The Lighter That Shone Like A Star (Story of The South)

by Dan Cash

  He had never seen his sister look so weak and vulnerable. Her usually radiant red hair was flat and dark brown, her skin was pale and clammy, and her arms were covered in dark purple bruises.

  Freddie was scared for his twin and he would refuse to leave her side until he could be sure that was better.

  Lornea had left Pipton. As soon as her parents heard about the commotion at the concert, they drove to the school, found their daughter and left immediately for Salmont. Freddie did not see her before she left but he had received a message on Scribbler telling him what had happened.

  The young man suddenly felt very alone. His girlfriend was gone, his sister was unconscious and he had no idea where his friends were. He had asked if any of the group had been admitted to the hospital and was relieved when the receptionist did not find their names on the list.

  Three hours passed Freddie by, each second lasting a lifetime. The ward was silent; the patients either asleep or already gone home. Freddie’s parents had moved reluctantly to the visitor’s room to get some sleep.

  Freddie did not want to leave his sister but had fallen asleep awkwardly on a lumpy chair next to her bed. His dreams were filled with exaggerated flashbacks from the gig, plaguing his mind with horrible, exaggerated images of people being crushed.

  The flashes of bright white light came from cloaked men, kidnapping his friends and torturing them for no reason. Sofia was being brutally beaten by a group of said men, slowly losing her fight for life.

  Suddenly Freddie’s eyes shot open and his body jolted as he awoke from his nightmare. Standing before him in the darkness was a dark, hooded figure. Before the startled boy could shout out for help, a woman’s voice filled the silence.

  “Don’t be afraid, Freddie. I’m here to help.” The figure moved forwards, removing their hood and kneeling before the bewildered man. “You need to get out of here before they find you.”

  “Before… Wh… what?” Freddie stammered, dazed. He squinted through the darkness and recognised Jill. Confusion swept over him.

  “Matthew and Anne-Alicia have been taken. Lornea, Max and Russell are safe. You and Sofia will also be safe if you listen carefully and do as I say.”

  “Why should I do as you say?” Freddie asked.

  “For the reason I just told you,” Jill replied, not impatiently.

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “You need to leave,” she told the boy. “Tonight. Now.”

  “Leave? But I can’t leave Sofia, she needs me.”

  “Sofia will be okay. I have seen to and healed her injuries. But she will not be okay if you stay here.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s a long story and we really don’t have time. You need to go home, pack some clothes and your ScribblePad, and then go to your grandparents’ house.”

  “But my only living grandparents live in…”

  “…Terexe. Yes, I know. You’ll need this.” Jill withdrew a black bracelet from her cloak.

  “But that’s the bracelet I gave to Lornea!” exclaimed Freddie.

  “I know, I stole it – you need it more. After you have packed, just twist the clasp and think of your grandparents’ house. Really concentrate on it – how it looks, how it smells, the memories you have of it. And don’t let anybody see you.”

  “Fine.”

  “Don’t tell anyone where you’re going.”

  “Okay.”

  “Don’t scribble unless it is an absolute emergency.”

  “I’ll try…” Freddie smiled.

  “You’ll do,” Jill said, sternly.

  “I will.”

  “Now go.”

  “Okay.” Freddie rose from his chair and bent over to kiss his sister on the forehead. He turned to leave and made for the exit.

  “Oh, and Freddie,” Jill called out.

  “Yeah?”

  “Don’t forget your toothbrush.”

  Freddie smiled and left the ward. He walked quickly but quietly out of the hospital and towards his house.

  Pipton was unnaturally quiet, even for the early hours of the morning. It was as if everything, the people and the animals, were holding their breath waiting for something. What exactly, Freddie could not say.

  As the blond boy approached his street, he realised that he was not alone. He ducked behind a garden wall and peered around the corner. Standing under each streetlight were tall hooded figures. They definitely were waiting for something.

  They’re waiting for me.

  Freddie sat with his back against the cold brick wall. The street was littered with people waiting for his arrival, but he had no idea why. He was frustrated with himself for not asking Jill more questions. No, he was annoyed at Jill. She should have prepared him for this; she must have known.

  Freddie had no idea how he could get to his house without being seen. The street was too well lit and patrolled for him to sneak past. He rubbed his forehead, too tired to think straight.

  A hand clasped around his shoulder. Freddie jumped and clenched his fist ready to strike out. He turned quickly and saw it was Russell.

  “Bloody hell, you almost gave me a heart attack!” he hissed.

  “Sorry, mate,” Russell whispered in reply.

  “What are you doing out here?” asked Freddie. He noticed that Russell had a swollen, black eye but he was too preoccupied to ask what had happened.

  “I couldn’t sleep and saw you from my bedroom window. These men are only on yours and Max’s streets. What do you think they want?” Russell joined Freddie on the hard concrete, wincing as he reached the ground.

  “I honestly have no idea.”

  “Well I think I have a way past them,” said Russell with a tinge of excitement. He pulled back his sleeve to reveal a bracelet similar to the one wrapped around Freddie’s wrist, only this one was white.

  “Where did you get that from?” Freddie demanded.

  “Jill gave it to me,” Russell replied, as if stating the obvious. “Right, hold my hand”

  “Hold your hand?”

  “Yes, hold my hand.”

  “Can’t I just, like, put my hand on your shoulder or something?”

  “Seriously, Freddie,” Russell sighed exasperated, grabbing Freddie’s hand and using his other to twist the clasp on the bracelet. Nothing happened.

  “Well what did that do?” Freddie asked, but as he turned back to Russell he realised. “You’re invisible!”

  “Yes, we both are. Now, shall we stay here for a natter or do you want to go inside?”

  The friends rose to their feet and began to edge quietly around the corner. “Remember, we may be invisible but they can still hear and touch us,” Russell whispered in Freddie’s ear.

  “Well then you should probably shut up,” Freddie joked, smirking.

  As they drew closer to the Vassallo house, Freddie could feel himself growing more and more nervous. They passed a cloaked man, who shuffled slightly, causing Russell to jump. Their hands began to sweat, their grip tight. They tiptoed past a second man hardly daring to breathe in fear of being heard.

  A third person was standing directly in front of Freddie’s garden gate. Russell motioned for them to climb over the low wall. As they landed in the flowerbed, the garden guard turned his head sharply and peered directly at where the two friends were crouching.

  The boys remained still, petrified to the spot. They waited for well over a minute before moving again, slowly and quietly across the lawn and finally onto the doorstep.

  “Russell,” Freddie whispered. “Two problems. One: I don’t have a key. Two: They’ll see the door open.”

  “Ah, I hadn’t thought of that,” Russell admitted. They stood in silence trying to think of a solution. “I’ve got it,” muttered Russell. “I’ll turn to face outwards, keeping an eye out, while you do your thing and burn through the lock. Then, when we’re sure no-one’s looking, we’ll sneak through a gap in the door.”

  “That might work…”

  “It’s our only option
.”

  And so Russell, not letting go of his friend’s hand, shifted so his back was against Freddie’s. The Terexian held his free hand against the door and waited until the mechanism had melted away completely, allowing the door to creak open.

  Gently, he pushed open the heavy door until the gap was big enough for him to squeeze through. Once both men were safely inside the house, Freddie let go of Russell’s hand. Then, he dragged an armchair from the living room into the hallway, pushing it against the door to create a sort of barricade. They entered Freddie’s bedroom, closing the curtains and lighting three of Sofia’s strawberry scented candles.

  “How romantic,” said Russell.

  “Oh ha, ha,” laughed Freddie sarcastically, finding his backpack and filling it with clothes.

  “Where are you going?” Russell asked.

  “Terexe. Jill told me I need to get out of Pipton.”

  “Oh,” huffed Russell, sitting on the bed with a loud sigh. Freddie joined him on the comfortable mattress, wishing he could just wrap himself in the duvet and go to sleep.

  “What’s up?”

  “Oh, nothing. It’s just… I thought you would be staying.”

  “Sorry, mate. I have to go. Apparently it’s not safe for me to stay.”

  “No, no, I understand. I guess it’ll just be weird now. Everyone’s disappeared except me and Sofia. And now the streets are full of weirdoes in cloaks. I’m a bit scared, Fred.”

  “Me too,” Freddie confessed. “But we’ll find out what’s going on soon, I’m sure. We’ll just have to try and stay safe in the meantime. And Russell?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Look out for Sofia for me, yeah?”

  “Of course, Freddie. Take care of yourself and don’t stay away for too long.”

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can, promise.” Freddie reached his arm around Russell and squeezed him comfortingly.

  The young Terexian man stood up, swung his bulging backpack onto his shoulders and looked down at his friend with a brave smile.

  Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his grandparents' house in Terexe: the clean white front door, the crimson flowers in baskets that hung from the porch, three ornamental gnomes underneath the kitchen window, the smell of freshly baked chocolate brownies…

  Freddie twisted the clasp on the black bracelet.

  He opened his eyes and there it all was before him: the door, the flowers, the gnomes. Underneath the gnome in the middle, Freddie knew was a spare key.

  He did not want to wake his grandparents nor did he want to try and explain what had happened. Instead, he let himself in the house and quietly tiptoed towards his father’s old bedroom. He stripped to his boxer shorts, slipped into bed, and cocooned himself in the soft silky duvet. Only one thought crossed his mind before he drifted off to sleep: I forgot my toothbrush.

  Max

  Time seemed to have come to a complete standstill whilst at the same time flying by at an unrelenting pace. Max awoke in a daze, disturbed by the dulcet tones of Joz outside his bedroom door.

  Another voice interrupted Joz, sounding impatient. Max tiptoed to his door and pressed his ear gently against the dense wood. The second voice was higher in pitch than Joz’s and Max could not decide if it was a man or woman speaking.

  They were talking quickly and urgently until Joz interrupted and both fell silent. Max heard footsteps. Heavy at first but fading into the distance quickly, followed by two firm knocks at the door. The eavesdropper jumped and bounded back to his bed before muttering “Come in”, attempting to sound as if he had just woken up.

  “Sorry to wake you, Clemari,” Joz said. “I fear that our voices echo all too vibrantly in the castle’s cavernous corridors.” Max blushed, realising that Joz knew he had been listening in.

  “I didn’t hear anything, sorry…” started Max, sitting up in his bed.

  “No, no, it is I who owes you an apology. I was talking with one of my advisors, soon to be yours of course, who strongly believes we should have announced your arrival last night.”

  “Oh,” Max uttered, stunned that he was not being scorned for his nosiness. Joz smiled.

  “You are the Clemari now, it is your right to be nosy and you will no longer be scorned, by anyone.”

  “How…”

  Joz looked slightly abashed. “Once more I must apologise, I should not read your thoughts.” Max sighed. He struggled to believe that he would ever adapt to being a ‘Clemari’; the person to whom everyone would answer.

  His sleep had been filled with erratic dreams mingled with unpleasant nightmares. Sofia and Freddie infiltrated his subconscious, as well as Matthew, Russell, Anne-Alicia, and Lornea. The dream from which he had been pulled not five minutes ago was a particularly enigmatic one, revolving around his parents.

  His mother had given birth to a chubby baby boy but his father was crying inconsolably; angry at a time where happiness should have filled his world.

  Max was watching the scene as an outsider, watching as his mother cradled her newborn son and his father stormed out of the room. He followed his father out of their family home and into the bitter night.

  Harvey raged through Pipton, passing the school that Max would be attending five years later and on to the yellow meadow.

  Dream Max closed his eyes and was back in the warm living room with his mother and his younger self. She was singing melodically in her baby’s ear while a nurse pottered about whistling the same lullaby.

  The midwife walked over to mother and baby, her foot accidentally knocking over a small vial on her way. A drop of purple liquid fell onto the carpet and a small, green flame flickered for an instant before extinguishing, leaving a small burn mark on the usually immaculate beige shag. Confused, Max closed his eyes once more to see his father screaming in front of a large rock.

  That was when the voices had woken him up.

  Joz left Max to his thoughts, warning him that he should be showered, dressed and prepared for the unknowable in half an hour.

  Well, thought Max, at least I still have thirty minutes of peace.

  Max was unsure who controlled time in Naegis but it seemed to speed up as soon as Joz exited the room.

  After having showered, he dressed himself in clothes that had been left neatly on his enormous canopy bed. Unsurely, he donned a long, orange gown that reminded him of a dress his mother once wore to a dinner party; only this one had long baggy sleeves and stopped just below his pale, bony knees.

  Around his neck he sported a heavy and intricately engraved silver collar, a long silver chain with a delicate crystal pendant, and another, longer gold chain with eight links forming the word ‘Clemari’. Black, leather sandals lay at the foot of the bed, with criss-crossing straps that fastened halfway up his slender calf.

  Fully dressed and feeling uncomfortably different, Max left his bedroom and was met in the hallway by a rigid and dutiful Luc.

  “Clemari, if you’d follow me,” Luc said, dressed in similar attire to Max only without the lettered chain and in a robe of deep, midnight blue.

  “Hi, Luc,” Max greeted spritely. “Nice gown. Much better than mine – I look like an elongated tangerine.”

  Max was slightly relieved that he was not met by Joz. Luc was less intimidating than his father and as he could not read minds and appeared to be Max’s age (although in reality he was almost a hundred years old), Max felt much more relaxed in his presence.

  “How are you?”

  “I am well, thank you for asking, Clemari. I hope you are feeling refreshed after your sleep?”

  “I am thanks. Where are we going?” the younger man enquired.

  “First we must introduce you to your council as it stands. Then, you will present yourself to your people on the balcony that looks out unto the courtyard. It is required of you to proceed by riding out into the small town that lies just beyond your castle’s walls and sign the declaration under the fallen star.

  “Upon your return, you will host a dinner
attended by the highest and most respected people of Naegis, along with some Naegean citizens from all over to represent the people you serve. That will complete your inauguration,” Luc stated, walking at a steady pace, his eyes never faltering from straight ahead.

  “Wow,” breathed Max, suddenly flooded with dread.

  “What are the connotations?” Luc asked, shifting his gaze briefly to Max for the first time. Max hesitated, unsure of what to say.

  “Umm, well, that was a lot to take on board.”

  “But what are the connotations of ‘wow’?”

  “The conn- It’s just an expression… of shock and well, a lot of things really.”

  “So, you have no words to express your sentiments?”

  “Yeah, exactly,” Max confirmed, slightly agitated.

  The two young men turned a corner, halting in front of a small doorway covered by a translucent curtain fluttering slightly from a calming breeze.

  “I am not officially part of the council and so I must leave you here, Clemari.”

  “Oh, okay,” muttered Max, feeling suddenly lost when Luc turned away. “Wait! What if I want you here?”

  “That will be your decision, but not quite yet.” And he left Max alone in front of the veiled doorway feeling similar to how he did on his first day of school.

  Nervously, he extended his arm, swept the drape aside and entered the room. Five men and five women sitting around a large triangular table were talking excitedly among themselves.

  The first thing Max noticed was the way in which the table was supported, or rather not supported: it was simply floating, legless, at a comfortable height for the people sitting around it. Beyond the table stood a giant chair, or throne, made of what appeared to be solid gold with a single purple cushion on the seat.

  Upon seeing Max, Joz rose from his seat and the other nine members followed suit, standing rigidly and staring straight ahead. Not knowing exactly what to do, Max walked rigidly towards Joz.