The Advent Calendar

by Steven Croft

  ‘Cup of tea?’ said Col. ‘I love tea. One of the great advances of modern times. Come on.’

  The workmen’s hut was open and warm. Sam boiled the kettle, Alice found the mugs. They sat together round the gas stove, hugging the steaming mugs of tea for extra heat.

  ‘Nobody knows the meaning any more,’ Col said, suddenly serious. ‘Nobody knows the stories and the pictures.’

  Sam thought back to the coffee shop that morning and all the people milling about. Alice remembered Nick and the chocolate calendar.

  ‘To find the meaning again you have to find the stories. Put them together, a bit like a jigsaw, and it will make sense. But not till the end.’

  Col smiled, as if it should all be perfectly clear. Alice looked at Sam and tapped the side of her head. Sam was kind of mouthing the words again, trying to remember them.

  Col looked at the clock on the wall. ‘Time to go,’ he said. ‘Bulldozer or green smoke?’

  ‘Neither.’ ‘Bulldozer.’ Alice and Sam spoke together.

  ‘Alice won by a fraction,’ said Col, eyes sparkling. ‘Stand up and close your eyes.’

  Sam and Alice did as they were told. Col came up behind them one after another and spun them round by the shoulders. Alice felt herself spinning. A second later she tumbled onto the sofa. By the time she had opened her eyes, Sam was there too. They looked at each other and grinned.

  ‘Better go,’ Sam whispered. ‘Your dad might still be here.’

  ‘You need to ring Josie,’ Alice whispered back. ‘She rang after you left her in the restaurant. She sounded happier though.’

  ‘Will do,’ said Sam.

  Together they turned towards the calendar. The glass porthole was open now. Through it, Alice could see a brand new road, perfectly level, stretching away through hills and valleys, beckoning her on to new adventures.

  9 December

  Brrrrinnng.

  Alice’s alarm went off at half-past eight on Sunday. It took a moment or two to remember why. The card. That was it.

  She pulled on her best jeans and jumper, splashed her face with water and charged into Megs’ room. ‘Mum, Mum, wake up. It’s Sunday. Can we go to church please? Come on.’

  Megs opened one eye and looked at Alice as if she was bonkers. ‘Don’t be silly, sweetie. You know it’s Sunday. It’s my lie-in day.’

  Megs turned over. Alice jumped onto the bed and peered over Megs’ back right into her face.

  ‘Mah-um, come on. I want to go to church. I’ve never been. I just want to see what it’s like.’

  ‘You won’t like it, darling. It’s really boring.’

  ‘But, Mum, I want to go. Please take me. Grandma is always saying we should go.’ Alice grabbed the bottom of the duvet and started pulling it off the bed.

  Megs held on tight and pulled back. ‘I don’t know where any of the churches are round here, darling, or what time the services are. Maybe next week or the week after.’

  ‘But, Mum, that lady brought a card around yesterday, when we were waiting for Dad. St Philip’s. It’s just in the next street – five minutes walk away. The service is at ten and there’s a map and everything. Come on.’

  ‘Alice Carroll!’ Megs was now sitting up, using her ‘last straw’ voice. ‘What has got into you? I am not, repeat not, getting out of my nice warm bed this morning for any reason on earth short of a hurricane heading down the street and certainly not to take you to a church service you won’t enjoy. Just what part of “no” don’t you understand? Go away and stop winding me up!’

  Alice was in full nag mode but she knew when she was beaten. A couple of minutes later she knocked gently on Sam’s door. To her great surprise he was up and dressed.

  ‘Whassup, little niece?’

  ‘What are you doing up so early?’

  ‘Josie’s coming round for lunch. Thought I might get up and cook. Megs wasn’t too good after yesterday. What about you?’

  Alice waved her card. ‘This may sound really stupid – don’t laugh or anything – but I really want to go to church. A lady brought this round yesterday and it made me think – with the calendar and everything – that I’ve never even been inside a church building. I kind of want to see what it’s like. Mum won’t get up. Can you come with me? I don’t want to go on my own. Come on, Sam, it can’t be that bad.’

  Sam thought for a moment, then said slowly, slightly to his surprise: ‘OK. Don’t mind if that’s what you want to do. We won’t be more than half an hour, will we? I could leave a note for Megs and she could start lunch off. I’m no good at cooking anyway. Let’s go.’

  Alice was so grateful to Sam that she poured out his cocoa pops for him and made him a cup of tea at the same time as she made her muesli. Sam turned up his nose in disgust. ‘Don’t know why you can’t eat a proper breakfast,’ he said as he finished the short note to Megs.

  It was a crisp morning. Sam wore a scarf with his light jacket and Alice wrapped herself up in her woolly hat and duffel coat. The air was cold and fresh on their cheeks and the leaves crunched under their feet. They hurried (Sam had taken ages to get ready) but even so they could hear the organ playing the first hymn as they walked down the church path.

  ‘Looks a bit derelict,’ said Alice, pointing at the long grass and the broken fencing. ‘S’pect it’s nice inside though. Come on, Sam.’

  She pushed open the big door which was just like the one at school. It opened much faster though with a great crash and Alice almost fell through it. She giggled and looked back at Sam who was motioning her to be quiet. Alice turned back into the church. The floor was made of wood and made a noise when you walked across it. The church had rows of long benches all facing in the same direction. There were about twenty old people spread out all over the building, one or two to a row. At least six of them were turning round and looking at her with a range of expressions.

  Alice smiled and waved at a couple of them, but they just looked a bit cross. A nice-looking man came over and smiled.

  ‘Hello – have you come for the service?’

  A woman near the back turned round and tut-tutted at the noise. The hymn still hadn’t finished. Alice presented the red card like a ticket. ‘We had an invitation.’

  ‘Really?’ the man whispered, sounding a bit surprised. ‘That’s very nice. You’d better come and have a seat. Here, have some books.’

  Alice and Sam crept into the back pew just as the hymn was finishing. The vicar said some words to the congregation and they all said something back, reading from one of the books. Then everybody knelt down. Alice copied them and pulled Sam down with her.

  ‘Just do what everyone else is doing, silly.’

  ‘OK,’ said Sam, obviously trying very hard.

  Five minutes later and after much searching, Alice found the right place in the service book. It wasn’t too difficult really. She nudged Sam in triumph. He was just sitting quietly, staring at the building.

  They had some readings and then there was a talk. Alice hardly understood a word but, to her great delight, there were two references to Advent and one to Abraham. Each time she nudged Sam again.

  ‘All this has got something to do with the calendar stuff, Sam, I knew it.’

  ‘Sssshh!’ said the cross lady in the seat in front.

  The prayers came next. Alice thought that part was really nice: the whole building was still. She loved the list of names of those who were sick. They passed a bag round and Sam put some money in, there were more prayers said by the vicar and then everybody started to move to the front of the church.

  The nice man came over to them again: ‘Would you like to come and receive communion?’

  ‘What’s that?’ said Alice.

  ‘Bread and wine,’ hissed Sam. ‘No – we’ll just sit here, thanks.’

  �
��Perhaps a blessing?’ said the man.

  ‘I will,’ said Alice.

  ‘Just kneel at the rail,’ the man said. ‘Keep your hands by your sides.’

  Alice joined the line and waited quietly, looking at the great warm space around her. She liked the pattern of the roof and the pictures in the windows. Alice knelt at the rail and the vicar put one hand on her head and said a prayer: she felt a warmth go right through her. She stayed kneeling at the rail for a moment or two and said a kind of prayer for her mum, then slowly found her way back to Sam. One or two people were lighting candles in the side chapel so Alice joined them and lit one of her own.

  After the service, the nice friendly man took them to the very back of the church where people were having coffee and mince pies. He introduced them to the lady who had called at the door.

  ‘This is Brenda,’ he said. ‘Brenda, this young lady brought the invitation you took round yesterday.’

  ‘You did?’ said Brenda. ‘That’s wonderful. I’m so pleased to see you. Did you like the service?’

  ‘I liked some bits,’ said Alice. ‘Where are all the children?’

  ‘I’m afraid we don’t get many nowadays,’ said the man. ‘We had to close the Sunday School a couple of years ago. Not enough helpers. A few families come at Christmas and Harvest.’

  ‘Time we were going, Alice,’ said Sam.

  Alice finished her squash and said goodbye, politely. The nice man introduced himself as Derek. They offered Sam a parish magazine but when he saw it cost a pound he said, ‘No thanks.’

  ‘How was church then?’ said Megs, kissing them both as they came in the door. ‘Thanks for taking her, Sam, that was really sweet.’

  ‘It was peaceful,’ said Alice. ‘And some of the people were really nice. But there was hardly anybody there.’

  ‘Did you understand it?’ asked Megs.

  ‘Some of it, I think,’ Alice said. ‘But that didn’t really seem to matter. I said a prayer for you.’

  ‘Thanks, my love,’ Megs said. ‘That means a lot. Maybe I could come with you next time.’

  Lunch with Josie was great fun. She and Sam were obviously getting on really well. Having them all there cheered Megs up lots after yesterday. She had even set up the old table in the front room.

  ‘Great food, Megs,’ said Sam, helping himself to thirds. ‘Haven’t had Yorkshire puddings in ages. Well done, old girl.’

  ‘It’s nice to all be together,’ said Megs. ‘Family. Sorry I’ve been such a grump this week.’

  Josie gave Megs a hug as they cleared the table for pudding. Megs popped the question which had been in her mind all day. ‘Have you two decided what to – er – you know?’

  ‘Not exactly,’ said Josie. ‘It’s still sinking in. But Sam’s taken it really well. I didn’t know how he was going to react at all. He’s kind of different – don’t you think?’

  ‘Kind of,’ said Megs. ‘I know what you mean. He even took Alice to St Philip’s this morning.’ A great fart came from Sam’s mobile, left in the kitchen. ‘There’s still some way to go though.’

  The two of them chuckled as they brought Sam’s phone back into the front room with the tinned peaches and custard and put it on the table.

  ‘Text message,’ said Josie. ‘Probably your calendar code, Alice. Let’s see you open it.’

  Alice and Sam exchanged looks. ‘Shame to spoil lunch,’ said Sam. ‘Let’s do it later.’

  ‘Do you mind if I stay in this afternoon, Mum?’ said Alice. ‘I know you wanted to go for a walk but I’ve got lots of homework. Biology.’

  Megs and Josie had their backs to the calendar. Alice and Sam could see very clearly that another door had appeared. It looked strangely like the door of St Philip’s that Alice had pushed open that morning.

  ‘Me too,’ said Sam, starting to clear the table. ‘I mean, I promised to do a bit of tidying up on a report. I’ll keep Alice company. But you two go. I’ll sort the washing up.’

  Josie and Megs were quite content to stretch their legs and went to get their coats before Sam retracted his offer. Alice suspected their route would take them past at least one coffee shop.

  ‘Quick,’ she said, closing her biology textbook as the front door closed. ‘What’s the code?’

  ‘Three numbers,’ said Sam. ‘Three, five, colon, five.’

  ‘Three, five, colon, five,’ Alice repeated as she pushed down the keys. ‘I wonder what Col has got planned this time.’

  In the distance they could hear the faint sound of an organ being played, growing steadily louder and stronger. Sam recognised the tune from a friend’s wedding. This time the mist coming out from the door was bright purple. Alice giggled as it filled the room and she took Sam’s hand. It was like being wrapped in cotton wool. ‘Nice one, Col,’ she said as it grew thicker. Sam felt the ground under his shoes change from the living room floor to a something rougher. They were in the open air, again.

  A light breeze cleared the purple mist and carried it away over the horizon. Alice watched it gradually disappear in the pale winter sunlight, then looked around.

  Sam and Alice were standing in the middle of an immense valley, stretching as far as the eye could see. The air was perfectly still now. There was no sound: nothing moved. The landscape was bare earth and white rocks. Nothing grew there. On either side the hills were completely bare, except for three trees on the nearest western range, silhouetted against the sky.

  But there was something else – and it was more disturbing. Alice was still gripping Sam’s hand tightly, frozen in horror. All across the plain, scattered in every direction, were bones, bleached white in the sun. Alice recognised some of the shapes: femurs and hip bones; vertebrae, ribs – sometimes connected and sometimes separate – fragments of fingers and toes – knee joints, and, most horrible of all, skulls, staring up at them with sightless eyes.

  Sam realised in horror that the branches he thought he was standing on were pieces of arm and moved his feet, searching for a place to stand. Alice turned slowly, taking in the sight: thousands and thousands of bones, scattered over the barren soil, stretching as far as the eye could see. Col was standing behind them, silent, sombre.

  ‘It looks like the site of a great battle,’ said Sam, ‘but there are no weapons.’

  ‘Where are we, Col?’ said Alice, frightened. ‘Why have you brought us here?’

  ‘This way,’ said Col. Alice and Sam followed him, picking their way across the ground as best they could without treading on the remains.

  Col led them to the only structure visible in the entire valley: a wooden watchtower standing about three metres high. He motioned that they should climb the ladder. Alice went first, then Sam, then Col himself followed them. At the top was a small platform, about two metres square, surrounded by a wooden railing.

  The view was exactly the same but not quite so creepy as close up: fragments of people scattered over the earth. ‘There is no need to be afraid,’ said Col. Sam spoke to himself but out loud: ‘One day all of us will be like this. This is all that’s left.’

  Col looked at them. ‘This is for the very brave,’ he said. ‘Be strong and you will both see something you will never forget. Do you want to go on?’

  Sam and Alice looked at each other. ‘Can it hurt us?’ said Sam.

  ‘Absolutely not,’ said Col. ‘That rule never changes. But that doesn’t mean it can’t change you – that’s up to you.’

  Alice nodded. ‘I’d like to go on.’ Sam said the same.

  ‘Speak to the bones,’ said Col. ‘Tell them to come together.’

  Alice and Sam felt stupid as they moved to the edge of the platform. Alice said it first, just a whisper: ‘Come together.’ There was the lightest rustle across the plain, then nothing.

  ‘Louder,’ said Col. ‘Say it as thoug
h you mean it.’

  ‘Come together!’ said Sam in his normal speaking voice. The rustling and shaking was louder. There was a shimmer of movement right across the plain, easing away into a whisper.

  ‘Much louder!’ said Col. ‘A word of command – north, south, east and west.’

  Alice faced north and Sam south. ‘Come together,’ they shouted in unison. Sam faced east and Alice west. ‘Come together.’

  The rustling and rattling grew louder and this time could not subside. The whole valley floor seemed to be in motion. Alice looked down at the ground underneath the tower, every bone was moving – rattling, searching, finding its neighbours. It was slow at first. Skeletal feet formed and hands and heads were drawn together as if by some invisible thread. Sam could see that although the bones were mixed up, the different bodies were still in the same general area. The spread on the ground was thinner now, the rustling softer as the different bone groupings came together: feet found ankles, thighbones located knees and hips, skulls were drawn onto vertebrae. Piece by piece, every skeleton was brought back together. There was silence right across the plain.

  ‘Now a new command,’ said Col. ‘Call for muscle and flesh.’

  Sam took north and Alice south, excitement growing: ‘Muscle and flesh,’ they called. Alice faced west and Sam faced east: ‘Muscle and flesh,’ they cried together.

  This time there was hardly any noise. Again they looked at the base of the tower where they could see most clearly. Then Alice gasped: a tiny red streak ran down the thigh of the nearest skeleton, spreading steadily all over the body, bone by bone. Sam looked out across the plain: the same thing was happening everywhere spreading out from the centre until the whole valley was turned from white to red against the dark earth. They looked back again to the base of the tower and saw muscle growing on the bones beneath them; saw the organs taking shape; saw eyes appearing in the sockets then a covering of flesh grow back as the process of decay was set into reverse. Skin grew over the flesh, then fingernails and hair. Clothes grew as well, covering the naked forms.