“What’s going on?” Roger asked from his bed. Others sat up in their beds and continued to listen as the noise levels down below began to rise.
Back in the living room James and Chad continued to look for a way out. James picked up a wooden stool that was originally by the piano and threw it against the window, but it bounced off not even so much as putting a crack in the frame.
“What are we going to do?” said James, who was beginning to become consumed with fear.
The staff outside had begun to slowly edge the door open. Chad simply gazed at the window. James looked at him, wondering what thoughts were going through his friend’s head.
“Chad, come on, what we are going to do?” he asked him again. Chad continued to stare at the window. Suddenly it dawned on him.
That’s it! Chad turned to James, “James, I think I’ve found a way out.” The staff edged the door open a little more. A hand now came through the gap where the door was opening. James looked back and realised it wouldn’t be too much longer before their pursuers would be inside the room.
“Come on then what is it?” James pleaded.
“Remember what happened to the cane the other day?”
James was more confused than ever. Forget the bloody cane, we need to get out of here! He thought but what he said was “What do you mean?”
“Remember how it broke when it hit me.”
“Yeah, as if I could forget” James replied, still not realising what relevance it had to their current predicament.
“Well, what do you think would happen to the window?”
James looked at him, thinking for a moment that he might just be bluffing.
“Just watch!” said Chad, who proceeded to run towards the large window and hurl himself at it. Chad smashed right the way through it, landing down in the garden outside. A shower of glass rained down upon him as the boy fell to the ground, and Chad quickly covered his face to protect himself.
“What the hell was that?” shouted Mrs Garner from outside the common room door.
Chad slowly got to his feet, brushing the glass off him, still a little dazed from jumping through the window. One would have expected him to be pouring with blood from the impact of shattering through a sheet of glass, but the boy only had a few bumps and cuts on him. “Come on James let’s go!”
The second boy jumped through the broken window landing next to his partner in crime. The pair, who now found themselves in the garden at the back of the orphanage, ran to a large fence that was located at the gardens rear. It was the only thing standing between them and freedom. Just then, the orphanage staff broke through the common room door. They were shocked to find the window smashed.
Mrs Garner looked through the broken glass and spotted the two boys in the garden. She pointed at the boys. “They’re outside, get them!”
All of the staff obeyed in an instant, running out of the room and towards where the back door of the orphanage was located. The door led to the garden where the boys were attempting to escape.
Chad gave James a boost up to help him to the top of the fence, which was about twice their size. When James got to the top he began to lift Chad up. The orphanage staff came out the back door and ran up to them. As Chad was about to get the top of the fence, a male staff member grabbed him by the foot.
“Oh no you don’t you little bastard!” the man shouted as he tried to pull the boy down.
James tried with all his might to pull Chad up. Chad kicked out with his free foot sending the man crashing to the ground. With both of them now on top of the fence, Chad and James turned around and jumped off into the street below. The two boys ran off down the street into the darkness of the night. All the other orphanage boys, who had watched the events from the windows of their bedroom, began to cheer loudly as Chad and James vanished into the distance. They were finally free of that awful place, after all these years.
What now? James wondered as the pair ran off into the distance. The thought was only there for an instant though and Chad patted him on the shoulder as they disappeared into the night.
Chapter 3: Freedom
Several months had passed since James and Chad’s great escape from Bel Grave orphanage. They had lived rough on the streets since that day. The boys had made their way, quite by accident to the city of London. It turns out that the orphanage had been located in Nottingham, not that the boys were aware of this. They just kept heading south and hitchhiked on lorries or trains when they could. James and Chad had learnt a lot over the past few months. James deducted that due to the fact Chad was able to resist a wooden cane so much, feeling minimal pain, and also having only minor injuries despite jumping through the closed glass window, he was a little ‘different’ from other boys their age. The same could be said about James as he’d had similar experiences in the orphanage, but he had kept these secret from everyone, even Chad. There was one time he was able to run and hide from Jack the night man by sprinting along the main corridor of the orphanage in a matter of seconds. This despite the fact it was a huge corridor and his legs were only small.
I am not alone. Chad and I are the same. James was always the smarter of the two and already had his suspicions that he and Chad were not like any other boys. James had no idea why this was the case, but he felt it in his heart. He had little memory of his time before the orphanage, only a dream of a small girl singing in his dreams. Do I know her? Why do I see her when I sleep? He only gave the matter any thought at night, however.
The boys used their skills to their advantage whilst living rough on the streets of London. So far they had discovered that they could run double the speed of a regular person, despite being only ten years old. They were also quite physically tough, as the breaking of the wooden cane over Chad’s skull had demonstrated. They used their quickness to snatch food from market stalls when they were hungry and when called upon, which was more often that you would think on the streets of London, defend themselves from other homeless people who would try and steal their food. They would also slip into clothing shops and sneak out with clothes undetected so they weren’t always wearing dirty tattered rags.
Chad likened himself to the artful Dodger and James to Oliver Twist. It was the two of them against the world. We are brothers. We will take on the world together! That was just the way he’d always wanted it.
They didn’t sleep on the streets every night. Sometimes they would squat in empty houses here and there when they could find them. This often was more trouble than if was worth though as the boys would usually bump into drug addicts who would use the empty houses to take their substances. One time they came across a group of four men. One of them had attempted to inject James with a needle but Chad had snatched it off him and drilled the thing into the man’s buttocks. It was a good job the boys could defend themselves or they wouldn’t have lasted five minutes on the streets.
Homeless levels were as high as they had ever been at that time and the boys had become targets by the other homeless people in the area. This was why James and Chad used to alternate between North, South and Central London. They never stayed in the same place two days in a row and were always on the move. The boys preferred it that way, especially Chad. After being locked up in the orphanage for four years, this was, in his eyes, freedom. To Chad, this was like an adventure and as far as he was concerned, the world was his and James’ for the taking.
James saw things a little differently to Chad. He enjoyed being free from the orphanage there was no doubt about that, but he knew they couldn’t live on the streets forever. We’re orphans on the run, nothing more. There was no future in that. James had also spotted a man in a grey trench coat in several of the locations they had been to recently. The man had been watching the boys from afar. James didn’t tell Chad this as his friend had the tendency to be a little rash in situations of conflict. He didn’t wish to alarm him unless absolutely necessary.
One day the boys sat inside an empty warehouse on an industrial estate in the ou
tskirts of North London. Chad was trying on a black leather jacket he had stolen from a shopping store earlier in the day.
“What do you think?” he asked James. Chad was quite proud of his new jacket. He thought of every item he took from a shop as a trophy and he loved showing them off.
James didn’t much pay attention; he was too busy enjoying a hot dog he had taken from a food stand a short while ago. Chad was looking at himself through the reflection of some broken glass he had picked up from the floor.
“I might get myself a pair of shades next. I think it’ll go well with this jacket.” Chad said to James, who again paid no attention.
Something then did draw James’ attention. He heard the sound of something that sounded like a car pulling up outside the warehouse. Chad picked up on the sound too. Outside, a man stepped out of the car. It was the same man who James had spotted watching the boys several times over the past few weeks. The man was dressed in a large grey trench coat and a grey hat. He looked in his late fifties and had a grey moustache above his upper lip. The man walked over to the warehouse entrance and made his way through the door, which was slightly ajar. Chad had broken the lock early in the day to allow the boys to inside, so the man simply pushed the door open.
The door creaked loudly as the man walked inside the warehouse entrance. James and Chad were nowhere to be seen. The man noticed part of a hot dog bun on the floor and picked it up.
“I know you’re in here boys,” the man said loudly into the large empty warehouse. His voice echoed around the walls but there was no sign of anyone. The man called out again, “I’m not going to hurt you.”
James and Chad were hidden behind a broken factory machine. They listened on cautiously for a few moments. Then one of them chose to speak.
“Who are you?” Chad shouted out.
“I’ve been watching the two of you for a while. I have to say I’m quite impressed,” the man replied. “What do you mean?” Chad shouted from his hiding place.
“I’ve seen what you can do Chad, and you too James.”
James and Chad looked at each other in confusion.
He knows who we are. James thought
The boys came out from behind the machine that had shielded them from view but still maintained a safe distance from the strange man.
“Who are you, and how do you know our names?” asked James.
“As I said, I’ve been keeping an eye on you two. The orphanage escape, nicely done!”
“How do you know about that?” Chad had his suspicions that the man may be from the orphanage itself. “We’re not going back their old man!”
“I’m not here to take you back, you belong somewhere that will appreciate your talents Chad,” the man replied, trying to reassure the boy.
Chad was about to flat out refuse when James interrupted him.
“What do you mean?” James asked, intrigued by what the man had to say. We should hear him out at least. He’d had enough of life on the streets.
The boys walked a little closer to where the man was standing. They felt a little less intimidated now.
“I’m a professor at a place where people of exceptional potential are looked after, and also taught to embrace their talents, not hide them.”
He sounds sincere enough. James was usually a good judge of character despite his young years and although he had only just met this man, he felt more warmth towards him than any of the adults he had encountered at Bel Grave orphanage during his four years there.
Chad was still sceptical and let the man know it. “We’re not interested!” he said in a quite hostile manner.
“Wait a minute Chad, let’s just hear what he has to say,” said James.
“What are you talking about? We don’t need him,” Chad said. “It’s just you and me remember? He’s probably just going to take us to another orphanage or something.” Chad had nothing but bad memories from the orphanage they had escaped from a few months earlier and he was determined never to go back to that place, or any other orphanage for that matter.
The man did his best to put him at ease. “I promise you I won’t take you to an orphanage or a care home or anywhere like that. I understand your reluctance to trust me Chad. It can’t have been easy being brought up in a place like that. All I ask is that you come with me. If you don’t like what you find then you can leave and I won’t do a thing a stop you. Not that I could, correct?”
He knows how strong I am. He fears me. That seemed to do the trick. Chad reluctantly accepted the man’s offer and he and James left the warehouse with him.
#
A soft, gentle song filled the air. A large flock of birds flew in the sky, hovering just above the clouds. The birds flew in several long lines. They seemed to be drawn to a song that filled the sky. The birds began to descend through the clouds, revealing a forest beneath them. They flew onwards to the north and towards a huge waterfall, which fell down into a river in the forest below. Further north, above the waterfall, on top of what seemed to be an enormous cliff, was a large city, but none like you had ever seen in say London, or New York. In fact, the city was not of this world. This was the kingdom of Alexandria, a huge city of white buildings, which was protected by a great white wall all around its borders, much like the great cities of Rome during the Roman Empire. The birds flew over the great wall which began the city and flew above the small buildings that were now directly below them. The city grounds were made of old stone, as were all of the buildings. Every half a mile or so stood large stone statues of various soldiers and what looked like royal figures. There was one flamboyant statue of the General of Alexandria, Auron and another one of the King of Alexandria, Zeris. In the streets below, the Alexandrian people went about their daily business. They laughed and drank in alehouses, they sold items from stores and children were running around playing with their friends.
In the centre of the city was a formidable castle made up of thick white stone. A stream flowed all the way around it, which separated the castle from the rest of the city. A wooden drawbridge lay over the stream and led to a huge gateway that was the entrance to the castle. Behind the gateway lay a courtyard that was, again, full with people. Soldiers stood guard at several entrances to the castle itself and other soldiers were lined up being run through drills by their captains. The closer the flock of birds got to the castle, the louder the singing seemed to get. High up on one of the tower blocks in the castle, a girl could be seen through a large window that was open from a balcony. Inside the room, a girl was sat on her bed singing. It was the sweet tone of the girl’s voice that the birds were being drawn to. The girl was wearing a blue silk dress, much like a princess. In fact, the girl was a princess. Princess Kara of Alexandria to be exact. She was Twenty-one years old and had long blond hair that went down below her shoulders. The girl’s hair glowed elegantly in the sun. Her beauty was perfection personified. Indeed, she was regarded as the most beautiful girl in all of Alexandria.
Kara was sat on a stool singing the song that her mother used to sing to her when she was a child. Her mother had passed away whilst she was still small and this was all she could remember of her. The song made her feel sad, and also happy at the same time. The words that came out of her mouth were sung with grace and softness and were so heartfelt that they often drew birds, eagles and other flying creatures to her. They would fly to the balcony outside her bedroom and listen. They often gathered as an audience for her and she would sing to them for a while before she bid them farewell and retired to her quarters. Around the princesses’ neck was a silver royal pendant that had belonged to her mother. Her father, Zeris had given it to Kara when her mother passed away all those years ago. She often held it tight when singing, thinking it would bring her closer to her. Kara sang that day in her room like she often did.
The birds that had flown down from the clouds had now reached Kara’s balcony and they landed on the stone fence at the edge of it so they could admire the singing. Kara noticed an audience gather
ing on the balcony and made her way outside onto it to sing for them. The birds seemed most pleased to see the Princess emerge through the glass doors of her chambers. She walked over to the birds whilst continuing to sing and stroked each one of them softly. Half way through one of the verses she suddenly stopped. She felt as if someone other than the birds was watching her. Who is this boy? Why is he watching me? She could feel his presence nearby, somewhere close to her. She slowly began to turn around to look behind her. She then spoke out what she thought the person’s name was. “…Valentine?”
#
James woke up in his bed suddenly. Sweating and breathing heavily, he sat up. That song… Eleven years had now passed since his time of living on the streets of London. He was now twenty-one years old and no longer a boy, but now a man. His blond hair was somewhat longer now but he still had the same bright blue eyes he had as a boy all those years ago. James was in a small dormitory room, not dissimilar to that of a university bedroom. The dream he just had felt so real. The song that the beautiful girl had sung in his dream felt so familiar to him. Those words…where have I heard them before? James reached into the drawer next to his bed and pulled out a pendant. The pendant looked identical to that which the girl in his dream had worn around her neck. A dream, that’s all it was. A knock on the door interrupted James’s chain of thought.
“Come on man you’re late!” said a male voice from behind the door. A young man swung open the door and came into the room bursting with excitement.
James was less than amused. After all, he had still to wipe the sleep from his eyes.
The young man was Cody, who like James was twenty-one years old. Cody was American and he spoke in a strong southern Texan accent. He was shorter than James and had messy brown hair, almost like he had just woken up. (Which wasn’t the case) He hid his eyes a little upon discovering that James was semi-naked in bed. “Ah man, do you know what time it is? You’re late for the briefing!”
Clash Of Worlds Page 4
