Charlie's Dream

by Jamie Rowboat

  "God, it's going to be tight," she muttered, slumping back in her seat.

  "What is?" mumbled Gemma, opening her eyes for the first time since the trip began.

  "The flight, it leaves in less than thirty minutes," said Marie, biting a nail in a symbolic gesture of nerves.

  "I'll give young Edward a call, he'll be able to help. He's got friends at just about all of the airports in Europe," said Gemma, fishing around in her handbag for her mobile phone.

  "Good idea, but have you got the number?" asked Marie, somewhat incredulously.

  "Already programmed in. I may be old, but I'm up to date," said Gemma, brandishing the phone that she'd found.

  "You certainly are," said Marie, with a laugh.

  "Prr-prr-prr-prr, hello, Edward? It's Gemma, (pause), yes lovely to hear your voice too. Now listen, we're approaching Lyon airport right now, but the flight is due to leave in little more than fifteen minutes. Is there anything you can do to help?

  ( Pause), uhu, uhu, B.A flight 234, (pause), yes, that's it. Okay thanks, bye."

  "So, what did he say?" asked Marie, as Pierre changed gears and whizzed around the entry roundabout. Marie had to hang on for dear life to prevent herself from flying across the back seat.

  "Edward said he'd see what he could do; which means yes," said Gemma, smiling and shoving the phone back into her vacuous bag with one hand while bracing herself against the door with the other.

  "Hey Pierre, you've done well. I've never done the trip that quickly, it must be a new record," she said, patting him on the shoulder and winking at Marie.

  "Merci, madam, merci," he chirped, his chest rising measurably.

  "Now, we must be quick when we reach the terminal, as we're very short of time. So, don't go to the car park, just take us straight to the front door of the terminal and we'll jump out there. I'm afraid we need some help with our bags too, so you'll have to just risk a parking ticket. I'll pay it if you get one, is that okay? Will you do that for me?" she continued, speaking into his ear as he sped towards the terminal building.

  "Mais oui, for you, Gemma, anything. Even the chance of having my baby towed away is worth it," he said, with a deep laugh.

  "Ah thank you Pierre," she said, kissing him on the cheek.

  They screeched to a halt outside the main building and grabbed the cases out of the back of the car. No sooner had they entered the building than they were literally jumped on by a group of official-looking men wearing identical airport security suits.

  "Yikes," said Marie recoiling.

  "We have the ladies with us now," said one of the guards into his walkie-talkie.

  "I'm sorry to startle you, ladies, but it is the only way to get you to your flight in time. We will take you through the security area and stamp your passports along the way. The captain has been informed and they will wait for you before departing as long as we are quick," he continued as an electric car appeared, and they all loaded on.

  They arrived through a big plastic swing door right in front of their gate, where a flight steward was waiting to take them onto the aircraft. The perfectly coordinated theatrics resulted in them sitting in two first class seats with a glass of champagne in their hands as the plane rolled away from the building.

  "Wow, what a blast," said Marie, lifting her glass in a salute to their timing.

  "Yes, wasn't it. Remind me to phone Edward to thank him when we get back, won't you?" said Gemma, raising her glass and clinked it against Marie's glass.

  "I sure will," she said smiling.

  It was absolutely freezing when Charlie woke up from a tempestuous dream about a shipwreck. He wanted to go back to sleep, but he couldn't, he was far too awake.

  "Shamir, are you awake?" he whispered into the darkened room.

  "Yes," came the faint reply.

  "I've hardly slept at all," Charlie sighed.

  "I've been the same. My mind's been buzzing all night. Now I need a pee," Shamir announced, swinging his legs wearily over the side of the bed.

  "Thanks for the information," giggled Charlie, while Shamir disappeared out of the front door.

  "Crikey it's cold," shreiked Shamir through the closed door.

  "It's time to go," said Charlie quietly, as Shamir scurried inside again.

  "Yes, I know," said the wizard, simply. "I'll put on some tea and we'll have a quick cup before we go. You don't feel like any breakfast do you?" asked Shamir.

  "No," said Charlie shaking his head slowly.

  He levered himself off of the bed and walked outside to have a pee as well. Charlie stood on the front lawn and could feel his feet becoming numb from the freezing grass. He didn't care, his heart felt good about his decision to leave. He was longing to see his parents and Marie again. He hadn't really thought about his mum and dad that much. He'd been so involved in the elfin world that it only seemed to confuse him when he thought of home. Now it was different, he could feel them strongly in his heart and he felt saddened at the thought of the pain they were suffering as a result of his trip to the valley.

  "I'm sorry," he whispered, looking through the trees to where the moon was faltering on the horizon and the vaguest touch of the new day was showing itself in the sky.

  "Are you okay?" said Shamir, poking his head through the kitchen window. "I was worried that you might have fainted from the cold," he continued.

  "I'm fine, I was just thinking about my parents," said Charlie, turning around and hopping quickly up the stone steps to the front door.

  Once inside, he dressed in the same clothes he'd been wearing the night before, which still smelt of wood smoke, and Ayou and grabbed his walking stick from the end of his bed.

  "Your parents will be pleased to have you home," said Shamir.

  "Yes, but I feel bad about the anguish I must have caused them," he said, quietly.

  "Hmm, you show great maturity with your feelings, but in truth you didn't do any of this. After all, they could have lost you completely, but now they will have you back. What a gift that will be to them and of course what they don't know is how you have changed in that time, eh."

  "Mmm, thank you, I hope you're right," said Charlie, reaching across the table to grasp Shamir's hand.

  "You'll see. This story is only just beginning," said Shamir quietly.

  Gulliver was their only companion as they walked along the path by the river. There were no elves around at all, which didn't surprise Charlie, as it was still well before dawn. After such a late night of dancing, he knew they would all still be asleep. As they skirted the edge of the village, Charlie felt a pang of desire to see Ayou one more time. However, he decided against it in the end and to stick to his plan. They had decided not to go over the escarpment, but to take a slightly different path that would be easier. It was still quite steep, nevertheless, and by the time they could see the ring in front of them, Charlie's muscles were beginning to cramp quite badly.

  Neither of them spoke as they walked, but when they reached the edge of the circle, Shamir took Charlie by the hand and led him through the ritual of entrance to the circle of trees. They stood silently on the threshold while the energy of the place swept through them.

  "This is it," whispered Shamir, as they stepped into the circle together.

  The power of the place hit them immediately and for a few moments they both staggered with the effects of it.

  "Come to the very centre," said Shamir, stabilising himself.

  Charlie just nodded, he was well beyond talking and he could feel a swelling of emotion in his chest that begged for release. The power of the ring was making his head spin. However, he followed Shamir's instructions and stood silently with him at the centre of the circle. His heart was pumping wildly in anticipation. Shamir was standing facing him, his eyes sparkling with the reassurance of his renewed centredness. He smiled as he looked over Charlie's shoulder, and gestured for him to turn around. Charlie couldn't believe his eyes, the entire area around the Ring of Trees was packed with elves. Everyo
ne from the valley was there with Ayou and Kanook at the front. Their right hands were all raised with a vertical palm in the elfin salute of the heart. The tension broke in him and the tears ran down his cheeks quite freely as he looked at the sea of faces before him. He lifted his hand in the same gesture and, with one brief glimpse at Shamir, he was gone. Shamir was left standing alone with a neat little pile of clothes by his feet.

  "Goodbye, beautiful Charlie, may you arrive home safely and return to us soon," whispered Shamir to himself. He turned slowly towards the edge of the circle to find Kanook standing before him.

  "Let's go and have some breakfast," Kanook said gently, putting his arm around his friend's shoulder.

  "Yes, that would be nice," said Shamir, quietly.

  Marie sat in the back of the taxi with the rain pelting down outside. She longed for the valiant driving of young Pierre, who would surely have found a way through the dreadful London traffic. Gemma was on the phone beside her, trying to get through to Charlie's parents.

  "Damn it, it's no good, I can't get through," she said, throwing the phone in her bag after three failed attempts to get through.

  "Well, as you say at times like this, let's just see what happens," said Marie, while still looking out of the window.

  "Oh yardee Ayr," said Gemma mockingly, to which Marie just giggled and kept watching the incessant rain pouring down.

  There was nothing to be done, so they both just sat there, lost in their own thoughts while the driver swore at the traffic in front of him. By the time they reached the hospital, Marie was beside herself with anticipation, so as the taxi pulled up to the curb, she opened the door and fell out while the cab was still coming to rest.

  "WOAH," she shouted, trying to balance her dismount on the wet curb.

  "Are you okay?" shouted Gemma, looking through the open back door.

  "Sure," said Marie, brushing herself down and trying to regain a semblance of dignity.

  "Wow, that was some exit," said a voice from behind her. She turned around to find Charlie's dad, standing just behind her with a surprised look on his face.

  "Oh, hello John," she said, timidly.

  "I was just impatient to get in to see him," she continued, in a vain attempt to explain herself.

  "Yeah, me too. I was here all last night but this afternoon at work, I kept getting this incredibly strong desire to come back again. An hour ago, the feeling was totally unbearable, so I've raced here through the traffic," he said.

  "Come on, let's get in," said Gemma, racing past them both up the stone steps that led to the entrance.

  "Hi John," she said over her shoulder, without slowing down.

  "Hi Gemma," he replied, hurrying up the steps.

  They all marched through the reception area and up the stairs to the intensive care ward. Within minutes they were in the inner sanctum of clicking machines and caring nurses. They nearly knocked over the nurse at the reception in their haste and she pushed the button to allow their entrance to Charlie's room. As they bundled through the door, they saw Charlie's mum kneeling by the side of the bed with Charlie's hand in hers. She was crying openly.

  "Oh John," she said, turning to see them coming in.

  "Come and look at our son," she continued as she stood up and wiped the tears away. They all went over. As they looked down at his face, his eyes were open and he was clearly awake. He couldn't say anything, but as Marie looked down, she could clearly see him mouth the words, "I'm back."

  END OF BOOK ONE

  Jamie Rowboat