Installment 39

When I awoke, the sun was rising. The whole sky glowed red and the clouds seemed to be on fire.
I sighed, “Red sky in the morning...”
“What's that?” Janet asked me quietly.
I shook my head, “Nothing. Just stupid superstition.”
“Sleep well?”
“Um... yeah, I guess,” I rubbed my eyes and sat up.
“We'll be there in half an hour or so.”
I forced a smile, “What then?”
Janet shook her head, “I'm still playing it by ear to a large extent.”
I nodded, “Fuck all else we can do, I guess.”
She smiled, “Nope. Really isn't.”

“What are you talking about?” Harry asked leaning over the back of the seat.
“Um... just stuff,” I responded.
“What stuff?”
“Uh...”
“Morning, Cerriadd,” Gwendolyn interruped, “Did you sleep ok?”
“Yeah, fine, gran, until I got woken up to go god knows where in the car in the middle of the night.”
The old woman laughed, “Well, we'll be back in Ogmore soon.”
“Ogmore?”
Gwendolyn didn't respond.
“Gran? Ogmore? We're going back? You've found mum?” When Gwendolyn still said nothing, she turned to me, “You know where my mother is?”
I started to shake my head, but got a warning look from Janet.
“We think we know where to find her,” Janet said.
Harry looked at Janet, not knowing what to say. After about 30 seconds, she said, “I don't believe you.”
Janet smiled, “That's ok, Harry. When we find her, you'll know.”
The girl blinked a few times, “Can you really find her?”
Janet put her hand on Harry's arm, “I hope so. I really do.”
I stared at Harry. She must have been around thirteen or so. Poor kid; being dragged around by her family with a couple of strangers in tow. Really, she was coping very well with it all.
Harry shrugged, as if she could hear my thoughts, “Doesn't really matter anyway. She'll just go away again.”
“Oh! No, she might not this time,” I told her. Janet shot me a look to shut up.
Harry gave me a patronising look, “It's ok. I'm used to it. She's not been around since dad took off. Uncle Brin and gran look after me.”
“Do you remember much about your dad?” I wanted to hear Harry's side of the story.
“Nah, not really. Not that interested. He's a bastard and I hope he's really unhappy wherever he is.”
She didn't know he'd died; that her mother had killed him. I wondered if she'd like that, or if it would upset her.
“My dad left when I was eight,” I told her, trying somehow to relate.
She shrugged, “Was he a bastard too?”
I thought for a moment, “No, I don't think so. Just didn't work out, I guess.”
She looked disappointed, as if she wanted someone to share her anger with. I wondered if her mother still shared it.
“So,” she said, “Without meaning to be rude, who the hell are you?”
I laughed, “It's kinda complicated. I guess our paths just collided a bit.”
“What does that even mean?”
“Honestly, I'm not sure.”
“So, you just got in our car and left yours in Beddgellert and you don't know why?”
“I mean, I guess there's more to it than that, but pretty much, yeah.”
She nodded and smiled sarcastically, then sat back in her seat, took her mobile phone out and ignored us.

I looked out of the window, recognising some of the landmarks on the way into Ogmore. It seemed so long since I was last here, but it can't have been more than a couple of weeks. I shuddered slightly at the memory of seeing Errol and Tim in that car. I tried to imagine walking into the pub and Errol not being there. It seemed to me that if I went back, he'd magically just re-appear, but I knew things like that didn't happen.

I thought about my dad then. He'd left, but he'd still always been around. He spoilt me rotten at first and it drove my mother mad, but after a couple of years, they managed to come to some kind of arrangement and I no longer got everything I wanted, just because I asked for it. I remember being pissed off at the time, but I guess it was better in the long run.

I tried to picture his face, but when I closed my eyes, I could only see Errol's face, twisted in pain and angry. I tried to picture my mother then, but still I couldn't see her face, and then I tried to picture Kelly. Every feature was clear. Her auburn hair, her bright blue eyes, her freckled skin and that gorgeous smile; I could see it all so clearly, but I'd killed her. Then I began to wonder whether Arianwen had felt the same about her lover – the man who'd stolen from her and run away. She must have felt so betrayed, but to leave her daughter to go looking for the pendant, that seemed so strange to me. What was so special about it that it was worth all that? There must be more to it than just making people invisible. I mean, that was kind of cool, but not worth killing over.

I took it out of my pocket and looked at it. It had a thin leather cord, and what looked like a large purple tear with a hole drilled into it. When I held it up to the light, it looked almost crimson, but in the shadow, it was a dark indigo colour. I tried to imagine losing it; someone stealing it from me, and it seemed a completely impossible concept. I couldn't imagine what I'd do. I'd been ready to give it up just to get away from Daniel, but now, the idea of him taking it from me made me so angry.

Installment 38

The car was a large, silver people carrier with plenty of room for the five of us, as well as the family's luggage. I got in through the back door. Harry had climbed over into the very back seats and was curled up across two of them with her coat over her. I sat down in front of her, and Janet climbed in beside me. She squeezed my hand and smiled at me. I forced a smile in return.

Brin got into the front passenger seat and Gwendolyn, the driving seat. She started the car and sped out of the car park. She didn't seem to be paying that much attention to the small winding roads as she drove along singing some Welsh folk song at the top of her voice and swaying wildly from side to side, occasionally seeming to take the whole car with her.

The alarm must have shown on my face, because Janet put her hand on my leg and said, "It's ok. She knows what she's doing."
"I guess," I muttered, unconvinced.
"Trust me, babe. I'm not going to let you get hurt."
"But I'm the only one here who could, aren't I? A car full of immortals and me."
Janet leant forward between the two front seats, "Tame the driving a bit, will you? You're scaring her."
Gwendolyn turned round, nearly veering off the road, "What's that, love?"
"Watch the fucking road! If you crash this thing, if she gets hurt, I'll fucking... I'll..." her voice dropped so I could barely hear that she was making a sound at all.
"Ok, ok... I'll watch the road," she sighed and drove the car straight and stopped singing.
Janet put her arm around me and kissed me lightly.

“Sorry,” she said, as I flinched away.
“It's fine,” I replied, “Just unexpected, that's all.”
Kelly laughed, “Yeah, I don't normally make the first move, if I'm honest,” she rolled her eyes, “I guess there's a reason for that.”
She turned away from me.
“No,” I said, touching her shoulder, “I... I'm glad. I just... just didn't expect it.”
“But we've been talking all night, Fiona. Shit, I've barely said two words to my friends.”
“Yeah, I just didn't realise...”
“What?”
“I kinda thought you were straight, if I'm honest.”
She turned back, smiling, trying to hold in a laugh, “Seriously?!”
I could feel my face starting to grow red and I looked down, “They forgot to give me a gaydar.”
She laughed, “Clearly!”
I leant in and kissed her, as much to hide my embarrassment as anything else. She kissed me back, turning to face me, her hand on my waist. I felt her tongue lightly touch mine and a wave of electricity went through me. I put my hand round onto her back and pulled her closer. There was almost a desperation to it. I needed to be kissing her; I couldn't explain why, but I needed it.
“Christ, you two, get a room, will you?” some woman I didn't know told us. I didn't care if we were being rude to our friends. They didn't matter to me right at that moment.
Kelly smiled at the woman, “Ah, lovely Gem, there's no need to be jealous. There's plenty other ladies out there for you.
Gem rolled her eyes and wandered off into the next room. Kelly put her hand under my chin and turned my face back toward her. She was so beautiful, her eyes, her smile, everything about her just so lovely. She kissed me again, and the air seemed to all leave the room.

I pulled away suddenly, shook my head and was back in the car.
“What the fuck, Janet?”
She shrugged, “You were panicking. I thought a nice memory might help you relax.”
“But you knew it; every detail. How could you know that?”
“Calm down, Fi. I didn't know. I just instructed you to remember.”
“It's private,” I couldn't say why I was uncomfortable with Janet knowing a story I had told a million times over. The story had gotten embellished over the two years we'd been together to the 'How Fi's big mouth nearly fucked up everything' story. Looking back, I wasn't actually as much of a tosser as I'd thought.
“It's ok, love. There's no need to hide stuff from me.”
“I don't mean that. I just mean... you... you should have asked.”
“Asked?”
“Yeah. We should have some kind of rules about what you're allowed to make me think and stuff.”
“Alright then. Tell me.”
This kind of took me by surprise. I hadn't really thought about what she could and couldn't know. I'd wanted Kelly back. Janet was giving me that, right from the very start, but it felt wrong to let her have those real conversations and situations, rather than just, well, sex. It was like I was letting her be Kelly for real if I let her take all that stuff too, but that's what I'd asked of her – to give me Kelly back. How could I expect her to do that if I wasn't going to let her know who Kelly really was.
“I'm not sure. I need to think about it.”
“Ok.”
“I think I just want to sleep now, though.”
Janet smiled, “Sure.”
I rested my head on her shoulder, and let the swishing of the windscreen wipers send me off to sleep.

Installment 37

Gwendolyn's eyes widened.
"What is it? Mam, what's wrong?"
"You," her frail hand reached out to Janet, "You're her? The one from the stories?"
"What stories, mam?"
"It was written that the one who brought it to us would one day come to take it back, and an almighty war would break out between earth and the heavens. That's you, isn't it?"
Janet frowned in thought, then smiled cheekily, "You know? I think it just might be."
I looked at her in disbelief, "You! You let me believe you were on my side. You said you'd help me. Why did I ever trust you?"
"Woah, now," she said, taking my hands in hers, "I am on your side, my love. Always on your side; always by your side."
"Then how can you be what she said."
"Oh, love, I did bring it here, and I did come to take it back. You knew that."
"But... the rest of it?"
"They're coming for me, darling. Coming for you too."
"Elena and Daniel?"
"Daniel?"
"That man. He said he didn't have a name, but... I wanted him to."
"Ok, yeah, them. They're coming and they will do whatever they can to get the pendant back where it belongs; back in my home."
Brin interrupted, "It belongs in Ogmore."
"Oh, shush, you. What do you know?"
"I know I'm not going to stand aside and let some stupid bitch ruin my mother's life's work; my sister's life's work."
"Brin!" Gwendolyn snapped, "Calm down, boy."
He opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it and sat down with his arms crossed tightly across his body.
"Right," she said, authoritatively, "We need to work out what we're going to do. You?" she turned to Janet, "You'll stand by us against them when they come?"
Janet moved her face close to Gwendolyn's in an aggressive manner, "I'll stand by Fi. If that's where you are, then I'll stand by you, but don't think for a second my loyalty lies with you."
Gwendolyn nodded slowly, "Understood."
"So, you'll stand by us then?" she turned the question back on Gwendolyn.
"We will."
Brin grunted.
Gwendolyn turned to her son. "We will!" she said insistently.
Janet forced a smile, "Right then, we should get out of here. We were headed to Ogmore."
"But that's the first place they'd think of, surely?"
Janet shook her head, "Actually, no. There's more to Ogmore than your stories and traditions, Brin."
Brin flinched when she said his name. I looked at him, confused. He shot me a stern look, and I said nothing of it.
"You have a car?" Janet asked.
"Yes, outside."
"Right, pack up and meet us in the car park in 20 minutes."
Gwendolyn looked as if she might protest, then nodded. Janet grabbed my hand and led me back to our room, although we had no packing to do.

"I don't trust them," she said.
"I'm not sure I do either, but they seem to want the same as we do."
"What?"
"They want the pendant. I want to not have the pendant. Gwendolyn can see it, so Daniel can go after her for the answers or whatever."
Janet laughed slightly and nodded, "Use them as bait."
"No, not..." I paused, thinking, "That's what it would be, isn't it? We're not going to stand by them; we're going to stand by and watch them be destroyed."
"That's the plan," Janet smiled.
"I... I'm not really comfortable with that. Shouldn't we warn them, or something?"
"And say what? Yeah, you can have the pendant, but some supernatural being might want to rip you apart?"
"Well... yeah..."
She put her arm around my shoulders, "Darling, I don't think it'd make a difference. They wouldn't understand, or wouldn't believe you. The pendant's been their life for so long. It means more to them than you can comprehend."
"Will he kill them?"
"I don't know, love... maybe."

I sat down on the bed staring at the carpet and following the swirly patterns with my eyes until it made me slightly dizzy, then I closed my eyes and just sat listening to the tiny noises of the room. The slight buzz from the fridge in the corner, the birdsong from outside, Janet's light footfalls as she paced around the room. After what seemed like a lot longer than 20 minutes, Janet put her hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and silently followed her out of the room and down to the car park.

When we reached the car, Gwendolyn, Brin and the young girl were leaning against it. They looked like a picture from the 1940s. Brin wearing a trilby and three piece suit and Gwendolyn and the girl in old-fashioned dresses. I smirked slightly, remembering a long time ago when I was about the girl's age and my family had tried to dress me up in a similar dress. I'd always been a tomboy and hated the idea of any kind of dress or skirt. Not a great deal had changed, I realised looking down at the men's jeans, men's shirt and men's jacket I was wearing.

The difference was that I no longer had to answer to anyone about what I wore. Even Kelly had eventually accepted that I was never going to be a make-up kind of girl. She hadn't been out in public without her make-up since she was 16 and left school. She agreed to go out with me one time without it on the condition she got to paint me up however she liked. We both felt really uncomfortable, and made it halfway to the pub before turning back.

Janet held out her hand to the young girl, "I'm Janet."
"Angharad... Harry," she said.
"Harry," Janet repeated, "Right, you are."
"Fi," I said, pointing to myself, "Pleased to meet you."
The girl smiled with one half of her mouth and nodded in a disinterested way, then opened the car door and climbed into the back.

Installment 36

[author's note: I have been thinking of the man who kidnapped Fiona as "Daniel". Imagine, if you will that, although he says he has no name, Fiona told him that she wanted him to have a name, so decided to call him Daniel. Neither Janet nor Elena were involved in this conversation.]

Janet stood up and paced around the room. I tidied up my clothes and sat on the edge of the bed staring at her through the tears that had started to well in my eyes.

"We need to get out of here," she said.
"Won't he just find us?"
"I... I don't know, Fi."
I took a deep breath, "There's some people..."
She looked at me, waiting for more, but I didn't know how to continue.
"What people, Fi?"
"A man and a woman. Mother and son. She said she was the pendant's keeper."
"Its keeper?"
"Yeah."
"What does that mean?"
I shook my head. I thought I vaguely understood what Gwendolyn had been talking about, but when I tried to find the words to explain it to Janet, my mind went blank.
"Fiona, what are you talking about? Who are these people?"
"I... I could take you to them."
She nodded and held out her hand to me. I took it and stood up, leading her from the room and down the corridor. We reached the room where I had been less than 20 minutes earlier and I knocked lightly.

"Who is it?" Brin's gruff voice called out.
"It's me," I said quietly, "Fiona Barnes."
The door opened and Brin stood in the doorway, seeming much larger and more threatening than before.
He cocked his head, "Who's she?"
"This is Janet. She's one of the... I told you about her. She's like Elena."
He stood, unmoving for several seconds, staring at Janet, as if trying to assess her, then stood aside and beckoned us in.

Gwendolyn smiled at us as we walked in timidly.
"So you're the angel?" she said, kindly.
Janet laughed, "Angel? I'm not... I'm... I'm just like you."
Brin smiled, "Truer words than you might think, girly."
She looked suspicious, "Fiona said you may be able to help us. Someone is coming for us. He's not a nice man. He wants to hurt us."
"And how could we help?" Brin asked.
"The pendant," I said, "You know about the pendant. That's what he wants, but he can't see it."
"And why would we help?"
"Because... I don't know... you seemed to... to want to?"
He nodded, "Well, that's not entirely untrue, but you do realise that we want something else as well."
I looked from Brin to Gwendolyn and back again. Both were staring at me intently.
"The... the pendant?" I asked.
He nodded, "But not just that. I want you to find my sister and bring her back."
Gwendolyn stood up, "With the pendant and Arianwen back in their rightful place in Ogmore castle, all will be well, and I can move on to a better place."
Janet moved in front of Gwendolyn, "So the pendant belongs in Ogmore? That's what you reckon is it?"
"It's where it's been for many generations, as far back as history remembers."
Janet smirked and leaned close into the old woman's ear and whispered, "I remember further than that."

Installment 35

I burst through the door and Janet was standing just inside.
"Oh, thank god," she let out a sigh, "Where were you? You scared me."
"I... I just went for a walk. I couldn't sleep."
She took a deep breath and smiled, "Well, you're ok, that's all that matters," she pulled me into a hug. It felt nice, feeling her warmth against me, and I buried my head in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. She kissed the side of my face lightly. Soon, I found myself kissing her, my tongue running lightly over her lips. I looked into her eyes, and there she was; my love, my Kelly.

I pulled her close and kissed her neck, my hands running down her back.
"God, I've missed you. I thought I'd lost you."
"It's alright, darling, it's all going to be alright."
She pushed me back onto the bed and lay next to me, her hand just inside my shirt, lightly stroking my belly. I kissed her softly; slowly moving my mouth across her cheek to her ear and down to her neck. She shivered slightly. I moved my lips down the side of her neck, and along her collar bone. I felt her hand fumbling with the buttons on my jeans, slowly managing to undo them, then sliding her hand inside my underwear and between my legs. My breathing starting to go shallow and every breath becoming a moan, and every moan making my head swirl a little. I closed my eyes, and the swirls became bright lights in front of my eyes. My whole body spasmed I felt a wave of anxiety rush through me.

I let out a scream. She smiled, and nuzzled into my neck.
I turned to her, shaking my head, "No, I... it's him... He's here. I saw him."
"What? What are you talking about?" Kelly asked me, then flicked her head and was Janet again.
"I..." I could barely get the words out, "I can see things. That's what he told me. He... he tried to help me learn to control it, but..." I shook my head.
"Sweetheart, you're not making sense."
"I saw the future. He's coming and he's angry."

Installment 34

"The pendant's keeper?" I repeated the words, not quite sure whether to believe them, and what they meant if I did.
She nodded, "The story goes that there was a huge war between heaven and hell and somehow the pendant fell to earth. My ancestors found it, and for many years the women of Ogmore kept the pendant safe. We were the only ones who could see it. When my mother was old, she handed it to me, and I looked after it for many years. Then I grew old and I handed it to my daughter.

"Then one day, a man came. He was handsome and charming, and my sweet Arianwen fell madly in love with him. Together they had a daughter and they lived happily for many years, and she shared the treasures of Ogmore with him. One day, she showed him the pendant and its power. His desire for that pendant grew and grew, until one day, he walked out on his wife and daughter taking the pendant and much of the other treasure of Ogmore.
"Arianwen vowed that she would take her revenge on him and bring back every piece of treasure to Ogmore Castle. The man grew ill shortly after that day and died from a fever that no doctor could diagnose. We believe that she went mad at his betrayal and invoked ancient magics to curse him.
"All the other treasures, she brought back to Ogmore, but the pendant remained missing. 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 was entranced by the story, "But the man," I asked, "What did he ask for?"
She smiled slightly, "All his life, he had vowed that he would die a rich man, and that he did."
I stared at her, not sure what to think or whether to believe.
"Arianwen vowed she would find the pendant and return it to its rightful place in the castle. She left her child with me and Brin and went off into the world searching. Our family was cast out of Ogmore for allowing that treasure be taken from us, never to return unless the pendant returned with us. We've travelled around, but nowhere else feels like home."
"And your grand-daughter? She thinks it's just a story, right?"
"She was young; too young to understand."
"What does she think happened to her parents?"
"She knows her father is dead, and she knows her mother is elsewhere, working."
"Doesn't she want to see her?"
"No. She's happy with us."
"But, surely..."
"She's happy with us," Brin repeated his mother's words, but coming from him, they sounded more like a threat than an explanation.
I looked at him, saying nothing. He held my stare, as if we were children, seeing who would be the first to blink or laugh.
Gwendolyn's voice made us both turn away, "But it doesn't matter now anyway. You have the pendant. She must have found it. Where is she? Where is my daughter?"
"I... I don't know. I brought the pendant from Ogmore. It was in a shop there."
"A shop?"
"Yes, it was, like, a gift shop or something. Lots of weird trinkets and stuff."
"So, you bought it?"
"No, she said I could have it."
"Who said?"
"Elena. Well, kind of. The woman in the shop said I could keep it if Elena said it was ok."
"Who's Elena?" Brin piped up.
"She's... um... it's complicated."
"Then tell me the simple version."
"Elena is... she's, like, an angel."
"An angel?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Or possibly a daemon... or a superego."
"Are you drunk, woman?"
I shook my head, "No, not drunk. Just confused."
He nodded, looking angry.
"Look," I said, "I don't know what she is. She appeared from nowhere and she... I don't know... I'm not sure what, if any, of what she told me is true and what is made up, but she's not normal. I mean, not human, I don't think. Not... not, like... what?"
Brin was laughing and Gwendolyn smirked a little too.
"Oh, dear girl, there are so many things in this world that are neither normal, nor human. Things are so rarely what they seem."
"Wha... I... How do you mean?"
"What? Were you just not listening to the story? My sister cursed a man and he dropped dead. You think she sneezed on him or something? We're not human, girly," he waved his hands around and widened his eyes, "We live among you," then he burst out laughing again.
I felt like I was back at school, with the popular boys mocking me for everything I did. I could feel tears starting to well in my eyes. I looked up, trying to stop them coming, then when I couldn't, I got up and ran out of the room, down the corridor to my room.

Installment 33

I pulled the pendant over my head and walked along the corridor and past our room, slowly and quietly, listening out for any sound from the other rooms. The silence was almost eery in its completeness. I could hear my footfalls on the soft carpet, slowly making my way along the corridor. The door to a room on my right was slightly ajar. I stopped just before I got to it, trying to see if I could make out anything through the crack in the door. All I could see what a small sliver of the wall, and shadows moving on it, but the caster of the shadows made no sound at all.

I moved closer to the door, trying to make out any sound or sight. I crept almost into the doorway, hardly breathing for fear the noise would alert the occupant to my presence. I listened carefully and heard footfalls behind me on the soft carpet. I spun around and almost fell into the storyteller from the lounge.

"Shit!"
"Language, young lady!"
"Sorry. Wait... You can see me."
"Of course I can see you."
I grasped at the pendant around my neck.
The woman let out a sigh, "So she found it!" she whispered.
"Found it? Who? Found what?"
She waved her hand toward the door, "Come in, dear. We have much to talk about."

I followed her into the room, where the man I'd seen earlier sat on an armchair by the window. I didn't see the girl, and assumed she was in another room.

"This is Brin, my son."
The man looked at his mother, confused.
She waved her hand at me, "Take that daft thing off, the boy can't see you."
I pulled the pendant from around my neck and his face fell into shock.
"What?... How?"
"It's the pendant, love," the woman said, "She found it. She must have."
"I... It was in a shop. I... just... I..." I trailed off into silence.
"Sit down," she said, and pushed me into a chair next to Brin.
"My name is Gwendolyn, and I was once the pendant's keeper, see?"