CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE - UNNATURAL

Brian found himself stirring amid a thick, drowsy ocean of warm darkness that made him feel as if he were floating. He sighed slightly, completely comfortable with a coat of soft and refreshing strength covering him. His eyes flickered as he felt golden fingers of warmth running across his face. He turned his face in irritation before events began to swirl hazily into focus.

“B, Sammy,” he whispered sleepily as his eyes opened to be met by rays of bright sunshine that slipped trough the large window. The light was such a huge contrast to the grey misery that burned inside of him. They were still missing and in danger and the days were dragging by so slowly.

He yawned and slowly pulled his knees up to his chest as he sat up. He was still dressed in the same filthy clothes he had been in yesterday, but a new set had been placed upon a chair beside his bed that looked much cleaner and more pleasant than his filthy rags.

He was in a small… a ‘hut’ would seem like too primitive a word… but it was still much less advanced than a house. It was a single roomed building constructed of wood with a slate and thatch roof. A few crystals were embedded in the ceiling and from last night Brian knew that they could illuminate the room.

He turned his head and smiled as he saw that Nick was in another bed against the opposite wall. One arm was in a sling and bandaged up, but he looked comfortable as he stirred slightly. Carefully Brian slipped out of bed and padded across the thick rug to reach the new clothes. Gratefully he slipped the old ones off and smiled as he saw a basin of water on the ground. He scrubbed most of the grime away that had embedded itself in his skin and then pulled the new clothes over his head. He stretched, grateful that all the irritating twigs and dead leaves were now gone. He pulled on the new pair of walking shoes that had been provided and then crossed over to Nick. The older man’s cheeks had lost their ghostly pallor, much to Brian’s relief, and were now filled with a healthy hue of rose that made him look so much more alive.

He smiled at Nick and then slowly crept across to the door. Carefully he pushed it open, not wanting to flood Nick’s face with the bright light and awaken him. He blinked slightly as he stepped outside. The sun was rolling high above him on a chariot of fleecy clouds, but the air was cold and dripping with frost. He shivered slightly as he pulled the jersey closer to his body.

About him, the village was fully awakened and Brian dimly wondered how long he’d slept for. He shielded his eyes from the sun’s blaze as he stared up at the school. At a guess it was probably earl afternoon judging from the sun’s height.

He stared about him at the small wooden buildings that made up the village. It was such a basic place, but in a way it was pretty because of its simplicity. Strips of grass had been tenderly cultivated into producing a few flowering blooms and there were boxes that seemed to contain cabbages and other vegetables.

Brian turned to try and remember where Josphin’s house had been and was met by numerous stares from curious onlookers who had noticed that he was awake.

He gulped slightly. He was used to being stared at, but this was different. These people weren’t in awe of him or his celebrity status, they were frightened and unnerved. He could see several of them whispering among themselves.

“Um, hi?” he tried as he raised a hand weakly to a nearby man who eyed him suspiciously. “Do you know where… Bri is?” he asked tentatively.

The man nodded slowly. “He woke up a few hours ago. He went off somewhere. I think he was packing up supplies. He’ll be around.” He stared intently at Brian, his eyes looking him over as if expecting to see that he had sprouted a demon’s tail or something similar.

“Uh, thanks,” Brian replied. He glanced about him uneasily, wondering which direction would be best to search for Bri.

“Brian said you weren’t to leave your rest room. He said he’d come looking for you,” a man said as she strode through the crowd proudly, pushing a few people aside. Brian recognised Josphin’s pale features and took another good luck at the man. He reminded him of Darren in several ways. He seemed to have an aura of leadership about him. “Hey, leave our guest alone people! He’s not a monster!” he called. “He’s just from a different time period.” Josphin smiled at Brian and again the man’s eyes began to scrutinise him, although not as harshly as the crowd, as he had done last night. “You know who I am?” he asked.

Brian nodded. “I was tired last night, but not completely out of it. You’re Josphin and you’re the village leader?” he said.

Josphin’s face split into a grin and at once Brian felt himself beginning to warm to the man. He seemed to like to smile and appear optimistic. “Bang on,” he said. “Leader… I’m not sure about that word. I do look after the village and control defences and things. It’s pretty much a free area though. I’m not a dictator or anything.”

People respected him though. It had been obvious in the way they had all easily and willingly moved along as soon as Josphin began talking to Brian. They were comfortable to think that a man like him was in charge.

“It’s a nice village,” Brian said as he stared at the wooden houses wit the slate roofs.

“Ha, it’s not as primitive as it looks,” Josphin said. “We have weapons and we have technology, just not in every house.” He shielded his eyes from the sun as he gazed about him. “Let’s get back inside. Bri doesn’t want you wandering off and getting lost.”

Brian gritted his teeth as he was herded back into the rest room where Nick was lightly snoring. Bri made him sound like a little child that needed constant supervision. Brian wasn’t stupid enough to go outside of the village and he wouldn’t be comfortably wondering around with so many stares.

Josphin seemed to notice his expression and read it correctly. “He’s worried about you,” he said simply as he closed the door behind them. “And with good reason, the Gerai are waiting just outside the village.” He yawned slightly as he stretched his arms.

“What!” Brian cried as he jerked slightly. He turned his head sharply to Josphin. “When did they get here?”

“A few minutes ago,” Josphin said calmly as he ran a hand over Nick’s face to check his temperature. “We’re expecting an attack and Bri wants you kept out of the way.”

“An attack?” How could he be so calm? Brian nervously craned his head to stare out of the window, as if expecting to see laser fire shooting down from the sky already.

“Don’t get jumpy,” Josphin said easily as he waved a hand as if the attack didn’t matter. “We have pretty good defences here and this won’t be the first time we’ve fended off the Gerai recently. They’re base is nearby so they come raiding food.” He snorted. “Not that they’ve ever managed to get in.”

Brian still couldn’t stop his eyes flickering to the window neither could he fight the swelling bubble of that was about to pop with relief as he caught sight of Bri heading towards the building.

“Bri!” he cried as the door swung open to reveal Bri, newly dressed in clean clothes, but still looking rather strained. Pale black circles ringed his eyes and his skin was a little too pale. He probably had not slept much last night like Brian had.

Bri glanced. “Oh you’re awake,” he said dismissively. He glanced at Josphin. “How’s Nick?” He leant over to peer at Nick’s sleeping features.

Brian fidgeted slightly, feeling a little guilty that he hadn’t already asked the same question, but atop of that something small was writhing about inside of him as he thought of the Gerai waiting for them outside.

“He’s going to be fine,” Josphin assured him. “But he’ll need rest. He’s exhausted.”

Bri placed a hand on Nick’s arm and rubbed it softly. “Will you look after him? He’ll have to stay here while Brian and I go on.”

Brian slowly leant down upon the soft carpet. He watched the way Bri’s eyes filled with haunted flashes of light as he stared at Nick before he lowered his face. “It wasn’t your fault,” he said softly. “Nick wanted to come and he wanted to carry on with us. I think he’ll be ad to be left behind as well.” He knew what Bri was feeling because Brian felt it also. Nick had almost been killed on the way here and the exhaustion had consumed him almost entirely and it was Bri and Brian who had been so desperate to move on.

Bri said nothing, but he gently tucked Nick’s hand beneath the covers. His eyes met Brian’s for a brief moment and Brian felt the words rushing through his mind. ‘Thank you.’

He gulped, his head spinning slightly at the sudden intrusion of the voice but it wasn’t alien. It was the voice of himself… just a little older.

He watched as Bri turned towards Josphin, wondering if the twin was aware that Brian had read his thoughts. It made Brian shiver as he thought about it. How could they be so connected when there was

“Josphin, will the village be all right? I’m sorry, we led the Gerai right to you…”

“It’s all right,” Josphin said as he waved the apology away. “People here know that you’re after B and Sammy and the others the Gerai have captured and they’ll be happy to help in any way they can. We’ll distract them while you two make a run for it.”

“We’re definitely going then?” Brian asked. Bri. “Both of us?” His hands gripped one another and clung clammily together. He had truly believed that this was the point where Bri would force him to stay behind.

“Do you want to come? Are you up to it?” Bri said simply.

Brian nodded. “I want to help. I want to help B. I want to help Sammy and… I want to help myself as well.” He tried to meet Bri’s eyes but the older man had turned away. Brian wondered if he had understood his words. Brian wanted to make things all right between Bri and B. Somehow he knew that they’d be too stubborn to do it on their own.

Josphin’s eyes sparkled slightly at both of them. “You sure you’re gonna be okay? I can send others with you if you want, even though you two seem like a good team.”

Brian rolled his eyes and Josphin laughed slightly. “You both did that at the same time. My God that’s freaky!”

Bri cleared his throat slightly. “We’re better going alone. The Gerai don’t dare hit us, but they will fire at other people. I just have to be careful not to let my younger, naďve self here get himself killed.” He reached out and patted Brian on the shoulder.

“I am not gonna get myself killed!” Brian protested indignantly.

“Damn right,” Bri agreed. He slowly stood up and stretched, his eyes staring at the sun that streamed through the window. “It’ll be tough going in daylight, but I don’t want to wait.”

For a moment Bri’s eyes drifted off somewhere and Brian closed his eyes as a sudden mental image of B and Sammy flashed into his mind, clear as crystal beneath a light. He was tired of being without them and the sooner they were moving again, the sooner Brian would be able to see them…

Brian was about to ask Bri exactly when they were going when a sudden shriek sounded from outside, turning the inside of his body numbingly cold. Then there was another sound, this time more high pitched with the distinct whine of a laser beam…

Brian’s stomach lurched as he realised that the Gerai had begun to attack. He exchanged a look with Bri, but Josphin was already on his feet and rushing out of the door. “What happened?” he called anxiously as the twins followed him.

“The Gerai just fired on one of our guards!” one woman called who was helping a man to limp towards a house. “They’re fighting by the main entrance!”

Brian did not even have to turn his head to hear the clashing of lasers and the piercing shrieks in the air. He covered his ears as and his eyes stared just beyond a few roofs where he could see the odd barrage of laser fire.

“Look out!” Bri cried as one shot veered towards the roof of a house and knocked several slates to the ground that clattered dangerously close to their heads. He seized hold of Brian’s arm and pushed him back into the rest room where Nick was beginning to bleary awaken at the commotion. “Stay in there!” he cried. “I’ll get our supplies!”

“But - ”

“Stay in there!” Josphin cried to Brian. “Everybody else get into their homes and all of our trained fighters get geared up with a laser from the armoury! We won’t let them enter the village!”

There was a roar of support from the people and Brian watched as children were hurriedly led indoors while most of the villagers rushed off with Josphin, presumably in the direction of the armoury.

“Bri!” Brian protested. “I want to help!”

“They’ll be fine! They’re good at fighting and they have weapons! They have everything they need stored. Just stay there and don’t panic. I’ll be back for you!” Bri said as he shoved Brian inside the rest room.

“How do I know that?” Brian said as he grabbed Bri’s arm. “You could get killed!”

“I’ll be fine! There’s not many Gerai and the half the village will be fighting them. I will come back, I promise!”

With that, Bri was sprinting across the village, stopping only to help up a fallen child and carry it to a nearby house. Brian gulped slightly as he watched him turn a corner before closing the door, feeling like a coward as he heard the ongoing laser battle.

“Brian? What’s going on?” Nick whispered as he sat up and rubbed his face with his good arm. He winced as he heard the sound of lasers.

“It’s all right,” Brian replied as he hurried over to prevent Nick from getting out of bed. “The Gerai are attacking, but Josphin’s got it under control.” He tried not to flinch as he heard the muffled squeals of laser fire outside.

Nick groaned slightly. “The Gerai must have realised we were heading here.” He leaned back against some pillows. “But Josphin knows what he’s doing and they have a lot of weapons here.”

“It doesn’t look that much of an advanced place,” Brian said as he stared about the basic room. It was cosy and warm inside, but Brian had never expected to see places like this in America.

“No where does really anymore,” Nick replied. There’s not much of the country left anymore. Most of it was wiped by nuclear warheads. The east side of the country is the only part that’s habitable.”

Brian’s heart seemed to have decided to start pumping icy blood about his veins. “Nuclear?” he whispered. “I-I didn’t know that.” Now he knew exactly why there wasn’t any of the major cities left. “What about New York? That’s on the east coast.”

“Ruins and it’s full of criminals and people who squat there. There’s no real community though so it’s very dangerous.” His eyes were fixed on the windows. “How many Gerai are out there?”

“I don’t know, but they’re can’t be that many,” Brian said, his voice low and deadened. Everything seemed so normal in his own time. Civilisation was at it’s peak technologically, but in a few years they would be brought crashing back down in a brutal war. “Do you think they’ll break into the village?” He stared out of the window and noticed several other people doing the same in other houses.

“Not a chance,” Nick said. “Don’t be fooled by appearances Brian. This place is well guarded and well protected. Josphin makes sure that a lot of the villagers are trained in combat. It’s his personal army!”

Another whine indicated that the battle was still going on, but then silence fell. Brian’s ears tensed slightly, waiting for another spurt of fire. His counted his heart beats as he craned his neck to see the gravel path more clearly outside in case Gerai troops were marching down it.

“Probably over,” Nick said as he fell back into bed. He nuzzled his head against the pillows and then frowned slightly. “I’m not going to be able to continue with you and Bri am I?” he said.

Brian shook his head. “Bri didn’t think it was fair. You’re hurt.”

“It’s dangerous if you go.”

“But the Gerai won’t attack us.”

Nick sighed, but he smiled slightly. “I guess you’ve got what you wanted though. You get to help B and Sammy.”

Brian smiled weakly in return. “It wasn’t planned. I just don’t want Bri to go alone.”

“I guess, but - ”

Brian’s head suddenly seemed to spin. He could hear something inside of his ears. He closed his eyes as his mind whipped about his skull until he heard the words. They didn’t enter by his ears though. They were just there.

‘Hey you, can you hear me? Sense me or whatever?’

His mouth felt dry. ‘Bri?!’ He licked his lips slightly, and tried to search out his twin’s thoughts amongst the jumble of his own mind. It was there, he was certain of it. Last night Brian had thought that perhaps the strange sensations had been caused by weariness, but here was Bri’s voice again now.

‘I wanna see if this worked. Josphin and the others are forcing the Gerai back. I’m at the back entrance to the village. Go out of the door, turn right and follow the path. Rae the third left and you’ll see the exit I mean.’

Brian gulped slightly. Was something wrong with coming to find him?

‘We’re linked. I might as well make the most of it.’ He even felt the wry tone of Bri’s thoughts. He rolled his eyes slightly and thought back, ‘All right.’

He hesitated a moment. Was this real? Or was it just his own random thoughts? “Brian?”

Brian’s eyes snapped open and he blinked as he saw Nick and the room about him. He shook his head slightly as everything seemed to turn slightly.

“You okay? You just kinda… phased out,” Nick said in concern.

“I’m all right. I have to go find Bri,” he said as he picked himself up from the floor. “We’re leaving I think.”

“How do you…” Nick froze slightly. “You’re still linked aren’t you?”

Brian nodded slowly. “It’s getting stronger.”

“Brian, don’t play around with it. It could be dangerous. Your mind isn’t designed to exist in a time where it already is. We don’t know what could happen if you and Bri start playing with this… telethepy.”

“We’ll be careful,” Brian promised. “I feel fine.”

Nick sighed for a moment and then slowly he staggered to his feet and reached out to embrace Brian. “Be careful and don’t do anything stupid. We don’t want you killed by an accident or anything.”

Brian nodded. “I’ll take care, and I’ll look after Bri,” he added. He didn’t like him much, but there was still something inside of him that was forcing him to look out for the older man. By protecting him, Brian was protecting himself.

Nick grinned slightly and Brian returned the favour before slowly stepping outside of the door. “See you when we get back… with B, Sammy and Kevin,” he said determinedly.

Nick smiled once more and then Brian turned away and closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath and waited for the sound of laser fire for a brief moment. When there was none, he set off in the directions Bri had given to him.

‘This is crazy,’ He said to himself. They couldn’t possibly be able to talk to one another in the way’s that they did. It was too… strange.

He took the correct paths and was less surprised then he had imagined he would be when he saw that Bri was kneeling on the ground beside a gate with two backpacks.

“Ready?” Bri asked as he made a few adjustments to a bag beside him. He didn’t even look up to see who had approached him.

Brian nodded and leant down to pick up one of the bags, grunting slightly as he lifted the heavy thing onto his back. Bri tossed him a laser and he gulped slightly as he shouldered it. It was common sense that Brian should be armed but he still felt uneasy carrying a weapon.

He looked own at Bri, who was checking his own laser and carefully avoiding Brian’s gaze. “Bri?” he asked eventually. “Why do you think we can… talk to each other like we can?”

Bri paused. “I don’t know. But we did it before. Do you remember hearing me when you first came to this time and met B?”

Brian closed his eyes. He had felt so ill and sick with pain, but he remembered the voice. He remembered being somewhere else and hearing his own voice tell him that B and Sammy were in danger. “Yes. Do you think this happens to all people who co-exist in the same time?”

“I don’t know,” Bri replied as he hauled his pack onto his back. “I don’t know at all, but I do know that it’s not natural.” He shrugged slightly and smiled weakly. “But it could be a useful trick.”

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