The Weapon Within: A Paranormal Dystopian Adventure (The Unexplainables Book 1) (24 page)

‘Noooooo!’ The harder I fought, the tighter the rope became.

‘
Get your filthy hands off my grandson!’ Wielding a walking stick between his hands, Gramps rushed at Nicholas from behind the hay bales. Nicholas watched his approach with calm astonishment. As Gramps swung the stick down, Nicholas stepped forwards and touched a finger to the pale, bony wrist. The old man crumpled in a heap on the floor. As Nicholas bent down towards Oscar again, I felt my powers explode. The rope disintegrated and I was free but it was too late.

Nicholas
’ fingers pressed down on Oscar’s face as I skidded to a stop beside them. The whole barn shook as I screamed. There was an explosion behind me and the heat stung my back. Something grabbed hold of my hand. I was about to wrench it free when I looked down into Oscar’s eyes. He blinked.

It took a moment for me to absorb what was happening. I stared at Oscar
’s face as he blinked again, tears trickling down his cheeks. Nicholas looked just as shocked as I felt. With a shriek of rage I launched myself at him, throwing him to the ground.

‘
If you kill me you will never know the truth. I know who and what you are.’

‘
Bully for you,’ I retorted. As I absorbed his power inside me it repulsed me. It burned like acid. Joe’s face came into my mind and I realised with a shock that it was this power that had killed him and who knew how many others? Shuddering, I pressed my hands against Nicholas’ clammy skin until the breath left his lungs.

With my last scrap of energy, I lifted Gramps
’ frail body up into my arms. The wall of flame parted slightly in the middle allowing Oscar and I to join the others. As we made it through the door, the barn collapsed behind us.

‘I’ll show you, look.’ Jamie limped across the pod to the bookshelf where the little MP3 player was still in its docking station. He fiddled with the back of it then suddenly wrenched the whole thing off the shelf and smashed it to the ground.

‘
Paradise is the future,’ a voice said softly. ‘You are the true leader. All others will look up to you. Outsiders do not understand us. They wish us harm. You must not trust them or anything they say to you. Trust only Nicholas and Simeon. The future lies with them.’

‘
It’s on a loop system,’ Jamie explained. ‘Some sort of hypnotic trance thing. All I know is that everyone’s been force fed this on a nightly basis. It goes on to say how we must use whatever force is necessary to protect our leaders and to stop the outsiders from damaging our community. Do you want to hear it all?’

‘
No thanks. I can’t believe I never realised it was happening.’

‘
None of us did. Come on, we’d better get out of here so they can get on with flattening it. Is there anything you need to get before we go?’

‘
No, I have everything.’ Mother’s bag was safely tied around my waist. ‘Will the Paradise members be ok?’

‘
Well, the docs reckon that they’re going to need some help to re-adjust to normal society. But once the new housing estates have been built here, I guess they’ll start to forget all about this place. It’s just going to take time.’

‘
I guess so,’ I smiled. Behind me, the bulldozer’s engine started up and seconds later came a loud splintering sound. Without so much as a backwards glance, I followed Jamie to the waiting car and left the Paradise Community behind for good.

*

‘Oscar? Where are you going?’

‘
Out.’

‘
Out where?’

He sighed deeply.
‘Just out, Skye, ok?’

‘
You’re going to see
her
aren’t you?’

He dropped his eyes to the ground and didn
’t reply.

‘
I don’t want you to go.’

‘
I have to.’

‘
Do you love her?’

‘
I don’t know what to say, Skye. Ava and I have a connection. It’s different from what we have.’

‘
Don’t you love
me
any more?’ Tears slid down her cheeks.

‘
I don’t know. It’s not that I don’t love you, it’s just . . .’

‘
You love her more?’

‘
I’m sorry.’ He turned to walk away.

‘
I’m pregnant.’

He froze then turned back very slowly.
‘Say that again?’

She covered her eyes with her hands, sobbing into them.
‘I honestly don’t know how it happened but it has and I’m going to keep it. I’m having your baby, Oscar.’

‘
Well, that changes things,’ he muttered.

The sobs increased and she crouched down, curling in on herself. Feeling as though his heart were about to be ripped in two he walked over to her and knelt down beside her.
‘Shhh, come on. It’s going to be ok. We’ll work something out.’

*

‘Is about here ok?’ Brock pointed the tip of his spade to a patch of earth. I nodded. Slamming the blade into the ground, he set about digging a hole. Beads of sweat glistened on his brow but I knew there was no point in offering to help. He’d been adamant that this was something he wanted to do himself.

It had been a tough few weeks. The building work had started and everybody was helping, making the process more pleasant and bringing the community together. The government had announced that they were replacing the prime minister and would be having emergency meetings to discuss equal rights for Nexes and Standards. I had seen all my surviving friends and was happy that they were all alive and being well cared for.

Unfortunately I had also attended a mass funeral for those who had not survived the troubles. It had been an incredibly sad and difficult experience, but it was right that they were given a fitting send off. An area of the park had been sectioned off in order to make a special garden in their memory. Everything was slowly getting back to normal and yet I felt empty inside.

‘
There, what do you think?’

Brock
was kneeling behind the sapling he’d just planted and was now patting soil down around its roots to steady it.

‘
Perfect,’ I replied, ‘although I’m guessing not many people will see it here.’

‘
Exactly,’ he beamed, apparently proud of himself. ‘That’s for two reasons – firstly to make sure no one knocks it over by mistake and secondly I thought it was fitting that it would be a bit hidden away, like the panther was – always there in the shadows, proud and beautiful.’

Tears stung my eyes. With the amount I had cried recently I was surprised there was any more moisture left in my body.

‘I know.’ Brock came and sat next to me, pulling me into a hug. ‘It’s been a hard time for all of us. But it’s over now.’

‘
For you.’

‘
What do you mean?’ He pushed me away and frowned down at me.

I shrugged.
‘I’m not sure what to do with myself any more.’

‘
You could come back to our house. We’d love to have you back, you know that. Things are changing now – there’ll be all sorts of opportunities for our kind.’

‘
I appreciate the offer.’

‘
But?’

‘
But I just feel as though it isn’t time for me to settle down yet.’

He kissed me gently on the forehead.
‘I understand. We’ll still be here when you’re ready. You know that, don’t you?’

I nodded, unable to speak. He pulled me back into his arms and we sat there, watching as the tiny leaves on the sapling fluttered gently in the breeze.

*

‘
Don’t go. Please.’

‘
I have to.’

‘
No you don’t. You don’t
have
to go anywhere.’

Tying the cloth bag around my waist once more, I sighed.
‘I just need some space. There are so many things I need to learn to cope with.’

‘
Like what?’ he scowled, sulkily.

‘
Like the fact that I’ve killed people. And then there are my powers – I need to work out just exactly what they do without putting anyone at risk. Not to mention trying to figure out where I came from.’

‘
You really don’t know why I didn’t die?’

‘
I have no idea, I’m just glad it didn’t happen. I’m sure Skye is pleased too.’

I looked away from him and suddenly he was there, one hand turning my face towards his, the other wound around my back, pulling me into him.

‘You would have stayed if it weren’t for that, wouldn’t you?’ he murmured. ‘I want to be with
you
, Ava. Let me come with you.’

‘
And run away from your responsibilities?’

He exhaled sharply and touched his forehead to mine.
‘It’s so unfair. Of all the things to happen.’

‘
I know,’ I whispered. ‘But you have to stay for Skye’s sake. For the sake of your child.’

‘
Will you come back?’

‘
I don’t know.’

His lips met mine and for a moment we stood there in each other arms. I could taste salt and wasn
’t sure if it was from my own tears or from his. Then he broke the contact.

‘
Take care,’ he murmured into my hair. He touched his finger to the heart pendant hanging from my neck and then walked away. I almost called him back. I pictured us running away together and spending endless days wrapped in each other’s embrace. But then my thoughts turned to his unborn child and of my own childhood without my father around and I couldn’t do it.

Stuffing the last few items in my bag I fastened it up and ran outside. Venus was waiting for me, stamping her hooves impatiently. I vaulted
on to her back, leaned forwards and let the tears fall into her mane. She set off slowly, taking care not to jolt me until I regained control. Finally, when I was able to sit, she picked up speed.

We passed through the village and then the town. Skirting around what was left of the commune, we headed out into the countryside. The prison was no more than a pile of rubble now. The government was still deciding what to do with it so
, for the time being, it was cordoned off with safety signs in every direction as you approached. We didn’t get too close – it seemed that Venus, like me, had no desire to see the place again. With one last look at what I was leaving behind, I urged Venus on and we galloped off into the night.

*

‘Can’t we go home now? It’s freezing!’

‘
Be quiet!’ she snapped. ‘I’m not ready to leave yet.’

‘
But we’ve been here ages. There’s nothing to see.’

Looking down at her bare feet, she stared gloomily at the solid stone.
‘I wish I could see my Kenzie.’

‘
Well, maybe you should have thought about that before letting Linda use her as bait.’

‘
Be quiet
!’ she screamed. The older woman flinched away, bringing her arm up to protect her face. ‘You be quiet, you stupid woman. It is
not
my fault that Linda misunderstood my instructions.’

‘
Well, they’re all gone now,’ the woman said, sounding far braver than she felt. ‘Nicholas has been defeated.’

‘
Nicholas was a fool,’ she retorted, her nose wrinkling in disgust. ‘I gave him specific instructions but he got greedy and didn’t follow the plan. He deserved to die.’

‘
But surely that means it’s over. You can’t do this alone.’

She stood up, stretched her hands high above her head then followed the progress of a shooting star with her finger until if fell out of sight.

‘I’m not alone,’ she spoke quietly. ‘At least, I won’t be for long. This time nothing will stop us. Not even Ava.’

The woman sighed and shook her head
, but she deliberately kept her mind clear. The girl dropped her hands to her sides, walked serenely to the edge of the rock, then jumped off the edge, landing neatly beside the woman.

‘
Are you doubting me? Do you think I will fail?’

‘
I think there’s every chance that you will succeed,’ the woman replied. ‘May God help us all.’

To be continued . . .

Coming Soon: Part 2

The Weapon Created

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The Weapon Within
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