The Sands of Borrowed Time (21 page)

Spooks

“Wakey, wakey!  Rise and shine!  The day is short, and we should make haste if we are to grab it by the horns,” Jeff exclaimed as he peered through the door of the hut with a big smile.

“Oh, fuck off,” Dawlis said jokingly as she squirmed in her blanket giving Jeff the finger.  Tawny just moaned and covered her eyes as the blinding morning Sun streamed into the hut.  Jeff laughed and shut the door, looking back out across the snowy plains, glad to feel alive again.  He looked up at the Sun, savouring its warmth as it beamed through the cold air. 

It was only a few weeks back when things weren’t looking so good; not good at all,
he thought.  He still felt guilty about Callee and Laren.  Such good friends, to see them like that.  The image of Laren lying on the ground, looking up lifeless at the watery Sun haunted him; her body still, her breathing gone, that ever happy smile of hers dead.  All gone forever.  Callee beside her, pushing him away, telling him to go on without her.  The sound of her voice was awful like her lungs were full of sand, hollow and whispery.  Why did he leave her?  He could have carried her, carried them both.  That face, it was so white, like she was gone, and all that was left was a ghostly shell, her eyes dark and lifeless.  He didn’t want to remember then both like that, it was not them, but the thoughts, the emotions, all were way too powerful to hold back.  He suddenly snapped out of his grieving, focusing out again onto the snowy plains. 

“That sound in the distance, it's the sound of bikes and cars surely,” he said, knocking on the door for the girls to hurry.  He looked hard but could see nothing, apart from the snow melting in the morning Sun forming an endless glistening lake that reached out as far as the hills.  Jeff rushed into the hut and slammed the door behind him.

“Jeff! Tawny shouted.  “What are you doing, we’re grown girls!”

“You look like a startled guard dog,” Dawlis added, holding her blanket close to her body.

“I heard them!” Jeff exclaimed, holding his hands on his cheeks looking terrified.

“Them?” Tawny asked, slipping out of her blanket.

“Yes, them!  On bikes, cars, both probably, coming this way.  You can hear them.  All coming this way, across the plains, in our direction, probably towards us, lots of them, like a hoard going into battle.”  Dawlis jumped up, ensuring the blanket was still tightly wrapped around her and peeked through the door.

“They’ll have knives, guns, and everything.  They’re not fussy which to use, when to use, and on who to use.” Jeff continued erratically.  “Should we run for it, now, before they see us?  Once they see us, that is it, that is it for all of us.  Goodbye Morning Sun, goodbye hut, goodbye World.  You know what I’m saying?  Shit, just when things were turning out well for a change, looking good, and now this.  The South is coming north!”

“Shut the fuck up, Jeff,” Tawny broke in.  “I’m trying to listen.”  Tawny and Dawlis both poked their heads through the door, listening intently.  Both jumped suddenly, startled as horns wailed out in the distance, an unearthly sound as creepy as
the
Others
themselves.

“It’s them, the fucking horn blowers from hell!”  Dawlis exclaimed looking relieved, Tawny smiling back at her, rubbing her hair across her head.

“Yea, yea, but bikes, cars, automobiles, you know, V8 engines, big guys, scary girls,” Jeff insisted.  “Throttle sounds as well.  The
Others
may have heard them, seen them, you think?” Jeff said.  “Didn’t approve of their progress north, north towards the forests and to us.  Don’t see the point of blowing their horns, though, wasting their breath, raising the dead or whatever it’s supposed to do, just for the sake of it.”  Tawny and Dawlis looked at each other, not sure what to do or say.

“Maybe,” Tawny said finally, “just maybe
the Others
were spooked by something.” 

And then, there it was, as Jeff squeezed between the girls, looking up at the proof that he needed.  He pointed his arm skyward to the trailing smoke as a flare rose into the morning sky, exploding in all directions as it reached its zenith.

“What the fuck!” both girls exclaimed.

“Them!  Fuck, it’s them, could have been anybody, anybody else, but them.  Why them?  Die, fucking die bastards!”  The horns blew again, a long wail echoing across the hills.

“What an odd and confident sounding tone, considering,” Jeff said perplexed.

“Considering what?” Dawlis asked, both girls looking confused.

“Considering they should be fucked by now; gobbled up, chewed thirty times each, spat out, and trodden on, to put it nicely,” Jeff said. 

“We won’t ask for the alternative version then,” Dawlis said, wide-eyed.

“Yes, the nice version suits us fine,” Tawny added, smiling nervously.

“Fine!” Jeff said as he looked up at the bright glow fading in the morning air, out ahead and above the plains.  Then there was an eerie silence. Nothing for minutes.  Then the horns blew again, a deafening, monotonous tone, breaking through the air.  The birds stood silently in the trees, their black eyes looking out as did they, curiously onto the plains as the Sun marched ever onwards across the hilltops.

“What?  What?  What is going on?  Jeff asked, looking at the girls.  “It’s like there’s nobody out there?  It’s gone dead, copout!?”

“
The Others,
they’ve assimilated them!” Dawlis exclaimed.

“It’s a myth for Christ sake.  Made up!” Tawny said, looking sternly at Dawlis as if it shouldn’t have been mentioned.  Dawlis said nothing, looking back out across the plains as the birds took to the air again.

“Maybe you should tell me a little more about the
Others?”
Jeff asked curiously as Tawny sighed, slumping down in a chair.

“For another day Jeff, another day.”

Through the Caverns

“Where do they all lead?” Jeff asked the girls as the light from their torches flickered through the dark caverns, casting spindly shadows of themselves in all directions.  “It’s like a giant rabbit warren down here.  A Warren for people.  A people’s warren!”

“We have no idea Jeff,” Tawny answered. “They seem to go on forever.”

“Forever?  They can’t go on forever!” Jeff said with excitement.  “Do you think anybody lives down here?  I don’t mean living properly, but more in hiding, coming out at night perhaps, when it’s safer.  Sleeping during the day, like now, ‘cause it’s definitely dark enough.  Without the torches, it would be dark as night, surely?

“I do hope not,” Dawlis replied.  “I don’t fancy bumping into someone down here.” 

Jeff’s shadowy face flickered with the orange glow of the fire as he continued to chatter. 

“Hope we don’t step on anyone then, especially if they’re sleeping.  Imagine stepping on a sleeping bandit; he’s bound to wake up, wake up mad as hell. He’d throttle us; all three of us.  Then they’d find our bones, hundreds of years from now to put in a museum.  How cool would that be?”  The girls huffed at the prospect but said nothing.

“I mean the museum bit, people would come to see our bones, pay to see our bones.”  Jeff wittered on.

“Just another skeleton to stare at, amongst the countless others,” Tawny replied scathingly.

“Do you think we’ll be smiling, a big grin on our skulls, our teeth all polished up for display?”

“Jeff!  Stop it!” Tawny shouted out.

Jeff put his finger to his mouth as they walked on through the tunnel, water dripping from its damp surface, the pungent smell of mold filling the stuffy, cool air.

“We could live down here if no one else has claimed it first of course; stash our food down here or both.  We’d be safe down here, no one would see us.” Jeff paused for a moment, deep in thought before suddenly turning around to look at them, stopping them in their tracks.

“You’re looking for something aren’t you?”  Jeff said, his face awash with curiosity.  “What is it?  You know what it is.   What?  Come on, tell me!  What is down here?”

“That would be telling now, wouldn’t it?” Tawny said, curling her lips.  “Anyhow, what makes you think we are looking for something?” Dawlis added with a knowing smile.

“I can tell by your faces.  What is it?  What is down here, hiding in these dark tunnels?”

“My face never lies,” Tawny said with a teasing laugh.

“Nor mine,” Dawlis added with a mischievous poker face.

“Then, why would you come down here?  Down into these dark pits of caverns, if they had nothing to give.  The girls said nothing, resuming their walk into the depths of the tunnels, brushing either side of Jeff.  “Hope we don’t get lost.  Sometimes people never find their way out of these sorts of places, wandering around for days like frightened mice, searching for the exit until they drop down dead from cold or thirst.”

“Unlikely to die of thirst down here, Jeff,” Tawny added with a shrewd glint on her face as the sound of rushing water became apparent.  They all walked on, the rush of water getting louder with each step.

“You go first Jeff, take a look,” Tawny said as she gently pushed Jeff ahead, towards the end of the cavern.  Jeff looked back at the girls, but was unusually silent, his mouth and mind frozen with curiosity at what lied ahead.  The sound of the water became louder.

“We’re going to get soaked,” Jeff complained as a fine mist of water sprayed into his face from the cavern’s end.  He stepped carefully through an opening and into a large, natural looking chamber.  A high, thundering waterfall rushed through an opening high above them, allowing enough light into the chamber to illuminate the damp, brown rocks that surrounded them.  “Look at this!”  Jeff exclaimed, shouting over the sound of the falling water, turning to look at the girls, his face a picture of excitement.

“Thought you’d like it, Jeff,” Dawlis said as she stepped through the end of the tunnel with Tawny. 

Tawny crinkled up her nose before adding, “But it’s not why we brought you down here.” 

Jeff looked confused, “No?  Really?”  Both girls shook their heads with playful smiles. 

Jeff shrugged his shoulders and opened his arms, “So, what’s the story?”

              “We were hoping you could tell us,” Tawny replied, watching the water cascade down from above.”

              “It’s a waterfall, pure and simple,” he replied, looking puzzled.  “Not unusual to find amongst rocky hills.  At least we won’t be short of fresh water; mineral enriched for strong teeth and bones.”

              “This one though has a secret to tell,” Tawny said.

              “A well-guarded secret,” Dawlis added.

              “You’ve got me?” he replied, shrugging his shoulders again.

              “Take a closer look, deep into the falling water and beyond,” Dawlis said.  Jeff shook his head and walked towards the waterfall, watching it fall gracefully into a deep pool below it with a thunderous roar, throwing up a fine mist that reflected the light above into a prism of colours. 

Nothing!  I see nothing but water,
he thought as he strolled around its side, seeing a path that led up and behind the waterfall.  The spray from the deluge of water had carved a small cavern into the rocks that allowed you to walk right behind the waterfall. 
How cool is this,
Jeff thought as he trod along the sodden, slippery path, mesmerised by the falling water above him.  He continued until he was right behind the water, the girls now blocked from view by the rush of falling, white water. 
What am I missing?  Maybe it’s a tease to get me behind the waterfall and soaking wet.  Why, I don’t know?  The games that girl’s play, I suppose,
Jeff assumed as he looked up at the torrents of falling water, feeling the cold spray gradually soaking his clothes. 
I’m going to freeze soon.  This is fucking stupid!
shaking his head in annoyance. 
Bad joke! 
He turned around, looking and admiring the smooth rock, carved from millennia of running water until he froze still, knowing he had found what they wanted him to see. 
A door!  There’s a fucking door!   Who would put a fucking door behind a waterfall in the middle of a cave?
  He gently touched it, feeling it’s cool, metallic texture as he looked high above him at its enormity. 
It must be twelve feet high at least, and perhaps six feet wide.  This is no fucking ordinary door; someone and something big must be hiding behind it.  Someone doesn’t want anybody in there,
he thought as he felt and observed how solid the door looked. 
You’d need a bomb to get this fucker open.
  He suddenly shuddered with fright.  A shadowy flutter caught his attention as he looked up to see a raven stare down at him.  It was perched on a ledge just above the door. 

“A fucking bird?  There’s a little birdie staring down at me!” he shouted out loud, his voice unheard, drowned out by the thunderous roar of the falling rapids.  He turned and hurried, fumbling his way back down the damp, slippery slope, back towards the girls. 

The girls could see the fright in his pale face, “What’s the matter, Jeff?  It’s just a door, probably left from the time before,” Dawlis asked.

              “No, there is someone in there,” he panted as he looked around the cavern for anything else that was unusual.

              “Someone’s in there?” Dawlis asked, concerned.

              “You saw someone?” Tawny asked, beginning to feel spooked.

              “As good as!” Jeff replied as he hurried towards the entrance of the cavern.  “Come!  Quick!  We must leave.”

              “What is it Jeff, you’re scaring us?” Tawny said as both girls ran after him, holding up their long skirts as they fumbled through the pools of water.

              “There was a raven looking down at me, and it was moving, following me, watching me.  There was something about it, so perfect looking, it couldn't have been real!” Jeff replied, looking at the concern on the girl’s faces grow.  “There is someone and something in there.  Why?  I don’t know, but they are keen to keep anyone out, that is for sure!”

“So what, a raven.  It was probably scared and hid behind the waterfall,” Tawny replied, beginning to feel at ease again.

“Maybe a trick of the light?” Dawlis added, her tone seeming to repeat Tawny’s indifference as they continued to hastily follow him.

“Stop Jeff, stop!  It was just a raven for God’s sake.  I bet the caves are full of them.  They're just sheltering from the storms.  The door, it’s an old abandoned door from before.”  Jeff stopped, the waterfall still loud and close.  Tawny sternly grabbed him by the shoulders and looked him straight in the eye.  “Let’s go back and we will all take a look.”

“You two go.  I will wait here.  It's above the door looking downward,” he replied, still looking shaken. “You can't miss it.”

“No problem,” Tawny replied, looking at Dawlis, who nodded in agreement.  The girls walked back into the cavern, slowly and cautiously.

“I don’t feel too good about this, somehow, all of a sudden,” Tawny said, surveying the cavern’s walls as they entered, looking for anything peculiar they may have missed on previous visits.  “Jeff looked so spooked.”

“Surely we would have noticed anything strange?” Dawlis asked as they fumbled back through the pools of water and up to the path that hung behind the waterfall.  “If you had seen a raven, you would have mentioned it, yeah?” she continued.

“Of course, of course!  There’s nothing strange about a raven anyway, the boy has a bright imagination.  He hasn’t eaten properly for weeks, if not months, he’s bound to get a bit funny.”

“I hope fucking so,” Tawny replied.  “You know, though, now that I’ve been thinking about it; maybe someone, people, whatever,
are
hiding behind that door.  They heard us by the door that time and maybe they have been watching us,” Dawlis said, raising her voice so that Tawny could hear her over the thundering sound of the water.  Tawny looked across at Dawlis anxiously, thinking the same thing. 

Was there really someone, people behind the door living out a secret existence.  After all, so are we in our own little way, stumbling around from day to day, hoping not to be seen, not to be caught, trying to survive, outsiders not to be trusted, to steer clear of.  Were there others doing the same, but in a more sophisticated way, hiding behind this door, keeping a check on outsiders with God knows what?
  They continued slowly and anxiously around the back of the waterfall, their hearts pounding hard in their heads, drowning out the deafening roar of the falling water before them.

Jeff waited anxiously, starting to shiver from the cool air blowing over his damp clothes. 

There was a raven. I heard it. I saw it. I saw it move. It was looking right at me with its strange, unblinking eyes. 
Jeff's reasoning was interrupted by a mighty thud, clearly audible above the thundering water as it echoed down the cavern, followed by a dull metallic clang. 
The door, sounds like the door opening and closing.  Fuck! 
Jeff's mind began to race
as he contemplated what was going on. 
I should go, check on them, shit! 
Jeff hurried nervously back into the cavern.

“Tawny!  Dawlis!  Are you alright?  There was this almighty thud!” he shouted out.  Jeff listened and waited, but there was no answer.  “Tawny!  Dawlis!  Come on, joke over, you had me good and proper.  Come on, this isn’t funny anymore.”  He looked around hopefully, but saw no one, just the thundering falling water before him for company. 
Shit, I should have gone with them. 
He hurried up the path towards the door, slipping and sliding on the wet rocks. 
Where the fuck are they? 
He stopped and stared at the door, daring to look upwards, but when he did there was nothing there; the raven had gone. 
You’re fucking with me.  I saw you. I saw you good. I didn’t imagine you. 
He kicked the door hard, then banged on it with his fists.  “Open up you bastards. I know you're in there, open up!”
 
No one answered apart from the dull, metallic echoes of his tantrum. 
Maybe I missed them, and they walked down the opposite side,
he thought as he walked across and back down into the cavern.  “Tawny! Dawlis!”
He shouted their names frantically, over and over until he was too hoarse to do so, running through the cavern and back out into daylight. 
Fuck! I’m a jinx.  Maybe I should stop befriending people; they either die or disappear. 
Then he saw it, soaring just above the ridge, over the opening of the cavern.  The raven, the same raven that was above the door with its unblinking eyes.  It feathers were black and glossy, preened to perfection as if it was unreal.  It continued to hover above him, watching him.  Jeff pointed at it, “Stay away from me!”  The bird opened its mouth to caw, but no sound came.  It suddenly swooped, darting towards him, looking ethereal and transparent.  He turned and sprinted down the hill, not turning to look back, running onwards as fast as his legs could carry him.  His lungs worked hard, the frantic beat of his heart pounding painfully in his head as he bolted, slipped and slid down the hill towards the girl's hut.  He opened the door, hurried in and slammed it shut behind him, panting hard as he tried to regain his breath. 
What the friggin’ hell was that all about!  It went straight for me?  And what of the door? Are there people living in these hills?  There were no rumours of anyone.  No one mentioned such things.  Perhaps we have upset them?  Maybe they have been watching us and the hordes moving north all along, waiting to make their move, calculating it with cold precision.  Tawny and Dawlis, where are you?