Talisman of El Read online

  The bus rumbled along a deserted country lane lined on both sides by a low barbed-wire fence protecting large fields. Hearing a noise, Charlie averted his gaze from the window and observed the two tall boys who had just walked past him from the back of the bus. They stopped three seats ahead of him where a smaller lad sat slumped in his seat. The larger of the two boys sat in the seat behind the small lad and startled him with a whack on the back.

  ‘Wake up, Sunshine,’ the boy standing up said – the leader most likely from the way his friend watched him with admiration. He had broad shoulders and glossy slicked-back black hair, a stark contrast to his pale skin. He grabbed the lad’s bag and opened it.

  ‘Give it back,’ the lad murmured, his cry reduced to a mere whisper out of fear.

  Charlie looked towards Ernie, who, singing along to the radio, seemed to be in a world of his own.

  The leader pulled a book out of the bag. ‘You want it?’ he teased. He raised and dropped his eyebrows at his sidekick, a dark-skinned boy with a shaved head, who got up and opened the window. The leader glanced towards the front of the bus at Ernie, who was still oblivious to the scene behind him, then back at the boy. ‘Go get it.’ He tossed the book out the window.

  Charlie clenched his fists and sat forward. Knowing how foolish it would have been to march up to the leader and his giant sidekick, however, he sank back in his seat.

  ‘That’s my homework,’ the lad cried.

  ‘Someone’s getting detention,’ the leader taunted. The lad made a move, but the sidekick forced him back into his seat.

  ‘STOP!’

  All the students froze.

  Charlie was standing in the aisle, his fists clenched.

  The leader dropped the bag and turned to him. ‘You got a problem?’

  Charlie didn’t respond. He hadn’t thought that far ahead.

  ‘Yeh kids behave back the’er,’ Ernie called, gazing through the rear-view mirror. The bus slowed as it neared the next stop.

  ‘Oi, you deaf ? I said have you got a problem?’ the leader repeated, his voice fierce. The proximity between them tightened, but Charlie stood his ground, though he didn’t have much choice for there was nowhere to run.

  ‘Could you be anymore predictable, Josh?’ a brave voice said.

  To Charlie’s relief, the bullies turned away from him. His eyes rested on a girl about four inches shorter than him at 5’2’’ wearing baggy trousers and black converse, and if it were not for her long brunette hair that covered most of her olivetoned face, he might have thought she was a boy. She gave the leader, Josh, a hard look.

  ‘Funny how bullies only pick on those who won’t fight back,’ the girl went on. ‘Makes you wonder who the real coward is.’ Her mouth twitched as she suppressed a smile. Then her eyes fixed on Charlie.

  Feeling sweat gathering beneath his clenched fists, Charlie relaxed his fingers. As he stared into the girl’s big cinnamonbrown eyes, framed by thick lashes, he half smiled, which quickly faded when he heard the leader’s voice in his head.

  ‘I don’t fight girls,’ the boy named Josh said. ‘If that is what you are.’

  ‘I’ll pretend I’m a boy if you pretend you are,’ the girl shot back. Some students laughed, but when the bullies glared at them, they fell silent. Charlie sat back down, while Josh’s sidekick retreated to the back of the bus.

  Josh glared at the girl, his jaw tightened. ‘This ain’t over.’ He backed off, frowning.

  Charlie stared at the girl, who was helping the small boy pack his books back into his bag. When she finished, she walked towards the back, stopped next to Charlie, and leaned over. Gazing into her eyes, he felt his heart leap.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ she said with a smile. ‘He’s a lot less scary than he looks.’

  His eyes followed her as she sat one seat behind him on the opposite side, listening to her pocket-sized music player. When she lifted her head and met his gaze, he looked away quickly, heat rising to his cheeks again.

  Twenty minutes later, the bus turned down a narrow, treelined road signposted Oakwood High School. Charlie observed the medieval-looking building ahead that looked more like a library than a school, but when the bus veered to the left into the car park, giving him a wider view of the complex, he noticed the modern red brick buildings surrounding the entrance.

  As soon as the bus stopped, Charlie made a quick exit, for the bullies kept giving him the evil eye – a sign of unfinished business, no doubt. He moved along the side of the bus, heading around the crowd that had gathered outside the entrance. To avoid scrutiny, he kept his head down as he made his way inside the building. He managed to find the office, a small cream room just right of the entrance, and collected his class schedule and school map.

  Arriving two minutes late for his first and least favourite lesson, maths, he found himself the centre of attention, but apart from the prolonged discomfort of having to stand at the front of the class while the overzealous Mr. Springer added his name to the register, he got through it.

  His next class, French, he spent with his head ducked behind his book avoiding Mrs. Gregg, who had an annoying trait of picking the least enthusiastic person to answer questions. All he gained from that class was an aching neck.

  When the bell rang, he waited for the room to empty before heading to lunch. Chattering teens had already filled most of the tables by the time he entered the canteen. His heart drummed as he searched the large orange room for a place to sit, his tray consisting of a veggie burger, an iced sponge cake, and a cup of orange juice.

  Spotting an empty table in the corner lined with windows and a double door that led to the playground, he headed towards it.

  As he neared the table, he felt a thud against his back that sent him plummeting forward. His tray slipped out of his hand and flipped over, the entire contents scattering over the floor.

  Shocked gasps echoed around the room, and everyone – even the dinner ladies – stopped what they were doing to watch.

  Charlie scrambled to his feet and came face-to-face with the bullies from the bus.

  Josh sneered. ‘Clumsy, aren’t you?’

  Charlie’s pulse quickened and a warm sensation shot through his body. Feeling a tremor beneath his feet, he paused. For a moment, he wondered if he had imagined the ground shaking, but then Josh’s expression changed; confusion replaced the amusement on his face as he glanced down.

  Calm down,a voice in Charlie’s head said. It wasn’t the first time he had heard the voice, so it didn’t alarm him. What puzzled him was the fact that it was a woman’s voice. It always made him feel as if he had two minds.

  ‘What’s going on here?’ a rasping voice barked.

  Charlie glanced at a stout woman holding a mop and a bucket, wearing a blue and white striped apron and a white hairnet. She stood with one hand on her hip, a stern look on her face.

  ‘Who fancies a trip to the principal’s office?’ the woman asked. ‘’Cause if you think you’re going to fight –’

  ‘No one’s fighting,’ Josh said. ‘New kid here just had a fall.’ He shot Charlie a cold look.

  Feeling everyone’s gaze on him, Charlie turned and made haste towards the double doors. People stared as he went by. Whispers followed. Relieved to be away from curious eyes, he stormed across the playground and sat on a bench under a large chestnut tree, resting his head in his hands. He had planned to keep a low profile but had somehow managed to grab the attention of the entire school on his first day.

  ‘Are you all right?’

  The hair on the back of Charlie’s neck bristled. It was the girl from the bus. He turned his head away, not wanting her to see the humiliation on his face.

  ‘Those guys are pricks,’ the girl said.

  Charlie heard the bench squeak but didn’t turn around.

  ‘Yeah, my parents tell me not to talk to strangers, too,’ the girl went on in a casual tone, ‘which, by the way, makes no sense. I mean, one minute they tell you to make new friends, and then they tell you not to talk to strangers. But before someone becomes your friend, they’re a stranger, so how does that work? It’s an oxymoron, if you ask me.’

  Charlie turned round and saw her sitting a few inches away from him.

  ‘I’m Alex, by the way,’ she said.

  Charlie gulped. He wanted to say something but his mind was blank.

  ‘You’re a silent one,’ Alex acknowledged. ‘I’ll let you off for today, but you’ll have to speak to me at some point.’ She smiled. ‘First days can be stressful, especially if the first people you run into are Josh and his goon.’ She held out two clenched fists. ‘Pick a hand.’

  He glanced at her outstretched hands and then looked back at her face, puzzled.

  ‘Okay, I’ll choose.’ She looked at both fists, her expression pensive, and then lowered her left hand. Opening her right fist, she revealed a circular sweet in a shiny golden wrapper. ‘It’s chocolate with a marshmallow centre – Chocomallow.’ She gestured for him to take it. ‘It’s not poisoned, I promise.’ When he didn’t take it, she rolled her eyes and placed the sweet in his hand. She then opened her other fist and revealed a matching sweet.

  Charlie smiled. ‘Thanks.’

  Alex gasped. ‘He does speak!’

  A weird, fluttering feeling churned in the pit of Charlie’s stomach. ‘I’m Charlie.’

  ‘I know. We’re in the same French class. Welcome to Oakwood.’ Alex relaxed back on the bench. ‘Was it just me or did you feel a tremor in the canteen?’

  ‘Yeah, I felt it.’

  ‘You know, the last time an earthquake hit West Sussex was in 1970.’

  ‘How do you know that?’

  ‘Well, they have this thing called the internet.’

  Charlie chuckled. ‘I think I’ve heard of it.’

  Alex’s cheeks flushed, and she looked away. ‘There’s nothing to do here but surf the net. It’s dead boring.’

  Charlie spotted the bullies coming out of the canteen. They pointed at him and laughed.

  ‘Idiots,’ Alex spat. ‘They’ll soon find someone else to pick on. It’s their hobby.’

  ‘I think they’re afraid of you.’

  ‘Nah, they just hate that a girl stands up to them and they can’t do anything about it. The chatterbox is Josh Hartley. The other dimwit is Damzel Brittle. You wouldn’t guess they were fourteen from the looks of them, would you?’

  Charlie raised his eyebrows.

  ‘I know,’ Alex said. ‘It’s obvious they’re scientific experiments.’

  Charlie laughed. He had assumed they weren’t his age for he hadn’t seen them in any of his classes. And they were giants. With two lessons to go, he hoped he didn’t cross paths with them for the rest of the day – or the year.

  ‘Josh is the one you have to worry about,’ Alex went on. ‘Damzel just follows him around like a lost dinosaur.’

  ‘What’s Josh’s problem?’

  ‘Where do I start?’ Alex’s expression turned serious. ‘To be honest, he wasn’t always this annoying. His dad died last year, and he became … well, you’ve seen what he’s like.’

  ‘How did he die?’

  ‘He had a brain tumour. I do feel sorry for him. I don’t know what I’d do if either of my parents died. Still, he doesn’t have to be such an arse.’

  Charlie looked across the playground at Josh. Although he felt angry towards the bully for humiliating him, he also felt sorry for the boy who had lost his father.

  Alex asked, ‘You all right?’

  Charlie looked back at her and nodded.

  ‘So, where’re you from?’ she enquired.

  He hesitated before answering. ‘London.’ It was the truth; he just didn’t like talking about his life, especially his past.

  ‘I’ve been there a few times, but that was years ago. We have family in Cornwall, so we’re always vacating there. London’s a big place – well, anywhere’s big compared to Capeton.’

  ‘Capeton seems quite big.’

  Alex raised her eyebrows. ‘The entire student body can fit inside my house. There are six thousand people living here. Compared to London that’s – we’re not even a dot on the map.’ She pulled her legs up onto the bench and crossed them. ‘Have you been on the London Eye?’

  ‘I went on it on a few times,’ he replied.

  ‘Bet it was amazing. I’ve always wanted to go on it, but lucky me, I have not one but two parents who are afraid of heights, so I doubt I’ll be going on it anytime soon.’

  ‘Can’t you go with someone else?’

  Alex shook her head. ‘They won’t let me go on it, period. I’ve been asking since I was, like, ten. You’d think after four years I’d be closer to getting a yes.’

  ‘They might change their minds.’

  Alex furrowed her brow. ‘You haven’t met my parents. They’re convinced that if I went on it the capsule – only the one I’m in, by the way – would disengage from the wheel, and I’ll plunge to my death.’

  Charlie looked at her in shock. ‘Wow.’

  ‘Yep,’ Alex said. ‘My mum even had illustrations.’ ‘And you still want to go on it?’

  ‘Did I mention it was dead boring here?’

  Charlie smiled. ‘Well, if they ever do change their minds and I’m still around, I’ll go with you – I mean, if you want.’

  Surprise crossed Alex’s face. ‘You would do that?’

  ‘Yeah. You did save me from a black eye, so I kind of owe you.’

  Alex smiled, but then her expression became curious. ‘Wait, why wouldn’t you be around?’

  Charlie swallowed and looked away. ‘I move around a lot.’

  ‘Lucky you. I’ve been stuck here forever.’

  Charlie turned to her. ‘Trust me. You’re the lucky one.’ Before she could ask more questions, he held his hand out to her. ‘So, is it a deal?’

  Alex grinned and placed her hand in his. ‘Deal.’

  CHAPTER TWO

  The Good, the Bad, and the Weird

  CHARLIE RAN HIS FINGERS over a picture of his parents embracing each other, smiling at him. They were wearing the same rings on their fingers as he had on around his neck. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against his bed. ‘Okay, so I almost got into a fight today – but I didn’t. That’s no fighting and no expulsion, so I kinda had a good day. Actually, it would have been worse if it hadn’t been for this girl I met. Her name’s Alex –’

  A low hissing noise, like the sound of a water sprinkler, cut him off, and he looked at the door. Closing the photo album, he slid it under the bed and got up. He walked across the room and opened the door. At once, he recognised the sound of voices. He glanced at the clock; 10:30 p.m. Curious, he headed downstairs, the sound growing louder with each step he took.

  Standing in the hallway, his eyes darting around as he tried to locate the sound, he spotted Jacob on the living room sofa. His guardian seemed unperturbed by the noise, and for a moment, Charlie wondered if the voices were coming from the TV. But the two noises were distinct.

  Heading down the hallway, he felt a strange sensation course through his body that caught him off guard, and he stopped in the kitchen doorway. The feeling was electric.

  His gaze fixed on the cupboard under the stairs. There was no question now as to where the noise was coming from. His hands started to shake. The sound behind the door disturbed him, but he couldn’t turn away from it. Holding his breath, he yanked the door open.

  Silence.

  Flicking the light switch on, he saw a pile of boxes. ‘What are you doing?’

  Charlie glanced over his shoulder at Jacob, who was standing in the living room doorway. ‘Didn’t you hear it?’

  Jacob’s eyes shifted left and right then back at Charlie. ‘Hear what?’

  ‘The voices …’ Charlie trailed off when he noticed a peculiar look in Jacob’s eyes.

  ‘Are you feeling okay?’

  Charlie turned back to the cupboard and closed the door. ‘I thought I heard something,’ he explained, as he headed back towards the stairs. ‘I guess it was nothing. Night.’

  ‘Night,’ Jacob called to him, a note of worry in his voice.

  Charlie entered his room and closed the door behind him, bracing himself against it. He scratched his head as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. He knew he wasn’t crazy, but no matter how hard he racked his brain, there was no explanation for the mysterious noise.

  The sound of footsteps on the stairs interrupted his thoughts, and he switched the light off. Hearing a creaking noise behind him, he turned round and saw a shadow step into the shaft of light under the door. He kept quiet, listening to Jacob’s ragged breathing. He didn’t want to talk; talking only got him into trouble.

  After a pause that seemed like forever, he heard Jacob’s footsteps retreating. Then the light under the door vanished. Charlie turned round, walked across the room, and climbed into bed. He was exhausted from the lack of sleep he’d had the last few weeks, having to adjust to a new life, and because of the nightmares that haunted him. With each passing minute, his mind flickered like a kaleidoscope. Visions of long ago invaded his dream.

  Charlie was back in Palmers Green, a quiet up-and-coming suburb in the restless city of London where he lived with his dad. From his bedroom window, he gazed out at the dazzling summer sun rising above the rooftops of the Victorian terraced houses. He caught sight of his reflection in the window, his grey eyes glistening with excitement. Looking down at his black suit and tie, confusion crossed his face.

  A shadow passed over him, and he glanced up at the dark clouds gathering over the horizon. ‘Hoot,’ a familiar voice called, and he ran out of the room.

  As he scrambled down the stairs, he stopped halfway and looked up at the two pictures of his mum on the stairway wall. Retreating two steps back, he kissed one of the pictures and then continued on his way. At the bottom of the stairs, he paused, engulfed by a warm, sweet smell. Following the scent, he drifted down the narrow hallway and entered a small kitchen. Seeing the pots and dishes scattered across the countertops, he shook his head and smiled.