Campion's Choice

The alarm went off and, for a split second, Jack hovered between dreams and waking. At first he couldn’t remember but he was sure that something had been bothering him the night before.

The first sun creeping between the curtains warmed his room and he stretched lazily. He ignored the buzzing clock and was happily beginning to drift away when a rat-a-tat–tat knocking came at the bedroom door. Mrs Evans popped her head into his room.

‘I thought I would walk with you to Night Wood,’ she said.

Jack blinked at the brightness of her purple, flower patterned skirt and bright orange coloured head wrap.

‘Night Wood?’ he mumbled confusedly.

Still bleary-eyed he ached to go back to sleep. Mrs Evans kept on talking.

‘But … if you know the way and want to go alone, that’s fine. I made you some tea and there’s a fry up waiting downstairs. It might be a good idea to have a big last meal,’ she said and then set a mug of tea on the bedside chest of drawers.

Night Wood.

Jack sat bolt upright and took a gulp of the hot tea. It wouldn’t go down. He choked a couple of times but finally managed to swallow a mouthful of the scalding hot liquid. That woke him up.

Night Wood.

Despite the warm air he shivered as he reached out and began to pull on the nearest t-shirt. Memories came flooding back. The distressed Evans family. The strange light show in the Crow Hall.

Staggering over to the bedroom door he stuck his head out onto the landing and called loudly.

‘I’m not hungry but can you please show me the way? Er, and can I borrow some lipstick?’

He grabbed a scruffy pair of jeans and wasn’t bothered about choosing odd socks. It wasn’t like he would be wearing stuff for very long anyway.

When they left the house he asked a question that had been puzzling him.

‘Where’s Petra? Aren’t we all going together?’

‘No. There is a boathouse by the river. That’s where our children will meet before the test. It’s different for ..’ she hesitated.

‘Chems?’ Jack offered.

’I don’t like that word. It’s different for guests. They’ve built a special place for you and the girl.’

As the odd couple walked along the deserted village road Jack listened to birds calling and the distant low hum of motorway traffic. How come life went on as normal all around when he seemed to be facing some kind of life or death crisis?

He shivered again.

‘Are you cold?’ Mrs Evans asked.

‘No,’ he answered truthfully.

He wasn’t cold. He was scared.

Just before they reached the footpath that led down to Night Wood Jack was surprised to see ambulances coming slowly towards Hanston. What were they doing out so early? One by one they drove by and then slowed in the distance before pulling off the main road and disappearing behind a line of tall trees. He was about to ask Mrs Evans if something terrible had happened but hesitated. He was afraid she would say they were for something terrible that was about to happen. He was afraid she would say that in twenty-four hours the ambulances would be taking away seven dead children: seven dead Crow.

They passed through the shin high grass of a meadow and began to approach Night Wood. Up close it looked bigger. The trees were huge. The river was wide and fast flowing. In front of the river there were two buildings side by side. One building was a long low wooden hut with a white roof and, next to that there was some kind of small log cabin.

‘You go in there,’ Mrs Evans said, pointing to the cabin.

‘Okay.’

’Oh … and I was told to say to you that you must leave everything behind. I think they mean your …’ she hesitated.

Jack patted his chest to indicate the ban liang on its silver chain.

‘You have to take it off. Ok?’

He nodded.

‘Oh, and lipstick? You wanted it?’

The woman held out a thin gold tube and Jack grabbed it.

‘Thanks.’

Before he could say goodbye Mrs Evans bent down, kissed him on both cheeks and hugged the breath out of his body. She left without a word.

He checked his watch. 5.50.

Inside the cabin there were two small changing rooms. When he opened the first he saw a set of clothing neatly folded on a slatted bench and above that, on a peg, there was a ban liang hung from a thin gold chain. It was Tia’s stuff.

The next changing room was empty.

‘Right. Here we go.’

He shrugged off his clothes and unfastened the ban liang. For several seconds he kept a hold of the coin. Maybe this was a trick to steal it? Well, if that was the case, he didn’t care. They could have it. It was nothing but trouble. He hung the coin on the little wooden peg.

Now he was naked.

There was a dirty mirror by the door and he went over to it, staring at the puffy reflection with its dark ringed eyes. Smiling a crooked smile he lifted the thin tube of lipstick and with a few quick strokes he painted lines across his cheeks. War paint.

‘Okay, Crazy Horse,’ he muttered and put down the lipstick. It was nearly time. He walked across the cabin and opened the door.

Outside the soft breeze made goosebumps jump on his skin. Straight across from him there was a patch of trampled grass in front of a rickety wooden bridge that led out, over the river, into Night Wood. He took one last glance around. On long tall poles, at fifty metre intervals, along the side of the river, there were cameras, twitching and moving like curious insects.

So, he thought, they’re going to watch us.

He stared at the wood. There didn’t appear to be anyone on the other side of the river. No heads peeping out from the bushes. No one hiding in the trees.

‘Right. Let’s do it.’

He hurried out of the cabin and clattered across the bridge. The moment both feet touched the dusty riverbank there was a grinding sound and the rickety wooden structure began to jerkily slither backwards over the river.

He was stranded. What now? Well, there was only one path and that headed into the woods. There were no other choices. Without looking back he strode off down that track. For some strange reason the feel of the springy moss between his toes made his heart leap. Sunlight shafted in gold ribbons through the brilliant green canopy of leaves. A light breeze rippled over the bushes making a whispering sound as it cooled the warm air. It actually felt wonderful.

He had a strong feeling that, despite all the warnings and worries, things were going to be fine. What could possibly happen that was so bad in just twenty-four hours?

About a hundred yards along the trail he heard a hiss coming from a clump of bushes to his left. Jack put back his shoulders and ignored it.

‘Pssst!’

It was Liam. The boy appeared behind the bush, fully dressed, bold as brass, grinning and holding up Jack’s coin on its silver chain.

‘What are you doing here?’ Jack whispered.

‘Helping you. Here take your coin. You’ll need it.’

Liam threw the chain and Jack caught the ban liang in mid-flight.

‘How did you get here? How did you get the coins? Did you come over the bridge?’ Jack asked eagerly.

‘No time for questions. I have to find Tia and then I have to get off this island before they miss me. Sit down.’

Jack obediently squatted on the path and leant back against a tree. Liam continued to speak.

’Right. Listen carefully. I’ll try and keep it simple. First of all, the truth is, you can walk out of here any time you wish. All this ‘Anax is going to kill you’ stuff is a bluff. They can sort of knock you out for a bit with those stick things but it’s dangerous to them. I don’t really understand, but they think the coins are like some kind of poison, or like a disease. If one of the Nomas touches a coin they think they will all be infected … and probably die. But I think that’s just a superstition, a belief. Have you heard anyone mention the word Corregia?’

‘Yes. Ursula did.’

‘Ok. The Corregia is some kind of black time in their history. The Nomas were nearly wiped out. Whatever happened damaged their memory. I think they’re all scared and confused.’

‘Big deal. I’m scared and confused … and naked!’’

Somewhere off in the woods there was the sound of branches breaking and bushes being torn from the ground. Hearing the noise the two boys both crouched against the tree trunk.

‘What was that? An elephant?’ Jack asked. Memories of the air raid shelter flashed back into his head.

‘It’s probably just the other kids. I have to go,’ Liam shrugged.

‘Why can’t I come with you? Why don’t we both get Tia and leave this place?’ Jack jumped up.

‘No.’

Liam held up a warning hand.

‘You have to stay here. You might be able to leave this place but Petra and the others can’t. They will die in Night Wood. You have to stay and help. But, don’t touch them. Because of the coins. It may be safe, it may not be safe. And there’s something weird about how sunlight can hurt the Nomas, so you need to build a shelter. You two will have to stay here and you’ll need the coins.’

Jack sagged against the tree and felt the rough bark scrape at his skin. There was no way out. Liam got up and headed into the bushes, calling back over his shoulder as he moved away.

‘I’ll be back in the morning for the coins. One other thing. This place is dangerous. Very, very dangerous,’

‘Dangerous?’

‘Snakes.’

Jack stood up but couldn’t see the other boy.

‘Snakes and bears and ….’ Liam called but his last words were lost.

Silence settled over Night Wood.