by Mazhar, S
“This is our realm. Well, a part of it, anyway,” Kate replied. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Tonight, I just want all of us to get some rest.” She gestured to the door. “The bedrooms are upstairs.”
Sam and Rose took the first room they came across. They shut the door without so much as a glance in Aaron’s direction. Trying not to let it upset him, Aaron walked across the narrow landing and opened a second door. The room was small; a bed pushed against one wall and a worn-out bedside cabinet were the only pieces of furniture in the room. Aaron glanced at the peeling wallpaper and dust-flaked window.
Aaron kicked off his shoes and pulled off his jacket. He climbed onto the bed, ignoring the musty smell that filled his nostrils. He used his jacket to cover the pillow, so that he wouldn’t be breathing in dust all night. He lay there, awake and painfully aware of every sob that came from the room next door.
How he fell asleep, Aaron had no idea, but that night his dreams were plagued with replays of those men coming out of the mist, and imagining them attack the Masons. Screams he thought belonged to Mr and Mrs Mason rang in his head, turning his stomach even as he slept.
4
The City of Salvador
When Aaron awoke, daylight had filtered in through the grimy window. He blinked sleepily, confused by the strange surroundings and mouldy stench. Then yesterday’s events flashed through his mind and his heart dropped. He got up and pulled on his shoes. He walked downstairs and into the living room to find both his parents sitting on the sofa. His mum had found clothes from somewhere and had changed into a plain top and trousers, with simple sandals on her feet. It seemed the conversation they were having was a tense and painful one, for when they looked up at him, Aaron could see the stress in their expressions. Both smiled, though, their tired eyes brightening a little.
“Morning,” Chris greeted him.
Aaron closed the door behind him. “Morning,” he replied.
“How’d you sleep?” Kate asked.
Aaron gave a one-shouldered shrug in response.
“Samuel and Roslyn still asleep?” Chris asked.
Aaron nodded.
“Give them time, Aaron,” Kate said, her tone soft and kind. “They’re going through a terrible loss. They’ll want to be alone for a while. Give them that space.”
“I didn’t think you cared,” Aaron couldn’t stop himself from replying.
His mum looked taken aback. “I do care,” she said. “A lot, actually. That’s why I tried so hard to keep you away from them.”
There it was again, that sharp jab that twisted his heart, like a knife in his chest. Aaron didn’t say anything, but his expression must have showed his guilt because his dad got to his feet and walked over to him.
“You didn’t know,” he consoled, “but from now on, Aaron, you must always do as we ask. Believe us when we say we know best. I can’t stress the importance of this: you must trust us enough to do as we ask.”
Aaron nodded.
Chris clapped a hand on his shoulder, offering a weak smile. “Come,” he said, gesturing to the door. “It’s time you saw Salvador.”
***
The day was bright and warm – strange for the month of November. It was the first thing Aaron noticed when he stepped outside. Last night had been too dark and he had been too exhausted to take in much of the place. In the daylight, though, Aaron could see the City of Salvador and what he saw surprised him.
As Aaron stepped onto the cobbled path, he glanced at the long line of cottages to his right. They all looked the same: small, red-brick squares with slated roofs and green wooden doors. About ten houses down, though, the doors changed to the colour blue. There were small gardens at the front of each cottage – just a patch of grass and some flowers, nothing too impressive. A peeling white fence ran down the front of the gardens, like a worn-out barrier.
Aaron passed the gate and stared in amazement at the scrubbed wooden table, right smack in the middle of the road. Accompanying chairs were tucked in along both sides. His judgement last night had been almost accurate. It was long enough to run down the length of the road and could easily seat at least five hundred people.
On the other side of the table were three buildings – tall sandstone structures with big, thick doors. In the distance was the lake he had glimpsed last night. In the morning light, Aaron could really appreciate the sight. A clear, extraordinarily blue sheet of water, glistening in the sunlight, surrounded by trees.
“Ah, the Adams rest’d?”
Aaron turned to see the man from last night, Jason Burns, approaching. Daylight was not kind to him. His skin was wrinkled, hair straggly and dry. Long strands of grey hair hung from his eyebrows, almost down into his eyes. When he held out a hand for Chris to shake, Aaron saw that his nails were blackened with dirt.
“As much as needed, yes,” Chris replied.
Jason’s beady-eyed gaze jumped to Aaron and he grinned, revealing his yellow teeth again. “His fi’st time in Salvador?” he asked with a nod.
“Yes,” Chris replied, and Aaron could sense the tension coming off his dad in waves.
Jason chuckled, shaking his head. “Bless ma beard! Isn’ this somefin’?” His eyes locked with Chris’s. “All the Adams back in our realm. A sure sign o’ good times to come.”
“I bet it is,” Chris muttered darkly. He turned and took Aaron’s arm a little too tightly. “Come on, let’s go.”
They passed the table and headed towards the lake, leaving the creepy-looking Jason Burns staring after them.
“Dad, what is this place?” Aaron asked.
“I told you, it’s the City of Salvador – a sanctuary,” Chris replied.
“It looks more like a village than a city,” Aaron said.
Chris kept on walking but his grip loosened a little. “It used to be a city. Now this is all that’s left of it.”
Aaron glanced up at him. “All that’s left?”
His dad didn’t answer straight away; he looked like he was struggling to find what to say. He took in a deep breath. “There’s a war going on, Aaron. A war in this realm that’s tearing our world apart quite literally.”
“A war?” Aaron asked. “Why? What’s going on?”
“I want to tell you, really, I do.” Chris rubbed at his head. “It’s just...everything is kind of messed up right now. I don’t know what’s going to happen, so I don’t know what to tell you. We might not even be allowed to stay in this realm.” He let out a sigh. “Just let me get a few things sorted. Then I promise I’ll sit you down and tell you everything.”
“You said that before,” Aaron reminded him quietly. “You said once we got here we’d talk.”
“I know, but...” Chris came to a stop, halting Aaron mid-step. “The future as it stands is very unclear. I have to sort things out, make sure it even makes sense to involve you in all this.” His eyes softened. “Just give me a little time. For now, take solace in the fact that you’re in one of the safest places in both realms.”
They walked onwards in silence, passing the lake. Even when Aaron was distracted with confusing thoughts, the sight of the beautiful lake somehow managed to calm him. The water was still, the blue too rich to be real. Aaron had the urge to climb down the bank and touch it, to see if his fingers would interrupt the glassy perfection and cause ripples in that calmness. But his dad had walked past the lake, so Aaron followed after him. They continued down the path until they arrived at a woodland area. Aaron stared at the vines that stretched up and intertwined with a brass sign hanging between two thick tree trunks that said Orchard.
Aaron followed his dad into the orchard bathed in dazzling golden sunlight. He couldn’t help but stare in wonder at the perfectly lined trees, with branches that dipped down with the weight of their fruit, ripe and mouth-watering, ready for the picking. Aaron’s stomach growled noisily, reminding him he had not eaten since yesterday’s lunch – a miserable cheese sandwich his mum had got from a petrol station. At least he had eaten his; Sam
and Rose’s sandwiches were still in the car, untouched.
Chris led Aaron deeper into the orchard, past wicker baskets filled to the brim with oranges, apples, mangos and fruits Aaron didn’t have a name for. He was tempted to reach out and grab something, but didn’t.
They reached a grapevine, pitched horizontally to the trees. A dark-haired man with his back towards them was picking grapes off the vine. Despite the soft ground under their shoes, somehow the man sensed their arrival. He stopped and turned around. He had a sharp, angular face with deep-set brown eyes, which were slowly widening with shock.
“Chris?” he whispered, his brow creased.
A warm, genuine smile spread over Chris’s face. “Hi, Drake.”
The next moment, both men had stepped forward to embrace, like brothers would. Aaron watched in quiet surprise. The man – Drake – stepped back but clasped both hands around Chris’s arms.
“By God, Chris, it’s really you.” He shook his head, making wavy strands of hair fall into his eyes. “What...what are you doing here?” An uneasy expression flitted over him. “I told you it wasn’t safe.”
“I didn’t have a choice,” Chris answered.
That’s when Drake’s gaze moved to Aaron. The brown eyes gleamed and a small smile spread across his face.
“Aaron?” he asked, looking back at Chris.
Chris nodded with a smile. “Aaron, this is my good friend, Drake Logan.”
Drake held out a hand. “Pleased to meet you, son.”
Aaron shook his hand, noticing the tattoo of a silver dagger on his inner wrist.
“I need to speak with you,” Chris said. He paused to look at Aaron. “Why don’t you have a little wander around, Aaron, see Salvador. I’ll meet you at the table in half an hour.”
It was a dismissal and Aaron knew it. As he turned to walk away, a spark ignited in his chest, anger burning him. His dad was purposefully keeping him from learning too much about this place, this realm. But last night’s events were still fresh in his mind, so disobeying his father wasn’t an option right now. His dad’s words echoed in his mind. You must always do as we ask. Believe us when we say we know best. I can’t stress the importance of this: you must trust us enough to do as we ask.
In an act of defiance, though, Aaron swiped a hand at the basket he passed and scooped out two apples.
Aaron walked out of the orchard, munching on the apples. He didn’t know if it was because he was hungry or if the apples of this realm were just this good, but they were the best things he had ever tasted: sweet, juicy, refreshing and strangely filling. He wandered down another path, this one leading parallel to the lake. One look in the distance and Aaron knew where it led. The square patches of green and yellow land, the white dots grazing on the grass, a few larger black and white figures accompanying them: it was all tell-tale signs of farmland.
It took Aaron almost ten minutes to reach the end of the path. Again he found himself admiring something he had never given any thought to before. Living the city life in Chelsea, Aaron hadn’t ever had the chance to admire the countryside, or even nature for that matter. He had never been camping, never visited any farms or country parks. If he was honest, he didn’t have the desire to, either. But this – the sight of sheep and cows lazily grazing on fresh green grass, sunlight showering yellow fields that Aaron could only assume was wheat or something – it was all rather...serene.
Further down the path, Aaron passed by a fence, beyond which small, wooden coops were lined along one side. A dozen brown hens were gathered, clucking and ruffling their feathers, apparently feeding. Aaron didn’t notice the woman until she poked her head up from behind the coops. She had blond hair gathered up in a messy bun, blue eyes that were narrowed at him and a streak of dirt on her cheek.
“Well, don’t just stand there,” she said. “Grab her, quickly!”
Aaron glanced down in time to see a hen dart through his legs. Aaron dashed behind it. The hen clucked at him and fluttered away, faster than he thought possible.
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake!” The woman got off her knees, hurrying around the wooden huts. “I’ll just have to do it myself.”
“I got it.” Aaron ran after the hen, hands outstretched to grab the little thing, but it was too fast.
The bird flitted this way and that, avoiding capture. Aaron scrambled behind it, almost slipping on the soft, muddy ground. In a clumsy swipe, he managed to close both hands around the feathery bird. The hen flapped her wings, clucking loudly, trying to get free. Aaron held the thing at arm’s length as he turned around and walked back to the woman, who was smiling at him.
“Here we go.” She took the bird from him. “This one is always trying to break free,” she chuckled. She carried the hen over to the coop and placed her gently inside. She turned to eye Aaron, squinting against the sun’s glare. “I haven’t seen you before. You new?”
“Yeah,” Aaron replied.
He couldn’t help but stare at her. She was rather lovely looking. She couldn’t be older than mid-twenties. Her blue eyes were dazzling in the sunlight.
“You’re not a Shattered, are you?” she asked, walking around the coop.
“A what?” Aaron frowned.
“You don’t look like one.” She mused as she went behind the back of the coops, only to reappear with a basket full of brown-shelled eggs. “You’re out and about; that doesn’t happen so quickly.” She smiled. “What’s your name?”
“Aaron Adams.”
She paused, turning with a frown. She regarded him crossly. “Adams?” she asked. “Think you’re funny, do you?”
“Um...no,” Aaron replied, confused.
She shook her head. “Who put you up to this? Was it Omar?” She scooped a few more eggs from behind the coops and added them to her basket. “I bet it was Ella, that little minx – or was it Julian this time?”
“It wasn’t anyone,” Aaron said. “I’m Aaron Adams. I’m not joking.”
“Ha! Not joking,” she scoffed. “That’s a good one.” She walked over to a wooden block and placed the basket down next to a similar one filled with more eggs. “The Adams aren’t coming back. It’s time everyone let that go.” She picked up the towel beside the baskets and wiped her hands clean before throwing it over her shoulder. She stood with her hands on her hips, eyeing Aaron again. “Wanna give me a hand?”
Aaron opened the gate and walked across to her, taking a basket of eggs. She picked up the other one.
“Where are we taking these?” Aaron asked.
“To the artillery.” She gave him a look. “The Stove, of course. I’ve got breakfast to prepare.” She led the way past the gate.
“Breakfast?” Aaron glanced down at his basket with at least fifty eggs.
“Yeah, you know that thing you have when you wake up in the morning and fill your stomach with food?” she replied.
“I know what breakfast is,” Aaron defended.
“Good for you.” She winked at him, flashing a toothy smile. “I’m just playing, don’t mind me.”
They’d started walking when Aaron spotted his dad. Drake Logan was by his side and both seemed deep in conversation, brows lined with tension. When they looked up and saw him, though, they smiled, still whispering to each other from the corner of their mouths – no doubt saying they would talk later. Aaron pretended he didn’t notice.
“Hey.” Chris came to stand before him. “Having fun, I see.” He nodded at the basket.
“Hello.” The women greeted him with a smile. “Haven’t had the pleasure yet.” She balanced the basket on her hip and held out a hand. “Mary Collins.”
With a smile, Chris took her hand. “Christopher Adams.”
The smile fell from her face and she stood, shell-shocked, her hand still in Chris’s. Aaron couldn’t help but smile a little at her gob-smacked expression.
“A-Adams?” She looked from Chris to Aaron, before finally staring at Drake.
“It’s really him,” Drake confirmed, slapping
a hand on Chris’s shoulder. “The Adams are back.”
Mary came out of her shock and quickly dropped his hand. “Oh, I-I thought...” Her gaze darted to Aaron and she tilted her head to one side. “I’m sorry, I thought the others had put you up to... Oh, never mind. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Aaron didn’t expect her to be so apologetic. It wasn’t a big deal. “No harm done.”
She smiled at him, before her eyes widened at the basket in his hands. “Oh! Drake!” she snapped at the man. “Quick, take the basket from him!”
Drake moved forward a step before Chris held out a hand to stop him.
“It’s fine,” he said. “Aaron doesn’t mind helping, do you, Aaron?”
“No,” Aaron replied.
“But…but it isn’t right,” Mary said, looking rather flustered. A pink tinge started up her neck and seeped into her cheeks.
“No, it is right,” Chris replied. “Treating people differently, that’s what’s not right.” He looked to Aaron. “My son is no different to the other residents of Salvador. Please treat him as such.”
Mary looked between Chris and Aaron, but she gave a little nod. “As you wish.” She turned to Aaron. “Come on, we better get a move on.”
Perplexed, Aaron followed behind her, shooting his father a confused glance, but he only nodded and winked in return.
***
The Stove, as Mary referred to it, turned out to be one of the tall sandstone buildings opposite the cottages. Upon entering, Aaron found himself in a vast room with a high ceiling. The roof caught Aaron’s attention; it was a circular sunroof, which was currently in the process of sliding open. The sunlight lit every corner of the room. Lined along all three walls were worktops of gleaming, rich brown granite. But where ordinary kitchens had cupboards above the worktops, this one had only shelves lined over and underneath the heavy counter tops. Stacked on the shelves were normal cups, plates and glassware, along with giant-sized pots and pans, and possibly every cooking utensil invented.
But the thing that caught Aaron’s attention was the monster appliance in the middle of the room. A stove, but one Aaron had never seen the likes of before. It was a square, metallic beast, wider than most cooking appliances. Fifty burners, all different sizes, were grouped in ten sets of five on the surface. Thick, black metal doors with an ornately carved design were closed over the oven. The stove dominated the room, gleaming in the spotlight cast by the sunroof. Aaron couldn’t help but stare at it.
