CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Dark Hounds
Connor spent the best part of an hour exploring the impressive pile of photographs. Excited, he lost track of time. Dusty photographs emerged of Connor as a cute baby and a daring toddler. Many were highly embarrassing and thankfully Marion hadn’t enlarged them and for display with the others.
The photographs had snapped moments in time: they’d caught him running nude with food smudged round his mouth and peeing on the flowers in the garden. His favourite photos were the ones of his sister, who had endearing freckles and long blonde hair. She seemed familiar, as if he’d seen her before. But of course, he’d seen her in his dreams.
Hoping Marion wouldn’t mind, he kept four of them. He’d chosen one of his parents wedding with them pictured outside a quaint flint church, looking happy. Judging by the amount of flowers in bloom, they’d married in the summertime. He’d selected one of his sister smiling and cradling him. He’d liked the photograph of a typical family portrait of his mum and dad, sister and himself, standing as a real family.
He later found a small creamy coloured photo album at the bottom of the box, full of snapshots of him with various animals. He had ridden a horse, stroked a Great Dane, patted a crocodile, cuddled a python, been lifted by an elephant’s trunk and cleaned the teeth of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. At first he assumed the photographs had been taken in a zoo, but he later discovered the photographs were genuine. Written on the back of each one it mentioned those in the picture, where and when it had been taken. K had been the animal in each photograph, having shape-shifted into the form of different animals to play with him.
Connor asked Sparkie about the photo. ‘Each summer, you’d go north to a secluded holiday camp managed by the AAA. Harlingfield had been purpose built for human families and stranded aliens, who were connected to the establishment. Perfect place to enjoy the countryside whilst being safe, if you ask me,’ Sparkie had explained to him. ‘Since you were K’s favourite playmate he’d change into an animal to make you chuckle. You’d beg him to change over and over again.’
He selected a fourth picture of sleeping between the massive paws of a lion, licking his face. Written on the back were the words, ‘K and Connor, friends forever!’
Eventually, Connor climbed sleepily into the bed Marion had prepared for him Two o’clock in the morning before. Lying on the bed quietly, he heard movement in the kitchen, along with the unmistakable sound of the kettle boiling on the stove for the umpteenth time. K had mentioned how Sparkie drank tea when he fretted.
Surprisingly, despite his bottom sinking in the middle of the mattress and his feet in the air, he fell asleep easily, dreaming of the good times he’d had as a youngster.
Two hours later though, he woke and shuddered. Something had disturbed him. He left the cosy bed and dressed, listening to the wind causing havoc outside. Windows rattled throughout the house with a vengeance.
At four o’clock in the morning he headed to the kitchen to make a mug of hot chocolate, thinking how his life had changed in the last few days. Had it been a week ago that he’d lived the life of a slave with his aunt and uncle? Crazy!
Trees creaked and groaned, casting ferocious black shadows across the walls, fighting with one another as if they were angry black monsters. The radiators clumped and banged, putting Connor on edge.
The television flickered and Sparkie lay in front of it snoring loudly. The kitchen resembled a bombsite for Sparkie had used a clean mug each time he made another drink. Connor boiled the kettle, rinsed a mug (since Sparkie had used all the others), and heaped an extra spoonful of hot chocolate powder inside.
In the living room, more empty cups were stacked on the table beside Sparkie. Sitting in the empty armchair he decided to concentrate his mind on changing the channel. Focussing on the television, without blinking, the screen flickered slightly before an interesting film appeared concerning good cops trying to expose the corrupt ones. For several minutes it absorbed Connor’s attention, whilst he finished his drink.
He felt guilty having enjoyed his evening going through old photographs. He wished Deana had been with him to share those special moments, for she’d have been pleased for him and he missed her. And what the significance of the birth certificate Sparkie had found earlier. Why didn’t K know he had a brother? Why would his parents keep it from him? It made no sense. And Sparkie had been acting weird ever since. He’d chuckled throughout the entire evening, when nothing apparently funny had transpired.
Connor added another log to the fire and listened to it hissing before warming to a reddish glow. A large lump of soot collapsed from inside the chimney. Connor jumped nervously, spilling what little drink he had left on his trousers. He sprang to his feet, making sure no embers had fallen on to the carpet. Wrinkling his nose, he watched as a large red ant scuttled from the flames on to the rug.
Connor watched it darting hastily under the fire screen. He lifted his foot to squash it when it rapidly changed shape.
‘Ahhh!’ yelled Connor, falling back in the chair.
Sparkie slept on.
The ant increased in size, distorting its shape until Tookar stood in its place, horrified. ‘You were going to kill me!’ Tookar rubbed his head where Connor’s foot had made contact. His face crumpled in disbelief. ‘You almost had me. Your foot hit the top of my –’
‘I’m s-sorry, I thought you w-were an ant!’ Connor stammered.
‘I was!’ replied Tookar, ‘but that’s no excuse. Disguising myself as a fire ant seemed a safe way into this place, but I was much mistaken. What are you doing at this time of night, anyway? It’s not safe!’ He glanced with disapproval in Sparkie’s direction.
‘Not safe?’ Connor quizzed, following Tookar into the kitchen.
Tookar promptly filled a dirty mug with water. In the living room, Tookar threw the entire contents at Sparkie’s face. He woke instantly, spluttering and cursing. Before he could demand an explanation, Tookar spoke.
‘We must leave immediately. Fifty dark hounds have surrounded the house!’
Hairs prickled uneasily along Connor’s spine as he peered through a small gap in the curtains. Trees were blowing forcibly and rain drummed loudly on the single glass pane. Nothing but dark silhouettes could be seen. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, a movement suddenly caught his eye; dark shadows crept across the lawn towards the cottage. Connor gasped as the ground moved with a thick mass of bodies.
‘Keep away!’ growled Tookar, dragging Connor from the window.
‘Upstairs! Quick!’ shouted Sparkie, leaping from the seat.
They raced into the hallway and caught sight of a long, thin, snout poking through the small gap in the cat flap, sniffing frantically.
‘Smell my foot!’ Tookar yelled, kicking it hard.
A high-pitched howl screamed into the night as they sprinted upstairs.
‘I hope your van is ready to move!’ cried Tookar.
‘Yes!’ panted Sparkie, adding in a mutter, ‘I’m getting far too old for this!’
As they entered the master bedroom, glass shattered on the ground floor.
Tookar slammed the door shut and locked it. ‘This won’t stop them for long.’
Many paws ascended the staircase, scratching and slipping on the smooth hallway floor. Seconds later, howls erupted on the other side of the door. The door banged heavily from the other side. Something threw itself against it. The hinges shifted
in the wooden frame. Desperate clawing splintered the door. More dark hounds charged and battered against it: their bodies thumping against the door whilst growling.
Huge powerful claws appeared through the door, ripping it to shreds as if it were made of cardboard. Through a splintered gap in the door Connor had glimpsed a dark hound, paralysing him in terror. Tookar shoved him inside the van, swinging the door shut.
Connor kept his eyes closed, unable to escape the horror he’d seen. The lasting memory of four huge fangs, drooling with saliva, remained wi
th him, locked in his consciousness. It had the slanted black eyes of a monster. Dark hounds didn’t describe the fierce predators. They had thin long snouts and wide snarling mouths, filled to the brim with dagger-sharp teeth. Matted black manes and raised hackles ran along the length of their hunched spines. Bald patches were most apparent as if they were suffering from a horrible disease.
Sparkie hastily put on his metal hat. He pressed a button and pulled back a lever. A dark hound twice the size of a Great Dane tore into the room and pounced six feet into the air towards them. The van gave a jolt and abruptly vanished.
After the sighs of relief, Connor opened his eyes.
‘Phew! That was a close shave. Where are we?’ Tookar peered through the window.
Sparkie, taking a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his forehead. ‘We’re a hundred miles north from K’s home and a hundred yards above an empty field in the middle of nowhere.’
Connor’s legs still trembled. ‘What…did they want?’
‘You,’ said Sparkie, grimly.
‘Typical!’ Connor hugged his knees to his chest. Was this nightmare ever going to end? ‘They were so scary. Where did they come from?’
‘Definastine’s home planet, Dramian,’ Sparkie explained.
‘Definastine has a lot to answer for. He is able to snare animal souls keeping them prisoner for eternity,’ growled Tookar.
‘Don’t underestimate him, Connor. His mind is so corrupt and evil,’ Sparkie warned. ‘His dark hounds are vicious, able to rip a human to shreds in seconds…’
‘Yes, thank you for scaring the living daylights out of him,’ Tookar broke in. ‘Most of Definastine’s servants have a weakness though. They can’t survive daylight. So between dawn and dusk they will have to stay hidden somewhere.’
‘How does a person get to Dramian?’
‘Why, Connor? Do you want to go?’ Tookar laughed. ‘Well, you can’t take a bus. Since it’s in another dimension we’ll travel through a portal.’
‘A portal?’ Connor gasped. ‘You mean some kind of magic hole?’
‘Yes. The gateway is hidden and opens on the night of a full moon. For thousands of years it has remained concealed but recently we learned of its existence. And now for the first time we’ll be able to rescue the lost children – if any have survived.’
‘The lost children?’ Connor gasped.
‘A rescue party leaves for Dramian tomorrow night,’ Tookar mentioned.
Sparkie’s shoulders drooped. ‘Oh, I didn’t know.’
‘Didn’t think you’d be interested. You’ve been bending my ear lately on how you’re getting too old for this type of thing. So take the opportunity to rest. Don’t want you overdoing it now, do we,’ grinned Tookar, enjoying himself.
‘Yes… well, it would have been nice to have been invited,’ Sparkie grunted.
‘Are you going?’ Connor asked Tookar.
‘I hope so.’
‘Well, I won’t be,’ cut in Sparkie. ‘I’m going to retire soon. I can’t handle stress like I used to. I don’t care what you say. I’m getting older. My bones seize too quickly nowadays.’
‘You’re becoming a goose!’ laughed Tookar, nudging Connor’s arm.
‘I’m not!’ snapped Sparkie. ‘I’ll have you know my nerves are still as strong as ever. It’s my body which betrays me.’
‘Keep your hair on, old man,’ Tookar grinned. ‘You don’t want to lose that as well, do you!’
‘Old man! Pah! Anyway if we’re talking of age you were born a few thousand years before me,’ said Sparkie peevishly.
‘Perhaps, but I still feel young.’
‘I’m not doing too badly either for someone born in 1831,’ remarked Sparkie, raising his eyebrow slightly.
‘1831?’ quizzed Connor, not believing it for one moment. ‘Impossible!’
Tookar smirked. ‘It’s true.’
‘But he’s human! Humans don’t live that long.’
‘No, you’re right. But I did spend some time in another galaxy where time slows,’ Sparkie explained. ‘I was born in the Victorian era when Queen Victoria was on the throne. During my early thirties I met a fantastic young man who changed the course of my life.’
Tookar pointed to himself.
‘You!’ gasped Connor.
‘Yes. Tookar mended his crashed spaceship. It allowed him to travel so fast it sliced through the dimensional fields to other worlds. He took me with him once. A few days had passed, but the actual time on earth had whizzed by. It was 1961 by the time we came back and Queen Elizabeth was on the throne. I still looked the same as ever but a hundred years had passed.’
‘What happened to your family and friends?’ Connor whispered.
‘They died,’ Sparkie remarked sadly.
‘How awful!’ Connor shook his head in disbelief.
‘But it’s life, dear boy. The unexpected can change the course of our lives. Meeting Tookar happened to be the greatest thing I’ve ever done and the saddest. We’ve been damn good friends ever since. I’ll tell you my first space adventure one day.’
‘Where are we heading now?’ Connor wiped the condensation from the window, trying to forget about the dark hounds.
‘Not sure,’ Sparkie confessed.
‘To be honest, nowhere is safe, not if Definastine has the consulting mirror in his clutches,’ Tookar reminded them. ‘Ask it the right questions and it’ll tell you what has happened in the past to this present moment. He might be watching you this instance.’
‘The best thing we can do is destroy it so it won’t get into the wrong hands again,’ added Sparkie. His voice changed and his brow furrowed. ‘I’ve received a distress signal from somewhere. I’ll share it with you.’
He pulled a loose wire from underneath the dashboard and connected it to his hat. A concealed speaker in the van transferred the message. It wasn’t clear at first but crackled with interference. Sparkie twisted the wires on top of his hat and a distressed female voice came through.
‘Help me! Please help me!’
‘Good grief!’ gasped Tookar.
‘Please help me!’ the voice continued. ‘I haven’t much time. I’m being held prisoner. Please, someone help me!’
According to his tracking device, the person in distress is twenty miles north. Sparkie immediately instructed his van to travel to the destination. In no time, they were in an area of dense woodland. With no sign of life, no lights, no movement, no nothing, it meant one thing.
‘The signal is coming from underground,’ announced Sparkie.
‘It might be a trap,’ warned Tookar. ‘Don’t do anything rash.’
‘I agree. It’s strange, especially after our recent episode with the dark hounds. But what if it is someone who needs our help?’
Connor listened to the two men talking, but his head started to throb.
‘I feel terrible,’ he whispered, clutching his stomach. His eyes played tricks with him as a white spiralling mist circled his legs.
‘Connor, what’s wrong?’
‘Do you see it, Tookar?’
‘See what?’
‘That’s answered my question.’
An opening appeared beneath his feet and a strong sucking force pulled him towards the floor.
‘Help!’ cried Connor, sliding off his seat, screaming hysterically as he plummeted through the bottom of the van, while yelling and kicking his feet. Instead of falling through the air towards the ground, he swept along a sparkling tunnel with his ears popping. He travelled at a speed you’d expect from jumping from a helicopter a hundred feet above the ground. In the distance, Tookar and Sparkie called his name, though their voices faded, leaving Connor alone with his beating heart. Spat from the glistening hole into a heap on the other side of the chamber, he held his spinning head.
‘Huh?’ he groaned.
Connor studied his strange surroundings and dusted his bottom. The dreadful feeling had passed. Perhaps knowing he wasn’t alone h
elped. In fact, he hadn’t been lonely ever since the Starstone had nested deep inside of him. The box-shaped chamber was made from thick metal including the door.
A thick, green blanket covered a large object one side of the wall. Curious, he lifted the coarse material, where it loosened and fell on him. Escaping the thick claustrophobic fabric, Connor staggered backwards as a large, oval mirror stood before him, at five-feet-high and three feet wide. The surface moved delicately as if made of liquid. Connor’s disconcerted face stared back at him.
He gasped in delight, admiring the relic as he stroked the smooth silver frame, decorated with the strangest symbols.
‘Sparkie and Tookie would love this,’ he mumbled, wondering what they were doing since he’d gone missing.
He jumped when his reflection disappeared. Slowly the mirror shimmered and rippled in waves. When the image changed, he retreated and saw Sparkie and Tookar coming into focus, sitting with ashen faces in the van.
‘Where’s he gone?’ cried Tookar.
‘I don’t know!’ flustered Sparkie. ‘He fell through the floor!’
‘I’m here!’ called Connor, but they couldn’t see or hear him.
With immense pleasure, he stood in front of the consulting mirror: the same mirror Definastine had used to his advantage to track the Starstone and him.
Made from a special grey, silvery liquid compressed between two panes of transparent glass material, it hung on the wall where the liquid continued moving with a will of it own. Connor recollected what he’d heard. It revealed events, which had already taken place but couldn’t foretell the future. Excited by his discovery, Connor chose to ask it a question. But Sparkie’s voice came to haunt him. ‘We should destroy it so it won’t get into the wrong hands again.’
Surely it wouldn’t hurt to ask a question or two though. Many questions streamed through his mind, until one question repeated itself above all others. Connor faced the mirror. ‘Show me where my sister is.’
A white room with four people sitting in it came into view and the mirror acted as a window to the room. Connor saw Marion, K and Deana talking to a young nurse with long blonde hair. Stunned to see his sister, a nurse, comforting his friends, he smiled in recognition at the same blonde hair.
‘Show me the nurse.’ He approached the mirror and touched the face of his sister. Her flawless skin had no freckles, and Connor assumed make-up covered them.
‘Surely it’s a mistake, Jenny,’ quizzed Marion. ‘What do you mean?’
‘The man brought here, isn’t your husband, Mrs Fallow,’ the nurse informed them.
‘Well, who is he?’ asked K.
‘It’s hard to say at this stage, but the DNA samples don’t match despite his appearance. We’ll have to run more tests. But don’t worry, we’ll keep you informed,’ answered Jenny.
‘But if my dad isn’t here, where is he?’
‘I have no idea, but it’s not him lying next door on the table,’ insisted Jenny.
‘But it doesn’t make any sense,’ remarked Deana, a faint tremor in her voice.
‘No, it doesn’t,’ Jenny agreed.
Connor decided to ask the mirror. ‘If Jeremy isn’t dead, where is he?’
An image, revealing a small boy huddled on the ground with his face resting on bent knees, came quickly into focus. He seemed to be in a small dark room.
‘Is it Jeremy? What is this place?’
The mirror revealed a dark planet, surrounded by stars.
‘I don’t understand,’ mumbled Connor. ‘Where is it?’
Directions immediately appeared of flashing scenes of passing countryside, moving at least a hundred miles an hour. Confusing, it made Connor light-headed.
‘Stop!’ he called. ‘You’re going too fast. Show me on a map.’
A map appeared with an arrow pointing towards a great expanse of water and it didn’t stop until a middle of an immense lake was shown.
‘He must be on a boat,’ murmured Connor. ‘I don’t want to destroy you mirror, but what should I do? I can’t leave you; otherwise Definastine will use you to hurt people. If you were smaller, I could easily take you.’
Connor ran his fingers through his hair, thinking hard. Closing his eyes, he snapped them open, knowing what he must do. He would transform the mirror into a smaller version, the size of a watch. He closed his eyes and thought about it happening – the thought is the deed, he remembered. Imagine it and it will. For several minutes, he concentrated hard. But nothing happened. He tried again.
‘Come on! Transform!’
Suddenly, something slipped on his wrist. He opened his eyes to see the bare wall bare and the mirror gone. Touching the strange little watch, its face had become the smallest of mirrors. He now possessed one of the most powerful items belonging to Definastine. How peeved would he be, once he’d discovered it had gone?
‘Yes!’ beamed Connor, walking to the door across the room, he tried the handle but it was locked. Where were his friends when he needed them most? In the van panicking, he recalled.
Well, it didn’t matter. He couldn’t stay for someone would surely enter the room to consult the mirror on his whereabouts. He hadn’t a plan for what to do next, but suspected the distress signal had something to do with it. He had to recuse someone but had no idea where to start searching for the person. Driven by a primal instinct to flee the room, the prospect of what might be laying in wait for him (on the other side of the door) scared him. While he stood, contemplating his choices, something strange occurred. He seemed to be shrinking by the minute with the ceiling growing higher and the ground becoming closer. He peered at his feet and gulped for they had disappeared through the floor, but in actual truth they were dissolving on the spot into a blob of nothingness. Paralysed with terror, he couldn’t move, for his legs had vanished causing his pulse to triple in speed.
He hardly noticed the warm sensations engulfing his body. At the same time, a light shone from his abdomen. Connor struggled as his navel dissolved. He tried to stop himself from disappearing by supporting the rest of his body on his arms but the moment his hands touched the floor, they dissolved too, leaving him more helpless than ever.
‘I’m too young to die!’ he wailed, his voice echoing round the chamber.
Something deep inside him had taking control of his body. His mind fought but his body surrendered. The Starstone, being more powerful than Connor, had become active, taking control of the situation. He gazed at his chest, watching it vanish before his eyes. He wanted to scream as he struggled in the nightmare. Thankfully, he suffered no pain as his chin faded, followed by his mouth and finally his eyes. Connor became an invisible sludge of nothingness when he received communication from the Starstone.
‘We have work to do. We must save the girl and your aunt and uncle. I’ll lead the way. Don’t be afraid. I will not let any harm befall you.’
The words were soothing , yet at this time, Connor’s emotions did not exist. The invisible slime trickled beneath the smallest of gaps in the thickened door, leading into a darkened corridor. It entered the next room occupied by two hooded creatures.
Connor continued soaking information through a blue transparent lens where he maintained vision and hearing. Resting a safe distance away from two gruesome figures, he witnessed the tension sparking between them.
‘I chased after the boy but I failed!’ the tall muscular figure raged, his powerful torso dwarfing his companion. As he shook his head with annoyance his hood fell back revealing a grey, bony skeletal face covered in deep ugly scars with purple tendons protruding on each side of his neck. Connor recognised him as the same creature who’d chased him across the hospital car park.
‘Don’t lose sleep,’ grunted the shorter one. ‘We can’t change the past. Those other two will be our bait to draw the child closer.’
‘And what good are they to us? Tell me, Ruben – I’d be enlightened to know how your brain works for the puny child won’t find them. Definastine want
s the child… and why… because he has the Starstone you dimwit!’ Razor seethed, losing his patience and denting the strong metal wall with his fist. An angry echo vibrated round the room. ‘Time is not on our side!’
Ruben pulled back his hood; his face similar to Razor’s, but broader with higher cheekbones. He glared at Razor. ‘Definastine has others searching for the boy. We are not the only ones after the Starstone.’
‘But it is us he counts on!’ Razor growled. ‘Not those hair balls.’
‘Don’t ridicule his pets. His dark hounds are well known for getting the job done,’ snarled Ruben.
‘Pets!’ laughed Razor mockingly. ‘They’re not his pets! They’re his snacks. He eats them when he’s feeling peckish. And he cares for them little more than he cares for you!’
‘Don’t sneer at me!’ Ruben glowered. ‘I’m as good as you are and you know it! You’re the one who’s slipping, Razor… you’re not as good as you once were. You let your emotions get the better of you. In fact, it won’t be long before Definastine chooses me to take command, since I’m more level-headed.’
Growling, Razor leaped forward, squeezing Ruben’s neck tightly, until he choked. ‘Don’t count on it, you imbecile! You couldn’t find your way from this room without my help.’
A deep growl erupted from Ruben’s throat as he struck each side of Razor’s neck with enough force to make him loosen his grip.
‘Don’t ever try to intimidate me again!’ Ruben snarled. ‘You’re no match for me!’
Razor clenched his fists tight, before a thin smirk spread across his face.
‘So you think you’re better than me, do you? Prove it. Go on. Capture the child before I do. Since those mutts have failed tonight, it’s up to you, and me,’ Razor grunted. Slamming the wall for a second time he tore it as if it were a crisp packet.
Ruben narrowed his eyes. ‘My plan will work. The boy will not want those two humans harmed. They’ll be our insurance. At some point, he’ll have to come for them and when he does, we’ll be prepared for him.’
Razor laughed. ‘You’re so sure your feeble plan will work. You stay and wait while I search for the boy.’
As Razor opened the door, Ruben called him. ‘Those men from the ACE must be reported to Definastine. We don’t want them interfering with our plans. They were a little too close tonight for comfort.’
‘You’re scared!’ He sneered. ‘They were no threat. They remained outside the entire time while we entered the boy’s house through the portal.’
Being second in command to Razor, Ruben couldn’t do much without his permission.
‘Don’t tell Definastine anything,’ Razor smirked.
‘As you wish.’ But Ruben doubted Razor’s decision. ‘And what of Raider? He hasn’t yet been in contact with us.’
‘Raider is dead,’ Razor announced. ‘Murdered. Three of us are left now.’
‘What?’ Ruben hissed.
‘The consulting mirror showed me a tussle with Tookar and he died. We’re better off without him. I’m going to ask where the boy is. Care to join me?’
‘Does Definastine know he’s dead?’ Ruben gasped.
‘Yes.’
‘Yet, it wasn’t important to tell me!’ Ruben glared. ‘Raider is our brother, for pity’s sake.’
‘And now he’s dead!’ Razor glowered.
‘I must speak to Raven and inform him of what has transpired!’
‘Do what you must!’ Razor left the room, slamming the door hard.
Connor followed, squeezing through the gap beneath the door, leaving Ruben alone in the room. He headed in the opposite direction to Razor. Moving fast, he slithered along a wide corridor, up the walls and along the ceiling where it was quiet with no other signs of life. The occasional lamp dangled prehistorically from the ceiling with loose wires dangerously exposed. Several light bulbs flickered annoyingly; others didn’t work.
Through the gloomy, smooth walled corridors he journeyed, until he turned a corner and came across a strong metal door being barred securely by two strange, ugly creatures. They resembled huge oversized insects. Black shiny armour covered their backs reflecting the little light. They stood seven feet tall. A malevolent glint in their eyes and a permanent surly smile added to their hideous appearance.
Unnoticed, Connor seeped between their feet into the forbidden dark room. A nasty odour greeted him in this pitch-black room. But it didn’t affect Connor, for he had no nose. He could also see in the dark and recognised the two unconscious people on the sofa instantly – his aunt and uncle.
An unconscious girl, bound to the wall with heavy metal chains cruelly clasping her wrists and ankles, slumped forward. Her locks of long hair hung loosely, covering her face.
Connor changed shape, growing from the invisible ooze, his body twisted and jerked, stretching upwards until he appeared normal again. For a short time, he remained rigid with his arms hanging lifeless beside him in the darkness. He had to get back to the van and take his aunt and uncle with him.
A sudden idea sprung to mind. He closed his eyes and concentrated. A bright circular door appeared in the darkness, shimmering with a liquid effect. He opened his eyes in time. His aunt and uncle floated off the floor in a levitating sofa, which hovered towards the portal, where they disappeared without delay.
The portal illuminated her vulnerable body, showing the girl confined in thick metal shackles. Approaching her, Connor touched her arm. Her body shuddered and she slowly raised her head, her eyes fluttered open.
A faint smile appeared on her face. ‘I knew you would come.’
Seeing her in such circumstances, made Connor furious and he wasted no time in snapping the chains as if they were made from brittle sticks. Her weak body collapsed to the floor, where he lifted her dainty frame in his arms and, without hesitating, leapt through the portal.
‘Woahh!’ He experienced the same flutter of butterflies as when he’d been sucked back through the rocketing passageway, clinging to the girl for dear life. He entered the back of the van where his aunt and uncle were. Their extra weight caused the van to shudder and lower.
‘Goodness gracious me. You did it, Connor!’ Sparkie and Tookar chorused. ‘You’re back!’
Later, Ruben and Razor entered the room housing the consulting mirror, with two Armatripe trailing them. They sniffed the air, frantically searching for clues of its mysterious disappearance.
‘They’ve gone,’ Razor observed, searching the empty room.
‘But how?’ Ruben quizzed.
Razor gave an impatient glance towards Ruben. ‘I can sense some kind of portal dust in the air. Someone came to rescue them and not by the front door.’
‘How the devil did they know where they were?’ Ruben cursed.
‘Perhaps someone told them. Did you?’ accused Razor. ‘How else did they know we had the consulting mirror?’ His tongue, several inches long, stretched from his mouth like a snake, flickering threateningly towards Ruben. Many rows of brown stained, razor sharp teeth were now on show and his fingernails elongated into long knives. ‘You were desperate to make sure my plan failed. Perhaps you sent them away somewhere.’
Furious, two long tentacles appeared from two flaps in Ruben’s cheek, encircling Razor’s tongue and causing him to choke. His dark eyes shone bright orange.
‘I don’t appreciate what you’re implying,’ Ruben hissed. ‘Shall I squeeze you harder? Shall I cut your tongue?’
Razor choked, falling to his knees. Ruben released him. His strange alien tentacles slithered back into his face where a flap of skin covered them.
‘Enough talk!’ Ruben scowled. ‘We’ve some explaining to do.’