Oracle in the Mist (11 page)

A
bout a month after the birth of the baby, the Crone asked Henry for more information as to how they came to be living on the island. When Henry spoke of the crystal ball she asked to see it and then for some mysterious reason she took the ball and disappeared with it for some days. On her return she called a meeting asking every single person and even some of the animals to attend.

“A matter of importance has come to my attention and that is why I am calling this meeting,” she began with a grave look on her face.

“I am not sure if this is good news or not but I have just discovered a way to send all of the children back to their home … back to the other time dimension that is so far from here,” she said and she waved her hand into the air.

All of the children looked to one another in shock. Could this really be true? They'd all but forgotten that other place, the place they once called home.

“My dear children,” she continued, “I can see that now is the time to make a very important decision, one that I cannot make for you. Only you can decide the right thing to do.”

The children all looked from one to another but it was Teresa who broke the silence.

“So does that mean I would get to see my mummy again?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Ina, clutching onto her baby tightly. Something told her that things would not, could not be the same for her and Henry once back in the other world. She felt frightened.

Henry looked at her and their baby and smiled but then spoke logically as only he could, to everyone gathered, “Even though we've come to love this island and consider it our home it is the honourable thing to do to go back home and at least see our parents and loved ones and let them know we are all right. After that, if we still feel the same we can come back here to live. But in the meantime we really do owe it to our parents to let them know we are all alive and well and healthy.”

“But Henry,” Ina asked, “how are we going to explain this?” and she pointed to their baby.

“Well, let's not worry about that Ina. We'll just explain everything and if they can't accept it then we'll just come back here to live.”

Ina knew that what Henry said sounded viable enough but her instinct told her that it was not going to be that easy. Nevertheless over the course of the next few days she became swept up in the excitement of returning home and convinced herself that there was nothing to worry about. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

The old Crone had found a tropical version of the giant old oak tree, complete with a hole large enough to fit all eight children. The children said their goodbyes and entered the tree and the Crone spoke a few magical words and then handed the ball back to Ina before, just as happened last time, the children vanished from sight under a canopy of lightning and flashing lights.

Within what seemed like seconds the children were lying in their beds safely back in their homes. Each child was met with varying degrees of shock and surprise as parents and brothers and sisters greeted the child that they had almost given up for dead.

Even more shocking than their return home was the fact that not one of the children could remember where they had been or what had kept them away from home for so long. They each awoke in exactly the same state, including the same clothes that they had been in when they had disappeared six days earlier. Ina implored her mother to please stop asking her questions to which she had no idea of the answers. All she knew was that she was a thirteen-year-old girl who felt as if her heart was breaking but she had no idea why. It was as if there was something missing …

The next day the whole town gathered to talk about what should be done about the incident. Ina and Henry caught each other's eye and stared at one another shyly. Something passed between them. It was also obvious to Ina's mother, who took Ina to the opposite side of the hall away from the boy. She would not have a boy staring at her daughter in that manner.

Then the group had their photograph taken and were asked several questions by the local newspaper reporters to which all of the children answered, “I don't know, I don't know,” until eventually the reporters gave up and went away. Then the local police wanted questions answered too but when they saw that the children clearly had no memory of what had befallen them even they gave up and stopped asking questions. The whole town decided to just forget about the matter and to keep quiet about it for fear the whole world would come to stare at the children and treat them like circus freaks or some such thing. From then on it was referred to as the “1930 incident” but the parents of the children who had vanished were determined to protect their children and each and every one of them refused to discuss the matter with even their own brothers, sisters or parents.

The whole town was also alarmed to find out that a baby had mysteriously appeared under the old oak out on the Brewsters' property. Celebrations were held in light of the fact that Doctor Game and his wife finally became the proud parents of a very healthy baby boy.

Ina noticed a lump in her bed and pulled out the crystal ball. How odd, she thought. She had no recollection as to how it came to be there but her instincts told her that all of these events were connected and that her mother would be so angry if she was to find it. She cut out all of the newspaper articles that related to the incident and taping them together hid them with the crystal ball in the attic, a place she was sure noone else would ever go. She knew she must never let on about its existence but still couldn't help feeling that maybe one day she might just need it for something and so in the meantime it would have to be her very own secret.

D
avid and Bobby were riveted to the spot the whole time the professor was telling his story. They both shook their heads in disbelief, not even knowing which question to ask first.

“So, let me get this right,” David finally found his voice. “This island is the result of a wish or a manifestation, as you call it, dreamed up by a whole bunch of kids 80 years ago? They simply visualised the very existence they wished to have?”

“Correct,” answered the professor. “Think of it as a kind of holographic image, a window from your world into another — a complete dimension in its own right, living separately but beside your world, as you know it.

The concept of manifestation and visualisation wasn't a foreign one to Bobby. In fact she'd manifested all kinds of things in the past like books or a new outfit or shoes but the thought of manifesting an entire island was beyond her.

“It can't be …” David spoke her thoughts as well. “And how is it that the children spent six years here and yet only six days passed by the time they had returned back to our world? I just don't understand.”

“Ah yes, good question. Well, you see each day in your world is equivalent to one year here. But, and this is the interesting part, the children went back to their original ages on leaving here but if they had returned, experience has shown us, they would have returned here the same age as when they left us.”

“I'm afraid I don't understand,” David said truthfully.

“It's simple really,” the professor said. “If, for example, Ina had returned here, she would have gone from being a girl of twelve back to being a young lady of eighteen and then when she returned to your world again she would return back to her original age of twelve.”

“But how do you know that?” Bobby asked. “You must have had one or more of the original eight return here at some point.

“Oh yes. Well, that's another story for another day, don't you think?”

Bobby could feel that old feeling of frustration rising within her again. She made a mental note to herself again. There were two questions she would have to remember to ask at a later date now.

“And something else I've been curious about Professor?” asked David. “How did you know our names?”

“Ah yes, well that's all thanks to the native Oracle, the one that Henry and Ina called the Crone. She's a seer, actually and the night that Henry and Ina returned to your world she received information from the crystal ball that said the descendants of Ina and Henry, Bobby and David, would be here in the year 2010, which is your time and although a long time for people in your world, it is like a blink of an eye for us here. You see, here on this island there is no such thing as time.”

David was still feeling extremely confused.

“But that doesn't make sense,” he said puzzled. “I'm not a descendent of Henry and Ina. I'm the son of Doctor Game, who was the son of Doctor Game Senior.

“Yes, that is true, David,” the professor said and his eyes softened towards David, “but surely you see that your father is not the biological son of your grandfather is he? Do you want to know who your biological grandfather is, David?”

“Yes, I do. In fact that's why I came on this quest. I've always wanted to know the answer to that. And I wanted to help Bobby of course.”

“Well, it's Henry. The baby that Henry and Ina had here was somehow separated out of Ina's arms during the return trip and was found under the oak tree on the Brewsters' property and was then adopted by Dr Game. Do you see?” Bobby and David looked from one to another and then back to the professor in surprise.

“Of course,” said David, “it all fits … but if that's true then that means I'm the grandson of a farm boy not … well, I just always assumed I came from a long line of doctors.” He looked across to Bobby. “I'm aware that that sounds somewhat shallow.”

“Look, it's a shock to get news like this,” she comforted him. “Don't be too hard on yourself. At last you're starting to get answers anyway. So am I actually.”

“I just want you to know David that your grandfather was a wonderful, caring man. He took care of all of those children as if they were his own and he was so young himself. He was someone you can be really proud of—”

Right at that moment there was a knock on the door and a tall, elegant native entered the house and announced, “It is time, Professor Lambert.”

“Oh yes indeed, how excellent and just in the nick of time too. I've just finished telling the children about Ina and Henry. Now it's time to go and celebrate with the natives.” He stood up and rubbing his hands together, ushered the children out of the house and back down the stairs again.

Before they knew it they were at the village again where there were many tables laid out with fine food, the likes of which the children had never seen before. It all looked very delicious. After they had eaten the children were taken to the beach where there was a massive, roaring bonfire.

Night began to fall and the natives started to play their instruments and sing and dance in exactly the same fashion as had been described to the children earlier by the professor. It was expected that David and Bobby would dance and sing too, which was quite a sight.

Suddenly all became quiet on the beach and the children became aware that something quite important was about to happen. The Oracle made her way onto the beach and was introduced to the children.

“Ah yes, Bobby and David, we have been waiting for you. I am glad you are here. I hope you are getting the answers to your questions and are feeling comfortable here. I brought you here because the evil workhouse Oracle whom Ina and Henry had to deal with all of those years ago has recently made her presence known to me.” All of the natives, the professor and even Sebastian the monkey gasped and looked horrorstricken. Bobby and David looked at one another and David frowned. “Yes thank you, ah, I don't mean to be rude but what has that to do with us?” he asked.

“Yes, I see this is hard to understand but the workhouse Oracle insists that she has her crystal ball back and it's only a matter of time before she finds a way to this island. When she does all of this will be gone … do you see? We are the creation of your ancestors and we can only continue to be if you both agree to help us.”