A World Apart

by Loui Downing

  ‘We had better get some sleep otherwise we shall be tired for a full day of activity, so were going to have to build a shelter of some sort, just for tonight’ said Francesca around twenty-five minutes of discussing Edward’s state of mind and the affect he was having on the morale of the others. Pennie knew that this was a good idea and rose slowly to assist Francesca. They both turned to find Edward who was nowhere to be found.

  ‘Oh no, where has he gone now’ said Pennie jokingly.

  ‘No idea, he was there earlier. I hope I haven’t hurt his feelings, it’s just how can you say there is something there when it’s not’ answered Francesca, thinking logically. They searched the area for clues to where Edward might be, but to their disappointment their efforts remained unfulfilled, them both becoming concerned for his safety. Francesca and Pennie were shocked as the deep darkness faded into a greyish dim light that allowed Pennie and Francesca to see clearly. The light flashed as if there was a technical fault and then resorted to darkness again, confusing both of the young girls totally, staring at each other intently. Grey clouds filled the sky that looked like they were ready to burst and cry on the people below.

  ‘What just happened?’ said Pennie with concern.

  ‘No idea, maybe there’s a storm coming’ replied Francesca as she wrapped herself tightly in her jacket and surveyed the heavens above. Tiny droplets trickled down onto her jacket, bouncing off with a healthy splash. Pennie and Francesca had put their search for Edward off for the time being and decided to take shelter under a rather large tree they spotted around a quarter of a mile away from where Edward was earlier. Arriving at the wrinkly worm infested tree, the bark running down horizontally down the tree giving an old complexion that felt warming to them both. The two took rest in a cave-like coving within the tree that Pennie found around the other side. The width of the tree was about four times the size of both of the girls and towered above the rest of the forestry, scrapping the skies as the wind blew. The rain fell from above like they had never seen before, forming puddles around the tree’s edge and next to the grass edge, creating a muddy divide. As the thudding gradually got louder and louder they shuffled further into the alcove to keep dry. Pennie looked up at the tree to see an array of leaves and branches spread out like a spider’s web, squirrels and bats swapping from branch to branch. The minutes turned to hours, which before they realised it started to turn into morning, birds and bees wide awake in the fresh open air that filled the lungs of Pennie as she breathed softly, eventually awaking to see the rain had evaporated in the early sun’s rays. Pennie stretched and lifted herself from the shelter, deciding to walk around for a while in the warm breeze as Francesca lay in a light sleep.

  ‘Hey, you’re awake, it’s stopped raining’ said Pennie, discovering that Francesca was up and rummaging around just as she came back from her brief walk and spotted her kneeling on the ground.

  ‘Any sign of Edward?’ said Francesca urgently.

  ‘No, we should move on really he may have gone back to class’ replied Pennie trying to get them both up and moving to make the most of the clear skies while they could. They walked along further heading for the class as they lifted their arm in symmetry to block the sun’s rays. Francesca turned around curiously as she walked, hearing a noise as they halted near an old bench that appeared to have been a place of rest for someone last night.

  ‘You ok?’ said Pennie caringly.

  ‘Yeah I just thought I heard something’ replied Francesca whose eyes were on the look-out in every direction possible. Francesca ignored the sound and what it may have been in a flash and decided to press on with more important issues. The legs wore thin after around another ten minutes of walking, Pennie moaning and groaning with every step.

  

  ‘Finally, I’m back’ said Edward relieving a vast amount of air from his mouth as he exhaled whilst speaking to himself aloud. He half expected the others to hear him but as he looked around he saw that they were nowhere to be found. A faint squeaky voice could be heard coming from under the bridge, so Edward headed down the embankment to investigate. His shoes squelching and slapping against the thick soft mud with every step and by the time he reached a dry pane of soil which ran underneath the bridge. Edward had become so muddy by this point so he made an attempt to clean himself, giving up after he came close to falling into the river. Edward heard the noise again only this time it bounced off the walls and was almost understandable. There was no-one to be found as Edward reluctantly searched the bridge up and down, he began to think he was hearing things hearing it again and again, each time getting the sound getting louder and louder until it stopped dead.

  ‘First you lost your way, now you’re losing your mind’ said a soft voice close to Edward’s feet. Edward couldn’t believe his eyes as he looked down, seeing a leech stretched out on a pebble that had washed ashore. The creature seemed to have tiny arms that were placed inwards against its body, giving a concerned complexion to Edward.

  ‘Are you…a-actually sp-eaking to me’ said Edward, the words eventually stumbling out his mouth like a blade of grass that is warmed by the afternoon sun.

  ‘Yes, and for your information young man its sir’ snapped the leech, his voice was even squeakier which made Edward smile to the astonishment of the leech as he watched.

  ‘The name’s Lionel, I look after the gateways and crossings along this river, if there’s anyone going in or out, they always come passed me’ said the small black blob which Edward struggled to see.

  ‘Put your glasses on boy! There in your left pocket’ exclaimed Lionel the leech, noticing Edward straining his eyes.

  ‘Hold on, how did you know that?’ replied Edward, retracting the glasses from his left pocket.

  ‘E-rm…luck I guess, anyway I need to tell you something’ said the leech nervously, shuffling around on the pebble as if to acquire a better position.

  ‘I think I must be going mad talking to a leech’ said Edward under his breath.

  ‘I find that highly offensive!’ said Lionel the leech, looking up and taking Edward by surprise.

  ‘Are you part of the activity?’ asked Edward, ignoring any kind of feeling of sadness for the small creature.

  ‘If by activity you mean life, and life as in the river, then yes of course’ replied the leech, confusing Edward.

  ‘You don’t like to answer the questions do you?’ said Edward sternly as he could feel his anger ready to burst at any second, for he was tired, lost and now talking to a leech that he barely could see. Edward began urging the leech to instruct him to what he was doing there by the bridge but he kept on fobbing him off with lame and long-winded sentences that bemused the adolescent mind.

  ‘I cannot tell you the things I know directly, but I can however guide you’ said Lionel the leech after a short interval where him and Edward had stood breathless, taking in what was happening to them both, more so for Edward though. Lionel’s intellect is tremendous for someone who studied at Harbour Leech School; Lionel’s years of acquired clever wit went unappreciated whilst he was with Edward, the words fluttering over his head and into the sky. Edward was exactly stupid or dumb, he just came across as quite oblivious sometimes and missed the odd joke, not matter how simplistic. The other leech’s from a rival school would taunt his manner and spoken word, the only thing that reassured Lionel was that they had all been made speechless, which to this day he still doesn’t know why they became impaired.

  ‘If you ever want to revisit what you have done, just come back to me and write your message so I can see, just like many before. To come with me then stand where things cross, one or more is the choice’ said Lionel the leech calmly and coolly, reading from what looked like a small manual he had produced which he hid behind his back and gave a gracious smile that gleamed for an eternity. Soon after Lionel spoke there was a slithering sound and then the sound of a water droplet, Edward looked back at the pebble to see slimy residue on the once occupied bubbly blue pebble that no
w rocked lonesome. Edward walked dizzily over to the bridge’s face, wondering what to do next when he was overcome with a sensation of rising. Edward couldn’t believe what he was feeling, he was gliding through the air getting closer and closer to the clouds, when he heard some mechanical noise and he felt like he had been propped down. Looking down he saw the sky and clouds beneath he feet, which made him panic and become unbalanced. He was high up in the sky where the air was warm and the air unaltered as it stroked his head as it past. Edward was looking down on where he had just been standing, until someone close to him spoke in a language he didn’t recognise. He looked cautiously straight ahead of him and to see a mixed raced, tall athletically built male with gold chains, red torn clothes draped over his shoulders. He had a black engraving on his forehead that was circular and split into eight sections, one of which was shaded in. The man stood there for a while as Edward gathered his thoughts, totally mesmerised by the past few events. The man in front of him held out is hand at a stretch, his hand clenched in a fist as he unfolded his fingers and thumb to reveal a chipped but glamorous key and neck chain as the man placed it around his neck. Edward felt falling and it wasn’t nice, it felt as though he had been chucked out of an aeroplane as his veins pumped with uncontrollable fear.

  Edward awoke face first on the undernourished ground, coughing and spitting out all the dust and soil that had collected in his mouth. He felt so bruised and in agony but all of this was put on hold as a dome shape came into sight.

  

  The school grounds were visible at the top of a small incline, just as the two started to have doubts about the direction they had chosen. A few children could be seen standing near the tall door they exited out to begin the activity. As they surged closer they saw the children were in the lower years of the school, and by the looks of the activities they were practising movement and delivery for a new game called yat’b they are so fond of, the game consisting of three teams that all battle in the race for the ball which they have to then follow its instructions correctly or suffer the consequences. Old games such as hopscotch, tiddlywinks and skipping were all banned from the school’s grounds, but others such as football, cricket and chess existed and were enjoyed still by all of the pupils. Edward had always wanted to be a footballer and tried so hard to compete with the other school players, but unfortunately for him he had an unlucky trial and couldn’t show off his real ability due to an incident that Pennie remembers as if it were yesterday.

  The girl’s walked swiftly past the football and tennis courts on their way to the school, taking a slight detour around a large hole in the ground that looked as though it had been there for centuries. Pennie recalled a game of football that she had accidentally watched and she noticed Edward playing, his hair fluctuating in the wind, his face raging red as though he was holding his breath and he remembers him falling face first into the mud as the ball came across from a corner. The ball came in swinging delightfully, all Edward had to do was get the slightest of touches and it would be game over for the opposing team. As he ran his foot clipped his other and he went tumbling into the ice cold brown water that had gathered as the ball ricocheted off his back making his head go further into the puddle, he lifted his head in agony to only watch the ball stumble past the post. The whole team was so angry with Edward but Pennie felt so sorry for him, she thought that the other players were so mean and that it was an accident and could have happened to anyone. Her cheeks blushed as the wind wiped the thought out of her mind as she past the tall conifers and an oak tree as they both headed up the rough grass towards the side entrance to the school. Each step came with ease now they had safely found their way back to the school until something black appeared in the corner of Francesca’s eye, which made her look immediately. Seeing what she dreaded it might be she covered her mouth and felt her stomach drop to the floor.

  ‘You ok Fran?’ said Pennie, realising that Francesca wasn’t following her anymore as she stopped and looked back to see the pale shocked expression hammered across Francesca’s face as though it would be there for an eternity.

  ‘Y-e…eah’ said Francesca as she remained fixated on something at the front of the school. Pennie noticed this and moved towards her with intrigue to what she was staring at. Pennie saw a very long black car that was parked outside the front gates to the school, its metallic black coating glistening in the late morning sun.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ enquired Pennie, looking from the car to her slowly encase she missed something that was utterly shocking coming from the same direction.

  ‘It’s just a car Fran, nothing scary about the car, regular as you and me’ added Pennie, worried that Francesca hadn’t chirped up and said something like she would normally do.

  ‘Pennie there’s something I should have told you two at the start of the activity’ said Francesca, still locked on the car. Two men suddenly came into view and Francesca raised her arm and extended her index finger and pointed straight at them. Pennie was beginning to give up on Francesca and had decided to keep her distance as her behaviour was alarming. Francesca made an attempt to speak, only the words were lost as she grunted and waved her arm frantically at the car and looked to Pennie to get her attention but she was in a world of her own trying to desperately figure out where Edward could be, which took her mind away from Francesca. Pennie’s eyes drifted casually over in Francesca’s direction as she stopped replaying the lines of the puzzles they had obtained earlier. Pennie stopped and remained silent for a long period as she watched to men emerge from the car, one walking to the boot and extracting a briefcase and some equipment that she had never seen before. The men were dressed in shiny black suits, ties, shoes and even sunglasses to match, which made their appearance look that more secretive and mystic. One of the men stayed in the passenger seat a few seconds longer than the other as he was in partial view over the other side of the car, walking towards the school promptly.

  ‘Who are they?’ whispered Pennie as they both crouched and watched the men entering the school suspiciously.

  ‘No idea, I saw them when we first started the activity. I was in the undergrowth remember’ said Francesca, confessing what she had kept quiet up until now, which made Pennie feel like she couldn’t trust her.

  ‘You said you were looking at some insect or something didn’t you, I can’t remember’ said Pennie, feeling disheartened by her friend’s secrecy.

  ‘Why didn’t you tell us; we are your friends?’ added Pennie now more frustrated than curious of the unknown people entering the school.

  ‘I have noticed quite a few weird things going on over the past few days Pennie and I thought I was just under a lot of pressure, what with the work and my groups of course’ said Francesca, Pennie nodding as she pictured Francesca in the middle of her group with her hands on her head whilst the other members messed around and behaved preposterously. Francesca went on to tell Pennie all the suspicious things she has seen over the past few days, the same routine from her bedroom window, the same black car, the twitching light and the sudden increase in temperature over certain areas within the grounds at the school. Pennie couldn’t believe what Francesca was saying, as Francesca told her just how it happened, which made it especially scary for Pennie, gasping and jumping as the stories twisted and turned, jolting her insides from one side to the other. Francesca finally finished revealing her secret and was surprised to see the blank face upon Pennie’s face, expecting more of a reaction, which had now faded into an anticlimax.

  ‘I can’t believe you held this in for so long, I would have blurted it out straight away. What do you think it all means?’ said Pennie, making Francesca feel sane at least for she was now expecting the worst and for her to question her health.

  ‘I didn’t want to tell anyone because I didn’t know if it was my mind playing tricks on me or it was real. The past few days have been totally surreal. The main thing that worries me the most is Edward’s disappearance, we need to find him, and quick’ said Frances
ca, a tear of fright coating her eyes, which Pennie witnessed.

  ‘Do you think the men have something to do with Miss Taylor’s sudden disappearance?’ asked Pennie, shocking Francesca that she had the same thoughts and maybe it wasn’t her mind playing tricks as she so often assumed.

  ‘I’m not sure what those men were up to, but I know one thing and that is we must tell Mr Johnson right away, he can help us’ said Francesca as she rose from crouching and viewing the black car to a more athletic pose as she started to sprint towards the side entrance.

  ‘Hurry’ shouted Francesca back at Pennie clearly time was of the essence and there was an urgent reason to be heading back into the school so quickly, Pennie assumed it was to go and inform a teacher but it wasn’t the case at all.

  ‘Coming…Don’t you think we should go alone?’ said Pennie loudly, making one of the men in suits freeze and look directly at her, the hairs on Pennie’s back raised and alerted as she stayed in her position starring back at the tall man in a suit. He stood there starring straight at her as if his was suspicious about what she was doing watching him. The man quickly went inside, which Pennie thought it was a perfect opportunity to catch up with Francesca as she was waiting close to the school entrance and slightly short of breath. The two girls had little time to find Mr Johnson, so they headed for the canteen where they thought he would possibly be. They sprinted as fast as they could until they reached the busy canteen hall that contained swarms of hungry and greedy pupils and teachers, selecting their meals and heading back up for more when necessary. There was a long outside the hall which halted the progress of finding Mr Johnson. They waited in line for a few minutes as the line shuffled minutely every so often.