Talisman of El (3 page)

‘No one’s fighting,’ Josh said. ‘New kid here just had a fall.’ He shot Charlie a cold look.

Feeling everyone’s gaze on him, Charlie turned and made haste towards the double doors. People stared as he went by. Whispers followed. Relieved to be away from curious eyes, he stormed across the playground and sat on a bench under a large chestnut tree, resting his head in his hands. He had planned to keep a low profile but had somehow managed to grab the attention of the entire school on his first day.

‘Are you all right?’

The hair on the back of Charlie’s neck bristled. It was the girl from the bus. He turned his head away, not wanting her to see the humiliation on his face.

‘Those guys are pricks,’ the girl said.

Charlie heard the bench squeak but didn’t turn around.

‘Yeah, my parents tell me not to talk to strangers, too,’ the girl went on in a casual tone, ‘which, by the way, makes no sense. I mean, one minute they tell you to make new friends, and then they tell you not to talk to strangers. But before someone becomes your friend, they’re a stranger, so how does that work? It’s an oxymoron, if you ask me.’

Charlie turned round and saw her sitting a few inches away from him.

‘I’m Alex, by the way,’ she said.

Charlie gulped. He wanted to say something but his mind was blank.

‘You’re a silent one,’ Alex acknowledged. ‘I’ll let you off for today, but you’ll have to speak to me at some point.’ She smiled. ‘First days can be stressful, especially if the first people you run into are Josh and his goon.’ She held out two clenched fists. ‘Pick a hand.’

He glanced at her outstretched hands and then looked back at her face, puzzled.

‘Okay, I’ll choose.’ She looked at both fists, her expression pensive, and then lowered her left hand. Opening her right fist, she revealed a circular sweet in a shiny golden wrapper. ‘It’s chocolate with a marshmallow centre – Chocomallow.’ She gestured for him to take it. ‘It’s not poisoned, I promise.’ When he didn’t take it, she rolled her eyes and placed the sweet in his hand. She then opened her other fist and revealed a matching sweet.

Charlie smiled. ‘Thanks.’

Alex gasped. ‘He does speak!’

A weird, fluttering feeling churned in the pit of Charlie’s stomach. ‘I’m Charlie.’

‘I know. We’re in the same French class. Welcome to Oakwood.’ Alex relaxed back on the bench. ‘Was it just me or did you feel a tremor in the canteen?’

‘Yeah, I felt it.’

‘You know, the last time an earthquake hit West Sussex was in 1970.’

‘How do you know that?’

‘Well, they have this thing called the internet.’

Charlie chuckled. ‘I think I’ve heard of it.’

Alex’s cheeks flushed, and she looked away. ‘There’s nothing to do here but surf the net. It’s dead boring.’

Charlie spotted the bullies coming out of the canteen. They pointed at him and laughed.

‘Idiots,’ Alex spat. ‘They’ll soon find someone else to pick on. It’s their hobby.’

‘I think they’re afraid of you.’

‘Nah, they just hate that a girl stands up to them and they can’t do anything about it. The chatterbox is Josh Hartley. The other dimwit is Damzel Brittle. You wouldn’t guess they were fourteen from the looks of them, would you?’

Charlie raised his eyebrows.

‘I know,’ Alex said. ‘It’s obvious they’re scientific experiments.’

Charlie laughed. He had assumed they weren’t his age for he hadn’t seen them in any of his classes. And they were giants. With two lessons to go, he hoped he didn’t cross paths with them for the rest of the day – or the year.

‘Josh is the one you have to worry about,’ Alex went on. ‘Damzel just follows him around like a lost dinosaur.’

‘What’s Josh’s problem?’

‘Where do I start?’ Alex’s expression turned serious. ‘To be honest, he wasn’t always this annoying. His dad died last year, and he became … well, you’ve seen what he’s like.’

‘How did he die?’

‘He had a brain tumour. I do feel sorry for him. I don’t know what I’d do if either of my parents died. Still, he doesn’t have to be such an arse.’

Charlie looked across the playground at Josh. Although he felt angry towards the bully for humiliating him, he also felt sorry for the boy who had lost his father.

Alex asked, ‘You all right?’

Charlie looked back at her and nodded.

‘So, where’re you from?’ she enquired.

He hesitated before answering. ‘London.’ It was the truth; he just didn’t like talking about his life, especially his past.

‘I’ve been there a few times, but that was years ago. We have family in Cornwall, so we’re always vacating there. London’s a big place – well, anywhere’s big compared to Capeton.’

‘Capeton seems quite big.’

Alex raised her eyebrows. ‘The entire student body can fit inside my house. There are six thousand people living here. Compared to London that’s – we’re not even a dot on the map.’ She pulled her legs up onto the bench and crossed them. ‘Have you been on the London Eye?’

‘I went on it on a few times,’ he replied.

‘Bet it was amazing. I’ve always wanted to go on it, but lucky me, I have not one but
two
parents who are afraid of heights, so I doubt I’ll be going on it anytime soon.’

‘Can’t you go with someone else?’

Alex shook her head. ‘They won’t let me go on it, period. I’ve been asking since I was, like, ten. You’d think after four years I’d be closer to getting a yes.’

‘They might change their minds.’

Alex furrowed her brow. ‘You haven’t met my parents. They’re convinced that if I went on it the capsule – only the one I’m in, by the way – would disengage from the wheel, and I’ll plunge to my death.’

Charlie looked at her in shock. ‘Wow.’

‘Yep,’ Alex said. ‘My mum even had illustrations.’ ‘And you still want to go on it?’

‘Did I mention it was dead boring here?’

Charlie smiled. ‘Well, if they ever do change their minds and I’m still around, I’ll go with you – I mean, if you want.’

Surprise crossed Alex’s face. ‘You would do that?’

‘Yeah. You did save me from a black eye, so I kind of owe you.’

Alex smiled, but then her expression became curious. ‘Wait, why wouldn’t you be around?’

Charlie swallowed and looked away. ‘I move around a lot.’

‘Lucky you. I’ve been stuck here forever.’

Charlie turned to her. ‘Trust me. You’re the lucky one.’ Before she could ask more questions, he held his hand out to her. ‘So, is it a deal?’

Alex grinned and placed her hand in his. ‘Deal.’

The Good, the Bad, and the Weird 

CHARLIE RAN HIS FINGERS over a picture of his parents embracing each other, smiling at him. They were wearing the same rings on their fingers as he had on around his neck. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against his bed. ‘Okay, so I almost got into a fight today – but I didn’t. That’s no fighting and no expulsion, so I kinda had a good day. Actually, it would have been worse if it hadn’t been for this girl I met. Her name’s Alex –’

A low hissing noise, like the sound of a water sprinkler, cut him off, and he looked at the door. Closing the photo album, he slid it under the bed and got up. He walked across the room and opened the door. At once, he recognised the sound of voices. He glanced at the clock; 10:30 p.m. Curious, he headed downstairs, the sound growing louder with each step he took.

Standing in the hallway, his eyes darting around as he tried to locate the sound, he spotted Jacob on the living room sofa. His guardian seemed unperturbed by the noise, and for a moment, Charlie wondered if the voices were coming from the TV. But the two noises were distinct.

Heading down the hallway, he felt a strange sensation course through his body that caught him off guard, and he stopped in the kitchen doorway. The feeling was electric.

His gaze fixed on the cupboard under the stairs. There was no question now as to where the noise was coming from. His hands started to shake. The sound behind the door disturbed him, but he couldn’t turn away from it. Holding his breath, he yanked the door open.

Silence.

Flicking the light switch on, he saw a pile of boxes. ‘What are you doing?’

Charlie glanced over his shoulder at Jacob, who was standing in the living room doorway. ‘Didn’t you hear it?’

Jacob’s eyes shifted left and right then back at Charlie. ‘Hear what?’

‘The voices …’ Charlie trailed off when he noticed a peculiar look in Jacob’s eyes.

‘Are you feeling okay?’

Charlie turned back to the cupboard and closed the door. ‘I thought I heard something,’ he explained, as he headed back towards the stairs. ‘I guess it was nothing. Night.’

‘Night,’ Jacob called to him, a note of worry in his voice.

Charlie entered his room and closed the door behind him, bracing himself against it. He scratched his head as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. He knew he wasn’t crazy, but no matter how hard he racked his brain, there was no explanation for the mysterious noise.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs interrupted his thoughts, and he switched the light off. Hearing a creaking noise behind him, he turned round and saw a shadow step into the shaft of light under the door. He kept quiet, listening to Jacob’s ragged breathing. He didn’t want to talk; talking only got him into trouble.

After a pause that seemed like forever, he heard Jacob’s footsteps retreating. Then the light under the door vanished. Charlie turned round, walked across the room, and climbed into bed. He was exhausted from the lack of sleep he’d had the last few weeks, having to adjust to a new life, and because of the nightmares that haunted him. With each passing minute, his mind flickered like a kaleidoscope. Visions of long ago invaded his dream.

Charlie was back in Palmers Green, a quiet up-and-coming suburb in the restless city of London where he lived with his dad. From his bedroom window, he gazed out at the dazzling summer sun rising above the rooftops of the Victorian terraced houses. He caught sight of his reflection in the window, his grey eyes glistening with excitement. Looking down at his black suit and tie, confusion crossed his face.

A shadow passed over him, and he glanced up at the dark clouds gathering over the horizon. ‘Hoot,’ a familiar voice called, and he ran out of the room.

As he scrambled down the stairs, he stopped halfway and looked up at the two pictures of his mum on the stairway wall. Retreating two steps back, he kissed one of the pictures and then continued on his way. At the bottom of the stairs, he paused, engulfed by a warm, sweet smell. Following the scent, he drifted down the narrow hallway and entered a small kitchen. Seeing the pots and dishes scattered across the countertops, he shook his head and smiled.

‘Happy birthday!’ His dad appeared behind him, holding a large chocolate cake. He was wearing jeans and a tight t-shirt, revealing his muscular biceps. With his tousled, dirty-blond hair and scruffy beard, he looked more like a rock star than a dentist. He walked over to the table, set the cake down, then turned round and bent down in front of Charlie.

‘Hoot. Today is a big day.’ His dad’s voice broke. He cleared his throat and started again. ‘Ten years. Time flies. I’m so proud of you. I know your mum would be, too.’ They looked up at the picture on the fridge door of his mum at a beach in a floral dress, her thick black curls falling over her shoulders. ‘Now, I know you have the whole day to stuff your face, but please, go easy on the sweets, okay.’

Charlie gazed into his deep-set blue eyes and hugged him. ‘I love you, Dad.’

‘I love you, too, Hoot.’ His dad stood up and clapped his hands together, a big grin spreading across his face. ‘Guess what? I have a surprise for you.’

At that point, Charlie was aware in some part of his consciousness that he was dreaming, and panic set in. ‘We have to go.’

‘Go? Don’t be silly. It’s your big day. It’s going to be great.’

‘No!’ Tears welled in Charlie’s eyes. He grabbed his dad’s hand and dragged him out of the kitchen. ‘We have to go before it’s too late.’ His dad smiled as he pulled him with effort along the hallway.

As they reached the living room, loud cheers of ‘Surprise!’ erupted through the open doorway.

Charlie stopped, dropped his dad’s hand, and turned to the crowd of people standing in the living room, smiling at him. Most of them were children. The guests and his dad started singing ‘Happy Birthday’.

This isn’t right,
he thought. ‘What are they doing here? They’re not supposed to be here. Not yet.’ His eyes shifted to the clock on the lilac wall behind the crowd, and he watched in amazement as the hands spun with hastening speed from ten to three o’clock. ‘No. Not again.’ As he made a move towards his dad, he felt the ground shake and stopped. He noticed everyone was still smiling. Hadn’t they felt the tremor?

He heard a loud bang, as if something had exploded, and the whole house shook. Charlie looked at the clock again and saw the hands spin from three to six o’clock before it tumbled to the floor and smashed. Rushing to the front door, he opened it, and a strong wind seized him, as if to drag him outside. He grabbed onto the doorframe, staring in horror at the houses ripping apart. He slammed the door shut and braced himself against it.