Meadowbank: A dark fantasy thriller (The Shael Chronicles Book 2)

by Jonathan Kent

  She knew this period of tranquil convalescence would have to come to an end sooner or later. For one thing, her parents wouldn't stand for her sleeping her life away under their roof. So she was determined to make the most of it whilst she could. What she didn't expect was for her new discovery to be the cause of the bubble bursting.

  3

  She had grown used to sleeping in the beach shack and waking with the sound of the waves for company, and the minute she woke, she knew something was wrong. The air was so pure and her nose so attuned that the smell of tobacco smoke put her on immediate high alert. There were slatted windows on either side of the shack and she peered out in the direction of the smoke. Having got so used to the solitude, she was surprised to see a man sat on the beach with a delicate white pipe in his mouth and a thin plume of smoke curling lazily around his head.

  Her first thought was to cross back, change the 'scene' and come back at a later time, but the sight of the man just sat there, intrigued her. She knew she had an instant escape plan if necessary, so, with nothing to lose, she headed towards the stranger on the beach. She hadn't tried to hide herself, but unless the man was blind he didn't seem aware of her presence. He just sat there on the sand smoking and staring out across the gently rolling waves.

  'Good morning, Elida,' he said, still not taking his eyes from the sea, 'I was wondering when you would put in an appearance.'

  'Who the fuck are you?' she said, 'And how do you know my name.'

  'Now, now. Such profanity is so unnecessary. Especially between friends.' He turned to face her and she got her first proper look at him. He was middle aged and if she were to guess, she would put him on the other side of fifty, but only just. He was thin and although he was still seated, she could tell he was tall. He was white, but his features were weather-beaten and with his black hair turning grey at the temples, he had a southern European look to him. Spanish maybe. It was his eyes though that drew the attention. They were such a vivid blue she felt they were looking through her, they also seemed to swim as if he was on the verge of tears. He was wearing a dirty pair of blue jeans over an even dirtier pair of walking boots and his top was covered by a faded khaki shirt, unbuttoned, almost to the navel.

  'You didn't answer my question,' she said, although a lot of her earlier aggression was gone. Stolen by those enchanting watery eyes, 'Who are you?'

  He stood, and her initial estimation on his height had been somewhat conservative. He towered above her and she put his height closer to seven feet, than six.

  'How rude of me,' he said and held out his hand, 'I must apologise, my name is Kane.'

  'Kane? Just Kane?' she said, ignoring the outstretched hand.

  'Unfortunately yes. I assure you there is no Abel. I liked the name Adam, but it was deemed a little too weak.' He smiled at this, attempting to put her at ease, but having the opposite effect.

  'And how do you know me?'

  'Well, I am sure you have realised by now, that Shael is not the most densely populated of worlds.’

  ‘What did you call this place? Shale?’

  ‘It’s pronounced Shael. Did you not know?’

  ‘I didn’t know it had a name. It’s all been quite a new experience to be honest.’

  ‘Indeed. It has been some time since anyone new has come through. Believe it or not, you are quite a rare commodity.'

  'And you've what? Been fucking spying on me?'

  'Again the profanity. So unnecessary.'

  'Maybe I'll stop the swearing when you tell me who the fuck you are and what you're doing on my beach?'

  His eyes flared at this, forcing her to take a step back. 'It's your beach now is it?' he said. 'How did you come to that assumption. Who gave you claim to this land.'

  'No one,' she said, backpedaling, 'I just assumed...'

  'Assumed what? Assumed that because you can travel here that it's yours? Assumed that this piece of Shael is owned by you? Elida's little kingdom! Is that what you thought?'

  'Stop calling me that! You know nothing about me!'

  'Is that so? Elida Johnson of Surrey England. Drug addict and recovering from a failed suicide attempt. Trust me, I know about your sorry little life. I know about your...skeletons.'

  She stared at the man, eyes wide with fear. 'How do you know that?' she said, 'Who are you?'

  His face relaxed and he smiled 'I told you, my name is Kane and I believe we can be of benefit to each other. I may have something you have been looking for. Something to scratch that...itch'

  'I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. There's nothing I could possibly want from you.'

  'Oh, is that so?' he said, raising a quizzical eyebrow. He pulled out a small glass vial from his pocket and shook it. Inside was a blue liquid, as vivid as his eyes.

  'What's that?' she said.

  'This is what you've been searching for your whole life. Something to satisfy that itch.'

  'You've got the wrong girl there. I've given up that shit.'

  'So I've learnt,' he said, still holding the vial between them, 'And it's going great isn't it. Spending all your time over here. Seems to me you've found a new addiction.'

  'That's not true. I've just been using my time here to...to get back on my feet.'

  'Very well,' he said, 'Although it is a shame. There is so much I could have shown you. How about a compromise?'

  'Like what?'

  He shook the bottle again. 'This stuff truly is what you have been searching for. It really will satisfy that craving you've always had. Don't take my word for it though, take it back to your beautifully preserved bedroom and try it for yourself. I will be back here tomorrow. Same time, same place. As they say. If you are really through with all that stuff, then return this little sample and we will go our separate ways. But, if it hits the spot, as it were, I can provide an endless supply.'

  'I told you, I'm not interested in that anymore.'

  'Then our conversation tomorrow shall be brief,' he said.

  'Why would you give me this? What's in it for you?'

  'Like I said. I believe we can be of benefit to each other. A kind of you scratch my back type of thing. If you like my little sample, then I can provide. In return for a few errands.'

  'Such as?'

  'No need to go into the details right now. If you truly are not that way inclined anymore, then we shall say our fond farewells in the morning. But if you like...' He handed her the small bottle which she tentatively took.

  'I won't try this,' she said, 'I'm not going back to that.'

  'Which shall be a shame. But the decision is yours.' He fixed her with a stare, turned on his heels and headed off along the beach. 'Until tomorrow!' he called and waved an absent hand in the air.

  She stood there for some time watching him disappear to a tiny speck in the distance. 'Fucking freak,' she said.

  When he'd completely gone, she turned and headed back to the shack. She thought of leaving the vial in the sand for him to collect tomorrow, but instead, took it with her and placed it beside her bed. She had no intention of taking any weird blue substance from a stranger, but on the flipside, she was less enthused by the repercussions if she didn't return it.

  She left it there and crossed back. She would deal with the weirdo in the morning and tell him to take a hike. In the meantime, she thought it best to keep temptation at arms length.

  Just in case.

  4

  The evening meal was particularly frosty and she knew her parents had something to say. It had been almost two weeks since she'd been discharged from hospital and had been waiting for this for the last two or three nights. As usual, these types of thing were usually instigated by her mother.

  The meal was finished and Elida had thought she’d got away with it for another night, but as is normally the case, the rug was pulled out at the last minute.

  'Elida,' her mother said, 'We need talk about the situation here.'

  'What situation is that then?' she knew this would cause a re
action and welcomed it.

  'Don't be awkward.'

  'I'm not being awkward. I just want to know what we're talking about. Are we talking about my drug addiction? My pathetic attempt to kill myself? Or the embarrassment this is all causing you with the neighbours.'

  'I don't know what you mean,' she said, but her flushed cheeks said otherwise.

  'Don't give me that shit! You know exactly what I mean. In your eyes I've always been a complete fuck-up. You've just never had the balls to say it!'

  'Elida!' her father said, 'You don't need to use that language with your mother. She's just trying to help.'

  'Oh really dad? Is that the real problem here? My bad language!'

  'Elida, please!'

  'Just forget it dad,' she spat, 'I've always been a complete embarrassment to this family. Don't you think I know that? She wrote me off as a lost cause years ago. So don't fucking panic, I'll be gone by the end of the week.'

  Her mother remained silent at this, which enraged her even more. Elida rose from the table and headed for the door. It was her father who tried one last time.

  'Elida,' he said, 'You don't need to go. That's not what we're saying.'

  'Don't bother dad. It's quite clear what you want. What she wants anyway. I'm not gonna be a burden anymore.' Tears were welling in her father's eyes and knowing how these fights could escalate, she left them then and went to her room. No one followed, which was fine by her. Message received.

  She lay on her bed staring at the ceiling. She knew this fight was brewing and knew her time was up, but even so, the anger still boiled. There was a part of her that knew she could do more to patch things up with her parents. But that same part of her took great satisfaction in seeing them struggle with who she'd become. She hated the fake suburban lifestyle and she hated the way her parents hid her like a dirty little secret. It was much easier to blame them for the way she had turned out than take any responsibility herself; in her mind she was just a product of her upbringing.

  She lay that way for a few hours listening to them argue. It was difficult to make out exactly what was being said, but she got the impression her mother was doing most the talking. As the house quieted, her mind drifted to her strange meeting on the beach and the even stranger bottle of blue liquid. It had been over two weeks since the overdose and she reckoned her system had been thoroughly detoxed. But despite this, the itch still remained. It could have been the time in solitude or even the argument with her parents, but one thing was for certain, at some point that itch would need to be scratched.

  She heard her parents getting ready for bed, and after the lights went out, left it a good ten minutes before crossing over. She didn't think she would ever tire from the pureness of the air and the brightness of the stars. This world had been the tonic she needed, had in fact been a beam of light in a dark period. She was tired of her pathetic existence, tired enough to end it all, but this place had shown her something different. Could this world have something in it that could not only shed a little light on her miserable existence but also satisfy that itch burning away inside her.

  She sat and picked up the bottle. The moonlight gave the liquid inside a strange intoxicating glow that made it move, as if alive. She flipped the lid and sniffed the contents. There was no odour, but a thin stream of misty vapour clung to the outside of the container. She dabbed a small amount of the liquid and touched it to the tip of her tongue. There was a faint tingling sensation where it touched, but nothing more. She swirled the contents again, mesmerized by the odd way it moved. It was the unknown that spurred her on. It was also the itch speaking to her from the dark recesses of her mind.

  'What the fuck,' she said and lifted the vial to her lips. There was a slight pause and then she downed the contents in one go.

  This strange new world she'd discovered held many secrets but she very much doubted the ultimate high was one of them. Two minutes passed and the liquid had still yet to have any effect apart from a slight burning as it went down. She laid down on the bed ready to sleep and tell the man in the morning she wasn't interested; and then she felt it. Subtly at first and starting from her toes, then faster and stronger as it moved up her legs. Very soon her whole body was tingling in ecstasy and her already addicted mind convinced her that everything was going to be alright. Now the itch was being satisfied, what else did she need to worry about.

  When it felt like you were being hugged by god, who was she to argue.

  5

  It was the smell of tobacco that woke her again, drifting in through the open slats. Combined with the gentle rolling of the waves it was a far from unpleasant feeling. She sat and rolled her legs out of bed. The usual nausea and stomach cramps associated with the morning after, were strangely absent. The gnawing and need for another hit, sadly wasn't. She shook the vial for any remaining residue, but wasn't entirely surprised to see it was empty.

  As promised, the man was sat on the same spot, smoking and looking out to sea. She gathered herself and headed towards him. Like before, he didn't move and for a while didn't acknowledge her presence. She sat next to him and wordlessly he passed her his pipe.

  'What was that stuff?' she said, taking a long drag. The tobacco was sweet and like everything in this new world, tasted pure: untainted.

  He smiled, but didn't turn to her. 'That stuff can be anything you want it to be. Upper. Downer. Whatever you want. Did it give you what you wanted?'

  She nodded, took another drag and handed back the pipe. 'It's like nothing I've ever felt before.'

  'And you won't. At least not back in your world. The people who used to run this place had many years to refine their leisure pursuits.'

  'Is it dangerous?'

  He shrugged. 'Who knows. Do you care?'

  She smiled. 'I suppose not.'

  'Good. That's the right answer and as to your next question, yes, I do have a pretty much exhaustive supply.'

  'But you want me to help you?'

  'Correct.'

  'Why me?'

  He turned now, fixing her with those hypnotic blue eyes. 'Because you need it,' he said, 'Not the drugs, that's just an added bonus. You need to matter.'

  'Will I?'

  'Oh yes! If we succeed you will matter very much indeed. You need this. You need to leave your mark!'

  A frown creased her face. 'But how? I don't know anything.'

  'You'll learn,' he said, 'I can teach you. You see, Shael used to be a wondrous place. A magic place. A place that could create. And then for some reason or another it just stopped. No one really knows why, but everything that once made this place magic, just dried up. Then, about five hundred years ago, long after Shael had ground to a halt, a man came along with similar abilities to yourself. He wanted to to reignite the magic. To make this world great again.'

  'What happened to him? Was it you?'

  He bellowed with laughter at this. 'No, it wasn't me!' he said, 'He was a great man. A king. Went by the name of Lycheen. Certain factions however, didn't agree with his way of thinking and overthrew him. Overthrew him and banished him.'

  'Shitty deal,' she said, 'But I don't see what I can do.'

  'You're going to help me bring him back. To put Lycheen back on his throne.'

  'Sorry, I don't get it,' she said, 'You said it was five hundred years ago. But you want to bring him back now?'

  'Exactly!'

  'How the fuck is that even possible?'

  'That's where you come in. You possess certain abilities that unfortunately I do not. As you have just recently learnt, you have the ability to travel between worlds, which, as it turns out, is quite the rare commodity. I can teach you the whys and ways of Shael, but alas, I cannot pass between as you can. I need someone like yourself to run a number of errands and help me resurrect the king.' He pulled a vial from his pocket, which she eyed with hungry eyes. 'In return, not only will you be known as the girl who helped restore Lycheen to his rightful throne, you will also be rewarded handsomely.' He tossed the bott
le which she nimbly caught.

  Her concentration was now firmly on the silky liquid. 'What do you need me to do?' she said in a flat voice.

  In one swift move he snatched the bottle away. 'Hey!' she said.

  'My dear Elida. You can have this soon enough, but for now, I need your full attention.' He pocketed the vial and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. It was faded and crumpled, but quite clearly a road map, 'Do you know where this is?'

  The map was a page ripped out of a road atlas, the type you could pick up at any service station. The page in question appeared to be of South West England, although it took her a while to get her bearings. 'Yeah sure,' she said, 'Southampton. Salisbury. This area is a couple of hours from where I live. Where I currently live, anyway.'

  There was a small pen mark just short of the Dorset/Somerset border which he pointed at. 'Do you know this area?'

  She traced the roads leading away from the mark but shook her head. 'No. Never been there.'

  'But could you find it?'

  'Of course! Might take a couple of days, but it's not like we're talking about Outer Mongolia here.'

  He frowned at this. 'And that's a good thing?'

  'It's near where I live,' she said, flatly, 'I can get there no problem. What am I looking for?'

  He smiled then, not something she wanted to see too often. 'I need you to find a house,' he said.

  6

  It took her two days to locate the mansion and when she had, she needed to wait until dark to break in. Kane had been very specific about what she was looking for and once she'd prized open the double doors and located the cellar stairs, she knew exactly where she was going.

  Before handing her the bottle for her second hit (something she had lazily tagged as blue heaven), he had meticulously laid out his plan. For some reason, simply being able to cross over wasn't going to be enough.