Installment 32

I slipped the pendant round my neck.

The woman looked expectantly at the others. The man looked quite pleased, but the girl just looked confused.
"But it's just a story, right? I mean, the pendant doesn't really exist, does it?"
"No, love. It's just a story. In the old days, folk stories were thought of as true, and many men spent their lives looking for the pendant, but they never found it. It's just a myth, sweetheart."
The girl smiled, "You should write a book, gran. Welsh folk stories as told by a Welsh grandmother."
She woman smiled and laughed slightly, "Ah, I don't think so, cerriad. I'm too old for that nonsense. I'm happy if you enjoy the stories. Maybe when you're older, you could write them for me."
She looked up, right at me and smiled. I half smiled back, wondering how she could see me. The man didn't seem to notice, but the girl turned round to follow her grandmother's gaze. Her face turned quizzical, and I retreated back to the dining room, pulling the pendant from my neck and stashing it back in my pocket.

The soup bowls had been replaced by plates of pasta with spinach and cheese. I sat down and silently spooned some into my mouth, chewing slowly. It was the typical concession to vegetarians by people who think it's not a meal if no part of it bled at some stage - bland, overcooked and, I suspected, overpriced. Janet picked at her food, moving it around her plate more than eating it.

"Not hungry either?" I asked.
She shrugged, "Not sure I ever have been."
"Oh... right... yeah."
I refilled both our wine glasses and knocked half of mine back in one go.
"Careful, love. You're getting through a lot of that."
"So?"
"We have to leave pretty early tomorrow. Don't want you too hungover."
"Guess not."
"Do you want dessert?"
"Not hugely. I think I might just go to bed."
"It's only 8."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"It's ok. I'm going to take the rest of this bottle through to the lounge. I'll be up in a bit."
I tried not to look alarmed. I didn't want her to run into the people who'd been in the lounge, but I couldn't explain why, so I said nothing.
She sensed something was wrong, "I can come up now if you want."
"No, it's ok. I'm... I'm ok."
"Alright then. See you in a bit."
I nodded and walked slowly through the lounge to reception. The seats where the family had previously sat were now vacant. I breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Enjoy your wine."
Janet smiled back, "Thanks, love."

I walked up the stairs slowly, keeping an eye out for the family I had seen in the lounge, but there was no sign of them. I really wanted to hear the full story. I was certain it was about my pendant and I felt that if I knew more, perhaps I could protect myself from the Elena and the man.

Installment 31

[author's note] I should mention that I am part of a writing group with, among others, my sister, and as part of this, we've been taking bits from each other's stories. I have now completely invaded my sister's story, but this will probably not make sense in the grand scheme of things, so the people talking at the end of this segment will probably be inconsequential and edited out later. It's just a way to keep us writing. Although, maybe I'll keep them in. Who knows? [/an]


"Like me being able to see the pendant."
"No," she shook her head, "We didn't do that to you. That's altogether different."
"So what's that?"
"That's... weird. I dunno. We don't understand why you can see it. No idea at all."
"Um...."
"Yeah?"
"How did you know it existed if you can't see it?"
She shrugged, "Legend. It was kept in a glass cabinet. I guess way back someone must have known how to control it, but it sure as hell wasn't me."
She seemed to shudder at the memory of it.
"What was it like?"
"What was what like?"
"Wearing the pendant; not being aware of yourself."
"It was... not scary... and not painful... but intensely uncomfortable. It was like wearing someone else's glasses, but not just for sight, for every sense. Everything was blurred and I started to forget... to forget who I was. I... it was the worst thing I have ever experienced and I'd rather not think about it."
"I'm sorry."
"It's ok. Are you hungry?"
I slumped into my seat, grinning, "Yes. So, so hungry."
"I think maybe we should stop for the night."
"Are you sure? Shouldn't we get to Ogmore?"
"It's fine. I can sense them. I'll know if they're near."
"What do we do if they find us?"
"You put on the pendant and run. I stay and deal with the situation."
"Won't they be angry?"
"Yes."
"Won't they hurt you?"
"It's possible."
"But..."
"It's ok. They probably won't find us. if they do, I'll deal with it."

I bit my lip and stared out the window at the fields and trees as we zoomed past them.

Janet pulled off onto a sliproad and slowed down. There was a a series of roundabouts and soon we were on a small country road with no markings or lights. We drove along it for about 30 minutes before I saw any signs. Straight on for Snowdon, or left for Beddgellert. Janet turned the car left and soon we pulled into a small town, full of postcard shops and B&Bs. She pulled into a car park and got out of the car. I opened my door and walked round to where she was pulling bags out of the boot.

“I left all my stuff in Elena's car.”
“It's ok, love. I've got a few clothes that'll fit you and we can get you more.”

I nodded, thinking of my flat and all the stuff I'd left there. I had no concept of how long it had been since I left. It could have been weeks or months ago. My time Ogmore had drawn out and everything that came before was a dull memory now.

Janet walked across the car park to the entrance of a hotel and I followed her. It was an old building with décor to match. The reception desk was ornate and made from dark wood, polished so that it reflected all the dim lights around it. There was a lounge just off the reception area with dark red leather chairs and wooden coffee tables. I wandered in there, gazing out of the window into the garden. The window was framed with ivy and the garden was full of rose bushes, with a large weeping willow in the centre.

I remembered the first time Kelly and I had gone away together. We took the eurostar to Brussels, then hired bikes and cycled out into the countryside and found a little guesthouse in the middle of nowhere. We spent lazy days sitting around sipping wine in the gardens of the guesthouse. It was perfection.

I felt an arm around my waist and I leaned into her shoulder, revelling in the warmth.

"C'mon, love. I got us a room."
I turned, blinking to bring myself out of the daydream, "Um... sure, ok."

I followed her to the room and sat down on the bed.

"What now?"
"We eat, sleep, then get back on the road. Head down the coast and round to Ogmore. Should be an easy day's drive."
I nodded.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just... I dunno, tired or something."
"Ok. I'm going to take a shower."
I smiled, then lay down on the bed, and rested my eyes. I wanted to sleep. I thought that if I was asleep when she came out of the shower that she would bring Kelly back for me, but my mind was racing. Thoughts of Elena, thoughts of that man, thoughts of what would happen if they found me. I started getting annoyed at myself that I couldn't just drift off into a peaceful sleep. I tried to remember some meditation technique that Kelly had tried to teach me. Let my feet go limp, let my legs go limp, feel all the stress leaving my body, but my brain wouldn't play along. Thoughts of relaxing brought thoughts of Kelly, which brought the knowledge that she was dead and I killed her and now some other-worldly being was going to cut me up to see how my brain worked and I just wasn't sure that it did anymore. I let out a sigh and hit the pillow, then sat up. I looked around for something to do. There were no books in the room other than the Gideon bible, which didn't appeal hugely.

Janet came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. She looked at me, a little confused, "I thought you'd be asleep. You seemed tired."
"Tried... Couldn't..."
She nodded, "Never mind. Maybe after dinner."
"Yeah, maybe."
"Come on, let's go and eat."

I followed her downstairs, feeling numb and slightly distant, like I wasn't really there, just letting my body do as I was told. The dining room led off from the lounge and was similarly decorated with big, dark wood tables and chairs with dark red velvet cushions. We sat down and Janet ordered food for us both, and a bottle of wine. The soup arrived quickly with big chunks of crusty bread. I dipped the bread in the soup and ate it wordlessly. Janet kept looking like she was about to speak, but then changed her mind. I felt like I was about to cry, but I didn't have the energy. I saw someone moving in the lounge; a girl, with an man and an older woman sat down. I wanted to know who they were. I couldn't say why, but I wanted to.

"Excuse me," I said, getting up from the table.
Janet looked up from her soup and blinked, "Ok."

I walked out into reception, toward the toilets, then went back round to the entrance of the lounge. I could barely hear what was being said. The woman was talking and the other two were listening intently.
"...Anyone who finds the pendant, it is said, will find whatever he asks and no other may see the power that the pendant holds.”
I gasped. They were talking about me. I wanted to stay and listen, but I was afraid they'd see me.

Installment 30

"So, what was the point? What did he want?"
She shrugged, "He wants to study you; to see how your brain works. I mean, he wants to learn from you, but not for you to teach him."
"Well, that's ok, isn't it?"
"You're not much of a biologist, are you?"
"Sorry?"
"Well, he can only do so much of the investigation from the outside."
"What do you mean?"
"He'd study your behaviour, then he'd have to study your actual brain. He was going to kill you, Fi. That's why I had to get you out of there."
"Why should I trust you? You lied to me. You made me... you..."
"Because I love you. Isn't that enough reason? It doesn't matter how you feel about me; you've got to know that I will do anything to keep you safe, even... even if it means I can never go home."
I couldn't think of anything to say. I felt like the director should have shouted "cut" and we'd go to an ad break, "Good answer," I said, eventually.
We both burst out laughing, not because anything was particularly funny, just for something to do.

I gazed out the window at the world going by, counting the posts at the side of the motorway, seeing how many there were between each emergency phone. It always struck me that there should be the same number, so that you could know which way the nearest phone was, but not many people really counted them as they went, I figured. I noticed a sign at the side of the road, written in English and Welsh.
"We're in Wales again."
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Going back to Ogmore."
"But won't Elena expect that?"
"Probably, but it won't occur to her to go there."
"Why not?"
"Because of the enchantment."
"But she found me there before."
"That was before she knew about the pendant. She wanted to help you then."
"And now she wants me dead."
"Not especially, just wants to go home."
"Don't you?"
She paused, "We've been over this. Why don't you believe me?"
"Sorry."
"It's ok. I kind of understand, I guess."
"Why didn't we just go to the place in Scotland?"
"What place?"
"She was taking me somewhere in Scotland. It was like Ogmore. She was afraid that whoever killed Tim and Errol was after us."
"Fiona, you really are incredibly gullible."
"I... yeah."
"There's no place in Scotland. There's only Ogmore. It's a completely unique place. I mean, there are other places with mystical qualities, but different."
"Like what?"
"Um... there's a place in Finland that makes you kinda angry, and somewhere in the middle east, not sure exactly, that makes you feel kind of, how to put it, spiritual? Euphoric, I guess, but in a really odd way. It's hard to describe."
"Right..."
"People too, and animals, they can have effects. Everyone just puts it down to personality or something, but it's the same kind of enchantment."
"Like me being able to see the pendant."
"No," she shook her head, "We didn't do that to you. That's altogether different."