Innocent Times

by Gemma Owen-Kendall

  “For the past couple of months I have been watching you from afar, those creatures were disguising themselves as police officers. They are known as the Raids and are evil spirits from the Dark Lands.”

  “Where are the Dark Lands?” asked a confused Kimberly.

  “The Dark Lands is home to the enemies of myself and my father Odin, we have a truce with them at the moment that no one from Asgard or the Dark Lands is to bring war again. But it seems like some of the Raids is now causing this to happen again.”

  “What do they want from me though?”

  “To cause a war, they need a human sacrifice and unfortunately their oracle has predicted your soul to be the best sacrifice to cause a war, bring on an apocalypse to this world and turn it into the new Dark Lands. Yesterday they planned to kidnap you at the factory so I came to stop them, but on my way down to Earth those two Raids attacked me which caused me to fall in the factory and accidently destroy it.”

  “Well at least you have got me some time off work.” Giggles Kimberly to Thor and trying to bring some light heart on the situation, they both glance at each other for a moment. His lips then softly touch hers, his mouth felt warm and tender, he brushes his hands through her blonde and stringy hair. She held on to him tightly, Kimberly knew he would not be able to stay with her and that he would have to go back to Asgard.

  “I have to go back for a little while, I need to speak with my father and update him on this situation. But I promise I will be back in no time, please keep yourself safe but I will be watching over you.”

  Tears start to fill her eyes but she knew this is the only way for them to be together. He holds her for a moment and kisses her again. The sun began to fall to let the moon take over the sky. As dusk appeared Thor released Kimberly from his embrace.

  “I promise I will come back for you.” He spoke deeply but softly. He then trudged down the path, Kimberly watched him walk away until he was no longer in sight. The tears that filled her eyes now began to fall down her warm rosy cheeks. She looked up at the sky and noticed a shooting red light head to the sky. It was Thor going back to Asgard.

  “Please come back soon.” She spoke out loud. “I will wait for you.”

  The Eve of Christmas

  This short story is also included in Christmas Gifts, first published November 2019.

  It hardly ever snowed on Christmas Eve in England, especially on the coastal town of Cleethorpes, however mother nature decided to grant us all an early gift for a white Christmas. As there was no school because of the winter break I had the chance to go and explore the area all covered in white. There had been a good six inches of snow that’d fallen from the early hours of the morning. My parents had left yesterday to go visit my grandparents, but I chose to stay at home to look after our pet dog, Hunnie. She was a Staffordshire bull terrier, just vaguely a puppy with light golden brown fur with a white fur chest. Before my parents left, my mother gave me a couple of dos and don’ts round the house, although I was seventeen she still treated me like a child.

  “Also Eve. Last of all, no parties.” She told me before they were on their way.

  Today I was taking Hunnie on my brief adventure out into the snow. This was the first time she had ever stepped foot on the white ice cold substance. Wrapping up warm in my UGG boots and thick woollen coat with a butterfly styled woollen hat with matching scarf. I had put on a little doggy coat for Hunnie too. We made our way towards the seafront. The snow had stopped falling by the time we headed outside, along Cambridge street up to the promenade area. There were hardly any moving cars on the road, nature had taken its cause to blanket the roads over. Anyone who’d tried to drive in this weather, they were stuck on the intact snow along the edges of the road. As I walked by the street, I noticed the welcoming light of the Globe Coffee shop, I thought to myself that I would head there after our brief walk.

  As we reached the barrier to the sea wall, the clouds opened and let the thick snowdrops fall again only this time they were twice as thick. The wind blew strongly along with the fallen snow, I tried to look down at Hunnie who was struggling to walk through the elements. I picked her up and hurried us quickly as I could towards the Globe. The owner had spotted us approaching through the big open window and kindly opened the front door for me before I got there.

  “Are you both alright?” the owner kindly asked me.

  I nodded at him through shivering teeth and sitting down at a large vintage table. The owner was called Matthew, he was such a kind and welcoming gentleman. Through his spectacles, he always had friendly, and caring eyes for each customer. He placed a menu down in front of me.

  “You are my first customer today, take your time, get warm and I will be back over soon to collect your order.”

  I gazed through each word on the menu deciding what to have, I felt the heating round the room soothe my cold muscles, as I gradually got warm I removed my coat, gloves, and hat. Hunnie was good as gold and just laid on the floor rolled up into a ball, then eventually into a snore as she drifted off to sleep. The heat was then interrupted as the front door flew open and entered what I thought was a snowman. Whoever it was brushed the snow off himself to reveal one of the cutest guys I went to school with. It was Adam, I had a crush on him since we started school together those few years ago. The weather was really coming down thick and fast. Adam acknowledged me and sat down at the far side of my table.

  “If it carries on like this, you might be stuck in here for the rest of the day,” I heard Matthew call to us from behind the counter.

  I just giggled at his comment, but I sort of hoped that would not happen as I wanted to be back home in my nice warm house. I did not live too far away, but the weather looked dreadful and not safe to be heading back home. I gazed out of the window and in such a brief space of time the snow blizzard had completely covered the majority of the glass frame.

  “Don’t worry I have a spare room upstairs you can all stay in.” he kindly offered to us.

  “Thank you.” I smiled gratefully to him.

  Adam had now warmed up, so he gradually removed his coat, gloves and beanie hat and looked down at the menu.

  “I’m going to have the New York pancake stack with a luxury hot chocolate.” I mentioned to him. His eyes then moved up to look at me, and he smiled.

  “That sounds good, I am going to have the same.”

  Matthew had heard us so he went away into the kitchen area to prepare our orders, during this time I had a little catch up with Adam.Iit had been over a week since I last saw him at school and during our final period together we had a brief moment in English. During the class, we were discussing what Christmas and the festive season meant to us, Adam was sat next to me and I felt him gently touch my left hand. I looked round at him and he whispered softly into my ear, ‘Have a wonderful Christmas, Eve. I will miss you.’ His gentle and caring words touched me, these had stayed with me the past week playing that moment over and over in my head. Now the spirit of Christmas had granted me an early wish, which was to see him again.

  “I am so glad you are here.” I said to him.

  “Me too.” He took my right hand into his. “I have not stopped thinking about you since we finished school.”

  This was my eve of Christmas to remember forever.

  Her - A Vigilante in the Making.

  When the going gets tough, the tough indeed will get going. I may be a woman but I know how to whoop some backside, any villain who approaches me will wish they had not dared to cross my path. Who needs Wonder Woman or Black Widow when you can have….. oh bugger, what could I call myself? Here I was standing in front of my full-length mirror admiring my new found lease of life, recently I had been involved in a vigilante act stopping a pair of bank robbers known as Bob and Frank. Since I had finished in nappies as an infant my parents signed me up to all these different martial arts classes. Karate, Kick Boxing and Taekwondo just to name a few, I had undergone strict regimes from what I eat up to the point of socialising,
I barely had a social life apart from when I was in school. Boys.. whoever had time for boys and kissing behind the back of the bike shed. The only bit of eye candy for me was those muscular, toned men during my martial arts classes. One guy I never could keep my eyes off was my sensei, Paul, I loved it when he was topless in the dojo. He was older than me, 24 years old. I had only just finished sixth form. Ok, focus now if I want to get my head into being a vigilante in my local town.

  Searching through my wardrobes trying to arrange an outfit that I could easily wear to fight in… erm that is too baggy, no that is too dressy, ah yes this catsuit will do. I gaze and grasp through the leathery material, deciding what to alter. Of course I don’t want to copy the black canary wearing an all in one catsuit. I needed to think fast as the breaking news of today was that Bob and Frank had been released on bail so who knew what they could be planning to do tonight. Perhaps I could cut a bit out on the left hip or waist side, maybe even round the thigh area. I would like to keep my arms fully covered though, I don’t want anyone to see my purple and turquoise butterfly tattoo. Ah yes I know just the thing, I will cut slits up on both sides of the legs and add zips, I need to add a bit of glamour to my appearance. Eye mask at the ready and bright red lip stick, I must remember to not kiss my beaten up villains, can't leave any DNA lying about now. No one must know who I am. Time to go find those divvy pair of dumb ass robbers. One problem, does my bum look big in this?

  It did not take me long to track them down, all I did was head to the nearest bank and one they had not yet destroyed. Hiding behind a nearby parked up van, I waited for my right moment to sneak up on them.

  “Yo Bob, get ya arse in gear and find a way to get inside.”

  That was Frank’s voice. How stupid could he get yelling that out. It may be past midnight but do they not realise someone could be watching them. I climbed gracefully under the van to try watch what these pair of nit wits were doing. Bob scurried to the back of a nearby parked up car and into the boot, pulled out a battering ram. He then vanished round the back of the building and within five minutes he was opening the front door to let in Frank. This was now my cue to do something, it was so easy last time trying to fight these two so I am sure it will be a walk in the park again. I back flipped gracefully across the road, took a quick glance round to check the coast was still clear and followed Frank close behind entering the building.

  This time they were more alert and must have expected company. Perhaps these two were not as dumb as they seem to be.

  “Shit Frank, I think it is her again.”

  “Lets get her.” Yelled Frank.

  The two of them charged towards me at the same time, I had to make a quick decision on my move, it was now or never. Both guys were now standing side by side of me about to throw punches, I slipped my right leg forward and left leg behind. Split dodge, the advantage of wearing a skin tight cat suit and being very flexible. Bob and Frank ended up punching each other. If I could have stopped and laughed at them I would have but there was no time for that. Swirling my left leg round I tripped up Frank, he landed on the ground in a pile creating a loud thud. I landed my feet flat on the ground and made eye contact with Bob, rubbing his chin from where Frank’s punch knocked him, he charged towards me again. I blocked his fist and instant reaction I gave him an upper cut to the ribs with some force. It hurt my knuckles like hell, but I saw how much more pain he was in.

  “Ouch, I broke a nail.” Whoops, I shouldn’t have spoken, now they know what my voice sounds like.

  “What’s going on here?” a male voice I did not recognise.

  I looked round to see a security guard in the distance and the sound of sirens fast approaching, I could not let the police catch me in the act.

  Red.

  Starting college was something I had been dreading all summer, no more acting like a child for me. I would meet many strangers and hoped they would turn into friends of mine where we could support and guide each other through our studies. I was starting a diploma in dance; I had always wanted to be a dancer all the way through school and I had high hopes that I would eventually be cast onto a West End show. The day was the second of September, but my college years would be a time in my life that I would never forget. It was a time where strange encounters happened with me, knowing that magic existed and fairy tales really do truly happen. Although the day was warm and hazy like an Indian summer's day with butterflies still fluttering around in the gentle breeze, I still chose to wear my red coat that my grandmother gifted for me for my birthday. I could hear the words of passers-by call me ‘Red Riding Hood.’ I had just moved to the area to live with my grandparents as my grandmother hadn’t been too well, or so I thought.

  Walking along the newly painted corridor, still smelling the fresh coating in the air, I hadn’t noticed him following me. The fumes had got to me a bit too much and took over my senses which made me not realise I was being stalked at this moment in time. I approached the locker area trying to remember the pass code I was sent via email, as my hands were full of books and carrying an enormous shoulder bag I did not want to start rummaging to dig out my phone. Feeling unevenly balanced from everything I was carrying and the fumes of whatever the maintenance staff had used to coat the walls, I started to become very heavy headed and losing my balance. I closed my eyes to prepare myself to hit the ground where out of nowhere he appeared and caught hold of me. He was a couple of years older than me, but one of the first things I noticed was on his right shoulder was a tattoo of a white wolf howling up at the moon. I gazed at the colours of his tattoo and I could have sworn the image slightly moved but I had put it down to feeling fuzzy headed.

  I was drawn to this mysterious guy from this very moment, he had hazel cynical eyes and chocolate spiked hair that tempted me to touch it, as he looked down at me and smiled, a dimple appeared on his right cheek. He was just so cute, gorgeous in fact. I never felt like this before about any guy, not through school as I just saw them as total losers. It was like something over the summer, and being in a new town had changed me.

  Barge and the fly

  I gaze out the window of an old barge boat now converted as a bar upon a calm river, sipping from a water-stained glass that is filled to the brim with sweet fizzy cola. I had only just turned eighteen, but the day was still young. The air is calm and tranquil with a faint sound of rock music just about interfering with my quiet moment I am having. Upon my gaze a young, handsome guy crosses my eyeline in the distance as he is walking over to his silver Mini Cooper. My eyes follow the direction where he is heading and as he reaches his vehicle, his eyes meet mine for a brief moment. I smile, he nods and then enters his vehicle. He drives slowly away until I can no longer have a visual of the silver car. Oh, what a lovely brief encounter that was. My moment is then interrupted by a buzzing sound, a pesky fly right by my ear and no doubt the damn thing is after my cola. I waft it gently away and with luck the fly moves towards the open window and buzzes off. Thank goodness the cola is still all mine. I turn around gracefully to the table where my drink is and as coincidence shows to me, a poster on the wall catches my eye stating ‘Time Flies.’ I giggle to myself in the funny moment reading the poster when suddenly the irritating buzzing sound is back. I move my head in the direction to come face to face with that pesky fly again.

  I try flicking the fly away but its attempt to take my sweet drink from me is its key priority, it dodges my hand and quickly flies over to my glass. Why couldn’t it just have been a butterfly instead as for sure it would not be irritating me to get to my drink? It lands on the rim and begins circling round the glass, I quickly move my thumb and finger to try grab the damn thing but the little sod is too quick for me and enters the inside of the glass. Heading to my sweet cola I try grabbing the fly again and to my advantage luck was on my side as I finally have hold of it. Haha I win little fly as that cola is mine. Suddenly the glass slips over from underneath me and falls right into my lap. No more sweet cola for me. Bye bye drink and hell
o to sticky jeans. Ok Mr Fly you may have won this battle, but the war is far from over.

  My First.

  An excellent idea just came to mind as though I had just lit a light bulb, yes the idea was going to be amazing. I jumped onto my bicycle and hit the road, I just had to share my opinion with someone. I biked up to the nearest bus shelter and right on cue there he was, Tom, the one I would share my amazing idea with. The idea that had just come to mind as easy as lighting up a light bulb that made me jump onto my bicycle to the nearest bus shelter to see Tom.

  “Tom, I have the best idea to tell you.” I said, all giddy.

  “Go on, be quick as my college bus will be here any minute.” He said with a smile.

  “Tom, I love you. I want you to be my first.” I blurted it out before realising there was a crowd at the bus shelter. Tom went bright red as a tomato. Nerves hit me, I felt a strange sensation in my stomach as though I had butterflies in there fluttering around.

  “I will speak to you later about our…. Erm… situation.” The bus then pulled up, and he made a quick getaway to jump on the bus.

  Isolation

  Day One

  My first day being stuck inside these four brick walls. Recently our country was diseased by a plague virus concocted by the DNA of vermin. It is lead to believe that this virus is manmade, created in a laboratory somewhere in the world and has been given the nickname of ZOVI. Yesterday my college was forced to close for the safety of the students and our tutors. Someone had come to the premises severely infected from ZOVI. A student who did not understand what he was doing approached the primary entrance of the college campus. I was just in his eye site where he tackled me to the ground and took a chunk out of my arm. He was sweating feverishly along with the reddest of blood-shot eyes I had ever seen. My mum was called instantly, she is a scientist so now it was her mission to find a cure. Wrong place, wrong time to be, I guess.