Gabrielle Series – Book 3 Page 1 Prologue 'Gabby, my name ...

Gabrielle Series – Book 3 Page 1

Prologue

‘Gabby, my name is Martin Roper. I was just wondering if you’d be

happy telling me everything you can about your memory of the voice

that spoke to you.’

Gabby looked the psychologist. She hadn’t met him before. He

seemed friendly enough. His gray hair looked slightly unkempt, his

tie was loose and he had one shirt sleeve rolled up. His face

radiated a warmth and ease that made Gabby feel comfortable about

talking. He sat with his hands clasped together, no sign of a

clipboard or tape recorder.

‘Are you sure?’

Martin’s eyes twinkled as his face creased into a smile.

‘Quite sure. Tell me what the voice said to you, Gabby.’ Gabby

turned her head to one side and closed her eyes.

‘Listen to me, Gabrielle. You have been given a chance, a

chance for redemption. An opportunity for you to right your wrongs;

to change your ways; to help others and not just yourself. You have

been chosen; and so few are chosen.

She glanced at Martin who nodded his encouragement.

This is no dream. You are not like anyone else. You must

understand this. Your path is determined. The answers will come to

you. Delve into your past, Gabrielle, at your own peril. Nothing is

more likely to destroy you than discovering who you are. You are

saving yourself, Gabrielle. That is all you need to know. There will

be times when you will be reminded of your past — these things will

all trigger long lost memories. Do not let them creep into your

mind. Do not give them your attention. Be strong, Gabrielle. A new

beginning awaits; dawn approaches.’

Gabby opened her eyes suddenly, wondering if the psychologist

was listening. She needn’t have worried. His expression was entirely

focussed on Gabby’s words.


‘Go on,’ he whispered, nodding. He appeared genuinely

interested in what she had to say.

‘When it’s time, you will know. You are going to help people,

Gabrielle. More than that, you are going to save people. People just

like you. Don’t seek them. When the time is right, they will find

you. If everything proceeds as it should, order will be restored.

Redemption will be yours. But if you stray from the path you will be

forced to make a choice — a terrible choice. A choice you will have

to live with until the end of time.’

‘Was there anything else?’

‘Be strong.’

Martin gazed intently at her but Gabby didn’t flinch.

‘Those are not your words, are they Gabby?’

‘No,’ she whispered, looking down at her feet.

‘Gabby,’ the doctor said patiently, leaning forward in his

chair. ‘You are doing very well. This is not a waste of time. Every

time you retell the story, you include something new; say something

slightly differently. We’re trying our very best to work out what’s

going on. The voice and the occasional flashback are the only links

we have with the life you lived before you were discovered in the

paddock.’

‘There’s something else,’ Gabby said, pausing, weighing up her

words. ‘I see ghosts. Dead people.’ She sensed a change in the air.

Martin stiffened slightly, though the expression on his face didn’t

waver. ‘I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.’

‘It’s not crazy, Gabby. I’ve spoken with Jane and it appears

something did happen in that house. Is everything settled there

now?’

‘Yes,’ Gabby replied. ‘It’s fine.’

‘Tell me about the flashbacks you’ve had?’


‘The voice warned me not to go asking questions; or go looking

for answers about my past. I’m not supposed to talk about them. It’s

like I’m on a mission and part of that mission is to avoid the

memories.’

‘A mission?’

‘Yeah, a quest. I have to save people. I don’t know from what,

or how, but that’s what the voice said. And I have saved people. I

saved Peter.’

‘Peter has been dead for over six months.’

‘And then there was Jack, though he wasn’t dead. He had a

clone double.’

‘Yes, that must have been quite a frightening encounter you

had with Dr Blackmore. They’re being quite secretive about it all. I

only have sketchy details about what took place myself.’

Gabby pressed on. ‘I have to find redemption. What exactly is

redemption?’ Gabby stood up suddenly and walked to the window. She

liked it in Martin’s office. Every time she visited the hospital she

was quietly hopeful of seeing someone who recognised her. It was at

the hospital that her life had restarted after she’d been brought

here in an ambulance three months ago. She turned to look at the

doctor. It means I’ve done something wrong, doesn’t it?’

‘Gabby, you’ve done nothing wrong.’

‘Then why does the voice talk about saving myself? About

finding redemption?’

‘Gabby this voice comes from inside you. It’s your creation.

But it may give us clues to your past.’

‘I’ve looked it up on the Internet. It means saving yourself

from evil. It means I’ve done bad things in my past. Or maybe I’m

about to do bad things. Either way, I’ve been given a chance.’

‘Gabby, I’m sure that there is no evil involved in this. Evil

is a very strong word.’


But Gabby wasn’t listening. ‘I have to make a choice.’

‘A choice?’

Gabby stared mutely at the wall then closed her eyes.

‘But if you stray from the path you will be forced to make a

choice — a terrible choice. A choice you will have to live with

until the end of time.’

‘Okay then,’ the doctor said, clasping his hands behind his

head. ‘Let’s talk about this some more.’

‘Have you checked up about the fires?’ Of all the flashbacks

she’d had, the smell of smoke and the vision of the burning house

she’d seen on TV had been by far the most powerful.

‘Gabby, we’ve scoured the newspapers; spoken to locals; we’ve

even set up a website and started a blog about fires in a 100

kilometre radius of where you were found, but we’ve had nothing.

There hasn’t been a fire in that part of the world in over 20

years.’

Gabby slumped back down in the soft leather chair in front of

Martin’s desk. Using her feet to swivel herself round, she closed

her eyes, yet again going over in her mind everything she knew about

her discovery…

I am found in the middle of the countryside sometime in early

December. I am lying unconscious in a deserted paddock. The field is

part of someone’s property. I don’t know whose. The nearest road is

Black Snake Lane – an old dirt road. The nearest town is Bannister,

about 16 kilometres away from where I was found. The nearest city is

Newfolk, about 65 kilometres north. An ambulance drove me to

hospital.

I have some minor burn marks, but otherwise I am not injured.

I have no memory of how I got to be lying in an open field. I have

no memory of anything that happened before being in the field. I

don’t know who I am. I am called Gabrielle, or Gabby for short,

because that was the first word a nurse heard me speak.


And now I hear that there hasn’t been a fire in the area for

over 20 years. Or at least, no one has reported one. But have they

asked every farmer in the area?

Gabby stopped suddenly.

‘I’m going exploring,’ she said, standing up.

‘Emergency?’ Martin sighed, but smiling nevertheless.

‘I like Emergency,’ Gabby replied, a hint of defensiveness in

her voice.

‘So I’ve heard, just don’t get in anyone’s way, okay?’ Martin

said, walking with Gabby to the door.

‘Scout’s honour,’ Gabby said, putting the three fingers of her

right hand up to her right eyebrow. Gabby froze, holding the

position. ‘Scout’s honour,’ she whispered to herself.

‘Do you do scouts at your new school?’ Martin asked.

‘No.’

‘Seen something on TV? Read something in a magazine? Spoken to

anyone about scouts in the last couple of months?’

‘No,’ Gabby said again, frowning.

‘Well, that is interesting. I haven’t seen a kid do that in

years. Mind you, I thought scouts was just for boys. This is worth

looking into.’

‘Maybe I had a brother who was in the scouts?’

‘Maybe you have a brother who is still in the scouts,’ Martin

countered. Gabby headed towards the main doors of the hospital with

a spring in her step.


Chapter 1

An ambulance was parked outside the front of the hospital. Gabby

stood back and watched as two officers dressed in dark blue uniforms

moved quickly to the back of the vehicle and opened its doors. Gabby

watched them carefully set up a metal trolley then slide the patient

onto it. There was no rush or panic in their movements; just a quiet

and practised efficiency.


Was this how I arrived? Gabby wondered as they wheeled the

trolley across the walkway to the hospital’s main doors. A nurse was

waiting there. They spoke for a few minutes then one of the men

waved and the two headed back to their vehicle.

‘Hey!’ Gabby called, running across a tiny garden and onto the

roadway next to the ambulance.

‘How you doin’?’ the male officer asked, his hand on the open

rear door. ‘You visiting someone?’

‘Ah, yes,’ Gabby replied quickly. She hesitated a moment then

plunged on, before she could talk herself out of asking the question

she knew she shouldn’t be asking. ‘Do you remember me?’

The two officers looked at each other.

‘Should we?’ He closed the rear door firmly.

‘I’m not sure. Maybe about three months ago. I was brought

here in an ambulance. I was unconscious. They found me in a paddock.

I think I had a couple of small burns.’ Gabby couldn’t stop the

tears welling in her eyes. It was the first time she’d spoken to

someone about her arrival. The officers regarded her with sympathy,

which only made it worse.

‘Listen, it wasn’t us. I would have remembered you. Did your

mum or dad ride in back with you?’ Gabby shook her head, gritting

her teeth to stop the tears. She wasn’t even feeling sad;

just…emotional. And hopeful. ‘We don’t usually transport kids alone

unless it’s an emergency of course. You sure no one rode with you?’

‘Or followed the ambo in another car?’ The other officer

asked. She was leaning against the side of the vehicle, her arms

folded.

‘I came on my own,’ Gabby said. ‘It’s okay.’ She moved towards

the huge revolving door that was the entrance for visitors.

‘What about the person who found you?’

Gabby froze then turned back to look at the two men.


‘I don’t know who that was either but someone must have found

me, mustn’t they?’ She watched the officers exchange glances again.

‘Listen, this – ’ The male officer hesitated.

‘I know. It all sounds a bit weird. Yes. I live in a foster

home. I must have had some sort of accident. I don’t have any memory

of what happened.’ The male officer thought for a moment.

‘I tell you what. You go and ask Jane inside at the desk

there. Tell her that Graham sent you. She should have a record of

your arrival. Perhaps you can get some details from her. Good luck,

okay?’

‘Yes, thank you.’ Gabby headed for the rotating door, waited

for the glass panel to swing around then slowly stepped forward. The

female officer unfolded her arms and headed back to the front of the

ambulance.

‘Can I help you?’ the lady asked, smiling at Gabby.

‘Hi, Graham, the ambulance officer outside just a moment ago

said you might be able to.’ Gabby began, suddenly having second

thoughts. What she was doing was against the rules. The voice had

told her. Made it perfectly plain that she should never go inquiring

about her past.

‘What can I do then?’ Jane picked up a pile of papers. She was

obviously busy.

‘Well, I was wondering, if someone comes to the hospital by

ambulance, but no one is with them and they don’t have any relatives

or anything, would you know how they got here?’ By the look on

Jane’s face, Gabby knew she was making no sense at all. ‘What I mean

is, do you keep records of ambulance arrivals and stuff?’

The phone started ringing.

‘Excuse me,’ the lady said, adjusting her mouth piece. Gabby

watched the little green lights blink on and off on the

receptionist’s switchboard. She waited a minute then made to move

off. ‘Can you give me a name and date?’ the receptionist called.


‘It’s Gabby.’ Gabby who, she wondered, looking back down the

corridor. ‘It doesn’t matter.’ The woman watched Gabby move quickly

away.

Gabby kept her head down until she reached the end of the

corridor.

‘Where to, love?’ a person asked, wheeling a trolley filled

with cleaning liquids, mops and an assortment of cloth rags. Gabby

glanced up at the signage on the opposite wall to the lifts.

‘Children’s ward,’ she muttered.

‘Level five, I’m heading there myself. You visiting a friend

of yours?’ The lift door hissed open.

‘Yes,’ Gabby replied, stepping into the corner of the lift.

She turned to look at the woman. She was obviously a cleaner. She

had small, black eyes that darted about nervously, and a crop of

curly hair, heavily dyed in streaks of purple and black that made

her look a little frightening. Gabby wondered if the sick children

found her scary.

‘Good for you then,’ the woman responded. ‘Pity there aren’t

more of you coming in.’ The lift shuddered then started moving.

‘Actually, I was in here myself not so long ago. About three

months ago. I don’t suppose you remember me?’

Gabby could smell the woman’s sickly sweet perfume as she

moved closer to her. Gabby felt a pang of hope as the woman smiled.

The lift came to a stop.

‘Can’t say as I do. Sorry, dear. I’m a shift worker. Mind you,

I’ve seen thousands of kids in my time and to be honest they kind of

just blend into the background after a while.’ She manoeuvred the

trolley out of the lift. It bumped into the left door and an

assortment of objects fell to the floor. Cursing, the woman bent

down to pick up an assortment of books, lolly packets, toys and

magazines. She shoved them haphazardly back onto a shelf of the


trolley, concealed behind a tiny white curtain. Gabby bent to help,

but the cleaner held up an arm.

‘It’s alright, thank you.’

Gabby wondered whether they were gifts for the children. In

spite of her witch-like appearance, the cleaner was obviously very

kind- hearted. ‘Anyway,’ she continued, stowing the last of the

sweets behind the curtain. ‘There’s some of course you don’t ever

forget.’ She straightened, then lent in closer. ‘Go visit Jesse in

room 542. Now there’s a boy you won’t ever forget.’

Gabby assured the lady she would visit Jesse.

‘Last room on your left after the nurse’s station,’ the

cleaner called.

Gabby walked slowly, trying to take in everything around her,

desperate to recall something from her stay here late last year.

Surely there would be records of her or maybe a nurse would

recognise her. Gabby thought of simply approaching one of the nurses

and stating that she’d returned. Pausing to stare out the window at

the view below, Gabby smiled as she imagined what the nurses might

say.

‘Oh, Gabby, it’s you! Look everyone!’ Nurses gathering around

Gabby. ‘Doesn’t she look so well?’

‘Gabrielle, we were so worried when you first arrived here.’

‘Tell us everything that’s happened since’ you left.’

‘Can I help you?’

Gabby spun around. ‘I’m just here to visit,’ she replied. The

nurse glanced at her watch. ‘It’s actually not visiting hours at the

moment. Who did you want to see?’ Gabby looked at the nurse’s kind

face. The tag on the front of her uniform identified her as Mandy.

‘Jesse.’

‘You know Jesse?’ the nurse asked. Gabby nodded. Was nodding

your head telling a lie?


‘And have you visited before?’ Gabby shook her head. From the

pit of her stomach Gabby felt a tingling sensation. She recognised

the feeling. It had happened before. She was meant to be here. It

was as the voice had said. Don’t go looking for people – they will

find you in their own good time. It was like destiny. She and Jesse

would meet. She felt a surge of excitement. Maybe she would save

him?

‘I need to see him. It’s really important.’

‘You know about his illness? Are you related to him?’

‘I’m just a friend.’

The nurse looked intently at Gabby. ‘Are you okay? You look a

little pale. What’s your name? I can go and tell Jesse that you’d

like to call in and say hello. How does that sound?’

‘I’m Gabby. Gabrielle,’ she added. She looked at the nurse

hopefully but there was no sign of recognition in her face. ‘He

might not remember me.’

‘Oh he’ll remember you,’ the nurse smiled. ‘Come along.’

‘No he won’t,’ Gabby mouthed to herself, drawing alongside the

nurse who had paused for Gabby to catch up with her.

‘He’s only just recently joined us on the ward again.’ Gabby

didn’t respond. ‘You seem a bit anxious, Gabby. Don’t worry, he’s a

great kid.’

Gabby wasn’t sure why she was being allowed to visit the boy

Jesse. It crossed her mind as she passed a large play room filled

with toys and tables covered with an assortment of games and puzzles

that the nurse perhaps had no choice. Maybe she was also a part of

this grand plan that Gabby seemed to be caught up in. She was even

tempted to ask. But ask her what? If an unknown voice had spoken to

her in a dream?

‘Jesse, is it okay if Gabby pays you a quick visit?’ They had

passed the nurse’s station and arrived at the last room in the wing.

Gabby looked past the nurse into the single bedroom. For a moment


she avoided looking at the bed, casting her eyes instead to the wall

on its opposite side covered in get well cards and letters. There

was no reply from the bed. ‘What say we let a little sunlight in

here?’ Mandy said, pulling aside the blind. A shaft of light

drenched the bed. A frail looking boy with brown curly hair turned

his head away from the brightness.

‘That was probably a bit too much light,’ Mandy laughed,

closing the curtains partially. ‘Jesse, do you remember Gabby?’

The boy shook his head. He hadn’t even looked in Gabby’s

direction.

‘What’s exactly wrong with him?’ Gabby breathed, staring at

his pale face.

‘If Jesse wants to speak with you he will.’ Gabby sensed she

was losing her patience. ‘Otherwise, I suggest you come back another

time.’ Mandy filled up a plastic cup from a water jug, patted down

the bedding at the end of Jesse’s bed then left the room.

‘Why am I here, Jesse,’ Gabby whispered, approaching his end

of the bed. The boy lay perfectly still, his eyes closed. ‘Is it you

I have to save?’ Gabby perched on the edge of a chair, her gaze

never leaving the boy’s face. She was barely aware of the book that

she’d nudged to the floor. And then suddenly Gabby knew. She stood

up quickly, retreating a few paces.

He was dying. Perhaps soon. Was his soul about to be parted

from his body? The first boy, Peter, had been a lost soul without a

body. And the second, Jack, a clone; a human body in all ways except

that he didn’t have a soul. Without knowing quite why, or how, Gabby

had realized this herself on both occasions.

But the boy lying here in his hospital bed? How could she save

the life of someone who was about to die? If doctors and medicine

couldn’t help him, how on earth was she going to be able to?

All that she knew was that she had the ability to see souls;

dead people, in the case of Peter, or people without souls, in the

case of Jack. Had she arrived too early?


Gabby picked up the book and settled more comfortably on the

chair. It didn’t look like Jesse would be waking any time soon. She

glanced at the modern looking machinery surrounding the bed. A long

silver panel covered in switches, buttons and plugs stretched across

the entire back wall. A monitor for displaying heart rates droned

quietly alongside another smaller panel that held a variety of

examination equipment. A blue portable trolley stood next to the bed

and Gabby noticed a cord connected to the boy’s thumb.

Gabby turned her attention to the book. Street Survivor 3 –

Fight for your Life. She opened the well worn book, turned it over

to read the blurb, then flicked through its pages. Each chapter

started with a rough looking line drawing – there were sketches of

modern looking weapons; angry people holding guns and dark, empty

streets.

‘Have you read it?’

Gabby almost fell off the chair.

‘Oh! You scared the life out of me.’ Gabby quickly closed the

book. ‘I was just visiting.’

‘Visiting me?’

‘No… Yes… I’m not sure.’ The boy looked totally exhausted. He

lay there with his head buried in the pillow, his eyes barely open.

Gabby wanted to wipe away the tiny dribble of saliva from his mouth.

‘Actually, I was just trying to work out which room I was in. I was

here a couple of months ago.’ The boy continued to stare. ‘I better

head off.’ She watched his eyes open again. He looked dreamy. His

words had briefly brought him into the room, but now he looked

distant, lost in hs own world. Slowly his eyes closed. ‘But I’ll

come back another time, okay?’

Jesse sighed then let his head sink deeper into the pillow.

Gabby placed the book carefully on the chair and quietly left

the room.


Chapter 2

Gabby arrived back at the hospital the following morning. She parked

her bike and entered the revolving door.

The secretary she’d spoken to yesterday wasn’t there. Perhaps

she didn’t work on weekends, Gabby thought, pressing the “up” arrow

outside the lifts.

Hearing laughter, Gabby paused a few metres from Jesse’s door.

She waited a moment then edged closer. There were two kids in the

room with him. The boy stared at her.

‘Hey Jesse, you’ve got another visitor.’ It was too late for

Gabby to back out. She put on a smile as she entered the room. Jesse

was propped against a bundle of pillows. He still looked pale and

his face was covered in beads of perspiration. He acknowledged Gabby

with the barest hint of a smile.

‘Hi,’ she said. Gabby glanced at the boy who was still eyeing

her suspiciously. ‘I don’t really know Jesse. I was up here last

night briefly. Only for a few minutes.’

‘I remember,’ Jesse said. He paused, as if suddenly

remembering something. The book Gabby had seen yesterday was partly

concealed, resting under his pillow. ‘Um…’ A strangle gurgling sound

rose from his throat. Jesse grimaced then his head fell to one side.

‘Jesse?’ the boy closest to the bed called, his voice

strained. ‘Mate?’

‘I’ve never seen him do that before, should we get a nurse

in?’ A girl in a red t-shirt said. Gabby looked at the red numbers

displayed on one of the units. They appeared to be dropping rapidly.

The two children rushed outside and a moment later reappeared

with a nurse.


‘Jesse, can you hear me?’ she said, taking his arm and feeling

for his pulse. ‘Kids, why don’t you go down to the waiting room

while we sort things out here?’

Another nurse swept into the room as Gabby and the two

children made their way out into the corridor. Gabby followed them

down to the play room she’d noticed earlier.

‘He’s pretty sick, yeah?’ Gabby asked, going to the large

window and staring out.

‘How do you know him?’ the girl asked.

‘I actually don’t. I was a patient here a few months ago.’

‘You probably saw him back then. Jesse’s been in and out of

here for over a year, but definitely full on since late last year.’

The girl grabbed a magazine from a large table and flopped onto a

chair. Had she seen him then? Gabby wondered, trying to recall

Jesse’s pale face. She didn’t remember seeing any children. Maybe

they’d put her in a different section of the hospital.

‘Anyway,’ the girl said, tossing the magazine aside. ‘It’s to

do with his muscles. Well, other stuff too. There’s something

happening that’s stopping them working. And they’re worried because

the heart is a muscle too. And if that…’ The girl stopped suddenly.

‘It’s okay,’ Gabby said. ‘You don’t have to tell me.’

‘I don’t really know much. Something is paralysing his

muscles. It’s like a really rare disease and they don’t have a

cure.’

Two doctors rushed past. They could hear someone shouting from

the other end of the corridor.

‘What’s going on? I’m going out to see.’ The girl stood up and

walked to the door.

‘Samantha, leave it. There’s nothing we can do except get in

the way.’


Samantha looked out. ‘Davo, there’s a boy down there yelling

at someone,’ she said. Gabby and Davo followed Samantha into the

corridor.

‘Where are Jesse’s parents?’ Gabby asked.

‘They’re shopping in town, but will be in later. We’re his

neighbours and come in most weekends. And now this happens. Geez, I

hope he’s okay.’

‘Yeah, me too,’ Gabby said. She knew she should be puzzled

about why she was here, but she realized too that it was part of the

journey she was on; her path to redemption. She couldn’t mention any

of it to Davo or Samantha – not yet, not possibly ever. It would be

a matter of waiting and watching. But she was certain now that it

revolved around Jesse. The commotion in the corridor suddenly

erupted.

‘Tell me what’s going on or you’ll regret the day you ever set

eyes on me,’ a boy was screaming at the top of his voice. He could

easily be heard down the length of the corridor.

‘Who the hell is that?’ Davo said, moving out into the

corridor. The others followed him.

‘Could someone please remove this boy from the ward?’ a firm

voice called.

‘Who is he?’ Samantha asked. A doctor strode up to them.

‘Is this boy here a friend of yours?’ he asked, impatiently.

‘I think I know him,’ Gabby looked closely at the boy. He was

wearing a dreary looking gray over-shirt that hung down past his

waist. His trousers were a similar colour. Apart from his black

boots the only colour on him was a red head band; not that his

short, spiky hair needed holding back.

‘Well please get him out of here.’ The doctor marched on

before the others could ask him about Jesse.

‘You know him?’ Samantha looked disappointed.


‘No, but they obviously need some help getting rid of him.’

She left Davo and Samantha and walked to Jesse’s room. ‘Hey!’ she

called, touching the angry boy on the arm. He’d moved back inside

Jesse’s room.

‘What?’ he yelled, spinning round. ‘Don’t touch me, alright?

Back off!’ Gabby held up her hands and retreated a few paces. Their

eyes met as the boy glared at her. Gabby felt herself break into a

cold sweat as the rough looking boy gazed at her with an intensity

she had never experienced before. His face oozed hatred.

‘We need to leave,’ Gabby said.

‘We? Leave? I’m not going anywhere until someone explains to

me what the hell is going on in this place.’

‘I think I can do that,’ Gabby replied, stepping to one side

as Jesse was wheeled out of the room. She tried to catch a glimpse

of his face, but his mouth was covered in an oxygen mask. Two nurses

pushing machines that were connected to Jesse by floating tubes

followed him. Even with the calm efficiency of the nursing staff,

Gabby sensed an air of alarm and urgency in their movements. The

nurses looked grim as they swept down the corridor. In a matter of

seconds, Jesse’s room and the area outside was deserted.

‘Right you two,’ an older nurse said, bustling towards them.

Gabby hadn’t seen her before. Maybe she’d been asked to come and

assist. ‘Time to go.’

‘I’m not moving till someone here tells me what’s happening,’

the boy sneered, folding his arms. The nurse obviously didn’t like

the way she’d been spoken to.

‘Excuse me, I just asked you to leave and that is exactly what

you will do. Now!’

‘Just leave me alone you old bitch,’ the boy snapped, his

fists clenched. Gabby stepped back into the corridor. What was his

problem, she wondered. Maybe he was Jesse’s brother, upset and

slightly out of control with what had just happened to Jesse. But he

hadn’t been in the room when Jesse had collapsed. Or had he? Gabby


hadn’t seen him but she guessed that didn’t necessarily mean he

wasn’t there.

‘Can I please I have security to room 542,’ the nurse said

into her phone. Sensibly, she’d decided not to argue with the boy.

Gabby doubted she would have got anywhere. The boy appeared so

furious that it wouldn’t have surprised Gabby if he’d actually hit

her.

‘He’s not with me, I was just trying to help,’ Gabby

explained. She glanced down the corridor. Davo and Samantha had

gone. The nurse muttered under her breath. They watched the boy

fossicking about Jesse’s room. He appeared to be looking for

something. Slamming a locker drawer closed he wheeled around and

stared fiercely at them.

‘Well?’ he screamed, then kicked a small cupboard. ‘Who’s

responsible?’ It careered across the floor before crashing into the

wall opposite. Two men dressed in black security clothes burst into

the room a moment later.

‘Come along feller, time to go.’ The boy lashed out with his

arms, but the men were too strong for him. They each pinned an arm

with vice like grips. ‘Are you going to come with us quietly or

shall we ring the police?’

‘You can ring anyone you like. Won’t make any difference to

me. Let me go or I’ll blast the living daylights out of you,’ he

threatened. Gabby watched the boy wriggle and squirm. The noise had

brought a numbers of patients and visitors out and Gabby hung back

as the guards dragged the boy down the corridor.

She waited a couple of minutes before following.

‘What now?’ she wondered, walking back to the entrance. The

two security guards walked past without acknowledging her. On the

other side of the revolving door she saw the boy. She could see the

tension in his body as he stood with arms by his sides, glaring at

the hospital.


‘You!’ he called, seeing Gabby. Gabby held her ground as he

marched over to her. ‘There’s something I need from that room but

those bastards aren’t going to let me back in. Now normally that

wouldn’t be a problem but I’m not carrying any hardware…’

‘Carrying any hardware?’

‘Guns, weapons. Je-sus, what’s wrong with everyone around

here?’

‘What do you mean guns?’ Gabby asked. Something about the boy

waving his arms about bothered her, but Gabby couldn’t quite work

out what. And it wasn’t just his strange language. His accent was

puzzling; different but not distinctive. It wasn’t strong enough to

be from another country, but it was different.

‘Just forget it. Can you help me?’

‘What did you leave up in Jesse’s room?’ asked Gabby. For the

first time the boy momentarily lost his tough appearance.

‘There’s a book. It’s got to be up in his room somewhere. I

was trying to find it when those friggin’ nurses and people came and

told me to leave.’

‘What’s the book? I can go back and try if you like. I can try

and find Sam and Davo as well.’

‘Who?’

‘Jesse’s friends. You don’t know them?’ The boy looked at her

blankly. ‘Yeah, well I thought you must have known them. But then

again, you weren’t in the room when I was there. So how do you know

Jesse?’

‘Listen, I don’t know Jesse and I don’t know those other kids

either. I just want to get my bloody book back, is that too much to

ask? Isn’t there anyone in this Godforsaken place who can help me?

Or do I have to go and find some bloody weapons and shoot my way

in?’


‘Hey, now you listen to me,’ Gabby said, feeling hot anger

rising from deep inside her. ‘Your talk is kind of getting a bit

boring. You and your precious book can go to hell for all I care.’

Gabby stormed off, not waiting for a reply. She got one anyway.

‘Yeah, good on you. I’ll go to a friggin’ library. I take it

this dump of a town does have a library? If I see you again girl,

you’re dead, do you hear me?’ Gabby froze.

‘What did you say?’ Gabby started walking slowly back to the

boy. No one had ever said that to her before.

‘You heard me,’ the boy sneered. ‘I said dead.’

‘You don’t know what you’re talking about.’

‘You ever seen a dead body?’ the boy asked.

‘Have you ever killed someone?’ Gabby countered. The boy

turned away. ‘No, of course you haven’t. Don’t say things you

haven’t got the guts to follow through with,’ Gabby snapped. This

time she didn’t turn round, though she sensed she would be seeing

this boy again.

He and Jesse were linked; she had no idea how, just that they

were. Should she go back inside the hospital to see if there was any

news about him? Maybe she’d bump into Davo and Sam. Gabby looked at

her watch. The tiny dial blurred as another flashback stormed across

her brain. There had been a watch. Gabby sat down on the edge of a

small garden at the front of the hospital car park, trying to hold

onto the memory, but already it was fading. She glanced at her watch

again.

Weird, she thought. She’d checked her watch dozens of times

since leaving the hospital almost three months ago. Why did she get

the flashback now? What was it about this place? Or this time that

took her back. But back to when? Gabby closed her eyes. She knew she

was being defiant by delving into her past like this, but what did

it matter? It wasn’t as if she learnt anything anyway.


Gabby decided to head home. She hadn’t told Jane, her foster

mother, where she was going and it was now almost lunchtime. Perhaps

she could head back in the afternoon.

One thing was for sure, Gabby knew she would be meeting one or

both of these boys again. If it was only to be one, then she hoped

it was Jesse. That was, of course, assuming that he was okay.

As she slowly pedalled home, Gabby couldn’t get the word

‘dead’ out of her mind.

Chapter 3

As Gabby picked at her salad roll she toyed with the idea of telling

Jane about her morning. She’d been vague when she’d asked Gabby

where she’d been, muttering something about catching up with

friends.

She and her husband, Phil, had shown her nothing but kindness

since she’d arrived in early January to start life in her new foster

home. Gabby, on the other hand, knew that at times she’d been rude,

off hand and disinterested. If she was on a journey of redemption,

then maybe she needed to try and be a better person in all aspects

of her life, not just in the saving of lives.


If she was on a journey of some sort; if there was an end to

be reached, then she certainly felt no closer to it than when she’d

first heard the voice talking to her about her quest of redemption.

In meeting Jesse and his bossy friend, she knew she’d begun another

chapter. Where it would take her, or where it would end, Gabby had

no idea. She looked up suddenly. Jane was staring at her, shaking

her head.

‘You’re a million miles away, Gab,’ Jane said. There was a

tinge of sadness in her voice.

‘Sorry, Jane.’ She wasn’t yet able to call Jane mum, though

she knew how much her foster mother craved to hear the word.

‘Penny for your thoughts?’

‘Well I was just thinking about how I was found in that

paddock and no one knows how I got there nor anything about my

family. I haven’t told you but there’s one thing I remember.’ Jane

put her roll down slowly and gave Gabby her full attention.

‘What was that?’ she said, breathlessly.

‘I heard this voice.’

‘Someone was there with you?’ she asked, wide eyed.

‘No, no. It was a voice in my head. Telling me things. But it

wasn’t my voice.’

‘Gabby, whose voice was it?’

‘I don’t know. It was a kind voice.’

Jane picked up her lunch. ‘Well, what did this voice say?’

Gabby took a bite out of her roll. It felt good to be actually

telling Jane about it. ‘He said that I was being given another

chance to redeem myself. He said it wasn’t a dream that I was going

to wake up from. It’s like I’m on this mission or quest to save

people.’

‘To save people, Gabby?’


Gabby knew it didn’t sound right. ‘Yes,’ she said, softly,

picking a piece of lettuce out from her roll. ‘It’s like it was

telling me that I’d done bad things.’

‘Bad things when?’ Jane leant forward. Gabby frowned.

‘That’s just it. I don’t know. The voice is the only thing

I’ve got. I just think that if I can complete this mission then I’ll

suddenly find out a whole lot more.’

‘Well,’ Jane said, leaning back in her chair.

‘You don’t believe me, do you?’ asked Gabby. The quest; the

voice; the thought of redemption and the choice she might have to

make – a terrible choice, the voice had said, if I stray from the

path. What path? It all sounded so surreal, sitting here in a

kitchen eating a salad roll with Jane. Just like she’d said, Gabby

thought, smiling to herself. A million miles away.

She hadn’t heard Jane’s reply.

‘Anyway,’ Gabby said, pushing herself away from the table.

‘I’m off to save someone. I’ll be home in time for dinner.’ She

breezed out before Jane could give her a hug.

Gabby cycled back to the hospital but couldn’t find anyone who

would give her any information about Jesse. And she didn’t think

she’d have any chance of seeing him If he’d been taken to Emergency

or Intensive Care.

The children’s ward was quiet and Jesse’s room empty. Feeling

a little self conscious, Gabby did a quick check of the room, but

apart from some items of clothing, a note pad and a couple of

electronic games tucked away in a drawer, his small room was empty.

On her way back to the lift Gabby passed the nurse she

recognised from earlier in the morning.

‘Is Jesse okay?’ she asked, before she could stop herself. The

nurse looked quickly up and down the corridor then leant close to

Gabby.


‘He’s taken a turn for the worse,’ she said.

‘How do you mean?’

‘Listen, I can’t give you details. We’re doing everything we

can, but…’

‘But what?’ Gabby involuntarily reached out and took the

nurse’s forearm. The kind nurse patted her hand. She pursed her

lips. Gabby held her breath, sensing she was about to say something

important. The nurse smiled sadly.

‘Come back on Monday,’ she finally said. ‘I’m on duty from ten

in the morning.’ Unhooking Gabby’s hand she smiled again and left

Gabby standing in front of the lifts.

Gabby stopped at reception to ask for directions to the city

library. It turned out that she was only a few kilometres away. The

ride was an easy downhill journey through four blocks of the town

centre’s fringe.

As soon as she entered the modern looking library, she sensed

straight away that something was amiss. There was a small

disturbance coming from the far end of the room where the children’s

books were held. One of the librarians was trying to sort out the

problem.

Gabby headed swiftly past the main counter and into a glassed

in section of the library. Seeing the angry boy from the library,

Gabby approached the scene. He was holding up a book in a

threatening way, his face a picture of anger. He noticed Gabby and

spun around to face her.

‘These little punks here don’t like what I’m wearing,’ he

said, in a sing-song voice. ‘Well, they’re about to find out what

happens when the make fun of Paul Sarron.’

‘Please give me the book and leave the library,’ the female

librarian said sternly, holding out her hand for the book. Gabby

noticed that it was a book on snakes. He must have picked up a

random book from the shelf and was going to hit the kids over the


head with it. The two boys looked to be about seven or eight years

old. They were smirking.

Gabby turned her attention back to Paul. He was so angry that

his arm was shaking.

‘Hey Paul, I’ve got some news on Jesse.’

‘Yeah? Let me just deal with these idiots first.’ Taking a

step towards them, he opened the book. Gabby sensed something bad

was about to happen. She didn’t know what, or how she knew, she just

did.

‘And that book you were missing. I know where it is,’ she

added. Paul froze then slowly turned on her again, the book

partially open.

‘Yeah?’ He flung the book to the floor. ‘About bloody time.’

Walking straight past the librarian, Paul strode to the

entrance of the library.

‘Sorry about that,’ Gabby muttered. She picked up the book and

handed it to the librarian then followed Paul to the entrance.

‘You said you were going to kill me next time you saw me,’

Gabby said, eyeing Paul carefully. He was sitting on a stone wall,

picking at his teeth with a fingernail.

‘Where’s the book?’

‘You don’t want to know about Jesse?’

‘I don’t give a rat’s arse about Jesse. Where’s the book?’

‘Oh my God, what is it about this stupid book?’ Gabby asked,

exasperated. Paul stood up. Before Gabby knew what was happening he

had lunged at her, grabbing her right arm suddenly in both hands.

‘Ever had a Chinese burn?’ he sneered, twisting his hands

rapidly like someone revving a motorbike. Gabby cried out, the pain

excruciating. ‘They say it hurts so much it can make a dead man

cry.’


‘Get your bloody hands off me,’ she screamed, trying to

wriggle out of his hold. But his grip was firm.

‘And the only way to avoid the agony is to create your own

even worse pain in another part of your body.’ Gabby gasped as his

grip tightened. ‘You can bring the dead back to life with a Chinese

burn.’ He relaxed his grip slightly. ‘The book,’ Paul whispered,

close to her ear. ‘Tell me where it is, and you’ll never see me

again.’

‘I…it’s back at the hospital,’ Gabby stammered, tears

streaking her cheeks. She felt his grip loosen.

‘I’ve checked,’ he snarled. Gabby glanced about her but there

was no one about.

‘One of the nurses took it along with his other things,’ she

gasped. ‘They’re packed in a bag. He’s really sick. Like, really

sick. They think he’s not going to make it.’ She hoped Jesse’s

situation might cause Paul to show some sympathy.

He relaxed his hold. Gabby gently rubbed her arms.

‘Go and get it,’ he hissed.

Gabby had never seen such a look of fierce desperation in a

face before.

‘I…I don’t…’

‘I said go and get it,’ he repeated, his face red and angry.

‘Tell me about the book and why it’s so important, then I’ll

go,’ Gabby said, holding firm. Her forearm felt like it was on fire.

‘You don’t want to know,’ Paul shook his head. He stared at

the ground and for a fleeting moment, Gabby thought she detected a

faraway look in his eyes.

‘Try me,’ Gabby persisted. The boy shook his head.


‘It’d spin you out. And it just makes life more dangerous for

me. The sooner I get my hands on that book, the sooner I can get out

of here.’

‘What book?’ asked Gabby. Paul tossed his head back and cried

out. Gabby retreated a few steps. She was not going to be attacked

again. This time she would run. ‘It’s just that there were a couple

of books up there. I don’t want to get the wrong one.’

‘It’s called Street Survivor 3 – Fight for your Life. And I

want that book because it’s my book. I own it, do you understand

me?’

‘Of course,’ Gabby replied. ‘I’ll go get it, yeah?’

‘Yeah, you go get it or else there are going to be some nasty

accidents happening around here.’ The boy laughed, jerking his thumb

at the library behind him. ‘And here is the perfect place for

accidents.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘You’ve got half an hour.’

‘Hey, it’s going to take me 15 minutes…’

‘Half an hour,’ he said. ‘Or someone in there dies.’

‘Paul, that is so stupid the way you – ’

’14 minutes. You better get moving, sister.’ Gabby let out an

exasperated cry and stormed off to her bike. In any other situation

she’d tell this arrogant punk where to go and make every effort to

never lay eyes on him again. But this was different. This was part

of her quest. Paul was linked with Jesse. She wasn’t sure how yet or

who she had to save – maybe both of them.

But that wasn’t her only problem, she thought, pedalling back

up the street in the direction of the hospital. She was certain that

the book wasn’t in Jesse’s ward. She’d checked. So, go back and tell

Paul the truth? And then what? Watch him kill someone? The idea was

absurd, as was Paul’s talk about guns and weapons. And yet there was

something about him that set him apart from anyone else Gabby had

ever met. There was an edge to him; a hardness. Like he’d


experienced something no one else had; perhaps something horrible

that had left some kind of permanent scar.

Gabby paused at the lights. She noticed that the red marks on

her arms had disappeared. There was still a slight tingling

sensation, but nothing more. Weird, she thought. Surely there would

be some sort of bruising to indicate what he’d done. His grip had

been brutally firm.

She got off her bike and walked along the pavement, staring

into the shop windows, wishing again that she could be normal like

everyone else.

She came to a dark looking second-hand book shop. Resting her

bike against a pole just outside, Gabby took off her helmet and

walked into its cool interior. For five minutes she roamed the

shelves, sniffing the musty air and letting her fingers trail across

the spines of the books.

‘Can I help you?’ a man asked, looking up from his desk near

the front of the shop.

‘Have you got a book called Street Survivor 3 – Fight for your

Life?’

The man cocked his head to one side. ‘Can’t say I know that

one. Do you know who wrote it?’

‘No, it doesn’t matter.’ Gabby left the shop a few minutes

later.

She was only a block away from the hospital when she first

heard the ambulance’s siren. Gabby knew straight away where it was

heading. She careered across to the other side of the road, causing

two cars behind her to slam on their brakes.

‘You bloody idiot!’ one of the drivers yelled, leaning out his

window. ‘You want to go and get yourself killed?’

Her heart racing, Gabby hurtled back towards the library.


Chapter 4

Paul watched the red numbers on his watch counting. 13….12….11, then

glanced again at the two boys pushing each other at the far end of

the library, out of sight from their parents and the library staff.

8…7… 6…. He cracked each of the knuckles on his left hand. 4….3….2….

His watch made a beeping noise. Paul rose from his seat and walked

slowly towards the boys.

‘Hey guys, you wanna see something awesome?’ He smiled at the

boys. The two boys paused and looked at each other.

‘What?’ the taller one asked.

‘Follow me.’

‘In the library?’

Paul sensed their hesitation. ‘Of course. It’s a book.’ He

gave them another smile. ‘I found it. I’m here all the time but I’ve

never, ever seen this book before. It’s amazing, but it might be too

scary for you.’ Paul moved off.

‘A book? How can a book be too scary? Come on, Jason.’ The

boys followed Paul into an aisle. ‘Where is it?’

‘Right here,’ Paul replied, his smile widening. He picked up a

book that was lying on the top of the shelf. ‘Just sit down there

and I’ll show you.’

‘This is dumb,’ the other said.

‘Is everything okay here?’ a man asked, approaching them from

the other end of the aisle. The two young boys looked up at the

librarian, then hastily got to their feet. There was something odd

about the boy who had lured them into this obscure section of the

library.


‘C’mon Jason,’ the smaller boy whispered. The two retreated

hastily to the end of the aisle, leaving the librarian with Paul.

‘There’s a book on the shelf up here but I can’t reach it,’

Paul said, pointing to where the book lay. ‘Those kids have been

following me around,’ he added, stepping aside as the librarian

reached his hand up to the shelf.

The librarian gasped suddenly, pulling his hand away sharply.

‘AGGGGGGGGH!’ he screamed, as two enormous scorpions latched

onto his hand. Another scurried up his shirt sleeve. He cried out

again as he felt a sharp bite puncture his skin.

‘Sorry to have bothered you,’ Paul whispered as the librarian

crumpled to his knees, the poison from the scorpion’s bite coursing

through his veins. Paul walked quickly to the rear end of the aisle.

Hearing his colleague’s cry, another librarian came rushing over

from the front desk.

‘Oh my goodness, where did that come from?’ she shrieked,

taking a step backwards. One of the fist sized scorpions scuttled

away. She knelt down beside her colleague. ‘John?’ Immobile with

shock, and with the scorpions’ venom already paralysing his body,

John lay still, his breath coming in short gasps.

‘Help me,’ he whispered, his face deathly pale.

‘Grace!’ the female librarian called behind her, frantically

shaking the man’s shoulder. ‘We need an ambulance here. Hurry!

John’s been bitten by a… a scorpion.’

While one of the librarians rang for an ambulance, another

managed to herd everyone out of the building. The startled creatures

headed for the darkness between the bottom of the shelf and the

carpet.

Trying to ignore the presence of the scorpions, the female

librarian continued her desperate attempt to rouse John, but to no

avail. He shuddered once, sighed then lapsed into unconsciousness.

* * * * * * *


Gabby was only a few minutes behind the ambulance as it drew to a

halt outside the library. Dumping her bike on the grass, she rushed

to the door.

‘Sorry, love,’ an adult said, catching her by the arm. She

shrugged his hand away.

‘It’s okay, I know what to do,’ Gabby cried, breaking free of

his hold. But for two paramedics leaning over the stricken

librarian, lying still at the entrance to one of the non-fiction

aisles, the library was deserted.

‘What happened?’ she called, rushing over to the two men.

‘It’s under control,’ one of them said. ‘Please leave the

building.’

‘I think – ’

‘Now!’ Gabby felt a pair of hands dragging her back towards

the door.

‘What happened?’ she repeated, back outside the building. She

looked around at the anxious faces, moving closer to a woman who

appeared to be scolding her son.

‘It wasn’t my fault,’ the boy said, sobbing. ‘It wasn’t me who

brought them in.’

‘You’re just very lucky it wasn’t you that got bitten.’ The

mother hugged the boy, in spite of her anger. ‘That poor man,’ she

muttered, shaking her head.

‘W…who brought what in?’ Gabby asked. The boy looked at her.

‘There were scorpions. About fifty of them.’

‘Oh don’t be silly, Jason,’ his mother said.

‘It’s true! And they were all different types. I saw them.

Like really massive ones, as big as a dinner plate.’


‘You were late,’ a voice whispered in Gabby’s ear. Gabby’s

body stiffened. She was about to reply but there was a sudden

commotion and she felt herself being pushed backwards.

‘Could everyone please leave this area?’ a voice called out.

Two people carrying open cages and other equipment walked quickly

past and into the library.

‘They’re going to catch all the scorpions,’ Jason said.

‘I warned you.’ It was Paul again.

‘You did this?’ Gabby burst out. She followed him away from

the entrance. ‘What has that poor man in there got to do with

anything? You’re a creep, you know that?’

The boy stopped. ‘I want my book.’

‘You and your book can go to hell,’ Gabby yelled. Paul stood

there staring at her.

‘Hey, moron. The guy’s an agent. He was wearing a badge.

What’s it to you?’

‘What are you talking about? What’s he done to you?’

‘He’s an adult! What else is there to know,’ Paul said, his

voice laced with venom.

‘You’re not from here, are you? As in, from anywhere near

here. Where have you come from?’

‘Like I said, you don’t want to know, but it’s a place very

different to this. What’s with all the children? They’re

everywhere.’

‘What? What are you talking about?’

‘Kids. Children.’

‘It’s Saturday. You’re standing in a park outside the city

library. What do you expect?’ Gabby asked, exasperated. ‘Anyway, I

should go and tell someone it was you that brought those scorpions

into the library.’


‘You do what you like,’ the boy shrugged, indifferently. ‘It

makes no difference to me. Those scorpions were already there. Saw

them in a little box. Wasn’t me that put it there. I just got

curious and opened it.’

‘If that librarian dies then you could be charged with

manslaughter. You could spend the next 10 years of your life in some

sort of youth detention centre.’

Again the boy shrugged. ‘Hardly matters,’ he muttered,

finally. ‘If I don’t find that book then nothing matters.’ He turned

to head off, then paused. ‘Hey, you know what I said about killing

you?’ Gabby didn’t answer. ‘Yeah, well I wouldn’t. Just like I was

never going to hurt those kids inside. I look out for my own kind,

you know.’

‘I’m not your kind,’ Gabby snapped, turning to head back to

the library.

‘Yes you bloody are,’ Paul called. ‘You and me, we’re on the

same side, you know.’ Gabby continued walking. ‘Hey, I’ll tell you

tomorrow, okay? I’ll tell you everything.’ Paul swore, gave Gabby

the finger, then stormed off.

Gabby hung around the entrance to the library and her patience

was finally rewarded when she overheard two library officials

discussing what had happened. Sitting under the stairwell in the

foyer, Gabby listened as the woman who had first discovered John

recounted what had happened.

‘Well thank heavens he’s going to be okay,’ the other woman

said.

‘I know. He’s very lucky that those medicos were so quick to

respond. And it was lucky that they had the anti-venom too, given

that those scorpions weren’t native.’

‘Bizarre. So someone’s obviously brought those bloody

creatures into the library to perhaps try and identify what species

they are. I mean, there was that book on scorpions open right where

John got bitten.’


‘Well I can tell you this much, I won’t be going back in there

until they can absolutely guarantee that every last one of those

things has been accounted for.’

Gabby waited for them to move off before collecting her bike

and slowly pedalling home.


Chapter 5

Gabby spent the morning locked away in her room, trying to ward off

a feeling of despair that had been slowly eating away at her since

she’d first met Paul. His anger at the world and everyone in it had

struck a chord with Gabby – in a way she’d felt it too, but just not

shown it in such a blatant manner.

Gabby stared at the blank computer screen. She felt

disconnected; adrift. It was the weekend and her classmates would be

somewhere together; in town doing some shopping; at the movies; or

maybe sitting around in someone’s home, chatting about life.

But Gabby was different. Why? Aimlessly, Gabby manoeuvred the

mouse pointer over the word document she’d started a few weeks ago.

She double clicked the icon and scanned the assortment of random

words she’d typed. Her eyes glazed as she stared at the words. Fire.

Burning. Smoke. Knife. Smell of smoke. Fire on TV. Ghosts. Burn

marks.

‘Burn,’ she muttered, jumping up suddenly and flicking the

door shut with her foot. She felt a tiny shimmer of excitement as

she typed the word into her web browser. The voice had warned her

not to delve into her past. But what was her choice? To continue

this life of loneliness, feeling like a stranger as she watched the

world from outside, never quite fitting in?

She remembered a comment her English teacher had made during a

discussion in one of their classes last week. They were comparing

two characters from a book they were studying. She closed her eyes

as she recalled the words.

‘Life is not a rehearsal. Life is. Right now.’

Gabby knew, had known for a long time, that the key to her

knowing her past related to fire, to burning. And the night she’d

burst in on her foster parents and seen a house blazing on TV had

been the strongest and most powerful of all the little flashbacks

she’d experienced since leaving hospital.


Gabby clicked on the word ‘images’ then followed the first

link. A man in a fire proof suit was talking to a group of

spectators. He was standing in a portable filled with furniture.

Gabby watched closely as he bent down, lit a small fire in a rubbish

bin then stepped away, all the while talking into a microphone. It

was some sort of demonstration.

Gabby stared at the bright orange flames, amazed at how

quickly the fire grew. It reminded her of running water; a

shimmering fiery haze. In a matter of seconds the small cubicle was

ablaze. Sections of the roof collapsed while huge billowing plumes

of black smoke poured out the front opening. A constant draught of

wind seemed to be fanning the flames. Turning off the sound, Gabby

stared intently at the blaze, focussing on the yellow centre of the

fire, trying to recall a time when she might have experienced it

first hand. Nothing. She wouldn’t have survived a fire like this

anyway, Gabby thought. Nothing living could survive this. The fire

had now engulfed the room.

Gabby stopped the video. She’d been found on a farm; in the

country. Maybe it had been a bushfire. But if anything, they were

even more fearsome. Sighing, Gabby opened up a new browser window

and started typing.

Bushfire or House fire. Black Snake Lane. Bannister.

She pressed enter.

‘Gabby, there’s someone at the door to see you,’ Jane said,

poking her head around the door.

‘Me?’ Gabby closed the browser down and stood up. She could

check it out later.

‘A young boy. Gabby, he looks a little rough,’ Jane said,

dropping her voice.’ He said it was quite important. He said his

name was Paul.’

‘Oh, him,’ Gabby groaned.

‘I can say you’re, um, you know, not well. Is he from school?’


‘No.’ Gabby thought quickly. She didn’t want Jane to know

she’d been back to the hospital. ‘I met him down at the library.’

‘And you told him where we lived?’

‘No.’ Gabby looked up sharply. ‘Of course not. He must have

followed me home. It’s okay, I’ll chat with him. In the kitchen so

he doesn’t kill me.’

‘What?’

‘Well, if he does kill me, you’ll be a witness so he won’t get

away with it.’

‘Gabby, he’s alright this Paul, is he?’

‘He’s all talk, Jane.’ Gabby thought about the scorpions and

the man who’d barely managed to survive the attack. ‘I think.’

‘I’ll be hiding in the pantry with a saucepan,’ Jane breathed,

tapping the side of her nose with a finger and winking at Gabby. She

was secretly delighted that Gabby had a visitor, Gabby knew.

‘Aim for the temple, Jane,’ Gabby said, breezing past her.

‘Nice and quick.’ She didn’t wait to hear her reply.

Gabby swung the fly wire screen door opened. Paul had to jump

back quickly to avoid being hit by it.

‘I told you I was –’

‘How did you know I lived here?’ Gabby snapped.

Paul shrugged. ‘Followed you. So what? It’s what I do.’

‘It’s what you do?’ Gabby said.

‘Listen; let me tell you about this book, okay? You help me

find it and you won’t see me again. I can guarantee that.’

‘Sounds good to me.’ Folding her arms, Gabby leaned her body

against the side of the door and waited.

‘Right, well this book – ’


‘Street Survivor 3 – Fight for your Life?’

‘Yeah. It’s about a future time when all children get spiked

before – ’

‘Spiked?’

‘Yes. Spiked. Jesus, will you stop interrupting me?’

‘Sorry. I don’t know what spiked means.’

‘Of course you don’t. It hasn’t happened… I mean, it’s not

real. It’s a book. Anyway, from the day a kid is born, they are kept

in special schools and trained and taught. Their parents can come

and visit and check up on how they’re going but the children don’t

leave until they’re spiked.’

‘And what’s being spiked?’

‘It’s an injection every kid gets before they’re allowed

outside.’

‘Outside?’

‘Into the proper world. Where you get a job, party, get

married and crap.’

‘I have no idea why you’re telling me this. How is it going to

help you find the book?’

‘It’s just important that you know, that’s all. Anyway,

sometimes, kids escape from the schools before they get spiked.’

‘Why do kids get spiked?’ Gabby asked, shifting her weight

onto her other foot.

‘Yeah, well for ages kids ruled the streets. They had weapons;

knives, guns, swords and stuff.’

‘Street Survivors,’ Gabby said, recalling the book’s title.

‘Exactly. They hid in the tunnels and sewers, came out at

night to scavenge for food, rob shops for stuff and basically try

and avoid getting caught by the police. Life was just one long


battle for survival. And they tried to rescue kids from the schools

before they get spiked. ‘Cos once you got spiked, that’s it.’

‘How do you mean?’ Gabby couldn’t hide her curiosity. Paul was

telling the story with such intensity.

‘When you get spiked you get drugged with a slow release

medication that basically keeps you calm and compliant for the rest

of your life. They actually inject a small metal tube into your

brain and it sits there for 50 years. Once you turn 65, you get put

into a retirement village.’

‘Until you die,’ Gabby said. Paul shrugged. ‘And so this is

the third book in the series?’

‘Yup. It’s the last one. There aren’t any more.’

‘How do you know that? Do you know the author?’

‘I just do,’ Paul replied.

‘I guess when I read it I’ll know what you mean. So, now that

you’ve told me about the story you’ll go away and I’ll never see you

again.’

‘Until you find my book.’

‘Yeah, well give me your number and if I do find it, I’ll text

you and let you know.’

‘I don’t have a phone. Just leave it under that bush over

there,’ Paul said, pointing to a shrub in the corner of the garden.

‘I’ll keep checking.’

‘That sounds a bit weird.’ Gabby glanced at the neighbour’s

fence. Paul muttered something under his breath then turned and

jogged down the steps. Gabby watched him disappear then slowly

walked inside.

‘Well?’ Jane asked. Gabby knew she’d probably been listening

nearby.


‘Strange,’ Gabby shrugged. ‘He just wanted to tell me about a

book he’s been reading.’

‘Well, that’s nice. He must be very fond of the book to follow

you all the way home to tell you about it.’

‘Very,’ Gabby agreed, heading back to her room.

‘Do you think he’d like to come back for some lunch?’ Jane

called.

‘No, I don’t think so,’ Gabby replied, closing her bedroom

door and returning to the computer. She wriggled the mouse to de-

activate the screen saver then scanned the list of links to the

words she’d typed in, but they looked vague and random.

She clicked on the fifth link – it was a news story about a

haystack that had been set alight on a farm in Banister. She

scrolled to the bottom of the page, searching for a date but

couldn’t find any mention of when it had happened.

Wearily she read the first couple of paragraphs, then skimmed

through the rest of the article, however there was no reference to

anyone being injured. It didn’t even mention the owner.

‘What if I go there?’ Gabby muttered, clicking on Google Maps

and typing in Banister. She zoomed in after locating Black Snake

Lane then pressed the satellite button. On maximum zoom she could

make out various buildings and barns. Blotches of dark green were

spread across the screen; sometimes in rows, sometimes alone. Trees,

Gabby realized, staring at one of them. A river snaked its way

across the countryside. Gabby shifted the map, pausing as she passed

over buildings, trying to follow Black Snake Lane. But looking at

places through a computer screen was nothing like actually being

there. There were no smells or sounds to help jog her memory. The

road stopped abruptly at what looked like a copse of trees bordering

a smaller looking creek.

Gabby moved upwards to a neat looking farm. She could clearly

make out the roof of the main farm house, shiny and newer looking

compared with the smaller rooves of the barns that surrounded it.


‘Was this my home once?’ she wondered, staring at the screen.

Using bus and train timetables, Gabby spent the next 15

minutes calculating how long it would take her to get to Banister.

Ignoring the little knot of doubt nibbling away in the back of her

mind, she printed off the times and a map of the route she would

take to get from the bus stop on Main Road to Banister.

Jane and Phil had said they’d go there – sometime in autumn,

but they hadn’t sounded that keen. They were probably fearful of

breaking the calm spell that had settled over the household since

the bizarre situation of Peter’s ghost. And so autumn would probably

turn into winter. It might be half a year before they got there.

She estimated it would take almost four hours to get there,

which would leave her only a couple of hours before she would have

to jump back on the bus to get home. She should be able to make it

back before dinner. As long as everything went according to plan.

Gabby tucked the information into her school bag and trotted

back into the kitchen, feeling like a weight had been lifted from

her.

‘Gabby dear, we were thinking of a picnic. It’s such a

beautiful day. What do you think?’

‘Brilliant idea,’ Gabby said, grabbing an apple from the bowl

on the kitchen table and tossing it into the air. Phil and Jane

exchanged glances.

‘Great! Where would you like to go?’ Jane reached down a

basket from a shelf in the pantry. ‘We haven’t used this in years,

Phil.’

‘How about that park by the library?’ suggested Gabby.

‘Johnstone’s Park?’ Phil asked, cutting open a bread roll. ‘In

the city?’

‘We were thinking of a drive. Maybe down to Sea Port.’

‘Or we could do a really, really long drive into the country.’

Gabby grinned. ‘Isn’t that what adults are into?’


‘We could,’ Phil said, tentatively.

‘Say, to Banister?’ Gabby noticed the look pass between them.

‘We were going to take you back there at some stage,’ Jane

said. ‘But it’s quite a distance away and I think if we went, we’d

want to have time to really explore the place. What do you think,

Gab?’

‘Yeah, I think that would be great.’

‘We thought we’d wait till autumn when it’s not as hot,’ Phil

added.

‘Then it’s Johnstone’s Park,’ said Gabby, clapping her hands.

‘I’ll cut up some fruit.’

‘Why don’t you give that nice boy a call and ask him if he

wants to come along?’ Jane said, cheerfully.

‘He actually hangs out at the library a bit so we might even

see him there.’

Jane gave her husband a wink behind Gabby’s back. ‘And he’s

not the reason I suggested the park,’ Gabby added, glaring at Jane.

‘Gabby!’ Jane began.

‘I actually think it’s a really nice park and there was a band

setting up to play.’ Gabby put the knife down noisily and left the

room.

‘Fifteen minutes, Gab,’ Phil called. Gabby didn’t reply.


Chapter 6

A large group of people had gathered in the sunshine, families with

picnic rugs; young couples perched on the grass and small children

rushing about in front of the rotunda where a live band was thumping

out a country and western song.

‘Your kind of music, Phil,’ Jane said, edging toward one of

the last patches of grass visible in front of the stage.

‘We should do this more often.’ Phil stood there with his arms

folded, surveying the colourful scene around him.

‘Hey, you’re not made of glass!’ someone called from behind

him. Gabby suppressed a smirk as Phil’s face turned a rosy shade of

red.

‘People are so rude and impatient nowadays,’ he mumbled,

burying his face in the picnic basket. Gabby turned her attention

back to the library entrance where she’d noticed Paul when they’d

first arrived.

‘Well, it’s an absolute gem of a day. Let’s all just relax and

enjoy ourselves, shall we?’ Jane handed out some plates.

‘Back in a minute,’ Gabby assured them, ignoring Jane’s

attempt to hide her disappointment.

‘I’ll stand up so you’ll find us easily,’ Phil grinned, then

took a large bite of his roll. Gabby made her way to the side of the

crowd then walked to the library. Paul was looking around anxiously

when she finally got to him.

‘Well?’ she demanded. ‘I thought you were going to keep away,’

she scolded him.


‘Away from what?’ He continued to stare nervously at the crowd

on the grassy slope in front of the bandstand.

‘Away from me.’

‘This shouldn’t be happening,’ he muttered, glancing to his

left.

‘You don’t like the music?’ Gabby scoffed, annoyed that she’d

bothered to walk over to talk to him. But she knew she had to. This

boy glaring angrily at everyone around him was like Jack, and before

him Peter. Gabby felt a connection to him; a connection she could

barely explain, yet felt deep within her. Maybe, she thought,

watching Paul scowl at a family walking into the library, he held a

key to the place she’d come from. She hadn’t explored that

possibility with Peter or Jack.

‘This has got to stop,’ Paul blurted, turning to walk into the

library.

‘Paul, do you know me?’ Gabby asked, following him inside. ‘I

mean, from somewhere else? Have we met before?’ In spite of his

irritation, Gabby sensed a flatness in him. It was in his walk; his

manner. Paul paused, looking at her for the first time.

‘You’re just like everybody else,’ he said.

‘But have we met before?’

‘Of course we haven’t. I’ve never met anyone from here before.

Obviously.’

‘Obviously,’ Gabby repeated, uncertainly, trailing after him.

‘Tell me,’ he snapped, spinning round and fixing Gabby with a

steely glaze. ‘Does this sort of thing happen often?’ he jerked a

thumb towards the door.

‘What? Concerts out in the park?’

‘People grouping like that. Don’t people here realize how

dangerous that is?’


‘What are you talking about? How can sitting in the sun

listening to music be dangerous?’ Paul’s gaze was unwavering.

‘Where I come from public gatherings were banned ages ago.

They’re a recipe for disaster. Ever heard of terrorism?’

‘Of course – ’

‘That’s a disaster waiting to happen out there,’ Paul raged,

his shoulders tense. ‘And no one seems to give a rats about it.’

‘I don’t know why I keep following you round,’ Gabby said.

‘But there’s a reason that will eventually reveal itself.’ She

looked up but Paul had disappeared. He hadn’t heard a word she’d

said.

Gabby made her way back to the picnic spot and slumped onto a

corner of the rug.

‘Everything okay, dear?’ Jane asked.

‘Yeah,’ Gabby responded, taking a salad roll from Jane.

‘Thanks, this looks great.’ The crowd was in a festive mood with

children dancing at the foot of the bandstand and others singing

along to the band’s pulsating beat. Gabby lay back and closed her

eyes, letting the pounding rhythms vibrate through her body.

‘Where the blazes did that cloud come from?’ Phil barked,

shielding his eyes from the sun and looking skywards. Gabby sat up

and frowned. An enormous black cloud had swept in from the direction

of the city.

‘It’ll pass, Phil,’ Jane soothed. ‘I checked the forecast.

It’s going to be fine and warm till next Tuesday.

‘How peculiar?’ Phil muttered. There were gasps of surprise

coming from people around them. Gabby looked up again. Like swollen

black balls of cotton wool, a series of clouds were swelling and

growing right above them.


‘Is it a fire?’ Jane asked. Gabby sniffed the air. Apart from

the smell of food and coffee there was no other aroma in the air.

Gabby felt sure that she’d smell fire if it was present.

A loud crack of thunder brought a few startled screams from

the crowd.

‘I don’t believe it,’ muttered Phil, as the first rain drops

started to fall. Quickly they packed up the picnic items, stashing

them into the basket. The rain suddenly got heavier.

‘Oh, Gabby. Where did this come from?’ Jane shrieked, trying

to be heard above the noise of the commotion around her. Gabby

hauled up the picnic rug and rushed after Jane. The rain was coming

down in sheets, drenching everyone and everything outside. The band

members had stopped playing and were trying to protect their

instruments and sound equipment, pushing everything to the middle of

the bandstand.

Another deafening roll of thunder shook the entire library as

Gabby joined the flock of people crushing at the entrance, trying to

escape the torrential downpour.

Eventually she managed to slip inside, catching sight of Phil

standing near a rack of CDs. Through the window she could see rivers

of water snaking their way down the grass. A few brave people

remained outside as the storm raged overhead.

‘Idiots,’ Phil muttered, water dripping off his face and hair.

Over the loud speaker, a voice was attempting to direct everyone to

the sides of the building, but she could barely be heard over the

din.

For ten minutes the storm ravaged the area around the library.

Limbs fell from trees as a furious wind whipped at the branches. The

gravel paths quickly turned into small streams, the water pooling at

the base of the musician’s performing area.

‘Looks like a castle with a moat around it,’ Phil grimaced.

Despite their best efforts, the band members appeared saturated. ‘I

hope they’ve got insurance,’ he added.


‘The rain appears to be easing,’ the female voice said over

the loudspeaker. Slowly people began making their way outside again,

reclaiming their possessions that had been dumped in the library

foyer.

‘Come on,’ Phil said, putting a hand on Gabby’s shoulder and

guiding her towards the entrance. Gabby flinched and Phil quickly

took his hand away. ‘Sorry,’ he muttered.

‘No, it’s okay.’ Flustered, Gabby wondered why she’d reacted

so suddenly. Had it happened before? Her father? Gabby stopped so

suddenly that an elderly man bumped into her. ‘S…sorry,’ mumbled

Gabby.

‘I had no choice,’ a voice said in her ear.

‘Paul?’ Already he was moving ahead of her. ‘Wait up!’ Gabby

felt a surge of annoyance as she buffeted past a family in front of

her. She reached out and grabbed Paul’s arm. He fixed her with a

menacing stare, his dark eyes brooding and distant. Gabby quickly

released her hold. He looked haggard; somehow older. There were dark

shadows around his eyes. ‘What do you mean you had no choice?’

‘I told you. It’s dangerous for people to be together in large

groups.’

‘Oh my God!’ Gabby gasped, a thought suddenly occurring to

her. Battling the hordes of dripping citizens pressing towards the

door, Gabby pushed and shoved her way back into the main area of the

library.

‘Gabby?’

‘Where’s the section on weather and stuff?’ Gabby asked a

staff member, ignoring Jane’s cry.

‘645 point 42,’ the man replied, pointing to a row of books.

‘But you’re not the first to go looking. Someone’s pulled all the

weather books out.’ Gabby thought she knew who.

* * * * * * *


‘That would have to be one of the most unusual acts of nature

that this city has ever experienced,’ Phil said, staring out his

side window. By the time they’d got to the car, the rain had eased

and the gloom above them was breaking up.

‘Look!’ Jane gasped, pointing. The warmth of the sun was

literally evaporating the clouds. It was as if some invisible vacuum

cleaner was sucking up the dark haze. Clouds were literally

vanishing into thin air.

‘Goods heavens,’ Phil breathed, shaking his head.

‘Phil, what is it now?’

‘Look around you. What do you notice?’ They had only driven a

couple of streets away from the library.

Gabby and Jane stared about them.

‘Oh good Lord, yes,’ Jane exclaimed. ‘Gabby, do you see?’

‘As in, there’s no water about?’

‘It never even rained here,’ Phil remarked, slowing the car to

let another join the traffic.

‘Well, maybe it’s heading this way,’ Jane suggested.

‘Jane, the sun’s out. That storm has completely vanished.’

‘Bizarre,’ muttered Jane. Gabby stared out the window. Groups

of people were standing on the footpath, pointing and chatting.

‘Bizarre,’ she agreed, quietly mumbling the word to herself.


Chapter 7

At school, there was a lot of talk and speculation about the freak

storm that had lashed the city. A number of children had been caught

in the deluge. Gabby remained quiet as different students told their

version of how the event unfolded.

At lunchtime, Gabby headed to the library. Since her encounter

with the school counsellor last month, she hadn’t returned there.

The librarian gave her a warm, almost knowing smile as she passed

the front desk. Gabby had a vague feeling that some of the teachers

knew a little more of the truth than others about what had happened

to the school counsellor. Perhaps the librarian was one of them.

Gabby returned her smile and headed over to the desk where the

newspapers were kept.

The local edition’s front page was one huge photo of a

drenched Johnstone’s Park with the headline “CITY SOAKING”. A two

page spread in the middle of the paper had more pictures of the

havoc and mayhem the storm had caused along with interviews with

witnesses.

Gabby read an article written by a local meteorologist.

Although he used a lot of big, impressive words, Gabby had the

feeling that he was completely baffled by the storm and had no idea

about how it formed so suddenly, then disappeared so quickly.

Her eyes drifted back to the interviews.

‘I guess maybe someone pretty powerful doesn’t like country

and western and decided to break up the party’, one of the

respondents had joked.

‘It’s a crazy world,’ the librarian said, walking past Gabby.

‘Sure is,’ Gabby agreed. The librarian paused, glanced to her

left and right then took a step towards Gabby.

‘It’s all this global warming business,’ she said, nodding

knowingly. ‘Every day there’s something in the papers about flash


floods, or heatwaves or something. We seem to be constantly setting

records for driest months or warmest average temperatures.’

‘Well, I guess this month won’t be breaking any records for

driest month after what happened yesterday,’ Gabby said. The

librarian laughed suddenly.

‘No indeed,’ she grinned. ‘Good to see you up here in the

library, Gabrielle. You let me know if you want a hand with

anything, alright?’

‘Sure, Mrs Bateman,’ Gabby said, noting the badge she wore.

‘Actually, have you got a book called Street Survivor 3 – Fight for

your Life?’

‘Oh, now there’s an oldie. I haven’t seen any of that series

in years. I’d say we would have got rid of them when we built the

new library about 15 years ago.’

‘It’s cool. I was just wondering.’ Gabby flicked through the

rest of the paper then wandered down to the fiction end of the

library and browsed the shelves, waiting for the bell to sound.

After school she rode her bike to Johnstone’s Park. Plenty of

people were milling about, watching the workers clear the debris and

trying to repair the damage done to various statues and small

buildings. Orange tape strung around the entire park kept people

from entering. Gabby was surprised that the water had almost

completely disappeared, though the area still looked torn and

battered.

Skirting around the edge of the park behind the library, Gabby

kept an eye out for Paul but could see no sign of him. She thought

of entering the library, but wasn’t sure what else there was to say,

if she saw Paul in there.

Had he been at school today? Which school? It wouldn’t have

surprised Gabby if he didn’t go. How old was he? Maybe he had a job.

She got the impression that he wasn’t the sort of kid who would be

easy to teach in a school.


Gabby pedalled up the hill and turned right towards the

hospital. She entered through the revolving door and, keeping her

head down, strode purposefully to the lifts.

The children’s level was eerily quiet as she made her way down

the corridor towards Jesse’s room.

‘Are you looking for Jesse?’ Mandy asked Gabby.

‘Yes. Is he okay?’

‘He’s down in intensive.’ Gabby felt a mixture of relief and

fear at the word intensive. He was alive, but obviously really sick.

‘It’s a special part of the hospital where we have staff who watch

over the patients,’ Mandy added, noticing Gabby’s concern. ‘Right

now it’s the best place for him.’

What now? Gabby wondered, heading back to the lifts. She

looked at the sign on the wall behind her. Intensive Care was on the

ground floor. Probably right next to the Emergency section where

people arrived in ambulances. Hardly the place for kids to be

hanging around, she thought, pressing back against the wall of the

lift as two men entered wheeling a metal bed.

‘Excuse me,’ Gabby asked, as the lift commenced its descent.

‘Are you allowed to visit Intensive Care?’

‘Usually it’s okay,’ the older of the two men answered. ‘It

depends a bit on the patient’s condition. Family members are usually

always allowed.’

‘You know someone down there?’ the other orderly asked.

‘A friend of mine. Jesse.’

‘Well, you can go along and ask the staff there. They’ll let

you know.’

‘Thanks, I will.’ Gabby wondered whether she’d recognise or

remember anything about the Intensive Care area, assuming she’d gone

there herself when she’d first been admitted to hospital. Gabby


followed the directions to the Intensive Care section of the

hospital.

‘Can I help you?’ a young nurse asked.

‘I was wondering if I could visit Jesse. How’s he doing?’

Gabby could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She took a deep

breath. ‘We’re friends.’

‘Of course,’ the nurse smiled. ‘His mum and dad are in there

with him at the moment. Why don’t you wait here a moment and I’ll

pop in and see if it’s okay for you to visit.’

‘Oh, it’s okay,’ Gabby stammered. She wasn’t sure she wanted

to meet Jesse’s parents. They’d probably realise straight away she

wasn’t a friend of his. ‘Have Davo and Sam been?’

The nurse shook her head. ‘It’s just been Jesse’s parents

since he arrived. I won’t be a moment.’ Gabby read a poster about

washing hands as she waited for the nurse to return. But it was

Jesse’s parents who appeared at the door a few minutes later.

‘Hello, I’m Jesse’s mother,’ a tall woman said. ‘Monica. And

you are?’

‘I’m Gabby. I met Jesse on Friday. Sort of by accident

really.’ Gabby felt the need to explain. ‘I was just kind of

visiting because I was in hospital here last year and I wanted to

come back.’

‘Well, that’s very sweet of you to visit Jesse.’

‘Does he remember me?’ Gabby asked.

‘Would you like to visit him quickly?’ Jesse’s mother said.

Perhaps she hadn’t heard Gabby’s question. Behind her, Jesse’s

father looked haggard and broken. His unshaven face was creased with

worry and his glazed eyes stared into space. It was the look of a

broken man.

‘I… is he okay?’


‘Come along, Gabby.’ Monica took her hand. Jesse’s dad just

stood there, staring at the floor. ‘He’s …. asleep.’ Gabby thought

she’d been about to say unconscious or in a coma. ‘Jesse is

suffering from a very rare illness that’s affecting his muscles. The

doctors are doing everything they can. But he suffered a major

setback on Friday. It’s his heart that is being affected. It’s….

it’s slowly shutting down. They’ve been running some more tests but

we don’t know exactly what’s going on yet.’

Gabby followed her into a large room. Nurses and medical staff

moved about quietly and efficiently, attending to patients separated

by rectangles of white curtains, draped around individual beds.

‘A specialist in rare heart conditions is flying out from

Japan and should be here early this evening,’ Jesse’s mother

continued. She paused at Jesse’s bedside. He looked so peaceful and

calm, Gabby thought. She moved closer to the bed, wondering whether

she’d sense anything about Jesse like she had with Peter and Jack,

but she felt nothing but a pang of sadness as she stared at the

boy’s lifeless form.

They stood there quietly for a few minutes. A nurse came by to

check the computer screen on the other side of Jesse’s bed. She made

some notes on a clipboard and moved on.

Monica brushed away a lock of hair from Jesse’s eyes.

‘There was a book,’ Gabby said, watching Jesse’s mother stroke

his hair.

‘A book?’ she didn’t turn round.

‘Up in the ward.’

‘I’m not sure, Gabby. It’s probably still up there. Jesse

loved…. loves reading. I think the books helped to take him away for

a while. Take him to another place. Hospitals can be pretty lonely

places. I guess you know that.’

‘Yes,’ Gabby mumbled. ‘They can.’


‘You know, in the last few weeks especially, I think his books

and his music gave him something that none of us could give him.’

Monica looked at her son’s face and smiled wistfully. ‘It was as

though he had moved to a different place; a different world.’

Gabby looked up quickly. ‘How do you mean?’ She wondered why

Jesse’s mother was being so forthright.

‘His father is in complete denial,’ she said, ignoring Gabby’s

question. ‘Oh, you wouldn’t know it looking at him. I guess we all

deal with grief in our own special ways.’

‘I guess,’ Gabby agreed. She bit her lip, wondering whether

now was the right time to reveal who she was, not that Gabby knew

the true answer to that question. Peter had been dead; Jack as good

as dead – a living and breathing body, but without a soul. And here

she was again – surrounded by death. Jesse’s death. But he wasn’t

dead. Not yet. So where did that leave Gabby? Was she some kind of

angel? A human sent to oversee deaths? Deaths of children? To

oversee the transition of unhappy souls to a final place of rest, as

in the case of Peter? Or to reunite a body with its soul, as with

Jack?

‘I’m here to help,’ Gabby said, her voice barely audible.

Monica didn’t appear to have heard her. ‘I think it’s going to be

okay,’ Gabby continued. Monica looked up and turned towards Gabby, a

look of surprise on her face. She’d been lost in another place,

Gabby thought, watching recognition slowly dawn on her worried face.

‘Gabby, I’m sorry. Yes, of course it is,’ she smiled, still

stroking the boy’s forehead. ‘Everything will be fine. You come back

anytime you feel like visiting, alright?’

‘Yes,’ Gabby nodded, stepping away from the bed. ‘Thanks.’ She

didn’t look back. Jesse’s father sat in a brown chair, his head in

his hands. Without thinking, Gabby moved to him, placing a hand on

his shoulder, squeezing it firmly. He looked up briefly. Gabby

stared into his dark eyes; his face shadowy and blank.


‘Thank you for letting me visit Jesse,’ she said, trying to

contain her tears. ‘It’s going to be okay. What ever happens, it’s

going to be alright.’ He nodded curtly then covered his face in his

hands again. She stood there a moment, frozen, a strange and eerie

calm oozing through her veins. She had done something important;

something special. She had offered a kindness; a hope. It had felt

different; good. Gabby had sensed something dark inside her slip

away as she uttered the words. She’d said similar words before. But

never to a man; to a father. Gabby stood a while longer, letting the

moment wash over her.

‘The book,’ she muttered, finally, under her breath, running

down the corridor, desperate to leave the sterile smell of Intensive

Care behind her. ‘It’s all about that bloody book.’ And in that

instant she knew that if everything was going to be okay, then it

would be up to her to make it so; as it had been with Peter and

Jack.

Enjoying the rush of air charging her lungs, Gabby banged open

the fire escape door and raced up the stairs to the children’s

floor. She took a few moments to gather her breath, willing herself

to action.

‘Whatever it takes,’ she murmured, striding purposefully down

the long corridor to Jesse’s room.

‘I need that book!’ she yelled, storming into Jesse’s room.

She pulled up suddenly, as four pairs of eyes turned to her. A girl

about her age lay on the bed, her leg in a plaster from thigh to

foot. Her three friends stared at her.

‘Sorry,’ Gabby muttered, taking a step back.

‘Is everything alright here?’ a large nurse asked, stopping in

the doorway.

‘This girl’s just barged in here asking for some book,’ one of

them said, eying Gabby warily.


‘I have to have that book,’ Gabby demanded, turning on the

nurse, her anger released suddenly. ‘There’s nothing more important

for Jesse now than that book.’

‘Kindly lower your voice,’ the nurse said, beckoning Gabby out

into the corridor. ‘The book you refer to – ’

‘He’s dying, you know,’ Gabby screeched. ‘And there’s no one

here who can get off their backsides to help me find one measly

bloody book.’ Gabby saw Mandy appear from a room opposite. She

looked at her imploringly.

‘I don’t like your attitude, young lady,’ the nurse bristled.

‘We have looked for this book. I’ve a good mind to ring the police

about this. We had a boy in earlier also asking for a book. I

presume it’s the same one. He was extremely threatening. It’s

obviously very important for whatever reason but I can assure you

that the book is not here.’

‘Let me deal with this,’ Mandy said, intervening.

‘Thank you, Amanda.’ The nurse departed, clearly agitated.

‘Someone must have taken it. Who else has been in Jesse’s

room?’ Mandy said, softly. Gabby thought back. ‘I was here on Friday

and I saw it then.’

‘Listen,’ Mandy whispered, leaning forward. She turned to

check that no one was within earshot, then gently steered Gabby down

the corridor, away from the nurse’s desk. ‘This isn’t the first time

things have walked around here. There’s a cleaner who we’re keeping

our eyes on.’ Gabby went to interrupt but Mandy raised a hand. ‘I

can make some gentle inquiries for you. Leave it with me.’

Gabby sighed deeply. ‘Thank you, Mandy.’ Mandy smiled. ‘What?’

Gabby asked, slightly taken aback by the nurse’s intense stare.

‘There’s something about all of this that I find bizarre but

intriguing. I can’t quite put a finger on what or why. But what is

it about this book? Why is it so important?’

‘You wouldn’t understand,’ Gabby said, staring at the floor.


‘Try me,’ Mandy insisted, but Gabby was shaking her head.

‘I don’t really get it myself. But it’s important for Paul.’

‘Paul, the boy who keeps making all the wild threats?’

‘Yes,’ Gabby replied, a thought suddenly occurring to her.

‘Gotta go. Thanks for trying to help me.’ Before Mandy could reply,

Gabby was rushing towards the elevator.

Books. Storms. Scorpions. Books on storms; books on scorpions.

The words tumbled about in Gabby’s mind as the elevator plummeted

back to ground floor. Paul. Weird Paul who walks about the place

like he’s from another planet. And what if he is from another

planet? Well, not a planet, but someplace else. Or some time else?

What if his story about children being spiked and kept away from the

world until they turned a certain age isn’t a story? What if it is

true?

Gabby rushed out into the blazing sunshine. The whiteness of

the concrete momentarily hurt her eyes. Was there a place somewhere

in the world whose government managed its citizens like that? Gabby

didn’t think so. But if there was such a place…

Gabby walked her bike out of the car park. So, if he’s not

from another place, then another time? But wasn’t that just as

ridiculous? Gabby paused at the lights. Was it any more crazy than a

child being able to see dead people? A child whose past was almost

as mysterious and unknown as Paul’s anyway? Maybe they were from the

same place?

In spite of the heat, Gabby bounced onto her bike and pedalled

furiously towards the library. She knew he’d be waiting for her.


Chapter 8

Paul was sitting on the floor in a remote section of the library.

His long arms were flopped over his legs, his head hung low. Gabby

glanced at the books on the shelves near by. Her heart sank. She

turned her attention back to the boy slouched against the wall. He

appeared to be asleep. Between his feet lay a copy of Street

Survivor 3 – Fight for Your Life. Gabby recognised its cover.

‘It’s not the book,’ he muttered, not looking up.

‘But –’


‘It’s not the same damn book, alright?’ he spat, lifting his

head. Gabby was shocked by the change in his appearance. The little

colour he did have was now completely drained from his face. Death

warmed up, Gabby thought, not sure where the words had come from.

Another time? Another place? Someone must have uttered them to her,

sometime in her past.

Paul’s face was an ashen gray. He looked sick, gravely sick.

‘Are you okay?’ Gabby whispered, taking a tentative step

towards him.

‘Of course I’m not alright,’ he lashed out, snarling like a

wounded animal. His eyes had a glassy, vacant look about them that

frightened Gabby. Gabby couldn’t believe the change in Paul since

she’d last seen him.

‘What’s happened to you?’ she asked.

‘I’m dying, that’s what,’ he hissed through cracked and

bleeding lips. ‘If those bitches at the hospital hadn’t lost the

bloody book then everything would be okay.’

‘Then what’s that?’ Gabby stated, pointing at the book lying

on the floor at Paul’s feet.

‘That!’ Paul spat, kicking the book away. ‘That’s as useless

as a book of nursery rhymes.’ He staggered to his knees, reaching

out for a book at random from the shelf to his left. ‘You have no

idea who I am, do you?’ he said, opening the book in his hands. It

was a book about basketball.

Gabby watched in horror as a basketball fell onto her

shoulder. It rolled away down the aisle, coming to rest against a

table where a librarian was helping a customer.

‘You can collect this when you leave,’ the librarian said,

glaring at Gabby.

‘Oh my God! Hey!’


Gabby swung round. A tall, black man wearing basketball gear

stood in the aisle, his mouth open wide, his eyes wide with fright.

‘This is a dream, yeah?’ he said, staring hopefully at Gabby.

‘Of course it’s a dream,’ she replied, her heart thumping.

‘W….where were you? Where have you come from?’

‘Does it matter?’ Paul said from behind them.

‘I… Hey, I was doing a photo shoot for a book,’ he stammered.

‘Yeah, and you made it into the book and now you’re out of the

book,’ Paul snapped. ‘At least you can go back. At least you’ve got

a book.’

‘What the hell?’ the basketballer cried, turning from Gabby to

Paul. But Paul had lost interest.

‘No, Paul,’ Gabby cried, watching him take down a book on wild

animals.

‘No?’ he said, tossing the book aside. ‘You don’t want a herd

of zebras running through the library? Or what about every type of

snake known to man?’ he asked, grabbing a book of reptiles and

waving it threateningly in front of Gabby’s face.

‘Paul!’ she said, snatching the book from him.

‘What does it matter?’ he muttered, glaring at her. ‘I’m going

to die anyway.’ He staggered into another aisle.

‘You made that storm, didn’t you?’ Gabby reached out to grab

his arm.

‘What is going on down here?’ Gabby looked up at the

librarian’s angry face. ‘I’m sorry, but I’m going to have ask –’ She

paused mid-sentence, a look of bewilderment on her face quickly

turning to one of horror as a figure cloaked in black suddenly

appeared in front of her. Steam rose from its back and a terrible

stench filled the air around them.

‘You don’t like my Grim Reaper?’ Paul asked. ‘Then how about a

vampire?’


‘Paul, stop this!’ Gabby screamed, ducking as the hooded

figure rose from the ground and swooped overheard. Screams erupted

as people noticed the ghostly form hovering over a ‘non-fiction’

sign.

‘You want me to get rid of it?’ he asked, tossing book after

book to the floor. ‘I can do that,’ he cried.

‘No!’ Gabby gasped, noticing the book that had suddenly

appeared in his hands.

‘You promised me that book, Gabby,’ he said, his face taut and

manic. Gabby watched as the library’s patrons hustled to the main

entrance, the tall basketballer amongst them.

‘My God, how do you do this?’ she asked, despite the panic and

mayhem going on around her. ‘That’s an amazing power you have, Paul.

Ever thought of doing something good for someone with it?’ She was

stalling for time, hoping that an appeal to his vanity might

momentarily distract him. But, then what? She didn’t have the book,

though perhaps had a lead as to where it might be.

Keeping one eye on the cloaked figure circling slowly above

her, Gabby reached a hand out to take the book from Paul’s hand. She

almost had her hands on the book when he flinched and snatched it

away.

‘It’s over,’ he said, his voice laced with bitterness. ‘Get

out while you can.’

‘Noooooo!’Gabby cried, as a wall of flames suddenly engulfed

the books to her left. ‘PAUL!’ Another burst of fire erupted behind

her. Gabby stood in the aisle, rooted to the spot as the flames

engulfed the shelved books.

‘I said get out!’ Paul cried. Above the crackling of the fire,

a shrill alarm had started up, along with a breathless voice

shouting words over the loud speaker. Gabby could feel a wall of

heat burn her skin and suddenly the past came flooding back in a

rush of memories. A fire. The burning, crackling noise of the

flames; the intense heat – so white hot it was almost intoxicating;


the cracking of timber. In her new life, Gabby had seen fire on

television; had smelt the tangy aroma of distant fire – but not ever

stood so close to the real thing.

She was being swamped by memories as the fire raged all around

her. A house, visible through a small opening, but it’s not a

window. She’s in a barn; her barn. Up in the loft, nestled on a bed

of hay. With her books, note pads and pens. Her own special place

that no one knows about. Not her father; especially not her father.

Her mother has gone and she’s angry; so angry. It’s the only place

where she can find peace.

‘Come on!’ a voice shouted. Gabby felt herself being dragged

away from the flames. Shrugging the hands away, Gabby attempted to

move back towards the smoke.

And there’s a fire. Dad? Gabby gasped, almost choking on the

word as it entered her consciousness. Dad. Where are you? I’m dying

and you don’t even know. But you can’t know. It’s my secret, this

place; my sanctuary. I should have told you.

Gabby felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her.

‘My God, what were you thinking?’ a voice spluttered. Closing

her eyes, Gabby tried to hang on to the moment, but the man was

bellowing at her angrily, explaining that if he’d been a moment

later she would surely have been dead now. Gabby turned to the man

who had just dragged her from the flames.

‘I’ve been in a fire before,’ she said, calmly. The man went

to say something but was suddenly overtaken by a fit of coughing;

his red face streaked with tears and smoke. In contrast, Gabby could

barely sense any effect from being so close to the flames.

‘Paul,’ she whispered, glancing about. Approaching fire

engines caused the crowd retreating from the library entrance to

hush. ‘Paul,’ she called, louder. He’s still in there, she thought

to herself. Gabby rushed to the door. ‘I have to save him.’

There was still chaos around the entrance to the door and

Gabby was sure that no one had noticed her re-enter the building.


As she crossed the threshold there was a death-defying scream

of anguish from the corner of the library where the fire was still

crackling; despite the sprinklers gushing and splashing water

everywhere. Looking up, Gabby watched in horror as the hooded figure

of the Grim Reaper jerked in agony, orange flames wrapping around

it.

‘It was the only thing that was going to kill it,’ Paul

croaked. ‘But I didn’t know you wanted it to kill you,’ he added. He

looked as white as a ghost. Gabby thought of a wax figure, slowly

melting. His face appeared distorted; lop-sided.

‘The fire hasn’t killed me,’ she said, rushing over to him.

‘At least, not yet,’ she added. There was a creak and a rumble and

suddenly one of the bookshelves was toppling towards them.

Thrusting up an arm, Gabby cradled her head in a last ditch

attempt to protect her from the weight of the shelves.

Burnt and water soaked books tumbled out as Gabby felt the

full weight of the shelf crash onto her shoulders, pinning her to

the floor. The rush of wind caused a renewed burst of flames to

erupt around her.

From the main entrance, Gabby could hear agitated voices.

‘Paul?’ she wheezed, through clenched teeth. The weight of the

shelves was pressing on her back. The pressure was almost

intolerable. ‘Paul?’ She could see Paul slumped to one side, his

eyes closed. Gabby tried to wriggle her legs, but it was no use.

They were completely immobile, pinned beneath the crushing weight of

the bookshelf. With her one free arm, Gabby clutched a sodden

paperback and tossed it at Paul. It struck him on the shoulder. He

opened his eyes slowly; a blank, distant look on his face. ‘Paul,

please help me.’ Gabby gazed into his eyes and realized suddenly

that he was dying. He’d told the truth. She didn’t know how he was

dying; nor how she knew that he was dying, but she knew. He was away

from his home – wherever that was – and nothing here was going to

save him. ‘Paul, you have one last chance to do something good; to

do something for someone else. Please help me?’ The effort to speak


was almost too much for Gabby and she knew she was close to passing

out. She could feel the crushing weight pressing hard against every

organ inside her. Her breath was coming out in short, shallow gasps.

Slowly Paul raised an arm, pointing a finger in the direction

of a set of encyclopaedias, some still half resting against the

bottom shelf.

‘Which one?’ muttered Gabby. She watched his lips. ‘B?’ Slowly

Paul shook his head. ‘E?’ Gabby thought she detected a slight nod of

his head. She scanned the spines. ‘I can’t reach it,’ she cried,

choking back tears, her outstretched fingers only centimetres from

the book.

Movement behind her caused Gabby to glance up into the large,

convex mirror, hanging like a glassy eye in the corner of the room.

She noticed a team of firemen wielding a long hose, moving

themselves into position.

‘Over here,’ she gasped, her voice barely a whimper. ‘Help!’

The men continued manoeuvring the hose into position. Gabby’s head

slumped forward. She could barely keep her eyes open. The pain in

her chest was overwhelming her. She was fighting hard to remain

awake; to remain alive.

As she drifted into blissful unconsciousness, Gabby was

vaguely aware of another noise close by. A high-pitched, terrified,

squealing, so loud that she was momentarily shaken back into the

present. Casting a weary eye up into the giant mirror, Gabby noticed

one of the firemen hold up a hand.

‘There’s something back there!’ he shouted, dropping the hose

and rushing towards them. Gabby turned her attention back to Paul

who was desperately trying to hang on to the back leg of a small

pig.

Quickly taking in the situation, the fireman called his

colleagues over.


‘Come on, you guys, we can lift this thing!’ he shouted from

beneath his mask. The sprinklers had by now all but put out the last

flames and only patches of smouldering fire remained.

‘No!’ she heard another shout. ‘The kid’s alive. We need to

check her vital signs. The paramedics have to make the call.’

‘For God’s sake, Tom, look at the girl!’ Gabby was only

vaguely aware of their words floating above her. It was like

watching a film, she thought, as she saw the men gather around the

shelf. The leader counted to three, and suddenly Gabby could feel

the enormous weight of the shelf lift away from her. More books

tumbled down; Gabby could taste burnt ash as soot settled on her

lips and face.

‘Easy does it, kid,’ one of the men said, kneeling by her

side. Gabby took a few, slow breaths then tried to wriggle her toes.

‘Can you move your legs? Even just a little bit?’

‘I think so.’ Carefully Gabby shifted first one leg, then the

other, relishing the sensation as blood rushed back into her limbs.

‘You probably shouldn’t move till the medicos come and check

you out,’ he said, giving her a pat on the shoulder. ‘Wrong place at

the wrong time, huh?’ Gabby nodded, then looked over towards Paul.

‘Oh no,’ she groaned, slowly getting to her feet.

‘Hey, are you sure you’re okay?’ the kind fireman asked,

helping her to stand.

‘Yeah. I work here,’ she lied. Spying the slightly open door

to the left of where Paul had been slumped against the wall. Before

the fireman could add anything, Gabby hobbled to the door and pushed

it open.

‘Wait on!’ another voice called. ‘We need to clear this

building.’ Gabby closed the door behind her, pushing the silver

button in to lock it.

‘Paul?’ she called, her body aching. She wondered if she’d

ever be able to stand straight again. She saw him collapsed against


the far wall of a small office. Shuffling over to him, she noticed

the tears streaming down his face. Bending down, Gabby grasped his

hand.

‘We’ve got a book to find,’ she said, giving it a squeeze. He

looked at her through tear-stained eyes, his face almost translucent

behind a veneer of black grime.

‘It’s too late,’ he whispered.

‘If it was too late, I wouldn’t be here,’ Gabby replied. ‘Now

come on, before those firemen catch us and send us to hospital.’

Gabby coughed suddenly. ‘Actually,’ she said, sitting down gingerly

alongside Paul. ‘That’s exactly where we want to go. We might as

well be driven there.’

A few seconds later the door to the office crashed open. Gabby

gave Paul’s hand another squeeze. ‘Just let me do the talking,

okay?’


Chapter 9

Gabby had been expecting Paul to bombard the hospital staff in

Emergency with an onslaught of outraged abuse but he’d succumbed

meekly to the nurses who were carefully transferring him onto a bed.

‘Where does it hurt?’ one of them asked, taking his wrist and

placing her other hand across his brow. Paul shook his head and

closed his eyes.

‘It’ll be okay,’ Gabby whispered, leaning in close to his

head. ‘I’ll find you that book if it’s the last thing I do.’ Paul

stirred briefly.

‘If you do that then I think I can save your friend.’

‘How?’ asked Gabby, but the nurse was pushing the bed away

from the door. ‘I’ll be back,’ Gabby called. She stole a quick

glance around the room but could see no sign of Jesse or his

parents. ‘How’s Jesse doing?’ she asked one of the staff members

standing behind a small trolley loaded with bottles and bandages.

The orderly didn’t appear to have heard Gabby. ‘Excuse me?’ Gabby

said, slightly louder.

‘I’m sorry,’ the orderly said, looking up from a clipboard in

her hand.

‘Is Jesse okay?’ She didn’t want to ask if he was still alive.

That seemed too final.

‘He’s been moved to another room,’ she replied, briskly, then

turned her attention back to her notes.


‘Why?’ Gabby persisted.

‘There’s a machine there that’s helping his heart beat,’ the

orderly declared.

‘Like life support?’ Gabby asked, horrified. ‘As in, it’s

keeping him alive?’

‘Look, I don’t know much more than that. It might be best if

you speak with one of the nurses directly involved.’ The orderly

gave Gabby a cool smile. ‘Okay?’

Gabby mutely nodded, her mind already focused on her next

task.

‘Mandy, Mandy,’ she repeated to herself, over and over, as she

rushed back to the area where the elevators were. ‘Please, please be

on duty still.’

She tore out of the lift, almost colliding with a patient

wearing a bright red dressing gown standing just outside the

elevator door.

‘Sorry!’ Gabby cried, stumbling past him and down into the

children’s ward. ‘Mandy!’ The friendly nurse looked up from her note

making. Gabby didn’t think she’d ever been so pleased to see anyone

in her life before. ‘The cleaner,’ Gabby panted, her hands resting

on the counter. Mandy’s eyes narrowed.

‘I’m sorry?’ she asked, standing up and coming around to

Gabby’s side of the counter. Once again she guided Gabby away from

the nurse’s station.

‘I need to speak with the cleaner,’ Gaby said, breathlessly.

‘She’ll have the book. That’s the only possible explanation.’

‘Gabby, the cleaner isn’t here. Her next shift isn’t until

Thursday.’

Gabby shook her head, refusing to let this new information

distract her. ‘Then you need to give me her phone number. Or her

address.’


‘Gabby, I can’t do that.’

‘You have to, Mandy. This is life and death. There are two

kids downstairs dying. In your hospital.’

‘Gabby, sweety. Listen to me. You getting your hands on a book

isn’t going to make the slightest bit of difference to the chances

of your friends living or not. Surely you understand that?’

‘No, you don’t understand and that’s okay. Not many people do,

but Paul is not from around here. I’m not exactly sure where he’s

from and if I told you, you’d probably lock me away in a place for

weirdos.’ Gabby froze.

‘What is it?’ Mandy asked.

‘I’ve met her,’ she gasped, her eyes wide. ‘It’s how it always

is. I meet the people I’m supposed to meet, like there’s someone

organising my life.’ Gabby turned to Mandy. ‘And I’ve met you.’

‘Gabby, what are you talking about?’

‘It’s like I’m not really a part of this world, not like you

are.’ Mandy was eying the girl warily.

‘Mandy, I’ll go away, I promise. I’ll never come back ever again if

you help me out with this.’

‘I’m sorry, Gabby. I can’t go giving people phone numbers and

addresses –’

‘Then can you do one other thing for me?’ Gabby asked. ‘Can

you check my medical records. I was here about 4 months ago. I’ll be

on the system, right?’

‘Of course. But what on earth for?’

‘I have a mother, right?’

‘Yeeeeees – ’

‘And a father, yes?’

‘Gabby, everyone has –’


‘And an address. Maybe a brother, or a sister? A home? If you

can find me just one of those I’ll go away and never come back.’

‘And if I don’t?’Mandy was looking mystified, but intrigued.

‘Then you tell me how to find the cleaner with the piggy eyes

and the dyed black hair who stole Jesse’s book.’

‘I don’t know why I’m doing this,’ Mandy muttered, relieved

that the station was temporarily empty.

‘I do,’ Gabby replied. ‘And it’s called destiny.’

‘It’s called “How to lose your job”,’ Mandy sighed, punching

keys on her keyboard. ‘And you stay that side of the counter,’ she

snapped, pointing. Gabby watched Mandy’s face intently as it changed

from a look of puzzlement to confusion in a matter of seconds.

‘Well?’

‘Hang on,’ she said, typing in another set of instructions.

Frowning, Mandy looked up from her screen. ‘That’s strange,’ she

muttered. ‘The record here seems to be incomplete.’

‘What have you got?’ Gabby was itching to join Mandy on the

other side of the counter.

‘Well, not much at all, really. Just your first name, time and

date of admission and discharge.’ She looked further down the

screen. ‘Some medical notes and then – ‘

‘Then what?’ Gabby snapped.

Mandy shook her head. ‘Just some other notes.’

‘What do they say?’

‘Listen, Gabrielle. I told you, this information is for

internal hospital use. I can’t just go – ’

‘Mandy, it’s me. Notes about me. There’s no one else listed,

is there? No family? No address? There’s only one person in the

world who has an interest in those notes and you won’t even tell her

what’s written.’ Taken aback by the girl’s intensity, Mandy


hesitated. ‘Please, Mandy? What harm could there be in me seeing

information about me? Don’t I have a right to know?’

‘It’s not for me to make decisions like this.’

Taking a deep breath, Gabby plunged on. ‘You have the chance

to give me a part of my life back. I know nothing of my life before

the accident that brought me here. NOTHING!’

‘Everything okay here?’ a nurse asked, breezing past carrying

a bundle of towels.

‘All good, Rosie,’ Mandy replied. She leant forward over the

counter, beckoning Gabby to do likewise.

‘I’m going to check on the boys in Room 528. ‘Mandy looked

knowingly at the computer between them. ‘And you won’t want to check

the orange note on the fridge behind me which is the cleaning

roster. Pen and paper on the desk here.’ She leant even closer and

gave Gabby a quick kiss on the forehead. ‘Be quick.’

‘Thank you,’ Gabby mouthed, racing into the nurse’s work area

as Mandy departed for Room 528. While the document printed, Gabby

jotted down the name and address of the cleaner indicated for last

Thursday.

Three minutes later, Gabby was sitting in the hospital

cafeteria. On the table in front of her was a bottle of juice, a

snack bar and the two page document she’d printed out from upstairs.

Gabby drained half of her drink and took two large bites before

unfolding the notes.

Department of Emergency Care Rankin Hospital

Arrival Date & Time Dec 8, 22.30hrs U.R No:

Surname”

Given Name(s): Gabrielle


D.O.B: Age:

Sex: F

Triage Category: 4

Presenting Problem: Unconscious, minor burns - face

Patient Type Medicare No.

Triage Treatments:

Referral Required:

Triage Comments: unconscious; minor, superficial

burns to face, hands

Triage Obs

Date & Time: O2 Eyes Response:

Next Obs Due In: BP: Motor Response:

Resp: TEMP: Verbal Response:

P: Height: GCS:

Weight: Glucometer:

Past Medical and Psychiatric History Nil of note

Current Medication Nil

History of Presenting Problem

Patient unconscious on arrival via ambulance. No docs. No

family claimants. Police and Missing

Persons contacted. Local farmer Tommy McCann found patient in

one of his fields @14.00 hours, 8 Dec, 2011. Minor, 1st degree

burning to hands and face. No other visible injuries or

trauma. Breathing normal. Witness stayed with patient till

ambo arrived from Newfolk. Patient sent here for further

tests. Arrival 22.30. Woke midnight. Apart from amnesia, no

other physical / mental issues. Check for causes. Blood /sugar

levels normal. CAT – no swelling of brain; normal. No seizure

activity noted. No rashes. Lumbar puncture performed – no

infections present. All blood tests clear. MRI at doctor’s

request. Patient talking; coherent. Language not affected.

Dept of Human Services contacted.

See psychologist’s reports for further information.


Gabby paused, sensing someone standing over her. She looked up at

the grief stricken face of Jesse’s mother.

‘Is…is….’ The woman was struggling to control herself. Gabby

couldn’t take her eyes off her quivering bottom lip. ‘It’s not too

late,’ Gabby heard herself state, uncertainly. Who was she to make

such bold and crazy claims? Yet the words had tumbled out of her

mouth.

‘There’s nothing they can do,’ Mrs Reid said, shaking her

head.

‘No!’ cried Gabby, jumping to her feet. ‘There is a way. How

long?’ Mrs Reid spun around, a look of surprised disappointment on

her face.

‘Pardon?’

‘I’m sorry,’ Gabby mumbled, snatching up the paper from the

table. ‘I’ll be back, okay?’ Not for the first time, Gabby felt as

if someone else was taking control of her voice, her thoughts. She

looked into Mrs Reid’s eyes. ‘Go and be with Jesse,’ she said. ‘Talk

to him, tell him to be strong, to hang on.’

Racing out of the canteen without waiting for a reply, Gabby

ran to the Emergency Section where she’d last seen Paul. She stifled

a cry of shock when she saw his grey and ashen face; there were

wrinkles and lines that hadn’t been there even an hour ago. He

looked like as if he’d aged 30 years.

‘Oh my God, what’s happened?’ she gasped.

‘Who are you?’ a doctor asked, pushing past her to remove a

drip from his arm.

‘His sister,’ Gabby replied, quickly.

‘Good, we can get some details from you. Doctor Mendis will be

very relieved that someone has finally arrived. I’ll just go and get

him.’


‘Paul?’ Gabby squeezed his arm gently. She lent in closer.

‘Paul, we have to get out of here.’ The boy beneath her didn’t stir.

‘Oh, God,’ she wailed, looking about frantically. Reaching into her

pocket, Gabby pulled out the slip of paper with the cleaner’s

address scrawled on it.

‘Hang in there,’ she whispered, touching Paul on the forehead.

‘Hey!’ a voice called, as Gabby slipped out of the room. ‘We

need to ask you some questions.’ Gabby’s fast walk turned into a jog

as she made for a door with a green exit sign above it. From behind

her she could hear running feet. Pressing the silver bar down, Gabby

pushed the door open, finding herself in a private car park.

‘It’s okay,’ the voice behind called out. ‘You’re not in any

trouble, but we need to – ’

Gabby spun around. ‘There’s no time!’ she cried, rushing down

a steep incline. She followed a path past a series of large sliding

doors and emerged in a side street. She followed the lane until she

came to a small intersection where a narrower street criss-crossed

the lane. Turning right, she made her way back to the entrance.

Spying a row of taxis, Gabby crept cautiously toward them, tapping

on the window of the first car in line.

The window rolled down.

‘You okay? You need a ride somewhere?’ the driver asked. He

looked friendly enough. Gabby opened the door and crawled inside.

‘Are you hurt?’

‘No,’ Gabby said, unfolding the scrap of paper. ’92 Hitchcock

Avenue.’ She leant back in the seat, quickly attaching her seatbelt.

‘You have money?’

Gabby closed her eyes. ‘No,’ she whispered.

‘I cannot drive you if you don’t have money. How am I supposed

–’


Gabby turned to stare at the man. ‘My friend in hospital is

dying and he wanted his grandmother to come and visit him. She

doesn’t drive and so I had this stupid idea that I would race

outside and jump into the first taxi I saw so we could drive around

and pick her up.’

The taxi driver stared dubiously at Gabby then slowly shook

his head.

‘I’m sorry, sweetheart.’

‘Is Hitchcock Avenue far away?’

‘Well, that’s not really the point, now is it?’

‘I’ve got my bike. I could ride there,’ Gabby said softly,

undoing her seat belt and reaching for the door.

‘Oh, get in,’ the driver muttered, sighing heavily. ‘I don’t

believe a word of your story but it’s on my way home anyway. Come

on.’

‘Thank you.’ Gabby settled back into her seat and stared ahead

as the taxi swung out into the traffic. The driver made a couple of

attempts to converse with Gabby, but soon gave up after Gabby

offered little more than a couple of muted responses.

After ten minutes of driving, the taxi pulled into an untidy

looking street. Broken and rusted cars lay silent in nature strips

overgrown with weeds and long grass. A mangy dog looked up from a

torn rubbish bag as the car drove past.

‘You live here, then?’ the driver asked. Gabby shook her head.

‘Will you wait for me?’

The driver exhaled noisily. ‘Is there anything you’ve said

that was true?’

‘My friend is dying. The person who lives here has something

of his that she stole. He wants it back. I’ve come to get it.’ The

car drew up outside a rundown house, its garden strewn with broken,


sun bleached toys. Gabby eyed the ramshackle fence, wondering what

she’d do if no one was home.

‘Maybe there’s some money here that you can pay me with?’ he

suggested. Gabby nodded.

‘Yes.’ She turned to face the driver. ‘Thank you.’

‘It’ll be 30 dollars by the time we get back to the hospital.’

‘Sure.’ Gabby felt detached, like her body was floating in the

air alongside herself, as she walked over broken cement steps and

knocked firmly on a half painted front door. She had no idea what

she was about to say, and yet felt calm and in control. It wasn’t

the first time she’d experienced this similar out of body sensation.

‘Who is it?’ a voice screeched from somewhere within the

house.

‘Gabrielle.’ There was a pause.

‘Who?’ Before Gabby could repeat her name, the door opened

slightly and a familiar face peered around the edge.

‘I’ve come to get a book that belongs to a friend of mine. He

wants it back.’ Gabby thrust a foot out as the door began to close.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ the woman snarled.

‘Here, get your foot out of my door or I’ll bloody well break it.’

Gabby could hear a faint buzzing in her ears; a gentle

vibration. The voice? She felt calmer than she’d ever felt in her

life before. She was here on the doorstep of some random woman’s

house and it was exactly where she should be.

‘I know about you and all the things you’ve stolen from the

hospital. I don’t want to tell the police about it. I only want one

book. That’s all. Give me the book, and you’ll never see me again.’

For almost a minute Gabby waited in silence as the woman

behind the door wrestled with the situation that had so suddenly

arrived on her doorstep.


‘I remember you,’ the cleaner said, finally, opening the door

again. A stale, musty aroma filled Gabby’s nostril as she barged

past the woman and into a dimly lit hallway.

‘And you’ll need to give me thirty dollars too,’ Gabby

demanded, banging open a door to her left.

‘Like hell I will,’ the woman snapped, eyeing Gabby with a

mixture of fear and anger. ‘What the hell do you think you’re

doing?’ Ignoring her, Gabby stormed into another room and froze. The

floor was covered with an assortment of books, toys, puzzles, bowls

and plates and a variety of other items stacked and sorted in neat

piles.

‘I take it all down to the Salvation Army for the needy kids,’

the cleaner said, standing by the door.

‘You steal it from the hospital,’ Gabby replied, getting on

her knees and rummaging through a stack of books.

‘Here, you be careful with those.’

‘Please get me the 30 dollars I need for the taxi,’ Gabby

said, flinging books aside, desperate to find Jesse’s book.

‘I told you, I don’t have –’

‘That’s fine. The police will be here and you can explain to

them how you steal kids’ toys and books from their rooms at the

hospital to help charity.’ The woman cursed and left the room. It

was in the third pile of books that Gabby searched. She held it up

triumphantly as the cleaner reappeared at the doorway. ‘I think you

made the right choice,’ Gabby said, snatching the money from her

hand and stepping past her.

‘I help people in need,’ the woman hissed angrily. ‘All these

things here are unwanted. They would have been thrown out anyway.’

But Gabby wasn’t listening. Stepping over a pile of abandoned

newspapers, Gabby marched down the path.

‘Grandma delivered,’ the taxi driver said, as Gabby placed the

money in his pudgy hands.


‘Can I make a telephone call?’ Gabby asked, pointing at the

mobile sitting on the console.

‘Local?’

‘Of course,’ Gabby replied, picking up the phone and dialling

triple zero.

‘Could I please be put through to the police?’ she asked, when

a female answered. She glanced at the taxi driver.

‘Is grandma okay?’ he asked, swinging the car around and

heading back the way they came.

‘Grandma is about to get very cross,’ Gabby replied, and

smiled for the first time in quite a while.

Chapter 10


‘I need to speak to Paul. He’s a patient here,’ Gabby said,

standing at the entrance to the Emergency Ward.

‘I’m sorry, love. We don’t have anyone by that name with us.’

Clutching the book, Gabby stormed past the surprised nurse. ‘Excuse

me,’ she called.

Flinging aside curtains, Gabby bolted from bed to bed,

muttering apologies at surprised medical staff, visiting family

members and patients until she found him in a far corner of the

room, lying on his back, his eyes closed.

Two nurses were in attendance and a third joined them moments

after Gabby arrived.

‘We’re not allowing visitors to this patient at the moment,’

one of the nurses said, rising from her chair at Paul’s end of the

bed.

‘Paul is my brother and I’d like a couple of moments in

private with him,’ Gabby retorted, taking up a position on the other

side of the bed. The nurses glanced at each other.

‘His brother?’ the second nurse said, dubiously.

‘Just a couple of minutes, that’s all,’ Gabby said, reaching

out to take Paul’s limp hand in her own. Gabby waited impatiently

for the last of the nurses to leave. ‘Paul, I’ve brought you the

book.’ Gabby nudged him gently, glanced about then shook him

urgently. ‘Wake up, Paul,’ she hissed in his ear. Staring at his

creased face, Gabby willed him to respond. Beyond the screens, Gabby

could hear the muted whisperings of the nurses, gathering around

their mysterious patient. ‘Well, I wasn’t going to stoop to your low

measures,’ she breathed, wrapping her hands around Paul’s arm, ‘but

you asked for it.’ Gently at first, then twisting hard, she dug her

nails into his forearms, all the time squeezing down tightly,

applying as much force as she could muster.

Paul groaned, slowly opening one eye.


‘The book,’ Gabby said, picking it up from the bed clothes and

thrusting it into his hands. There was a sudden glint in his eye, a

tiny sparkle of hope as Gabby wrapped Paul’s fingers around the

cover and pressed down firmly.

‘We’re going to need to come and check his signs,’ a nurse

called from behind the screen.

‘Almost done,’ Gabby called.

‘Almost done what?’ the nurse who’d followed Gabby to Paul’s

bedside demanded, flinging aside the curtain.

‘Oh God,’ Gabby cried, turning around to face the nurse.

‘What on…?’ A freak gust of air had blown one of the screens

over and there was a rank odour of hot metal in the air. ‘Where’s

the patient? What in God’s name have you done?’ Gabby stared in

utter amazement at the book lying spread open on the bed.

Tentatively she reached forward, picking it up gingerly in her right

hand.

‘H…he said he was feeling better,’ Gabby mumbled. The book

felt warm and alive in her hand. ‘He’s going to be okay.’

‘Listen here, this boy was unconscious – ’

‘Never mind that,’ an older nurse snapped, ripping back the

bed sheets as if she half expected to see Paul hiding under the bed

clothes. ‘He can’t have got far. Certainly not in the state he was

in.’ She turned on Gabby. ‘And you’re not going anywhere until you

explain to me exactly what happened here.’

They all turned as a cry emanated from the other side of the

room. Taking advantage of the clamour of activity that had

momentarily distracted the nurses, Gabby dashed out into the

corridor, still holding the book to her chest.

‘Now what?’ she thought, pausing outside the door to the

hospital’s chapel. No one appeared to be following her. ‘Jesse,’ she

breathed, turning around and running back the way she’d come. That

cry she’d heard in Intensive Care. The bustle and movement going on


just after Paul had disappeared. ‘JESSE!’ she yelled, pausing at the

entrance to the ward.

A crowd of people including Mr and Mrs Reid were gathered

around his bed. She stepped forward, the smile on her face becoming

wider by the second.

It was Mrs Reid who noticed her first. There were tears of joy

streaming down her face. She reached out her arms and drew Gabby

into her.

‘It’s a miracle!’ she sobbed, her whole body shaking. Gabby

peered around Mrs Reid’s arm at the boy with the curly hair, sitting

up in bed. He appeared dazed and confused, but there was a rosy

colour to his cheeks and a sparkle in his eye that Gabby hadn’t seen

before.

‘He’s going to be okay?’ Gabby asked, wide eyed.

‘As far as they can tell, the illness has completely vanished,

but they’ll keep him here for another day or so just to monitor

things,’ Mrs Reid replied, wiping her eyes. For a while no one spoke

as one of the ward nurses carefully went about the task of checking

Jesse’s signs. A doctor appeared and quietly consulted with her

before smiling encouragingly at Mr and Mrs Reid.

‘Doctor Mendis and Doctor Phillips are both on their way,’ he

said, ruffling Jesse’s hair. Gabby noticed Mandy appear. They

briefly exchanged glances before Jesse turned suddenly and stared at

Gabby. She couldn’t help but notice his slightly confused frown.

‘Hello,’ she said, her heart pounding.

‘Hello,’ Jesse replied. His eyes bore into Gabby’s. ‘Who are

you?’ he asked, finally.

‘Oh, just a friend.’ Stealing a look at Mandy, Gabby held the

book out. ‘I’ve bought your book back.’

‘Thanks,’ Jesse replied, slowly reaching out his hand to take

the novel. Their fingers touched, and Gabby felt a surge of

something powerful pass through her.


‘You’re welcome.’

* * * * * * *

Exhausted, Gabby slept most of the afternoon. At five o’clock,

she woke up feeling ravenous. Standing at the kitchen window, Gabby

consumed a huge bowl of noodles as she watched her foster parents

build a path from the house to the barbeque area down by the rear

fence.

If only life was that easy and organised, she thought, as Phil

neatly set another of the large concrete squares in place. She

rinsed the bowl then headed back to her bedroom, trying to empty her

head of the crazy cocktail of thoughts and emotions swirling about

in her mind.

The efforts of the day had drained her both physically and

emotionally and it wasn’t long before she fell asleep again. She

woke briefly as Jane gently pulled the doona up over her. She was

aware of a strange kind of half light in the room and dreamily

thought that it must be just on dusk before slipping back into a

blissful sleep.

Gabby woke feeling cleansed and refreshed. Making a conscious

effort to put the previous day’s events from her mind, she decided

to immerse herself into her school work. For the rest of the week

Gabby worked feverishly on her school assignments. By Friday she had

completed two essays for English, a history project, read an entire

novel which the class was going to study the following week and

written pages of summary notes for a Science test to be given the

following Tuesday.

Just after eight o’clock on the Friday evening, the phone

rang.

‘Gab, it’s for you,’ Jane called from the kitchen. Gabby took

the phone from her and wandered into the garden.

‘Hello?’

‘Is that Gabrielle?’


‘Jesse?’ There was a hesitancy, but Gabby recognised his

softly spoken voice. ‘How are you?’

‘Better. Heaps better. Fine. Normal.’ Gabby stifled a laugh.

‘I hope you don’t mind me calling. I got your phone number from

Mandy.’

‘No, I’m glad you called. I knew you would.’

‘Really?’

‘Well, no not at all, but I sort of hoped you would. I want to

know what happened. How you got better so quickly.’

‘I don’t know. The doctors just talk about the power of the

body and how it can shut systems down to let other parts get better.

They think that’s what my body was doing when I kind of collapsed

and went into that coma. And then suddenly I’m awake and feeling

completely normal. Sort of like I’ve been reborn.’

‘Wow, that’s amazing, Jesse.’ There was a pause.

‘Yeah. Mum said you were kind of around a bit in the hospital.

I should thank you for finding my book.’

‘That’s okay. Your mum said how important books were for you.’

Gabby pressed the phone close to her ear. ‘Is it your favourite

book?’

‘No, not anymore,’ Jesse laughed. ‘It’s not how I remember

it.’

Gabby held her breath. ‘How do you mean?’

‘Well, it’s funny. I had this dream. Really strong. I’ve read

the book heaps of times, all of them in the series and Paul, he’s

the main character…’ Jesse paused.

‘Go on,’ urged Gabby, clutching the phone tightly.

‘Yeah, well Paul’s this really awesome guy who protects little

kids from mean adults who want to harm them and inject them with

this drug…’


‘Spike them?’

‘Yeah. You’ve read it then?’

‘Kind of. Sorry, I interrupted you.’

Jesse continued. ‘Well, this potion makes them like little

robots who do exactly as they’re told. I’m probably not

explaining myself very well.’

‘No, no. You’re doing fine, Jesse. I actually know –’ Gabby

had been about to say Paul, but stopped herself.

‘Oh, cool. Anyway, this Paul character comes into the hospital

here with a really old guy and they give me this injection. I

thought I was being spiked, but Paul kept on saying don’t worry, and

that one kind act deserves another. And then they’re gone again.’

‘Did he say anything else?’

‘Well, he was holding my arm while the older guy jabbed me

with this huge metal needle in and he said something about a burn.

A something burn, and that if you focussed your attention on the

burn, then you’d forget about the pain in your other arm.’

‘A Chinese burn,’ Gabby said.

‘Yeah, hey that was it. You know about Chinese burns?’

‘Yes,’ Gabby said, rubbing her arm. ‘I learnt about them not

so long ago.’ There was another pause. ‘So, you don’t think you’ll

read anymore Street Survivor books?’

‘No, Paul’s changed. He used to be so aggro and angry. He

hated everyone and told them too, but after that dream, it’s sort of

changed things for me.’

‘How do you mean?’

‘Well, he was just all soft and calm and gentle.’

‘Except when he gave you the Chinese burn,’ Gabby laughed.

‘True, but even then he seemed apologetic.’


‘Maybe if he hadn’t have changed, you wouldn’t be here today

to tell the story,’ suggested Gabby, quietly.

‘Hey, it was a dream. It wasn’t real.’ Now it was Jesse’s turn

to laugh.

‘Of course, stupid me,’ Gabby replied, stepping carefully over

the new paving stones. ‘Let me tell you a story, okay?’

‘Sure,’ Jesse replied. ‘I love stories.’ Settling herself onto

an outdoor chair that glowed a dull orange in the last rays of the

day’s sunshine, Gabby closed her eyes and began speaking.

‘There’s a very sick boy in hospital. His only escape from

what appears to be a terminal illness is into the world of books.

One book in particular has captured his imagination like no other.

He is so taken with this book that he eventually loses himself in

it; literally. But as he loses consciousness and drifts into the

world of the book, one of the characters from the book replaces him

in the real world. It is all about balance, you see. If someone is

to enter the world of a book, then someone from the book needs to

replace him here – in our world.’

Gabby could hear Jesse’s heavy breathing down the line.

‘Now this boy who has come from the book and suddenly finds

himself in an alien world is angry. Very angry. He is very confused.

He uses his aggression and lashes out at people. He doesn’t want to

be here; he wants to be back in his own world. Even though his place

is frightening by our standards, that is all that he knows. It’s

home for him.

The only way for him to return home is through the book that

he appeared from. But in all the confusion of the sick boy’s

illness, the book is forgotten. And by the time someone realizes

that the book is the only thing that can save this travelling boy,

it is too late. Because, like the sick boy, this book character is

dying. He is out of his world, aging at an increasingly alarming

rate and slipping in and out of consciousness.’

‘So, what happened?’ Jesse asked, breathlessly.


‘With the help of a kind person this angry boy has met, they

manage to find the book. It had been stolen.’

‘Stolen?’

‘That’s right. But the book was retrieved and the boy was able

to be woken just in time.’

‘And he got back to his world? How? I mean, does he just dive

into the pages of the book?’

‘I’m not sure,’ Gabby said. ‘I missed that bit. I was

distracted.’

‘Distracted? But it’s a story. You can make it up as you go

along.’ Jesse whistled softly. ‘So you’re in this story too?’

‘Yes, you could say that.’ The sunlight had moved away from

the chair and Gabby shivered as a cool breath of wind stirred the

leaves in the tree above her. ‘Jesse, thank you for calling. I’m

really glad you did.’

‘That’s okay. I was wondering if you wanted to come to a party

mum’s organising to celebrate my home coming?’ Gabby swung her legs

off the hammock and headed back toward the house.

‘Maybe,’ she said, pushing the back door open. ‘But I’ve got

one of those to find myself, first.’

‘One what?’ asked Jesse.

‘A home,’ Gabby replied. She clicked the ‘off’ button and

headed inside.

Gabrielle Series – Book 3 Page 1 Prologue 'Gabby, my name ...

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