Peril

by Joss Stirling

  ‘I suppose I do now.’ He stopped walking and pulled her into the light of a streetlamp. He rubbed her cheek with his thumb, catching the corner of her mouth, willing her to speak. ‘Meri, what’s this about? Did you see something that upset you?’

  Her eyes shifted away from him. ‘No, no, it’s nothing.’

  ‘It doesn’t sound like nothing. Tell me what you suspect.’ Please say you saw the markings. I want you to be one of us.

  ‘I don’t suspect anything. I just want to know that you’re safe—that you’ve got alternatives to living there.’ She jerked her head towards Ade’s house. There was a thread of bitterness in her tone that seemed unwarranted.

  ‘So you really didn’t see anything to upset you tonight?’ He held her firmly by the arms, waiting till she met his gaze.

  ‘I didn't like seeing the punch-up in the mosh pit.’ Her green eyes glanced across his and slid away again, taking their secrets with them.

  ‘If you’re worried about anything you saw, even if it sounds crazy, you can tell me.’ He nudged her chin with his index finger, lightly pressing a little dent in the stubborn end of it. ‘I promise I’ll not judge you, or tell anyone else if you don’t want me to.’ That last promise was a bit shaky but he thought he could persuade her to let him tell the others if she did see the markings.

  ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

  She was lying to him. He knew that because he was already coming to know her expressions. She was useless at hiding her reactions. But how to get her to tell him the truth?

  A car drove by at speed and hooted, making them both jump.

  ‘Could we go back to my house now?’ she asked.

  He slackened his grip, knowing he’d lost the moment and that nothing was settled between them. Something had spooked her but he couldn’t be sure what it was. ‘Of course. Stupid of me to keep you talking out here. It’s ridiculously late.’

  Having seen her to her door and exchanged a goodnight kiss that he hoped settled some things for them both, Kel walked home through the deserted streets. He kept replaying Meri’s questions, her evident fear, and the veiled threat Ade had given him about telling her too much. Should he continue along this path? The cost of failure to Meri might be far too high. If he were to be anymore direct with her then Ade could consider that she knew too much. Was the risk worth it? But if he didn’t do it, then someone like Lee would get the job of questioning her. She might blaze out soon herself and that would scare the crap out of her if no one had told her what it meant.

  ‘Damned if I do, damned if I don’t,’ murmured Kel. Meri Marlowe was proving to be one very frustrating bundle of trouble.

  6

  Meri didn’t see Kel at school for the next few days as the reports were that he had had a relapse and was still running his fever.

  ‘Has a doctor taken a look at him? Malaria can be really nasty.’ She was feeling boxed in on the front row of the bus because Ade had chosen to break habit and sit next to her. Giving herself a mental shake, she reminded herself that Ade wouldn’t threaten her on a vehicle full of their schoolmates for heaven’s sake! She needed to get a grip. Glancing across the aisle she saw that her bad luck was someone else’s good fortune. And at least it meant Sadie got to chat with Lee, data-stick earrings swirling in some enthusiastic conversation about a game they both rated. Vampire boy and comp-punk? Oddly enough, the pairing appeared to work for the two of them.

  Ade turned from the view outside and gave her a strange look. ‘Malaria? Oh yeah, malaria. Yeah, Kel’s been seen by an expert.’

  A siren wailed, phones chirped with automatic warnings and the bus slowed to a stop on the High Street, taking advantage of a railway bridge.

  ‘Looks like another storm.’ Ade checked his phone. ‘Hope it’s not a long one.’

  Sirens continued to sound from the weather towers. Pedestrians hurried off the streets, shopkeepers brought in their pavement displays. A homeless man, a climate refugee probably, moved from an exposed corner to the shelter of the bridge. He grinned gap-toothed at the passengers staring down at him and shook his ice-cream tub begging bowl. Ade leaned over Meri, cracked open the window, and threw out some coins. A couple bounced and ran down the gutter so the beggar shuffled off in pursuit before the rain swept them away.

  ‘Does Kel want me to visit?’ asked Meri. ‘I can mop a fevered brow as well as anyone.’

  ‘It’s best if you keep clear for now. But he did ask if you’d like to go out on Thursday.’ Ade nudged her playfully. ‘I’m playing go-between.’

  Meri didn’t answer immediately, having caught a glimpse of his markings where his sleeve was pushed up. They didn’t blaze this morning, just glowed softly. If they didn’t scare her so much, she probably could have found them beautiful, like the subtlest of tattoos.

  ‘No answer? Don’t say it’s bad news, Meredith? He thinks you like him.’

  ‘I do like him. Yes, of course, I’d like to go out on Thursday. Sorry, I was just distracted by the storm warning.’ Meri, change the subject. ‘Have you ever got caught out in one of these?’ The clouds had rolled in and the barrage of hail rattling the streets.

  ‘Yeah, twice. Autumn and Spring ones seem the worst, don’t they? Came home with bruises both times.’

  ‘Me too. I got caught in the middle of the Common in April. Managed to run to a shelter but not without taking a couple of them on my shoulders.’

  They watched the water churn down the gutters, carrying leaves and rubbish with it. The drain by the bus appeared to be blocked and soon the wheels were half submerged.

  ‘I know the hail hurts, but I think the rain’s worse.’ Ade leaned back, legs crossed at the ankles, settling in for a long wait. ‘So many areas keep flooding. I’ve got a cousin who lives in Amsterdam. They’ve lost several more districts last winter. Half the city is now on floating pontoons and engineers are thinking seriously about making the whole of it that way.’

  ‘Oh wow. I meant that’s terrible of course, but it sounds really clever.’

  ‘Kel and I visited last Easter. They’ve got this cool floating railway track connecting the city centre to the mainlines—trust the Dutch to come up with something so brilliant.’

  ‘You travel a lot?’ Few people did these days, not abroad at least, now that the cost of exceeding your personal carbon ration was so high.

  Ade shrugged. ‘You know you can buy the miles from others who surrender theirs on the secondary carbon market?’

  ‘I’d heard but I’ve never known anyone who could afford that.’

  ‘It can be worth it. I have a big, scattered family. We like to get together once a year at least. How about you?’

  ‘No, I’ve no one—apart from Theo—so nowhere to go.’ She closed the subject by getting out her phone. ‘I’d better just text him to let him know I’m OK. I hope he got to work before this hit. Except: no signal.’

  ‘I guess that means the storm’s taken out the local mast again.’ Ade pulled out his phone. ‘Look, I can get wi-fi here. Do you want to use mine?’

  ‘Thanks.’ Meri took the top-of-the-range handset and sent a quick message to Theo.

  ‘You want to send a “get well soon” to Kel?’

  ‘Um, sure.’ It felt really wrong somehow, using a guy she thought might be an enemy as her messenger pigeon.

  Ade found Kel’s number in his favourites and she typed a brief acceptance of the Thursday plan and her hopes he kicked the malaria bout by then. Unashamedly reading over her shoulder, Ade looked very pleased by her message. By the time she had finished and pressed send, the bus had started moving again and normal life emerged back on to the streets. Ambulances already surrounded one victim who had taken a hailstone to the head. Blood seeped out onto the pavement as he lay face down.

  ‘That looks bad,’ murmured Meri.

  ‘Don’t watch, Mouse.’ Ade turned her away.

  Too late. She had already caught a glimpse as the paramedics rolled the victim over. The hail had hit the ol
d man right in the face, leaving his features a bloody mess. He hadn’t been able to move quick enough to reach safety. The other students on the bus fell silent, everyone chilled by the sight. Someone two rows back made a retching sound.

  ‘God, I hate this. I hate what we’ve done to make what was a friendly planet into one that can kill us on an ordinary Tuesday morning,’ said Meri. ‘We should’ve done more much sooner.’

  ‘Amen to that, sister.’ Ade put an arm round her. At first she tensed but then forced herself to relax. He was just offering comfort. ‘It might look worse than it is. Head wounds bleed like crazy. The doctors can do wonders with facial reconstruction.’

  ‘Not like they don’t get a lot of practice at it now.’

  ‘That’s true. Mouse, you can lean on me, you know?’

  She was letting the guy who scared the heebie jeebies out of her put his arm around her shoulders. How mixed up was that? ‘You can call me Meri.’ She made herself rest against his side.

  ‘I wondered how long it would take you before you said that. Thanks, Meri. On the subject of names, have you ever wondered what yours means?’

  ‘No, not really.’

  ‘You should look it up. You might find the result interesting.’

  ‘And you're not going to tell me?’

  ‘No, I think not. While you’re there you could look up some other names too. It’s worth thinking about.’

  The bus pulled into the school lay-by.

  ‘You’re being very enigmatic, Ade.’

  ‘Yeah, that’s me. An enigma.’ He removed his arm and politely passed her schoolbag that had been resting at their feet. ‘See you around, Meri.’

  In deference to the fact that Kel had been ill, Meri selected for their date an outing to the new holographic cinema in Leicester Square, deciding it would be most appropriate for a recovering invalid as it was both warm and inside.

  While getting ready for what was their second date, she texted him explaining that the choice of films wasn’t great: disaster movies or alien invasion.

  Lady’s choice, he replied.

  Alien invasion. Watching yet another world city be destroyed by fictional fire/flood/hurricane held little attraction for her when you could see so much of the same on the news. The recently developed hologram technology made you feel you were sitting in the middle of the action and why sit thinking you were being fried to a crisp? She missed the old days where films stayed on the wall and played out for you to watch rather than be immersed in them.

  ‘Suck it up, Meri,’ she told herself as she plied the mascara wand. ‘It’s just your weirdo eyesight made the impact all the more powerful. No one else complains.’

  Bracing herself for disturbing couple of hours where she might have to sit with her eyes shut, Meri insisted on buying the popcorn as a thank you to Kel for purchasing the tickets. Telling him not to wait, she joined the queue for refreshments, only then realizing she’d not asked him what flavour he preferred. When she carried the popcorn into the darkened auditorium she found Kel had selected seats in the middle of the back row. He looked so gorgeous, arm stretched out across the seats, sprawled like a well-fed lion, content but not safe. Never that. He had something of the same pent up energy as a big cat that indicated he might pounce at any moment and she was all too happy at the prospect.

  ‘Back row? Really? I thought we were, you know, just friends?’ she asked as she took her place next to him. The nearest patrons were several seats away as the film wasn’t as big an attraction as the firefighting feature playing next door.

  ‘It’s still a date. Clichéd, isn’t it?’ Kel seemed perfectly happy with the admission.

  ‘Just a bit.’ She handed him the container so she could take off her jacket. The seat was huge, more like an armchair.

  ‘At least you know my intentions are entirely dishonourable.’ He seemed a little feverish again, a glitter in his eyes that wasn’t normally there.

  She decided to ignore it and take it as his usual flirting. ‘How do you know I don’t want to pay complete attention to…’ she couldn’t for a second remember the title of the film, ‘to…’

  ‘Star-strike?’

  ‘Yeah, that.’

  ‘I made a very good guess.’

  ‘Shut up and eat the popcorn.’ She snagged a sample. ‘Yum.’ She had come out deciding not to be a mouse Meri but the person she wanted to become, bolder, funnier—and she was enjoying herself thoroughly.

  ‘I hope you got salty.’ He took a handful. ‘Ugh. Butter.’

  ‘Butter is the best. If you don’t like it I’m sure I could manage it on my own.’ She started to take the box onto her own lap.

  ‘No way. I can force it down.’

  A government advertisement for the fun to be had while on eco-service burbled unconvincingly on the screen, happy teens in waders repairing river banks giving cheesy thumbs up to the cameras.

  ‘I’ll remember next time—get you your own supply as I’m not polluting myself with all that salt.’

  He brushed her earlobe, making the dangling pearl dance. ‘I like the sound of there being a next time.’

  She shivered. He was definitely more touchy-feely than normal. What was going on? ‘Maybe. Subject to the usual terms and conditions.’

  ‘Naturally. And they are?’

  ‘That you don’t hog my popcorn now.’

  ‘Your popcorn?’ He took a fistful.

  She grabbed his wrist and stole a piece with her teeth from where it poked out of his fingers. ‘Absolutely.’ The main feature started, hologram technology clicking on and a planet appearing overhead as the screen became three-sixty degrees. Music soared, full orchestral score.

  Kel opened his fist as stardust fell around them. ‘Carry on. I think I like feeding you this way. Eating from my hand already.’

  Keeping her eyes on his, she filled her palm with popcorn and held it up to him. ‘Only if it goes both ways.’

  ‘I can so get with that programme.’ He took her wrist gently in his fingers and grazed off her hand.

  ‘I…I think you’ve eaten it all.’ Maybe she wasn’t so bold after all?

  His lips were playing over the skin, taking little nibbles. ‘Just getting off the last of the butter.’

  He dumped the popcorn he was holding back into the container to pull her closer.

  ‘Kel!’ Meri was annoyed her protest came out as a not very convincing squeak.

  ‘You know the best thing about this cinema?’ He murmured as alien started their descent into the Earth’s atmosphere.

  ‘No.’

  ‘The chair arm lifts so we can snuggle up.’ He swung up the barrier between them creating something closer to a sofa. ‘Very enlightened of the designers. We can take cover together from the little green guys.’

  ‘Big grey guys with fangs actually.’ Something was really odd about him tonight. Meri turned into his hug, free hand rising to test his cheek. The skin felt a little too hot under her fingers. ‘Kel, are you feeling all right?’

  ‘Honey, I haven’t ever felt better. Now, sssh, and kiss me.’

  Try it, Meri. You’ll regret it if you don’t. She closed her eyes and let herself sink into the sensation of his mouth on hers, the buttery sweetness of his lips, the tickling play of his tongue. He kissed as if there was no one else in the world and nothing else to do. It wasn’t perfunctory: no first stop to go through before he got to other bases; it took his whole attention, and boy, was he good at the details. She’d never experienced anything close to this. She forgot she was supposed to be calming him down. Something new ran through her veins, something unstoppable—instinctive. She was about to go up in flames along with the Earth’s space defences.

  Light flashed behind closed lids, distracting her. She guessed the aliens had really got going now. It was so bright that Kel and she must be visible to other cinema goers. Self-conscious, she tried to pull away.

  ‘Kel—’

  ‘Sssh, don’t stop.’

  But
the light grew brighter and brighter. Her rucked up skirt and half-reclining stance would be on display.

  ‘Kel.’ She pushed at his chest, making a space between them. Opening her eyes she found her nose pressed up against the open neck of his shirt. It was pouring out bright peril-coloured light. ‘Oh my God!’ She leapt to her feet, causing a fountain of popcorn to rain over the seats in front, passing right through a holographic alien like buckshot. Kel was covered in swirls—glowing skin markings just like Ade and Lee. She couldn’t—didn’t want to believe it. ‘No. God. No!’

  ‘Shit!’ Kel was looking down at himself with horrified amusement.

  Grabbing her jacket and shoulder bag, Meri bolted for the exit.

  ‘Meri! It’s nothing.’

  She ignored his shout behind her. Nothing? She had to get away—had to run. Bursting out onto the street, she looked in vain for a taxi but the rank was empty. He mustn’t catch her. Making a dash across the square, she sprinted to the station. If she could get on a train before him, she’d be home and packed before he could get to her. Swiping her travel card over the sensor she barrelled through the ticket barrier and half ran half stumbled down the station escalator.

  ‘Careful, lady!’ called one of the station staff.

  ‘Come on, come on!’ Frantically praying that there’d be a train along imminently, she scanned the board. Due in one minute. She ran down the platform, hoping to get out of sight before Kel had a chance to overtake.

  Hiding behind the protection of a vending machine, she watched the friendly profile of the front of the Tube train emerge from the tunnel. The driver even smiled at her as their eyes met, helping Meri settle her shredded nerves. Normal people still existed. This was just a brief nightmare from which she was going to escape. The doors opened and she got in, taking a seat beside the largest passenger she could find, a well-padded woman in a fake fur coat. The doors hissed closed and the train set off. First stage of her escape completed.

  Peeking around the woman, Meri looked along the entire length of the Tube train. She could see the front winding first into the tunnel, the passengers swaying in their seats or hanging from the bars overhead, guarding bags or fold-up bikes. She thought maybe she caught a glimpse of a blond head moving through the crowds, coming towards her down the carriages.