Otherworld: Station One. - 7. Winter 7

It happened quickly. The black mass finally took a finished form looking almost identical to Mel. Several things were off about it though. Its hair, whilst the same short shape was a smoky grey colour; its eyes were solid blue, and it was at least eight feet tall.

It turned its head towards us and raised a black gloved hand, closing each of its fingers till it was pointing at Mel. “Mine…” It said. It’s voice was decidedly feminine. The rest of its body was grey skinned, wearing a black leotard. Its hands and forearms were covered to the elbow in black satin. Along its back, were half filled syringes, all buried in its spine and shoulder blades. Its mouth was also covered by black material.

I struggled to my feet, self-preservation kicking in and I forgot about Mel for the moment. “I want mine….” It oozed its voice dripping with raw hatred.

It lurched forward on spindly legs, stepping slowly but deliberately. Alex was in front of me and he pulled one of his boxing stances. “Get Mel inside.” He told me. I frowned, yeah because all great plans succeeded when people split up. That was how Mel was hurt in the first place.

“I’m not going anywhere.” I replied. Alex flipped me off.

“Will you get her inside, it’s her it wants.”

Ok so maybe I was a bit too stubborn. I had to get Mel somewhere safe, but that someplace safe wasn’t inside. Mum would be in danger then. I hoisted Mel onto my shoulder and carried her off the deck towards the side garden. I found the garden bench and laid her down on it.

I checked again for her pulse. “C’mon…” I murmured. I couldn’t feel anything. I steadied myself and checked again. Nothing.

I was numb, was she… was she dead? No, that couldn’t be it, check again. I leant down to touch her neck again but was stopped.

“Eli!” Alex screamed. And I think it was worse hearing him scream, it was in pain. I bolted back out to the backyard and saw that the dark thing had him by his throat, and its other hand was holding a syringe up to his face. “Help me!”

What was I supposed to do ? This thing was strong. I had to do something; at my feet was dirt and stones, all the size of my knuckles. Nothing I could really use. “ELI!” Alex’s voice shocked me into action. I remembered there was a cricket bat in the garage that Mum had bought me when I was still that impressionable age.

It was one of many failed attempts to mold me into a true man. At least her definition of a true man. I raced into the shed and flicked on one of the lights and started digging around the many piles of garbage. The shed had become to some extent a giant store-room. Anything we didn’t use was left in here instead of inside.

Mice had made their home living amongst the nooks and crannies that our trash made. My hands closed on something solid and long. I pulled it out and triumphantly held the bat over my head. I unfroze from my victory pose, silently chastising myself and ran back outside.

For some unknown but excellent reason it hadn’t speared Alex like a shish kebab yet. “Eli do something!” He screamed. Both of his hands were fighting the one arm of this creature. I ran up to the thing, still unsure of what I should do, until I noticed the syringes along its back.

They were each filled with a yellow liquid that sloshed around inside its chamber. I gritted my teeth, pulled back the bat and jumped, swinging it into one of the syringes burying it, and its contents into the thing’s body.

It shrieked in multiple tones, and I felt that familiar distortion of sound, like it was tearing apart the concept of noise and replacing it with its own sounds. It whipped around, dropping Alex in the process and swiped at me.

I jumped back barely dodging the attack. It kept coming at me and I couldn’t dodge the second swipe, it hit me in the chest sending me off my feet backwards landing with the pole of the clothes line in my back.

I had let go of the bat during my flight and slumped to the ground trying to get my legs working. The creature loomed over me its slender fingers reaching out and grasping one of my legs. I was wrenched upwards, dangling I stared into its stormy eyes.

“Fuck off you disgusting slime bitch!” I heard Alex roar. I didn’t see him but I heard the thunk of the bat again. The thing wailed and dropped me, and I landed on my shoulder, pain blossoming in a sudden burst.

I struggled to my feet and leant against the clothesline. I limped into the shed and pulled out my mother’s old lime green tennis racquet; she had bought it when she was trying to get herself into a health kick. It didn’t last: within the week of purchasing it she was back on the alcohol and cigarettes.

I proceeded to search for the golf balls she then bought when she caught me watching it on television. I didn’t have the heart to tell her I was actually watching one of her… inappropriate… videos and had changed the channel quickly to whatever I could. Besides I’d rather her think I was trying to mature in an easier to understand way.

With the bucket of balls in my grasp I moved to just outside the door and set them down. I lifted one and tossed it in the air with one hand and slammed it with my good hand holding the racquet.

I had never been good at sport: football eluded me, my feet were never meant for soccer, ping-pong was too hard for my eyes to keep up with, and cricket was far too boring. But damnit I could swing a racquet, and I grinned as the ball stuck into the side of the thing’s head.

That grin quickly faded in a downward pull of my lips as it turned its attention back to me, seemingly unfazed. “Crap…” It got down on all fours and charged at me, tearing up the ground as its gloved hands turned to claws. All along its grey skin, ridges appeared slowly, forcing their way to the surface.

It stopped in front of me, hunched and lifted a claw. “Why fighhttttt.” It hissed. My eyes were gazing past it though, watching Alex kick one of our deck chairs, made out of black fabric with cream trimmings in front of him, then run out onto it and jump. My attention flew back to the creature and its elongated claws as it swung at me. I ducked, slipping on the dew covered grass and fell to the ground.

I saw Alex land on its back and he started stamping on the remaining syringes, filling the creature with its own festering bile. It didn’t make a sound. It swayed for a moment and fell to the ground, its limbs curling in on itself and with an almost blissful sigh it was dead.

At least, I that’s what I assumed it was.

“Can we not, have ONE HOUR OF FUCKING REST!!” Alex roared collapsing beside the unnamable thing. “IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK!” I almost smiled, my lungs laboring to draw breath.

The body started to shake, like it was having its own personal earthquake rippling all over and I saw little tears starting to form along its abdomen. It swelled and with a pop, a simple pop noise like that of a bubblegum balloon it exploded spraying me with its yellow substance. Its effect was instant.

“Argh!!” I cried out, my skin bubbling and burning. Whatever it was, it had some kind of acidic base. I clawed at my skin pulling off layer after layer, watching the blood pool at my feet as it oozed from the wounds.

“Eli?” I heard Alex yell. His face swam into view as my eyes drifted in and out of focus.

I started to feel dizzy and I fell backwards, my eyes drooping. “You’ll be okay…” Someone whispered softly, sweetly. I tried to raise my eyes but couldn’t, my body was flooded with excruciating pain that overrode every other order my brain tried to give.

A delicate hand touched my arm that I had held against my chest, the bloodied one and it pulled it out away from my body. I could feel the warmth of the blood sticking to my clothes. “Shh….it’s okay…”

The voice was so soothing, and familiar. It lifted my head and I smiled.

“Mel…” I breathed.

***

I was drifting on a raft, in the middle of an ocean of pillows. The sun was gently reminding me that it was still there and that it would burn me soon.

This was safe, and secure. I was safe.

But I wasn’t. There was a dull nagging in the back of my mind that something wasn’t right. And that’s when the sun fell away, and the pillows turned rough and hard.

I could hear voices, three I thought. Two male and one female. The female was soothing the other two and I was trying to open my eyes. It was that intense feeling of being there but not really. Like under sedation in a…hospital… like, that day…

No. Don’t. I don’t want to remember. It wouldn’t stop though, I was thrust into the middle of a white room with sterile lights. White… everything was white. The mist? No. this was colder, more inhumane than mist, so much more unnatural.

“We’re waiting for blood tests but…” a voice said suddenly. I was lying, restricted rather, in a white coffin-like bed. The pillow underneath my head was firm and unyielding in its attempts to break my neck. The sheets were coarse and itched rubbing against my skin.

I tried to struggle against the tightness that was constricting me. “Eli? Eli sweetie, its okay. Mummy’s here.” She hadn’t let me call her Mummy since then.

“Jacqueline...” I murmured. I hadn’t said that name since then either. “Where’s Jacqueline?” I asked. I needed to know for some reason.

I had forced this memory to the back of my mind, I didn’t want to know about it, or think about it. As far as I was concerned, it didn’t exist.

“Your sister’s in another room sweetheart.” Mum was never like this afterwards. She pretty much dropped words like, ‘dear’ ‘sweetie’ and ‘sweetheart’ from her vocabulary like they were toxic, like the words had been damaged beyond usage again.

I tried to move again but I felt a strong hold on my shoulder. Mum was never that strong. “Settle down son, you’re exhausted. The operations took a lot out of you both.”

“Is she… is she alright?” I heard myself say. The doctor, at least that’s who I assumed this white clad man was, glanced at my Mum, I could hear her sniffles.

“She’s… she’s- we’re doing everything we can.” He said finally. My eyes started to burn, and a pit of guilt opened in my stomach. I was responsible. Was I? It was my fault. Was it? I couldn’t remember. Not properly, everything was getting cloudy, the doctor was talking again but I felt my body pulling me back to reality with sharp stabbing pain.

“If he doesn’t wake up soon…” I heard Alex trail off. “What are we going to tell his Mum?” He asked someone.

“He’ll wake up.” Answered a girl. “I fixed it, at least I’m almost positive I fixed it.” She said. I realized with a jump of my heart that it was Mel. She was alive!

“I don’t understand how you fixed it.” That rough voice was easily locatable. It was on my left, closer than the rest and the attitude laced in the words could only mean it was Hamon. “Only an Angel can do that.”

“I told you, I feel different. Whatever I did it’s because of what you did to me.” Mel countered. It was strange noting the hostility in her voice, something she had never achieved before. Calm, sweet Mel.

“What is with you people!” Hamon cried out. “If you keep treating me like everything is my fault I’m going to have to do some serious purging.”

“You… seriously need to relax.” I moaned, my mouth choosing to mutter the precise words I didn’t want anyone to hear. The room was quiet, then someone started to laugh.

“You’re alright!” Alex yelled.

“Alex, shut up!” Mel said, I heard a thud and an ‘Ow’ and felt the corners of my mouth pull into a smile. “Can you open your eyes?” she asked.

I tried and felt like something was clamping them shut. My lids twitched and eventually they parted. I must have been under for a long time. Sunlight was streaming in through my window almost blinding me and I tried to turn my head away but found that I couldn’t. After a moment my eyes adjusted and I could see that I was in my own room, the small ferns that I had planted when I was younger just outside the window.

I never watered them.

As I gained some strength back my eyes roamed over to Mel who was nearest to me. She was bent over me, I had never really understood the concept of telling what people were feeling through their eyes, but I could see the worry in hers. I didn’t know how I knew, I just did.

Alex was sitting on my desk, not the chair, the desk. “Unless your ass can polish wood get off my desk.” I said the words all piling into my mouth and then falling out clumsily. He grinned and stood up.

“Sorry,” he said. “Glad you’re awake.”

“Me too.” I replied.

Hamon was on my other side, looking tense and upset somewhat, but also relieved. He was turning it a rather fashion savvy angel I remarked, noting his change into dark jeans and a black v-neck.

“You should be dead.” He said. Mel gasped and reached over me slapping him gently on the face.

“Well aren’t you a ray of sunshine?” I murmured rolling over. “Ow!” I yelped moving back. I had rolled onto my arm. I lifted it up for me to examine. The skin was back but incredibly pink, like when you pick at dead skin and the newer, tender skin is underneath. Well imagine taking off that second layer, and the one after that, and again, until you get to bare muscle with one layer left and that’s what my arm looked like.

“Be gentle, it’ll be sore for a little while still.” Mel said taking a hold of my arm. She laid her fingers on the skin and I flinched. Her eyes fluttered closed and her hand started to freeze. I hissed trying to pull away, but before it got to that ‘far too cold for humans’ stage. It warmed, and eventually I felt like I had just taken a shower, not wet, just refreshed.

The smell of sweet honey wafted through my nose and I almost fell asleep right there. I smiled, probably like a goofy fool and sat back against my pile of pillows.

“How are you doing that!” Hamon exclaimed. “You shouldn’t be able to do that”

“No, I got that part, but I don’t know.” She replied coolly. Her eyes slanted like a cats, narrowing on him. “Maybe you could do some research.” Alex snickered in the corner, and I turned my attention to him as the other two bickered.

“You okay?” He mouthed, not wanting to draw attention to himself. I nodded, and he grinned. “Good.”

“What about the feather?” I suggested turning my attention back to their argument. Hamon looked at me, confused, Mel too. “You said that only fatally injured Angels were healed the way you healed Mel…”

Hamon turned to stare out the window thoughtfully and scratched his chin. “It’s possible,” he said. He turned to Mel. “What happened when you woke up?”

Mel grimaced. “I don’t really remember. I remember going outside to find Eli, and then throwing up something disgusting.” I sighed inwardly, she didn’t see what had happened. Yes, that thing. The thing that I don’t know what it was so I’ll just call it ‘thing’.

“I remember being taken to the back door, and then…” She stopped, holding onto her head, “I remember, a bird?... a swan I think.” I glanced at Hamon who looked utterly baffled. “It gave me a feather and I took it inside me-” She stopped. “This probably sounds crazy.”

Alex barked out a laugh. “I’m pretty sure we’re beyond crazy here regardless.” He said smiling. I noticed that his teeth were relatively normal, short and not overtly white, although his canines were incredibly sharp, sort of like a dog, and it made me smile.

“True,” she murmured blushing. “I took the feather in me, I tried to open my eyes but I couldn’t. I heard a voice, telling me that I was dead and it laughed. And then I woke up.”

“That’s when she came out from the side garden and found Eli pretty much dead.” Alex filled in the rest.

“Hamon.” I said suddenly. He looked down at me. “What the hell did we fight?” I heard Alex cough and glanced past Hamon to him.

“Again, I’m sorry but I do not know, I will consult my superiors. I believe I know someone who will help me.” I frowned, the answer was far too clinical for my liking.

Then fell a silence. “Well, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be standing.” Mel said trying to break the tension in the room. “C’mon Hamon, help him up.” Hamon gripped me around my waist and helped get me out of bed. Alex watched, steel-eyed.

“I’m pretty sure that carrying him out of bed was probably a tad overdramatic.” He said. I silently agreed. Someone had changed my clothes I noticed as I stood gingerly testing out my feet. My old clothes were probably a bit too blood-drenched for any real wear.

Now I stood with my body wrapped in a bathrobe. One quick shake was all I needed to determine my status underneath the robe. I felt heat rise into my cheeks and pulled the soft blue material closer to my skin.

Thankfully the others didn’t notice, or at least chose not to. A thought occurred and I spoke over my shoulder. “How long was I out?”

“Well it’s Sunday so only a night.” Mel answered.

“What about Mum, is she okay?” I asked. I was curious as to why she didn’t come outside, there was a whole lot of yelling, screaming and the like.

“When we went back inside she was passed out in the lounge room. Dude, I didn’t know your Mum could down two vodka bottles.” Alex said sounding a little awed. “That’s freakin’ sweet.”

I scoffed and faced him. “That’s nothing, the last time she had a boyfriend and he dumped her I had to hide the cheap liquor after she polished off the hard alcohol cabinet.” I replied grinning.

“Only boys.” Mel whispered slamming her palm to her forehead. Hamon smirked, then his face turned serious.

“Mel, what you described was a similar process our healers go through to obtain their expertise.” He said. “I have some researching to do. Do you mind if I leave you. I trust you will not call the Otherworld to you in the time I am gone.”

Alex shrugged and looked at me, Mel did the same. “Um, I guess so. We’ll try and stay out of trouble.” Hamon smirked and then was gone.

“I sort of miss the days when I could be chilling in my room, or boxing…” Alex muttered, then his face fell. “Fuck, I’ve got training. I gotta go.” He burst out. He ran out of my room and grabbed his shoes by the door.

“Oh, bugger.” I heard him murmur. He stuck his head back in the door. “Here.” He handed me a slip of paper with what I assumed was his number. “Message me as soon as possible, I sort of think under the circumstances it’s not unusual for people to swap numbers.” He said, glancing at me and winked.

How was I supposed to take that? He grinned at Mel and then left slamming the front door on his way out. Then there was two. “What now?”

Mel giggled. “I’m not sure. Reality seems pretty boring now.”

“No telling how long it’ll last.” I said gazing out the window, “Let’s go to the park” I said. Mel smiled serenely and nodded. I started towards the door then realized I hadn’t changed. “Um, excuse me a moment.” She laughed and exited the room as I pulled the cupboard door open.

The day was warm enough to justify cargo pants I figured. There was sunlight, ergo summer clothes. Along with my brown cargo pants I threw on a light blue t-shirt and grabbed my olive jumper out, in case it was a little too cold to handle.

Together we made our way past my house round the back to a small creek. We usually came here with my Mum. She was an expert at pickle and peanut butter sandwiches and lime milkshakes. Sadly, the creek had slowly been drying up over the past few years. There was still enough to swim in. I dunno, maybe I was getting bigger.

While we walked I grabbed out my phone and texted Alex, letting him know my number and then slid the mobile back into my pocket, forgetting about it completely.

The bank was this mess of dirt and vibrant lush grass. Most of it was under the shade of the willow trees planted along the edges. We settled down on the roots of one tree and dangled our feet in the water.

“I miss regularity.” Mel said softly, throwing back her head into the fractured sunlight filtering down through the naked sweeping branches. Her neck stretching and she smiled.

I gulped audibly and she turned to me squinting through one of hers. “You okay?” I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. That was odd; I was supposed to be the smart, witty guy. Plus I had no idea what came over me. So I turned back to the creek. The sound of bubbling water and the smell of fresh dirt under fingernails reminded me of being a kid.

“I know what you mean, it’s nice out here. Remember when we used to pretend there was a giant crocodile in the river?” I said regaining my composure. Mel laughed and shoved me. “Ow, why’d you shove me?” I grinned.

“Memories are so embarrassing!” I frowned. I personally liked my memories. Although lately they’d been failing me. “But yes, I do remember, didn’t he have a crown?”

I nodded, “And a giant ball and chain.” I remarked. The memory of the island sized croc made me smile. “Do you reckon R.S.P.C.A would have us locked away for that?”

“Probably.” She agreed.

I sighed and lay down, feeling the rough knots and twists in the roots underneath my back. “Did you call your parents?” I asked.

“Yeah, I told them where I was but when I said I wasn’t sitting with them in the lounge room to begin with they didn’t sound convinced, but they aren’t going to press it, people have a habit of latching onto whatever excuse you throw at them when something unexplainable happens.” She said. She turned her head and faced me, “Do you ever wonder why it was us, I mean me and you, why we weren’t affected?”

I frowned. I hated thinking deeply, and lately that’s all I had been doing. “Honestly, not even for a minute.” She looked puzzled, “I don’t want to know why I wasn’t affected. Does it mean something’s wrong with me? Am I sick? Am I special? No one needs that kind of pressure. I’m finding it hard just to stay alive. And that’s a sentence I never thought I’d say.” I rambled.

“I just, don’t want to know.” I finished. Mel stared at me, possibly studying me, possibly pitying me. I didn’t know. I sat up and ran a hand over my head.

“I think it was Hamon.” She continued. Like she hadn’t even heard a word I had said. “I mean, he told us to come to him, and explained why he was here, as if he was expecting us to offer to help.”

“Well why haven’t we?” I interjected.

“Because he hasn’t told us anything, and you know he’s hiding things from us. Plus he’s been hanging around, and every time he’s gone we get attacked, and every time he shows up it’s just in time.” She sat up next to me, staring into my eyes. Hers flecked with anger.

“I don’t trust him, Alex doesn’t trust him, so why do you?”

“Because he’s a bloody angel!” I exclaimed. Duh, angel equaled good in my books. And in a whole lot of other books too, you know, like, The Bible!

“Yeah, an angel who almost killed me, and who brought us into this on purpose, and it was only meant to be us: you and me!” She was getting louder and louder, her face inches from mine. “Didn’t you see how pissed he was that we brought Alex with us?”

“That was only yesterday.” I murmured. Had that really all happened within one day? That, thing…with Alex… I shook it out of my head.

“Yes, yesterday.” Mel agreed, although probably thinking something else. “Look, I’m sick of not knowing, but I know you’re smart, so what you choose I’ll go along with, as long as you know that Hamon hasn’t earned my trust. Just being and Angel doesn’t earn you automatic brownie points.” She explained.

“Why is it up to me exactly?” I asked: she smiled.

“That’s easy, because you care.” She explained, like she was teaching math to an eight year old. The concept was easy but the student didn’t grasp it. And only when the student was older would he look back and realise. ‘Yeah, that was easy.’

“So what do you think we should do, help out or sit back?” Mel asked. I sighed heavily and slumped out with my arms flung backwards. I could feel that weird tingly touching feeling like something was crawling over my body.

“Sit back and let the world end?” I laughed although it left a hollow feeling in my stomach. A ladybug buzzed past my head and landed on my shoulder. “I think we have a world to save.” I grinned. Mel smiled.

“Excellent.” Mel said, punching her fist into her palm. “Because I’ve got some bones to pick with the big man.” She laughed.

I laughed along with her and she fell backwards, her head landing on my chest. There was a moment’s silence. The sounds of wind rushing through the branches overhead and far off crickets lulled me into a daze.

“Uh, Eli, is that your phone buzzing, god I hope so.” I blushed and snaked my hand under her back reaching into my pocket. It was a message Alex.

Hey, Angel dude says he wants us to meet him at the water-tower at one. See you then? I couldn’t help but smile.

“What’s the smile for?” Mel asked grabbing a hold of my arm, causing an intense flashback. My face must have dropped because Mel was still. “What, what’s wrong?” She asked, slightly panicked.

The hole under the bin, whatever was down there was alone in the house with my Mum.

I took off towards the house almost sending Mel down into the creek. “Eli wait up!” She scrambled after me but I was already reaching the back fence, I placed one hand at the top and launched myself over.

“Fuck it Eli, I can’t jump this, help me.” I heard her voice. Apparently she was a lot quicker than I had given her credit for. I stepped on one of the crates on the other side of the fence and could easily reach over. She grabbed my hand and with my help she clambered over.

“C’mon.” I said simply. Jumping over the piles of chicken shit and up to the deck. The chickens were Mum’s idea, she liked eggs plain and simple.

I stopped in the kitchen and saw Mum. How the hell was I going to explain this? A small smile crept onto my face as I figured it out. “Hey mum..” I said casually. She turned away from the oven and smiled at me and Mel who tumbled in behind me.

“Hey, whatcha up to?” She asked.

“Oh, um I remember seeing a mouse last night in here.” That was all it took, she screamed and ran out into the living room.

“Find it, kill it!” She yelled.

“Okay, I need to move the bin though.” I smiled, half worried at the same time as being amused.

“I don’t care, just do it!” I nodded to Mel who seemed confused but helped me shift the bin. It was just linoleum. I supposed I shouldn’t have been disappointed but when there was nothing but lint and dirty floor to greet me I was a little… under whelmed I guess.

“I got it Ma, I’m taking it outside.” I lied, she couldn’t see me anyway. I made a show of carrying something small outside and then tossed it over the deck.

“Alright, well we’re heading out Mum, going to meet friends at the water tower and get some lunch.” I explained as I trudged back inside.

“Okay well say hello to that young blonde boy for me.” she said, her eyelashes battering like mad.

“Mum, please don’t hit on my only male friends.” I pleaded. She just shooed me away and as we stepped out the front door my phone rang again.

It was Hamon this time. I only knew that because of the unknown number and the content.

‘Make it 12:30, I have a plan.’