The Power of Forgetting (14 page)

‘Jared!’

I jolted with
shock at another human voice. I didn’t look to see who had spoken.
I wasn’t angry. Not really. Because the area had been fenced off
with those inadequate pieces of tape. And I transgressed the
boundaries to learn something. I wasn’t wrong but someone else may
be having a different opinion now.

I realise how
weird it might seem to someone else. But then in the next second I
didn’t care. I would stay here until I was removed. I waited and
felt the silence beat in again. Whoever it was had disappeared back
up the path. Perhaps to fetch someone else.

A moment or two
later, they came back. I sensed that there were several people.
They were cautious. Even the official guards didn’t say anything. I
could sense their retrained aggression though. I saw Marcia
standing opposite me. I saw her through the glass of the bubbles
surface. I could not read her expression. Behind me was another
person. I heard them breathing. There were others. But I didn’t
care to see and shut my eyes. The scent of earth.

‘Jared? Stand
up…please. Then will you step back?’

I think it was
George’s voice…. Could be Jules… no. He has a deeper sound, much
like the cat his eyes emulate. A soft deep sound. Soothing. A voice
to listen to. This one is not so well inflected. It’s not George. I
hear some distinct whispers of discussion. They are trying to work
out how to get me out of this one. I bow my head down to my knees
now. I don’t want to go. I haven’t felt this calm since…. Well I
don’t know when. Peace…. that is the realest gift.

I
simultaneously realise that my family are here. I want them to go
away. So that they don’t have to be concerned at me. I want to be
free of that obligation to be happy and sweet for others sake. It
is irrational I know. I want them to be happy. But I know that at
this moment they are definitely not. So I simply stand up, turn
round and walk back out of the taped off area.

Immediately two
of the heavies grab me by each arm. I know that is what they are
trained to do. I don’t resist.

‘This will have
to be dealt with by our department.’ I hear one of them say to
someone else to my immediate right.

‘Like hell!’
definitely Marcia.

‘Look,’ says
Jules, ‘I will take responsibility for this. I will check the
readings and I will report them back to your boss. We are on equal
terms after all.’

‘Huh….
alright.’ they let go of me. I stand there waiting to be collected.
I am it seems, project property all over again.

‘Ladies…. if
you please.’ says Jules. They take me by the arms and escort me
back up to the big tent. I’m sat down rather firmly in a chair. I
don’t move, I don’t resist. And I keep looking down, not meeting
anyone’s eye. I’m drifting now. And want to sleep. Dieter comes
in.

‘Jay?’ He
says.

I look up at
him.

‘You work it
out. You understand. Yes?’

I just nod.
Marcia and Janey have their serious faces on. Davey who has just
come in looks puzzled. Karis and Morel are talking to Dieter now. I
switch off.

‘Come on
Jared,’ says George, ‘Time to go home.’ He pulls me up and we walk
back along that track towards the lane. It’s about a mile. There
are lamps strung along the path, like mini street lights.
Eventually we get to the car. I am sandwiched between Marcia and
Janey. Davey is in the front passenger seat. And Sam is driving. No
one speaks.

I sit in the
big chair. The lamps are lit in pools of light. I want to sleep but
something won’t let me. I heard a whisper. But I felt too dazed to
take in what is happening around me. I’m back in my parents’ house
in the main room. No one except Marcia is here with me. But the
others are through in the other room and I catch snatches of
whispered conversation.

“He’s not said
anything….”; “Why is Jared doing this?”; “Are you sure he hadn’t
done that?”

Done what? I
supposed they meant caused it to stop like that.

Karis comes in
and sits down in front of me. She glances and Marcia who moves her
head slightly in acknowledgement.

‘Well little
brother. I will need to get you something to help you tonight.’ She
holds out her hands.

I touch her
fingers lightly and look up. She is neutral but serious in a way.
Concentrating and then she slips her fingers round mine.

It is not like
our Father. She is more subtle. You wouldn’t know someone was
riffling through you mind unless you were actually concentrating. I
moan slightly then. That barrier comes up that secret… the one I
don’t want to tell.

‘Jay…. Jay.
Look at me!’

I look into my
sister’s eyes. Then I feel there a pain that makes me shrink. That
not knowing…being alone….and she is looking and looking. And then
she goes on a journey. And I see her holding a baby in her arms. At
first I think it is hers. But then I see the scene. She visits
another woman. Someone else. A face I have seen. This is the
younger version of her. The baby is…. She is….

I look at
Karis. I tear gathers and rolls itself down her cheek as her face
shows nothing. But beneath the surface I can feel this terrible
passion, like a raging storm. It could eclipse the sun. She has
been to the strangest place. And she knows there is something that
cannot be undone. And in my mind’s eye I hear her weeping. I see
our mother Laura rocking herself and crying as well. What could
have hurt them both? Karis! I cry out in my mind. She lets goes of
my hand.

‘It’s fine.’
She says.

‘It’s not
though, is it?’ I say to her.

‘Not really.’
Karis looks startled.

‘Help me
sister!’ I manage to say, ‘I really need to learn something from
you.’

‘You are fine
dear brother. You have controlled a time stop. In a controlled
area. You touched the skin of this. You let go and you are
seemingly unhurt.’

‘Am I crazy?’ I
ask her.

‘No more than
usual.’ Karis is still sad. What I saw was the single most
difficult thing for her, Leo and Laura. There was nothing they
could do. She looked down at that baby. She knew that she could not
take it back to its mother. She had to leave and tell her dear
friend that baby Rose was not coming home.

Karis was
already there. She could not destroy her own future. The paradox
made the action impossible by anyone. Karis knew. Therefore, the
knowledge is what prevented the action that had been taken from
being undone. Karis was that baby. She was stolen. And another
family had brought her up. Laura had already met her. The circle
was already closed. And the deal was sealed when Karis went to find
that lost child. Then it was over. They could not take her back.
Karis’ information was the only thing that makes it possible. We
let it be. And Janey and I were then the product of an
overprotective mother. So terrified of her children being taken
from her again. The culprit was apprehended by Leo…. So I had
heard. But that was not something I could now know anything further
about today.

'Jared?' Karis
brings me back, 'Do you see?'

'Yes.' I said,
'There are some things that you cannot change....and some things
that you can.'

'The person who
is wise; understands the difference,' she said, 'and now you see
why I understand it so well.'

'Karis....I'm
sorry for being so stupid....' I try to see some acknowledgement in
her face, but see a question instead.

'I cannot
tell,' she says, 'but you are already casting a wide net over
several people....'

'What does that
mean?'

'I think there
is only one way to know.' Karis turns to Marcia who has been
waiting patiently all this time, 'Will you let me into your mind?'
she asks her.

Marcia tilts
her head to one side, 'I don't want to be seen like that...' she
says, then: 'I'll only consent if there really is no other
way.'

'I can only
tell with the strong connection that is obviously yours;' Karis
seems hesitant but continues, 'if a relationship is erm.... More,
well.... Connected.' she seems to be lost and looks at me with an
appeal for rescue in her eyes. I just shrug, puzzled. What Karis
means by that is not for me to speculate. I’m guessing that sense
of attachment.

‘What do you
actually mean, when you say you want me to let you into your mind?’
Marcia is sitting up now, a defensive gesture.

‘I never do
anything like that without permission.’ Says Karis, ‘and I couldn’t
with you anyway. There is a very strong resistance…. You seem very
protective of Jared in a way that means that if any one tried to
invade his mind, you would know.’

‘You mean some
kind of psychic connection?’ Marcia has that bright interested
look. She wants to know everything. I sit back in the chair trying
to hide from them both. They both turn and look at me at the same
time. There is a fraction of a second when I sense Karis and Marcia
moving towards me….and then I can feel them both just inside my
mind….in the front hall as it were.

‘Please stop!’
I sound breathless. But they are there, just at the edge of all my
secrets. I know that I cannot hide anything from Karis, not really.
But how is Marcia doing this? This ability is one that I have not
seen Marcia exercise. She communicates a lot very strongly in the
normal sense of the word.

‘Stop that
now!’ another voice cracks like a glass shattering. All at once the
pressure lifts.

‘Mother!’ says
Karis.

‘Yes,’ Laura
comes round to me and brushes her hand lightly over my head. The
tension totally dissipates, ‘I won’t have this Karis. There is no
need. I know what has happened here.’

‘You do?’ Karis
sounds unstrung and contrite, ‘sorry Jared; sorry Mother.’

I look at her.
I have never heard Karis address Laura as “Mother” before. I
clearly have to play catch up.

‘As we are all
here,’ Laura relaxes into the seat next to mine, ‘I will tell you.
This is my area remember? I know much more about all of this, than
even Leo can instinctively. You both are dangerously powerful, and
Marcia is the one who can stop you both.’

‘What?’ Marcia
is for once startled and speechless. I daren’t say anything to our
Mother. She has us on her territory, and she is in certain ways
more potent than even Karis. Mother…. Laura has “Earth Blood” as we
call it. And because she is a traveller it makes her completely
unstoppable. But even Laura cannot change others.

Laura speaks
very softly now; like the purr of a cat: ‘There are some who cannot
be changed. They cannot be erased. And have a strong “signature” as
we call it. It opposes all other forms of this talent; it can
neutralise any sort of person who possesses such ability as Karis,
or Jared do; or Mr Morel.’

I look at
Marcia. She is unperturbed by all of this.

‘Yes…. I know.’
Marcia says, ‘I have felt the same as when it is quiet at home. I
can feel it in the ground. Inside me…. Everything is flying around,
but it cannot change me, or move me. According to the scientists, I
was supposed to be immune to paradox; in to the Sandglass
experiment. I am not affected by consequences, different
realities…. or anything else the governing body could throw into
the mix.’

‘Ah!’ Karis’
eyes widen as if she had answered an unspoken question.

‘The thing is…’
Marcia continued, ‘I am now clear that these magical things are
like a kind of science…. some people can juggle; or do complex
maths questions in five seconds, or understand the parameters of
the theory so that they can build a time machine. Or even bend
space-time by the power of their own minds…like this family seem to
do. It’s part of a whole universe of weirdness that could throw up
anything at all. I’ve seen so much that I am fully convinced that
you are all gifted with this…. the question is; what can this do to
help us stop the Bank Collective? But the question that bothers me
the most is a practical one: When are we going to kit up and
investigate this anomaly?’

‘It a trap.’ I
say.

‘Of course it
is.’ says Marcia without looking at me.

‘I will call
the rest of you team,’ Laura is matter of fact, ‘and we will know
more tomorrow,’

‘And tell me,’
Marcia says, ‘why are you looking for that net that has been cast
out in Jared? It’s not there. There are two of us that are immune
to all the effects.’

‘What do you
mean?’ says Laura carefully.

‘Davey of
course. Your son brought him back; and Davey brought your son back.
It was Davey who elected to stay with Jared and Janey in that place
where all times meets. We are the ones you’re looking for. And no
need to go in the spare room of anyone’s mind.’

‘Oh! Well…. A
boy? He is an anchor. And you are….’ Laura addressed Karis
exclusively then, ‘You and I need to have a little talk.’ She got
up, and Karis obediently followed her out of the room. Kitchen I
guessed.

Marcia came and
sat next to me, ‘This isn’t chess.’ She touched my arm lightly,
‘It’s alright now. No one else will be fiddling with the files
today,’

‘I…. I don’t
know what happened in the mountain.’ I said to her.

‘I went to find
Jules and the others. We were clever. We switched the end
points.’

‘What does that
mean?’

‘I would think
you would know.’

‘Not a clue.
I’m an artist remember. No point in talking technical; unless it’s
about cars.’

‘We changed the
destination and the start point on the map of events. The story has
already ended.’

So where does
the whole things begin?’

‘Ah!’ Marcia
started to smile, ‘that is the fun part, are you ready for a little
adventure?’

‘Yes?’ I’m
really not sure what just happened.

‘Jared….my
dear. I get it. All of it. Even your mother. Just don’t tell anyone
I said so.’