Talisman Of El (Arcadia, Book 1)

Chapter Two - The Good, the Bad and the Weird

CHARLIE RAN HIS FINGERS over a picture of his parents embracing each other, smiling at him. They were wearing the same rings on their fingers as he had on around his neck. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against his bed. 'Okay, so I almost got into a fight today – but I didn't. That's no fighting and no expulsion, so I kinda had a good day. Actually, it would have been worse if it hadn't been for this girl I met. Her name's Alex –'

A low hissing noise, like the sound of a water sprinkler, cut him off, and he looked at the door. Closing the photo album, he slid it under the bed and got up. He walked across the room and opened the door. At once, he recognised the sound of voices. He glanced at the clock; 10:30 p.m. Curious, he headed downstairs, the sound growing louder with each step he took.

Standing in the hallway, his eyes darting around as he tried to locate the sound, he spotted Jacob on the living room sofa. His guardian seemed unperturbed by the noise, and for a moment, Charlie wondered if the voices were coming from the TV. But the two noises were distinct.

Heading down the hallway, he felt a strange sensation course through his body that caught him off guard, and he stopped in the kitchen doorway. The feeling was electric.

Charlie's gaze fixed on the cupboard under the stairs. There was no question now as to where the noise was coming from. His hands started to shake. The sound behind the door disturbed him, but he couldn't turn away from it. Holding his breath, he yanked the door open.

Silence.

Flicking the light switch on, he saw a pile of boxes.

'What are you doing?'

Charlie glanced over his shoulder at Jacob, who was standing in the living room doorway. 'Didn't you hear it?'

Jacob's eyes shifted left and right and then back at Charlie. 'Hear what?'

'The voices ...' Charlie trailed off when he noticed a peculiar look in Jacob's eyes.

'Are you feeling okay?'

Charlie turned back to the cupboard and closed the door. 'I thought I heard something,' he explained as he headed back towards the stairs. 'I guess it was nothing. 'Night.'

''Night,' Jacob called to him, a note of worry in his voice.

Charlie entered his bedroom and closed the door behind him, bracing his back against it. He scratched his head as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. He knew he wasn't crazy, but no matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't come up with an explanation for the mysterious noise.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs interrupted his thoughts, and he switched the light off. Hearing a creaking noise behind him, he turned around and saw a shadow step into the shaft of light under the door. He kept quiet, listening to Jacob's ragged breathing. He didn't want to talk; talking only got him into trouble.

After a pause that seemed like forever, he heard Jacob's footsteps retreating. Then the light under the door vanished. Charlie turned around, walked across the room, and climbed into bed. He was exhausted from the lack of sleep he'd had the past few weeks – having to adjust to a new life and because of the nightmares that haunted him. With each passing minute, his mind flickered like a kaleidoscope. Visions of long ago invaded his dream.

Charlie was back in Palmers Green, a quiet up-and-coming suburb in the restless city of London where he lived with his dad. From his bedroom window, he gazed out at the dazzling summer sun rising above the rooftops of the Victorian terraced houses. He caught sight of his reflection in the window, his grey eyes glistening with excitement. Looking down at his black suit and tie, confusion crossed his face.