The awakening hc-1

by Stuart Meczes

  One by one, disgusting creatures started to materialise in the gloom. They looked like human experiments gone wrong. Their skin was the colour of mottled flesh and as smooth as pebbles. Lipless mouths filled most of their faces and exposed gums held hundreds of needle teeth. They had no noses and their eyes were slick pink orbs. They crawled forward on all fours, or leapt over each other like abhorrent frogs. Loud cricket style clicks escaped their throats as they jerked around each other. The sound grew louder and more intense as they neared. I was so busy watching the sickening creatures, I didn’t notice the armoured hand reach over the fence until it had grabbed me by the hair.

  I screamed as the creature lifted me up. It pressed me close to its iron grey mask. Where its eyes should have been, there was nothing but blackness — an abyss that seemed to stare into my soul.

  The creatures were so loud now, the noise was deafening. Then all of a sudden they stopped. There was nothing but silence.

  The creature threw me away like a broken toy. I smashed through the wall of the house. It let out a pitiful groan and collapsed around me, smothering me in darkness.

  In among the crushing, suffocating blackness, three words formed in my head. They weren’t thoughts, but more words that had been placed there by something else.

  You are found.

  I woke up gasping for air and fell out of bed, landing in a heap on the floor. Once again, the dream was fading from my memory, leaving me only with a terrible feeling of dread and panic. I ran for the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, trying to wash away the feelings. It’s just a dream Alex, I told myself. But somewhere deep inside I knew it was more than that.

  After a while, I started to feel better. A dull rumbling in my stomach reminded me that it had been a while since I’d eaten. I slipped downstairs and returned armed with a ham and cheese sandwich and a glass of orange juice. On the landing, I stopped for a brief second until I heard Mikey’s snoring. It was followed by the sound of a girl’s soft sigh. With a satisfied nod, I returned to bed. As I ravenously munched my way through my food, I noticed the handbook sitting on the computer desk.

  Knowing there was no hope of me sleeping again, I flicked open its worn pages and thumbed through them as I ate, letting the wrinkled Bible paper slide across my fingers, being careful not to get any crumbs on it. I was aware that the last person to touch this had been the girl I couldn’t get out of my head.

  I read each page in great detail, letting the information sink in. There didn’t appear to be an order to the book, but rather that the writer had added information as they found it out themselves. Still it was all beautifully and painstakingly written. Numerous updates and side notes had been added in the margins. I doubted that the new guides would have this kind of care.

  I switched to geek mode and studied.

  I learned about the different Alliance bases, the various Nexus tunnels and their relevant maps. I read about the Guild of the Arcane — the overseeing body for the numerous Covens. I discovered that Heterochromia — the condition that Sophia had — was fairly common among Witches. I learned about Apotropes, natural resources which could subdue or kill a Pandemonian. Oak wood or naked flame to kill a Vampire — which had already been put to the test. Iron or Diamond to take out most Luminar. Just Silver for Skinshifters. I discovered the five different types of gifts that a Chosen could have. I paused over those pages, wondering what mine could be with a flush of excitement. Telekinesis, Teleportation, Levitation, Charm, Pyromancy? Each one seemed so incredibly cool — like something from the pages of a comic book. I made a mental note to ask Gabriella about them when I next saw her.

  I studied dozens of species, how they hunted and what their weaknesses were. I learned about Devils, fierce looking creatures related to Demons that walked on cloven hooves. I found out that you could tell if a Bloodling had fed recently by the colour of their eyes. Silver meant full, dull grey meant they were hungry. Dark grey meant it was time to leave.

  I kept running through the pages, learning about creatures which a few weeks ago, I would have thought resided in the pages of pulp fiction and superstitious lore, not walking around ten odd miles from my house. My scan came to a stop at the heading ‘Skinshifter.’ I let the book fall open at the pages. An artist’s sketch of a monstrous dog stood over the passage, as if guarding the words. Its huge eyes had been shaded red. I remembered the blood-filled slits that had stared at me from the shadows of the forest. A shudder swept down my spine. I covered the picture with my palm and read on, slowing over the section on how to effectively kill one.

  N.B. Only pure silver can be guaranteed to kill a Skinshifter. Even if decapitated by other means — such as a steel blade, in as little as an hour a new one will grow in its place.

  The remaining half of my sandwich no longer looked appetising.

  I kept reading, trying to soak in as much information as my brain could handle. By the time my alarm clock went off, I had less than a third of the book left. I knew I’d taken in a lot. I no longer felt totally clueless. I absently flicked through the rest of the book until I reached the final few pages. Some had been torn out. I ran my fingers down the rough remains of the edge of the pages. No doubt about it. Some had been removed.

  I counted the stumps — four. Scanning back through the pages, I figured that given the amount of information per section, it was likely that a singular creature had been removed. I frowned, rifling through the entire book to make sure the pages hadn’t been stuffed anywhere. They hadn’t.

  Gabriella? I wondered. No — why would she? Maybe it was a misentry. The meticulous nature of the writer made the removal of any incorrect information entirely plausible. But the roughness suggested they had been ripped out, not carefully removed. I shrugged. If it’s been removed, it’s not important. I lifted up the corner of my mattress and retrieved the worn picture of my father. I ran my thumb over his face and smiled down as he smiled back at me.

  “Morning Dad. Sorry I’m a bit late, it’s been an interesting day.”

  I opened the handbook and placed the picture in to mark the page I’d reached. It fit to the edges perfectly, as if it had been designed to go there. Still smiling, I leaned over and slipped the book into my schoolbag.

  Heading for the shower, I was side-tracked by my phone ringing. I doubled back, hoping for Gabriella, but it was Mum, checking in. I spoke to her for a while, assuring her that yes, we were both alive and intact, and no, there hadn’t been any house destroying parties in their absence. I found out that just as I’d predicted, John had spent most of his time in Killarney propping up the bar at the local pub. Mum didn’t seem too bothered though, in fact she sounded quite relaxed.

  It felt good to talk to someone who had no knowledge of what was going on. I could have been any normal boy talking to his Mother. She told me of her time spent visiting the markets in the town centre. How they had all walked the local hills and taken a jaunting car tour around Killarney Castle. Then I spoke to Connie and Edgar on loudspeaker, who asked about School and girlfriends. They made me promise to come and see them next year in-between arguing about where the discount vouchers for the supermarket had been left. By the time they rang off, my smile reached both ears. As soon as I reached the bathroom, the bizarre re-entered my world. Without warning images of Faru began to flicker in my brain. His voice entered into my head, as loud as if it were my own. “Alexander, may I speak with you?” I couldn’t work out if this was a hallucination or not. “Okay…”

  Instantly an incredible force gripped me. My towel slipped from my waist, exposing my boxer shorts. Paralysed, I fell backwards, slamming into the cubicle as my body shook from head to toe. Flickers of light streaked across my vision and then I saw Faru standing by the sink as clear as day. My body freed up again.

  “Good afternoon Alexander, I trust you are well.”

  I tried to speak, but nothing came out. My mouth flapped open and closed like a fish. Finally I managed to get my voice box to respond. “Faru I was
trying to have a shower!” Remembering my manners, I added “sir.”

  “So I can see — my apologies. However, a mind link is the best way to communicate with you.”

  “I have a mobile phone.”

  The old man gave a short laugh. “I’m afraid I am somewhat of a traditionalist. Plus people lose their phones. Losing your mind is much more difficult.” He tapped two wrinkled fingers against his temple. “You see, now we have merged minds, your brain wave frequency is stored in my head. We can communicate with each other whenever we need to.” He gestured towards me whilst attempting to suppress a smile. “Although, as you can see, there is an initial effect when linking in.”

  I retrieved my fallen towel and re-established my dignity.

  “So I can call on you too?” I asked.

  “Indeed. If ever you need to speak with me, simply concentrate your thoughts on me, and I should hear you. Now on to the matter in hand. I was incredibly impressed with your handling of the Rahuman…situation. His focus on you confirmed my suspicions that you are being targeted.”

  “Wait, what… you used me as bait?” I barked.

  “I can appreciate your anger Alexander and I am sincerely sorry for putting you in danger. It was necessary to ensure Rahuman did not disappear as he has done on previous incidences. His pride would have made it impossible for him to leave without your death. Orion, albeit unconventional is the Warren’s most successful team. I never expected him to get anywhere close to you. It was a mistake on Gabriella’s part.”

  I shook my head. “Do not blame Gabriella, Sage Faru, or the rest of the team for that matter. We were outnumbered five to one. They did the best they could. It’s a miracle any of us survived.”

  The Seelian cast his blank eyes downwards and his shoulders seemed to sag slightly. “Yes, I suppose you are correct. The odds were not in your favour. It never used to be this dangerous. A hunter team would consist of ten or more members. Unfortunately now, it is too risky to have large groups, as the shortfall means another crucial area would be left exposed. I am just relieved none of you were hurt.”

  I thought of the hideous Hiveminds that had stalked their way through the trees. Each one salivating at the prospect of sinking their disgusting fangs into living flesh.

  “If I’m being targeted, what’s to stop them coming here?”

  “I am not going to deceive you Alexander. There is every possibility the SOS know where you live by now.”

  I felt a rush of dread sweep through my body as the news sank in. I imagined legions of Hiveminds and Skinshifters pouring through the doors and windows.

  “I arranged for the house to be protected.”

  “So Gabriella said. But by who?”

  “Echo and Trojan, two of our best teams are alternating the duty of guarding your house around the clock. If anything happens, they will be here to help instantly.”

  “But for how long Faru? They can’t watch this place forever. And what if the SOS get to my family? They can’t protect themselves against something like this!”

  Faru stepped forward and put his hands on my arms. It was bizarre — I could feel his cold touch as if he were actually there with me.

  “Alexander, please try not worry. I would never leave you or your family defenceless. I am aware that your Mother and Stepfather are currently in Ireland. Until we understand exactly what is happening, I have taken steps to ensure that they stay there. As for your brother, special conditions relating to his safety have already been arranged.”

  Special conditions? I wasn’t sure I liked the sound of that, or exactly how he was going to ‘ensure’ that Mum and John remained in Ireland. But it meant that everyone would be safe. And right now that was enough.

  “As for the reason I called on you,” continued Faru, “as I said, I am very pleased with the way you handled yourself under the threat of Rahuman, but as yet you still are not an active member of the Alliance. So if you are ready, I would like you to return to the Warren and complete your training.” I blew air through my lips. “Okay. I can come today if you want.” Faru placed his pale hands together. “Wonderful. I shall send a car to collect you.” “Actually, if you don’t mind Faru, I would prefer to drive. I need to collect my thoughts.” The Sage smiled. “Of course, I shall get Gabriella to send you a textual message with the address of a suitable entrance.”

  I suppressed a smile and agreed to leave as soon as possible. A sensation similar to a cold breeze rushed through my head and Faru disappeared as fast as he appeared. There was no evidence of him ever having been here and it could have been put down to nothing more than a dream.

  Then my phone bleeped with the address of an entrance.

  I jumped into the shower and with the water beating down, broke into hysterical laughter at the madness of it all.

  *

  The Audi’s navigation system informed me that I’d reached my destination.

  Mikey had still been fast asleep by the time I left the house. I’d paused at his door, which had been left slightly open. His ‘friend’ had gone and I figured she must have escaped pretty early. Although I couldn’t remember hearing anyone leave. I’d left a note on the kitchen table promising to tell him everything when I got home. If I can get my own head around it all first, I’d thought as I closed the front door.

  I half mounted the curb and parked outside a shining column of office block in the corporate area of Chapter Hill. The morning rain had dyed the pavements a darker shade of grey, leaving behind an intoxicating smell. Harried weekend commuters skirted around puddles, cups of coffee clutched in their gloved hands. As I slipped out of the car, a man in a black suit headed towards me. He rubbed his hand on his trouser leg before offering it to me.

  I stared at it for a second then closed my own around it. His was clammy.

  “Good morning Mr Eden, I’m Agent Noble. I’ll take care of the car for you.” He gestured an arm towards the office. “Please head inside and use the furthest elevator on your right. Hold the 2, 6 and 12 buttons together for six seconds. Miss De Luca will be waiting for you in her apartment.”

  “Thanks,” I said, passing him the keys and pushing my way through the revolving glass door.

  The place was practically deserted. Just a few overzealous business men and women were gathered in a mini huddle to my right, laughing and slurping their coffee from Starbucks cups.

  My shoes clicked on the marble, the sound echoing around the vast lobby. A matching marble desk lay ahead. It was manned by an overweight security guard. Beyond were the elevators. The guard didn’t say a word as I walked past, just lifted his hat and dabbed a worryingly sweaty brow with a wad of tissue paper.

  The metal doors closed with a dull thud. I listened out for others, before holding down the buttons that the agent had mentioned.

  Warren, said the voice.

  The light inside the elevator switched to neon purple. My teeth glowed white in the mirror.

  “Cool,” I breathed, then gasped as the elevator cab plummeted diagonally downwards. For the next half minute, my stomach was a pancake, getting flipped in all directions as the metal roller-coaster surged down, forwards then diagonally upwards again. Then like a click of the fingers, the elevator shuddered to a halt. My hands groped the walls as I wobbled out of the opening doors.

  I found myself in the grand entrance hall of the Mansion once again. Guardians passed around me. Several paused to throw me a smile or a salute. As before, most of the doorways were guarded by the stony Golems.

  I climbed the grand stairs and navigated along the balcony back into the plush hallway. I stopped at the redwood door marked with Gabriella’s name on a gold plate. As I looked at it, my heart started to beat faster.

  A small doorbell sat next to the door. Swallowing hard, I pressed it and fiddled with the edges of the plate as I waited for her to answer.

  The door clicked open, but no one answered. I nudged it open and entered.

  “Hello?”

  A frosted glass do
or to my right slid open. Steam swirled into the hall, curling up towards the wood beamed ceiling. Gabriella’s face appeared in the mist, her hair wet and sticking to her forehead.

  “Hi Alex,” she smiled. “Sorry I was just taking a shower. Go through and take a seat, I won’t be long.” Her face disappeared back into the fog and the door swished shut.

  I made my way forward into the lounge. Once again, the fire was in full blaze. The chestnut scent filled the room. I made my way over to the large window. It was damp with condensation. I wiped a palm across the surface and stared out. The room faced the front. The winter sun had broken through gaps in the grey clouds and glinted off the rain soaked gravel, transforming them into diamonds. The damp grass on the roundabout shone as if it had been freshly painted.

  Everything looked spring clean, as if all the impurities had been washed away. Tabula rasa. A clean slate.

  Like me.

  I gave a deep sigh as the warm fingers of the crackling fire reached my back.

  Turning back into the room, I descended into the seating area, my footsteps muffled by the lush carpet. A couple of pictures on the mantelpiece caught my attention. I picked one up. It showed a beautiful new-born baby girl dressed in red pyjamas. A fine layer of black hair was already present on her soft head. She was reaching up, trying to grab the camera, mouth stretched into an excited grin. Her eyes were shimmering blue jewels. There was no mistaking who it was. I eased it down and picked up the other, which showed a man and woman enjoying a picnic under a tree. Their lips were pressed together in a loving kiss. Even though their faces were side on, I could tell that they were both incredibly good looking — especially the woman. Her long dark hair cascaded down her back. Some draped over the man’s arms, which were locked around her waist.

  “They were my parents,” said a voice from next to me.

  I jumped. Gabriella was beside me, wearing nothing but a towel. Droplets of water trickled down her honey skin. The material hugged her curves. I swallowed hard and tried not to look at her body.