Engella

by Paul Ian Cross

3

  They were walking for fifteen minutes when the sun finally disappeared below the horizon. A full moon shone like a white beacon in the evening twilight. Engella marvelled at its beauty, untouched by colonists or mining corporations. Most of the lunar surface was the property of multi-planetary companies in her time. All she could see from her bedroom window back home were the vast lunar cities; covered in lights.

  At the heart of a small wood, they arrived at a clearing. Engella emerged from behind an oak tree to see a small cottage covered in ivy. A wooden fence surrounded an immaculate garden. Rose bushes enclosed the neatly-mowed lawn.

  “Home, sweet home,” Annys said as she unlocked the door. The wood burner still had a few glowing cinders trying to hold on. Annys picked up a pair of tongs and placed some coals on the fire. She stuffed in some newspaper and tossed in a lit match. Flames licked about and the paper quickly turned to a mini inferno. The coals began to glow and Engella relaxed as the room warmed.

  “That’s better,” Annys said, closing the door. “You can’t stop shivering, dear. Maybe you need to put on something warmer.”

  Annys left Engella to enjoy the fire for several minutes, before returning with a pile of freshly-ironed clothes.

  “Change into these and then we can have a cup of tea together. The spare room is up the stairs, on the left. In fact, why don’t you stay for dinner? You must be hungry.”

  “Oh yes, I’d like that,” Engella said.

  Engella walked upstairs which creaked under her weight. Switching off her hologram, she changed out of her late twenty-first century outfit into the clothes which Annys had provided. She used her cloak to conceal her blaster, and placed them both in a cupboard under the sink.

  Engella returned to the warmth of the sitting room and sat on a wooden rocking chair, covering her legs with a cotton blanket. She rested briefly, closing her eyes. Annys cooked up a meal of smoked haddock, potatoes and broccoli. Engella joined Annys in the kitchen and they sat down together at a wooden table in the middle of the room. The smell of the food was wonderful and Engella gobbled it up quickly. It didn’t take long for her to finish.

  “That was delicious!” she said as she finished the last piece of fish.

  Annys got up from the table, walked to the oven and opened the door. She pulled out a large tray. She used a knife to cut a large slice of freshly-baked apple pie and served it with clotted cream. Engella salivated as it was placed in front of her. She had not tasted anything so good for as long as she could remember. This was real apple pie, made from real apples. Not the synthesised food she was used to in her time.

  “It’s getting late, dear. I know you don’t want to talk about your situation and I’m not going to make you. But do you have somewhere to stay tonight?” Annys said as she cleared away the plates.

  “No, I don’t have anywhere to go,” Engella said, looking down at the floor.

  “Okay, well. That’s it then. You’re staying here. The guest room is already prepared. Why don’t you go and take a bath? You look like you need to relax!” She smiled and Engella looked away shyly.

  Engella thanked her new friend, said goodnight and went to her room. After cleaning up, she lay on her comfortable bed and she couldn’t believe how her luck had finally taken a turn for the better. New Shanghai felt like a very long way away. Then she remembered that it didn’t even exist yet. Was there an old Shanghai in this time? She wondered what it was like, imagining the people that lived there, before drifting into a deep slumber. She dreamt of the beach, sandcastles and her parents.

  4

  Engella opened her eyes and yawned as the smell of bacon and coffee drifted into her bedroom. Annys was singing and she had a beautiful voice. Engella got dressed and went downstairs.

  “Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?”

  “Good morning, Annys. Yes, thank you. I don’t think I’ve slept that well in a long time.”

  She thought about her time on the streets of New Shanghai, where she was lucky to get an hour’s sleep before being woken up by something, whether it was a person, animal or, more often than not, a refuse-bot sweeping rubbish from the streets.

  Rupert bounded over and licked Engella’s hand. It tickled and she pulled her hand away.

  “I hope you’re hungry. I’ve made bacon, eggs and potato cakes. Would you like coffee or tea?”

  “I’d love a coffee, thank you,” Engella said.

  Annys poured her a cup and then passed her a small jug of milk. Engella and Annys sat together and chatted about their favourite old movies. They were excited to discover that they both loved The Wizard of Oz. Engella finally remembered the character’s name: Dorothy. She loved playing the character in the holomovie. Engella smiled as she remembered her father, who made funny voices when they acted out the various scenes.

  “I used to watch it with my grandfather,” Annys said, sipping her coffee. Rupert’s ears pricked and he became agitated. He started pacing and growled.

  “Oh, shush Rupert. Be quiet, boy!” Annys said. She got up from the table and walked over to Rupert, who was now barking loudly.

  “What’s gotten into you?” She said as she patted his back. Rupert growled and he snapped at her fingers.

  “RUPERT!” Annys said, raising her hand in authority. He whimpered and ran over to the front door, where he continued to bark. Annys followed him to the door. She turned around just in time to see Engella topple from her chair.

  “Engella!” the old woman shouted. She managed to reach Engella in time to steady her.

  “My head, I feel dizzy,” Engella said. She could feel the sense of suffocation, and a wave of nausea hit her.

  “You need to get out of here Annys, please. You need to run!” Engella said, as she looked at Annys with a face full of despair.

  “Don’t be scared, dear. Don’t worry, I can handle it, whatever it is,” Annys said. A sound from outside caught their attention and Rupert jumped up against the door. He barked and growled aggressively again.

  “Annys, don’t!” Engella yelled. But it was too late. As Annys approached the door there was a bright flash and a loud bang. The shock grenade sent shards of wood across the kitchen. Annys fell to the floor, while Rupert lay silent under a pile of brick and wood. The smoke settled. Engella could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Her breathing slowed as a dark figure entered through the open wound of the doorway.

  “You’re a real hard one to keep track of, Engella,” the woman said, narrowing her eyes. She was dressed in a dark robe and she was carrying a blaster rifle. Engella went straight for her wristband, but it was too late. The Hunter was ready for her, snatching at her free hand before it could turn on the transporter and then binding both of them in yellow cord. She took the device from Engella’s wrist, placed it on the table and, using the butt of her blaster, smashed it into several pieces.

  The Hunter pointed the blaster at Engella’s face.

  “I’m going to enjoy this,” she snapped.

  Terrified, Engella began to cry. She always knew it was only a matter of time before the Hunters found her. She had already prepared for this day. But she should never have visited the cottage. She should never have put Annys in jeopardy. Filled with guilt, tears rained down her cheeks.

  “You didn’t think you’d get away from me, did you?” the woman said. “I almost got you in New Shanghai. I was so close, but you slipped away. You’re making me look bad to the company. Well, I finally caught my prey.”

  Engella sobbed, before calming herself. She needed to remain calm.

  “Why are you doing this?” she said.

  “Our boss needs you. You should never have tried to run. He always finds people who run. The bad thing for you, Engella, is that he doesn’t care if you’re dead or alive. What’s it going to be then?”

  “I-I…” Engella stuttered. She had never been so scared in her life. She looked across at her wristband, damaged beyond repair.

  I’m not getting away this time, she thou
ght.

  Engella closed her eyes and saw her mother’s face. She remembered the beach. The realisation of what was coming hit her like a freight train. But then, she relaxed and a wave of tranquillity came over her. Peace, at last. She was tired of running anyway. She heard the deafening sound as the weapon fired.

  And then, silence. Getting blasted at close range didn’t hurt as much as Engella thought it would. Slowly, she opened one eye to see the Hunter lying motionless on the floor. She gasped to find Annys standing there, hands shaking, with Engella’s blaster in her hand. Annys ran over and untied Engella’s bound hands.

  “I knew this would come in handy. Glad you’re not very good at hiding things, dear. I lost my own in an accident not long after I arrived. Terribly careless, especially when I knew we were bound to have visitors,” Annys said.

  “That won’t be the last of them. More of them will come. We need to get away from here.”

  Annys grabbed a small rucksack from the pantry. They both looked over at Rupert, who was still and silent. Annys walked over to her friend, stroked his back and checked his pulse.

  “I’m sorry, boy,” she said.

  “Who are you?” Engella asked.

  “I’ve been waiting for you, Engella. We couldn’t bring you out ourselves, but we managed to have your wristband programmed with an override that would bring you here if you shifted without coordinates. They would have noticed if we changed the primary shift software, so this was the best we could do.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You will, my dear. You’re a very important person, Engella. I’ll explain everything, I promise. But now, we need to go.”

  Annys pulled back her sleeve to show her own metal wristband.

  “How is this possible?” Engella said, stunned.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner. I needed to draw out any Hunters on your tail first. I’m your Watcher, Engella. You’re no longer alone, I promise.”

  Annys filled her rucksack with supplies: two bottles of water, some food from the pantry and some antibiotics. Walking over, Annys placed her arm around Engella then took her hand.

  “Hold on tight, this may be a bumpy ride. I haven’t used it for a while.”

  For the first time in as long as she could remember, Engella felt truly protected. Safe. Waving her hand over the wristband, Annys said…

  “Shift.”

  The space around them began to warp. A vibrant aqua wormhole opened up across the room like a crack in an eggshell. The portal engulfed them and they were gone.

  Engella’s incredible journey through space-time continues… Autumn/Fall 2017

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  The story of Engella, from the author Paul Ian Cross

  Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed Engella so far. I really appreciate every review I receive, as it helps me learn and develop as an author. Please do leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads; I really appreciate your time. I wrote Engella in the summer of 2016. Engella was originally supposed to be a short story, but it has since become a lot more. I had a lot of feedback such as “What happens next?!” and “You can’t leave it like that!” I appreciate these comments and I know people hate cliff-hangers, so I apologise! It was always meant to be a standalone story but I now realise that Engella’s journey is only just beginning. I am now continuing the story and the first full novel will be released in Autumn/Fall 2017. The book will be the first of a brand new series…

  The Engella Chronicles

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  About the Author, Paul Ian Cross

  Paul Ian Cross is a scientist and children's author from London, UK.

  Paul finished his biology degree in 2003 and then started work in clinical research (developing new medicines). He continued studying part-time and he has a Master’s degree, a certificate in astronomy and he is currently undertaking his PhD. He very much enjoys his science career but he also has a real passion for writing stories!

  Paul hopes to be able to develop a series of books for children and young adults that are both enjoyable and educational. In his spare time Paul loves going to new places. He recently travelled to the Philippines and he also spends a lot of time in The Highlands, Scotland.

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