Blue at Midnight

by S D Wile

  “What would Coffee Time do without you?” All I could see was a bubbly man glowing with happiness, eager to share his joy with his customers. Therefore I decided not to bear the guilt any longer.

  Hugo waltzed over to the coffee display to straighten a Coffee Time mug, not noticing anything. Alarm bells were ringing hysterically in my head from the memory of last night, although the image in front of me showed the complete opposite. Coffee Time looked immaculate! It was as if last night never happened. The lights had been fixed and everything looked as it was.

  “You don’t have to stay Isabelle; I assure you my cold is gone, dead, buried within the ground.”

  “Oh urm that’s good. I’ve got an hour before I meet Sonia for college. How about I make you a coffee?”

  “Oh you’re too kind. A hazelnut latte for me please and a soya chai tea latte for the worried looking brunette.” I couldn’t help but grin. Little did I know my fears were all over my face. On the plus side I had an excuse to get behind the counter and find that list!

  After a hot drink I was left feeling gutted as the list was nowhere to be found, not even in the bins. If I didn’t leave now I would be late but what seemed to amaze me was the fact that everything had been either fixed or replaced. This was not how I left it…

  “Izzie, you have done a fantastic job. The place looks almost brand new. You didn’t have to work so hard.”

  “Well, we weren’t very busy so I thought I’d show Leah how to keep up the standards.”

  “And quite right too! Any idea as to where the wooden chair that sits on the far corner has gone?” My heart jumped into my mouth. That’s what was missing I remembered.

  “Oh you won’t believe this but it was faulty! A poor customer sat on it and it collapsed.” Hugo gasped at the idea of one his customers having such a bad experience at Coffee Time. From his expression I could tell if I didn’t turn this bad news around he would be troubled by the news all day.

  “So I apologised then replaced his drink and gave him a cupcake, on the house.”

  “Thank goodness Izzie. Oh I was so worried. Do you think they will come back?”

  “Yes, he left smiling.” After a sigh of relief from the both of us I was ready to leave, when a delivery man walked in with a package, addressed to me… It was an unusual shape, which felt like a block of wood.

  “What could that be?” asked a curious Hugo.

  “I don’t know. No worries. I’ll open it later. Gosh, is that the time? I’m late! See you later Hugo.” If I hadn’t rushed out Hugo would have insisted I opened it immediately as he looked more intrigued by this unexpected package than me. There was something about this mysterious package which seemed familiar but not a good kind of familiar…

  Surprisingly, I was starting to feel better as everything seemed to be fine. Thankfully Hugo didn’t notice any changes and was able to aimlessly continue pottering.

  Just as I was about to enter the college entrance, Sonia beeped from the opposite side of the road, before shouting a few sleazy phrases in a strangely masculine voice. The first time she did this was two years ago and I’d actually ignored her, not realising it was my friend trying to catch my attention in a publicly embarrassing way. Now I found this antic highly amusing.

  We both sat in her car in the college car park with Sonia telling me that she thought Christian was fond of me. Followed by why he would be ideal for me and not her, as he barely carried a conversation longer than a minute. After last night she saw him as more of a lurking in the shadows type of guy, which for some bizarre reason was ideal for me as I apparently dwelled in darkness too. This evaluation was a little insulting although it was true. I just didn’t expect it to be so noticeable.

  “I’m glad you understand but seriously I don’t need a man and certainly not Christian!” Nothing personal against Christian, it was just that I liked being by myself and keeping things as they were. Nevertheless I couldn’t deny that there was something about him that intrigued me.

  “He’s fit! That’s all that counts, otherwise you’re expecting far too much. Anyway what’s that brown parcel in your hand? It’s not for an assignment is it?” Sonia’s voice suddenly jumped up a pitch.

  “No, relax. Someone has actually sent this to me. It arrived when I was at Coffee Time, this morning.”

  “I’m starting to wonder if that place is actually bad luck. Who is it from? What’s in it?”

  Slowly, I started unwrapping the package unaware of the terror that was about to consume me.

  Sonia almost screamed at the sight of the object as I peeled away the wrapping.

  “Oh my life, there’s blood on it! What the hell is that?”

  I sat there numb, frozen at the sight of a piece from last night’s nightmare.

  “It’s the chair leg from the broken chair. It’s got that man’s blood on it.” With a delayed reaction, I continued to stare at it, hardly whispering the answers to Sonia’s flood of questions.

  “What man? And who would send this to you? I thought Christian had sorted it.” His name repeatedly played in my mind. I thought he had cleared every trace. How stupid of me to trust a stranger.

  “I think Christian sent it to me. Only he had access to this. I thought he threw away the broken chair,” I continued to whisper, deep in thought.

  “Christian? Why would he do such a messed up thing?”

  “To blackmail me! To have a minion in this new place.”

  “No way,” interjected Sonia.

  “You don’t know him. You just went by the impression he gave you. Think about it. What do we actually know about him apart from his name and number which could just be one of many!” After a couple of seconds Sonia started to realise how naive she’d been whilst slowly lying back into her car seat. It wasn’t her fault as all she did was see the good in him. This was all my fault because I didn’t explain this to her sooner, before she’d given him her number. Now I’d relied on him last night I’d let him into my life too. Looking for any other clues I shuffled through the paper without touching the bloodied object, only to find a gift tag reading:

  From C Son of Orsa.

  This was some twisted joke which made me wary over what was to come, if we didn’t distance ourselves from this calculating character.

  Suddenly the quiet surroundings came to our attention. The car park was full and there were no students rushing to their lectures. We were late! Sonia decided to go to class anyway even though Chidlow detested late arrivals. I told her I wasn’t in the mood to face confrontation so rather than taking the lift with her I made my way towards the canteen. Little did Sonia know that this wasn’t the only reason I wanted to skip class. Just as we were walking out of the car park, I saw Christian speedily heading towards the canteen, his hair tousled and wearing the same clothes as yesterday. In fact it looked as if he’d stayed out the whole night then rushed straight here. This was my chance to confront him about his attempt to blackmail me, without prying eyes.

  Before pushing the double doors of the canteen open, I stood carefully peering at Christian through the door window. Every glimpse of his face provoked flashbacks of the previous night’s events. I just couldn’t understand why someone would go to such lengths to help someone and then do something like this. What Christian did last night was a risk as those men could have had knives or even worse. However it was clear that Christian was very capable of looking after himself.

  I specifically remembered putting the pieces of that broken chair in a bin bag. He told me it was beyond repair and then continued to tidy up the place. Even though I wasn’t a hundred percent sure he was responsible for this, I needed answers. If I continued to stand here, staring at him for any longer someone would soon see me.

  Ignoring all the doubts in my mind I marched into the almost empty canteen, inhaling the smell of warm sausages and beans whilst carrying a poorly wrapped parcel in my hand. Thankfully he hadn’t sensed me walking towards him, as I was afraid I might freeze in my step and lose
the courage to say anything besides hi. Just as he was about to take a sip of his orange juice I laid the parcel on the table in front of him. Awkwardly, I decided to stand there and observe his reaction. For a couple of seconds he froze with the glass of juice still in his hand. Next he frantically slammed the juice down on the table (splashing tangy bits all over the table) and grabbed the parcel. Looking like he was on the brink of going berserk he stormed out of the canteen.

  “What are you doing? Hey that’s mine.” I couldn’t believe I’d just claimed ownership over that horrid piece of evidence from last night. No matter what I shouted he didn’t stop or even acknowledge that I was calling out to him.

  “Oye, C Son of Orsa.” Big mistake… He froze stiff and turned his head so quick it startled me, making me take a step back. Next I was given the same crazed expression he’d shown the two men last night. Right now I was hoping more than anything that he wouldn’t start walking towards me. His knuckles were pearly white as they bulged out of his clenched hands. Nervously, I looked around in search of some witnesses for the threatening body language he was showing. The cleaner had half-stopped his mopping while the cook slowly stirred a pot of tomato soup, with her eyes fixed on Christian in utter shock. After a piercing stare Christian turned his head and marched out of the canteen. A bit delayed in my reaction I followed a short distance behind. Like a bull he surged through the foyer, ignoring Macy’s greeting, and out of the college doors. Through the window I watched as he made his way off the premises.

  Chapter 21

  Barely able to breath, Christian stormed through the streets of the small town for an hour with the parcel firmly held in his hand. All he could sense was Cale. He didn’t care about what was inside because he knew straight away this was a message from him. Rourkes couldn’t sense each other’s presence so easily in Orsa, as they were surrounded by so many of their kind. However, on Earth their aura stood out like large diamonds in a mine. He sensed his brother’s aura amongst all the humans; it was as clear as water. This was his way of telling Christian he’d found him. It was frustrating to see that Cale wasn’t even trying to conceal their existence from humans. Hearing those words come out of Izzie’s mouth set Christian on fire. It felt like an intrusion on his soul. She was never meant to know… at least not like this. Cale had rolled the dice to play a cruel game, a game which Izzie was far too innocent to play. Just how much did Cale know?

  Back in the shoe factory, Christian had been sitting in the old office with the blood-stained piece of wood staring back at him. His eyes were glued to Cale’s handwriting which was as good as his signature. For the first time Christian was able to see Cale setting this whole situation up, every time he closed his eyes. Now Cale was aware of Izzie, the human that had intrigued his brother. In addition to this he must’ve managed to witness the trouble at Coffee Time. It wouldn’t be long before he presented himself. If Cale knew, then the elders must have found out as nothing stayed a secret from those that held the sight. Just how delicately would they handle this truth without risking exposure? Christian didn’t know. Obviously, they’d sent Cale, a chance for him to prove himself. Therefore he’d do his best to strike and take Christian back to Orsa, to be sentenced. Knowing Cale’s spiteful side he would also toy with all of Christian’s intentions before destroying everything… all in the name of Orsa. Having spent time on the lands, getting to know the humans, Christian realised just how real this world was… as real as the world he was born in.

  For the next two hours, Christian sat waiting for a sign as still as the rest of the furniture encasing the fire that was trying to consume him. Children of Orsa had a distinct connection with the natural earth and were able to stay still for days if need be, barely breathing, channelling through the layers in their mind. During times of difficulty they were able to control their emotions by focusing on time. Their skin acted as a strong, sealed, shell that prevented any emotional exposure.

  After this morning I didn’t want to stay in college for too long. With Sonia in class and the rest of the college grounds looking rather lonely, I decided to go back home. My dad would be at work so I had a chance to have the house to myself and relax. I texted Sonia asking her to come by after class as she only had half a day of lectures. With my mind unintentionally reminding me of Christian, never had I met a person so strange, so closed that it was difficult to even get an idea of what they were like. For someone so secretive I was surprised he even socialised with people.

  As usual I heard Sonia’s car pull up onto the drive. I opened the door and jumped out of the doorway with a smile, code for no one else is at home, so we could talk freely. Like children who had overindulged in sugary treats we made our way into the living room.

  “I have so much to tell you!” I thought I was the one with the news but it turned out Sonia had beaten me to it.

  “How about I put the kettle on and make us both a cup of tea.” It always made me laugh how Sonia knew her way around my kitchen and would treat the place like hers when no one else was there. Even though she was the guest, she always insisted on making the tea. Meanwhile I’d turn the fireplace on and hang her coat on the chocolate-brown, wooden coat rack which stood in the landing.

  “You know that sneaky Christian didn’t come to class today?”

  “Yeah I know because I bumped into him in the canteen.” Sonia missed the cup and ended up pouring a teaspoon of sugar on the kitchen counter.

  “No way! What happened? Did you give him back that disgusting parcel?” Retelling the events of the morning didn’t take as long as I thought they would. The only thing that was delayed was the time it took for Sonia to make two cups of tea. She was so engrossed, but then with a reaction like Christian’s, who wouldn’t be?

  “C Son of Orsa? Blatantly, that meant something to him otherwise he wouldn’t have looked at you like he was going to kill you!” In this case those words were definitely not an over exaggeration from Sonia.

  “That’s exactly what it was. I mean even the cook froze! What I don’t understand is, if he sent that to me, why did he take it back?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, he actually snatched it off the table as if it was some sort of secret object and was desperate to get out of the building with it. He only stopped when I said the name that was on the parcel.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t him that sent it. Maybe it’s someone he knows which is why he reacted when you mentioned that name.” This made sense.

  “Still, that’s a strange name,” I said.

  “Yes I reckon he’s hiding something and this name seems to be linked to it. We don’t know what Son of Orsa means but anyone’s name can start with a C. It’s just a coincidence that Christian’s does too,” explained Sonia whilst finally placing the cups of tea on the coffee table in the living room.

  “Well, all I know is that he knows something that he doesn’t want others to know.”

  “And to further conclude that, I… Sonia McNally and you… Isabelle Hibbs must further investigate as whoever sent this parcel has now involved us. Whether Christian likes it or not, C Son of Orsa will not get away with this. I suggest we speak to the mother.” Proud of her statement she held her mug up as if she were holding a toast.

  “Mother? Who is the mother?”

  “You know C’s: he is the son so his mum must be Orsa,” smiled Sonia. I couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous it all sounded but there was no denying that all of this was real. Someone knew that name otherwise why use it? Only Christian had the answer to that…

  Chapter 22

  The night was filled with the howling of dark winds, the rustling of leaves and rainfall which whipped against my bedroom window, keeping me awake. However this wasn’t the only thing that distracted me from sleeping. My mind was spinning like a hamster wheel. Bored from lying in bed with my eyes closed whilst telling myself I was sleeping, I decided to have a look at the pictures Sonia had emailed me, from the night we broke into the old shoe factory. B
efore I walked over to my laptop, which was camouflaged on the surface of my mahogany computer table, I took a quick glimpse of the factory in front. Nothing, not a single speck of light, shone through. It looked empty like it used to.

  I recalled the interior of the rooms as I glared at their shady, concealed windows, the flashbacks were so clear I imagined I could see right through. There were still so many unanswered questions like what was at the top of the stairs or who? Who was making all that noise? Was whatever we heard real or was it the result of our imaginations combined with our heightened emotions?

  The photographs were taken from very odd angles. You could tell Sonia was just clicking away on the camera in her phone. Most of the images were similar; blurry, dark and distorted except one… the second floor. I remembered going up the stairs to the second floor but Sonia stopped a couple of steps before she reached the top. The image showed an old coat rack across the room at the foot of the staircase that would lead to the top floor (where the noise came from). Suddenly, my eye caught a glimpse of an unexpected circular shaped object at the top of that staircase. After zooming in closely I noticed a speck of reflected light revealing the object’s rounded shape. After zooming in further I saw it had shoe laces.

  Suddenly I slammed my laptop shut and moved back. What was I doing? Disturbed by an image, a picture, it’s static! It was the realisation of the fact that an unknown person had been watching us. For some reason a part of my mind thought that the boot was going to move, revealing its owner by coming through my laptop screen. After a deep breath I carefully opened my laptop and stared at the boot for a moment before cropping the image and saving it to email Sonia. To the left side of the room was a dining table missing all its chairs but one. Strangely I could see the chair legs underneath the table but not the top half of the chair. Perhaps it was a stool even though the piece of furniture still looked odd. As soon as I brightened the image I realised why I couldn’t see the top half of the chair. It was covered with a charcoal coloured jacket which had a brand label printed on it. That’s when I realised I didn’t need to look any closer. It was a leather jacket and I knew exactly who it belonged to.