Lavender Hill

by P. J. Garland

  Jeremy stared at Sir Jeffrey. “What do you want from me?”

  “Just information, Mr Banks – information in relation to the Rapture.”

  “What do we know that can help you?”

  “You are currently recording information about where people believe this event originated from. I’ll tell you now, because you’ll already know by tomorrow, this information will reveal it originated in the UK, and in fact somewhere in Devon. We’ve been able to determine this by analysing video footage of these Pointers, but we’ve reached the limit of what we can achieve.”

  “What does the Rapture have to do with national security?”

  “We don’t know yet, but we’ve been monitoring the internet and social media and there is significantly more activity in the UK than is currently being reported. We need to be one step ahead of the news, and your organisation seems to be at the head of the pack at the moment.”

  Jeremy paused. “OK, I’ll pass the information we gather to you before we report it.”

  “Excellent, I could tell you were a patriotic man.” Sir Jeffrey then took off his glasses and leant back in his chair. “It was at one of the PM’s garden parties we met, wasn’t it? How’s your wife?”

  *****

  10:04pm (Somewhere over Europe)

  The hum of the plane’s engines mixed with the sounds of people whispering or snoring, and forced Katie to slip in and out of consciousness as she moved restlessly in her seat. A child’s cry caused Katie to open her eyes slightly – and for a brief moment, the light shining from someone’s iPod caught her attention before she shut her eyes again. But the light persisted in her memory and began to mix with the memory of the villagers and the smell they believed was linked to the Rapture. The light flashed in and out of her mind, as she herself moved in and out of consciousness, until it suddenly became a shining plaque in her imagination. Katie opened her eyes with a look of shock. She knew it was related to the Rapture... if only she could concentrate hard enough. Katie shut her eyes again and allowed the image to fill her imagination. She could tell there was something on the plaque, writing maybe.

  Katie opened her eyes and thought: it’s a memorial plaque – like the ones you get on benches.

  *****

  DAY 4

  9:28am

  Jack parked his car outside the village hall in Dundry, near Bristol. He walked towards the hall, cautiously opened the door, and poked his head inside to see if he had the right place. A woman noticed him looking inside and immediately walked over.

  “Hi, are you here for the Pointers meeting?” she said with smile.

  “Yes, I contacted Judith yesterday.”

  “Wonderful, I’m Judith. You must be Jack?”

  “Yes, I’m Jack.”

  Judith ushered Jack over to the center of the hall, which had a set of chairs arranged in a circle. Judith then addressed the group of people standing in the hall.

  “Everybody, I think we should take our seats now.”

  Judith waited for everyone to sit down. “Right, I think we should all introduce ourselves and give our own experience of the Rapture. I’ll get things going with my account.”

  Judith began to describe her experience of the Rapture. Jack studied her as she talked and noticed how, like many of the people at the meeting, she might have been described as a little eccentric in her behaviour and appearance. She wore long, flowing and brightly coloured clothes and her hair was a wild mess surrounding a plump face with bright red cheeks. She was very expressive and waved her arms around as she described her experience of the Rapture:

  “This intense, positive energy began in my toes and gradually moved up my legs. It then passed – how can I say this politely, through my inner goddess – before continuing upwards through my body.”

  Everybody had looked awkward at the mention of Judith’s ‘inner goddess’ and had kept their eyes firmly away from it as she gestured with her hands.

  She continued, “This spiritual essence then entered my head and filled my mind with an intense feeling of connection with the cosmos.”

  Judith slumped forward as if exhausted. Everybody sat looking at each other, waiting for her to continue. The person sitting next to her put their hand out to touch her and jumped as Judith suddenly sat back up. She then casually asked the person next to her to continue.

  A few more people gave their accounts of the Rapture, until it was the turn of a guy Jack had noticed when he first walked in. The man was overweight, balding, and had cheap, dirty clothes on. He sat completely still and stared straight ahead as he talked in a monotone voice.

  “My name is Harold. I know exactly where the Rapture came from. My brain exploded on the 9th of May and now the inside of my head is empty.”

  The room went silent.

  “Okaaay, thank you Harold,” said Judith awkwardly. She then indicated to the woman sitting next to Harold that it was her turn.

  Jack had also noticed the woman when he first arrived. She was slightly younger than Jack, so in her late twenties. She had brown hair with soft curls, and her face was open and friendly. Jack thought she looked attractive and hoped she wasn’t going to have some crazy story.

  “Hi, everyone – I’m Amy. I was just getting ready for work when I felt it. I just came over with an incredible sense that something positive had happened or maybe even that someone had experienced something amazing. And I experienced some sensory experiences as well at the same time, like a certain colour, taste, etc.”

  “You didn’t feel anything spiritual?” asked Judith.

  “No, sorry – nothing like that.”

  “OK, thank you, Amy. Let’s continue,” said Judith a little dismissively, and indicated for the next person to introduce themselves.

  Eventually, it was Jack’s turn. He felt inhibited by the strange and unfamiliar descriptions given by people in the group, so he kept his account simple.

  “My experience was like Amy’s really,” he began. “Especially when you said you were sharing someone else’s experience. I also had the strange sensation of touching wood, and something visual, etc.”

  “You didn’t feel any connection with the cosmos or a higher being?” asked Judith.

  “No, I felt connected – to something, or someone – but not in the way you, or other people here, have described it. Sorry.”

  Judith seemed equally dismissive of Jack’s simple description of the Rapture and indicated for the remaining people to recount their experiences. Jack listened uncomfortably as they gave descriptions and interpretations of the Rapture that seemed even stranger than the event itself.

  Judith looked eagerly around the room. “Well, what a diverse range of experiences. Now, for the most important part of the meeting,” she said excitedly. I think we should all stand up, close our eyes, and point in the direction of the Rapture.”

  Everyone stood up and shut their eyes.

  “Right, after three, everyone open their eyes while pointing in the direction of the Rapture: one... two... three!”

  Jack opened his eyes and looked at the other people. Everyone was pointing in different directions. Judith was pointing at the ground, and Harold was pointing at his head. He then looked at Amy, who was pointing in the same direction as him. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

  *****

  11:13am

  “Oh God, when he said his brain had exploded, I just wanted to run for the exit,” said Amy to Jack, as they sat in a coffee shop.

  “Yeah, and Judith saying the Rapture passed through her inner goddess.”

  They both laughed and then fell quiet while they looked for something to continue the conversation.

  “Did you really feel like you were experiencing someone else’s reaction to something?” asked Jack. “I haven’t heard that before, but it’s something I felt quite strongly.”

  “Yes, but in the background – barely detectable really.”

  “There was something else I experienced as well, but I felt uncomfo
rtable saying it because of all the crazy things people were saying.”

  Amy gave a cheeky grin. “Well, if it involves anything to do with your groin, or your brain exploding, then don’t be offended if I make an excuse to leave.”

  Jack laughed. “No, nothing like that. On the morning it happened I thought I could see a light moving towards me, and when it passed through me, that’s when I experienced the Rapture.” Jack looked hopefully at Amy.

  “Well, it doesn’t sound any crazier than the Rapture itself. I didn’t experience anything like that, though.”

  They fell quiet again.

  “You didn’t tell everyone what sensory experiences you had during the Rapture,” said Jack.

  “No, I didn’t feel comfortable opening up.”

  “What did you experience?” asked Jack.

  “Well, I thought I could see something shiny, maybe golden or bronze. There was a smell that seemed really familiar, but I can’t quite work out what it is. And there was the taste of course.”

  “You know what the taste is?”

  “Yeah, that one’s easy.”

  “What is it then?”

  Amy took a small spray out of her bag. “Open your mouth.” She then sprayed something into Jack’s mouth.

  As the taste filled Jack’s mouth, he was immediately overcome by the feeling from the Rapture. The bright, shiny plaque burned in his mind, and other sensations passed through his awareness. He swayed a little back and forth and Amy put out her hand to steady him. People looked over and stared.

  “Jack, are you OK?”

  Jack jumped out of his trance and held his head.

  “I’m sorry,” said Amy. “I didn’t realise you would react like that. Sorry.”

  “It’s OK, it’s OK. That was mint, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes, it’s a breath freshener, but the taste I felt during the Rapture was mint.”

  “God, the feeling of the Rapture came back so strongly, especially the memory of the plaque.”

  “What plaque?”

  “The shiny object is a memorial plaque, like the ones you get on benches.”

  Amy thought for moment. “Yes, I felt like the object had dark lines on it, so that must have been writing. There was the feeling of wood as well.”

  “Yes, I felt that, but I don’t think the wood is important. It’s something else, but I can’t quite work it out.”

  They both fell quiet again until Amy said to Jack more seriously, “We both pointed in the same direction earlier. Where do you think the Rapture originated from?”

  “I don’t know, but I searched for places near me that have benches with memorial plaques on, and there’s only one that looked like it was in the right place. I’m going there tomorrow to investigate.”

  “Can I come?”

  “Yes, of course. We can—” Jack stopped as he heard a noisy crowd outside the coffee shop. “What’s going on?” he asked.

  They looked out of the window to see a crowd of people walking along the street. They were holding banners with messages about the Rapture, and singing or shouting.

  Amy said, “I’ve heard there’s been a few of these gatherings happening around the country, but nothing like what’s been going on in the rest of the world. Let’s go and have a look.”

  They left the coffee shop and followed the crowd. Eventually, they were near enough to walk inside the group of people. As the street narrowed the crowd became squashed, and Amy and Jack were pushed together. Automatically, Jack held Amy’s waist as she was pushed closer to him, and she put her hands on his arms. They smiled at each other while making no effort to move apart.

  *****

  1:02pm

  Jeremy studied Katie with a predatory gaze. “Ms Sturridge, Katie, you look like you need a good sleep.”

  Katie looked at the other reporters in the room and smiled awkwardly. “Yes, sorry, I didn’t sleep very well on the plane.”

  “Well, we appreciate you making this meeting. We need someone to liaise with Ruth. And as you’ve been involved in this story from the beginning, it makes sense for it to be you.”

  Jeremy turned to Dan. “So you have the results from the website?”

  “Yes, they’re fascinating. I’ve summarised them on these sheets.” Dan passed the reports around the table. “The headline result is that the Pointers think the Rapture originated in the UK, somewhere in south Devon – in the area that includes the town of Morbay.”

  “You can’t be any more specific than that?” asked Jeremy.

  “No, not with the current data.”

  “OK, what else have you found?”

  “Interestingly, it appears there are more Pointers in the West, even if you adjust for the number of people visiting the website from different countries. But there isn’t any pattern for age, race, gender or anything like that.”

  “Are you sure there are more Pointers in the West?” asked Mary.

  “That’s what the data is telling us. We made a lot of effort to adjust the numbers for the amount of people visiting the website from different countries to be sure it was accurate.”

  “Fascinating... I suppose they’re all religious?” asked Jeremy.

  “Well, the answer to that isn’t straightforward. The pointers who chose a similar direction for the Rapture identify themselves as non-religious, whereas all the others were more likely to be religious.”

  “So the ‘real’ Pointers aren’t religious?” asked Jeremy, and laughed.

  “Maybe... it’s too difficult to say with the amount of data we’ve collected so far.”

  “What about the different sensory experiences?” asked Katie.

  “We’ve got confirmation for people experiencing the sense of touching wood, smelling lavender and seeing a shiny object, and we’re pretty sure the sense of taste is mint.”

  Jeremy raised a hand. “Hold on – let’s recap. Wood and lavender we know about but now we have confirmation. People agree about a shiny object, but there aren’t any details about what this might be?”

  “No, lots of ideas but nothing definite.”

  “And now we have an indication the sense of taste is mint?”

  “Yes, that was the most frequently reported.”

  Jeremy leant back in his seat, placed his hands together and then put them under his chin. He thought for a moment. “Baffling, I really can’t make any sense of these findings...” He turned to Katie. “Didn’t you get any indication of what the shiny object might be when you were in Asia?”

  Katie hesitated before speaking. “No, they thought it was related to anything that’s metallic.”

  “Well, at least we’ve got plenty to report and work on,” said Mary.

  “Yes, definitely,” replied Jeremy. “Have you got all this data on a file you can give me, Dan?”

  “Yes, I’ll mail it to you after the meeting.”

  “We should get this out as quickly as possible,” said Mary to Jeremy.

  “No, I want to have a think about this data first. We can report it tomorrow morning.”

  “We can’t be sure the other news channels haven’t already gathered some of this data, Jeremy. We should report it ASAP.”

  “No,” replied Jeremy aggressively. “I’ll report it tomorrow.” He turned to Dan. “I have to attend another meeting across town. Can you send me this file now, please?”

  Dan stood up and walked out of the office as Jeremy began to leave.

  “Don’t you think we should discuss this important data a bit more?” asked Mary.

  “I’ll leave it in your capable hands, Mary,” replied Jeremy. “I’ll be back in a few hours and you can tell me what important insights you’ve had.”

  *****

  1:38pm

  Jeremy left the offices of 24/7 News and immediately headed to a side street a short walk away. The Tall Man stood leaning against a car as Jeremy approached. He opened the door of the car.

  “Good afternoon, Mr Banks,” he said.

  “Af
ternoon,” replied Jeremy, and got into the car. The Tall Man sat next to him and then indicated to the driver to begin their journey. They drove quickly but carefully towards MI5 headquarters.

  As before, Jeremy was taken into Thames House, but this time the agents took him into the depths of the building.

  Jeremy was ushered into the meeting room that overlooked the MI5 control centre; he tried to look through the window as a barrier lowered to obscure the view.

  “Ah, Mr Banks,” said Sir Jeffrey, “good to see you again. You seem impressed with our control centre.”

  “Yes, it’s something you only read about.”

  “Quite. Now, you have some information for us?”

  Jeremy took a seat and put a flash drive on the table.

  “This contains all the data we’ve collected and most of the analysis our team has done. I couldn’t get all of it.”

  Sir Jeffrey reached over, picked up the flash drive, and passed it to one of the agents. “Have this analysed immediately,” he said. He watched the agent leave and then turned back to Jeremy. “What did your analysis find?”

  “The Pointers appear to think the Rapture originated somewhere in south Devon. There are more of them in the developed world as compared to everywhere else, but they don’t fit into any patterns for race, gender, etc. We also confirmed some of the sensory experiences people have reported, like the feel of wood, smell of lavender, sight of a shiny object and possibly the taste of mint.”