Lucius's World

by Robert Ian Wilson

  ISBN: 9781718176812

  © 2018 by Robert Ian Wilson

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the purchaser.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Dedicated to my family

  ‘Where there is Light, there is always

  Darkness’

  Chapter One - Domhill Zoo

  The year was 1914 and World War One had been ignited by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his beloved wife, Sophie. The repercussions of the Royals murder prompted Austria-Hungry to declare an all-out war on Serbia and the French Socialist Leader Jean Jaurès who intervened with a peace treaty was assassinated three days later.

  4th August, Germany had made their first move for world domination and invaded Belgium to enter France. As three days went by, the British troops arrived in Normandy with the hope of reclaiming the invaded lands of Europe. They were unceremoniously loaded onto carriages, which were marked with a French notice, Hommes: 40, Chevauz: 8 on their doors: it translated 40 men, 8 horses, but for those few who did not speak a word of French, the carriages were nicknamed omms-n-chevoos.

  With much effort and many casualties on both sides at the Battle of Frontiers, it was proven that the German’s had relentless power and caused the French and British Army to retreat. On September 4th the city of Reims was captured by the enemy and the German’s began their plan to attack the French capital, Paris; the heart of France.

  Two days after the fall of Reims we had managed to cause the German’s to abandon their Schlieffen Plan; the invasion of Paris. They had underestimated our spirit and our alliances with the world that included the Canadian Battalion who’d been mobilized into France after the German’s were forced to retreat.

  Reims felt the first bombardment of airstrikes on the 5th of October and half of the city was destroyed.

  A couple of weeks ago, I’d read in the local newspaper, there was a battle, which commenced in Champagne.

  I was not present for any of these acts of retaliation by my country due to being deployed into the Grand Fleet in Scapa Flow, Scotland. My main obligation in the Navy was to patrol the British sea and protect our shores from the looming threat of the German submarines and destroyers.

  My Admiral, John Rushmore Jellicore had been incredibly cautious and set up Britain’s defences by using minefields, artillery, and concrete barriers.

  It was a nervy time for us all, but my adventure in Eve had certainly given me the courage and experience of warfare to combat my mental demons. My brothers in arms thought I was strange for not showing signs of fear during the war; because they hadn't seen what I’d seen or what I know. That was one reason why I had to escape land, just like Bjorn and sought-after sea life, to forget, but not all can be forgotten...

  On the 8th of November, I was put to the test, by defending our base from a German U-18. It was the enemy's first attack on the Grand Fleet and the Trawler I worked on had rammed the German ship into its watery grave.

  After a few weeks, we were close to home and docked at Portsmouth harbour, whilst the Christmas truce was in effect. As Sub-Lieutenant Lucius Domhill, I was given the privilege to return home on the 24th December, and in time for the Fairfax Farm annual Christmas Party.

  The next day, my grandfather and I had gone on our customary Christmas Day walk and came across a curious bear, who’d led us to my old friends of Eve. They’d arrived through an unexpected doorway...

  *

  That morning was intense and very stressful for me and grandfather Egbert. Our manor had reverted to an animal shelter for the lost residents of Eve. Mrs Turnside was absolutely disgusted at the willingness of my grandpa's good nature, to house such beasts, and Mr Turnside was secretively enjoying his new tasks around the estate. He had very high demands for the day’s activities. They consisted of all the typical chores of a zookeeper. Mr Turnside spent the whole day catering amongst the many varieties of animals and returned to the manor covered in sweat and mud. He had Sammy's reluctant help, whilst Mollie looked after the two puppies, who unfortunately shared the same names as Flit and Bjorn; that was awfully confusing for the four; you called one and the other came instead.

  Luckily, the minority of the animals seemed to have kept some sort of high intelligence, which they’d shown in the spirit world, so the cleaning of their waste was an easy task for Mr Turnside. I think most of his time was used to stop the mute animals from escaping. He couldn't prevent the rare exotic birds from flying over Southern England, which alerted the old Twitcher’s who aimed their binoculars to the skies.

  My position in the Royal Navy had been on standby until the following morning, boxing day, and I’d be expected to return to Scotland. We all feared the war that swiftly became a reality over the past year. My friend Idle was already in France fighting against our common foe; for freedom and his family. His sister Kara wanted to be a nurse, but her eyesight had caused her to be bounded to the farm. I felt her parents were quite pleased to have their daughter home and away from such danger; I was secretly relieved too.

  I’d never forgotten the past, which shaped me into the soldier, but I struggled for sleep most nights, as the memory of Dante still haunted me. His demon face stared through the darkness, brandishing his chilling smile...

  The Eve lodgers had made themselves at home. Thea had taken up the spare room in the attic, where Flit had followed and settled in the draw with the spare bedding. The small squirrels Arthur and Oscar had ventured into a nearby tree outside, but it was the last time I saw of them. They were wild in Eve, and their instincts must have moved them on in the real world.

  Thea was slowly adjusting to life and a new century. Everything was alien and foreign to her. To pass the time she’d seemed to gain a strange fascination with the manor's newly adjusted lights, I guess it was a good game for her; she must have flicked the switch for a good hour.

  Our new central heating, which was fitted before the war, caused an odd sound in the evenings; the house certainly came alive. There were bangs and clangs from the steaming bubbles inside the piping and the clunks frightened Thea, one reason why she’d decided to stay in the attic; she did eventually adjust to the ways of the 20th century.

  Mrs Turnside had taken a liking to her. I think she had always wanted a daughter and for someone to confide in, who wasn't male; mostly to pass-on her secret recipes.

  We’d both grown a lot, not only physically, but mentally as well. She had become a beautiful woman and had the eyes of a wondrous lady, but the slight naivety of a new-born, whilst she adjusted to life. She was slightly taller than me, which I was a bit miffed about; Domhill’s are not the tallest of people and I thought my chances with her had dwindled because of our height difference.

  Bjorn, the great sea bear captain and Lord of Hethenheim was allowed to take up residence in the secret garden. The small patch of land had been emptied of wildlife since our adventure years ago. My grandfather’s interest had subsided after his plants had vanished. It was still a mystery to me.

  Bjorn was one of the animals who had kept part of himself from the other world; it was lucky because I'm sure our neighbours wouldn't have wanted a wild bear roaming around the county.

  There was something that troubled me, and I must have quizzed Thea a hundred times ov
er, on how they managed to escape into the real world and find me…

  Thea wasn't quite sure, but she’d described their situation in as much detail as she could...

  They were lost and floated through the blackness, just as I did until a white light appeared and opened a doorway, which led into the forest. The animals foraged for food and set up camp near a stream, occupied by hundreds of Salmon.

  The vocal communication was one way for Thea, I can imagine the silence of the woodland taunted her with loneliness.

  The time between worlds was a difficult phenomenon to describe, but what felt like hours for them was six years for me. Time had slowed since Eve was swallowed by shadow and Ullpli's magic had faded significantly; the Green Man was still a mystery for many of us and his whereabouts were unknown.

  The Manor was certainly vibrant with life and for the first time in years, I felt a comfort, I’d been longing for. I was tired from the days at sea but being close to Thea calmed my anxiety and I managed to settle into old ways.

  It was a cold Christmas and we had a snowfall, which lasted for a month. It was cold on the ocean and nightly shifts weren't particularly desirable. It was nothing new for the animals, as I remember most parts of the realms were covered in ice and snow; but they still needed shelter from the high winds. We had fashioned wooden huts out of the spare timber from the Fairfax farm for the larger animals.

  Mr and Mrs Watson were with us, they settled in the basement and created a cosy space; they shared it with Elia and a few residents of Hethenheim. I can honestly say that I can't remember the grand total of species, who were housed in my estate, but there was certainly a lot.

  Grandfather kept sprouting the idea of opening our own zoo for the public, but I'm sure the animals would have wanted to retain their dignity and not to be viewed by stereotypical eyes.

  I came to Thea after an unexpected exhausting day. She was at the kitchen table talking to Mrs Turnside, who prepared Christmas Dinner. Of course, we had to keep the goose secret, to avoid upsetting our guests. Mrs Turnside had disguised the meat by adding it to the stuffing; she tested it out on Flit who gave it one sniff and turned away.

  “Success!” said Mrs Turnside.

  We’d discussed the possibility of going back to Ashton Forest, with the hope of finding the door. If it was still there, then everyone's stay would be shortened. My time at home was almost coming to an end. I couldn't say when I’d be returning, due to the unpredictability of war, so if there was a chance of helping my friends, it had to be on that day.

  And so, Thea and I prepped Snufkin again and decided against using Egbert's new automobile; I wasn't too fond of the latest technology and preferred to trust in our shire horse.

  We left behind the carriage and rode on Snufkin's back across the mores and into the woodland. We were both ready for the terrain, as I was dressed in my full Navy uniform and Thea had worn a wintery attire; big boots, jeans, and a warm leather coat. She held my waist as we passed through the dense wildlife. We came to a stream, which she instantly recognised, and it directed us up a small slope. Snufkin struggled on the soft banking, whilst we crossed through the water. Then we came to the clearing, where I'd met my friends a few hours ago.

  It was still quiet and caused me to shiver.

  The day was getting late and the sun was setting.

  We galloped across the long grass and into the southern side of Ashton forest.

  “Stop,” said Thea, as we came to a humungous obstacle.

  There was an unusual Fig tree that stuck out like a sore thumb. Its bark was a darker shade of brown; it was leafless, and the branches twisted in all directions. Its stump was fat and ugly.

  We jumped off my shire horse and I tied his reins to a branch.

  “This is the place,” said Thea, whilst she observed the embedded, muddy footprints.

  I inspected the tree and found a squared handle. There was a small crest crafted into the wood; it was in the shape of Ullpli.

  I ran my finger around the archway and tried to open the door. Nothing happened after an hour of constant pulling and turning, it wouldn't budge open.

  “What now?” questioned Thea.

  I didn't have an answer and I thought Eve was gone for good. It was until something struck me that looked slightly odd. A spine of a book was pushed in a tight hole within the bark of the tree. I reached out and un-wedged the leather hardcover; it was heavy, and its front had a symbol of a black and gold key. It was an exceptionally odd design that intrigued me; the notch was shaped like a puzzle piece.

  The book was weather worn but surprisingly had kept most of its content intact. I opened it to look at the first page and there was a name written in black ink; William Frankfurt.

  I showed Thea who looked just as confused as me, and she analysed the text.

  “This language is older than me...”

  “Can you decipher it?” I asked, hopefully.

  Thea shook her head with disappointment, and I felt, we’d gone three steps back. I placed the book into my inside coat pocket, and we returned to Snufkin who patiently waited, whilst he ate some grass. I untangled his reins and mounted the horse, with Thea.

  We set off for home as the sun settled and cast a shadow. We retraced our steps and travelled back through the river. There was a slight flicker of something that moved fast amongst the trees. We glanced up to see nothing but disturbed leaves, floating in the wind; then there were those eyes, blinking in the flowing stream. They caught us by surprise and Snufkin panicked. He nearly threw us off his back. I stroked his mane and my horse settled.

  “Did you see that?” asked Thea.

  There was something in the water... but what? I thought.

  We frantically observed our surroundings, but we were alone and so, we moved on with caution. The paranormal sighting had caused my deep forgotten memories to flood back. We were both convinced, there was something in the water; what it was, I couldn't be sure at the time.

  We returned home and in time for Christmas dinner. I had shown my grandfather the odd book, who scanned it over and decided that it was, in fact, William Frankfurt's Journal. I left it with him, so he could search through our library for any knowledge on Mr Frankfurt.

  It would have been helpful if the animals had kept most of Ullpli's magic, so I could question them because I was sure they would have recognised the symbol; it had a deeper meaning.

  The zoo was in full force and our table reminded me of Cassius Marcellus Coolidge's famous painting; the dog’s playing poker, except for our guests, there was no formality or normality. The larger animals stayed outside and banqueted on fresh hay, grass, and a combination of scraps from the kitchens.

  Mr Turnside seemed amused, whilst he chewed through the stuffing that hid the goose. Mrs Turnside watched Elia, an ape and the Mayor of Hethenheim, chuck some mash potatoes against the wall.

  “Do we need animals dining with us! It’s not civilised living!” she yelled.

  I could see her argument, but due to the animal's understanding of what she'd said, I thought it was rather rude of her. She apologised eventually after Hamish nudged her legs and waited for something delicious. She hypocritically succumbed to his puppy dog eyes and gave him some disguised meat.

  Sammy hovered around me, sensing my good nature and softness. I too had the habit of feeding my dogs at the table, even though one shouldn't. I gave him a slab of camouflaged goose and he wandered off, no doubt to share his prize with Molly and the puppies.

  Sam was getting on a bit, I sometimes wished he could talk again, but he was a regular canine, who loved to bark at invisible intruders and sleep on your lap on a cold day or whilst I read a good book.

  Dinner was finished and the clearing up commenced, after pulling our Christmas crackers, and I joined my grandfather in the library. Thea followed and we scanned the vast collection of books for any clues.

  Thea and I must have checked every book on ancient languages and symbols, but with no prevail. Grandpa spent
a good three hours into the night, trying his hardest to decipher the mysterious journal. He came to a page that displayed the world’s map, but the earth's lands were larger and more connected. Britain was literally part of Europe and the sea levels were extremely low. There were hand-drawn lines, twisting around the earth and they’d met in a specific location.

  “How old is this book?” I pondered.

  “Incredibly ancient... I can't believe its intact; especially being open to the elements,” replied Grandpa.

  Egbert suddenly had an idea and got Thea to retrieve a book on ancient superstition and myths. He opened his book and stopped at a specific page about ley-lines; ancient paths that some say led to other worlds. I retrieved an atlas and used my nautical skills to pinpoint the exact location of where X marked the spot. It was in France, a small town called Alaise, which was situated in the heart of the Jura mountains. There was a small symbol of the key from the front cover, above the X.

  “That key must open the door to Eve,” predicted Thea.

  “Maybe so, but France is a war zone. The German’s are still putting up a fight, even after their plans on Paris were demolished; their threat is still on high alert,” said Egbert.

  “For us to return and bring a balance back to our world, I don't think we have a choice.”

  I scanned her face and realised she was keeping something from me.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “I’ve been thinking about our escape; trying to make some sense out of all this,” said Thea. “Our world is in total darkness and there is not much light left. There must be a reason, why the animals have not fully changed and reverted to what mother nature made them; Ullpli must be still trapped within Eve. He once told me, if the balance between light and dark was disrupted, then other worlds would feel its effect. All worlds are connected in a way I can't explain.”

  I felt anger and slammed my hand on the table.

  “So… the world war started because of Dante; he succeeded after all. What was the point in a prophecy if it wasn't fulfilled?”