Connor Clover and the Lost Children (Book 1)

CHAPTER THREE

  The Starstone

  ‘You!’ Connor screamed. ‘Get out! – Deana!’

  Deana rushed into the room, pushing the man aside. She frowned at the stranger, but wasn’t surprised by his presence.

  ‘Tookar! We decided to wait before you introduced yourself!’ she snapped.

  He appeared worried. ‘We don’t have time. Besides, you decided … I didn’t.’

  ‘You know this creep?’ quizzed Connor.

  ‘Yes, I do,’ she sighed. ‘Connor, meet Tookar, your guardian.’

  Connor’s eyebrows furrowed. ‘Guardian? But he attacked me the other day!’

  ‘I didn’t attack you!’

  ‘Yes you did!’ insisted Connor. ‘You covered my mouth.’

  ‘I didn’t want you to scream,’ said the man.

  ‘Well, it made me scream louder if anything.’

  ‘We have some explaining to do.’ Deana gave Connor a hug and rubbed his back. ‘Let’s talk downstairs.’

  ‘Talk?’ gasped Connor.

  ‘Yes, talk,’ Deana repeated. ‘We’ve matters to discuss. Join us when you’re ready – but don’t leave it too late.’

  As Deana left, the man lingered. His eyes were tired and dirty stains streaked his face and clothing. ‘This is for you.’ From the inside pocket of his coat, Tookar retrieved a small parcel and gave it to Connor. He paused and, unsure of what to say, quickly left.

  Connor didn’t open the parcel straightaway, as it wasn’t his birthday until Wednesday. Confused, he paced his room and bit his fingers. A few minutes later, he gathered his courage and headed downstairs. Deana and Tookar were sitting in the kitchen with empty cups and a packet of biscuits. Tookar munched on a tuna sandwich, which Deana had made him.

  Connor paused by the door, watching them, before entering the room. ‘He stinks and needs a bath.’ Without giving Deana a chance to speak, he spoke again. ‘It’s true. He can use the bathroom upstairs if he wants to. There’s a clean towel hanging on the radiator.’

  Tookar laughed. ‘Is he always so truthful?’

  ‘Yes,’ smirked Deana, relieved to have Connor talking to them.

  ‘I’m sorry for scaring you the other morning. It wasn’t my intention.’ Tookar carried his empty plate to the sink. ‘Well, I’d better go and wash. I can take a hint.’ He ruffled Connor’s hair as he walked past. ‘It’s no secret I’ve been hiding in the dirtiest of places.’

  Connor ducked, not wanting the man to touch him.

  Once Tookar had left, Deana glared at him. ‘He’s well respected where he comes from, so don’t be so rude.’

  ‘Rude!’ snapped Connor. ‘In case you haven’t realised, the man who terrified me the other morning entered my bedroom to scare me again.’

  Deana resigned. ‘I’m sorry. He shouldn’t have done that. I told him not to. But perhaps he’s right. Time is against us.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I’m not who you think I am.’ Deana made another cup of tea. ‘I’m a detective as well as a nurse. I work for a secret organisation known as the AAA.’

  ‘I’ve heard of that place before! The old man at the garage mentioned it to me, when I bought some ice cream.’

  ‘You met Sparkie.’ She returned to her seat. ‘He’s a little eccentric, but totally harmless.’

  ‘Sparkie?’

  ‘He works for the AAA, with Tookar and me. It stands for Alien Agents Alliance. Hundreds of years ago, a small faction formed to help stranded aliens. But over the years the role of the AAA has changed considerably. It now provides warships to help defend neighbouring dimensions and other planets from coming under attack from Definastine and other enemies. It also provides rescue parties to save star-spirits in distress.’

  ‘Star-spirits?’ quizzed Connor.

  ‘It refers to intelligent life forms, such as aliens. Instead of calling everyone an alien, we decided star-spirits was more suitable.’ she explained.

  ‘So you believe in aliens?’

  ‘We grew up with them, Connor. Your best friend was a star-spirit.’

  Connor spluttered. ‘I grew up with aliens? Are you kidding me?’

  Deana laughed at Connor’s bewildered expression. ‘I’m not kidding. You lived with them for the first two years of your life.’

  ‘Did you know me when I was younger?’ he asked.

  Deana suddenly spilt her drink on the sideboard and dabbed it with a cloth. ‘Oh, silly me!’

  ‘Are you okay?’ Connor watched her closely.

  ‘I’m fine…just a bit clumsy.’ She continued to clean up the spillage. ‘Yes, I knew you. Our parents were friends and we were raised in the AAA, until you left.’

  ‘Wow?’

  ‘There’s something else I haven’t told you and I don’t want you to get upset.’

  ‘Why would I get upset?’ shrugged Connor.

  ‘You thought your parents were dead, but they’re alive, Connor. For the past year they’ve been on a mission to protect a vulnerable planet from Definastine’s destruction.’

  Connor’s expression changed, his eyes darkened. ‘I know. I read the letter, but I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me before!’

  ‘I’ll explain if you’ll be quiet. When you were two-years old, Arbtu foretold you would become the Starstone’s host. He’s the founder of the AAA and had prophesied a living consciousness would enter your body and your two bodies would merge and work as one to end a dynasty of fear and violence at the hands of Definastine.’

  ‘Me? A host?’ Connor frowned. ‘An alien wants to use my body? What? No way! And my parents wanted to keep me safe so sent me to live with my uncle and aunt? You saw how they treated me. They made my life a misery, treating me like a slave.’

  Deana raised her eyes to the ceiling. ‘They didn’t know, Connor. No one knew how terrible your life was.’

  Annoyed, Connor folded his arms.

  ‘Look. You’re not safe. Since Definastine stole the consulting mirror, he now knows where you live. He’ll come after you, sooner rather than later.’

  ‘This just gets better and better!’ he mumbled. ‘What so special about the consulting mirror?’

  ‘It reveals everything that has happened in the past to the present moment, but it cannot predict the future. Because of this, Tookar received a warning that Definastine will be coming after you. This means that you cannot rest in one place for longer than necessary You need to leave here today.’

  ‘Today?’

  ‘Yes.’ Deana rested her hand on top of his. ‘You must allow the Starstone to join with you. Your destiny cannot be altered. You cannot run from it.’

  He swallowed hard and glared at her. ‘No!’

  ‘You don’t have a choice,’ she whispered. ‘Definastine will be watching your every move. This is your only chance to stay alive.’

  ‘This is crazy. How am I supposed to allow an alien to enter my body, when I don’t believe in them in the first place? It’s crazy! I won’t do it!’

  ‘The sooner the better. It’ll take a while for you to –,’ Deana broke off. She stood abruptly, causing the chair to topple and crash to the ground. In the distance a dog howled. Her voice hurried with a sense of urgency. ‘Where’s the Starstone, Connor?’

  ‘I don’t know!’

  ‘You must know! Tookar gave you a parcel with the Starstone in it. Where did you put it?’ urged Deana, horrified – her face white.

  ‘It’s on my bed upstairs. What’s wrong, Deana?’

  ‘Tell Tookar to join me and go to your room and don’t open the door for anyone.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  Deana grasped his shoulders. ‘Listen carefully. You must open the parcel. Let the Starstone enter you. Hurry, before it’s too late!’

  Connor turned, dashed up the stairs and banged on the bathroom door, yelling to Tookar. ‘Deana needs you. Something’s wrong!’

  The door flung open. Standing in the doorway, wearing black trousers, T
ookar held a strange weapon and wore a grave expression. ‘Go to your room! And lock the door!’

  Tookar bolted downstairs, leaving Connor alone. Glass smashed in the kitchen, followed by a scream – Deana? More yelling. Doors slammed. Objects crashed. A dog continued to howl in the distance. Hugging his knees to his chest, Connor pressed his hands to his ears, praying for the terrible sounds to stop. Scared, he scrambled to the edge of his bed to retrieve the parcel. Tearing off the paper, he discovered it was wrapped in a blue scarf. He cupped it in his hands.

  Terrified and unsure of what to do, the blue cloth glowed, rippling in waves and changing from blue to purple. His fingers warmed. At the same time the object pulsated as though he carried his heart. His eyes widened.

  ‘I didn’t ask for any of this!’ As he hurled the object across the room, the cloth slipped from it and a ball of light whizzed through the air, but instead of ricocheting off the wardrobe door, it passed through it, leaving a gaping hole in the wood.

  The disturbance downstairs increased. He locked his door and dived beneath his bed to retrieve his baseball bat. Seconds later, the small ball of light emerged from the wardrobe, hovering and humming softly. Slowly it circled the room, increasing in speed so fast it looked like a silvery hoop.

  A few seconds later, it stopped abruptly and hovered in front of Connor. He squealed and retreated towards the window, contemplating his survival rate of jumping from the window. To his horror, small grey-bodied creatures swarmed the garden, naked apart from small loincloths and moved extremely fast like spiders, as they climbed the brick wall. Their eyes were large with huge black pupils.

  ‘What the –?’

  Connor leapt on top of his mattress, still grasping the bat. Either way he had to make a choice – the Starstone or the little grey men. He tossed the bat aside and surrendered, no longer running from the alien ball of light. He resigned himself to the fact he had no choice in this.

  ‘Fine. Hurry and get on with whatever you’re going to do,’ he shouted, twitching nervously.

  The Starstone shimmered in silvery colours, like a gigantic jewel suspended in the air and like a wave of calm, it washed through Connor’s tense body, stripping away his fears. His muscles instantly flopped as if his bones had vanished, causing him to lie on the bed as his legs gave way beneath him. His face slackened and his tongue hung loosely from his mouth. Connor stared in awe at the wondrous star as his mind floated on an enormous ocean of cloud, no longer afraid.

  A voice spoke to him. ‘Connor!’

  Connor smiled dreamily at the ball of light.

  ‘I am the consciousness of the Starstone and I seek to become one with you. Do not fear. Be not afraid for it is our destiny to become one.’

  Its hypnotic voice soothed Connor and a dribble hung from his chin.

  ‘Relax and close your eyes,’ it said.

  His resistance vanished. The last thing he saw, before closing his eyes, was the Starstone descending into his stomach, disappearing inside his body. It had left no visible mark on his body nor caused him any pain.

  In his mind, a voice sang:

  ‘Great Ones rejoice with us here,

  The time will soon come with nothing to fear.

  Although the Dark Master is very near,

  The Starstone had chosen Connor as Seer!’

  Connor slumped on the bed, sucking his thumb for the first time in years.

  ‘Goodnight, Connor,’ said the Starstone.