The Star Agency (The Star Agency Chronicles)

by R. E. Weber

  Finally, his auntie spoke, her voice shaky.

  ‘D…did you call or write to her, Theo?’

  ‘No, not me.’

  ‘Then how did she know about your granddad? And why now? We were only discussing it the other week.’

  ‘Dunno,’ replied Theo sheepishly. ‘But I didn’t write to her.’

  His auntie sighed and then looked at Theo.

  ‘Are you going to see her?’

  Hook, line and sinker thought Theo, trying not to smile. He paused for a moment, pretending to think.

  ‘Well,’ he replied, ‘the school did say I could take off as much time as I liked after grandpa died.’ He hated himself for using it as an excuse, but he couldn’t think of anything else.

  ‘Go on,’ said his aunt, ‘what are you thinking?’

  ‘I suppose I could go. Do a long weekend or something?’

  ‘It would have to be in the New Year,’ said his aunt.

  Again, pretending to think, Theo paused for a moment.

  ‘How about next weekend?’ he said.

  ‘What? No. That’s far too soon. You’ll never get the tickets booked in time.’

  ‘But I could call her now. She could easily book them over the Internet for me. It’s so easy these days.’

  ‘No Theo, it’s too soon. Why not go over the school holidays? You don’t really want to miss any lessons if you can help it.’

  ‘Wanna bet?’ said Theo, grinning.

  ‘Don’t rush into this, Theo. It’s one thing to get in touch, but going to see her, it’s…’

  ‘You gave me her address,’ interrupted Theo. ‘You were happy for me to get in touch.’

  ‘Well I’m… I mean… It’s up to you. She’s your mum. But please think about it. Don’t do something you might regret.’

  ‘Well I’m going, auntie,’ said Theo firmly.

  ‘In that case, I’m coming with you. She said it was OK to bring somebody, didn’t she?’

  ‘No,’ replied Theo quickly. ‘Please, let me do this on my own.’

  ‘But it’s a long way. You’re too young to go abroad on your own and you’ve never been to France. You don’t speak a word of…’

  ‘It’s a doddle, auntie. Two trains and I’m there.’

  ‘Well I’m coming to see you off at the station then.’

  ‘No, Jules’s dad will take us… erm me.’

  ‘Us? Oh wait, let me guess, you’re taking Jules. You can take her but not me, is that it?’

  ‘She’s my best friend.’

  ‘She your only…’

  Theo glared at his auntie and she immediately stopped talking.

  ‘I’m calling her NOW,’ he said, genuinely angry.

  He stood up quickly, almost throwing his chair over backwards. Then he stormed out of the room, stomped upstairs and slammed his bedroom door.

  He sat down on his bed and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. Then he picked up his mobile phone and pretended to dial the number on the letter. He knew his auntie was tiptoeing up the stairs to listen outside the door, so he had to make it convincing. He waited about ten seconds after dialling and then began to speak.

  ‘Hello, is that Mrs Martin? I’m… I mean this is… it’s me, Theo.’

  Outside, his aunt sat on the stairs, listening to the pretend conversation. It was very convincing, and after a while she felt guilty, so she walked as quietly as she could back down the stairs, hoping Theo hadn’t heard her. But her footsteps were about as quiet as a ten foot giant’s, and every stair creaked loudly as she walked slowly down.

  *

  The imaginary trip to France had been arranged for the morning of Friday the 9th of December. Jules’s father had taken a little persuasion to allow her to take time off school and go, but after much nagging by Jules and her protestations that Theo’s mum would be meeting them at the other end, he had finally relented.

  At 10:15 that day, there was a knock at the door. Theo leapt up and opened it, expecting to see Jules. But instead, it was her father.

  ‘Are you ready for your adventure young man?’ he said sternly.

  ‘Erm, yeh, I can’t wait,’ said Theo.

  He was about to call out for his aunt, but then she appeared at the top of the stairs, and, seeing Jules’s dad, trotted quickly down.

  ‘Hi, Richard,’ she said as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

  ‘Hello, Annie,’ he replied politely with a half-smile.

  ‘All ready for the off, Theo?’ said his aunt.

  ‘Been ready for an hour.’

  ‘Now remember, call me when you arrive. Ignore any strangers on the journey and stick together with Jules. Don’t separate at any time. Please…’

  ‘Don’t fuss,’ said Theo, shrugging her hand off his shoulder.

  ‘Take care,’ said his aunt. She didn’t try and hug him.

  ‘Bye auntie. I will be OK you know.’

  Then Theo headed out of the door with his rucksack over his shoulder, without looking back.

  *

  They arrived at the station in plenty of time to catch the London train, which would have taken them to the international rail terminal for France—had they really been going. Jules had managed to persuade her father to leave her and Theo at the ticket office and not see them onto the platform, pretending to be embarrassed and that she hated goodbyes. She gave him a big hug as they parted.

  ‘Love you, Dad,’ she said.

  ‘Ditto, squirt,’ he replied.

  As her father headed away in the car, Theo looked at Jules. There was a small tear in her eye as she waved him off.

  ‘Come on mate, there’s no need for all that. You’ve got me.’

  She sniffed and wiped away her tear.

  ‘Yeh, that’s what I am afraid of,’ she replied, trying to smile.

  ‘That’s more like it,’ replied Theo.

  ‘Of course, you do realise that we've got ten hours to kill, don’t you? What are we gonna do?’

  ‘Bowling?’ said Theo.

  ‘What again? They’ll want to sell us a season ticket.’

  ‘Well of course if you’re scared of another thrashing?’

  ‘No way Jose!’

  ‘Don’t you mean Juanita?’

  They both laughed as they headed out of the station forecourt in the direction of the bowling alley.

  *

  It had been long boring afternoon in the town once their double session of bowling had finished. Hanging around in the bowling alley café for the remainder of the afternoon had been bad enough, but when a member of staff had caught them secretly drinking cans of fizzy drink and eating sandwiches from Theo’s rucksack under the table, that had been the final straw. The uppity young woman had made a point of reminding them – loudly enough so everybody in the café could hear her – that eating any food not purchased on the premises was strictly forbidden, and that if they didn’t either pay for another session of bowling or leave immediately, she would call the manager. So they had decided enough was enough and made a sharp exit.

  Once out on the high street, they made their way into the nearby burger restaurant and – not wanting to incur the anger of the restaurant staff – purchased two milk shakes, which were about the cheapest things on the menu. Then they sat down in the corner in the two seats furthest away from everybody else.

  ‘Hey Jules, its 7:30pm. Not long to wait now,’ said Theo.

  Jules didn’t say anything for a moment as she stared down at her lap. Then she looked back up at Theo. Immediately, he could see the sadness in her eyes. Something was clearly very wrong.

  ‘What's up mate? We're nearly there now. I know it’s been boring this afternoon, but…’

  ‘I'm sorry Theo, I can't come,’ interrupted Jules.

  ‘What? Why on Earth not? What's wrong?’

  ‘I'm not supposed to come with you.’

  ‘Why? What's going on?’

  ‘Theo, I just know this. I've always known it. You’re supposed to do this alone. Tru
st me.’

  ‘But I would’ve never gotten this far without you. We both deserve it.’

  ‘We don't even know what it is, do we, Theo?’

  ‘It's some kind of tripan adventureand it ours. Hansel and Gretel, remember?’

  ‘No Theo, that letter was addressed to you. And that email – it didn’t say anything about being for two, did it? No, this trip is meant for you alone. It's just for you.’

  ‘But Jules, it's…’

  ‘No Theo, just go,’ said Jules abruptly.

  ‘What's got into you, Jules?’ said Theo, alarmed.

  Jules took a deep breath and looked straight into his eyes.

  ‘There are some things that I just know before they happen. I know when I’m supposed to do something and when I’m not, you know what I mean?’

  ‘That doesn’t make any sense,’ said Theo.

  ‘Look,’ said Jules, ‘a few weeks back my dad told me he was going to drive up to Manchester. He was going up there Sunday night to stay in a hotel. It was for work and he needed to be there early Monday morning.’

  ‘Erm, hold on,’ said Theo. ‘What’s all this got to do with now?’

  ‘Let me finish, Theo. When dad told me, I felt sick. I told him not to go, I begged him. I kept on at him and told him to go early the next morning instead. It was a bit foggy and cold, and mum said she could see my point. So he stayed and set off at 5am the next day. Then on the breakfast news we heard about it. A big pile up on the M1 the previous night, with two people killed.’

  ‘Yeh, but that happens all the time,’ said Theo ‘It’s just coincidence. Perhaps you’d read about the fog on the weather forecast earlier. Perhaps…’

  ‘Hey, I never said I was psychic. I just knew something was wrong. I knew he was supposed to wait. And it's not the first time either. I never know what's going to happen exactly, it's just a feeling. I feel it in my stomach. When people talk about things and I know that they’re wrong.’

  ‘But I don’t get it. We’re best mates and you've never told me about this. I've known you for years and you never said.’

  ‘You'd think I was mad,’ said Jules.

  ‘No I wouldn't,’ said Theo. ‘Not really.’

  ‘Yes you would. But it's OK, I really don't mind. You're gonna be safe. It's OK for you because it's supposed to happen. You've got to go tonight, alone.’

  Theo stared at Jules and reached out to hold her hand.

  ‘I'm gonna miss you mate,’ he said. ‘I was looking forward to doing this together.’

  ‘Don't worry, T. I’ll see you again and soon.’

  ‘That's something else you can feel, is it?’

  ‘Oh no,’ said Jules. ‘It’s that torch in your rucksack. I need it back in case we lose the cat again.’

  Theo looked across at Jules and smiled weakly.

  ‘So this is it then?’

  ‘Yeh, I guess.’

  They both stood up, and Jules leaned into Theo with her head down and gave him a quick hug.

  ‘I’ll call Dad. I’ll make up some excuse and get him to come and pick me up. You should head off before he arrives. I’ll pop in and tell your auntie that you called me to say you arrived OK. It’ll save you the hassle.’

  She smiled at Theo and put her hand on his shoulder. He held it tight for a moment. Then he released it, turned and headed for the exit. When he reached the door, he paused for a moment and looked back at Jules.

  ‘Wish me luck,’ he called out to her.

  ‘Naaa,’ said Jules. ‘You make your own luck.’

  Theo smiled at the words. After all, it was just the sort of thing his grandfather would have said.

  Then he turned and headed out of the door while Jules sat back down to finish her milkshake. And as the door closed behind him, Theo suddenly felt very alone.

  *

  It was about 8:15 when Theo arrived at the start of the footpath, which led from the main road to the lower school sports field. The path seemed to be well lit, so he walked along it until he reached the edge of the field. Then he stopped and looked at the map he had printed out from his computer. It seemed to be about the right spot, or at least as near as he could tell.

  He looked up from the map and glanced around. On one side of the path there was a high wooden fence, beyond which lay the back gardens of the houses from the neighbouring street. The fence was a bit tatty looking, and through the various holes and warped slats he could see a distant flicker of televisions as people enjoyed their Friday evenings. On the other side of the path was the school field, and in the distance he could see the back of the school. There were a couple of lights on in the caretaker’s house just to the right of it, but otherwise the school looked dark and deserted.

  Theo stood still on the path and took a slow, deep breath. The night air was cold, and as he breathed out, a fine mist condensed in front of him. Nobody else appeared to be around and suddenly he began to feel uneasy. He looked at his watch. It was 8:27pm. Nearly time. Surely something must be happening soon? He looked up and down the path to see if there was anybody coming to meet him. It was deserted. He pulled the torch out of his rucksack, switched it on and then shone it onto the school field to see if anybody was heading towards him out of the darkness. But there was nobody. That was all he needed – to make a big song and dance about seeing his mother, and then to go back with his tail between his legs because his great plan had led to nothing. And what excuses could he make? He could just imagine what his daft auntie would say. And he hated the thought of giving her that much satisfaction.

  He looked again at his watch. 8:29pm. Then it changed to 8:30. The email had said between 8.30pm and 9pm, so whatever was going to happen should be happening soon. Shivering, he began to stamp his feet and rub his hands together to keep warm. He continued to glance at his watch as time ticked by. 8:32, 8:33, 8:34.

  As the time marched on, his heart began to sink. It had to be a joke or a wind up. Somebody, somewhere was probably having a good laugh at him now. Perhaps they were even watching him through a pair of binoculars somewhere, giggling away at his stupidity. 8:40, 8:41, 8:42. The minutes ticked by, but the night was still and silent. He decided to wait until 9pm and at least give whoever or whatever it was a chance. But he was beginning to think that nothing was going to happen.

  He looked out across the school field towards the caretaker’s house. Was that where he was supposed to be heading? Then, as he stared at the house, all the lights suddenly flickered and went out. Surprised that they had all gone out at the same time, Theo turned around to see that the footpath was in darkness too, as were the houses behind the fence. A power cut. That was just what he needed.

  He pulled out the torch and clicked the power switch. Nothing. He pointed the torch at his face and slapped it a couple of times, hoping to jar it into life, but there was still nothing—not even the fading beam of a flat battery. Now that was odd. He had put new batteries in it earlier, so what was going on? As he frantically switched the torch on and off, hoping that it would start working, he caught sight of a quick flash of light from overhead, followed seconds later by a distant clap of thunder. So not only was he cold, alone and unable to see anything, it was about to pour with rain. He looked upwards, expecting a sudden downpour. But there was no sign of rain. Then he glanced back at his watch. 8:47. Whomever they were, they had until 9pm before he went home. He wasn’t getting soaked to the skin for anybody.

  As he stood on the path in the darkness, he listened, hoping to hear the distant footsteps of somebody coming to tell him what on Earth was going on. But there were no sounds at all, not even the hum of distant traffic. He suddenly felt totally alone and began to panic. That was it; he was going back. He reached out for the fence in the pitch black, so he could feel his way along it and head home. It was then that he heard a faint sound, like a distant rushing of air, almost as if a sudden gale was whipping up. Yet despite the noise, he couldn’t feel any wind; the night air was totally still. Nervously, he turned to his l
eft and then to his right, trying to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. But somehow, it didn’t seem to be coming from anywhere.

  For several seconds, the sound got steadily louder as if whatever was causing it was rushing towards him. It was then he realised that the noise was coming from above him. Without looking, he instinctively ducked and clasped his hands around the back of his head and waited, hoping that whatever was coming wasn’t going to hit him. But it didn’t. Instead, there was a sudden whoosh of air, followed by a dull thud. Then the night fell silent again.

  For a moment, Theo remained crouched on the ground with his eyes squeezed shut. Then slowly, he stood back up. The thud had come from the direction of the school field, so he peered into the darkness in the direction it seemed to have come from. He still couldn’t see anything. Although there were no lights around him, there was a distant glow on the horizon from the nearby town—clearly the power cut had just been localso he crouched down to see if he could see anything silhouetted against it. What he saw next made him gasp. About six or seven meters away from him, stuck in the ground, was a large elongated object. It had not been there before.

  Chapter 4 – The Pod

  Theo stood on the path and stared in shock at the dark silhouette of the object. Although he couldn’t make out any surface detail or colour, he could clearly see that its overall shape was cylindrical and tapered to a point at either end. He guessed that it was about three to four meters long, with maybe a meter or so embedded in the ground. It was also leaning at a slight angle.

  Tentatively, Theo walked slowly towards the object to examine it more closely. Then, as he approached to within about three meters, he began to feel as if some sort of invisible force was pushing against him, almost as if he were walking up a very steep hill. Surprised, he stopped for a moment and stared at the object. Was he imagining it? Slowly, he began to walk forwards again, and as before the invisible force began to push against him, getting stronger and stronger the closer he got. He carried on slowly forwards, leaning towards the object as he walked, but when he was about a meter away from it, the force became too strong to walk against, so he stopped and took a step back. What was this thing and how was it doing that? He stared at its dark surface, which was just out of reach. If he could just push that little bit further forward, he might just be able to touch it. Whether or not he was supposed to try, when it seemed to be pushing him away, he wasn’t sure. But he’d come all this way and he was so close.