“Promise me, Miles! If you ever see this symbol…. RUN! Run for your life! Run, run, run and never look back!”
Emerging from Hillside Primary School, the boy took a huge gulp of sweet spring air, his body poised like a cheetah readyto pounce. His feet had barely touched the tarmac before he lurched into a record-breaking sprint, legs stretching effortlessly towards his home.
“Wait for me!” His younger brother Joe yelled in frustration at being left standing yet again. “Miles! Miles!” No use. Miles was disappearing into the distance.
“I’ll tell Mum!” cried Joe, but the threat went unheeded.
“If he’d only stop whining he’d run an awful lot faster,” Miles thought and, after flipping over a dry-stone wall, he hurtled across Farmer Barber’s hay field, relishing the lashing of feathered grasses against his legs and the sharp wind that brought redness to his cheeks. Had he not been so excited about seeing his favourite uncle, he’d have run around the field a few times for the sheer exhilaration of it.
Uncle Jeff wasn’t really his uncle, yet he always treated the Hadwin family as his own, rarely visiting without a gift for each of them – unusual, intriguing objects from his many travels abroad. He’d take the boys on long explorations of the rugged Peak moorland, teaching them about animals and plants, how to light fires, build shelters and generally survive in hostile conditions. There’d be thrilling accounts of adventures in mysterious lands, and even Miles’ sister Alice was secretly fascinated brothers by his tales, although she’d rather die than admit it! Truth be told, she was rather embarrassed by Uncle Jeff, what with his nerdy specs, baggy corduroys and alarming hair which twirled upwards like an over-whipped ice-cream cone. No matter how entertaining he could be, to 15-year old Alice, Uncle Jeff was terminally sad. However, he did have one other saving grace. He was an absolute wizard with computers, tablets and all things digital, so he came in pretty handy at times. “Hope he’s got some new games for me,” mused Miles as he opened the backdoor, his grin widening at seeing Uncle Jeff sipping tea at the kitchen table.
Joe arrived 10 minutes later and threw his schoolbag on the kitchen floor, breathless and frustrated at being left behind again. “It’s not fair!” he yelled, “Miles wouldn’t wait for me – AND he went through the field when he’s not supposed!” But no one was listening. As usual, they were far too busy listening to Miles, hearing how wonderful he was. Everybody thought Miles was wonderful, no matter what he did!
“Hi Joe!” Uncle Jeff waved breezily at him, the only person in the room to noticed he existed. In answer, Joe smiled weakly before turning to glare at Miles.
Over dinner, Miles and Alice fired questions at their visitor, who replied with good humour, yet Miles sensed that all was not quite right with Uncle Jeff. It was just a “flying visit,” Jeff said; there was tiredness in his eyes and he seemed distracted, somehow elsewhere. Then, when Richard Hadwin arrived, the atmosphere changed, as if a cold blast was blowing through the home.
“So, what’s the panic….?” said Dad, not even waiting to remove his coat.
Uncle Jeff frowned and jerked his head towards the children. “Later,” he replied.
“What do you suppose he wants to talk about?” mused Miles after the dishes had been washed. The adults had withdrawn to the front room, leaving the children to do their homework, something they never did when Uncle Jeff was there.
“Am I psychic?” Alice replied with her usual sarcasm. “And even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you! Don’t be so nosy, Miles!” She stuck in her earphones and the conversation was over. But curiosity would not be deterred. After Alice locked herself in the bathroom and Joe was snoring softly, Miles crept downstairs and pressed his ear against the sitting room door. He couldn’t hear very well, just the odd snatched sentence when somebody raised their voice.
“I’m telling you,” said Jeff, his tone harsh and urgent, “there’s no time to lose! You’ve got to get away from here before it‘s too late!”
There was a short silence, then Miles caught the odd word as both his parents accused Jeff of ‘exaggerating’ and ‘overreacting’ to the situation.
Quite what that situation was, Miles hadn’t a clue. All he knew was that something very serious was about to happen, putting his family in some sort of danger.
“Come on, Jeff,” said Miles’ father, trying to lighten the mood, “This is us, remember? Jennifer and Richard Hadwin – a part-time social worker and a science teacher! The whole idea’s completely absurd!”
His wife chuckled, picking up on this self-mockery. “Yes, we’re on the PTA, for goodness sake! Who on earth cares about two middle-aged nobodies like us!”
“Elymas,” replied Jeff quietly. There was a long silence and the name hung heavily in the air. “He’s back.”
Eventually, Richard Hadwin replied in the quiet, rational way he used when others were talking nonsense.
“For crying out loud, Jeff! You’ve got to let the past lie!”
“You don’t believe me, do you?” Jeff exclaimed. “You don’t realise the danger you’re in!”
“Oh really!” Jennifer Hadwin decided to end the unwelcome conversation. “I’m not listening to any more of this. In fact, it might be better if you went!”
Right on cue, Richard Hadwin opened the sitting room door for Jeff to exit, forcing Miles to hide behind his father’s overcoat hanging on a peg in the hallway.
Jeff sighed and made his way out through the front door.
Miles couldn’t let his favourite uncle disappear without saying goodbye! As soon as his father returned to the dining room, the boy crept outside.
“Uncle Jeff! Wait!” Jeff turned to see Miles racing up the road behind him in his fleecy blue pyjamas. Despite the drama of the situation, Uncle Jeff laughed and for one brief moment seemed to be his jolly old self again.
“So, it was you behind the overcoats. I thought I recognised those Sasquatch feet!”
Miles was in no mood for banter. “Who’s Elymas?” gasped Miles.
Uncle Jeff didn’t answer straight away. Instead, he perched on the next-door neighbour’s garden wall and gestured for Miles to join him.
“Ok, how much did you hear?” he asked.
Miles’ face flushed with embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to listen…” he began.
“Of course you did, you nosy little tyke. I used to be 12 myself once!”
“I’m 13!” cried Miles indignantly, “And you still haven’t answered my question! Who’s Elymas and why didn‘t Mum want you to say his name!?”
“That, Miles, is something I hope you’ll never need to know.”
“Huh, so what’s the big deal, then?” Miles could be quite bolshie himself when he’d a mind. “What’s all the mystery all of a sudden and what’s the point of warning us of something that we‘ll never need to know?!”
“I didn’t say that, Miles.” This was not the reassuring answer Miles was hoping for. There was a pause as Uncle Jeff sighed heavily again, choosing his next words carefully.
“Do you remember all those things I taught you? How to light fires, build a shelter, which berries you can eat?”
“Well, yes, some of them,” said Mile, “but what’s that got to do with….?”
“Good!” said his uncle. “You’d better get back inside before your parents miss you.”
“You will be coming back, won’t you?” said Miles, with a sudden sense of panic.
“Yes, I hope so.” Uncle Jeff replied, and he tossed his rucksack over one shoulder. “See you, around, kid.”
“Oh, thanks, Uncle Jeff! Thanks a bunch!” cried Miles, “You come here from who knows where without a by your leave, scare us half to death with who knows what, and then it’s ’see you, kid, blow you!’ Thanks, thanks a bunch!”
Jeff grabbed Miles firmly by the shoulders and looked him squarely in the eye. “Look, Miles, I didn’t come here to frighten you,” he began gently, “but the world’s a dangerous place just now, full of nasty people who only want to bully ordinary folk like us. But you’re a clever lad; you’ll be all right. Look out for your brother and sister, try and stick together and don’t let anyone make you do anything you feel is wrong. Promise?”
Miles nodded, miserably and, for a few moments, Jeff continued to stare at him, wondering whether to explain any further. Eventually, he reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a faded old photograph. “Take a look at this, Miles.”
The image was difficult to see at first. Miles squinted under the orange glow of a nearby streetlight at what looked like a dragon with three horns. Its tongue was a fiery flame; its head thrust forward, fangs bared, ready to attack. Miles began to shiver, as though a hundred cubes of ice had been poured down his spine. “What is it?” he asked.
“This,” said Jeff, “is Babel – the symbol of the Global Order Brotherhood. Its aim? To control mankind. Its methods? Fear, Corruption and Lies. Take a good look, Miles.” By now, Miles’ skin was crawling; the image seemed to be drawing him, holding his gaze. He fancied he saw the dragon’s eyes glint and he started backwards with a gasp. Jeff smiled grimly. “Yes, it has that effect on most people.”
“It’s horrible!” said Miles. “I wish I hadn’t seen it!”
“Promise me something.” Jeff’s hands gripped the boy’s shoulders again and his voice became harsh and urgent. “If you ever see this symbol, the three-horned dragon, RUN! Run for your life! Run, run, run and never look back! Promise me!”
Miles could feel the hairs rising on the back of his head. “Stop it, Uncle Jeff! You’re scaring me!” But the man’s hands tightened on the boy’s shoulders again, making Miles squirm with pain.
“It is scary Miles! That’s why you have to run from it! Promise me!”
“All right, I promise!” yelled Miles. Only then did Jeff release his shoulders with a satisfied nod. “Good lad! You’re brave and canny and, if you do as I say, everything’s going to be fine. Just remember the things I’ve taught you, hey?” With that, he turned to leave.
“Don’t go!” Miles pleaded.
But Jeff was already slipping into the shadows. “I’ll be looking out for you,” he called, “Just when you least expect it, I’ll be there.”
Once Jeff had disappeared, Miles became aware that he’d virtually stopped breathing and he inhaled deeply, trying to blot out the dreadful image and hoping against all his instincts that Uncle Jeff was wrong.
‘Flight from Fernilee’ by Jacy Brean
Available from Amazon and Smashwords