“Wendy is going on her first date with that guy that came in.”
“Daniel,” Wendy supplied with a shy grin.
“Ahh!” Fran squealed her delight then ran round the counter and hugged Wendy. “Too cool! Where are you going? Tell me everything. Let’s polish and gossip.” Fran grabbed Wendy and a duster and they disappeared down an aisle giggling like silly schoolgirls.
Val made a drink and took her place behind the counter. As she lifted her mug the doorbell rang. And in walked her mum.
Val gripped her cup hard. This wasn’t happening. Her mum had never been in a bookshop. Her idea of reading was ‘hello magazine’ and the ‘Bible’.
“Hello, I’m sorry. I was wondering if you could help me?” Susan made her way over to the counter, looking around and taking in her surroundings with a confused expression. “I received this invitation in the post to a cookery display at this address today, but you’re obviously a bookshop, so I’m feeling a little confused.” Susan placed the invitation on the counter, smiling warmly at Val.
Val just stared at her, the heat in her cup growing in intensity. After seeing her dad yesterday she had thought it couldn’t get any worse, but it just had. Susan was still waiting for an answer. “I’m sorry, it’s clearly a mistake. Please accept my apologies. I hope you haven’t travelled far.” Val stood up. She needed to get her mum out of the shop before anyone noticed her.
“So this is a first edition bookshop is it?” Susan looked around. “I saw the sign outside and should have realised it was too good to be true, I mean, a free cooking display in Arcsdale,” she tutted.
Val placed her bubbling brew on the counter and made her way around to Susan. “Yes utterly ridiculous,” she responded and was just about to open the door to guide her mum out when she noticed a figure on the other side of the road. It was Delta. This time Val could see her clearly, and she wasn’t going anywhere. She looked just the same, but what did Val expect? They had only been apart for two nights. Val felt a gentle hand touch her arm as Susan tried to pass. She flinched. “Just a minute, I think I know what this is all about.” Val pushed the door shut looking up at the bell in annoyance as if it was faulty. Then taking her mum’s arm, she led her gently back towards the counter. “Think Val Think,” she had to stop her mum leaving the shop. Delta had evidently set them up. “Fran, can you come here please,” she called, knowing she needed help. Fran appeared as if by magic from one of the aisles.
“Yes boss.” She waved at Susan. “Hi.”
“This lady needs to see our first edition cookbooks,” Val knew this would capture her mum’s interest.
“Really, what sort of cook books?” Susan asked as she followed Fran down the aisle.
Val had to deal with Delta quickly; she wasn’t going to let her get away this time. Her mobile started to ring. The display told her it was a withheld number. She answered.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Alien.” Delta waved from across the street. Val glared back at her from behind the glass door. “Miss me?”
“Like a hole in the head, Delta. What brings you back here? I thought I left you in my past.” Val spat down the line.
“Sticks and stones, Val, that’s not nice. You left me to die so I’m the one who should be a little ticked off, don’t you think,” Delta retorted in her slick American accent.
“You watched me die, so maybe not,”
“Triviality. You’re just being picky now. Anyway, back to the now. We need to move on and start over.”
Val couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Had Delta said she wanted to start over? Val’s voice was quiet. “Are you serious?” She genuinely didn’t have a clue what angle to come from.
“Heck no. I’m going to make your life a living nightmare. I’m going to hunt you down every day, toy with you and your friends and possibly pick them off one by one. Then I’m going to take great pleasure in killing you.” Delta’s voice was steely cool. There was no hint of emotion or concern in it and Val knew this was serious.
“If you touch my parents or any of my friends there will be nowhere you can hide that I won’t find you.” Val could feel her throat physically tightening with her anger.
“I would never hurt your parents. They were kind to me; it’s not their fault they got dumped with you.” The line went dead. Val watched Delta close her mobile and then a large articulated lorry passed, blocking the view completely. When it had gone, Delta was gone too. Val was just about to run out of the shop when she heard a voice from behind.
“Val, are you ok?” It was Wendy.
“Yes, never been better.” She turned to go towards the counter just as Fran reappeared with Susan.
“Val, we have found some amazing stuff. This lady has just brought three books of original recipes.”
“Great, keep up the good work. Thank you for your purchase and I’m sorry about the mix up.” Val needed to get away from her mum. In her gut she knew that Delta wouldn’t hurt her parents. Delta was turning out to be a lot of things, but Val’s mum and dad were like her own. However, she could be leaving them open to Excariot if she didn’t get away from her soon.
“It was a pleasure meeting you,” Susan held out her hand and Val took it, not wanting to make a scene. “Thank you for looking after me. You know, it’s really strange, but I feel like we have met before, though I’m not sure where. You look familiar. Are your parents from around here?”
Val felt panic take over. She actually wanted Delta to burst in now and kill her, to stop the pain in her heart getting any worse.
Val coughed to clear her throat. “I’m sorry, but I’m orphaned, and I’m not from around here, so I don’t think you know me.” Val felt tears starting to form behind her eyes. She wanted more than anything at this moment for her mum to hug her tight, to stroke her hair and tell her, as she sipped one of her special hot chocolates, that this crazy world would one day be a much better place. She felt Susan’s grip relax.
“I’m sorry; I’m too nosey for my own good.” Susan turned and followed Fran to the counter. Val stood still watching her, all urgency gone. She just wanted to watch. Her mum took her bag thanked Fran and headed out of the shop. Val could only pray that she would never come here again. She took a deep breath. She needed to talk to Zac.
“Are you ok?” Fran asked. Wendy might be the one who could see the future, but Fran sensed things about people. “I’m fine, just going to check on Zac,” Val smiled. If she could just make it upstairs without any more incidents she would be ok.
Wendy arrived at the counter duster in hand. Behind her the door opened and the bell rang again. Susan was back.
“Please, forgive me, I forgot to put my number on the back of my cheque.” Fran smiled and handed it back to her. Susan wrote on it, waved politely at the girls and then paused for a moment, as if in thought. Val felt sweat starting to form on her top lip. Was Susan remembering her? Could she break the spell? Surely not; she was just her mum. She had no magical powers, apart from making fairy cakes. “You delivered my newspaper a couple of days ago,” Susan said nodding to herself. “That’s where I’ve seen you before.”
“No you’re mistaken, I don’t do a newspaper round. I have a bookshop. I’m sorry, I have to get on.” Val hurried away, closing the flat door firmly behind her. If this continued Susan was going to get herself killed or possessed, one of the two.
Val prayed the others didn’t hear her sobs. She tried to be as quiet as possible, but it was all too much. She sat on the bottom step and let it all out. Then, after a moment to recompose herself, she went to check on Zac. He was still in bed, but at least he was awake.
“Hello, have you forgive me yet?” she asked sheepishly, her red eyes adding to the apologetic look.
“There is no need for forgiveness; no official crime was committed.” He looked at Val with a confused expression.
“Ok, so can we be mates again if I promise I won’t go back to the Warden and ask for help?”
“Very well,” he smiled looking relieved that this was settled.
“So, juice?” Val asked then realised what she had done. “Sorry, no more drinks. Do you need me to get you any food pills from Alchany?”
“No, I have enough to last me a few of your calendar weeks, and I think we should steer clear for a while.” Val had to agree. They had both made quite a bad impression on their last two visits.
“We have a problem. Delta was here and she threatened to kill us all. We need to be on high alert. She is completely crazy, Zac.”
Val lay down on the bed, buried her face into the pillow next to him and started once more to cry.
Zac was uncomfortable with all this emotion. He pulled himself up a little. “We will find answers in the dellatrax. Jason and the others are very good at protecting themselves. Just because they are not as powerful as you, it doesn’t mean they are weak. Now please stop that thing you are doing”
Val wiped her eyes and nose on her sleeve. “Yes, but she could attack at any minute.” She curled up into a miserable ball on the bed, not bothered whose sheets they were or how they smelt.
“Is there any reason why we must hide this Delta from the others?” he asked.
Val knew that the best thing to do would be to tell the others, so they could protect themselves, but she just didn’t know what would happen. “I think they will be safer if they aren’t worrying.” She wiped her face again.
“I will do as you say, but if a blind man could see the edge of the cliff he would stand a much better chance of not falling, don’t you think?” Zac dropped back exhausted.
“I’ll think about it.”
They laid side by side in silence until Zac’s watch sprang into sudden life. He tried to sit up but failed abysmally.
“What’s going on?” Val asked.
“A prisoner has just taken form. We need to go.”
“Zac you’re no good to me. You can’t even stand up. You need to stay here and get well.” She started to collect her things together. Earpiece in, sword in her pocket. She was ready for action and it was still only ten-thirty in the morning. She wasn’t nervous at all. She needed to stop thinking about her mum and Delta and this would be a good distraction for her. “I’m coming.” Zac tried to pull himself up. Val was quite surprised that he actually made it to the sitting position before he collapsed again. “I’m coming,” he said again.
“Just because you say it, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.” Val leaned over him to look at his watch. “Ok, what am I suppose to do because I don’t read alien.” She waited for an answer.
“This is your fault twenty-three thirteen: Zac have a coffee, Zac have a burger and oh, let’s finish Zac off with that thing you called a curry!” His attempt at being cross was quite feeble.
“Ok less of the number calling. Now tell me where I’m going because someone apart from you needs my help.”
“I don’t understand your insults and I’m not letting you go alone. What about Jason or that Sam person? You could take Shane.”
Val was touched by his concern, but getting more annoyed at his lack of cooperation. “If you don’t tell me in ten seconds I will tazer you until you pass out, then I will leave you outside the Warden’s office, dressed as a clown!”
“Fine, but before you go you must get Wendy here. Please.” He looked so pathetic that Val agreed. Making her way to the top of the stairs she called down for Wendy. “Come up and you had better bring a book with you. Is Jason here yet?”
“Yes he is. Are you going out?” Wendy answered.
“Well I suppose you could say that.” Val turned and headed back to Zac. “Ok, everyone is ready. Please let me go now; it could already be too late.”
He held up his watch towards Val. “Hold my hand.”
Val reached towards him. Their hands touched. The blue spark passed through Val and she was gone.
Once again she landed on her feet, needing only a small step to adjust her balance. “So unfair. Where’s a hunter when you have a perfect landing?” she whispered, pausing to take in her surroundings. She was indoors, in quite a large room with ample light from beautiful sash windows. It was furnished as if it was a show home, with everything in its place, and it was too clean. Val pulled out her sword and started to make her way towards a closed door. Actually it was the only door and so now it was her only exit.
“Hi,” Wendy called as she ran up the stairs, her arms full of books.
“Hurry,” Zac responded feebly.
“What’s wrong Zac?” Wendy looked around for Val who had called her only moments ago.
“Val has gone. You need to find out who she is going to meet.” He looked at his watch. “Find me prisoner 44798.”
“I need to tell Jason what’s going on.” She ran to the stairs shouting the facts down to Jason who instantly headed for the cupboard.
“Ok, you said 44798.” Wendy flipped the top page and placed her hands on the book.
Val placed her ear to the door. She strained to hear what might be happening on the other side, but there didn’t seem to be any sound at all. Her hand reached down to the handle and cold metal filled her palm. She turned and pulled gently and the door came soundlessly towards her. She found herself looking at another equally pristine room.
“Hello.” She smiled to hear Jason’s voice in her ear.
“Hello mate. Where exactly am I?” She paused waiting for an answer.
“We seem to be having a few problems here, Val. I can’t get a lock on your location. The computer is going mad. I’ve sent Fran up to Zac and Wendy to see if they can give me anything, but at the moment we are riding blind, sorry.”
“Have you tried to call, Sam?”
“No answer, but I’ll keep trying. Now what’s going on?”
“Well, it looks like I’m in the house of a person who is petrified of dirt and personal belongings; or it’s one of those show homes.” She moved out of the next room onto a landing.
“I need something. I feel lost not knowing where you are. I’m going to try Sam again. Don’t do anything.”
“Ok.” Val ignored Jason and moved slowly down the landing towards the staircase.
Back at the bookshop, Fran ran up the stairs to find Wendy doing her hologram act, watched by Zac who had propped himself in a sitting position against the back wall. “I need info. Jason has a problem; he can’t find her.”