by Mazhar, S
“Mrs Adams, please!” Rose sobbed. “We have to go back. We have to get my mum and dad!”
“I’m sorry,” Kate replied, “but we can’t go back. It’s not safe.”
Her words only enraged Sam, making him lean back and kick at the steel mesh with his feet. But Kate continued driving, not even turning around to tell him to stop.
Aaron didn’t understand what was happening. Nothing made sense; not what he saw, nor what he felt. It was like it all belonged in a horrifying nightmare. He closed his eyes tightly. Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe this was a nightmare. Maybe, in reality, he was still in his bed, and Sam and Rose had never come to see him. He had never crept out of his house and that freak accident had never happened. After all, the ground does not just split open of its own accord. Strange white clouds don’t drop out of the skies and chase you down the street. Men don’t materialise out of mist and start attacking your dad. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.
Aaron kept his eyes closed, hoping and praying he was dreaming. Maybe he would see that green-eyed boy again. That would prove he was dreaming. Aaron opened his eyes and stared out of the window, but all he saw were darkened houses and deserted streets whipping past him.
Kate continued driving into the dead of the night, until she pulled up outside a small white building with a sign advertising it as The Pearl Inn, B&B.
Kate turned off the engine and turned back in her seat to look at the three teenagers. “Wait here, and don’t speak a word until we get inside,” she warned before opening the door and stepping out.
“Wait! What’s going on?” Sam asked, but all he got in response was the slam of the door.
Aaron and the twins watched in mounting confusion as Kate hurried to the building. Sam pulled out his phone from his pocket.
“What are you doing?” Rose asked.
“I’m calling the police!” he spat. When he held up his phone, though, he saw the smashed screen. Sam cursed. He tried pushing the buttons but the screen stayed dark. Sam threw the broken phone at the window and turned to Rose. “Give me your phone.”
“I don’t have it,” Rose said. “Mum took it from me, remember?”
Sam cursed again, running both hands through his hair. He didn’t turn to Aaron. He already knew Aaron had left his battery-drained phone at home. The sound of Kate impatiently knocking at the house’s door drew their attention.
The door opened and an elderly man appeared, blinking sleep from his eyes. Aaron was not at all surprised at the man’s shock as he stared at the woman on his doorstep dressed in only a nightie, barefoot and shivering. His mum was saying something but the grey-haired man shook his head. Aaron watched as his mum turned to gesture to them. The man’s gaze darted to them sitting in the car before snapping back to Kate, but he resolutely shook his head. He stepped back, one hand on the door, ready to close it.
What happened next didn’t make sense to Aaron, much like the rest of the night so far. His mum reached out and pressed her hand against the man’s chest, halting him. Her other hand reached up to rest on his cheek, almost lovingly, with the tips of her fingers touching his temple. The man’s expression changed, morphing from shocked to serene. He nodded at her and moved away, gesturing for her to come in. Kate turned, hurrying back to the car. She opened the door, at last freeing them from the back seat of the police car. Sam leapt out enraged – red faced with blazing eyes.
“What’s going–!”
But Kate’s fierce glare quietened him. “Inside!” she hissed.
Aaron took Rose’s hand in one of his and Sam’s in the other, and pulled them across the pavement, following his mum into the building and past the now smiling grey-haired man.
***
The room was small with just one bed, a single dresser pushed into the far corner, a chair perched next to the window, and a door leading to a tiny cubicle of an en suite. The first thing Kate did after locking the door was draw the curtains. Sam and Rose were told to sit down so they perched at the very edge of the bed. Aaron sat down in the chair, his gaze following his mother’s irregular pacing. She was mumbling something under her breath, eyes closed, hands clutching at her stomach and sometimes at her chest.
“Mrs Adams?” Rose bravely raised her voice. “Shouldn’t...shouldn’t we do something? Call the police or...” She trailed off. The police were already there; Christopher Adams and Michael Williams were police officers.
Kate ignored her, keeping up her nervous pacing with her head dropped and lips mumbling quiet prayers.
“Will you tell us what’s going on?” Sam asked, a lot calmer this time, but anger still underlined his words.
Kate shook her head. “Just wait,” she said. “Wait until Chris and Mike come with your parents. Then we’ll talk.”
“How will they know where we are?” Rose asked.
“They know,” she said softly. “They’ll come.”
Aaron didn’t know how long he sat there staring at his mum. She seemed determined to wear the floor thin, walking up and down the length of the room. Suddenly she came to a standstill. Her eyes opened. She turned and darted to the door. Aaron rose to his feet, his heart twisting in his chest.
Kate’s hand was on the handle before the knock even happened. She pulled the door open with great haste to see both Chris and Michael. She threw herself into her exhausted husband’s arms. Chris looked over at Aaron with tired, bloodshot eyes. Aaron was staring at his dad too, taking in the sight of his injuries. A faint bruise was visible at his chin. Blood leaked from a cut on his cheek, but that seemed to be the extent of it. Aaron glanced at his uncle to see that he sported a cut just under his jawline but otherwise seemed unhurt. Chris pulled away from his wife and stepped towards Aaron, embracing him with strong arms.
“Thank God!” he breathed into Aaron’s hair. “You’re okay. Thank God, you’re okay.”
Sam and Rose got to their feet. They stared expectantly at the door, waiting for their parents to walk in and rush to embrace them in a flurry of tears. But the only one to follow behind Chris was Michael, who closed the door behind him.
“Mr Adams?” Rose spoke tentatively. “Where’s...where’s my mum and dad?”
Chris let go of Aaron and walked over to her and Sam, his expression one of tremendous grief. He came to a stop in front of Rose and reached out, cupping her cheek. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.
Aaron’s breath caught in his chest.
“There was nothing we could do,” Chris said.
Rose shook her head, brown eyes wide. Beside her, Sam stepped forward, eyes narrowed and fists clenched.
“You’re lying,” he accused. “You’re lying!”
“Samuel–” Kate started.
“NO!” Sam bellowed. “What are you saying? That they’re – they’re...dead?” The word escaped him with difficulty. “How can they be dead? They can’t die! Why would anyone hurt them?”
“No.” Rose was shaking her head. Her chest heaved as panic built inside her. “No, no, NO!” she screamed.
Kate crossed the room and took the girl in her arms, whispering gently to her. Rose struggled at first, but as Kate’s soothing voice reached her, she crumpled in her embrace, sobbing.
Aaron wanted to go to her. He wanted to help, to offer some gesture of support, but his feet refused to move. It was as if he had lost control over his limbs and so was forced to just stand, staring at his friends as they struggled with their grief.
“What happened?” Sam asked, the words barely making it past his clenched teeth. “Who were those...those men? Did they...? Were they the ones who...?” He couldn’t finish the sentence but closed his eyes, struggling to keep control.
“Come on,” Michael said quietly, stepping towards Sam. “I’ve booked another room. We’ll go in there and talk.”
“No, we’ll talk here!” Sam was shaking now, though whether it was from anger or grief Aaron didn’t know. “Will someone just...just tell me what the hell is going on!” His voice rose; tears shone
in his eyes but didn’t fall.
“Come on. I’ll tell you everything,” Michael promised, “but not here. Come on.”
Sam took hold of his sobbing sister, pulling her away from Kate and led her out of the room, following after Michael. The door closed after them with a click. Aaron was left facing his parents, and felt an unbearable urge to run after his uncle.
“Sit down, Aaron,” Chris instructed quietly.
Aaron lowered himself down onto the edge of the bed. Long minutes stretched out but no one spoke. Aaron waited, barely breathing. He watched as his parents shared awkward glances, communicating in that strange husband-and-wife way that didn’t need actual words. Finally, Chris let out a sigh and walked over to the chair, pulling it across the room so that he could sit in front of Aaron.
“I know you have a lot of questions,” he started, “but I want you to keep quiet and let me explain first, okay?”
Aaron nodded.
His dad sighed again, fingers rubbing at his chin as he closed his eyes. After a moment’s pause, he looked at his wife, but she stubbornly stayed next to the window, refusing to come any closer.
“What happened tonight...” Chris started. “It’s very difficult to explain. Before you can make complete sense of it, you need to understand something. You’re different from other people, Aaron.”
“Different?” Aaron asked. “As in...?”
“As in...” Chris faltered. “You’re not...human.”
3
Family Secrets
Aaron blinked at him. “Sorry?”
“You’re not human,” Chris repeated. “Neither are we.” He pointed at himself and Kate. “Neither is Mike–”
“Wait, wait.” Aaron held up a hand, his eyes narrowed. “Wait...What?”
If the situation hadn’t been so dire, Aaron would have laughed. It was a joke, of course it was a joke. But then he remembered that his dad didn’t make jokes. After the kind of night they’d had, after what had happened to Mr and Mrs Mason, his dad wouldn’t even think of making jokes.
“Aaron.” Chris took in a breath. “I know what this sounds like, but you have to understand that what I’m about to tell you is the absolute truth.”
Aaron nodded, but a part of him still protested wildly. It was ludicrous. He wasn’t human? What did that mean? He watched as his dad drew himself closer, sitting on the edge of his seat, hands clasped together and head bowed.
“I should have told you this before, I know that,” he started. “Your mum and I...” He glanced at his wife. “We hoped you’d be older when we told you, but...” He swallowed heavily. “After tonight, I guess we have no other choice.” He met Aaron’s eyes. “We’re not human, not completely.” He paused. “We’re mages.”
Lines formed across Aaron’s brow and his eyes narrowed again. “Mages?” he asked.
“Yes, mages,” his dad repeated. “We’re different beings. Born into this world in the form of a man but with powers bestowed by Heaven itself.”
Mages? Powers? Heaven? Aaron’s head was spinning.
“You’re having me on,” he said. “This isn’t funny, Dad.”
“I agree, it isn’t funny in the least,” Chris replied, “but I’m not having you on. You’re a mage and so are we. We’ve been living in the human realm since you were born, which strictly speaking isn’t allowed–”
“Human realm? So....we’re aliens? Is that what you’re saying?” Aaron asked, so angry he was trembling. How gullible did his dad think he was?
“No, we’re not aliens.” A half smile came to Chris’s face. “But we do have our own world, so to speak – our own realm.”
Aaron was shaking his head, his mind screaming in denial. “This is...this is insane,” he argued.
“It’s difficult to believe, I know,” Chris said softly, “but think about what happened today. Everything you saw. Does any of that make sense?”
Aaron fell quiet. Did it make sense? No. The ground opening to trap the out of control car, the white mist dropping from the sky and the way it chased them, the men who stepped seemingly out of thin air – It couldn’t be explained, not by rational means. Aaron’s insides twisted, his heart frantically beating against his chest. Mages? Powers? Was it really possible? He glanced up to see the sincerity in his dad’s dark green eyes. He swallowed heavily.
“You’re not joking?” he asked, half hoping he was.
Chris shook his head. “I’m not.”
Aaron’s mouth dried. “A...a mage?”
Chris nodded. “Different, not human, but we have humanity, Aaron. We’re the same in most ways.”
Aaron nodded, holding on to that small truth. They had humanity. They were still humans...sort of.
“Those...those men.” Aaron asked quietly. “Who are they?
Chris’s expression twisted into one of anger. “It’s a long story, Aaron, and not one that I want to get into right now.” He brushed a hand through his hair, letting out a slow breath. “I promise I’ll tell you everything, but we don’t have much time. We have to leave. Those things are looking for us. They know where we are, and they are just waiting for the right moment to attack.”
Aaron nodded, his heart beating wildly. “What are we going to do?” he asked.
“Go somewhere safe,” Chris replied. “Mike’s in the other room, explaining all this to Samuel and Roslyn. As soon as he’s done, we’re going to leave.”
“What?” Aaron asked. “You’re telling Sam and Rose about me? That I’m a...a mage?”
“They have a right to know, Aaron.”
“A right to know?” Aaron’s eyes widened. “I’ve just been told this two seconds ago and it’s about me! Why are you telling my friends?”
“Because your friends are a part of this now.” His mum spoke from the corner. “You unleashed your power in front of them. They witnessed it. Now they’re involved.”
“My power?” Aaron asked, turning around to look at her. “What are you talking about?”
“What happened today,” Chris said, “what you did, that was an example of instinctual reflux–”
“What I did?” Aaron asked incredulously. “Dad, I didn’t do anything!”
“The car, Aaron,” Chris said. “What happened to the car, that was you. Your instinctual reflux is a flow of power, one that opened the ground to stop the car from running you over.”
Aaron went rigid, as if someone had doused him with ice-cold water. His mouth opened and closed but not a sound left him. Slowly he shook his head. “No,” he breathed. “I...I didn’t...”
“It’s okay.” Chris rested a hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “It was out of your immediate control. I already told you, it was instinctual. You reacted to save yourself. It’s okay.”
“That...that driver?” Aaron’s heart twisted. “Oh God. I...I killed him!”
“No, you didn’t,” his dad replied. “I checked on the driver after...after leaving the Masons.” He shifted in his seat. “She was drunk and had passed out at the wheel.”
Aaron thought it would make him feel better to know that no lasting damage had been done by his hand, but it didn’t. If anything, his stomach curled tighter.
“How did you get her out?” he asked.
“I pulled the car out,” Chris replied, “then fixed the ground. I couldn’t have the authorities confused–”
“You pulled the car out?” Aaron asked. “Fixed the ground? How? How could you–?” He paused, eyes widening. “Wait. Mages, do they have...magic?”
“No,” Chris replied, with that half smile again. “It’s not magic, Aaron. It’s much more than that.” He moved to sit next to him. “What we have are powers.”
Aaron felt dizzy and a little sick. He couldn’t see the difference between powers and magic. He closed his eyes but it only made him feel worse.
“That’s why we wanted you to stay away from your friends,” Chris said quietly. “When a mage exposes his power in front of humans, it leaves something called a Trace on the humans
, so other mages can identify them. That’s why we pulled you from school,” he revealed. “A mage’s core wakes at the age of thirteen. It continues to grow over the next six years. We let you go to school when you were younger, but we knew you could never go to secondary school. We weren’t going to take the risk that you might do something in front of hundreds of children. And when that boy tried to push you down the stairs, we got a chance – an excuse to pull you out early.” Genuine sadness engulfed his features. “That’s why we kept you away from your friends, told you not to hang around them.”
Now Aaron was definitely going to be sick. He pushed the feeling of nausea down, fighting the rise of bile clawing up his throat.
“But you continued meeting them,” Kate said, accusation and anger lacing her words. “You defied our explicit demands to stay away–”
“Because he didn’t understand,” Chris interrupted, throwing a hard look Kate’s way before he turned back to Aaron. “You didn’t know why we were asking you to stay away. It’s our fault. We should have been honest and told you the truth.”
Aaron had always wondered why his parents didn’t want him around his friends. Now he knew. It wasn’t his friends who were the problem, it was him.
“Sam and Rose,” he croaked, still fighting the urge to throw up, “they didn’t see me do anything. I didn’t do anything. How do you know they even have that...that Trace thing on them?”
“We can see it,” Chris replied wearily. “You will too, once you learn how to pick up on it. All mages can see the Trace. But the problem is, those things you saw today? The ones that came out from the white mist? They can sense the Trace as well and they kill anyone who has it.” He met Aaron’s terrified gaze. “Sam and Rose can’t stay here. It’s not safe for them. They have to leave with us.”
“But they have other family,” Aaron said, desperate to do something – anything – right by his friends. “Their grandparents live in Scotland. And I know Sam and Rose won’t say anything to anyone. They won’t tell a soul–”