Val knew she couldn’t go back in; the pain of seeing those pictures on the screen again would be too much. What had she done wrong? Why had it crashed? Was it the bullet? She started to run, needing to get home. As the tears started pouring down her face, she felt ashamed for celebrating at the cost of her best friend’s father’s life.
As Val ran, she screamed abuse into the darkness at whoever thought it was a good idea to give her this curse. Then she shouted at herself for letting all the others in on her secret. She finished off with a despairing bellow for being such a loser.
When Val eventually stumbled towards her house, it was lit up like a Christmas tree. She reached the door and pounding at it with her fist. The door opened. “Val!” Mike’s voice was the best sound she had heard all day.
“Dad.” Val reached out and grabbed her father’s neck as he bent down and pulled her in close.
“Are you hurt? What’s wrong? Val, please speak to me.” Mike was inspecting Val for visible wounds. “Susan, come here now! Val’s hurt!” Mike shouted towards the kitchen.
Susan was at their sides within a second, and wiping her dirty hands down her apron, she ordered, “Get her to the sofa, Mike.” “Mum! It’s the plane. It crashed,” Val blurted through snot and tears.
“Get her a brandy.” Susan pointed at the cabinet. Susan sat at Val’s head and stroked her sweaty hair, making a deep shushing noise. She asked Val no questions, just sat waiting for her to talk when she could.
Val took a deep and controlled breath. “Mum, Delta’s dad was on the plane; he’s dead.” As the last word came out, she started to sob again.
“Mike, put on the TV please,” Susan asked calmly.
The huge flat screen TV on the wall sprang into life. Mike quickly switched to Sky News and was met with horrific images of burning metal and fallen trees.
“Dear God!” Susan breathed.
“Mum, it’s all my fault.” Val kept crying.
“How can this be your fault?” Susan asked.
“It just is.” Val needed to stop talking or things would be said and she would put her family at risk.
“Val, where is Delta?” Mike asked.
“I don’t know. We were all having a burger at the ‘Snakes and Ladders’ and she saw the news and ran.”
Val was slowly calming down and her father passed her the brandy.
“Who is all, Val?” Susan enquired.
“Just me and Delta.” Val looked up at her mum who was still stroking her hair.
“Have you called her?” Mike asked.
“No, I just ran home.”
“You ran the five miles from the ‘Snakes and Ladders’ to home? Wow, no wonder you couldn’t talk!” Mike exclaimed. “I’ll give her a ring.”
“Where is your mobile, Val?” Susan started to look around.
“It’s in my back pocket.” Val reached down and realised that she still had an assortment of gadgets about her body. She reached in and pulled out what now seemed like a very plain and unexceptional mobile from her pocket, trying to leave her telescopic sword behind.
“Call her then,” Susan said as if giving instructions to a toddler. Val pressed her speed dial but it went straight through to answer machine.
“How are you doing, Mike?” Susan called through.
“Engaged at the moment, but I will keep trying,” he shouted back from the kitchen. All of a sudden, Val saw something in her mother that she had never noticed before. She had an inner strength that was helping her cope in this very delicate situation. For a moment, Val just looked up at her mum in appreciation and then the phone started to ring.
“Yes, just a minute,” Mike said as he walked into the lounge. He handed the phone over to Susan.
“Hello Patricia. Yes, Val is home. Is Delta with you?” There was a silence. Patricia was Delta’s mum. Sometimes Val had mistaken them for each other, which had been slightly disturbing. “OK, I’ll tell Val. If you need anything, please call me. Bye.” Susan switched off the phone.
“Val, he’s OK.” Susan now had tears in her eyes.
“Really Mum?” Val started to sit up.
“Yes, Patricia said it was a miracle. Some man called Paul Brown helped to get Jeffrey out of the plane. It seems that one of the engines exploded as the plane was landing. Patricia says Jeff mentioned a bomb.” Susan looked into Val’s eye with that heartfelt emotion only a mother and daughter have. “He’s OK, Val, don’t worry, and Delta is safely at home.”
Val nodded. Paul had saved Delta’s dad. So, that’s what it had all been about. For a second she felt a little relief from the pain, then she just lay back down, letting the tears roll down her face. Her mum slowly stroked her hair until she slipped into the world of sleep.
When she opened her eyes, Val saw the trees and the path leading to her dream village. It was dark and damp and she felt the coolness of the wet grass between her toes.
She could sense the presence of the one she was growing to know as her adversary, although she didn’t know where it was emanating from.
“Come out coward. I know you’re hiding!” Val shouted. She no longer feared him. Her best friend had walked away from her and possibly hundreds of people had died tonight because of her actions, so what had she got to lose?
“Scared of a little girl are you?” she baited him, sensing the anger vibrating in the air. “Too scared to face me, you have to send your little followers to get me.” Val was now spinning in circles as she shouted. Then she spotted a shadow moving across the body of a huge oak tree. “You do know only pussies hide in trees?” Val didn’t get time to see what struck her; it was far too fast. It smashed across her face and she felt the blood spurting from her mouth. She coughed as she fell onto her knees.
“Well I must say, you are brave.” Val wiped her bloody lip and laughed. She pulled herself back to her feet as another blow caught her from the other side and she collapsed again.
“You will give up child,” mocked a voice that almost didn’t exist. It was a cold voice that left Val, not only in pain, but shaken to her bones as she pulled herself onto her feet again.
“Never, I will never let you beat me and if you ever try to hurt anyone I know again, I will kill you.” Val spat blood onto the woodland floor.
“Kill me, you pathetic creature? You can’t even see me. How do you expect to kill me?” the voice mocked her. “Gather your soldiers, child. I will enjoy killing each and every one.”
Val felt another strike from behind and this one held such force that even as she fell, she knew he had damaged her.
Hitting the ground with a thud, she immediately heard her mother screaming. Opening her eyes, she understood why. She had been thrown from the sofa where she had fallen asleep, onto the glass coffee table and had managed to smash it. As Val took in the extent of the situation, she noticed large amounts of blood on the carpet and in the broken glass, which was now only inches away from her throat. Val felt herself being lifted into the air. The arms that held her were strong and steady; she knew they were her father’s.
Her mother told Mike to put her back down on the sofa. He lowered her slowly and Val started to feel the full force of the blows she had just received. This meant that the injuries he had inflicted upon her in her dream had somehow manifested themselves in the real world.
“Val, tell me where it hurts, honey?” Susan had a chequered tea towel at Val’s face. “I don’t understand what happened. We left you sleeping and the next thing we knew, you’d fallen through the coffee table.” Susan was shaking and Val could tell from her expression that her face must be a mess.
“I was having a bad dream, Mum. I’m sorry about the mess,” Val said, terrified that this thing that was tormenting her had crossed over into the real world.
“Don’t worry, we can clean this up. It’s your face that’s worrying me.” Susan held Val’s chin gently in her hands looking at both sides. “I swear, if you hadn’t been sleeping here just a minute ago I would say you had been in a
fight.” Susan placed a kiss on Val’s head and handed her the tea towel. “Let me get you some ice.” Susan stood up, walking around Mike who was removing the broken glass.
“Mike get the car started, we’d better take her to accident and emergency.”
Mike nodded.
“NO!” Val shouted through the pain. The last thing she wanted was to be asked loads of questions. What if they wanted x-rays and she had to get undressed? What if they saw the tattoo? Add the excitement of some unexpected teleporting, and she would be locked up before the clock struck twelve.
“Val, I know you don’t like hospitals, but you have some nasty cuts. They may need stitches.” Susan had her serious look on, and Val knew she was going to have to work hard to convince her.
“I’m not going. Call Uncle Julian, he can sort me out,” Val pleaded. Val’s uncle was a local GP and at least he wouldn’t ask her to get undressed.
Susan sighed, then reluctantly agreed. “OK. I’ll give him a bell, but if he isn’t there you are going to the hospital.”
“OK.” Val crossed her bloody fingers.
Luckily for Val her uncle was there and he came around straight away. Val played her pain down as her uncle inspected her face. He was concerned by Val’s wounds but after her insisting that she felt wonderful, he agreed that she needed nothing more than the few steri-strips he had applied, and time to heal.
Julian patted his sister’s shoulder. “Susan, she will be fine, but be prepared for her to look a hell of a lot worse in the morning.” He smiled at Val and handed Susan some painkillers. “Give her two every couple of hours. She will be sore for a few days.” He gave them both a salute and went into the kitchen to talk to Mike.
“Beer time then.” Val grinned at her mum as best she could.
“Yes.” Susan placed two tablets in Val’s hand and gave her a glass of water. “Take these. Let’s see if there are any updates on the news about the plane crash.” Susan switched on the TV and as Val had expected it was still all over Sky News. But now the breaking news was different.
“They are calling it an act of God. Looking at the wreckage, no one can believe that anyone could have survived. However, I’m here today as a witness to the fact that every man, woman and child has walked off this plane alive. There are some minor cuts and bruises, but everyone is hailing the staff on this flight as angels. There is talk of an explosion inside the economy section of the plane. Nevertheless, the pilot had enough time to land safely and get everyone clear before the right side engine blew up.” The reporter kept turning and pointing at the wreckage that was still smouldering. “In my career, I have never witnessed anything quite like this. If I hadn’t seen those passengers being bussed away I would have said it was impossible.” The young male journalist was clearly shaken by what he had seen.
“Well would you believe it?” Susan just sat shaking her head. “All those people and not one dead! It is an act of God like that man said.” Susan looked towards the ceiling in an awed manner.
“That’s fantastic news.” Val could feel the effects of the tablets starting to overwhelm her. As her eyes closed she felt that maybe, at last, she was on the right path.
“Have a good sleep, honey.” Susan tucked Val under a blanket and stood up to go and see her brother in the kitchen.
“Ow,” Val hissed as she opened her eyes. The pain in her face was excruciating and she dreaded what her reflection might reveal. She could hear her mum humming some strange tune in the kitchen and, as she started to get up, a whoosh of pain hit her head and she had to spend a few minutes gathering her thoughts before she could get to her feet.
“Mum,” she called out weakly. Susan’s radar hearing picked up Val’s whimper quickly enough.
“Hey, morning.” She said rushing into the lounge.
“Mum, what time is it?”
“Oh, you look much better than I thought you would. It must be because you’re young.” Susan smiled at Val.
“Thanks…I think. Now what’s the time? I need to get to work.” Val tapped her wrist.
“You aren’t going to work, honey. I’ve already called that lovely Mr Gallymore. He said to take as long as you needed.” Susan smiled at Val.
“How did you call him?”
“Well, I know where you work, so Yellow Pages and presto, he was on the other end of the phone.” Susan led Val towards the kitchen.
“Was he at the shop?” Val could feel herself getting stressed. She would surely get the sack for this.
“Yes, he said he was here for a few days and that he would call to see how you were doing. He seemed so sweet.” Susan shrugged, unsure why Val was still asking her stupid questions.
“Have something to eat and I’ll run you a bath.” She patted Val on the shoulder, pulling a chair out, and placed a large English breakfast in front of her. Val’s stomach flipped.
“I think I’ll skip the food for now, Mum, thanks. Maybe some juice…” Val winced.
“OK, but you will have to eat at some point.” Susan pulled the plate away, not wanting to upset her.
At that moment the front doorbell rang. Val felt the whining noise go through her whole body like a chain-saw. How long this would last she wasn’t sure, but she wasn’t going to hang around to feel sorry for herself. She had a job and she was going to do it.
Susan opened the door and Val heard a chorus of women’s voices. It must be her mum’s gossip group. Val grabbed a glass of juice and some painkillers and made her way discreetly towards the bathroom, praying no one would stop her with questions. She was sure her mother would be filling them in anyway.
As she entered the bathroom, the full horror that was her face stared cruelly back at her from the mirror. “So much for not looking too bad,” Val whispered. She realised her mum had been trying to be kind. Her cheeks were black and swollen with bruises and there was still dry blood on her lips. Val wanted to cry. She had never, in her life, felt so low. Her best friend had abandoned her, she had caused so much pain, and the worst part was the lying. She couldn’t even go to hospital when she was wounded.
Stuffing two tablets in her mouth and taking a painful gulp of juice to wash them down, she started to run the bath water as her tears rolled down her sore cheeks. She needed to sort this out and it couldn’t wait. She needed to get away from all her friends, old and new, until this was over, and go it alone. As she stripped off, she saw the reflection of the tattoo in the mirror, the same way she had just a week ago. Yet this time it was different. There were no longer thirteen symbols; now there were only six. “Well, not much longer to go,” she thought. She had better get sorted before someone called for her from downstairs, or maybe even further away.
Val felt better after getting into fresh clothes and was ready to face the world again. She shoved her sword and all the rest of her gadgets into the various pockets of her jacket. She would give them back to Shane to return to Sam, and then they could get on with their lives.
As she made her way downstairs, she could hear the women in the front room making appropriate noises as Susan told them all about the previous night’s goings on. Val loved her mum, but she had never understood why women spent hours over coffee talking about things that weren’t going to change. She wondered for a moment what would happen if all these people thought about world peace. ‘Maybe not,’ she grinned making her way to the front door, like a mouse escaping a fat, sleeping cat. She opened and closed the door and was free. The air hit her face like a soft kiss. She hadn’t realised how cooped up she had felt. Val checked her watch. “OK, next bus in ten minutes, time to get there.”
As she walked, the mixture of sunshine and fresh air made her feel a lot better. This feeling instantly disappeared as she arrived at the bus stop where a woman holding a baby let out a gasp when she saw Val’s face. She had forgotten how bad she looked. Val pulled up her collar and tried to keep to the shadows until the bus arrived. Then she waited until everyone else had boarded before running for the door.
; “Hell!” the bus conductor blurted as Val boarded.
“No, just a return to Arcsdale, please.” Val’s voice was quiet yet stern enough to tell the driver she wasn’t in the mood for staring.
“There you go.” The driver passed Val her ticket without even making eye contact. Val moved down the bus searching for a seat on her own, which she found, pushing herself as close to the window as possible.
As she watched the view, she felt the stares burning her back. Still what did she mind? These people would never live through what she was living through, so who cared what they thought.
Val jumped off the bus with every intention of making her way to Shane’s, but something stopped her. She couldn’t face him just yet; she would go after work. She pulled out her mobile and switched it off. She didn’t feel like answering questions today. It was bad enough that she had missed one morning on only her second week at work; she didn’t want to prolong the pain of getting to work late any longer.
Arriving at the bookshop, she was greeted with an open sign and a nice crowd of people just exiting, waving goodbye to Mr Gallymore as if they actually liked him.
“Morning Mr Gallymore. I’m so sorry to get here late.” Val had her face down; she felt it would be safer not to make eye contact.
“Miss Saunders, you do look lovely this morning. I take it that you feel my customers want to be served by someone who looks like they have been ten rounds with Randy Turpin.” Wallace moved back over to the counter and put down a book he was holding.
“I’m so sorry, but I don’t know who Randy Turpin is.” Val shrugged.
“A boxer. World class, back in the nineteen fifties. Not to worry. You can sell books, Miss Saunders, but you obviously aren’t taking advantage of the facilities to broaden your knowledge,” Wallace finished.
“Oh, I do look at some books,” Val responded. If only he knew how important his books were.
“Well, let’s make a decision before you talk more of my precious existence away. Are you staying to work?” Wallace stared at Val.
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