CHAPTER 5
PRESENT DAY
MONDAY 15/3
JAMIE
Still groggy from sleep I looked at the date on my clock on the bedside table. It was Monday morning. I couldn't believe it. I'd slept the whole of Sunday away.
I rubbed my eyes, why hadn't mum woke me?
I felt different somehow...my eyes hurt and my head throbbed and I wished that the blind on my window would close and block out the morning sun.
Immediately the blind shut
"Oi! How did that happen?" I asked Puska as she lazily stretched on the end of my bed.
"Did I do that Puska?" I whispered nervously. "I wish that you could talk to me and tell me." I laughed.
"Well if you want me to Jamie, I will...yep, it was you." Puska stated licking herself busily.
"What...Puska, did you just talk to me?"
"Yep!" Replied Puska with a slow Texan drawl, sounding just like the cowboys she watched so often with me on T V.
"Whoah! Did this mean I got what I'd wished for? Wow, I'm going to like these powers of mine Puska old girl."
"Yep!" replied Puska
"Hey mum! Guess what!" I yelled as I flew downstairs to the kitchen where mum was having her usual fight with the old wooden stove.
"Not now Jamie, don't tell me anything while I'm trying to light this frigging old battleaxe." mum replied irritably.
"Okay then...I'll show you! Step aside and watch this."
Immediately the old stove was alight and the kettle filled with water and plunked itself on the stove.
"Cool huh?" I laughed as mum stood there wide eyed and speechless.
"Smart arse Jamie! How about putting those so-called powers of yours to work then and get dressed. Its Monday remember...school?" mum demanded edgily.
"Sure...like this?" I asked mockingly as I stood there fully clothed in my school uniform.
"Alright James.... enough!"
Uh oh, I knew when mum called me James I was in for it, so I meekly went to the pantry and got the box of cornflakes and sat down at the kitchen table.
"Mum what happened to yesterday, why did you let me sleep all day?" I asked as I grabbed a bowl and poured milk over my cornflakes,
"There's no mystery Jamie, I tried to wake you several times but you were out cold so I just let you sleep. How do you feel?" mum asked looking concerned.
"I feel great, can't wait to be a 'P3'!" I managed to utter with my mouth full of cornflakes.
Mum looked at me quizzically as if she wanted to tell me something but changed her mind and simply handed me my packed lunch.
Hastily I placed it in my schoolbag and patting Puska goodbye I slid out of my chair.
"Don't forget...after school, Liam's house ...remember? We have to sort out these powers of you three."
"You mean the powers of 'P3'...Universal Detectives, don't you?" I teased as I ducked from the tea towel she flung at me.
Laughing I grabbed my schoolbag and before mum could lecture me about finishing breakfast I slipped out the back door. Jumping on my bike I winked at Mag parked in the driveway and to my delight she winked back. Peddling madly I rode off excited at the prospect of meeting up with Liam, Katie and Jade.
Soon I approached the corner of O'Briden Street and saw Katie and Liam waiting but no Jade.
"Hi you two, where's Jade?" I yelled as I slid off my bike.
"You tell me Jamie, we've been waiting forever!" Liam answered exasperated
However we were all too excited to be concerned and walked on to school exchanging stories of the fun we'd been having with our magical powers.
Liam always the clown soon had Katie and me in stitches as he demonstrated how he'd sent an image of himself into the kitchen where his mother had served it breakfast. Laughing himself silly he acted out how his mother had tried to make it eat while he'd watched from behind the door.
Katie in between giggles tried to describe how she'd spent the morning zapping up clothes. Bored with Katie's girly dialogue I rolled my eyes in exasperation and impatiently butted in.
Good-naturedly Katie ignored my rudeness and listened with delight to my tale about my talking cat. Katie thought that cool, and declared that as soon as she got home she was going to have her dog talk to her.
Excitedly we talked about our stone guides and the mysteries of magic they'd demonstrated to us. Liam and Katie like me couldn't wait until this afternoon when officially they'd be given to us by our parents. .
In high spirits Liam and I said goodbye to Katie at the entrance of 'Girls Grammar' and walked on plotting the fun things that we could do in class. Liam was dying to try out his image thing with our teachers. However I reminded him that we had to be careful not to let anyone discover that we had magical powers, especially Swasie and Hunk, as we now knew that they were the sons of two of the thirteen 'Ancients'
MONDAY AFTER SCHOOL
JAMIE
"Jade should be here", Katie laughed. "She's an expert on wizards and witches. She'd be able to tell us."
I had just met up with Katie and Liam after school at our usual spot down by the creek and we were laughing about the pranks we'd pulled on our friends. Excited by our newfound powers we couldn't wait until we went to the 'Universal Wizard Academy' to learn more.
All the way to Liam's house where our parents were waiting to give us our stone guides we tried to conjecture what the other wizards would look like until Katie abruptly aired her fears about those three incubated teenagers we'd seen in William Braden's laboratory.
Liam and I looked at each other sobered by Katie's fears. The reality that they could be duplicates of us was mind blowing. Stumped for words I had no answer and walked on listening with growing alarm to Katie.
I began to think of Jade and how she looked just like Isobelle de Witt and that clone in the photograph dad's solicitor had sent. Could she possibly have been bred like them?
Again my suspicions of Jade were aroused and I made the mistake of voicing them.
"Jamie, how could you think those crazy things about my dearest friend?" Katie declared outraged. Liam don't just stand there with your mouth wide open, tell Jamie he's nuts!"
Liam didn't reply he seemed deep in thought.
Katie insisted that I confront Jade immediately and stormed off heading for Jade's house demanding that I follow.
Walking up Jade's gravel driveway I was alarmed to see that the front door of her house was wide open and hanging off its hinges. My eyes scanned over the picturesque stone fishermen's cottage standing as it had for centuries amidst its rambling garden of wild flowers and roses.
All was still and quiet.
Sunlight filtered through the branches of a huge old oak tree beside us casting forbidding shadows across our path as its leaves fell forlornly at our feet. I felt them crunch beneath me as I followed Katie up the aged worn stone steps leading off the driveway onto the cobbled stone path that took us to the steps of the front porch.
The intoxicating scent of lavender bushes growing beside the old timber stairs did little to alleviate the feeling of dread as we stepped onto the ramshackle porch. My eyes wandered to where a hammock swung slowly back and forth and we looked at one another with questioning eyes
Warily we approached the front door calling out to Jade, however the house remained eerily silent.
With bated breath we stepped inside.
Signs of struggle confronted us, furniture had been overturned and papers lay scattered all over the floor. Breakfast dishes with dried half eaten food lay on the kitchen table and pieces of smashed coffee mugs crunched under our feet as we ran through the kitchen to the back door.
It too hung on its hinges and panic stricken we raced outside and pushed our way through the tall hedges surrounding the secluded studio where Jade's family ran their photographic business. A trial of blood led to the open door and terrified we snuk around the side and peered through the window.
Katie gasped in horror there was no sign of Jade or her family and the stud
io had been torn apart. Heavy filing cabinets had been thrown across the room by some almighty force and their contents lay in pools of blood.
Katie was beside herself and we bolted running as fast as we could to Liam's house.
We burst through the back door blurting out to our shocked parents sitting at the kitchen table that Jade and her family were missing. Tearfully Katie told of the blood we'd seen, she was inconsolable fearing that her dearest friend had been murdered.
Mum gasped and looked anxiously at Charlie.
"My god Charlie, could the evil entity that you just warned me about have taken them?"
I could feel mum shaking as she reached out for me and hugged me close.
"It's possible Stacey" Liam's dad Charlie replied solemnly. "Throughout the years there have been other families in the village that have disappeared mysteriously."
"We have to do something Charlie!" Mum pleaded passionately.
"First Stacey you'd better read this. I found it under our door just before you arrived. It may be connected to their disappearance." Liam's dad insisted firmly as he handed mum a note.
Mum went white as a sheet as she looked at the note and I thought she was going to faint.
"Read it out loud Stacey so that everyone can hear." Charlie demanded.
Mum's hands shook and in a strained voice reluctantly complied
"Charlie, Asa has told me the location of the 'Holy Scepter' and the Scrolls which hold the incantations that empower the Scepter!
Asa also said that Sissnaska intends to return to Braden on the thirty-ninth day of 'Moon Harvest' so that he can utilize its powers to empower those who travel from afar.
We must find the 'Holy Sceptre' and the 'Holy Scrolls' before Sissnaska. I fear he too knows their location. We cannot allow Sissnaska to use its powers, as he will enslave the Universe and those beyond.
You must meet me tonight at the fork in the old dirt road at midnight. Bring Sam with you, his powers are stronger.
Its amazing Charlie, I've entered the 'Circle of Time'. It is a zone beyond the radius of the Universe's influence on time and matter like Asa said. It is where time began and ends, then begins again.
Life lives on there Charlie; so you see if you master the complexity of life's meaning the human race will have nothing to fear. A force greater than ours that resides within all will protect Earth from destruction!
I hope that tonight will convince you that the information in the documents that I have given you is not the only truth, there is more!"
Eric.
* * *
"Have you all read this?" mum asked her voice strangling with emotion as she looked earnestly from one to another.
"Yes Stacey and I know what you must be thinking. This note doesn't mean that Eric is alive. Read it again, look Stacey there! Charlie pointed impatiently. "See, it says that Asa told Eric the location of the 'Holy Sceptre' and the 'Holy Scrolls'. We have to be careful, we know nothing of Asa and he could be connected to the Crines. Whoever placed this note under our door must know about the 'Power of Three' and is trying to trick us into exposing ourselves. Why else would they want us to believe that Eric is alive?"
"But Charlie its Eric's handwriting I'd know it anywhere!" mum sobbed
"Shush Stacey, listen everyone." Liam's mum warned.
The distinct sound of footsteps echoing on the wooden floor of the hallway alongside the kitchen startled me.
Silence followed broken only by the sound of the study door creaking open.
Without a word I disengaged myself from mum and resolutely headed for the hallway.
"Dad?" I called as the study door slammed shut.
TO BE CONTINUED
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