Blue at Midnight (3 page)

Chapter 6

I’ve got everything I need: keys, debit card and phone.
 
One last look in the mirror, take a deep
breath and just walk out of the front door.
 

As I opened the
front door the cool, damp air washed over my face and the morning rush buzzed
through my ears. I tried to ignore the fact that I felt like a lost child
entering a booming city, filled with unknown possibilities. Rapidly, I slammed
the front door shut and marched down the street to the bus stop, which was a
two-minute walk from my house. Hopefully, this time next year I would have
saved enough money to buy myself a car. Focusing on the route ahead my eyes
were firmly fixed onto the pavement and my hands were curled up into small
fists, digging deep into the pockets of my black and grey trench coat.

Same bus driver,
same old passengers, it’s as if the past two weeks had never occurred.
Miraculously, I had survived from drowning in the sea, my family think I’m
crazy and suicidal, yet nothing in this town seems to have changed. If I had
drowned everything would have carried on, as if I never existed. Why shouldn’t
it? I thought. People die all the time and the world just carries on, right?

As the bus drove
closer to the high street it dawned on me that maybe this was too big an
adventure for the first day outside the house. I’d barely stepped out of my
room over the past couple of days as I didn’t want to deal with my dad’s
ignorance and my sister’s awkward silences. I needed to move forward from this
and focus on myself by getting back to work, focusing on my studies and being
around different people.
 

As the bus
slowed down to a halt, the anxiety building up within me was making it
difficult to breathe. On top of that was the nauseating stench of cigarettes,
bad breath and cheddar that flowed throughout the bus. However on a more
positive note, soon I’d be escaping this and inhaling the fresh outdoor air.

With my head down, I trudged along the hectic high street decorated with
high fashion boutiques whose shop windows were enchanting, tempting me to
wander off my path and enter. Shopping without a worry in the world was
certainly more exciting than facing my boss. However, I would not be able to
relax unless I faced my fears and got this day over with.
 

Swiftly, I
approached the end of the high street. I could see Coffee Time merchandise
elegantly displayed in an outside seating area, whilst Hugo (the manager) was
skipping around the coffee house like a bluebottle. As I entered, my arrival
was summoned by a bell that blended in with the lively conversations of
customers and rustling newspapers. Surrounded by tiny, modest lighting, a
mixture of comfortable armchairs and high wooden seating areas I stood, waiting
for Hugo to catch my eye. I could have easily stormed into the stock room taken
my apron out of my locker and started serving at the coffee bar. Even though so
much had changed in my life everything in front of me was the same, yet still I
couldn’t just stroll straight in. Not without an explanation.

“Isabelle,”
cried out a middle-aged Italian man as he gracefully floated towards me, with a
warm smile.
 
Startled, I responded with
an uneasy smile, absolutely petrified at the thought of having to explain my
absence, if he hadn’t heard already.

“Hello Hugo,” I
responded timidly.

“I’m glad you
came in to see us. How are you?” he beamed.

“I’m fine
thanks.” This was always my automatic response to that question. There was a
slight pause as Hugo stood there smiling, waiting for me to elaborate as he
usually did.

“Oh, I was
wondering if I’m still employed here. I know I haven’t been in work lately
but...”

“I understand.
Your dad called. I just want you to know that we are all here to support you
but my dear, are you sure you’re ready to work?”
   

“I am definitely
ready to come back. This is exactly what I need to be doing.” My response was
firm as coming back to work was the one thing I was definitely sure about.
 

“Well if you’re
sure my dear, how about you do the evening shift tomorrow – 5:30 till close?”

“Yeah that’s
great. I will be here, ready.” I almost fainted from the relief that washed
over me. I was determined to make Hugo proud by proving that I was serious
about work. More than ever I was desperate for the money and I didn’t know how
long I could carry on like this, knowing that my dad had been speaking to
everyone about my ‘suicide attempt’. All I could do was just move on positively
and successfully like the real me, not like a person with suicidal tendencies,
not like the weak person my dad kept on making me out to be.

However, Hugo
had been my boss for almost two years and he had always been really
understanding and supportive of me balancing a part-time job with my studies.
Hugo never was one to judge and I only hoped that whatever my dad had told
him
wouldn’t change his impression of me.
 

As soon as I
left to go home, I found myself power walking down the high street, not
realising that I’d walked past the bus stop about ten minutes ago. I decided to
continue as I didn’t fancy facing all those faces on the bus again plus it was
only a 25-minute walk. The autumn air stroked against my cheeks like a soft
make-up brush; it was refreshing. Focusing on the weather, rather than the
tightness in my chest and the fear of bumping into someone I knew, was the
plan. Being outside and amongst people after everything that had happened, felt
strange. I felt exposed.

Thankfully I was
able to get my job back and had the rest of the day to pull myself together, in
the hope that I would have gathered the courage to face college tomorrow!

Chapter
7

Night time was the only time Christian could be alone with his thoughts.
Starlight
filtered through the waters, an effect that Christian found quite tranquil,
enabling his mind to flow with ease. Magically the
stars would highlight the array of colours from the coral reef. In Orsa this
was equivalent to a rainbow, embedded with the beauty of sapphires, pearls,
gold and lost treasures from above. All of these beautiful surroundings made up
their world and no single one of these riches was given a status more valuable
than the other; they simply lay where they lay.
 

This was how
they believed the world was meant to be. Also that the environment should stay
natural and respected, not exploited or used for personal gain.
  
Christian understood why the Children of
Orsa had the right to replace a human as he believed that they were on the
right side and would eventually restore the Earth as it was meant to be (a
natural, warless paradise).

However, the
image of Isabelle’s face as she fell wouldn’t leave his mind. This made him
question why their aggressive yet strategic methods would need to be used to
replace such a frightened soul. What injustice could she possibly bring to the
world, when she could barely fight for her own life? Suddenly all that he had
been trained for and everything he had been taught about the human race was
under question. That was after meeting just one of them. Christian tried to
block these ideas but his mind just wouldn’t stop. He believed that everything
the elders had been teaching them was the truth, until now. If the teachings
were correct then why couldn’t he sense the ugliness of humanity when he met
his first human? Instead he was touched by the sadness and vulnerability that
she unknowingly expressed. Were these the qualities of a destroyer? This was a
word that Sebastian often used.

Such thoughts
were highly forbidden and would be given the sentence of death but Christian
could not fight himself any longer. For the first time in his life his heart
and mind were telling him one thing. To find her and seek the truth for
himself!

Adrenalin was
pumping through his veins. Was it possible to secretly leave Orsa without
betraying his world? The answer was no: he would be disobeying the elders just
to pursue his curiosity… a human.
 
Sebastian was in charge of all of their training and he was ruthless. If
he were to ever find out he would take it personally. He always said that
Christian had the potential to be one of the finest soldiers ever born in Orsa.
Christian reminded him of himself in his younger years. However, the pressure
of being one of Sebastian’s favourites was taking its toll as all he’d been
doing lately was fulfilling his every demand. He was becoming a puppet.

With a
thunderous thud Christian crushed his heels into the ocean floor. Followed by a
cloud of dust, he launched himself up towards the surface of the sea. Blue
moonlight lit up the sea at the hour of midnight and Christian was slicing
straight through it, letting the moonlight bathe him.
 

On the surface
the waters emitted calm and a silence that was unexpected. The beach lay
untouched. The sands whispered innocently as the cool breeze glided upon it.
Painted in the shades of the moon and ocean everything appeared blue at
midnight. Suddenly, the sands became as still as frost. Instantly the breeze
disappeared and there wasn’t a single ripple in the sea. Silence was permanent.
Time stopped...

A tall dark
figure emerged out of the waters. The water parted out of its way almost as if
it was apologetic for its presence. This powerful figure continued to rise
further upwards. Elegantly the dark figure started to levitate. As it walked
towards the beach, the water rose every time he lifted his foot, forming a step
for its master. Its pathway ended as soon as the stranger placed his footing
gently upon the fine grains of the sand, which became crushed under his feet.
At this very second the breeze started to flow again. Ripples appeared in the
sea, in awe of their master. The night returned to its journey towards day. Time
continued…

A sacred number had been broken.
 

Number 9: You may leave Orsa once granted the
permission to redeem your soul.

A Rourke had
entered upon the lands without this intention. Nevertheless it was clear that
the journey Christian was to embark on would be seen as the ultimate betrayal!
Christian knew it was inevitable that in due course he would disobey more of
the numbers.

Number 2: Never pursue any curiosities about a human as all there is to
know is in the lessons of the elders.

Number 3: Each elder teaches
the lesson passed down from Morbidma.

Not moving a muscle,
Christian stood still in the first step he placed upon the sand. He was
astonished by how simple it had been. He was shocked that no one had sensed the
breaking of the numbers. After all, the elders spent most of their time
reminding the soldiers of the consequences of committing forbidden crimes and
how swiftly they would abolish them. Yet here he was, having done just that and
he was still standing. No one had risen from below and slain him.
 

Christian knew
he had to be strategic to achieve his goal. Find the girl and learn everything
he could. Surely that should be enough for him to figure out the right course
of action.

Children of Orsa
were masters of water and on land Christian was dry, as water would never touch
him unless he allowed it to. His dark grey trousers were woven from the many
treasures of Orsa which the waters left untouched. On the far corner of the
beach, below a cliff, Christian saw an old wooden shack. He decided to make his
way towards it.

Christian knew
that humans wore footwear, something his kind never did so the first thing he
needed was to find a pair of boots. Confidently, he knocked on the half-rotted
wooden door which barely held its place. Abruptly the door opened, revealing an
elderly man in his sixties wearing a knitted grey sweater, combats and khaki
green wellington boots. His chin barely reached up to Christian’s shoulder yet
his stocky build was not something to be taken lightly.

“What are you
doing out at this time of night lad?” the old man croaked as he itched his
frosty stubble. As soon as Christian opened his mouth to respond, the old man
turned his back to him and walked off, leaving the door to swing further open
as if it were inviting him in. Christian contemplated going in when the man
suddenly returned.

“Here, put these
boots on, they should fit yer.”
 
Christian accepted the immaculate looking hiking boots. He could see
this was the old man’s way of being polite. They were a perfect fit, but how
did the old man know he came to ask for boots? He looked up to say thank you
when SLAM! The rotted door was now staring back at him. That was probably his
way of saying ‘be on your way now’ he thought. Not what he expected from his
first proper human encounter. Maybe the wind slammed the door shut. At that
thought he raised his hand to knock again but something inside told him to
stop.

Suddenly his
attention was drawn to an unnatural alignment of rocks and stones outside the
shack. Christian remembered that this alignment was not there a couple of
minutes ago. Curiously he stepped back to get a wider view, only to find a
spiral of pebbles appear in the sand. Each spiral led to one of the stones
aligned in height order, leading up to a rock. It was almost impossible for a
Rourke not to sense movement within its surroundings yet all this movement had
occurred under his radar. One thing Christian was sure of was that this was not
the doings of a human.

Now that he had
the boots, he needed to get hold of a top and trousers which responded to
water. Walking along the beach he came across a small clock tower, striking one
o’clock. It stood on what looked like an abandoned street filled with derelict
factories. Sheltered under a starry blanket, the reflections in the smashed
factory windows looked like crystals.