a swirl of purple june 2015_edits for chapter 1

Hunger raced through the void. It hunted, but not at its

will. Chained, leashed, it fought the bonds that drove it on,

towards the light of the world. It longed to ride the eddies of

power surrounding it, to hunt unfettered, walk the old paths of

blood. Such fragile creatures, yet they held with wills of iron,

so once more it walked the old roads for them, hating, hungering.

<$surname> / A SWIRL OF PURPLE JULY 2015 /

Chapter 1: A Swirl of Purple

Amy O'Conner was ten years old, precocious, independent and

furious with her mother. She sat cross legged on the king single

bed, a lock of her straight dark hair hanging out of the side of

her mouth. The wind whistled through the gaps in the window

frame, the cold it brought fought a small fan heater and won.

"Don't chew your hair," mum said, as she put the last of the

books on the bookshelf. Boxes were still scattered around the

small room. A room that didn't have room for all her books. Her

desk sat out in the living room, unable to fit beside the bed.

Amy took her hair out of her mouth and stuck her tongue out as

her mother turned to open the next box.

"Grrr, here comes the tanasaurous rex," Robbie said, one

hand swooping a flying T. rex and the other holding a stegosaurus

as he moved the plastic figures across the bed.

"Tyrannosaurus rex," Amy corrected absently, looking out the


window as the storm whipped the trees, sending shadows flying

across the scene from the street lamp opposite.

Only in the light of the street lamp could she see how heavy

the rain was, a curtain falling across the street. The sound on

the tin roof nearly drowned out Robbie's narration on his

dinosaurs. Another drip sounded closer as the saucepan caught

the water before it could soak into the ugly green carpet.

Party friendly mum had called it with a cheerful smile that did

not banish the sadness in her eyes. You could spill anything on

it and no one would know. So what did it matter if it got wet?

The pinging from the pot was starting to get on her nerves.

"Here it is."

Amy pulled a face as her mum put her school uniform at the

foot of the bed. Yellow skivvy with blue tights and a brown

tunic. A yellow jumper to go over that. They couldn't have come

up with an uglier uniform if they tried. Her mum joked that it

was so they could find them all easily. Amy had put all the

uniforms in the box with the soft toys, thinking that would be

the last to be unpacked. If mum couldn't find them she would get

to go to school in normal clothes.

No more lifts to school with Sarah. This new house was on

the other side of town now and close enough to school to walk.

She would have to walk Robbie to kindy 'cause mum was on early

morning shift. Endless ‘why’ questions when she should be at the


playground with Sarah and Emily.

"Alright, time for bed. Pick a book Robbie."

Amy got up and went to the window, staring out at the storm.

She didn't have to look. Robbie would pick the same book he

picked every night. Mum would be on his bed, for a moment the

tiredness would leave her face. Robbie would sit in her arms,

his curly hair going in all directions. His large brown eyes

wide as if he did not know the story by heart.

It was tempting to join them, curl up beside mum and pretend

they were a proper family and all was well. But it wasn't well.

She was still too angry with mum for moving them to this horrible

place of clashing colours, worn and dank, smelling of cigarette

smoke and wet dog. Too angry that she had to share a room with

her baby brother.

Lightning flashed across the sky, racing between the clouds

like a river of light. Amy leant forward, her nose pressed

against the glass, hoping to see more. The window was icy and

her breath fogged the glass, making it hard to see.

"The Owl and the Pussy Cat went to sea, in a beautiful sea

green boat," her mum began and Robbie joined in reading the book

along with her. He was kind of cute sometimes. She thrust that

thought aside, holding on to her anger.

She jumped as the window shook, banging lightly against her

nose. The storm was wilder now, lightning ran loose from the


sky, lighting the world in bright white then fading to leave a

darker darkness than before. In the light of the street lamp the

shadows twisted then merged. A shape, man like but not a man

formed in the road. It turned and looked right at her, eyes

glowing red like fire. She froze, unable to move, unable to

scream, trapped in that gaze. Then it turned away, looking down

the road.

There was a screech of brakes and a loud crash. The lights

went out and sparks trailed across the road as the power lines

lashed back and forth before coming to rest on the road.

She stared out the window trying to make sense of the scene.

The creature had gone and there was a car in its place, stopped

at the downed telephone pole.

"Mum a car crashed," Amy said, opening the window to get a

better look.

Mum was by her side in an instant. "Call triple 0, tell

them there has been a car crash and we need police and ambulance.

Tell them there are downed powerlines. I am going to see if I

can help."

Her mum handed Amy her phone, the one she got for Christmas

even though it was really only mum's old one. It could only call

five numbers but emergency was one of them. Her mum used her new

phone as a torch, racing out of the room.

"Stay there," Amy said to Robbie and ran after her mum,


typing the three zeros into the phone as she ran.

Mum grabbed her first aid kit lying by the door and ran out

into the storm. "Amy, stay inside and stay with your brother."

Amy pulled a face but headed back to her room, telling the

operator what happened and giving them a running commentary as

she stood at the window, watching her mum help a couple out of

the car and safely through a gap in the powerlines back to the

house. Her mum came and took the phone then headed back to the

living room talking to the operator. Amy wasn't allowed out; mum

said she would get in the way. She wouldn't get in the way. She

was ten, nearly in grade six. Why wouldn't mum trust her?

A foul smell wafted towards her as she turned back into the

room, making her gag. She ran across the room and closed the

window but that just made it worse. The smell was coming from

inside the room.

She wrenched the window open once more, taking a deep breath

as the wind struck her full in the face with stinging rain. It

was better than the musty rotting smell. It smelt like something

had died in a drain. This house was horrible. She emptied the

saucepan out the window and set it back under the drip, but it

did no good.

In the distance sirens wailed.

"Amy, there is a monster under my bed," Robbie said, a waver

to his voice.


Amy turned and as lightning lit the room saw Robbie

gathering his doona in the middle of the bed, ensuring nothing

hung down for a monster to grab

"No there isn't," Amy said, turning back to the window as

the town's firetruck rounded the corner. "There is no such thing

as monsters," she added, pushing thoughts of the shadow man to

the back of her mind.

Her ears popped. The room felt stifling, the cold air

pressing against her, squeezing her. On the edge of hearing was

a scratching noise. It was coming from under Robbie's bed.

She shook her head. There was no such thing as monsters.

"Do you want me to read to you?" she stepped forward and

then reeled back as the smell struck her anew, a solid wall of

foulness.

A black shadow grew and slithered out from beneath Robbie's

bed, red eyes glowing in the centre of the shapeless mass. She

couldn't move, she couldn't breathe, the air pressed on her from

every side and each gasping breath intensified the smell.

"Amy?" The eyes left her face and turned to Robbie.

The creature took shape, arms and legs formed and grew,

bones, muscles and sinew grew and a black hairy skin covered it.

She gagged once more and backed against the window, not sure if

it was the sight of a body forming from the inside out or the

smell which was now threatening to fell her. Rain blew in


against her back, cold and sharp but she did not care; it brought

a freshness that was worth any cold. She gasped in the fresh

air, trying to get her breath back before the gust vanished and

the smell returned.

"Amy!"

The shadow man reached out with a clawed hand and grabbed

Robbie. With a violent jerk that snapped Robbie's head back, it

pulled Robbie against its chest. Robbie looked at her, a pale

white face reflecting the light of the sirens outside and pure

terror in his eyes.

It was going to eat Robbie!

Amy found new strength. "No! You leave him alone."

She leapt on the bed and grabbed Robbie's leg, trying to

pull him from the creature's grip. It was so strong.

It lashed out with one arm and Amy fell backwards, tumbling

across the bed and landing stunned on the floor. She scrambled

to her knees and looked over her bed.

The creature was melting again. Beneath Robbie's bed purple

smoke formed and swirled, a dark black hole in the centre. It

was nothing now but a dark blob with red eyes, but trapped in the

middle of it was Robbie, his mouth open in a scream but not a

sound to be heard. It slunk towards the purple thing.

"No, you come back!" Amy wriggled over her bed to fall on

her hands and knees on the other side as it vanished into the


hole. The purple smoke swirled and faded. “Come back," she

yelled, reaching out a hand.

She felt something move through her as if lightning struck

her through the open window. Her head spun. The purple smoke

formed once more but this time the hole in the centre was not

dark. She could see a platform of polished black stone, snow on

the edges. The monster was there, blood pooling at its feet but

there were men as well and one at the back looked like he was

carrying Robbie away.

The image faded and she lay there stunned, feeling like she

had just run ten laps of the oval. Robbie was gone. The monster

that caused the car crash had got in and taken him. It must have

crept in through the window when she left it open and followed

mum.

Mum! She didn't know!

Amy forced herself to her feet, swaying as the blood drained

from her head. She fell down on her bed but after a few deep

breaths made it to the window.

The storm was still in full swing, firemen and SES workers

clearing the fallen powerlines. Dr Roberts had arrived, waiting

for the ambulance from Warnambool. Mum had gone outside to meet

him.

"Mum!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Mum it took

Robbie!" The storm drowned her out.


She ran down the corridor, forcing her aching limbs to move.

A box caught her on the shin and she fell face first onto the

floor. Struggling to remain upright she half ran half crawled

down the hallway.

"Hello," a voice said and she spun. Two people were sitting

on the couch. She stared at them. The couple from the car. Not

important. She turned and ran to the door. "Hey, what is

wrong?" the man's voice followed her but she ignored him.

She wrenched open the door and ran out into the storm.

"Mum!"

Her feet ached from the cold puddles and her pyjamas were

soaked through. Rain ran into her eyes, blinding her.

"Mum!"

She kept running, aching and half blind until her mum

grabbed her and gave her a slight shake.

"Amy, what do you think you are doing? It is dangerous out

here; you could get electrocuted. Get back inside and stay with

your brother."

Amy shook, barely able to think through the cold and

exhaustion. She had something to do before she could collapse.

"It took Robbie,” she gasped.

"Amy what are you talking about?"

"The monster that caused the car crash. It came in through

the window and it took Robbie. I couldn't stop it."


Her mother let her go and ran into the house. Dr Roberts

took his coat off and wrapped it around her. She gave a slight

squeak as he lifted her up and carried her inside.

The strangers phones were playing the role of candles in the

living room and a camping lantern gave enough light to see by.

"Is she alright?" the man asked and she felt Dr Roberts

shrug.

"I'll be with you in a minute," Dr Roberts said to the man

and carried her into the bathroom, setting her on her feet. "Get

out of those wet clothes and dry off, he said. "I'll get your

mum to bring in some dry ones."

"The monster took Robbie," she said again. "It's my fault,

I left the window open."

Dr Roberts took her head in his hands. "This is not your

fault Amy. The police are on their way now and we will find

him."

He gave her a quick hug and then left her with the camping

lantern.

She took her wet clothes off and draped them over the side

of the bath, every crash of thunder causing her to jump. It was

freezing and she sat wrapped in the largest towel she could find,

hugging her knees until her mum came in with clean clothes.

There were tears on her mother’s face. Amy looked at the jeans

and jumper.


"Constable Frank wants to talk to you about what happened,"

mum said and Amy could hear the sob in her voice. It made Amy

want to cry herself. Amy nodded and followed mum out into the

crowded living room.

Constable Frank was known to all the kids in Flinders. He

came to the school a few times a year to do safety and ‘say no to

drugs’ talks. He gave Amy a warm smile as she came out.

"Everything is going to be ok Amy," Constable Frank said

gently as mum sat her down on the couch. Amy leant against her

and she could feel her mum's chest shaking. "You told us as soon

as it happened and we have search parties out. We are going to

find him. There are more police on their way from Warnambool."

"But it took him under the bed," Amy said. Searching the

neighbourhood wouldn't help.

Constable Frank ignored this. "Now you said that the man …"

"It was a monster."

Constable Frank gave her mum a worried look. "Alright, the

monster, you said you saw him before he was in your room."

Amy told him what she had seen, that the shadow man caused

the car crash. Her mum told her not to be silly but the man who

crashed spoke up at this point and said he had swerved to avoid a

dark figure on the road.

Amy told him everything she could remember and she could


tell he didn't believe most of it. But he wrote it all down and

had a special voice recorder thing as well.

There were more sirens. The couple from the car crash were

taken off by an ambulance. More police arrived, not just

policeman but a detective in a grey suit and people in wearing

white overalls came in to try to find fingerprints.

She just sat on the couch, watching people go back and

forward with cases and notebooks, making calls and forming small

groups which whispered briefly, broke and reformed. Everyone

looked very busy but there was nothing for her to do. She just

sat and worried. Constable Frank told here that all the firemen

were out searching for Robbie.

Her mind ran the scene over and over. They wouldn't find

anything. Robbie had gone through the purple thing to the

strange men waiting there. There was no point searching the

bushes. But Constable Frank just told her it was a man

pretending to be a monster each time she pointed this out. A

real man couldn't melt into a puddle with red eyes.

Dr Roberts came over and nodded to mum who pulled her to her

feet. She wrapped her in a blanket and Dr Roberts carried her

out to his car, mum holding a big umbrella over her. She didn't

ask where they were going as they started off down the road. Mum

didn't say anything, every now and then she would sniff. Dr

Roberts however talked constantly, telling them that everything


would be alright, Robbie would be found.

Eventually he got around to what they were doing. The

police were going to be in the house all night, they couldn't

stay there. She assumed they were heading to Warnambool, to stay

with Auntie Salli, mum's best friend, but he turned off just a

short way down the road. They were going to Sarah's house

instead.

#

Rain pelted on the tiles and drummed the newly sprouting

grass into muddy puddles. Yareph sat on the windowsill, his

hands starting to go numb from the cold wind but not yet ready to

set the shutters in place.

He should be in bed. The Journeyman exam was tomorrow and

he needed to be rested, but sleep eluded him. He turned his gaze

back out into the storm, the first rain after months of snow. He

let his mind drift and go blank, focusing only on the rain, the

drumming curtain, the pinging of the drops on the tiles. Let his

mind fill with nothing but the rain.

He was so engrossed in watching the storm that he did not

note the approaching figures until it was too late. Masters,

three and worst of all Master Zalef at the head. He swung his

feet down into the room, intending to duck back behind the wall.

His eyes met with the boy Zalef carried.

The fear struck him like a wall and he raised his feet back


onto the thick windowsill and braced himself against the stone

frame. The garden he knew so well he could navigate it

blindfolded now looked strange and alien, grew to tower over him.

There were arms gripping him, holding him tight, too tight. He

could not move. Stink and claws and darkness. Figures

screaming, a girl he had never seen before. He missed his

mother. That wasn't right, this woman in his mind wasn't his

mother, he didn't have a mother. Yareph struggled to free his

mind from the fear, the confusion, the strangeness.

"Yareph!" Someone shook him and broke his gaze. He looked

up into Master Zalef's face. That was not much better. "Why

aren't you in bed?"

"I … I am sorry Master," Yareph said, giving the Apprentice

Master a half bow as another master now carried the terrified

child past his window. "I could not sleep."

"It is very hard to sleep half way out the window; bed

child."

"Yes Master."

Yareph slipped off the thick stone wall and back into his

room as Master Zalef closed the shutters. He dimmed the lantern

and climbed into bed, his mind racing as his limbs slowly thawed.

The rain could not sooth him now. Each time he closed his eyes

the image of a woman, a girl, a strange house filled with things

that he knew should not exist, could not exist.


He gave a mental shake. He could not be thinking such

things. He had been lucky. If Master Zalef knew what he was

doing, these strange fits that had him seeing things that could

not be there. They would bring in the mind mages. They would

see this strange illness. They would see more, see his doubts,

his fears, see everything and that would cost him his mind.

Those who did not think properly lost the privilege of thought.

They would make sure he thought the right things and as painful

as his current fear was, he could not face losing himself.

He closed his eyes and forced the images away. He had to

sleep. He had to pass his exam. Once he had a master, once he

had a place, everything would be better. He would be safe, he

would have value. They would think twice about mind wiping a

journeyman. He could be normal, these visions would stop, his

master would be good, he would be good and do good things for the

realm, for the Emperor. If he said it enough times he might be

able to believe it.

#

Amy sat on the cream leather couch. Cinnamon candles gave a

warm comforting smell, like cakes were in the oven. Katherine

rushed around, picking up papers from the table, apologizing

about the mess. Amy glanced around the room, cream carpets,

family photos artfully arranged, the ordered DVD cases beside the

huge TV. The room was spotless.


Outside the huge bay windows, the storm still raged.

Lighting flowed across the sky like momentary rivers of light.

The thunder muted by thick stone walls.

Amy sipped on her hot chocolate as mum brought Katherine up

to date. Tim carried things up and down the stairs. She still

couldn't work out what they were doing here.

"I had best get back in case …" mum said.

"But of course Janet," Katherine said, setting her hands on

Amy's shoulders. "We will take good care of her."

"You be good for Katherine baby," mum said, setting her

school bag down beside the couch and kissing her on the top of

the head. "I will look in on you tomorrow."

Mum was going to leave her here!

"No, I want to stay with you," Amy put her cup down on the

coffee table. Hot chocolate splashed over the side onto the

polished wood.

"You will be in the way Amy. The police are still in your

room. You stay here and be good. I need you to do that."

Amy stood frozen as Dr Roberts put a hand on mum's shoulder

and steered her down the stairs. She frowned, she had never

liked him. Mum didn't want her anymore. It was her fault that

Robbie was gone and now mum wanted didn't want her. She fought

back tears.

Katherine appeared beside her with a cloth and mopped up the


spilt hot chocolate, handing the cup back to her.

"Everything will be alright Amy," she said, her American

accent sounding stronger than it usually did. "The police will

find him. We will have fun while you are here, Sarah will be

pleased to have you stay."

Fun? How did Katherine think she could have fun with Robbie

missing?

"Tim will have your bed ready for you soon, you drink up."

There was nothing she could do, mum had already gone and

Sarah's house was in the middle of nowhere, a good five minutes’

drive out of town, perched on top of the sandstone cliffs.

Katherine closed the curtains and gave her a wan smile.

Amy put down the empty cup and followed Katherine up the

stairs to the third story where the bedrooms were.

"Sarah, get to bed," Katherine ordered as they headed for

the landing.

Amy saw a flash of blond hair and pink pyjamas as Sarah ran

for her room.

Usually when she stayed at Sarah's house she shared Sarah's

queen-sized bed. This time Katherine led her to the guest room

containing two single beds, made up with matching quilts.

Katherine waited, seated on the other bed as Amy brushed her

teeth and changed into pyjamas. She tucked Amy in and headed out,

leaving the door ajar letting the light in from the hallway. Amy


would never admit it but she didn't want to be in the dark ever

again. She wondered how Katherine knew.

She could hear Katherine talking to Sarah, and Sarah saying

her prayers. She couldn't hear what was said but she heard

Robbie's name a few times. She rolled over and closed her eyes.

Prayers wouldn't help Robbie, God wasn't real. Mum said so.

It was just wishing. Wishing wouldn't bring Robbie back and the

Police wouldn't bring Robbie back. They were looking for a bad

man, but it was a monster. They weren't looking for the monster.

She had to do something but she didn't know what she could do.

Mum had sent her away.

#

Yareph sat on the bed, staring at his gray cloak,

embroidered in yellow and black with the College mark. Last day

in grays. Before the day ended he would either be assigned to

the journeyman class as a probationary Journeyman or more likely

be sent to the outer rooms. There he would join the Mage Corps

as a lesser mage, considered to know enough to be of use to the

realm and require no further study.

Those sent to the outer rooms were not permitted to continue

a friendship with those who were accepted into the Journeyman

class. Anef and Benran were both gifted. He would lose his

friends if he didn't pass the exam today.

He set the cloak aside and pulled out the draw under his


bed. At the back a small nook held his most precious items. A

battered document box pilfered from the back of the Apprentice

classrooms. Inside a glass pendant holding a spice mix that

Master Alran told him was considered by the peasantry to bring

good luck and protection. Master Alran told him so scornfully,

but Yareph treasured it anyway. It was all he had of his

parents, all that had come with him from his time before the

College bought him. All he had to show that once they had cared

for him, tried to protect him, regardless of how useless that

attempt had been.

He hesitated, knowing his friends would tease him

mercilessly should they think he was putting his faith in peasant

superstitions. He tied it around his neck anyway. Perhaps his

parents would be with him today in spirit, wherever they were.

One day maybe he would find out why they sold him for the full

bond, but whatever the reason today he would take any extra luck

he could get.

He turned to the rest of the box. There, written on scraps

of student's paper, was his diary, a series of thoughts that were

dangerous to have, but he wrote them down and kept them anyway.

It was the only way to get them outside of himself.

He turned to check the door was closed, despite knowing it

was. From beyond the thin wooden wall that separated his room

from Benran's, he could hear groans and banging as Benran got up


and searched for his clothes. Benran would be some time, it was

safe enough.

He pulled out the scrap paper, offcuts from the master's

supply and given to the apprentices for notes. A deep breath and

he wrote down his experience with the boy from last night,

setting it down on paper and stored safely in his box so he did

not need to hold it in his mind. Another perilous thought added

to his diary.

The box sat on his desk, already holding his pattern book

and pens and the small gifts he received for the winter festival

from yearmates and Master Zalef. All his life packed into this

small box and it didn't even fill half of it. He shouldn't add

the diary box, but he couldn't bear to burn it.

Another glance at the door and he took out the vial as he

always did, just to make sure it was there. His escape plan. If

he failed the exam and was sent away, he would use it, but not

until there was no other hope.

He wrapped it up again and returned it to the box, covering

it and the diary notes with scrap patterns and plain scrap paper.

With luck the Masters would not look further. He jumped at a

knock at the door, threw it in on top of his other belongings and

closed the lid.

"Come in."

Anef bounced through the door.


"Good, you at least are dressed for breakfast. Benran has

spread his clothes all over the room looking for a top without a

stain on it."

"The war masters will not care about a stain," Yareph said

smiling in spite of himself. Benran managed to look messy even

when dressed in a fresh dress uniform. But he was brilliant and

it was already clear that he would get his wish of a war master

as mentor. It was simply a matter of which one.

Anef's master was already known, Master Antrok, Master of

the Tracking discipline had been mentoring Anef since he was

twelve and his natural tracking gift was discovered. Anef had

nothing to fear from the coming trial. It was only he whose

position was in doubt.

"You know the spells, don't you?" A sudden look of worry

crossed Anef's face.

"Yes, I know the spells."

"You will be fine. You have practiced the bird?"

"It doesn't always work Anef."

"Show them the bird." Anef took hold of his shoulders and

almost shook him.

Yareph managed a nod and Anef smiled and let him go.

The door burst open and Benran stumbled in, fastening his

top as he did so.

"What are you two waiting around for, Lord Rentock to come


and invite you to breakfast himself? We will be late, come on."

"We have been ready for a quarter bell now," Anef said,

scowling at Benran, "It is you who is not yet dressed?"

Benran fastened his belt and gave Anef his mocking smile.

"I am perfectly dressed," he said.

"That belt is worn."

Benran shrugged. "It matters not. Last day in grays.

Tomorrow we will be journeymen and I will have a new belt."

"Hopefully," Yareph said with a sigh, straightening his own

top.

"Journeymen, all of us," Benran said, fixing Yareph with a

stern look then breaking into a smile again. "Come on, last day

as an apprentice, last day for Master Zalef to yell at us. Let's

not give him a chance."

He grabbed Yareph by the wrist and pulled him out the door.

"You do know that Master Zalef is also in charge of the

probationary Journeymen, so he will still have a full moons’ pass

in which to yell at you."

Benran ignored him and pulled him down the corridor to the

dining hall.

Yareph could barely eat, his friends pressing food on him as

the dishes passed. It was only a bell to the exam. Lord Rentock

rose and announced to the College that they would soon welcome

new Journeymen. His stomach jumped and the food threatened to


come back up.

It got worse as they walked to the classroom.

"Yareph, are you alright, you have gone white?"

"Of course he is fine," Benran said, throwing an arm around

him.

"I'm going to be sick," Yareph muttered.

"No, you are not, you are just letting your nerves get to

you. If you …"

Yareph never heard what Benran thought he should do. He ran

to the garden and heaved up his breakfast.

"Yareph!" Anef ran to his side as he spat the taste out of

his mouth. The vile smell rose from his feet and he backed away,

leaning against the wall and struggling to stop his head

spinning.

"What is all this then?" an amused voice and out of the

corner of his eye he saw black and gold. A master, the last

thing he wanted to see. He kept his eyes to the ground. "The

senior apprentice class I guess?"

"Yes Master," Benran said.

A hand appeared under his chin and forced him to look up

into the gaze of a smiling gates master. He did not know the

man. A damp cloth appeared in the man's hand. Yareph took it

and wiped his face.

He stood holding the soiled cloth, unsure of what to do with


it. The man took it from him and vanished it then held out a

cup. Yareph just stared at him.

"Watered wine, I don't want to get a lecture from Master

Zalef for getting you drunk on exam day."

Yareph took the cup with shaking hands, welcome for anything

to get the taste of bile out of his mouth. A gesture from the

master and the soil turned over, hiding his disgrace. The sweet

smell of damp soil rose up from the garden bed. No one would see

the wrongness hidden just below the surface, not unless they knew

– just like everything else in the College.

"Does Master Zalef still tell you off even though you are a

master?" Benran asked, his eyes wide.

The master laughed. "I suspect Master Zalef would even

scold Lord Rentock, save he does no wrong. No matter how old you

get Apprentice Benran, Master Zalef will always see you as a

little boy in need of correction."

Even through his shame and dizziness it was all Yareph could

not do to laugh at the dismay on Benran's face.

"How do you know my name?" Benran asked.

The master laughed again. "You cannot cause as much trouble

as you do Benran and not be discussed in the Master's rooms. You

have kept us well entertained these last few years and I suspect

will continue to do so a few years more. Hurry off now, you

cannot be late today."


Anef grabbed his arm and pulled him down the path, past the

garden where the first spring flowers were starting to bloom.

"Do you think Master Raneph knows how many times I have been

in trouble?" Benran asked looking uncharacteristically concerned.

"Yes," Yareph said, his stomach still complaining. Benran

stopped dead and stared at him. "If the gates masters know, the

War Master will."

"Of course he knows, he will have had your file from Master

Zalef if you are to be considered for his discipline," Anef said

with a wave of his hand.

"It won't matter, they will assess you based on your talent,

not the number of times you have snuck out," Yareph said and

swallowed hard as they reached the door. He took a deep breath

and pushed the door open. "Here we go."

#

Amy woke as light spread across her pillow. It took her a

moment to remember where she was. Then it all flooded back.

Robbie had been kidnapped and mum had dumped her at Sarah's house

to keep her out of the way.

There was a murmur beside her and she turned to see mum

asleep in the bed opposite. She slipped out of bed and crept

across the room. Her mum had dark circles under her eyes, her

hair spread out across the pillow, still up in the ponytail she

wore to work.


Amy carefully pulled up the doona and climbed in beside her,

snuggling down in the crook of her arm. Despite her care mum

work up.

"Amy," her voice was barely more than a croak. She didn't

say anything else but held Amy tightly. Amy closed her eyes and

hugged her back.

It couldn't have been more than ten minutes before Amy heard

someone moving in the room. She opened her eyes, Katherine was

standing looking down at them and smiling.

"Time to get up Amy, you will be late for school," Katherine

said.

"I want to stay with mum," Amy said.

It did no good. Mum opened her eyes and sat her up with a

groan. "You should go to school Amy, it will do no good to sit

around and mope. I can't stay with you, I need to go back and

talk to the police."

"But I can help you," Amy said, turning to face mum. Her

mum reached out and stroked her cheek. "I know you want to, but

you can help by being a good girl and going to school. I don't

want to have to worry about you and Robbie."

Mum and Katherine hustled her out of bed and into the

bathroom to shower. By the time she emerged dressed in the hated

yellow and brown uniform mum had already left.

Sarah gave her a bright smile which faded slightly when she


didn't return it. Katherine set a plate of pancakes on the

coffee table then sat behind Sarah and started to plat her hair

into a braid.

Amy poked at her pancakes, glancing at the TV, but it was

off. Sarah wasn't allowed to watch TV in the morning. Neither

of them said anything.

"Do you need some help with your hair Amy?" Katherine asked.

Amy shook her head.

"Alright, Sarah go and get dressed."

Amy carried her plate into the kitchen as Sarah ran to have

a shower. Tim sat at the kitchen table, laptop computer open,

papers around him. He gave Amy a quick nod before turning back

to his work. Katherine was packing two suspiciously healthy

looking lunches for her and Sarah, not the hint of a chocolate

bar to be seen.

"Tim," Katherine called but there was no response. "Tim,"

slightly louder this time.

Tim actually jumped and gave her a startled look.

"It is eight thirty."

Tim nodded, his curly hair looking dishevelled, took off his

glasses and rummaged around in the papers beside him. "Have you

seen the car keys love?"

"They should be on the hook by the door," Katherine said,

"But they never are," she added almost under her breath and Amy


smiled as she put the plate in the dishwasher.

"No, I had them when I came in last night and I was sure I

put them on the table."

Tim then began a frantic search for the car keys,

accompanied by Katherine's long suffering sigh. It took Tim

fifteen minutes to find the keys by which stage Katherine was

following behind him telling him they would be late. Amy didn't

really care if they were late, she didn't want to go to school at

all.

Tim eventually found the keys and with her bag in one hand

and Sarah's in the other hurried them out to the car, Katherine

running behind him waving the lunch bags. Tim threw their bags

into the back seat, the lunch bags following. Sarah rearranged

them so that Amy could fit in.

Tim barely waited until she had her seatbelt fastened before

tearing off down the drive. They arrived just as the bell was

ringing and Tim again took their bags and holding each of their

hands raced them to the portable at the back that made up the

grade five classroom.

Mrs Henderson nodded to him as Amy and Sarah took their

place at the back of the line. The second bell rang and Tim gave

Sarah a kiss, handed them their bags and hurried off.

Sarah turned to her, questions in her eyes but she never got

a chance to ask them. Mrs Henderson took her aside before Sarah


could say anything.

"How are you going Amy?"

"Fine Mrs Henderson."

"Your mum called me this morning, told me what happened."

Amy's eyes unexpectedly filled with tears and she angrily

wiped them away before anyone could see. She didn't want to cry

in front of Mrs Henderson, and certainly didn't want the boys in

the class to see her cry.

Mrs Henderson gave her a sympathetic look and took her by

the shoulders, taking her up the front to a desk that usually sat

empty. It was where troublemakers had to sit when Mrs Henderson

caught them out, where she could keep an eye on them. Paul, a

common visitor to this desk was there already and Amy gave Mrs

Henderson a panicked look. Why was she being put on the bad

desk?

She took the seat beside Paul. Paul didn't look up, he was

staring at the desk, not paying attention to anything. Mrs

Henderson put a glass of water in front of each of them. That

was normally only allowed when someone was sick.

Amy glanced at Sarah who was sitting beside Emily where she

usually sat. Their heads were together and they were whispering.

Amy knew that Sarah was bringing Emily up to date on the

kidnapping and felt momentarily miffed. It wasn't often she had

news this important and Sarah had beaten her to it.


Mrs Henderson handed out the maths sheets and Amy sighed,

she hated maths. But when Mrs Henderson came around to her and

Paul she brought out the coveted colouring sheets instead.

"It might make you feel better to keep yourself busy Paul,"

she said as she put the sheets and coloured pencils in front of

them.

Paul must have been feeling sick, she thought as he

listlessly picked up a pencil and started on the sheet.

#

The sun was shining clearly now, streaming in through the

arched windows as Yareph and his friends entered the apprentice

classroom for the last time. The dust motes spun and danced in

the beams. The desks were packed away, they would not be brought

out again until after the spring festival when the next class of

apprentices moved up.

The sixteen boys who made up this year's class were waiting.

Some were going over the spell patterns one last time. The

others had separated into groups, the boys whispering

encouragements and rumours about who the panel would be.

Over on one side were boxes containing their belongings, one

for each boy. Yareph added his box to the pile. Those who

failed would go straight to the outer rooms and never set foot in

the College again.

Master Zalef came over as soon as he saw them. "Master


Ipsem said you were not well Yareph." The Apprentice Master took

his head in his hand and Yareph felt the spells flash over him.

"I am alright Master," he said, ashamed that his voice

shook.

"Hmm," Zalef gestured and handed him a plate of bread and

fruit. Yareph looked up at him. "You cannot do the exam hungry,

eat something. I will move you down the list. I don't want you

to faint."

"Thank you Master," Yareph said, taking the plate. He had

not expected Master Zalef to notice, let alone care.

"Benran, you are first, go through."

Anef sat beside him as Benran headed into the exam room.

#

Amy ran for the door as the bell rang, not wanting to talk

to Mrs Henderson about her feelings. She glanced back to see Mrs

Henderson ducked down beside Paul.

"Amy what happened?" Emily grabbed her arm as soon as she

got out of the classroom.

Now it came to it she didn't want to talk about it, even to

Emily and Sarah. Sarah stepped up and answered Emily's questions

as they headed for their place on the library steps. Sarah must

have been sitting on the landing far longer than Amy realised.

Emily was gratifyingly impressed when Sarah told her how Amy had

fought the monster.


"Did you hear about Paul?" Sarah said at last.

"He looks sick," Amy said.

"I overheard Danielle and Chris talking. His brother got

kidnapped last week too. That is why he wasn't here last week."

Amy sat up at that but it turned out that was all that Sarah

heard. She would have to talk to Paul herself. That wasn't

going to be easy, Paul was one of the sporty kids and he thought

he was better than everyone else. Just because he could throw a

ball through a hoop, that wasn't that special.

But she didn't get the chance. Mrs Henderson didn't let

them back into the classroom when they returned from morning

recess. Instead she led them to the hall for a special assembly.

Constable Frank was there with a Detective from Warnambool and

they talked about the recent abductions and how important it was

to tell mum and dad if they saw anything strange.

It wouldn't have helped Robbie. She hadn't seen anything

strange until the monster arrived. The police kept talking about

bad men, it wasn't a man; men didn't melt under the bed or cause

purple swirly things to appear.

They would never find Robbie, they were looking in the wrong

place. She glanced over at Paul but he wasn't paying attention

to what the police were saying or to her, just sitting looking at

his hands. He looked so sad she could almost feel sorry for him

even if he was an idiot. He must be missing his brother as much


as she was.

There were police at the gates of the school and news vans

as they headed back to the classroom. Mrs Henderson gave Paul

and her another colouring sheet as she handed out work to the

rest of the class.

Amy waited until someone asked a question and turned to

Paul.

"Paul," there was no response. "Paul."

"What?" the sullen tone nearly made her give up, but then

she remembered how sad he had looked at the assembly, besides he

might be able to give her something more to go on.

"My brother got kidnapped by the monster too."

There was a long silence and Amy wondered if Paul had heard

him. She was about to repeat it when he answered.

"Mum said it was a man dressed as a monster."

"Was not. Men don't melt under the bed," Amy said and Paul

turned to face her then nodded.

"It ate Dave," he said then turned back to his colouring.

Amy was surprised to see tears splash onto the page.

Amy made a split second decision. She looked up to see

where Mrs Henderson was, she was still helping Chris.

"It didn't eat him," she whispered. "I saw men, they took

Robbie from the monster. He didn't get eaten." Paul looked up,

wiping the tears away. "The police won't find them, they are


looking in the wrong spot. I am going to go get him back. You

can come too, since it took your brother too."

There was another long silence and she started to get angry.

It wasn't as if she had to let him come.

"Do you know how to fight a monster?" he asked, looking her

up and down.

"I don't have to fight a monster. It is the bad men we need

to get him back from."

"Alright, you don't have to snap."

"I didn't snap."

"You did."

"Did not, anyway you don't have to come."

"You won't get very far on your own."

Amy glared at him.

"Do you even know how to get there?"

Amy wasn't going to admit she wasn't sure at this point.

"Easy, the purple thing is under the bed. We have to go under

the bed and want it to come. Then we go through, get Robbie

back"

"And Dave …"

Amy nodded, "And Dave and then come home again. And it has

to be dark. The monster made a car crash to knock out the

power."

"It was dark when it took Dave," Paul said. "Any bed?"


"Well it came at my house last, but the police are still

there. We will have to be really careful when we sneak in."

"They are done at my house. It came up from under Dave's

bed. It should work there."

"So you need to me invited to your house for dinner, so it

will be dark."

"Mum won't let anyone come over. Anyway it has to be at

midnight."

"Midnight?"

"Monsters come out at midnight, everyone knows that."

"It wasn't midnight when the monster came last night."

"It has to be midnight. My parents don't go to bed until

late so you will have to sneak in late anyway."

"Fine, whatever."

Mrs Henderson looked over at them and they both pretended to

be busy with their colouring.

Paul bumped her and handed her a note under the desk.

"My address. See you tonight, at midnight."

"At midnight."

#

Yareph regretted the meal when Master Zalef called him into

the exam room. His stomach was threatening rebellion. He came

forward and stood in the marked circle and bowed to the panel.

"Apprentice Yareph, begin."


Yareph took a deep breath and started his spells.

War was the first discipline. For each discipline there

were three exam spells a student could choose to demonstrate his

skill. For war he chose the easiest. He switched his gaze to

mage sight and teased strands of magic out of the air, arranging

them in the required pattern. Another touch of magic set the

pattern in place.

Now to activate it. If he put the power through the pattern

in the wrong order or at the wrong strength it would either fail

to activate or break. He closed his eyes and let his power flow

into the pattern, not daring to open them again until he felt the

pattern activate. That done he started the spell.

The small wooden ball on the floor in front of him rose and

moved through the air in the required sequence. He set it down

on the floor before him when done, careful to ensure it made no

sound on impact. He looked up at the panel. Zalef nodded to

him.

He could hear the murmuring as the masters discussed each

spell, but he could not hear what was said. As he went through a

basic shield and blocked a hold spell he could sense the panel's

dissatisfaction with his efforts. He could feel a heat behind

his eyes and blinked back tears as he used the handle of a broken

cup as the focus to find the rest of it hidden in the room. He

must not cry, to show any weakness now would doom him.


They were going to send him to the outer rooms.

Perhaps it would not be so bad. He would be considered a

qualified mage, assigned to a division and given real work rather

than study. He wouldn't have a master watching his every move

and resenting the time he took up.

Anef and Benran were gifted, there was no question of them

passing the exam. If he was assigned to the outer rooms he would

be all alone. He completed the weather spell, a fire spell to

light the hearth.

The healing spell just used teaching patterns, he was not

expected at this level to safely spell on a patient. For this

one he stretched himself and used the second level spell. This

spell would close and knit a deep wound. He risk a glance at

Zalef. The Apprentice Master had a slight smile on his face now.

For the device spell he returned to the easy option, setting

a basic light spell into a small disk of crystal that would

activate at a touch. For the gates, he set the reference spell

for guiding a gate spell into a set area. He glanced up, the

frown was back on Zalef's face.

He risked a slight smile as he reached illusions. This he

could do. He set the third pattern and he heard some of the

panel gasp as an illusion of a flower of the sun appeared before

them. This he held at least a mark before dropping the spell.

Zalef was smiling broadly now.


He hesitated before the last spell. Minds was the most

difficult and most dangerous of all the disciplines. It was also

the discipline in which Lord Rentock held his mastery.

Consequently the mind masters held a privileged position in the

College. Again he went for the third spell, a full mind shield.

As with healing it was considered too dangerous for the

apprentices to attempt a full spell. He set the teaching pattern

before him, setting it in place but not activating it. He held

it long enough for the masters to check it over for any flaws

then dropped the spell. The exam done, he bowed low.

Zalef was frowning again when he looked up.

"Are there any other spells you wish to show us Apprentice

Yareph?" This was an extra chance to display any special gifts

to the masters.

Yareph hesitated, he did have a spell prepared, but it

didn't always work. A failed spell would look worse than none.

His legs were shaking and his stomach still in knots.

"No my lord."

"Very well, you are dismissed."

Yareph bowed again, then fled.

#

Emily had piano lessons over lunch so Amy managed to get

Sarah off on her own.

"You can't be serious. Amy, mum won't let you stay over at


a boy's house. Anyway you don't like Paul."

"That is not very Christian of you. Paul should be allowed

to come because his brother is missing, not whether I like him or

not," Amy said.

Sarah blushed.

"Anyway," Amy said. "I am not going to ask your mum if I

can go. She isn't my mum and can't tell me what to do."

"Your mum won't let you stay at a boy's house either."

"Yes she would," Amy said and Sarah just shook her head.

"Anyway I am not going to ask her either. Paul's house is by the

river, it isn't that far to walk from your place."

Sarah gaped. "You can't walk around by yourself in the

dark. It is dangerous."

"So come with me, then I won't be by myself."

Sarah went white and shook her head.

"Come on Sarah. Your mum won't even know. We sneak out to

Paul's, go through and get Robbie back then take Robbie home and

tell him to ring the doorbell. Mum will find him then we sneak

back into your house and no one will even know we have been

gone."

"What if it takes more than a day to find him?"

"Magic kingdoms put you back here when you left, everyone

knows that. No time will have gone from when we leave, even if

it takes a year."


"A year!"

She probably shouldn't have said that.

"Mum will know if we are gone for a year."

"We can cut our hair so it doesn't look like it grew."

"You will be taller," Sarah pointed out.

"It won't take a year. I thought you were my friend Sarah."

"I am."

"But you won't help me find Robbie," Amy plonked down on the

steps and opened the lunch bag. There was an apple, a mandarin

and a chicken salad sandwich. She opened up the salad and picked

out the cucumber, the tomato and the carrot, leaving nothing but

lettuce and chicken.

"The police are looking for Robbie," Sarah said, opening her

sandwich and tucking in with every sign of enjoyment.

"The police won't find him, they are looking for a bad man,

not a monster."

"There is no such thing as monsters. Mum said so," Sarah

said with her mouth full.

Amy frowned in thought. "Then there won't be anything

there. If the police are right, we will go to Paul's house,

nothing will happen and we will go home. Your mum won't know."

She looked at the sandwich again and picked out the lettuce.

Sarah frowned at that. "She will be so mad."

"No she won't because she won't know."


"If we tell dad maybe he will drive us over and wait for us,

if it will only take a few minutes."

"No, no Sarah they can't know." Why was Sarah such a

scaredy cat? "I will go on my own then, and you can explain to

your mum where I have gone."

Ha! Amy thought as Sarah dropped her apple into the lunch

bag and stared at her with wide eyes.

"That settles it then," Amy said with a bright smile.

"Tonight we will get Robbie back." She shoved the last of the

sandwich into the bag walked to the bin and tipped the rest of

the salad and fruit in. She would borrow some money from Emily

for chips from the canteen at afternoon recess.

#

Yareph hugged his knees as they waited for the last

candidate to finish. The knot in his stomach still wound tight.

Benran sat at the window beside him, clearly bored, eyes on

the garden which was sunny for the first time after a week of

snow and rain. Anef was tense at his other side, dreading the

coming separation as much as he was.

He rose as the door opened and the panel came out. The boys

all lined up in the centre of the room and bowed as the masters

filed out the door. The room felt like a storm waiting to break.

Master Zalef was furious.


"Anef," Zalef called.

Anef bowed to him and Zalef gestured for him to sit off to

the side.

"Benran."

"Master." Benran bowed and went to join Anef.

Yareph held his breath.

"Yareph."

It took Yareph a moment to realise that Zalef had actually

called his name. He bowed and went to sit beside Anef. Anef

gripped his hand tightly and rested his head against his

shoulder. Benran gave his other arm a quick shake to get his

attention then grinned at him.

Yareph did not relax, the tension in the room kept building

until it felt like it would crush him. Zalef called out no more

names.

"Never before have only three boys passed the exam. It is a

disgrace."

Yareph flinched, each word a blow. Zalef spoke in a soft

tone, but it felt like he was shouting. He hugged his knees as

Zalef listed the failings of the class in excruciating detail.

The boys in front of him hung their heads, a few burst into

tears. Anger and disappointment circled the room until Yareph

wanted to scream. He didn't, he couldn't, so he gripped Anef's

hand, hunched his shoulders and let it wash over him.


An age passed before Zalef stopped speaking and when Yareph

looked up at the time piece he had to take a second look. The

marker on the time piece had only dropped three marks. Master

Onsran, Master of the Outer Rooms, stood silently in the doorway.

The boys collected their boxes, lined up in two lines and marched

out.

"Yareph?" Yareph looked up. "Are you well?" Zalef was

crouched down in front of him, only concern in his tone now.

"Yes Master." He could not get the shake out of his voice.

"Alright, get your boxes and return to your rooms, all of

you. The patterns for the discipline exams are on your desks."

#

The afternoon passed with excruciating slowness. She tried

to read as Sarah had her piano lesson after school. she rolled

on the floor and bounced on the trampoline as Sarah did her

gymnastics. She forced herself to make small talk with Katherine

over homework and dinner, thinking all the while of that evening

and finally finding Robbie.

Mum dropped in after dinner and it was all Amy could do not

to blurt out her plans. Tomorrow morning mum would wake up and

Robbie would be home, her smile would be back. She wouldn't even

mind living in that horrible house if they could all be together

again. But she couldn't tell mum, not yet, not until she had

found Robbie.


She was more worried that Sarah would say something. Sarah

was very quiet and kept looking at her all through dinner, enough

that Katherine noticed it. Fortunately Katherine decided it must

have been worry for Robbie but Amy gave Sarah a kick under the

table as a warning.

It was easier after dinner. Though making it very clear

that she did not approve of the plan Sarah said nothing to her

parents and when Amy pointed out that they might need to take

some things with them, not only came up with two sleeping bags

and travel pillows but a small tent.

Food was harder to get. Despite having studies on the

ground floor level built half underground, Tim and Katherine

preferred to work in the kitchen. Sarah told her mum there was a

food drive and came up with two cans of tomato soup and a pack of

instant noodles, but they would need more.

It took Amy nearly an hour to convince Sarah she couldn't

live on only tomato soup and noodles, Sarah was already upset she

had lied to her mother. Eventually, after making sure that Tim

and Katherine were engrossed in their work Sarah led her

downstairs.

Amy hesitated as she passed the door and Sarah opened the

door from the foyer to go into the den. It was pitch black down

there, and even after Sarah turned the light on she hesitated.

The den was built into the ground, windows nearly at the same


level as the roof. Normally it was a fun play area, but today

with memories of the monster it was slightly sinister, full of

strange shadows just beyond the light. Amy steeled herself. She

couldn't be scared of the dark, not if she was going to rescue

Robbie.

Sarah looked nervous too, but for a very different reason.

She kept glancing back up the stairs as they headed for Tim's

office.

This was the only place in the house that wasn't spotless,

papers and folders scattered over the desk and floor and piled up

on the chair. Sarah moved the folders from the chair, wheeled it

over to the filing cabinet and opened the top draw. She pulled

out a jar and Amy's eyes opened wide. It was full of chocolates

and lollies.

Sarah gave her a sly smile. "He thinks mum and I don't know

about this," she said and Amy opened her bag wide as they emptied

the contents in.

"He won't notice it missing?"

"He will think mum found it and threw it out. He is meant

to be on a diet."

Amy grinned back at her and Sarah put the empty jar back in

the draw and closed it, piling the folders back on Tim's chair.

"What are you two doing down there?"

"Um, getting my paints," Sarah said, racing to the shelves


around the room and pulling down a box. They headed back up the

stairs.

"Thanks," Amy said, giving her hand a squeeze.

"For what?"

"For not telling on me."

"You are my best friend, best friends don't tell on each

other."

"So you will come with me?"

Sarah didn't answer and Amy couldn't pursue the matter with

Katherine there. Sarah had said they were doing painting, so

they had to do some painting. But her mind never left the bags

packed and ready under the bed.

#

Yareph suppressed the urge to bow to the image in the

mirror. For years any figure in black had outranked him,

demanded total obedience. Now it was him standing there in black

and silver Journeyman's robes. It hardly seemed real.

"Yareph."

The warning barely gave him enough time to kick his box into

the draw and shut it before Benran burst through the door.

Benran stopped in the middle of the room and turned a circle,

swirling his new cloak, the silver sign of magic glinting in the

lantern.

"Do you know how long I have been dreaming of this," Benran


said with a grin. "Those journeymen have been bossing us around

for years, now it is our turn, any apprentice has to do what we

say."

"No, you will have a master bossing you around every day

now," Yareph said.

"And we can go out whenever we want, do whatever we want,"

Benran said, pulling him out the door and to towards the dining

hall as fifth bell rang.

"If you think that Journeyman Benran I fear you are in for a

nasty shock," an amused voice said and they turned and bowed as

Master Antrok looked them over, Anef standing smugly beside his

master. "A journeyman is an asset of the Emperor and an

ambassador of the College, as much as a master. Eyes are on you

now Benran, you will find it far harder to get into trouble. My

eyes are on you."

Yareph couldn't help but laugh at the expression on Benran's

face as Master Antrok smiled at them. He put his hands over his

mouth and bowed once more to Antrok for good measure. One did

not make light of matters in front of a council mage.

"You look very fine Anef, unfortunately I must wait until

your friends are formally accepted to take you to my rooms,"

Antrok said, straightening Anef's collar. "I am sure I will see

much more of them." He turned and headed down the corridor.

"Anef," Benran hissed. "I do not expect to run into a


council master outside my rooms."

"A council mage can go wherever he wishes Benran," Anef said

primly, looking him up and down then smiling to Yareph. "Ready?"

Yareph nodded and returned the smile though he felt nothing

like smiling. They headed into the dining hall, the stained

glass windows at either end lit by mage lights, panels depicting

images from the Annals of Anem. The teaching staff were ensuring

all the apprentices were in their rightful places.

Yareph felt Anef grab his arm and blushed. His feet were

acting of their own accord and heading for the senior apprentice

table that now stood starkly empty.

Yareph felt a momentary stab of loss, while he had not been

close to the other boys in the class, he would still miss them.

He would never see any of them again save from a distance. That

is of course if he could win a master, for his position here was

not yet sure.

He took his place at the far end of the Journeyman's table

that sat almost directly in front of the raised council table.

The other journeymen glanced at them, looking them over briefly

but would not speak to them. They were not yet welcome. No

point getting to know someone who may not be staying. They had

four weeks in which to win a master or they would follow the rest

of the class to the outer rooms.

Yareph stood behind his chair and turned to face the First


Mage's chair as Lord Rentock and the College council entered and

took their seats. In one voice the room recited the oath to the

Emperor before sitting in unison and beginning the meal.

Now permitted to talk, Benran started up a blow by blow

recounting of his exam, the spells he had done flawlessly, making

up near disasters to amuse his friends. But not even a story of

how he almost set Master Zalef's head on fire could raise a smile

from Yareph tonight.

"What is wrong with you?" Benran asked.

"Nothing Benran, I am just tired," Yareph replied. He could

feel the stares. They were being measured up and Lord Rentock

was only a table length away.

"Of course you are. You didn't follow my sleep and study

regime," Anef said with a long suffering sigh. "I told you it

was important to get sufficient rest. Master Alran drew that up

for me himself."

"I did a bit," Yareph said frowning at his friend who just

raised a disbelieving eyebrow and turned back to the meal.

"Well you can sleep fine tonight," Benran said through a

mouthful of sweet pastries. "We made it."

Not yet Yareph thought but there was no point worrying his

friends. He made an effort to laugh at Benran's jokes. Benran

was in a fine mood and even a few of the journeymen further up

the table laughed as they were drawn into his stories.


Anef looked on disapprovingly, shaking his head at the

points where Benran was at his silliest. Yareph pushed his worry

to the back of his mind, trying to just enjoy being with his

friends. He nearly lost them today, he may yet lose them, so he

had to treasure every moment, store them up for when he did.

#

The minutes lagged though dinner and even the movie after

could not hold her attention. Amy had never wished for bedtime

so strongly. When Katherine told her it was time for bed she

almost ran up the stairs.

"Katherine, can I sleep in Sarah's room tonight? I don't

want to be on my own."

Katherine hesitated, but only for a moment. "Of course you

can sweetheart, but don't stay up all night talking, you both

have school tomorrow."

After receiving solemn promises that they would sleep, she

tucked them in, saying prayers with Sarah. To Amy's relief

Katherine didn't ask her to say anything but she added her own

Amen for good luck. It couldn't hurt and if God did exist, He

would want Robbie home safe too.

Amy waited ten minutes for Katherine to go back to her work

before she slipped out of bed and got dressed. She poked Sarah

until her friend reluctantly rose.

"Come on."


She threw a pair of jeans at Sarah.

"Amy, I am not sure about this."

"Do you want me to go on my own?"

"No, but …" Sarah looked back at the door.

"I thought you liked Robbie."

"I do."

Amy put Sarah's bag on the bed. Why would she pack a bag if

she didn't want to come?

"We should leave a note," Sarah said with a sigh and Amy

grinned at her. She knew Sarah wouldn't let her go on her own.

But a note was a problem.

"What if your mum finds it?"

"I will leave it under the pillow," Sarah said then raised a

new problem. "She will check in on us before she goes to bed."

Amy nodded and frowned at the bed. They spent some time

making sure the bed looked like two figures were sleeping

soundly. Then Amy headed to the window.

Sarah took the key out from her desk draw and unlocked it

then propped the window open. They threw the bags down and then

Sarah swung herself onto the branch of the huge gum that grew up

to the window.

Amy took a deep breath. Sarah made it look so easy.

Climbing down the tree was the best way out. Tim or Katherine

would hear the door. But it was a long way down. Patches of


white bark shone in the moonlight, smooth and slippery among the

rougher bark. More than once she muffled a shriek as her shoe

slipped, leaving her gripping the branch tightly. More than a

few minutes after Sarah gracefully slipped to the ground Amy fell

more than jumped from the lowest branch.

She dusted herself off. Sarah was looking back at the well

lit entranceway. She grabbed the bags and pulled Sarah down the

long driveway, only at the end away from the house did she stop

and arrange the bags.

It was a long walk into town along an unlit stretch of

highway, bordered either side by scrubland. Lights in the

distance heralded an oncoming car.

"What do we do?" Sarah asked, standing motionless at the

side of the road.

They couldn't be seen. Any grownup would stop if they saw

two kids on the side of the road.

Sarah gave a small scream as Amy pulled her into the bushes

at the side of the road. Both of them screamed as a spiderweb

collapsed over the top of them. She stumbled back onto the road,

hands scrabbling at her face, trying to get the invisible strands

off her face.

"The spider, where is the spider?" Sarah emerged, almost

screaming at her.

That was an important question. She looked Sarah over


carefully with the torch and Sarah returned the favour but there

was no spider to be seen. The poisonous ones didn't make big

webs like that anyway. She was sure of that, fairly sure.

She headed off down the road, trusting Sarah to follow,

still feeling the web all over her and wiping non-existent

strands from her face. She shivered and tried not to think that

they may have missed the spider in the dark.

Sarah picked up a stick and next time they had to hide she

waved the stick around vigorously to remove any hidden webs.

She was feeling quite confident by the time they reached

town. Paul's house was on the main road, just down from the

shopping centre. Amy checked the address twice then crept to the

window that Paul's diagram showed as his bedroom. She reached up

and tapped twice.

The window opened and Amy climbed through the window and

pulled the bags through behind her.

"We aren't going camping," Paul began then stopped as Sarah

climbed in behind her. "Hey, you never said we could bring a

friend."

"I didn't say we couldn't. You could have thought of it."

Amy paused at that then rallied, of course he could have, he

wasn't that stupid surely. "Are you ready to go?"

"We could go another day, when Paul has a friend along,"

Sarah suggested.


"No, something could happen to Robbie. We have to go now."

Sarah was going to use any excuse to wiggle out of this and run

back home.

"What's with the bags?"

"Well it might be a whole other world," Amy said.

"Like Narnia," Sarah said, putting the bags on the bed.

"I suppose you didn't think we might need to eat or sleep

when we are there," Amy said, lifting her head.

Paul glared at her. "Stay there."

Amy sat on the bed and looked around the room as Paul

grabbed a sports bag and started shoving stuff in it. The room

was a mess, there were clothes all over the floor. At the end of

the generous bed was a large screen TV attached to a games

console. Games lay piled around the console and all over the end

of the bed.

The only tidy area in the room was a shelf containing

basketball trophies.

"Show off," Amy muttered as Paul ducked out into the

hallway.

"I have trophies in my room," Sarah whispered.

"Well that is different, you aren't a show off."

Nothing more was said as they waited for Paul to return. He

put a finger to his lips and gestured them out into the hallway.

They crept across the hallway to Paul's brother's room.


"It went under there," Paul said, pointing under Dave's bed.

Amy lay down on the floor and shone the torch under the bed.

"Eww, there is a mouldy sandwich under there."

Paul flicked the light off and lay down beside her. Sarah

knelt on the other side, holding their bags.

"What now?" Paul asked.

Amy wasn't sure. She didn't know how she made the purple

thing come last time. But she couldn't admit that in front of

Paul.

"We all need to hold hands," she said.

Paul pulled his jumper down over his hand and held it out to

her. It was as sensible precaution to prevent the transmission

of boy germs so she said nothing, just took hold of his sleeve.

"Sarah."

Sarah hesitantly held out her hand and Amy gripped it

tightly.

"Now we all need to think really hard about the purple

swirly thing that the monster went through and it will come."

She turned to the underside of the bed and focused her mind.

Sarah gasped as there was a flash of purple light.

"That was it, we need to all focus harder," her voice raised

in her excitement, too loud.

"Paul, what are you doing?"

Paul stared at her. "You woke my mum."


"Amy, we are going to be in so much trouble."

A door opened and footsteps headed towards them.

"Quick, think of the purple thing."

Amy turned back to the bed and focused. This time it

formed, a purple tinge as if coloured smoke was swirling around a

black void. She moved forward.

"Watch out for the yucky sandwich," Sarah said as Paul

reached out to touch the swirl

That was the last thing she heard as the world vanished.

a swirl of purple june 2015_edits for chapter 1

Documents

swirl of purple amy

book robbie

kindy cause mum

small room

party friendly mum

school uniform

king single bed

curly hair