The Key and the Broken Wing, Page 2

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   Chapter One

   

  "That’s the tram to the summit," Daniel watched the tram move along the tracks and into the wooden shed. The tall, thin man dressed in black opened the little blue door and he carefully placed a wooden raft on the tram floor.  He slowly unwound it across to the platform which covered the gap between the tracks and the platform.

       "All aboard," he said and the passengers stepped across the ramp and sat down at the back of the tram.  Most of the passengers apart from Daniel, boarded the tram.

  “When will you be moving up the mountain?” Daniel asked the conductor.

   "In five minutes lad," the conductor Wandered away from the platform holding a lighter in his hand.     "He's having a Cigarette," someone chuckled. Daniel looked up at the passengers who were starring at the station walls and of course him.

  He looked at the two young boys. It looked like they were twins fighting with each other over a camera.

  “Behave yourselves or the conductor will chuck us off,” their father said. Daniel looked at his watch

  "Go on Lad. It will be moving when I finish this," the conductor tipped the ashes of the cigarette on top of the bin. He stepped on to the tram and sat down opposite a couple of woman at the front.

  He began to lean his arm against the window ledge. There were no glass windows within the tram, so people could lean out and take photos of the journey up the mountain.

       Minutes later an old man stumbled onto the tram and sat down next to the young lad with black hair. Daniel pulled his black rain coat over his shoulders.  His face looked red; almost that he had been in the sun for too long. He rubbed his hands against his forehead. The old man leaned across to look out of the open tram.

       “Excuse me lad. Can I sit there? It is just that when the tram moves I might fall off the seat", the old man said. The old man stood up and hobbled towards the two women who sat opposite him.  Daniel slivered across the seat and the old man sat down.

       "The married couple over there are in love with one another. It’s like they are living in a fairytale. The nice weather helps us to cheer up in the good and bad times. Look at the Sheep and the lambs, they are enjoying the sunshine", the old man tried to make conversation.

       “Yes, it is a lovely day, but I haven’t enjoyed it", Daniel spoke.

       "Why?" the old man asked.

       "I have been in the sun for too long. It is hot down there, on the beach. My friend should have been their but he had to help his dad take his younger sister back home. She is only six and it is the first year she's been away from her mother," Daniel explained.

       "Where is her mother?" the old man asked him.

       "She couldn't get away from work. She had to stay over in York to get a bonus," Daniel answered.

       "I take it Slinks is meeting you in the cafe after he has left his sister with her grandma," the old man whispered into Daniel' ear.

       "Yes in the cafe at twelve," Daniel replied. He looked away from the old man. He looked back at the woman and smiled. "How do you know Slinks? He hasn't got a grandma. She’s going to live with her uncle", Daniel mumbled.

       "I don’t know him. I passed him on the way home and his dad spoke to me. I use to work with his father," the old man answered his question.

       "Why are you here are you on holiday like me and Slinks? Perhaps you can come to our caravan and see Slinks dad," Daniel asked too many questions.

       The old man shook his head.

       "Danger “he paused for a moment. She has the key. The key lives inside her. He paused. His eyes widened. “This mountain is safe from Krome but something, I think he is coming. Not only for the Ivy but to unlock the daisy chain that leads to strong powers. He held onto his walking stick. “ I ask you not to go near him. He is vile and nasty,” The old man warned him.

       Daniel opened his mouth "Who is Krome?  Why are you telling me that I should stay away from him? Why does she have the key? If he is a friend of Slinks dad, then why is he vile?" Daniel could not understand him. The old man shook his head and looked away. 

  "Sit down!" the conductor shouted. Daniel sat back down, near the old man. He pushed his coat between him and the old man.

       "Where are your parents?" The old man asked him.

       "No, I am" he gulped “old enough to go up the hill without my parents.  Slinks will be waiting for me," Daniel protested.

       The two women laughed.

       The conductor that had let them on lifted the ramp up; he pulled it toward the glove box and fastened the door shut with a chain.

       “Please stay seated throughout the journey," he said and he began to blow his whistle.  The tram began to move toward the daylight where many could see sheep on the distant hills.

       "Someone’s running, mum the trams got to stop," yelled one of the twin boys.

       “The tram has to move up the hill, he can't stop for one person. Anyway there is nowhere for her to sit," his mother replied.

       "But mum," he protested. The little boy got up and ran towards the back of the tram,” his mother jumped up and ran after him. Daniel jumped up and he quickly grabbed the boy with his two hands and passed him over to his mother.

       "Sit down, it’s dangerous to run here,” Daniel quietly spoke to the boy. She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you," she said and she sat down on the back bench with toddler on her lap.  Daniel sat on opposite her. “She will be able to catch the next tram in half an hour,” he sighed.

  The young woman who had missed the tram was about the same age as the young lad who answered the old man’s questions.  The disappointed young woman started to Fiddle with a black strap that lay over her left shoulder connected to a black bag. This hanged from the blue coat which reflected her name onto the windows. The name “Jezzabell,” written in black italics.

       Jezzabell’s disappointed face immediately lit the room with her dark blue eyes. She quickly ran behind a screen of moving pictures, threw her coat onto the dusty floor and gently tapped her feet against the silver platform.

       "Oh, never mind, I will just use the other way," she said.     The tall standing mirror that lay on the wall behind her began to reflect the back of Jezzabell’s white Tee shirt. Behind her shoulder blades formed a pair of wings covered in light blue ripples. White pearls slowly creating an edging around the wings making her glow like a fairy. Once the lower wings began to reveal their gems her legs began to fade into a black body and her feet started to turn into a butterfly’s tail and then, just as her hands were turning into thin black legs a large shadow appeared onto the floor.

       Jezzabell quickly stepped back into the wall, her right forewing cracked like a broken glass bottle.   Quickly she turned back into her normal self. She could hear the footsteps come closer to her and suddenly two black feet appeared next to her.

       "Where do you work?” asked a tall woman in a dark brown suit. She looked taller and rounder than Jezzabell, the small green eyes and scratched nose made her look frightful and angry.

       "I work in the gift shop. I started last week," said Jezzabell and the woman’s frown turned into a smile. Her green eyes rolled up and down and then she looked at her brown cobbled watch.  Jezzabell picked her coat up and slowly put her arms into the sleeves.

       "Jezzabell," the woman read her name on the badge.

       "Yes I'm Jezzabell. Another thirty minutes and I will have to go home. The golden rule of Work, if you are later than thirty minutes, then there’s no point being there," she said. Kimberley thumbled into her right pocket and she pulled out a set of keys which dangled along a green oval key ring.

       "My car is in the drive over there, I live five minutes away from here, I can drive you up to the top," the woman insisted.


       "Thank you, Miss err"

       "Kimberley" she said.

       "You own the White Hotel," Jezzabell said as she stepped on to the grass.

       "I am the manager there. It was my first investment since I finished the scholarship," Kimberly held her hand. They looked left and then right and crossed the road.  Jezzabell let go of the firm hand that had gripped tightly around her.  

       "Kimberley how did you own the other places. Mustn't you be in debt," Jezzabell spoke.

       "We never have money. Humans invented money where as we butterflies help one another," Kimberley replied. She opened the gate to let Jezzabell in the car park.  Kimberly closed the gate behind her. There in front of them was the back of the three storey hotel. Next to the closed gate Jezzabell stood onto the empty parking space. 

       "The one on the far right," Kimberley pointed to her silver land rover that sat between a red Ford and a green fiesta.

       "Do humans come to the white Hotel?" Jezzabell walked towards the car.

       "Yes, they pay money and we turn it into nettles," Kimberley pointed the key ring to the Landrover and the lights began to blink.   Jezzabell gawped at the scratches that lay along the land rovers wheels.

       "I can sort them out for you," before Jezzabell could say anything else, Kimberly said.

       "They are just designs for my taste. I like seeing silver scratches on my wheels," Kimberley opened the passenger door.

       “I have seen you with Aunt Chemichalas" Jezzabell spoke and she stepped into the car.

       "I know Chemichalas; she helped me to run my own hotel. I will have to visit her next week," Kimberly answered her as she watched the leafy seat belt wrap itself around Jezzabell’s waist.

       "Chemichalas talks about you. She loves the nettles you gave her for her birthday" Jezzabell said.

       Kimberley slammed the door shut. She wandered over to the driver’s side. She got into the driving seat, put her seat belt on and turned her keys in the ignition. As her feet moved over the accelerator she took the handbrake off and they began to drive out of the entrance.