, but do you really think he’d be interested in you? They say his galleries couldn’t hold another supermodel or actress, so stop taking selfies in dark places with your face obscured. Just upload a nice, normal picture of yourself today. Everyone says the Soul Collector wants to paint more unusual subjects now, anyway.’
‘Exactly why you must be careful about who sees that thing,’ said Hannah.
‘Mum, I’ve got to go!’ Kelly grabbed her lunchbox, kissed her mum’s cheek and left before Hannah could object further.
Half an hour later, she arrived at Clyde’s, a large supermarket with many aisles. Kelly was meant to be stocking shelves today, so she zipped past the check-out attendants with barely a nod, not noticing the worry on their faces.
She hurried into the frozen goods aisle on her way to the stockroom, then stopped abruptly.
Standing in front of the freezer was her boss. Mr Wong was an overweight man with a round face that was normally jolly, but he wasn’t smiling now. With him were two KG officers. From their belts hung comsticks with retractable antennae, as well as standard-issue pistols that shot stunning tasers, known with alarming affection by the KG as ‘stingers’.
Wong spotted Kelly but quickly averted his eyes, trying not to draw attention to her. The more senior of the Hornets, a thin-lipped officer without an ounce of fat on him, followed his look and noticed Kelly.
‘You,’ he said. ‘Get over here.’
Kelly tried to brush her fringe forward as casually as possible. What did they want? Then she remembered Sid’s post on LifeScape the night before, and her heart began hammering.
‘What can I do for you, officers?’ she said, trying to sound calm.
‘One of your co-workers is wanted for treason,’ growled the Hornet. The ID badge on his chest read Special Officer Simon Raske. ‘You may have seen him post a misleading article on LifeScape last night. His name is Sid Hogan.’
‘Um … I don’t think so,’ said Kelly, her hands growing clammy.
‘Don’t lie to us, girl.’ Raske adjusted his glasses and stared hard at Kelly. ‘I recognise you from our intel reports. You’re Kelly Swift – one of this criminal’s friends on LifeScape. One of those whose mouse hovered over the “read more” link.’
Kelly’s stomach tensed. ‘I … maybe my mouse was just resting there? While I was looking at something else?’
Raske’s lips twisted into a smile. ‘Curiosity is natural,’ he said. ‘And some articles use untruthful headlines to catch the attention of vulnerable users.
At least you had the sense not to click. That counts in your favour.’ Raske put a hand on Kelly’s shoulder. It made her skin crawl. Was the man trying to feign friendliness? ‘You’re not in any trouble, Ms Swift. All we need to know is what you know.’
‘I … don’t know anything,’ said Kelly. ‘I hardly knew Sid.’
‘Did you speak with him yesterday?’
‘No.’
‘Do you know his family? Places he might go?’
Kelly tried to back off, but Raske only closed in.
‘A lot of staff work here,’ she said. ‘He was pretty new. He worked the check-outs, I do stocking. We weren’t really friends.’
‘So why did he add you on LifeScape?’ asked the other Hornet, an olive-skinned young man whose ID badge read Officer Daniel Delgado.
‘Well, I …’ Kelly paused. ‘People just add you even though you aren’t really friends. They want a bigger circle. Everyone does it.’
As she stared into the grim faces questioning her, she felt helpless. Raske was especially intimidating. He peered at Kelly, penetrating her with his milky grey eyes. Then he scowled.
Stupid girl doesn’t know anything.
Kelly had clearly heard Raske’s voice, even though the man’s lips hadn’t moved. The words just appeared in her mind, as if they had floated through the air. She blinked, stunned.
‘I can vouch for her,’ said Wong, forcing a smile. ‘Sid was new, and I never saw he and Kelly talk. He—’ Raske cut him off. ‘They don’t know anything,’ he told Delgado.
‘Are you sure?’
‘If this Hogan had a getaway plan, he certainly didn’t share it with these …’
Idiots.
The word came clearly once more, spoken in Raske’s voice but without his lips moving. Kelly wondered if she was the only one who heard it.
‘… fine, hardworking Citizens,’ finished Raske. ‘If you hear anything about this traitor, or any of his associates …’
‘I’ll tell you, of course!’ stammered Wong.
Or you could just leave honest, hard-working people alone, came more floating words, this time in Wong’s voice.
‘See that you do,’ said Raske.
As soon as they had gone, both Kelly and Mr Wong let out a breath.
‘Damn Hornets,’ muttered Wong. ‘They’ve no right …’
But Kelly was too busy wondering if she had really just heard other people’s thoughts to pay attention to him. She wiped her brow, and unthinkingly pushed aside her fringe.
Wong stopped and stared at her forehead. ‘My word, Kelly. What is that lump?’
Kelly cursed herself. ‘Oh, this? Uh, nothing, sir.’
‘It certainly is not nothing. You should have that checked out right away.’
‘But—’
‘No buts. There’s been enough upset in the store today as it is. I can’t have you walking around the aisles scaring customers with that thing. Not to mention, if the Hornets come back …’ He eyed her meaningfully. They might haul you before the Soul Collector, came his thought.
Kelly couldn’t argue. Whether he’d spoken the words or not, she knew Mr Wong was right. She needed to get away from here, at least until she worked out what on earth was happening to her.
6
Dark Thoughts
‘I’m taking you to the Medical Precinct,’ Hannah had said firmly when Kelly got home.
‘But, Mum …’
‘I’m taking you to the Medical Precinct,’ Hannah repeated.
So they had gone. After a long wait in Capital Hospital, they’d seen Doctor Sidhana, a young
guy with deep circles under his eyes. Kelly’s lump perplexed him, and now they were waiting in his office while he collected the X-rays of her head.
‘Do you remember bumping yourself?’ asked Hannah.
‘No, Mum,’ Kelly snapped.
She did not normally speak to her mother, or anyone else, like that. She always made an effort to be friendly, but there was something about this place that set her on edge. It felt like anxiety and negativity were seeping out of the walls around her.
‘Well, Kelly,’ said Sidhana, ‘it’s definitely not just a simple bump, but the good news is that it doesn’t look dangerous. You appear to have some kind of abnormal bone growth.’
‘What a relief,’ said Kelly sarcastically.
Doctor Sidhana gestured at the X-ray. ‘If you look at the front of your skull, you can see the protrusion clearly. It’s healthy bone, even if it is growing in an … unexpected place.’
‘But what’s caused it, Doctor?’ said Hannah.
‘Well, that is the question. Spontaneous bone regrowth at the site of an injury is well documented, though it’s more common in children – but Kelly, you say you suffered no such injury?’
‘No.’
As Sidhana frowned, Kelly heard his thoughts.
I wouldn’t want to be caught walking around with that freakish thing sticking out of my head. Wonder what it would be worth to turn her in? I shouldn’t think such things, I’m a doctor! But if I don’t do it, someone else will.
Kelly stared at him in shock, but composed herself. She didn’t want anyone knowing she could hear thoughts. They would send her to the Soul Collector for sure.