by M S C Barnes
“Fine Mum,” he said, hugging her again. “Looking forward to going home.”
Touching a hand to his face she smiled then turned to Aelfric. “I can’t thank you enough for looking after them, Mr Duir,” she said.
“He’s Elfic Mummy. I’m going to call my teddy that,” The Taz piped up.
“What teddy?” Their mum was lost.
“The one Santa’s going to give me.”
Their mum laughed. “Anyway, Mr Duir, I really do appreciate you giving the children a home, oh and your caretaker.” She looked around trying to locate The Caretaker, who emerged from the kitchen, smiling. “Thank you for looking after them.” She paused. “Um. I actually don’t know your name, which is shocking really.”
The Caretaker reached out a hand. “I am Morgan, Mrs Thomas and it is my pleasure.”
Seb watched his mum hesitate and he guessed her mind was pondering the question they all did. Man or woman? “Well, thank you anyway,” she said, finally; too polite to say anything else. “Now. Are we all ready?”
Minutes later, bags stuffed in the boot and their goodbyes said, they clambered into their car and Seb, looking back, watched Greg close the cottage door. As they eased away, towards the tree line, Pace loped along behind the car. Turning back to face front Seb noticed his palm was aching.
Pain
The rental house was fresh and new, but small, and Seb had to share a room with The Taz, who was ecstatic — and incredibly noisy. His enthusiasm at having his brother and sister home didn’t wane at all as the weekend wore on, though Scarlet’s patience with him did. She had helped him build a den on the Friday night, stretching a sheet over a line of rope hung between his bed and Seb’s. All three of them, along with countless cuddly toys, had spent a sleepless night on cushions, pillows, blankets and rugs below this makeshift canopy which, some time between two and three in the morning, owing to The Taz’s constant fidgeting, collapsed on them.
By Sunday morning, Scarlet had shut herself in her bedroom, on the pretence of doing homework, but Seb knew she was actually on Snap-chat or Face-timing with her friends.
The Taz, as a result, pestered Seb non-stop to play with him. Seb was more than happy to do so. He found his brother funny and entertaining and his own mood lifted when he was with this little bundle of hyperactivity. Alice found The Taz’s antics hilarious and spent the day laughing. Pace ignored the boy and spent the day sleeping.
The hours passed quickly and Seb was able to blot out all thoughts of Monday. He couldn’t, of course, blot out the existence of the other realities around him — Alice and Pace were a constant reminder of those. And everywhere he looked fairies buzzed through the air; in his bath and shower, loachers — stone-like jelly creatures — lurked in the water; when he sat, building lego or drawing pictures, or reading with The Taz he was stalked by miniature horses that seemed to do nothing but creep towards him, jump up, disappear, reappear and creep towards him again. His reality had become so much more than that of everyone else and mostly he now took it for granted, although, very occasionally, something new and strange would present itself to him and make him stop in his tracks.
On the Sunday afternoon he helped The Taz make a Christmas card for their mother. They were seated at the table in the dining room, messy mat spread over its surface and glitter glue sparkling in splodges everywhere, though very little of it on the actual card. Pace lay on the floor by Seb’s feet. As The Taz sat, happily chattering and daubing blue glitter glue all over his fingers, Pace gave a small whimper and lifted his head. Seb watched him, feeling sad. Why had Aelfric asked Pace to guard him? He looked across at Alice who smiled.
“You okay?” he asked.
Seb shrugged, and stood up. He suddenly decided he needed to go somewhere quiet; he didn’t feel like being around The Taz’s incessant noise any more. It was now becoming annoying, not fun.
“I think I’ll go to my room,” he said feeling utterly depressed.
As he stood up to leave the table Pace gave a low growl and sat upright. Seb was about to pet him when a movement in the corner, to his left, caught his eye. He glanced over. With all the ‘other-reality’ things he saw, with the exception of fairies, Dryads and the occasional elf, if he didn’t concentrate on them, they were simply hazy shadowy suggestions of something in the air. And this was no different. There was just the hint of something vaporous, moving in the corner. So Seb, curious, focussed on it. And then, in alarm, he stumbled backwards.
He stood, mouth open, staring at the corner of the room where he could see — himself! Or rather, an image of himself; and as he watched, a patch of red spread across the chest of this image, a patch of blood. He looked down at his own chest, there was nothing there. He glanced back up at the image, blood had started dripping from its chest, onto the floor.
Seb stifled a scream. Beside him, Pace stood up and howled and Alice swooped over.
“What’s wrong?” he asked looking in the direction of Seb’s horrified stare.
Pace was still howling, but he wasn’t facing the ‘Seb’ in the corner, he had turned towards the window to their left.
Seb couldn’t answer Alice, he just gaped at the image of his own body, which now crumpled to the ground, before disappearing, leaving an empty, dark corner and a residual imprint on his mind.
Footsteps thudded down the stairs and Scarlet, in a whispered hiss called, “Seb, you have to come upstairs.” In a daze he turned and looked at her. “For goodness’ sake Seb, you need to come upstairs — quickly,” she raised her voice, which caused The Taz to look up. “It’s okay Taz, you carry on,” she said more sweetly. “I need Seb to help me with some homework.” She beckoned frantically at Seb.
Heart still thumping, Seb moved slowly towards her. Pace, who had stopped howling, was instantly at his side.
Alice followed. “What is it, Seb?” he asked.
“It’s — it’s gone,” Seb answered, shaking his head.
Trying to pull himself together, to control his panic — and his violently shaking body — Seb climbed the stairs. As he reached the landing, Scarlet grabbed him by the arm and pulled him towards her bedroom. “In here, quickly; Aelfric and Greg are waiting.” She dashed into the room.
Why are Aelfric and Greg here? Seb had only a moment to register surprise before he was swamped by a sudden, overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. He stopped where he was, on the threshold of the door, unable to muster the motivation to even walk. And then his knees buckled. Pace, darting past him into the room, gave a short bark.
Alice slipped his hand under Seb’s arm, supporting him. “What’s wrong, Seb?” he asked but Seb couldn’t answer; he was staring at the grotesque image of his own injured self which had suddenly reappeared, standing in front of the bedroom wall opposite him. Sickened and horrified, he watched as blood oozed from its chest and then he felt a sudden, excruciating stab of pain to his own chest. Crying out, he bent double; his legs totally gave way and Alice lowered him to the floor. “What is it Seb? Let me in. Let me help,” he said, desperately.
The sound of heavy footfalls approached.
Barely able to breathe, Seb closed his eyes, gripping his chest. The pain was agonising, like a hot poker had been pushed through his breast plate on a path to his spine, and it seared and tore at the flesh and organs it met on its way.
Weakly, he reached a hand out, trying to grab Pace’s fur, hoping to draw the wolf’s energy into himself, but another intense surge of pain sliced through his body and he recoiled. It felt as though the poker had been pulled out and shoved in again and he sobbed, “Make it stop!”
The footsteps reached him and now he felt strong hands take hold of him and pull him up. The instant they gripped him, the pain did stop; he was able to open his eyes. Groaning, Aelfric lifted him and carried him towards a doorway that sat within the frame of Scarlet’s wardrobe. Seb stared at Aelfric’s face; beneath the expression of concentration, he was clearly in pain himself now.
They passed through t
he open doorway into a small, grassy clearing. The space was surrounded by conifers so tall the light of the setting sun barely reached it and in the middle, hidden in shadow, lay a squat, flat, rectangular stone. Aelfric carried Seb over and placed him on it.
As the others came through the doorway and gathered around, Aelfric knelt beside the stone. With one arm cradling him round the shoulders, he placed his left hand flat on Seb’s chest. He stifled a moan, then through gritted teeth he called over his shoulder, “Cue.”
Materialising out of the air, the wolf-stag leapt to his side, followed by seven more wolves and then, like the sudden burst of a firework, thousands of sparkling fairies poured out of the tree branches above them. Pace, who had been standing beside Seb, walked round to join his pack and the eight wolves formed a semi-circle behind Cue. The fairies dropped down and, linking their arms, created glittering chains between each wolf and two longer chains from the end wolves to Cue.
In obvious pain, Aelfric lowered Seb fully onto the stone and then, removing his right arm, placed his hand on Cue’s shoulder. The power from the entire pack of wolves was immense and as it poured into him, he closed his eyes. After a moment he opened them and, looking at Seb, whispered, “I am sorry, it will be a second only.” Now he pulled his left hand away and Seb screamed as pain flooded back into his body. Tilting his hand to catch the meagre sunlight, Aelfric shone it onto Seb’s chest. A shock of ice-cold ripped through his body and then he felt nothing. His world turned black.
Sympathetic Attack
Seb awoke to the sound of lapping water. Wherever he was, it was dark and as he lay still, listening, he thought his world seemed to be rocking.
“Flamers,” he whispered. Immediately the space around him was illuminated in yellow-orange light and the first thing he saw was Alice, floating in the air a few feet away.
“Seb, are you okay?” he asked, zooming towards him.
Propping himself up on one elbow, Seb nodded uncertainly. He was lying on a large bed covered in crisp, white sheets topped with a colourful, woven throw. He had no idea where he was or how he had got there — and then he remembered — that agonising pain. He put a hand to his chest and gasped.
Alice leant forward. “Is it happening again?” he asked, alarmed.
“No.” Seb shook his head quickly. “I was just remembering,” he said as he heard the sound of footsteps to his right and another figure moved towards the bed.
Aelfric stepped forward and placed a hand on Seb’s shoulder. Gazing down at him he smiled.
“Try not to relive it,” he said.
Alice relaxed. “He’s okay then? You’re okay then?” He sat on the bed.
Removing his hand from his chest and sitting up fully, Seb nodded. As he stared at Alice he decided the room was definitely rocking. “Where are we?”
“This is my home, Seb. And you are welcome here,” Aelfric answered, Dierne materialising beside him.
Seb was shocked. He knew that not even the members of Aelfric’s own group had ever been to his home or even knew where it was. It was a mystery to all, other than Dierne, where Aelfric went when he wasn’t with them. And yet he had brought Seb here?
“Do you feel well enough to get up?” Aelfric asked him.
“I think so.” Seb pushed the bedclothes back, shuffled forward and put his feet on the floor. As he looked around, though, he began to worry that he wasn’t okay. The bed sat on a raised platform in the middle of a spacious and sparsely-furnished oak-panelled room. To the left and right were calico blinds, all drawn down, and straight ahead was a wall, on which hung two large mirrors, either side of a flight of wooden steps that lead up to another level. And as he stared at them, Seb was convinced these steps were moving.
“Are you sure?” Aelfric asked, sounding doubtful. But Seb nodded. “Okay. We need to talk. Let’s go upstairs and I’ll make some coffee.” Aelfric regarded Seb. “Do you need help?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” Seb said, standing, but the room seemed to tip and he stumbled forward. Aelfric grasped his arm and kept him upright. He gave a wave of his hand and from nowhere, Pace appeared in front of Seb.
“Take your time; and use the wolf until you get your sea legs,” Aelfric smiled. He walked to the steps, accompanied by Dierne, leaving Seb with Alice.
Sitting back down Seb frowned and then Aelfric’s words, the sound of lapping water and the yawing of the room around him suddenly made sense.
“Are we at sea?” He opened his eyes wide as he looked at Alice.
“Yes we are. Aelfric lives on a boat. How fantastic is that?” Alice said in awe. “He brought you here hours ago,” he added.
Hours? To Seb it felt like only minutes since that pain had ripped through his chest, then the cold, and then ... nothing. Hours?
Relieved it wasn’t his body or his senses failing him Seb stood up again. “Where are the others?” he asked, putting a hand on Pace’s leg for support.
“Scarlet’s at your home; Aelfric sent her back, from the clearing. She wasn’t happy.” Alice grimaced. “And Greg went to speak with Dom.”
Catching a glimpse of himself in one of the mirrors, Seb suddenly noticed his clothes. He was wearing lounge pants and a t-shirt. “When did I get changed?”
Alice looked slightly guarded as he answered. “I helped Aelfric get you into those.” He pointed to the end of the bed. “There are some fresh day clothes there for you.”
“Should I get dressed then?” he asked.
“I would.” Alice grinned.
Seb took jeans and a long-sleeved t shirt from the bed and dressed awkwardly, unable to keep his balance most of the time. Then he lurched over to the steps, grabbed the handrails on either side, and made his way to the upper level.
As he stepped into a room three times the size of the one he had left, his jaw dropped. At the top end, where he had entered, was a small galley area, in which Aelfric was preparing fresh coffee. Beyond the galley, the room was decorated in warm-coloured fabrics and the same oak panelling as the bedroom and at the far end was a sitting area, with a deep, plush sofa and one large armchair. But what caused Seb to stop and gape was the view. A bank of massive windows ran along the entire length of the room on either side and at the far end, in front of the armchair, was a huge wall of glass. Through these, Seb could see the ink-blue, star-spattered sky and dark, gently-rolling waves. To his left, pinpoints of light clustered on a shadowy coastline and the moon cast a splash of milky-white across the sea. They were clearly moving, ploughing forward, parallel to the coast, and the boat rocked and bobbed as it rode the waves.
“Carefully now Seb,” Aelfric said. “Go and take a seat. I’ll be with you in just a minute.”
Using the galley counter-tops, Pace, and anything he could grasp to keep himself steady, Seb gingerly picked his way across, still staring at the vast seascape and bejewelled coastline outside. He perched on the sofa and Pace settled at his feet. Alice sat beside him.
“Amazing huh?” He smiled.
Seb nodded, as Aelfric joined them, carrying two cups of coffee. Handing one to Seb he took a seat in the armchair, Dierne hovering behind him.
“Where are we?” Seb asked, slumping back on the sofa, which was so large his feet didn’t touch the ground. He already knew the answer to the question though; he could sense it, on his internal map. They were sailing off the Cornish coast, approaching the point where it turned into the sweep of Mounts Bay. As Seb watched, the coast curved left and the bay opened up in front of him. St Michael’s Mount sat within it, a mass of dark rocks atop which a castle, its walls and battlements illuminated in golden light, shone like a beacon against the night sky.
“Mounts Bay,” Aelfric answered, though he must have known Seb would work that out for himself. “We will weigh anchor here in a while.” He sipped his coffee as he watched Seb, who was pre-occupied by the stunning view from the window.
Seb’s eyes flitted to the lights on the mainland. They looked cheerful. He wondered what time it was
. Were those just street lights or were they lights in houses? If it was the latter then it was still early enough for people to be up.
“What time is it?” He turned to Aelfric.
“Around ten.” Aelfric still watched him.
“Ten? Ten at night?” Seb said, astounded. “Did I sleep for that long?”
“You weren’t sleeping, Seb.” Aelfric put his cup down and, as Seb frowned in confusion, added, “You were unconscious.”
“Oh,” Seb said, remembering the moment when Aelfric had taken his hand from his chest and that excruciating pain had ripped through his body, followed by icy cold. “Did I have a heart attack?”
“No, Seb. No you didn’t,” Aelfric said, standing and taking a step forward, to look out of the vast glass windows at the sea. “Before the pain, did you feel anything? Notice anything?”
A jolt of fear gripped Seb. “I saw something,” he mumbled. “Or imagined something. It can’t have been real, so I don’t know if it matters.”
“It all matters,”Aelfric said, turning back to look at him. “What did you see?”
Seb looked down at his hands and mumbled again, “It was an image of me. I saw it twice; first in the corner of the room downstairs and then in Scarlet’s room. I was hurt — bleeding — from my chest.” He looked up and stopped talking.
Aelfric still waited and when Seb didn’t continue said, “And?”
Seb shrugged. “And I was terrified.”
“Have you ever seen anything like that before Seb? Before this evening?” Aelfric took a step closer to him. Seb shook his head. “And before you saw it, did you feel anything?”
Seb sighed, “Only sad. But then I often feel sad.”
“Yes you do,” Aelfric said, sitting back down. “What did Pace do?”
Seb frowned. “Well, he growled at first, just before I saw it, and then, while I was ... while it was there, he howled.”
“His howling was what brought me to your house; that and the message Alice sent Dierne.” Aelfric nodded appreciation at Alice who looked proud. “But did Pace move at all?” Aelfric asked.