James Winter: Beginnings

  I thank the Lord for picking me up when I was down.

  To mum, for inspiring me

  Prologue…

  The two men were sitting in a small office that was dimly lit. The one across the table took a sip of his drink. The other one on a turtle neck shirt just stared at him blankly yet skeptically.

  “Show me,” he said at last, and the other man set his glass down and smiled. “Thought you would never ask.”

  He put on his glasses and disappeared under his table, rummaging in the drawers. His guest did not move a muscle. He looked deeply incredulous.

  After a minute, the other man came back up, clutching a small watch case in his hand. There was a small ember colored stone inside. The man took it with equal carefulness. Normally, it would have glowed, if it was around the boy, but now, naturally, it resembled just an insignificant piece of charcoal. But the man knew better.

  He looked at his host. “This is it?”

  A quiet nod. Silence hung in the air like a heavy mist after that.

  The guest shook his head. “How? How can this possibly do what you said it would? And how does the boy fit into-“

  “We have talked about this,” the host said calmly. “And you know the answer.”

  Gravelly, the man stared down at the piece of stone. His mind doubted everything. But the man across him would never say anything unless he was absolutely sure.

  Still, how could the fate of this world possibly lean on the shoulders of a mere boy?

  Chapter One: Transformations

  R-riiing R-riing! James Robin Winter’s alarm clock went, invading the sixteen year old boy’s sleep and waking him with a jolt. He sat up, his hair running on all directions. For a moment he had a wild look in his eyes, then suddenly he remembered, today was Saturday, no school.

  Phew, he hadn’t missed the bus then. His head had barely touched his pillow when his mother shouted “James? James I know you’re awake so please come down here, I’ve got some news for you.”

  James left his bed grudgingly and dragged himself downstairs, muttering something about the stupid settings on that clock

  A delicious smell of bacon and eggs greeted him as he entered the kitchen.

  ‘Goodmorning mum’ James greeted his mother, Lucy Winter. She had the deep black eyes that James inherited and was skinny in structure. She had an apron strapped around her and had made her hair a into a neat pony tail behind her.

  ‘Morning James’ Lucy replied, she was doing many things as usual, from cooking stew to frying eggs to boiling water. Without looking at James she continued, ‘James we’re going on a trip today’

  ‘Today?’

  ‘Hmmm, we’re going to your Cousin Jones and Uncle Michel’s place’

  ‘Jones?’ James echoed, ‘ok, I’ll start parking, then’ he had just turned to climb back upstairs, ready to steal a few moments of sleep when Lucy added ‘oh, and we’ll be going with Leo and Seli, I spoke to their mum and she agreed you guys needed some “fresh air”’

  ‘Awesome!’ James whooped and punched the air, then he asked, ‘I mean you and Uncle Michel will be the only adults there right?’ the words had barely left his mouth before he realized it was a mistake. He knew what was coming now, a long lecture.

  ‘James, about that, his mother started on a more serious and strict tone, she even stopped cooking and put her hands on a waist.

  Uh oh, that meant WAR!

  ‘You are not going to be misbehaving whilst we’re there, all right?’ James didn’t even bother to nod or do anything; she was going to go on anyway. If you guys especially you and Leo go there and cause any massacre, if I sense a stench of trouble, I would be very furious with you and there’s not going to be a next time, got it?’

  James nodded this time and said, ‘Yes mum’

  ‘Good’, Lucy smiled and ruffled James’ cropped, black hair. ‘Now go pack and make yourself more presentable than you are now’

  ‘Yes mum’

  He turned to leave. Phew, that was shorter than her recent ones, usually, she goes on and on and on.

  James finished packing all his most wanted things including his clothes, well duh, his Mp3 player, also duh, cameras but not video games. Uncle Michel will have lots of those, not Jones, Jones was always the nerd. He picked up his luggage and turned to see a figure with blue eyes, wild hair and a wide grin.

  ‘Leo!’ he exclaimed and went to hug his friend. Leonardo and Selina Stardom had been his best friends ever since, well ever since he could remember. Then James saw Seli and went to hug her too.

  She blushed.

  They left the house after waving goodbye to Leo and Seli’s mother, Bridget, at about ten o’clock am and reached the airport in thirty minutes. There, they took a plane to Africa, to an area the bottom of the continent’s chin, South Africa. They reached the airport at 4:00pm. Dismounting the airplane, the sun smiled brightly at them which, made their skin nervous and tingly since they had just came out of the air condition in the plane.. Immediately James stepped out of the place, a heat wave hit him, instantly drying his skin and his eyes called for sunglasses.

  He was instantly fascinated by everything, the people, their dressing, the food they were selling and even the bright multicolored birds flying high in the sky.

  You won’t see much of the sky where he was from- Potca, a recently founded town in Australia.

  He didn’t even hear his mother complaining about how they would find Michel among this mass of people and how they couldn’t call him, apparently her sim card didn’t work in this city. James was looking at a flock of orange birds when a helicopter interrupted the scene and the birds scattered. A man with a handsome face dressed in dark glasses and a neat goatee stood in the helicopter’s doorway.

  ‘Umm, excuse me people, he said into a microphone, I’m looking for a group of people with dark hair and dark eyes and might look a little lost, anyone?’ Michel’s eyes scanned the crowd.

  ‘Oh, there they are, thanks everyone, you’ve been really helpful’ ‘well, come in’ he added to James and co.

  Immediately, James, Seli and Leo hurried through the crowd for the ladder rope Michel had just dropped out, Lucy however was complaining, ‘Oh for goodness sake, Michel, you’re going to get us in trouble. James climbed up first and helped the others into the helicopter.

  When they were all in, he hugged his Uncle. ‘I missed you’

  ‘I missed you too’, his uncle replied.

  ‘Anyway, nice presentation’ James added,

  ‘Yeah, wanted to make you look special’ Michel said with a wink. ‘Gilbert, take us away!’ he said to the pilot,

  ‘You could have just brought a car, you know’ Lucy whined, sitting next to Michel in the front seat. A short policeman waved his fists at them angrily, muttering strange sounds that could have been the South African curses.

  ‘Nice to meet you too’ Michel said softly.

  They helicopter finally landed in the clearing of some kind of miniature woods. The trees were thin and spaced out and the air smelt like fresh wood and a hint of rain. The atmosphere here felt warm a little. Waiting for them below was a black elegant car, whose driver was opening the back door respectfully for them.

  ‘This’ began Michel as he exited the helicopter and put an arm around the driver’s neck. ‘Is Nemo. As you’re here, if you want anything, just ask him.’ Michel waited a moment then said, ‘don’t ask him to cook for you though, unless you miss your Doctor.’

  Nemo retorted, ‘just that one (he held a finger) time’ his voice was deep like Michel’s own but not as much as elegant and his voice had scratches in it, emanating a faint smell of alcohol.

  They said hello to Nemo and entered the car. The car made it
s way almost soundlessly through a road strewn with dried leaves and twigs and stopped at in front of a house. It was just a two story building but it had the pride and marvel of a great mansion. It was painted a cream color and had two lovely flowers at either side of the steps that lead to a wide porch. In the porch also were flowers at every one of the four corners, seeming to illuminate the porch even though it was dark.

  They made their inside, with Nemo carrying their bags for them, through the wooden doors and almost dropped their bags in amazement. Right. They weren’t carrying bags. The hall was very spacious, occupied by big couches and decorated with flowers and portraits. The wide screen Led TV was hanging off the wall. Beyond that room was the kitchen and dining table at the side.

  ‘All right lads’ came Michel’s voice from behind. ‘Get upstairs and choose any of the rooms you like, just remember the last two to the right are mine and Jones room’

  ‘Where is he?’

  ‘Jones? He’s gone to town to buy some stuff; Nemo’ll pick him up later’

  When James, Seli and Leo had sorted themselves into their rooms, they came downstairs for supper Lucy had just prepared.

  ‘Fit yourselves in well?’ Michel asked as they entered the kitchen.

  The three nodded

  ‘All right then, let the adventure begin!’