I stepped back releasing Aiden’s hand quickly and ran. I reached the other side of the barn in no time, opened the door and got inside closing it behind me. In the darkness I sought and found a small rusty bolt and pushed it up into the door frame with all my strength.
I sat down on my heels and rocked slowly to calm down, burying my head in my arms. My head pierced with pain pushing me over onto the floor. I clawed through my hair with my fingers trying to find some spot to get a respite from the intense agony. Finally I ripped off my hair band hoping for a small release.
I lay for what seemed an age, though it must only have been minutes. I couldn’t hear anything, the chanting had quietened down. My head calmed and my stomach stopped churning, compelling me to stand again. It was over; I breathed in deep breaths exhaling misty air into the dank musky barn.
I looked down at my hands which were tingling with pins and needles. Did I see something? It looked like a faint glow, and it was getting brighter.
I held my hands up before my eyes, turning them each way as they shone bright and radiant. Each finger, each thumb, each palm. The flare of white light filled the barn until suddenly the spark went out. It was dark again.
What the heck was going on?
I breathed one last breath, picked up my hair band from the floor and unbolted the door stepping out into the cold night air.
“Are you okay?”
He was leaning against the barn side,
“You don’t miss anything, do you?”
“Well, someone has to take care of you.”
His words annoyed me. I didn’t need a babysitter. “I can take care of myself, thank you very much.”
“I know. But I wouldn’t be doing my job if I just let you run off like that.”
“Your job?”
“Well, yeah. If someone is feeling ill…”
“I wasn’t feeling ill, I just needed some air.”
“You needed air in a damp, soggy hundred year old barn?” he reached over and pulled a stalk of straw from my hair, questioning me with a look. He turned me round and brushed caked mud from my jacket.
“Looks like you had a brawl in there.”
“Okay, I got a headache. The darkness helps.”
“Headaches, that’s a new one,” he said, almost to himself, still checking me over. “You’re clean now.”
“Yeah, a headache. Is that a crime?”
“Nope. Here, drink this. You’ll feel better. Just not too fast. You don’t want a sugar rush,” he handed me a can of fizzy drink that had been at his feet.
For this I was touched, he had been thoughtful.
“Thank you,” I said with sincerity, and drank slowly, breathing between gulps.
“You’re welcome. What’s this?” He pulled my hair band from my grasp.
“It fell out.”
“It’s pretty, unusual. It looks expensive. What’s it made from?” he said, twisting and turning it in the light.
“I don’t know,” I said, still drinking, but hoping his questions would soon stop with my monosyllabic answers.
“Here, let me,” and with that, he pushed the headband over my ears and secured my hair back into place. “As good as new, no one will ever guess.”
Again I said, “Thank you,” and he smiled, pleased.
“Come, it’s almost sign time. The ceremony’s ending.”
He felt for my hand and gently pulled me through the crowd. I was still modestly wondering at his self-assurance with me. His air was confident as if he knew I wouldn’t object. Was I giving that impression?
- Chapter Eight -
“There you are. I was getting worried!” Mira skipped over throwing her arms around me.
I laughed at her. “I’m back, no need to worry.” I leaned into her hug and released her. Aiden was still holding my other hand, his grip told me he wasn’t letting go at any cost.
Hannah joined us.
“Are you ready? I’m here for my punishment,” she said and rubbed my arm in comfort.
“Yes, let’s go!” I said pulling away from Aiden. He didn’t resist.
Hannah and I walked towards the central area, the tunic man was ordering that the lights be switched off, and the finale was over.
“What’s going on with Aiden,” Hannah said quietly
“I have no idea but he’s sticking to me like glue,” I said truthfully.
“Be careful with him. He can charm, but he can hurt people too,” she warned, putting a reassuring hand on my arm again.
“What do you mean?”
“He hasn’t a great reputation with girls. Let’s just say he won’t be handing out the tissues if it all goes wrong, he’ll have moved on already with the next conquest.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Do that. I know he saved you and everything but don’t let him hurt you, Rose. You can do better than him anyway.”
“You really don’t like him, do you?” I asked, as she shook her head in reply.
Hannah’s wise advice hovered in my thoughts. She looked back at me but I kept my glances elsewhere. I was questioning myself already; her warning was like an extra sharp barb under my skin.
Around us candles were lit and lighters were sparked up and held high. All eyes were now on the dark starry skies that twinkled above us.
Coats were buttoned up and scarves were tightened as the temperature sank to a new low. For an August night it was cold. My breath was a cloudy mist dissipating into the chilly air.
Hannah and I walked around the central area waiting. At first there was nothing. I was disappointed; no one had picked a zero for the number of signs. We waited, the shadows were drawing in, a few cried out as a shooting star flickered across the darkness.
Some must have seen it as a precursor and slowly people shuffled and reached to the ground. They had been standing on their signs the whole time. No wonder I hadn’t seen anything.
One by one, small and tall, round and square written notices were lifted, messages to the kings of the stars.
“Here we go,” Hannah whispered. “I’ll start on the right, you go left and we’ll meet in the middle.”
I was trying to make out the words rather than count.
“I’m here, Mother Goddess,” one said.
“A new dawn begins now,” said another.
“Take me with you,” was another. I laughed inwardly at this one; it reminded me of Mira for some reason.
“A new world - Take ours!”
“Halíka Dacomé, I’m your son,” again I sniggered. That person must be seriously deluded.
I started to count from the left and had already reached seventy-seven by the time I got to the centre.
“How many?” Hannah puffed, out of breath. I told her.
“I got seventy-three.”
I checked my papers and scanned the totals quoted by everyone.
“Oh no! Everyone’s going to think it’s a fix,” I exclaimed.
“Why? Who got it right?”
“Mira did. She said a hundred and fifty exactly.”
“Let’s go and tell her,” Hannah laughed guiding us back to where our friends were.
We pushed our way back to the small group. Eager and excited faces stared at me. I held the papers in my hands.
“Okay, here’s the moment of truth,” I said loudly. “The winner is Mira with a hundred and fifty exactly!”
Sighs of “Oh well, never mind,” and loud groans were almost unheard by the sudden scream of delight from Mira who jumped up and down on the spot clapping her hands.
“Yes! How much did I win?”
I counted out the notes.
“Here’s two hundred and ten pounds, you lucky girl!” I laughed handing over her winnings. She shoved them into her jacket pocket carefully zipping it shut.
“This has been brilliant! See, I told you it would be fun.” There was no calming her happiness now. She was like a bouncing tiger, and we all cheered her on.
“So, wher
e are we going now?” Hannah asked.
“Well, I don’t know about you guys but I need my bed. Long day,” I said in mock tiredness.
“That’s cool. I’ll pick you up in the morning for the picnic. Okay?”
“Sure. Definitely.” I nodded my assurance; I had forgotten about the picnic and was glad of her reminder.
“Bye Rose. I’ll see you at the….you know what,” Mira hugged me again, whispering the last part.
Aiden was hovering nearby. I guessed that Mira didn’t want our plans discussed openly. There were too many prying ears.
“Okay, see you then.”
“Remember what I said, Rose,” Hannah added nodding her head in Aiden’s direction. I nodded in acknowledgement of her warning, smiling faintly as she dragged an exuberant Mira away down the hill towards the car park.
I waved goodbye to my friends, then headed in the opposite direction towards home.
“Rose, wait up,” Aiden called running after me.
“Aiden, I’ll see you around,” I said coolly, and continued walking.
“Wait. You’re going to miss the best part. Don’t you want to hear the stories?”
“What stories?”
“About Halíka Dacomé, the earlier alien encounters, flashing lights over the town. I thought you might find it interesting, as you’re new here. It is our legacy after all.”
“Our legacy?”
“Yeah, Warminster’s legacy. If you don’t know the stories you won’t be one of us.”
There was nothing like reverse psychology to make me feel even more out of place. He had a point. I should stay and get to know the myths surrounding the town.
“You’ll stay too, you won’t leave me here?” I said pensively.
“Of course I won’t, come, there are some people I want you to meet,” he held out his hand to me and after a moment I took it. We walked back to the site area in silence.
The cordoned arena had been dismantled, opening up the wide grassy clearing. It was hard to believe that we were still on top of a hill. People were sitting on deck chairs, in groups mainly, surrounding small fires. Some were melting marshmallows and others were peering into telescopes appreciating the bright star lights. But most were still staring in awed silence at the bright twinkling sky above, holding their signs high.
“Hey, Aiden, over here!” A voice called out to our left.
“Hi Barry, just the person.”
We walked towards the small cluster, all were seated.
Aiden shook hands with Barry and then introduced me.
“So, how did you like the evening, Rose?”
“Um, interesting, actually.” I looked at Aiden and laughed.
“I thought you might be able to help Rose with some of the myths of this town,” Aiden said. “Rose, that’s Agnes, Daisy’s friend, Bert from the Down End farm, the one near your house. Doug owns the off-license in town and Reg runs the local paper.”
I said Hi to them all, and they all smiled back welcoming me.
“Well, you’ve come to the right person,” Maggie said on the right. “Ain’t no one knows the stories as Barry does, ain’t that right?”
“Aye,” “Tis right,” and other comments were made.
“Sit down, Rose, what would you like to know?”
Someone brought two more chairs, and made room for us. The fire crackled in the centre launching yellow and red light onto the faces around me.
“Why is Warminster linked with aliens?” I asked. It hadn’t been my first question but that one would wait.
“Well, some say that it’s ‘cos we’re out in the open here. Nothin’ surrounds the town, and the area is filled with mystical energy. There’s some folk who say that the mounds like Cley Hill and Silbury Hill are in fact beacons to extra terrestrials who want to land on the area. Truth be told, no one really knows why they come, but there’s plenty who’ve seen ‘em.”
“Have you seen one?” I asked.
“As a matter of fact, I ‘ave. It were a cold night, an’ I was walking my dog, Bessie. She loves to run on this ‘ill, lots of rabbit’s and some such, you know. Anyways, Bessie were missing, I called and called but she never returned. I walked down the hill and ‘eard something’ behind me. I looked back and there it was.”
“What? What did you see?” I said, my eyes were wide in anticipation.
“A green man, tall as me, eyes large as saucers.”
“Wow, what did you do?”
“Well, me thinks I would run, but I couldn’t move. I just stood and he walked right past me as if I weren’t even there. ‘Course I looked round after but he’d gone, disappeared.”
“And then?”
“Well, Bessie came back, scared out of ‘er wit’s at summat. She’s ne’rn gone near this hill since. Prefers the back 'ills. I tried to bring ‘er back but she jus’ digs ‘er ‘eels in, won’t move, daft dog.”
“And you think it was an alien?”
“I ‘ave never ever seen one since, and I’ve looked, but I swears on my soul, it were an alien man. I can still see him, clear as day in my ‘ead.”
“Were you scared?”
“Funnily enough, I weren’t. I was more worried about Bessie to really take it in.”
“What about flashing lights, lot of people see things in the sky?”
“Well, I have a different theory about them flashin’ lights; I don’t think they’re no alien spacecraft, I think that’s Halíka Dacomé.”
He spoke the name so reverently I was shocked. I needed to know more. I glanced at Aiden who was silent, with his hands in his lap, staring into the fire.
“I keep hearing that name, Halíka Dacomé. They said it tonight in the summoning.”
“Aye, you may ‘ave dun.”
“She be a myth, a legend, from these parts,” Maggie said.
“Monster more like, she’s a killer,” Doug added.
“She’s not either, and you know well enough what she’s done for us in the past,” Barry said. The others were silenced.
“Halíka Dacomé’s real?” I said surprised.
“Aye, as real as you an’ me.”
“So, where does she live? Why isn’t she here?” I asked even more intrigued.
“No one knows where she is. She hasn’t been seen for a long time now. Rumours are that she’s gone and left us, to go somewhere east.”
“What? Like London?”
“No, Rose. Like China, Japan, the old Orient.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Well, I’ll start at the beginning. Some say at the dawn of time she fell from the sky. Others say that she reincarnates into another living being. ‘Course no one knows for sure.”
“At least, none that’s telling,” Reg piped in, and winked at me. He was an odd man.
“Aye, she landed on this earth for whatever reason and can’t get home, or don’t want to. Either way, she’s been around these parts for centuries.”
“So why do they call for her return?”
“She’s got healing powers, and there’s folk around here that need healing. Farmers and such like, mostly. She’s a defender of many, a mercenary for few, and bad folk see the evil side of her. It’s said that during the Second World War, she helped the farmers yield maximum harvests for the war effort, kept the folk fed when rationin’ was brought in. Ain’t nothing’ evil ‘bout that.”
“Why do you think she’s gone away?”
“Dunno, couldn’t say. She’s not been seen for many a year. Rumours say she’s gone home, deserted us or gone east. Some rumours claim she has a same such friend in Japan, one like her, but who knows. But there’s bad folk in town now, they spread fear into people’s minds. But Halíka Dacomé saved my mother once and we don’t forget it.”
“What happened?”
“Years ago, when my family lived at Imber, where your grandmother comes from, there used to be a cart regularly visit town. One night, it was late. The wind took over the empty cart and pinned my mother fo
r near on six hours. There were no lights and the way was long. Halíka Dacomé lifted the cart as if it were a feather. My dear Ma’s legs were so broken they were like matchsticks, but Halíka Dacomé healed them with her magic power.”
“Was your mother all right? Did she walk again?”
“Walked, danced, you name it. She were better than before the accident. She grew old quickly though, but woe betide anyone who had bad words for Halíka Dacomé.”
“Did your mother ever see her again?”
“Nope, never. My ma’d liked to have thanked her proper like but she never saw her, just had her mark.”
“Her mark?”
“Those who ‘ave dealin’s with Halíka Dacomé are left with a mark, a sign of her presence, like.”
“What does it look like?”
“Like nothing’ I’ve seen before, A few lines over one another. An ‘L’, then reversed. Like a…a…what’s them Egyptians use?”
“A hieroglyph,” Aiden said.
I was so engrossed in the story I hadn’t observed Aiden. He sat calmly with his fingers entwined together in his lap staring into the fire. His face was powerful but angelic at the same time. He seemed at peace. But then for the first time I noticed his eyes gleaming in the fiery flames. I shrank back into my chair, dumbfounded.
Aiden’s eyes were sapphire blue and exactly the same sparkle and clarity as my emerald green eyes. I was so taken aback in surprise, I stopped breathing and my pulse quickened as I stared. I had never seen eyes so brightly coloured. I was so lost in my observation, I hadn’t realised that Barry had continued the story.
“That’s it, one of them. An ‘eiroglyph. My mother has it on her forearm, inside of ‘er elbow, she tried to scrub it off but it stuck for good.”
“Wow,” I uttered and breathed again.
“There’s some who say they’ve seen ‘er with a black dog. You look out next time you be drivin’. Black Dog farm, Black Dog Inn, it’s all ‘cos ’ov ‘er.”
“She has a dog?”
“Used to. Some used to see her regular like in Imber with a dog. None seen it since, mind. Maybe it died.”
We were all silent for a moment, staring into the warm flames of the cosy fire, the mood of the evening was buoyant still until others starting speaking.
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