The Guardian's Protector: The Chamber of Souls Page 3

  ‘We can’t all afford the posh hospitals like him and Alicia you know, Mother!’ Amy said, pointing to her brother. Frank and his wife could do no wrong in Joan’s eyes, especially when Alicia had chosen to give birth to their child in a private hospital.

  ‘I know that, sweetheart,’ Joan said, insulted.

  ‘What a lovely big smile!’ Thomas said proudly. Amy’s head spun back. ‘What’s his name?’ he asked.

  Amy’s face was instantly plastered with worry. She remembered her baby’s smile vividly. She searched her dad’s face, gritting her teeth as she waited for his reaction. Thankfully, his smile remained.

  ‘Look on his wrist, Dad,’ Amy said, relieved he didn’t realise the baby’s expression was far too advanced for his age.

  Thomas saw the name Tom Croft around Tom’s tiny wrist and tears welled in his eyes. ‘Oh you daft thing, he doesn’t want my name!’ Thomas sat on the bed beside her.

  ‘Yes he does!’ Amy said flatly. ‘Anyway it’s Tom, not Thomas!’

  ‘Babies don’t smile, Dad!’ Frank interrupted.

  ‘Maybe yours doesn’t smile at you, son,’ Thomas mocked, ‘but who can blame her? She’s got sense!’

  Amy laughed for too long, hoping to divert the conversation.

  ‘Alicia sends her apologies for not coming,’ Frank said to Amy whilst rolling his eyes at his father. ‘She’s finding it hard to get about, you know, with only having Francesca a couple of weeks ago.’

  ‘How is Francesca?’ Joan asked Frank. ‘I’ve not been today because of coming here.’

  ‘Excuse me, Missus,’ Thomas said before Frank could answer. ‘Come and look at your grandson, will you?’

  ‘Yes dear,’ Joan said. With a panicked look, she hurried over and took Tom. ‘Oh he’s bonny, isn’t he?’ she said like the fact amazed her.

  ‘Yes,’ Amy said with a smile.

  ‘Francesca was bonny first born too, wasn’t she Frank?’ Joan said like she’d made a satisfying speech. ‘They were nice at BUPA, weren’t they, Amy?’ Sitting prim and proper, her short-cropped hair immaculate as if ready to have her photograph taken, she looked like she’d done nothing wrong.

  Amy’s smile faded as her mother spoke. She wondered if Francesca would take precedent over Tom, just as Frank did with her. Amy answered, ‘Yes.’

  ‘Anyway,’ Frank said, ‘where’s the stalker?’

  Adrenaline shot through Amy at once. ‘His name is Luke!’ Frank’s torments about Luke being a stalker hit the nerve right on target every time. It started after Amy stupidly told Frank that a boy who used to go to her school followed her everywhere she went, trying to get her to go out with him. Amy thought it was cute—so cute that after four relentless months, she finally gave into him. What annoyed her was, even though they’d been together for two years, Frank still carried on like he was weird, even though Luke had been a faultless boyfriend.

  Amy had never forgotten the time she had scarlet fever, and, even though Luke was there by her side night and day, bringing her everything she needed, not bothered in the slightest whether he caught it himself—which he later did—how Frank disregarded his actions by stating it was merely his duty to be there for her. She also remembered how, even after Luke went out of his way to get a signed rugby ball for Frank from one of his idols, attending a charity event and bidding almost all his savings to get it for him, Frank began to call him a creep. Amy, caught in the middle between her brother’s animosities toward her boyfriend, could only take Frank’s hostility in small doses.

  Amy glanced at the door, hoping Luke would pop in any second, kiss her and Tom on the forehead, and rightly prove Frank wrong. The seconds ticked by and Amy’s heart sunk.

  ‘He’ll be coming!’ Thomas rebutted, shooting Frank a look of contempt. ‘Won’t he, Amy?’

  Amy half smiled and half shrugged in response. Luke said he’d be there when she’d phoned to tell him she was in labour, and that was the last she’d heard from him. She reminded herself to phone him once her family left.

  ‘So rest it for today, will you, Frank!’ Thomas added.

  ‘Okay, I will,’ Frank said. ‘For today!’ he mouthed to Amy, with a smirk that made him look like an idiot. Frank was six feet tall with dark brown hair and rugged looks, and at twenty-two years of age, his childish attitude didn’t suit him at all.

  ‘Oh my,’ Joan said in a high-pitched voice, ‘Tom just smiled at me!’ She turned and held Tom at arm’s length, donning a face that said help me.

  ‘And?’ Amy snapped. After all Adaizi had said, Amy needed the acceptance of her family more than ever.

  ‘Babies don’t smile!’ Frank shouted, stomping towards Tom. ‘Let me have a hold!’ He took Tom from Joan. ‘I can’t see…’

  Tom gave his biggest smile yet. Frank sat and blinked in astonishment while Tom held clear eye contact with him. ‘It’s…wind!’ he said, although clearly stunned in spite of his conclusion. Frank made to give Tom back to Joan but, because she still looked shocked, he turned and passed him back to Thomas.

  ‘Heard the news?’ Thomas asked Amy as he took Tom, still oblivious that the smiling wasn’t normal. ‘Electricity companies aren’t sure what happened last night, but a massive surge hit the whole Manchester area!’

  ‘What hit?’ Amy asked, hoping to find some answers.

  ‘It happened at ours too,’ Frank interjected. ‘The lights, the TV and everything came on in the house.’

  ‘No way,’ Amy said, the logical side of her mind kicking in, telling her what happened wasn’t because of Tom. She now had an actual explanation for it: a surge!

  ‘Way!’ Frank said.

  ‘We’re normally asleep at that time,’ Thomas said. ‘But with us knowing you were in labour, we couldn’t sleep. We were too excited, weren’t we, dear?’

  ‘Were you?’ Amy shouted, hoping to trigger some kind of a response from her mother, who sat staring at Tom open-mouthed.

  ‘Joan!’ Thomas shouted.

  ‘Oh, err…yes!’ she said, snapping out of her sombre stare. ‘It’s nice to have one of each as well, isn’t it, Thomas?’

  ‘Yes,’ Thomas said.

  Amy’s heart pounding, she shot out of the bed to turn on the radio across the room. She needed confirmation.

  ‘Look at you!’ Frank said. ‘Alicia will go mad when I tell her you’re up and about as normal!’

  ‘Oh yes,’ Joan agreed. ‘She’s annoyed that you’ve had no complaints or tiredness.’

  The radio tuned in.

  …from the surge that happened at midnight last night. The power company gave no reason as to why this super surge happened. Reports indicate that a fourteen-mile radius was affected, the centre of which was North Manchester Hospital, where the electricity malfunctioned the previous night. Power companies are wondering if the repair workers at the hospital yesterday caused the surge. Experts say this isn’t possible. While the event confounds science experts, we’re asking if they’re investigating the impossible today.

  Time for the weather now, and after all that talk of April showers, it looks like the sun has come out to play…

  As Amy turned down the radio, she recalled Adaizi saying an earthquake caused the lights to blow. With the report stating there was no reason, her mind told her if Adaizi was wrong about that, then she was obviously wrong about the rest! Not that she’d be willing to believe anything so ludicrous anyway. Adaizi, as crazy as she was, must have concocted the story from the previous night’s events.

  ‘It malfunctioned one night and came back the night after! Simple as that!’ Amy stated.

  ‘What?’ Thomas asked.

  ‘Err…nothing,’ Amy said.

  ‘Was Tom born before or after the surge?’ Joan asked.

  ‘During!’ Amy said.

  ‘Oh darling, you must have been terrified!’

  ‘Something like that, yes.’ Amy was more terrified about how a crazy woman could walk into a hospital, pose as a midwife and scare a new mother out of her wits
. Was there no security?

  ‘Born at the exact time of the surge.’ Frank shuddered. ‘It’s weird, that is.’

  Amy looked at Frank, panic written all over her face.

  ‘It’s not weird, chuck. Ignore him!’ Thomas said, taking her expression to be one of sadness. ‘I think it’s special, I do.’ He smiled and squeezed her hand. ‘The night Manchester lit up,’ he continued, in a mystical voice, ‘was the night our laddo was born.’ Amy usually loved things out of the ordinary and, although he didn’t, he humoured her obsession. He tickled Tom’s cheek and Tom beamed up at him again.

  ‘That’s weird!’ Frank shouted, screwing his face up and pointing at Tom.

  ‘Don’t be nasty, Frank,’ Joan said, swatting him on the leg.

  ‘No, but…’

  ‘No buts.’ Joan’s sharp features hardened. ‘Apologise!’

  ‘Sorry, Amy,’ he said sarcastically.

  ‘Behave yourself, Frank!’ Thomas said. Thomas had a kind face and a welcoming smile until he gave a stare that meant business. He had a bulbous nose and an increasing potbelly but, an older looking version of Frank, he still remained handsome.

  ‘I was having a laugh!’ Frank said, his hands held high in mock surrender.

  ‘It’s only a laugh when people find you funny,’ Amy said, ‘which you’re not!’

  Joan patted Amy’s leg excitedly. ‘There was something about the event in the paper this morning, dear,’ Joan said, in her own attempt to act intrigued. ‘You could cut out the clipping as a start to his photo album.’

  ‘No thanks,’ Amy said, wanting to scream that she’d changed her mind about loving all things mystical. She now wished to be like them; none believers of anything out of the ordinary.

  The door swung open and through it walked Luke. ‘Hello,’ he said with a worried and sheepish expression. ‘Sorry I’m late.’ He strained a smile at her family, trying to avoid Frank’s eye. ‘I was busy with…err…’ He stopped and became fidgety.

  ‘More important things?’ Frank blurted out, leaving Luke looking more ashamed. ‘I thought you were going to be here for your son, unlike your own good-for-nothing dad?’

  Luke lowered his head. ‘I was. I mean I am.’ Luke was slightly smaller than Frank but, cowering beside him, he looked half his size.

  As Luke walked towards Amy, the first thing she noticed was his ridiculous, fluffy hair that wasn’t gelled in the usual side parting of spikes he would never leave the house without doing. He looked like he’d just stepped out of bed. She could have sworn he’d not even washed.

  ‘Where have you been?’ Amy whispered through gritted teeth. All her wishes and pleas of seeing him earlier dissipated. She didn’t know now if she was more annoyed or embarrassed.

  ‘I don’t know!’ he said, shrugging his shoulders. Amy looked at him in astonishment. His eyes were unfocussed as though he’d been drinking.

  ‘Where’s your mum, Luke?’ Joan asked.

  Luke lowered his head once more. ‘She doesn’t want to know.’

  ‘What?’ Frank growled.

  ‘Leave it, Frank!’ Thomas said.

  Frank let out a loud sigh.

  ‘I thought your mum had gotten over her initial shock,’ Amy said, feeling confused. ‘She bought the baby an outfit. She even looked quite excited last time I spoke to…’

  ‘She doesn’t want to know, Amy,’ Luke snapped then cowered as Frank gave him a dark look. ‘It’s as simple as that! And it means I no longer want to know! Can I hold my baby now, please?’ Luke said, trying to keep his tone civil.

  Thomas passed his grandson to Luke.

  ‘Hello…son,’ Luke said with a smile as he noticed the tag. Looking at Luke’s proud face, Amy had no choice than to smile but, as Luke sat next to Amy, and she watched Tom’s expression change, her grin faded. Suddenly alert, all pleasantries washed from his face, Tom blinked his large eyes and his bottom lip began to quiver.

  ‘Oh dear,’ Luke said. ‘What’s wrong, little man?’ Luke rocked him, hoping it would be of some comfort, but Tom let out an almighty cry. Luke looked embarrassed.

  Amy’s heart knocked as hard as a fist on a door. Each thump as striking and unnerving as a war siren, she’d never felt such a strange and powerful instinct. This couldn’t have been just a protective motherly love; something had soared through her body and possessed her. She was on the verge of convulsing. She couldn’t stand it for one second longer. She may have convinced herself that she didn’t believe Adaizi when she told her she was a gifted being known as the Protector, but something made her snatch Tom, secure him in a defensive guard, and scowl at Luke like he’d attacked him.

  Tom stopped crying at once. As Amy peered around the room, she found Frank looking smug. He’d been watching Luke struggle with much enjoyment and as she caught his eye, he raised his eyebrows and whispered, ‘Looks like yours has got sense too!’

  CHAPTER 3

  THE TAKEOVER

  Amy imagined the first week with her new baby to be perfect but instead a terrible atmosphere in the maisonette lingered between her and Luke. She wasn’t sure what had happened to Luke, the boy who she’d lived with for the last few months in utter bliss, and who would have normally done anything for her, but he refused to hold Tom at all. The only time Tom cried was when Luke went near him and, although Luke kept his distance, she still held her precious child tighter than any other mother would whenever he was around.

  Amy, on the other hand, received all Tom’s strange but extraordinary smiles. He’d even squeal with joy when she spoke to him, his eyes alert and interested in whatever she said like he was months old. Luke received nothing but blank, dull expressions—if a child with such vigour and sparkle could ever be called dull.

  ‘You get his bottle!’ Luke snarled. ‘He doesn’t like me, so why should I do anything for him?’

  ‘You’re getting it for me!’ she snapped. ‘He’s a baby, Luke! How you can take offence from a baby?’

  ‘Because he hates me!’ Luke said, shooting Tom, who lay innocently on the rug, a contemptuous look. Luke had not only turned nasty in temperament, he also looked scrawnier and less attractive than usual. As he glared at her with cold, moody eyes, it looked like he’d lost his heart.

  ‘Come on, handsome,’ she said, lifting Tom from the rug in the middle of the room and scowling at Luke, the man she thought she knew so well. She had been told that people can change once they have a child, but she never expected this. She may have had a little sympathy because he’d fallen out with his mother but it was still no excuse for his behaviour. She grabbed a bottle from the worktop in the kitchen, placed it in her changing bag and laid Tom inside his pram in the hall. ‘Our Jack wants to see you!’ she said to him with a smile. Tom beamed his customary response.

  Amy slammed the door of her ground floor maisonette and marched her way up the busy main road to the café she worked at with her cousin. It wasn’t one of the best council areas in Manchester, but the people were friendly.

  From the outside the café looked small: just one window to the left hand side of the door, but from the inside, its length stretched so far that you couldn’t see the posters on the back wall. There was a table by the window next to the counter, and the counter then ran the full length of the shop. In line with the door and facing the counter, seven tables sat in a row, five of them filled with customers. The café was clean, but could have done with modernising.

  ‘Hey everyone. Hey Jack,’ Amy shouted as she backed the pram in through the café door. As the smell of bacon, freshly cooked bread and coffee hit her nostrils, making her stomach growl, it made her feel like she had come home.

  Before any of the regulars had a chance to look, Jack ran from behind the counter and jumped in front of the pram like a jester, his purple doc martins that were laced on the outside of his skin tight jeans making a loud slapping sound as he did. ‘He’s ace!’ Jack said, tickling Tom under the chin and blocking the view from everyone else with his huge head. Tom caught
Jack’s eye and gave him a dazzling smile. ‘He likes me!’ Jack laughed.

  Amy knew the smiling wouldn’t faze Jack. He was an intelligent, tattooed lad, who wore horn-rimmed glasses and a goatee and had long, matted hair that he kept back in a dragon’s tail. Even though he looked older, he was the same age as Amy. After sharing their entire school years together, he wasn’t only her cousin, but her most trusted friend.

  As Jack moved, gasps and praises broke out from all the regulars who’d gathered around. Tom seemed happy with the attention so Amy left him and followed Jack to the counter.

  ‘You’ve not met Winston yet,’ Jack said, returning behind the counter. ‘He’s the reason I’ve not been to see you. Hey Winston, come an’ meet Amy!’ Jack shouted over his left shoulder into the back kitchen.

  ‘Yo, nice to meet you,’ said a tall, dark-skinned lad with a deep voice who had the bounciest afro Amy had ever seen. He held his hand out to shake Amy’s but she just gawked at him, confused. Winston pointed to Tom instead. ‘He rocks!’

  Amy turned to see the customers whispering in deep gossip, a mixture of confusion and awe on their faces. Some stood with elated expressions; others looked astonished. Amy, too distracted to care, turned back to gape at Winston like he was from another planet. As Winston turned uncomfortably and walked back into the kitchen, Amy scowled and lowered her voice. ‘Has Janet given my job away? I thought she said you’d be okay on your own while I was on maternity leave!’

  ‘Calm down! He’s not took your job. He’s took Janet’s. He’s our new boss!’

  ‘What? I didn’t even know the place was up for sale! Janet didn’t tell me I’d be coming back from maternity to a new boss!’

  ‘It wasn’t up for sale. Apparently he made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.’

  ‘What? He’s not much older than us! Will I still get paid maternity? Have I still even got a job?’