 
The Golden Age Dawns

By

Gabriel Woods

Copyright 2017 Gabriel Woods

All rights reserved. No part of this e-book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher.

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Author's Note

Unless otherwise attributed, all prose examples, both good and evil, were composed by the author.

Thanks to Mam, Willie, Bridget and Garda Nathan

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue

About the Author

Other Books by Gabriel Woods

Chapter 1

Colin began having strange dreams. He dreamt that he was in a green forest. He was talking to two women and a glowing white man was talking to him. In the dream, he felt that he was being given some training or instruction for the future. The old man asked something of him that he always forgot when he woke. He felt relaxed for the whole of the next day after he had these dreams.

In his dreams, Colin sometimes saw a bright white light. He would awaken having had a deep restful sleep when he saw this light in his dreams. The first 'guidance' - as he began to call his gut feelings was to trust what his heart was telling him. He began to trust his heart again when he realised he started making the right decisions. He was not sure if these changes had anything to do with these mad crazy dreams, as he called them, but they happened at the same time.

He rolled out of bed and hastily put his clothes on, a tight white t-shirt and a tight pair of blue jeans which were narrow along his lower legs. He quickly brushed his mop of black hair.

Colin was excited as it was his eighteenth birthday today. His mother was in bed, as she was most nights, even though it was only seven o`clock in the evening. He opened her bedroom door and walked through the darkness to her bed and he kissed her lightly on her forehead. His mother wished him a whispered Happy Birthday and told him to have a good night. Colin wished she would join him but understood how terrible she felt at times.

Later, Colin stared at his pint of Guinness in the dimly lit local pub, thinking about his past as he sometimes did when drinking heavily. It was his birthday, he was surrounded by friends and relations but someone dear to him was missing from the crowd. While he loved the taste and appearance of the frothy 'black stuff', sometimes it made him think of the past.

Colin was a happy child for the first six years of his life. His mother was very loving to him and had attended to all his needs. His father, Peter, worked as a hospital porter. Peter would often play with him. He would come home from work and, even though he was tired, he would go out into the small back garden and play with Colin. He would lift Colin high above the ground and then he would throw him into the air and catch him as Colin plummeted to the ground. Colin, on coming down into his father's arms, would feel exhilarated and then feel his father's embrace, his strong firm arms surrounding him. Colin felt so safe then and so loved. He remembered how his parents doted on him when he was a child. They always supported his schooling too and were never afraid to have a word with a teacher if they needed to.

Colin was happy at school as a child, but had difficulties with writing in primary school. His teacher told his parents that Colin's spelling was poor and that he seemed to have a difficulty in learning words. He would get angry in class and throw his books off his table in frustration. Colin's parents went to see his teacher to try to solve the puzzle of Colin's reading difficulties. The teacher invited his parents into an office. She had a calm air about her and, as she sat down, smiled at Colin's parents. The teacher greeted them warmly with a firm handshake. They sat down opposite her across a large brown wooden desk.

"Call me Joan, Mr and Mrs O`Brien," said the teacher. "Before I say anything else, I want to say that Colin's issues are primarily due to a particularly high intelligence. He gets frustrated with reading and writing because he thinks at a higher and more sophisticated level."

"I`m sorry, Joan, what do you mean by sophisticated?" Colin's mother asked. His mother had deep brown eyes and fine white skin. She always thought she would burn badly if they went on a sun holiday but, as they didn't have the money to go, that wasn't a problem. Her nails were badly chewed and she had a nervous twitch in her right eye, and a vein would sometimes jump involuntarily on her eyelid. Joan's eyes looked upward toward the ceiling – she often forgot to speak in simpler words for the students' parents.

"Mrs O`Brien, what I mean is that - if Colin concentrates - with your help on his reading and writing, he probably will improve. Now I know you do help him with homework, he just needs to focus on these two things. I think then he might not get so frustrated in class," explained Joan.

They talked a bit more about Colin, and his parents were satisfied that they could help him.

"You see, I have too many students in my class and Colin needs more one-to-one," sighed Joan.

"Ok Joan, well we will do that, thank you for telling us about this," Colin's mother, Aoife, said, bowing her head - she had such respect for teachers and thought they were so much more intelligent than she was.

Colin drank his fifth pint - the celebrations for his eighteenth birthday became louder and merrier. He laughed at his friend, Patrick's humour as he told jokes. In between his friend's jokes, he thought about his father. As he often did on his birthday, Colin wished his father had been with him. He smiled to himself as he thought of his father. He knew his father would love to be here tonight. He thought of how patient his father had been to him when he was alive. Each evening, except at weekends, Peter would teach Colin how to spell and teach him new words to bring him up to the same level as the rest of the class. Time passed and Peter honoured his promise to his wife. Colin liked this teaching time with his father. He would get frustrated from time to time and get angry when trying to learn. His father always successfully calmed him down. Peter would hug Colin and tell him everything was ok. Colin would feel the strength in his father's arms and felt secure.

Colin missed his father and began to think of how his father spent so much of his time off from work teaching Colin spellings and how to read. In time, Colin did learn the words that were essential for his level of schooling and he became among the best in his class. The extra time that his father gave him, which his teacher was unable to give, had paid off. At the end of the school year, Colin's mother was very impressed with this and bought Colin a gift to reward him for his hard work. It was a new bike, the colour blue, which was his favourite colour.

Lines of wrinkles spread across Colin's forehead as he recalled the horror he had been exposed to when he was only nine years of age. He clenched his pint in his hand. His other friend, Jeremy, joined in with Patrick as they began to sing Molly Malone. Jeremy`s carrot red hair stuck out under the lights. He was very thin. Patrick looked younger than his age, several dimples were dotted along his cheeks. His blond hair was in a crew cut style. Colin's perception of the pub was fading along with the people and his friends as he began to replay the scene in his mind's eye.

Colin was living in a poor area of Dublin. His parents ensured that he was home by nine o'clock at night. They would close the curtains and there were extra locks on their door. Although it was illegal to have a gun, Peter had one hidden under the bed. The worst crimes took place at night so decent people stayed at home when darkness fell, except for Friday and Saturday nights when most of the community went out boozing in their local pub, The Golden Harp.

That night was so many years ago now yet still crystal clear in Colin's mind. Aoife had decided that the family would go for dinner in their favourite pub. It was a dreary place, there were rips in the seats and cracks on the windows, but Colin's parents liked it. The friendship and camaraderie made up for the dim, dreary environment. Aoife and Colin were going to meet Peter in the pub when he was finished work. As Aoife and Colin left home and walked towards the pub, they could see Peter walking along the road at the same time - he had got off work early. Colin waved excitedly at Peter, and Peter waved back. Just before they entered the pub, two men with guns burst out of the doors. Bullets were flying from their guns. At the same time, Peter fell to the ground clutching his head. Blood was pouring from a hole in his skull and bits of brain clung to his hair. He had been shot by stray gunfire as the drug dealers shot at each other. The drug dealers jumped into their cars and sped away from the scene in opposite directions.

Colin ran across the road, nearly getting knocked down by a car. Aoife ran after Colin, shouting at Peter. Aoife arrived at the bloody location where her husband lay dead. She was shouting repeatedly "are you ok love? Are you ok love?" Peter didn't move and the pool of blood around him grew larger.

Colin was shaking his father "Wake up Dad, I know you are just tired after work, we will just go home if you like." His father didn't answer. "Dad, please, please, let's just go home!!" repeated Colin.

Aoife stood by her husband unable to move. She started screaming and shouting "someone get an ambulance, my husband has been shot!!!!!"

People were coming out of the pub. One of them was a nurse. She tried to resuscitate Peter. She looked for a pulse but there wasn`t one.

"I'm sorry Aoife but Peter is dead," she said.

Aoife started screaming. "Don't leave me Peter!" She didn't move from where she stood.

Colin kept shaking his father as if to wake him. "Come on Dad, you're just tired, wake up and we will go home, come on Dad, wake up!!"

The nurse picked up Colin and held him. Colin realised his father wasn't going to wake up, that he wasn't coming home with him, and that they would never see him again. Colin didn't cry, he just stared at his father's body. The nurse held him closer, saying "you'll be alright." But he knew he wouldn't be. His mother was screaming hysterically. The ambulance came and took his father's dead body away. The local GP was called and he gave Aoife an injection to calm her down. Aoife and Colin walked home. One walk down that small stretch of road had changed their lives forever. His mother didn't touch Colin or talk to him on the way home and there were no caring words of comfort for him. When they got home, Colin and his mother sat on the couch and they fell asleep on opposite ends of it.

The house that Colin and his mother lived in was humble. Aoife had closed the curtains in all the rooms in the house after Peter died. There was barely room for a bed in Colin's bedroom. The sitting room had a couch which looked like it had been shoved into the room. The kitchen was the only spacious room in the house. Colin had opened the curtains slightly to allow a little light in. His mother stayed in bed most of the time, her grief had smothered any happiness she had. Ten months after his father's death, something curious happened. Colin flung open all the curtains around the house. It was a summer's day and rays of light flooded into the house. Aoife walked down the stairs, not as slowly as usual. She had an almost vacant look in her eyes, as if her soul was no longer in her body. There were dark grey circles under her eyes. She sat down, then lifted her head and looked at Colin. There seemed to be a little light in her eyes, like a flickering candle about to go out.

The words came slowly from Aoife's mouth and she made a deliberate attempt to smile, even though it felt so unnatural.

She said "you are so dear to me, love. I have been very sick. I miss your dad so much. Thank you for your help. I'm going to try to get better. I love you, hon."

She stood up then, kissed Colin on the forehead and began to walk slowly back to bed. Aoife looked at her son from the top of the stairs and said "That was a very good idea son, letting the light in. Goodnight, I'll talk to ye tomorrow."

Colin stared at his mother as she walked up the stairs. It was like looking at an apparition, like seeing a moving statue of the Virgin Mary that some people claimed to have seen around the country. Some people thought his mother was improving. She seemed to be waking up. He might finally be able to communicate with her after such a long time.

Colin had an unusual thought, it was almost like a voice but in his mind. A cross between a voice and a thought. It said "do not fear, Colin, all is well, Colin, all is well" and then disappeared as quickly as it came. Colin was unsure of where the voice came from, whether it was in his own mind or outside of him. It felt reassuring and he thought yes, everything will be ok. He smiled to himself then sat down and watched football on the television.

Three years after Colin's father's death, Aoife was very quiet a lot of the time and spent most of the day and evening in bed, surfacing to have a cup of tea or a dinner that Colin cooked. The doctor visited her because she would not go to him herself. Although something terrible had happened those three years ago, Colin couldn't understand what was wrong with his mother. The doctor told him he was too young to understand. Colin usually made the dinner and cleaned when he came home from school. Aoife would come downstairs. She wouldn't move at the table and usually stared at her dinner and then ate as if ingesting poison.

Colin would try to start a conversation with Aoife. "How`s it going Mam, how are you feeling today?"

Colin's mother would say, irritably "the same as always Colin, what makes you think I would be anything else?" She would stare at her dinner and nibble bits of it.

Colin would tell her the news of his day. His mother would stare at him blankly. It was as if her spirit had left her body, leaving only a shallow imitation of his mother behind. After eating, Aoife would slowly move towards the stairs and up to her bedroom again. Colin felt very sad about this but he didn't know what to do for his mother, apart from the practical things. However, he was doing that much and he was satisfied that he was helping the best he could.

It was Colin's tenth birthday, the year that his father had died. His mother had brought a fruit cake to the table. No friends or family had been invited. His mother sat at the table with a grim smile. She had been in a daze and had a continuous distant look about her since her GP had put her on tranquilizers. Colin often felt alone in her presence. When he was with her he felt like the loneliest child in the world. When his mother left the house, neighbours either went into their homes as she passed by or looked at her with pity. Aoife's sister helped her and looked after Colin with practical things such as clothes or visits to the doctor.

Aoife wished Colin a happy birthday, his small face beaming a smile at her. She began to talk about the birthdays Colin had had when his father was alive. The fun, the laughter, so many friends and family running around.

"Today there is no party, 'cause your dad has passed away." Aoife ate a slice of cake slowly, she did everything slowly. Her hair was matted around her forehead. She neglected herself and rarely washed. "Happy birthday son, today we will think of your father, he would love to be here."

Afterwards, Aoife went upstairs slowly, climbed into her bed, took a valium and fell asleep. Colin watched television for the rest of the day and at night went to bed and cried himself to sleep.

Aoife adored her son even though she was unable to express her love due to the concoction of medication her doctor had prescribed her and a disabling, crushing depression that smothered any happiness she might feel. There were times when her love could break through this prison of darkness and she could show her love for her son. She had not been able to recover from the death of her husband and each month since then she had plummeted to deeper and deeper levels of melancholy.

Colin returned to the present where he was surrounded by friends and family. He decided to join in the merriment and leave the ghosts of the past behind. The crowd began to sing 'happy birthday' and cake was placed in front of him. The delicious layers of cream began to slide under the weight of the frosted icing. The blue letters were encircled with candles. He blew the candles out in one breath to the cheers of all around him.

Colin's school did not encourage its students to go to college. Learning a trade was seen as more important than a degree, and for that reason many students dropped out if someone offered them an apprenticeship before they achieved their Leaving Certificate. The people living in the area simply couldn't afford to put their children through college.

Colin achieved his Leaving Certificate. His mother brought him out for dinner to celebrate in the River Restaurant, a popular restaurant in Dublin's city centre. Colin and his mother rarely went out together but Aoife wanted to fuss over her son. The conversation was awkward but they both tried to talk to each other. Aoife kept smiling and doting over her son - she proudly told the waitresses of Colin's achievement. A waiter gave them free drinks.

"Colin, there is something I have for you which I hope you will like," Aoife said.

She took out a small red book. She opened it up and there were lists of words on each page.

"I kept this for you, it's your spelling book, the one that you and your dad worked on together."

Colin became a bit upset but smiled at the same time.

"If you look at the back, you can see your dad wrote something. Do you want to have a look or is this too much and will I put it away for later?"

Colin slid closer to Aoife and signalled her to continue. He took the spelling book and thumbed through it. At the very back, was an inscription that his father had written: 'Son, if you really want something, you can have it. If you want to spell, you can do it but you must really want to and then you can." Colin looked incredulously at the words.

Aoife said "I don't know what he means in what he wrote. But in time, maybe a smart boy like you might find out. I just really wanted you to have the spelling book. I hope I haven't ruined our celebration?"

Colin said happily "oh Ma, thank you so much. This is the best gift I ever had!"

Colin moved closer to Aoife and hugged her and gave her a quick kiss. "Thank you Ma!" Aoife smiled and said nothing because she didn't want to spoil the beautiful moment they were having. They caught the bus home together – Colin's perfect night.

Colin's mother found it nearly impossible to face life since her husband died. But there were times when she wanted to express her love to Colin and, when she did, she always did it in an unforgettable, touching manner. All he knew was that his mother loved him very much and was proud of him and that was enough for now. Maybe those thoughts or that voice were right – "all is well, all is well" - he did have nothing to fear and his life was becoming brighter.

Colin woke up abruptly as he had had another vivid dream. He sat up in his bed, his untamed mop of black hair tousled as he stretched his muscular arms in the small bed. This dream was different to all the others. He woke from this dream and remembered it in great detail.

This dream was particularly vivid. The familiar forest that he always remembered in his waking state had become very bright, the grass and leaves a luminous green, a rich green shade. The sky above was a brilliant shade of blue. The sun sent radiant gold rays into the green clearing. In the dream, a very old man stood beside Colin. There were folds of skin around his face, deep long lines of wrinkles. He had a long white beard. He was dressed in a blue robe. To Colin, he appeared ancient, as old as time. His eyes peered out from the folds of skin, scanning Colin and the two women. Both kindness and power emanated from this man.

The old man began to fade as he spoke and white light began to glow from him until only the features of his face and the silhouette of his body remained, encapsulated by the light.

The old man smiled and said "the three of you are of great importance to mankind. You are to assist in the next stage of mankind and, provided the obstacles are overcome, the Golden Age will begin to dawn on earth. You have a message for  humankind, which you must proclaim to the world. Go now and spread your message of hope. Know that you are well loved by all of us."

One of the women was tall with raven black hair. She was wearing a black dress that covered her body, leaving a small space for her long neck. She had an air of mystery about her and exuded confidence. The other woman had red hair with alabaster white skin. Colin thought about the red haired woman for the next few days, how he would love her to be real. He didn't know if these people even existed but he wished they might. What did the old man mean by the three of them having to spread a message to humankind? Why was this old man bathed in radiant white light? Colin wondered why he was having these dreams so often. Colin was baffled by this dream. He rose, yawning, from his bed and suddenly realised what life had in store for him today. Yet another day working in a restaurant, doing what to him was meaningless work, listening to the meaningless babble of the customers and experiencing the meaninglessness of his life. He yearned for a more exciting life, a life that meant something to him. He jumped out of bed as it was time for him to go to work, the muscles of his body rippling as he quickly washed himself in the shower. He dragged his clothes on, still sleepy from the deep sleep he had had that night. He put on his red canvas jacket over his white shirt and slightly wrinkled black trousers. He slipped his feet into cheap black shoes that had a long time ago lost their shine. Colin's mobile rang suddenly. It was Patrick, one of his best friends.

"How's it goin' Col? We had a great night last night, me and Jeremy, and we got some nice women too. You missed a good night!"

"Ye but I'm working today Pat, so I didn't go out. I have to work as much as I can to save for the holidays."

"I'm really looking forward to going! In two weeks' time we're leaving. Oh it's gonna be great! How about coming out tonight?"

"Ye, no work for a whole six months! Ok, I'll go out tonight."

"How about nine o'clock tonight? We'll meet in the usual spot."

"Ye, that's grand."

"Ok Col, talk to ye then."

Colin plodded on to his workplace with heavy steps - he had worked seven days in a row to save money. He thought of how his life was going to change radically in just two weeks.

Colin had been working in a small restaurant in the city centre for two years since he left school. He had, for a time, felt a strong desire to travel. Neither he nor his mother had any money for him to go to college. Over the years, he had seen pictures of beautiful places in Europe. He had studied details of travel in Europe and discovered that he could traverse around Europe on a shoestring budget if he was prepared to stay in low budget accommodation and eat in cheap places. His hunger for travel had become intense, as if he was being compelled in some way to do it. He began to save money from his meagre wages in the restaurant. His best friends, Jeremy and Patrick, had agreed to travel with him. Colin felt awkward telling his mother that he was leaving Ireland for six months.

On hearing this news, Aoife became very upset. "It is like I am now losing you too."

Colin reassured her by saying that it would just be for six months.

"Oh son, I will miss you so much. Your dad always wanted us to travel but I wouldn't let him because it all made me so nervous. You should experience the world though, we haven't been abroad and you've spent most of your life looking after me. You have my blessing son," sobbed Aoife.

"Ma, I have to do this, I can't ignore this desire to travel. I've asked Aunty Ann to call in on you and she will. I'll only be gone for six months."

It was time for Colin to discover who he really was. For most of his life, he had been caring for his mother. He sometimes thought that he didn't really know who he was, apart from being his mother's carer. Deep inside him, he felt changes taking place that he didn't have the words to describe. They were strong feelings that were starting like a small river that was gradually gathering momentum as it flowed, and becoming stronger and more powerful as it travelled further through the land. But he needed to leave home to discern what these feelings were and how they would affect him.

Jeremy, Patrick and Colin were becoming very excited about their trip to Europe. It was unusual for young people from his area of Dublin to travel to Europe but Colin's friends were like-minded people who wanted to see some of the world. They had been saving money for a year and had made detailed plans to travel through Europe and had booked a list of flights and hostels to stay in, with time to be spent in each place. There were a number of places that they really wanted to spend time in, including the Spanish island of Fuerteventura, the Road to Santiago also in Spain, Rome, Amsterdam, and Brussels to visit the EU buildings.

The Road to Santiago is a road in Spain that for hundreds of years people have walked along. It is a very long and time-consuming road to walk but it has been said that along the road you can have spiritual discoveries that are permanently life changing. Colin suggested travelling the road, he wanted to experience the scenery and the quaint towns dotted along it. Patrick and Jeremy were insisting on travelling to Rome to see the sights. Jeremy and Patrick's parents relied on religion to carry them through their difficult lives. Patrick felt a sense of awe towards cathedrals and churches although he rarely went to mass. He still felt there was a mystery around Catholicism that he couldn`t explain, or maybe it was the need to hold onto some sort of belief to help him through life. A visit to Rome was important to them so as to experience the centre of Catholicism with its wealth of cathedrals, churches and art. Colin had disagreed with this part of the plan.

"Ye know lads, I don't like religion. I have always felt separate from the Church. I don't think it's ever helped me feel better. I don't think God has ever helped me. It would've been nice to lean on a God to help me but that hasn't happened. I've met some nasty priests as well. And it's expensive. And I have no interest in going. Full stop!"

His friends could see the fire they sometimes saw in Colin's eyes when he felt he was being excluded from something - he clenched his hands and they became fists.

Patrick reasoned with Colin. "Well Colin, that's what you may think but, putting the religious thing aside, I've seen pictures of it on the internet and it's really cool. Look, we will talk about it again."

Colin glanced at Patrick who looked back with that innocent look of his. His eyes were wide and he had his hands clasped in front of him as if praying. "Ok Pat, but I don't think I'll feel any differently. I could visit somewhere else and let yez go there yourselves and then meet up later."

Jeremy quickly added "we wouldn't want you to do that Colin, but look, we'll talk about it again okay. Now let's have a bit of craic and play pool."

Instantly the difference of opinion between Colin and his friends dissipated.

Jeremy said "hey Pat, ye might try and win a game this time ha ha!!"

They all doubled up laughing and walked happily into the dim pool hall with its brightly lit green tables. They discussed in detail where all three wanted to visit in Europe, their voices becoming louder and their laughing constant with the contemplation of adventure and the excitement of pursuing their dreams.

Colin and his friends flew into Barcelona, on their very first flight. Colin marvelled about being in the sky, the professionalism of the stewardesses and the amazing glimpses he got of Barcelona as they prepared to touch down. He saw the fluffy clouds floating around the sky which gradually gave way to panoramic views of the city. They decided to visit the Oceanarium and then go to the beach situated on the edge of the city. Colin loved the Oceanarium. The three sat on a large seating area opposite the main part of the exhibition. They stared through a glass pane and were stunned by the beauty of all the different fish - sharks, schools of tuna and other fish they had never dreamed of. Jeremy pressed his hands onto the glass window that separated him from the fish – almost as if, were he to press harder, he could enter the circular dome. He stepped back speedily when an enormous shark sped towards him, opening its mouth to reveal sharp jagged teeth.

Their next stop was a beach. They set out on a train they thought would bring them to their destination. The train traversed at high speed along the tracks. It was much quicker than the DART or LUAS that were part of Colin's daily travel in Dublin. These modes of transport now seemed to Colin to be unhurried and sluggish in comparison to this train, and this was true also of the metro. Eventually they could see chimney stacks, smoke, and large oil and gas tanks. Colin's friends were mystified as to where they were. They appeared to be travelling towards a port.

Jeremy was becoming irritated. "Lads, we are not going to a beach at all, we are in some kind of industrial area."

Patrick laughed "ye, it seems we are lost."

"Have patience guys, I am sure there will be a beach coming up soon," mocked Colin.

The train began to travel through an open space towards a blue sea and a cloudless sky. They saw sand stretching along the sea and between rocks. They could see surfers riding the crests of gigantic waves - 'just like on television', thought Colin. The three jumped from their seats, ran out of the train, down through the rocks and tumbled onto the beach in excitement. They pushed each other around playfully. Patrick ran over and pushed Colin to the ground and jumped on him. They rolled around in the sand, laughing.

Patrick said "I think, Col, this isn't exactly where we were supposed to go, was it now? A beach in an industrial park!"

Jeremy threw sand at Colin. "Maybe the next time we'll go to a proper beach. Ah sure look, I'm only joking Col!!"

Colin sat up and said "I told yez boys to trust me! I brought yez to a beach as promised!"

His two friends clapped their hands like excited seals. "Colin you're the best! The best!" the two lads shouted.

It was a small, private beach. The sun's heat bore down on them as they stretched themselves on the sand.

Jeremy said "jaysus, there's nothing like this at home anywhere! Look at the waves lads! And the blue sea, it`s just great!"

Jeremy had large round bright blue eyes that made him look like he was permanently surprised. He was a thin, young man even though he would eat everything in sight when presented with any kind of food.

Colin replied "this is just the beginning lads. The other places I told yez about will be amazing too."

"Well, every so often I want to go to a beach. Dalkey and Bray are great places to be but this beats those beaches hands down. God lads, the cold beaches at home and the freezing water! I'm getting cold now just thinking about it!" Patrick laughed.

Patrick rubbed his eyes, his carrot red hair mixed with the sand. Patrick was wearing shorts revealing muscled legs, as he played soccer. His legs were disproportionate to the rest of his body which was scrawny.

Colin said. "We will visit other beaches too. We are going to have great craic over the next few months, lads!"

Jeremy and Patrick clapped their hands again in appreciation, then got up and the three ran into the sea and swam together. Their legs thrashed through the water as they playfully pushed each other around in the water.

So, the three began their travels in Europe. Each one was a little worried about how their travels would turn out. None of them had travelled abroad before, not even for a two week holiday. Their parents never had the money. Most young men their age were concentrating on their apprenticeships, to learn a trade so they could marry and have children. Where Colin and his friends came from, it was more about survival. The three travellers knew that and very much appreciated their chance to travel.

Colin felt that he was on the threshold of something that was going to happen that would be insightful for him but it was only one of those vague feelings he had about situations and people. He would have the idea of the outcome of a situation but with no facts or any detail to back it up. People would seldom listen to what he had to say about events and even he too would ignore this intuition and think of it as useless. But still, the 'bad feeling' or 'good feeling' about a situation would be right or not in the end. In Colin lies the growth of something special. Like the many leaves on a tree, Colin will begin to piece together the many parts of the puzzle of who he really is. He is away from the difficulties of his life in Dublin. He has time to think about himself and his life, without his family crowding his mind with commitments that he was burdened with as a child.

Colin and his friends arranged a trip into one of the oldest parts of Barcelona. The area had two churches and unusually shaped houses that were in a beautiful worn, orange hue. It was night-time, the lighting was dim so, while the place was beautiful, they were more aware of their surroundings. They had strayed a little off their path and were lost. Colin noticed three men walking quickly towards them. Colin had that city sense, a strong intuition of what a safe place looked like and what dangerous places looked like. He would have a feeling of whether a person looked like a threat or not which was necessary to survive in an urban environment, especially in the poor part of town that Colin and his friends came from. The gang were clearly not friendly.

The three men began to run toward Colin and his friends. They were now beside them and they were putting their hands into Colin's pockets.

Colin thought of the voice he had heard in his home back in Dublin that reassured him he was safe. In his mind, he called to that same voice.

"Please help me, whoever you are who spoke to me. I am in danger, please help."

The voice, that same voice he had heard before, replied with that deep, caring, yet strong tone. "Say in a loud voice, so you can be heard, the three of you are so handsome."

Colin didn't have time to question so he acted as directed. The three muggers seemed to momentarily look at Colin and then fled.

Jeremy and Patrick were very shaken, as was Colin. They patted each other on the back in an attempt to calm each other. They left the area in a hurry and nearby they saw a pub on a main street. They went into the pub, an Irish pub. There is probably one or two in every city and region in the world. The three had some drinks before they went to their budget hotel. They thanked Colin for resolving the attack. Colin acknowledged their gratitude. Yet he wondered was it really him who resolved the situation? He may have acted in a certain way but he felt like he was told what to do. The voice, was it in his mind or an actual real voice? His friends hadn't heard a voice. Colin was uncertain. But the tone of the voice was deep, steady, commanding, and yet gentle. It made him calm when there was chaos around him. He noticed that he only got the help when he asked for it. Help from who or what? He gave up trying to understand, he told himself it was just luck that he thought the way he did and decided not to dwell on it.

Colin felt like the pain he had felt as a child was being erased from his heart and mind, but still a part of him felt sad. He felt like he shouldn't be happy when he thought of his mother still suffering, still depressed. At times like this, he took out his small red book. He had taken the small red book with him on his travels. When he opened it, there were the familiar lists of words in small columns. He brought this spelling book with him in his pocket so he would always remember his father's lesson and even though he didn't understand it, he thought someday he might. Inside were the words his father had written – "son, if you really want something you can have it. If you want to spell you can do it but you must really want to, and then you can." Colin still didn't really understand it, but he was looking at words written by his father. His father would be delighted that Colin was travelling and that he had survived his childhood against all the odds. Yes, he will continue to enjoy himself!

The young men travelled by boat to Majorca. They were on a shoestring budget and travelled on a cargo boat. The journey was long. On arrival at their hotel, Colin and his friends went straight to the bar though Colin didn't drink as much as his friends. Patrick and Jeremy were busy guzzling a pitcher of beer that they were sharing. The barman was lining up tequila shots in front of them.

Their hotel was cheap but adequate. It was split into two parts. One was for people who would pay the full price, and this included drinks, meals and access to a bigger pool area. Colin and his friends were in the cheaper area. The people in this part of the hotel were loud and even from twelve o'clock in the day were knocking back beer. Colin chose the cheaper part of the hotel as he thought that he and his friends would spend more time in pubs, clubs and eating take-away food. It was also cheap to stay in. For Colin and his friends everything was perfect. This was their first sun holiday. Colin sat near the edge of the pool, drinking a glass of beer. The sun shone down on him and he could feel the warmth of its rays on his body. He noticed how white his skin was and he was determined to get a tan. He and his friends looked like lords of the manor, proud to be in the hotel by this crystal blue pool, lying back in their chairs forgetting about any cares they had.

Jeremy declared happily "oh God lads, this is the life!! And to think we live in that windy, rainy, freezing cold Dublin!!"

Colin spoke excitedly. "The sun, the warmth, the blue sea. Jaysus lads, this was worth saving for. All those nights staying in on Friday nights. Well, we're going to make up for it! What do you think Patrick?"

Patrick said "heaven, lads! I feel like I've died and gone to heaven!!"

The three friends jumped into the pool only a few minutes after they arrived. They splashed each other, dragged each other below the water and Colin dived off a plank - a perfect dive, he seemed to slide into the water.

The barman would sometimes give Colin and his friends free drinks, and would give him a wink each time and Colin would wink back. Colin looked well at the pool, his toned body, black hair and dark blue eyes made him popular with girls. He would leave his friends for short periods to talk to girls and his friends would laugh at the shameless flirting Colin did naturally. They were sometimes given access to the more expensive area of the hotel because the three were popular. This area was more chilled and provided a break from club music.

Most of the women who were attracted to Colin were needy people who looked toward him for support. They thought of him as someone who would save them and protect them from their hard lives. He only had one-night stands.

He and other people considered him a leader. He would get upset with some of the problems his girlfriends had. Where he came from, a lot of girls had problems with heroin addiction. Sometimes even their babies were born addicted to heroin because the girls would not give it up even though they were pregnant. Once Colin had dated a girl who, unknown to him, already had a man living with her, and her boyfriend threatened to fight Colin. Colin declined to fight and her boyfriend lifted Colin up by the collar and threw him on the cement stairs of the apartment block. These needy girls, together with his mother and her chronic depression, meant that Colin was always in service to other people, not acknowledging his own needs. He did take a lot of time to study but he seemed to be divorced from his own needs and he didn't know who he really was.

Colin stared out of his hotel window and was so thankful to be where he was. There was a time in his life when he was so miserable that his family were worried about his survival. He was frightened because he felt that he was consumed with depression. His Uncle David saw in Colin something very special and looked after Colin as if he was his own son.

David said "Colin, I know of a good psychologist. I will pay for you. You don't have to go if you don't want to but I know he has really helped friends of mine. He`s been on the radio. What do ye think?"

Colin looked at his uncle. He felt the cold in the house more than normal.

"Ok, Dave, I`ll do that."

Colin remembered his first time sitting in front of the psychologist, Mr John Burke. The room was dim, not a lot of light came into it. There was a bookshelf stretching the length of the wall. Some of the titles Colin couldn't understand. There was a painting on the wall of a field, some sheep and a country house. The psychologist sat behind a large oak table.

Colin sat in the large comfortable recliner that seemed to be made from cushions. His feet were slightly raised from the ground. As he pulled a small lever, he found that the chair could be reclined and he could lie back in the chair or sit up. He started sitting up in the chair and then lying back in the chair several times in front of the psychologist, testing his patience. The psychologist was unperturbed about this behaviour and started to write notes. Colin decided this man could help. He made another appointment and started his journey of self-discovery and healing.

Colin arrived for his afternoon appointment with his psychologist and gingerly walked into John's office. It was nearly three months into the counselling.

Colin had barely sat down in his chair when John began to challenge him. "Colin, who are you?"

"I am Colin!"

"Yes, that is your name. But, who are you?"

Colin was already getting frustrated - he only liked to deal with practicalities. "Look, my name is Colin, like what's this all about?"

John gently asked in a low soft voice: "apart from helping your mother, girls and people you meet, who are you? What is your personality? What are your likes and dislikes? How do YOU feel about things and people in your life?"

Colin's voice began to increase in pitch. His throat felt constricted like someone was tightening it. He looked at the psychologist's face to try to determine what he was thinking. John had his usual expressionless face.

"I don't know, I don't know. My personality? No, I don't really know my characteristics. How do I feel about issues in my life? No, I don't know that either. Look, please, tell me what you are doing!" Colin said, raising his voice.

John replied in a slow, measured, low voice. "Colin, I feel that you care for people too much and that you have done so to the point of risking your own health. I think one of the first things we need to do is to try and separate yourself from others - family and people who cause you difficulty. I will help you think about you for a change. I can also teach you techniques that should make life easier for you, maybe at our next session. Would you like to make another appointment?"

Colin said "yes I would. Thank you, John, for listening to me, that doesn't happen very often."

Three months into the therapy, Colin began to feel a bit strange, and felt thoughts he had never felt before. He felt hopeless and that his life was a disaster. He began to dislike himself and those around him. He couldn't appreciate anything he had. He lost his sense of humour. It seemed similar to what his mother was feeling but not as extreme. Colin talked to his uncle and he advised him to go to his doctor. His doctor diagnosed Colin as having moderate depression and said that if it got any worse he might put him on anti-depressants. Colin told his psychologist that his GP said he was moderately depressed and that he might need medication if he continued to feel as he did.

John replied "we have discussed a lot of issues over the past few months. I want to show you some tools to manage yourself and improve your life in general."

Colin was introduced to the techniques of visualization, deep relaxation and cognitive behavioural problem solving. These skills were alien to him, having always preferred practical ways of dealing with issues. John introduced the ideas gently and encouraged Colin to look further into them on the internet or to read about them. They were surprisingly easy to learn. John would ask him to stare at a picture on the wall. It had rolling fields and sheep. He hypnotised Colin and deeply relaxed him. John taught him - right from the first time - how to do this himself.

Colin learnt how to improve his performance in all areas of his life, how to instantly relax himself in a stressful situation and how to build up feelings of relaxation most of the time. John taught him how to think effectively through a problem and how to find a way of resolving issues in a systematic way. Colin really felt like he had been emotionally patched up by John. It was as if John somehow replaced his father and he was definitely a male role model for Colin. Colin completed more than three months of therapy with John. He felt prepared for life and started to think about travelling in Europe.

Chapter 2

There was a thumping sound on the ceiling in Susan`s apartment. As time went on the thump got louder and became more difficult to ignore. It usually came from the hall close to Susan`s bedroom. More and more noises developed. Then all of a sudden, it stopped only to begin again. The strange occurrences began to get worse. One lazy Saturday morning Susan lay in bed tired from her week of work. It was nearly midday and still she didn't rise. She rolled onto her side. Suddenly there was a loud clap beside her ear. Susan was startled and momentarily thought it was one of the twins so she turned over with a smile but no one was there. She jumped out of her four poster velvet red bed and grabbed her dressing gown opening the curtains quickly. Susan winced as the sunlight flooded into the bedroom through the thick braided floral curtains. Her long raven black hair was full and lustrous, shining in the sunlight. There was nobody in her room. Susan rushed out of the bedroom and made a cup of tea. She didn't know what to make of this. Susan had never experienced, nor did she believe in, ghosts or spirits. She decided not to think of it again and not to speak of it to anyone.

Christopher and David, the twins, were in their final year of school and were completing their exams which Susan was hoping would lead to University. Both of the twins wanted to study medicine. Susan`s family had a long tradition of medicine, and for many generations there was at least one doctor in the family. The twins did everything together except in one area, sport. Christopher loved sport and David couldn't even kick a ball. Christopher was well- built, he had large muscular legs as he played soccer a lot. He had broad shoulders and his mother`s jet black hair and height. Many girls would fall at his feet in admiration of him, he had a disarming beaming happy smile and bright blue eyes. David was thin and more fragile looking physically. David liked to read and was not as outgoing as Christopher. He had his mother`s pale skin.

The twins came to talk to Susan one afternoon when they came back from school about what they said was a serious urgent matter. Susan made tea and she and her sons sat down on the sitting room brown leather couch. Christopher began to talk first.

Christopher yawned and rubbed his eyes "Mam, we are finding it awfully difficult to sleep. Both of us wake up at the same time. We hear a slow walk above the ceiling. There is a sound of walking and then it stops, then walks a little again and then the sound disappears altogether. We can hear it in both our bedrooms. It`s always at night but lately sometimes early in the morning too. It`s quite spooky Mam. What shall we do?" Susan stared at the crystal chandelier that glimmered in the suns rays

Susan smiled softly "Listen boys, give me time to think about what to do. I shall talk to your dad about this. I`ll check with the apartment management to see if anyone has moved in upstairs. In the meantime, keep an eye on what you hear in your bedrooms and talk to me about what you experience. Don't dwell too much on this. Do all the things you usually do. Now, why don't the two of you go and do some studying. You know how important this final year of schooling is."

Christopher said, jumping off his chair and walking towards the door with David following him, "We`ll study in the park, it's a sunny day. We'll be home at dinner time."

Susan glanced at her gold watch and said "I`ll have dinner ready at seven so be home by then."

The two boys left the apartment and Susan could hear them jostling and laughing as they ran down the stairs. Susan thought that this situation was getting serious. What was happening to her was one thing, but if her children were getting disturbed then she had to deal with the matter. Susan was like a lioness when it came to her children and she would protect them at all costs. Susan stared out the window into the wide blue sky. She remembered time spent with her parents as a child. Her mother was blond and tended to style her hair short. She was a very tall woman, around six and a half feet tall and was very kind, especially toward Susan.

Susan was a child. She had made a child`s drawing using crayon. The figure was of a man with a blue dress and a circle around his head. He had two loops for wings on either side. Susan was busy colouring the gaps when her mother walked into her bedroom. Her mother lifted Susan up and sat on the bed with Susan in her lap.

Susan`s mother beamed a smile at Susan. "Susan, what an amazing, beautiful picture you've drawn! You could be a budding artist couldn`t you, dear! My dear, I want to tell you something that you must remember now and forever. I want to tell you that you are absolutely perfect, child, just as you are! Don`t ever think otherwise. And I want you to know that you deserve the best of everything that God can give you!"

Susan looked up at her mother "Thank you, Mam."

Susan`s parents always told her how special she was even when she got older. They taught her to be confident, and throughout her life she was.

There was a sound in the kitchen. Susan swung her chair around to see where the sound was coming from and didn't see anything. She heard another sound. This time she saw something move. The salt and pepper containers were moving together at a fast pace across the kitchen table then moved off the table and hung in the air. Susan was shocked. She never believed in the paranormal. She always thought people who reported this phenomenon were either crazy or attention seekers. But it was happening now to her. The salt and pepper containers began to hover upwards to the ceiling and then slowly landed on the table and smashed, tiny shards of china hopping into the air. Susan stared at the smashed salt and pepper containers, as if the longer she stared the more she could convince herself it didn't happen.

Susan got up off the stool and put her leather jacket on. She wore a long black skirt. She worked as a consultant in the Accident and Emergency Department of St Thomas' Hospital, London. They had moved from the sleepy region of Kent to the busy cosmopolitan city of London. They were living in an expensive part of London and, even though it was a pretty area, she felt uprooted from the quiet country life. She had a very responsible job in Accident and Emergency in one of the busiest hospitals in London and possibly in England. She swept up the broken shards of china. Susan didn't understand what had happened.

Susan noticed that her muscles were very tense and decided to go for a walk. She had a coffee in a small, pleasant café near the park and started to feel better. She went home and began to prepare dinner. She rang the apartment management to see if anyone had moved in above them and they informed her that nobody had. Alex, her husband, came home. He was also a doctor and had a private practice in the local area of Kensington. Alex had grey hair with a small bald patch in the middle of his scalp. He had gained a little weight since they moved to London. Susan told Alex of all the occurrences in the home. She explained in more detail what the twins had said. Alex sat down, put his long fingers to his chin, and looked out the window as if the solution was going to land in front of him on the balcony.

Alex looked directly into Susan`s eyes and scanned her demeanour, assessing her behaviour "Susan, I myself have heard or seen nothing out of the ordinary. We have moved into a new home and there might be pressure on the boys. I`m almost positive that, as you yourself said, stress could be influencing you too. Susan, the training we both received in medicine means we can only deal with what we see and know. So if I see or hear something myself I will address it then."

Susan walked closer to Alex and touched his arm. He could feel the tension in her hand.

"Alex, you are right about stress. But, whatever about what is happening to me, the twins are more important and we are not comfortable in our own home," Susan retorted.

Alex replied in a controlled, slow, deep voice "They are a concern of mine too. Yes, the kids do seem a little worried. Darling, I shall talk to them."

One month later the twins had finished their exams. Susan was finished preparing the dinner. The aroma of beef and gravy could be smelt around the large apartment, and the twins left their bedrooms without Susan having to call them, eager to eat. There was pleasant dinner conversation. Susan loved the family to come together at the table and chat. She didn't always have the time to cook everyone a tasty dinner but she enjoyed cooking when she had the time. The family were at the table talking about the events of the day. Suddenly the lights in the kitchen started rapidly turning on and off. There was a loud popping sound and a fountain of orange flew up from the counter. A bottle of orange had completely cracked open. The orange fizzed around the counter and the liquid rapidly flowed onto the floor. The windows of the apartment opened, the small locks moving anti clockwise in unison, banging open and shut rapidly. A crack appeared across a whole pane of glass in one window as it was slamming so hard. Alex rushed to grab the bottle and put it in the sink. The bottle spun around the sink, still fizzing, and slowly began to stop spinning and eventually emptied. The family stared at the spectacle. Each of them stared at the windows, their mouths open. The windows stopped moving and the apartment became quiet again. Alex had seen the evidence of what Susan had talked about a few weeks ago. It was upsetting to witness this event. What had happened was defying reason the now had to admit that something strange was happening which was beyond his comprehension.

One of the twins jumped up and ran into his bedroom followed by the other twin. Susan and Alex sat at the table unable to explain or even comprehend what had happened. Alex sat with his hands clasped and pointed upwards as if in prayer.

Susan felt the muscles in her shoulders began to tighten. "Gosh Alex, what is happening?"

Alex sat with his hands still pointed at the ceiling, his eyes pointing to heaven. "Dear God! I can admit now, Susan, that there are real problems now. It's time to create some sort of plan."

Later, the twins came to their parents. Christopher asked Susan and Alex if they could go on holiday for a couple of weeks.

Disbelieving Susan stared at Christopher. "Why did the two of you decide to go on holiday so quickly? You haven`t mentioned anything about holidays up to now?" Susan asked.

David said "Mother, we just don't like living here at the moment and we want to go away for a couple of weeks. There are banging sounds most nights, then the sound of someone walking every so often around the ceiling, and now this."

Alex and Susan looked at each other. Susan looked deflated. Alex could see grey circles around her eyes. Alex gently put his arm on her shoulder and massaged it a little.

"Would that be ok with you, darling, if the twins went away for a while? It will give us time to sort this and find out what to do about it," Alex asked

"Boys, this is all terribly unfortunate but ok, in the circumstances, you can go on holiday. But I want to know all the details of where you are going and your contact numbers," Susan said

Christopher said "Gosh! Thanks, Mam and Dad." Christopher and David did an American high five raising their arms in the air and slapping each other`s palms.

It had been a tough evening for Susan. All these unexplained events and now the stress of worry about the twins on their first holiday without their parents. She assumed they would be safe abroad as, for all the twins' play-acting, Susan and Alex had reared them to be responsible children. She kissed the twins and Alex goodnight, and went to bed early. Susan loved the apartment and where she was living, and was determined to solve this problem.

The twins went on holiday soon after. The night they left Susan discussed with Alex the possibility of going to their summer house so they too could have a break. Alex thought it was a great idea and they left for Kent the following day.

Their summer house in Kent was located by a river among sprawling hills. Susan loved the sandy stone walls that had worn a little over time. She often wondered how many people down through the years had leaned against the walls enjoying the view. She had found pots that were commonly used at the fireside long ago in an antique shop locally they looked like two caldrons, blackened by years of use. Susan and Alex had turned the kitchen into a modern up-to-date style, as they both loved to cook and it was useful to have everything modern that was needed for cooking.

Susan entered the house and felt so tired. Alex had been so pleasant to her on the way to Kent. He always knew when Susan was approaching her limit. She immediately went upstairs, she felt herself almost dragging her body toward the bedroom. Susan sat on the four- poster bed that had red velvet draped from the top and a view onto the river. She thought she must text her boys to see how they were doing. But sleep began to overcome her. It was so delightful to have left that apartment she thought nothing could happen to her in her holiday home which was always a pleasant retreat for her and her husband. A few hours later she woke up next to Alex he had lifted her into bed and covered her with blankets. He had put his arm across her chest after he went to sleep, as if protecting her even as he slept.

Alex and Susan enjoyed their first few days in Kent. They walked among the hills together and Alex did most of the cooking. He didn't mind because they would go on a small adventure for ingredients. They went to the local market and got fresh organic produce there - there was also real homemade food for sale.

Alex got up one morning and felt there was something wrong. Susan had already left the bed. He walked stealthily down the stairs and went into the kitchen. There he met a sight that he could not comprehend had he been a computer he would have `crashed'. All the kitchen equipment knives and forks, pots, cups and plates were suspended in the air moving in a circle. The small kitchen table and chairs were also rotating around the room, far up near the kitchen ceiling. The sun`s rays that were coming through the window made the implements flash and shine. Susan was standing in the centre of the kitchen as the objects were rotating around her at high speed. Her arms were outstretched toward the ceiling, her mouth open wide. She was standing in her silk white night slip.

Susan`s whole body was stretching upwards almost like a pillar. Her eyes were staring upwards, oblivious to Alex standing near her. Susan looked as if some invisible force was flowing through her, some kind of invisible energy that Alex couldn't see.

Alex dashed over to Susan. "Susan, wake up. Wake up!! Susan! Do you hear me??!!!"

Alex stood in the centre of the kitchen in black boxer shorts and a white vest. A sharp carving knife flew at him, its long sharp blade flashing in the light of the sun. It narrowly missed his head. There was no response from Susan. The objects moved faster and faster. This time a frying pan flew at his crotch, which he side-stepped. Alex saw a large gap in the revolving utensils, ran and quickly grabbed Susan`s hand He held her arm and the implements began to slow down and then dropped to the floor. Susan slumped to the floor, looked around her briefly and began to cry.

Alex said "Good God, my dear Susan, do you know what you have been doing? Damn it, I don't believe this! There, there, darling. We`ll get through this."

Susan sat up, wringing her hands in a circular motion as if to wash them of the incident. "Alex, what have I been doing? I don't know! Why was everything moving around me?"

Alex moved close to Susan and hugged her. Susan hugged him in return and began to cry less. Alex thought that Susan looked like a scared little schoolgirl, such a look of sadness on her face and confusion mixed with fear. Susan had always had responsible and stressful work as a doctor and usually kept herself well under control. There was seldom a time when she got upset but, when she did, it was like an angry river bursting forward through floodgates, an escape of subdued emotions that would have been pent up within her for months. Alex loved her; she was the sun around which his planet revolved. She was as necessary to him as the air he breathed.

Alex hugged her again, a strong bear hug. "Listen Susan, I don't know what`s happening, but I love you and we will find a way to deal with this. In the meantime let's not talk to anyone about this, including the twins, until we have some idea of what`s happening."

Susan tossed and turned in her bed. She was still worried over the events in the cottage, terrified of her unbridled power, and of the danger she had placed her husband in when the knife circling around her flew at him – luckily, he dodged it and wasn`t injured. She was also worried about her work. As a hospital consultant in A and E, it would cause chaos if this power was unleashed and Susan was seen as being out of control. What if she injured patients or staff by implements she sent flying around the room? Susan glanced at the alarm clock, she only had five hours before she got up to go to work. Her mind was racing, trying to make sense of the events that had happened to her. Susan rose from her bed. Alex was sleeping peacefully. She thought maybe a cup of tea would help her relax.

Susan put her slippers on and reached to the chair for her dressing gown. She noticed a bright swirling blue light enter the bedroom. The blue light moved in a circle at a fast pace and then revolved slowly around until a figure began to emerge. The figure was in a human shape and she could just make out that it was a man. He was encapsulated by a white light which ran along the edge of his body. His body was huge and it was coloured in different shades of blue. It was muscular and appeared to be at least ten feet tall. The figure had a long gleaming white sword in one hand and a bright blue shield in the other. He wore a purple tunic that covered his upper arms and covered him as far as his lower legs. This made Susan feel threatened. She also felt outraged that this being had invaded her home.

The figure began to speak in a soft voice. "Hello Susan, I am the Protector." Susan gulped and she began to shake a little in anger at this being's intrusion.

Susan moved away from the being and said "I don't know who or what you are. What are you doing here?"

The Protector slowly lay down his shield and sword on the floor. He took one slow step forward towards Susan. He held out his hand in an attempt to hold Susan`s hand. Susan drew back from his hand. "I am here to help you. Please don't be afraid"

Susan replied in a high pitched voice "Help me? Help me? Damn it, Damn it!! Do you know what I have been through lately? Do you know how terribly afraid I am for the future?"

"Susan, yes, I do know. You fear for yourself and your family. You are afraid because you do not understand this gift that you have. It will help you in the events of the future in which you will play an important role for all of humanity. I am here to help you and protect you. That is if you wish me to."

Susan`s hands were in the shape of fists and she shook them at the Protector. "Why the bloody hell should I trust you? Why should I trust you? You tell me that then!"

The Protector walked closer to Susan. "I do not ask you to trust me straight away. I can help you with something now and, if my help proves effective and the results are beneficial to you, would you trust me then?"

Susan approved of the logic of this. She had seen proof that this being existed and that it meant well. Susan dropped her fists and lowered her voice. "I possibly might."

The Protector smiled. "Good. Now, what is it you want me to help with, Susan?"

Susan stared at her hands and her body with disgust, and remembered how they had done things without her permission. She didn't know how her own body worked anymore. "This power that I have, I want to understand what it is and how to use it."

The Protector attempted to lay a hand on Susan`s shoulder but she resisted and moved back. "Your power is called telekinesis. You can move items at will with your mind. There is a local library - it is on a street left of the park. Go to the psychology section and you will find a blue book entitled `Parapsychology'. That will explain everything about telekinesis and how to control it."

Susan`s voice had lowered. "Telekinesis, I will look it up on the internet. Ok, I might get that book. Now, you haven't told me what you meant by events of the future where I help the world, what do you mean?"

"Susan, in the next few months your skills as a doctor will be needed. Many, many people will require your help. I am here to assist you and to protect you as you carry out your mission."

Susan stared directly into the eyes of the giant blue figure at the end of her bed. "You barge into my home, and now you talk of some mission I have to complete. This just doesn't make sense!!!"

The Protector put gently put his hand on Susan`s shoulder and said softly "In time, Susan, this will make sense to you, it is difficult for any mortal to comprehend. I can guide you to understand this; I can guide you with anything you ask. Watch out for signs that I am near you. A sparkle of blue or white in the air, the feeling someone is walking behind you or a voice in your mind that will be me."

Susan began to rub her eyes; her lack of sleep was catching up on her. "Listen whatever you are, I shall have to go to work in five hours. I need to think about all of this."

The Protector picked up his sword and shield. "Goodbye, Susan. I will ensure that you sleep well tonight. We will talk soon."

Susan moved closer to the Protector, with her hands clasped together as if she were praying to him "Protector, I have one question, what is it exactly that will affect so many people? A fire, a natural disaster, what exactly?"

The Protector had disappeared before Susan finished her question; he had ascended through the ceiling in an instant surrounded in blue and white light. Susan got into bed and looked at Alex. He was still asleep despite her conversation with the Protector. Susan fell into a deep sleep as soon as she laid her head on her pillow. She dreamt of a beautiful forest and when she awoke she felt re-energized.

When they returned to London later, Susan did as she was advised and went to the local library. She followed the directions of the Protector and walked around the park, closely observing the buildings along the left side of the park. To her surprise she found a library. The outside of the building was ornate - stone carvings and statues adorned the walls and it was a large building. The inside of the library was spacious and modern with computers spread along the sides of the room. Susan always had a fondness for books. Books had been very important in her education as a doctor - there was no better purchase than a brand new medical book crammed with colourful pictures of the human body. Susan always found the fresh smell of the multiple pages pleasing. She was not happy to have to go to a community library for this book. Susan didn't like the way other people left impressions on books, such as folding the corner of a page to indicate importance or marking pages with a pen \- these drew her away from the other information in the book.

There was a lot more noise in public libraries these days compared to when she had visited them in the past. People talked out loud casually. The librarians were busy stamping books and putting books in their rightful places back on the shelves. Some people sat with their books, slowly turning pages and studying their content. Susan was surprised to see that, at the top of the room, there was a large computer section and a tutor was teaching older people how to use a computer. There were also leaflets advertising upcoming events in the library and she took one.

Susan was always good at locating books in the library. She walked straight up to the psychology section. She scanned all the books in the section and finally found a blue book simply entitled "Telekinesis". Susan`s heart raced and she became a little excited. The being may not have been a dream after all. Susan took the book home, cradling it in her arms as if it was a precious gem. Here lay the answer to the strange recent events, she could feel it.

Susan made a cup of tea and sat at the kitchen table eagerly opening the book. The book explained what telekinesis was, how people can move objects with their minds without physical movement. She read how a person can become telekinetic. The author who wrote the book said that much of his writing might be classed as unusual, even within the field of parapsychology, but advised readers to read the book and make their own decision as to whether it was imagination or otherwise. Susan appreciated not having a wacky author forcing the reader to believe what he is saying.

She read a chapter on how to control telekinesis which was to learn deep relaxation. The book stated that telekinetic power was sometimes brought on by stress. Susan decided she would show the book to Alex and, as they read the book together, they could decide on a plan to deal with this situation. Susan also realised that, after her experiences and the reading of this book, even science can fall short of explaining some issues.

Susan was sitting down in her favourite café and pondering her situation so far. What if something happened at the hospital? What would she do if a patient were hurt by a spontaneous emission of this force? What if a colleague discovered her power? She consoled herself by thinking she would take this one step at a time and she had Alex to help her.

Later at home, Alex was sitting on the couch looking at cricket. Susan said "Well, there you have it, you`ve read the book on telekinesis. What do you think?"

Alex kissed Susan lightly on the lips and said "It appears to me that we have more of an understanding of what we are dealing with now. We are getting places. I am positive that in the supermarket there is information on a yoga course. I could take down the details tomorrow if you wish? The author of the book said relaxation is helpful."

Susan replied "That would be nice of you Alex. Yes, I could try that course."

Alex said with a hopeful tone in his voice "So you could try yoga and see what happens, I think there could be a class this week. The two of us could also go for walks in the park nearby. We should be doing that anyway, it seems like a nice park. Don't worry about work, my darling. You are always calm and in control of yourself when you work, so that shouldn`t be a problem. I`ll have a look at that book again so I can understand this issue better and then we can talk together about putting in place a plan."

Susan threw her arms around Alex and said "Jolly good dear! Oh Alex, I sometimes really hate it when you tell me what to do. But thank you so much for helping me with all this. Mother always said if you make a plan an issue seems less frightening and so it is now. Thank you darling."

A tear dropped from Susan`s eye onto her loving husband's shoulder and then he hugged her back, a strong bear hug. Susan had a flesh and blood hero, her husband. She lifted his head from his shoulder, stared into his eyes and said "Thank you, love. Sometimes I think I don't deserve you. Thanks for being in my life."

Alex kissed her gently on her lips again and said "It`s not as bad as you think, dear. Why don't we go to bed a little earlier, now maybe, and have a bit of fun!! The boys aren't at home so we can make a little noise. Hmm!!!"

Susan began to unbutton her blouse."Come get me dear!" She ran toward the bedroom giggling like a teenager, with Alex running after her. That night Susan fell asleep in Alex's arms. The house was quiet that night. There wasn't one bang or sound of footsteps. The couple slept deeper than they had for weeks.

Susan contacted the yoga teacher whose business card Alex had got for her. Immediately she liked the woman`s voice. It was a slow, measured, slightly deep tone for a woman. The teacher invited her to join a session located in Kensington. She suggested that Susan come and meet her, see the studio and do some exercises with the group. Susan agreed immediately and the appointment was made for the next night. True to Susan`s observations the teacher, Rosie, had a calm appearance and was very friendly.

Rosie mentioned to Susan that the group would do easy exercises that night so that Susan could have a fair chance to experience yoga in a positive way. There was a scent of lavender in the room. Rosie was burning incense, the smoke curling up toward the ceiling. The lights were dim and had a gentle glow, just enough light for the yoga students to focus on Rosie and their movements. Rosie moved gracefully through the exercises. Her blond hair seemed to glow softly in the candle light and white skin gave her an angelic appearance. Susan began to relax as she looked at Rosie moving slow and graceful in every exercise. At the end of the evening Susan felt a great sense of relief. All the muscles in her body had unknotted and she felt more alive. She did not realise how distant she had been feeling from her own body. Susan paid the fee for two months of yoga classes.

Alex said to Susan when she returned from yoga "Why don't we test your telekinesis? Susan, why not just try to move this cup? You are relaxed because of your class in yoga so see if you can move it."

Susan sat in the brown leather couch in the sitting room stretching out her legs, she felt so relaxed "Alex, I would prefer not to do this but here it goes." Susan stared at the cup. The cup didn't move. Then Alex asked Susan to watch a horror film, the scariest dvd they had. Afterwards he asked her to move the cup. Susan looked at the cup and visualised it moving. The cup rose upwards unsteadily and then fell to the table smashing into pieces.

Susan stared at Alex and said "Are you saying this is proof that stress affects my telekinetic power?"

Alex replied "Yes it does seem to be so. Seems to make sense, does it not?"

"Well, I have thought that for a while but Alex this is difficult for me to fathom."

"Ok, don`t worry love. Well that`s that then. Let me think about this for a while."

"Thanks darling, but no more tests!" Susan smiled.

Alex sat beside Susan and hugged her "Okay dear."

Susan`s sons arrived home from their holiday. Susan felt that the children had almost fled from their home. She welcomed the twins and hugged them until they began to turn red. Alex walked over in a cool manner and patted his sons on their shoulders. Susan had cooked their favourite meal. They all sat at the dinner table and the children described their holiday. Susan didn't know much about her telekinetic power. What she did know was that she loved her children and her husband and she knew her true strength came from the love of her family. Susan thought about the Protector and how he told her not to worry about the future. She had deeply resented him for intruding into her home and she was angry with him for forecasting her future in a way she didn't like. Now she thought that she might have judged him too harshly. The guidance he gave her was correct so far. She had followed it and she was now on a path to understanding herself and her telekinetic power.

Chapter 3

Evita, Pablo and their daughter Maria lived in and ran a hostel, the Casa de Maria, on the Road to Santiago. It was a business but the family enjoyed their work, meeting so many people, and they considered it an honour to cater to the needs of the pilgrims and tourists that arrived at their accommodation situated in one of the most beautiful places in Spain. Their business was called a hostel because legally that was what it was but it was run more like a hotel, except it was much cheaper. Evita and Pablo offered healthy home-cooked meals and they offered a few single and double rooms for those who disliked communal bedrooms and wanted more privacy. The hostel lay at the beginning of a steep mountain that had a forest on one side. Pilgrims would often rest for a day or two to prepare for the steep mountain hike which was one of the most difficult sections of the Road to navigate. There was still great beauty in the towering mountains and the rich green forest that flanked both sides of the stony path.

Evita's family had owned and run the hostel for two hundred years. Evita felt it was her duty to run the hostel and pass the place on to her daughter, Maria, so that she would continue the family business. She was a small, thin woman with black hair. Apart from her responsibility to raise her daughter well and care for her, she considered the hostel to be her purpose in life. Pablo knew when he married his wife that he was also inheriting the Casa de Maria. Pablo had a pot belly. He had a rich mop of black hair. He was small but the repair work he often carried out on the hostel kept him fit and he had barrelled muscles on his arms.

Their daughter, Maria, had an invisible friend as a young child. She called him Miguel and, once or twice, Evita heard her call him 'The Protector'. Her parents knew this name. He held a special place in the spiritual stories of the Road. Maria was an impressionable and a sensitive girl. As a small child, she would listen intently to her grandmother telling stories of 'The Protector' and how he kept safe the families that lived on the Road. She told almost fanciful stories of how he protected the pilgrims and tourists that walked along the Road. They thought Maria had heard about him and imagined him, instead of being visited by him.

Maria was a teenager. She was a little plump like her father. She had her mother`s black fine but abundant hair which was styled in a curve around her neck and forehead. She was sitting in her garden beside a small river that ran along the side of the garden. A soft, bubbling foam was floating on the surface of the water. A wooden chair with cushions had been placed there and often pilgrims would sit by the river to contemplate their lives and the beauty of their surroundings. She felt a pleasant pressure around her, the air seemed to become thicker and she smelled a scent like lavender. A huge, human-like figure appeared, with bright white light on both sides of his body extending outwards. They looked like wings to Maria. He descended before her. He had a bright blue surrounding him and his body emanated rays as bright as the sun.

Maria immediately realised it was her childhood imaginary friend. She sat down and cried such was her experience of relief and intense relaxation.

She said "Miguel, is that you?"

The being replied "yes Maria, it is I. Stand up, Maria. If you knew who you really are, there would be need for you to revere me."

Maria stood up and ran to Miguel and hugged him. "Amigo! Amigo!"

Miguel bowed his head and smiled.

Maria said "thank you Miguel, for coming to me. What is it I need to do to help people at this time?"

In a strong steady voice, Miguel said "you have an important role in this world and I will tell you what it is we need you to do. Every person that walks to your home for rest, tell them what I am about to tell you."

Maria smiled a wide, sparkling smile. Her ruby cheeks shone on her tanned skin. "Yes, of course Miguel, I will do that. What is your message to me that you want me to say to them?"

Miguel said, in a gentle voice, "thank you Maria. Tell as many pilgrims as you can about my visit to you. Those who are afraid, tell them I offer protection. Tell them you have met me and I am called 'The Protector. They need only think of me or call my name and I will be with them. I will guide them through their troubles. Tell people not to be afraid of anything. I will help, if asked."

Miguel looked at Maria with love in his eyes. "Come and sit by me, I have more important things to tell you." Miguel sat down with Maria on an old tree trunk that was covered with moss, so it was soft to sit on.

Miguel's huge hand took Maria's small delicate hand and cupped it in his. Maria felt a pleasant, mild humming of energy in Miguel`s touch.

Miguel said "Maria, I want you to tell people how strong and powerful they are. Tell each pilgrim that comes to your hostel of their true inner strength to overcome all difficulties by focusing on their spirit and the wisdom of their heart or by calling my name and letting me into their lives. Can you do that, sweet one?"

"Of course, Miguel."

Maria was exhilarated to have met Miguel. Her childhood imaginary friend was real. The instruction Miguel had given her excited her, she knew this was her destiny.

"Goodbye Maria."

"Goodbye Miguel, I love you."

Miguel disappeared.

Evita looked out the window into her garden. She dropped her cup and it smashed to the ground. She saw a huge blue figure holding a sword and a shield of white light standing in front of her daughter.

She said, in awe, "Mary, Saint Mary!"

Pablo walked quickly into the kitchen. He saw the smashed cup on the floor.

Pablo said "Evita, what is it?"

He was worried about his wife who was normally very calm and centred.

Evita said "look Pablo, look!!!"

Evita repeatedly pointed at the window. Pablo looked outside and gasped. A giant figure surrounded by rays of blue and white light was holding Maria's hand, smiling the most gentle and kind smile he had ever seen. Then the giant blue figure ascended into the sky, leaving Maria happy, clapping and jumping up and down with glee.

Evita said "Pablo, remember that my mother used to talk about 'The Protector'? My grandparents talked about him also. That's him! And he has been talking to Maria. He has visited our child! What joy will come to us!!"

Pablo ran out the door into the garden. "My love, are you ok, Maria?"

Maria said "Dad, I feel great! I'm at peace, yet so excited."

"What did The Protector ask of you?"

Maria had a beaming smile from one corner of her mouth to the other.

"He wants me to tell everyone that stays in this hostel about him and to tell everyone about how strong they are. He wants me to tell them they can get help from him if they ask and not to be afraid."

Pablo said "that should be easy for you, you talk to everyone that comes here and you're so friendly, Maria."

"Thanks Daddy but this time I have something important to talk about, something to really help people."

Pablo smiled and hugged Maria.

Evita knew the stories that were handed down through centuries of generations from families living along the Road to Santiago. If The Protector visits a person and they follow his advice - usually called guidance - and do as he asked, he would bring success, happiness and security to that person. Evita called Pablo and Maria to lunch. Maria sat at the table still smiling and told Evita what The Protector had asked her to do.

Evita said "Maria, you have been told your purpose by The Protector. You would do well to follow it my dear child, it will make you happy. I think we will go to the bakery today and you can have anything you want in the whole shop!"

She kissed Maria lovingly on the cheek. "l love you so much Maria, always know that."

Maria chomped on the ham sandwich her mother had prepared her. Evita and Pablo ate contentedly at the round wooden table. Pablo looked at Evita. She had been his first love. He looked at his wife, marvelling at her beauty...... her long, black hair that fell all the way down her back, her full lips and her dark brown eyes. He marvelled at the love she has for everyone she meets which made the hostel so popular, and the great love she had for her husband and daughter.

Evita saw Pablo looking at her with admiration. She smiled briefly, walked over to her husband and planted a kiss on his lips. They were 20 years together and they were still in love.

Maria said "look, Mam and Dad, I'm still at the table, please don't keep doing that in front of me!!" Pablo, Evita and Maria sat around the table laughing uncontrollably.

Chapter 4

Linda and Sarah sat at a long black plastic bar counter, each drinking a cocktail. The lights around the bar flashed simultaneously. Men in their late thirties scanned the bar for any women they would like to bring home. Women around the same age looked around to try to catch their eye, longing to find 'the one'. Mirrors were placed along some of the walls, reflecting the bright lights. Music was booming throughout the bar as women and men gyrated their hips and groped each other, some too drunk to dance. Sarah sat in her chair looking disinterested and bored of her surroundings. Men glanced at her curvy hips and long chestnut brown hair.

The two friends sat at the far side of the bar counter so as to talk more easily to each other. The barman was showing his talent at making cocktails as he moved his arms and hands expertly, throwing the silver container around him to mix the drinks. His tight shirt revealed muscular pecks and they could see his nipples peeking out through the white cotton of his shirt. He smiled at her and Linda smiled back as he winked at her. Linda had dressed herself that night in clothes that she hoped would attract a man. She wore a white skirt that fell to midway to her knee, showing off her well-toned legs. She wore genuine gold jewellery. She detested the plastic jewellery that so many women sported on their necks, ears and wrists. Her gold jewellery shone in the light of the disco lights but the gold necklace and anklet were plain thin lines of gold. Linda wanted to look classy and not show off her wealth in an obnoxious way.

"Sarah, thanks for coming out tonight, I don't really get out that much," said Linda.

"No problem. But Linda, my young boy is sick tonight so I might be on the phone, John will probably be calling me if he has any worries."

"Ok Sarah, let's go and dance!"

Sarah and Linda danced and they could see men looking at them, trying to be noticed by the women that were throwing themselves around the dancefloor. Sarah began to slow down as Linda kept dancing.

"Linda I'm exhausted now, let's sit down, I'm not as fit as I used to be!"

They sat down and Sarah's mobile rang. Sarah spoke on her phone and said "yes John, ok." Linda couldn't hear the conversation but Susan didn't look worried.

Sarah said "Ok, well I'm out with Linda and we haven't met in ages so I want to stay out longer. If there's any further problems give me a ring."

While Sarah was talking on the phone, Linda asked herself where she had gone wrong with her life. Linda was brought up in a country home in the Cotswolds. Her family was wealthy and Linda appeared, to those who didn't know her well, to have everything that life could offer in ensuring a stable upbringing. She had two brothers and a sister. Linda often felt lonely within her family since her mother's death. Her mother died in a car crash when Linda was ten. Her mother had died at the age of forty five.

Her father's love was the only childhood experience of affection she experienced. The harder she tried to communicate with her brother and sister, the more distant they became. Kate had manipulated Peter - her brother - against her. She tried to turn her father against her but her father was too wise to fall for it. Kate told her relations stories about Linda and Linda had sometimes overheard her poisonous words when spreading rumours that were not true. As a result, Linda's relations would not speak to her. She always tried to please her brother and sister but to no avail. Her father had often stepped in to stop her siblings from tormenting her.

She loved her father and she had a good relationship with him. He would play with her and they would take walks around the land that surrounded their stately home in the Cotswolds. In every season, there was something beautiful. There would be so many colours in the Cotswolds in the summer. There was every colour you could imagine among the trees and plants and in the sky. In autumn, the leaves turned into, what looked to her, shapes of gold, hanging in the trees. In winter, sometimes there would be a mist around the fields and there were dewdrops on the leafy plants which looked like diamonds dropping off the leaves. There was something to see in all seasons.

Linda looked at herself in the mirror at the front of the bar with the many different shapes and colours of bottles lined along the glass shelf. She barely recognised herself. She could see slight grey marks around her eyes which were grey circles that she had managed to cover up with make-up. Her red hair didn't seem as bright as when she was younger. She had put on weight and her face was puffy. As an adult, she seemed to have it all. A lovely apartment, a well-paid job. She had nice things, expensive clothes and jewellery. But she was living on her own. She had always felt she was destined for a special purpose but the more she thought about it, the less she understood what it could be. The less she understood the more frustrated she became.

She could see small wrinkles around the edges of her mouth as she looked at herself in the mirror of the bar. She was tired and exhausted from her life. As a clinical psychologist, she attended to her patients with care and professionalism. Her best advertising was through word of mouth. If a patient was told they were to be Linda's patient, they knew they had a chance for their mind to heal and to learn how to adjust to life. Linda would often be exhausted as she rushed to prevent a patient from falling into the abyss of depression or madness. Try as she might, some of her patients did succumb to the abyss and fell into the lonely emptiness of mental breakdown. Linda was alone. She had no partner to share her life with, no one to give her a hug if she had a stressful day at work. She was struggling to find someone. She feared that, for her, there was no Mr Right, like her female acquaintances were blessed with. She believed she needed to be somewhere else to find out if life had something more to offer her, somewhere far away from Birmingham.

Sarah began to speak and disturbed Linda from her upsetting thoughts. Susan had hazelnut brown hair. She was slim, despite having been recently pregnant. She wore tight blue jeans and a top with a large V-neck that opened discreetly onto the very beginning of her breasts.

"Linda do you remember our boarding school days? Do you remember how the teachers loved you? And you were so pretty. You were popular too!"

Linda replied "ye, I liked it there. It would have been even better if I hadn't been teased for having ginger hair. I missed my father but you know he was so great to visit all the time. It was a lovely looking school wasn't it Sarah, for a school I mean?"

"Oh yes, things seemed so uncomplicated back then."

Sarah`s mobile phone rang. Linda was annoyed. Two friends out together who hadn't seen each other for a long time and Sarah obviously felt her family was more important. It must be nice to have a family and have someone to love. Everyone she knew was married with children or in a relationship.

"Linda, sorry. Just give me a moment. It's John."

"Hello John....... say that again...... oh, okay Johnny. I'm on my way home...... look don't worry. Linda, I'm desperately sorry but I have to go. David is very sick."

Linda raised her voice: "Sarah it's only twelve at night! I thought we would be out for the most of the night!"

Sarah could see Linda's arms were folded as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. Sarah saw a mixture of anger and sorrow in Linda's face.

Linda said "okay, your child is sick and you have to go home. Okay let's go."

Linda sulked, picked up her jacket and walked out of the bar reluctantly.

"Thanks Linda. I just have to make sure he's ok."

They shared a taxi home. Sarah rushed out of the taxi, her high heels clicking on the ground, and quickly opened the door of her home. The taxi travelled to linda`s apartment block. Rows of glass windows and balconies stretched across the building. Flowers spilled out of some of the balconies. The apartment block was surrounded by a small park. Linda walked into her empty apartment and opened a bottle of wine. She stared at the bottle trying to understand why she didn't have a family. Linda took another glass of wine and went to bed. She didn't manage to take a man home and curled up alone in her bed.

Linda had studied Clinical Psychology in Oxford College. Her relationships with others and her family confused her and she thought this training might help her understand herself. Through her learning in psychology she also came to some understanding about her interactions with others. As her studies progressed, she became even more curious about the mind and the brain. How each functioned and the interesting artificial division of the two. She believed there was an energy, some kind of entity, beyond the brain and the mind yet she couldn't prove it and she thought it may not be possible to prove.

Linda encountered such great pain in people during one-to-one counselling. Some of her patients had very little in their lives in comparison to what life had given Linda. Linda felt she had been given so much in her life that she wanted to give something back. When she established her practice, she often halved her fees for those who could not afford the full cost of therapy.

She also experienced her own pain. She had often felt like an alien descending from outer space in human form when she was communicating with her brother and sister. In college, she had had a lecturer called David Smith, who reminded her of her father in his approach to her. She worked on her thesis with him. He was an old man. He had the stereotypical look of a professor although he had not reached that grade. He had grey hair that was white in parts. His hair fell halfway down his neck giving him a hippy look. They had become friends and Linda would talk to him about relationships and how people communicate as she never really understood it. They would sit in his office, among piles of folders scattered around his office, and talk extensively about the psychological make-up of human beings. David was also a confidant to Linda. He knew her very well and marvelled at both her passion for life and her pain.

One day, Linda said to David "David, even though in private school I got on so on well with the pupils in my year, I feel my brother and sister hated me. I incubated this in my own mind, even to the present day. As a result, I have felt so awkward with people. I can be so very shy. I have been described as 'passive aggressive'. I don't know how to stand up for myself and I get so upset when people don't like me."

David looked at her with kindness in his eyes. "Linda, when people are talking to others it is only a perception of the person they are talking to, not who you are. Sometimes this perception is influenced by what the person doesn't like in themselves, they see it in the person they are communicating with and then judge them, sometimes harshly."

Linda replied "I understand that David.... well, kind of. My siblings judged me from a very early age and rejected me because they blamed me for my mother's death. So I think I expect people not to like me. I used to think I deserved it because of what happened but since I started studying psychology, I see things differently now. David, I shouldn't have argued with her that day. If only I hadn't argued with her and upset her so much she wouldn't have left the house so upset. It wasn`t my fault that a truck drove into her car and killed her. I wasn't that truck driver behind the wheel!!! I know I shouldn't have treated her like that but God knows, I have been paying for my mistake all my bloody life!!!"

Linda's face went red, her brow became wrinkled as she twisted and rubbed her hands, as if to wash from her hands her false guilt. A tear ran down her cheek. David gave her a tissue. He could see the anger in Linda, her red hair often gave her a passionate appearance.

He said "Linda, I know that..... but what has passed has passed. There is no longer the reality of what happened to your mother. It is just a memory now, it is not reality. So you must accept the past for it cannot be changed. What you do with your present and your future is what is most important now. Linda you are a very, very talented student. Don't let these thoughts upset you so much because that's all they are, just thoughts."

Linda established her medical practice which became popular in Birmingham. Her patients would say to friends and family that she was a healer. Linda often dragged people out of deep depression and cleared the 'fog of fear' for people with anxiety. Patients said to others there was no pain that she couldn't relieve from her patients. Linda barely spent any money on advertising as a result.

A hunger for adventure had developed within Linda. She decided to research on the internet to see how she might travel. She sat in front of her computer at home and stared wide-eyed at all the possibilities of travel that emerged from the beautiful pictures on her screen. Many of the tour packages were over within two weeks and she heard of people returning from these talking about experiencing 'sight-seeing tiredness'. Tourists were so rushed around monuments that they became exhausted and didn't remember some of the sights. The tourist sees so many tourist sights, and so quickly, that they get tired of looking at them.

Linda wanted to experience travel in Europe, as if the pictures she saw were tempting her on the glowing screen and were beckoning her to come. As a child, she had travelled with her father by train to Bristol and Birmingham. There was nothing more glorious for her as a child than having the undivided attention of her father. They would sit together in a first class carriage. Her father would smoke his pipe and Linda would be mesmerised by the small eddies and wafts of smoke that would drift away. The sights in the Cotswolds were stunning. She and her father would arrive in Birmingham. The contrast of the sleepy country life they lived, with the fast-paced city life she experienced on those days thrilled her. She chose the busy city life when she grew older so she bought an apartment in Birmingham and developed her practice as a clinical psychologist. She would be near to her father also.

Linda dreamed of how she would travel in Europe. She would stay in upmarket hotels because she could afford it. She could book a flight to any destination she wished to visit. Linda thought about her travel ideas but at times the thoughts of travelling alone were daunting. Her friends were either pregnant or had babies already. She knew of one friend who might be a travelling companion but she doubted that she would agree to travel with her. She would miss her father but she wouldn't travel for a very long time and she could phone him.

Sitting in a café, her friend Julia said to her - and she had heard this so many times - "oh I have done Europe already. It's time for me to settle down. I want a family. Linda shouldn't you have a family now?"

She had her baby cradled in her arms. To Linda's horror, her friend opened her shirt and revealed her breast. It was full and rounded with milk. The baby grabbed her breast and started to suck the nipple. Linda's mouth opened in the shape of an o. She quickly stood up and gathered her coat and her bag.

Linda said quickly: "I'm going now Julia and for God's sake you could have waited till you got home to do that!!!"

Julia exclaimed "what's wrong Linda? Haven't you seen women do this?"

Linda said "no, I have not, not in public. Bye Julia" and she hurried out the door.

Linda thought of this incident and dismissed it. As Dave had said it was just a memory and that point in time no longer existed. She looked out of the window of her apartment. She could look down at the trees and people walking and sitting leisurely. She could see the sun set. The walls of her apartment had panels of oak and her favourite feature was the marble fireplace in her sitting room. The oak reminded her of the wooden arches in her private school. When she looked at the marble the solid appearance of it reminded her of strength, the bright, white, finely-polished and smooth surface she thought of as representing beauty. Strength and beauty, the qualities she would dearly love to have.

She sat and thought about what she knew of European history. She loved the history of Europe and knew some old Irish history because her father would talk about it as well as facts on the history of Europe. Linda's great grandfather was Irish. Linda's father, Jonathon, was often told old stories about ancient Irish history, sitting by the fire. He would sit her on his knee in front of the fire and, in a soft low voice, would begin his story which would twist through hundreds of years. Linda would watch him, mesmerised as he smoked. She could smell that lovely, musty, woody aroma that came from his pipe. Her father told stories to her as if weaving a tapestry.

"Daddy, what happened at night in the old Irish monasteries? Tell me again!" Linda would snuggle up into Jonathon's arms as he rocked her gently.

"It is said that, in some monasteries, a golden glow would come from the church. Light would pour out from the sky. And it was said that in some monasteries, angels would descend, with huge glowing wings, surrounded by white light. It was said that their bodies were as bright as moonlight. Their wings were golden and as bright as the sun. They would spend time with the monks, talking with them. They would sit and talk casually as if they were human friends. No one knows what they talked about but the angels protected the monks, of that people didn't doubt."

Jonathon knew Linda would fall asleep at this point. He felt little Linda's small head roll onto his shoulder, murmuring something about angels. He would then pick her up and carry her to bed. He already had his little angel, sleeping in his arms.

Linda left her dream world of her father's stories and sat in front of the glowing screen of her computer. She loved the idea of travelling through Europe. She felt like a bird in a cage at times and she felt it was time to unlock that cage. She began looking at 'places to escape to', as her first page read when it appeared on the screen. She clicked on Europe, her fingers shaking a little with excitement. She saw pictures of Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Athens and so many other destinations. She wouldn't be 'roughing it' as she had money enough to travel in style. It would be nice to go with a friend. Linda did ring one single friend, well a friend that wasn't married, but when she rang, her friend told her she really wanted to have a go at the new relationship she started this week and couldn't – "wouldn't" was what she really meant. Linda began to book her itinerary and spent most of the night planning where she would go and booked a few hotels.

Linda rang her father and arranged to travel home to make sure he was comfortable and healthy before she left, and to tell him she was leaving for three months. If she was satisfied he was healthy and he was content that she was travelling, she would plan her trip. There was a little voice at the back of her mind telling her that she must make the most of this time together but she thought that was because she was going away for a few months. Linda would then attend appointments to bring her patients' therapy to an end.

The journey towards her father's seemed to pass slowly as she was excited to get on that plane and begin her adventure. She liked the Cotswolds and loved her father. There were also glum memories of the rest of her family whom she had become estranged from. She never understood why the rest of her family treated her so badly. The other sister, Kate, only talked to her when she wanted something, usually money or emotional support whenever she went into a drug rehabilitation centre which happened frequently. Her brother, Peter, didn't care for Linda at all. They hadn't spoken in years. When her sister, Heather was no longer hooked on drugs and didn't need Linda, she had stopped contacting Linda altogether. Linda often tried to ignore these feelings but unfortunately the memories insisted she pay them attention. Linda thought that the memories would go if she left England. However she was going to choose the healthy attitude that she wanted adventure, not escape. She was running to something exciting, not running away.

The butler opened the door, greeted her and gave her a bear hug. "Welcome Linda, it's been quite some time since your last visit! Welcome!"

"Thank you, Arthur. My father is in the study I assume?"

"Yes but here he is now!" The butler walked towards the kitchen.

Jonathon hugged Linda "So nice to see you, dear!"

She had loved the feeling of safety that a hug from her father conveyed to her. But the hug was slightly weaker than usual. When she looked at him, he seemed a bit grey. His hair seemed thinner and the grey bits much more grey, but she shrugged the thoughts off and dismissed them.

"Dad is getting old so he's not going to look healthy sometimes," she told herself. She looked at the high ceilings of the hall, the marble walls which were always so shiny, you could almost see your reflection in them. The fireplace in the sitting room was made of white marble and took up most of the wall. There was the familiar pile of logs beside the roaring fire that Jonathon had lit. The Venetian windows opened out into the great expanse of the garden. She could see the beginning of her walk she took so often with her father starting from the back of the garden and into the woods.

Her father put on his long outdoor coat and handed Linda another. "Come my dear, bring an old man on a walk!"

Linda smiled and said, "may I say how great you look today!"

"Linda, you were always ready to compliment me but thank you." They set out on their walk, her father walking more slowly than usual.

Linda and Jonathon returned to the house. They sat at the long oak table in the dining room. Linda's grandfather had it shipped from Ireland. Oil paintings of generations of Linda's family adorned the walls. The subjects seemed to peer down at the table. Crystal chandeliers were suspended from the ceiling. The maid brought their dinner to the table.

Linda said "oh hello Mary, nice to see you."

Mary replied "nice to see you coming back from the big smoke. Birmingham must keep you so busy. Welcome back!"

The maid scurried off in the direction of the kitchen.

Linda said "so dad, I hope you don't take this too badly but I'm leaving England to travel to Europe."

Jonathon raised his eyebrows in surprise and said "my dear daughter, you are so like me. You know of course that I have travelled too, a bit further afield. I loved Africa. You must travel because it is the best education. Travel, proper travelling..... not a package holiday...... will teach you things you never even thought of. If times get difficult, good memories of travel always cheer me up. I retreat into happy memories and wonderful sights that my mind still shows me, my memories clear as any video recorder or camera pictures. When are you leaving?"

Linda replied: "this Friday. I know that's sudden but I am so eager to go."

"Well, I just happened to buy a present for you, I suppose you could consider it a parting gift." Johnathon stood up and took a small silver box from the mantelpiece. He walked over to Linda's side of the table and gave her a square object wrapped in silver paper with a green bow. Linda's fingers fumbled rapidly to take the wrapping off. Linda got up and threw her arms around her father. A gold watch glinted in its box. The small hand ticking along clockwise. Linda hugged and kissed her father.

"Oh Dad, it`s absolutely perfect!!!! Thank you so much!"

Her father smiled but Linda felt that his body was a little weak.

Jonathon laughed and said "it's nothing my dear, I am so glad I bought it for you since you're going travelling. Now you won`t miss your plane or a train, you'll have a new watch to tell exactly the right time!"

Linda hugged her father.

Linda and Johnathon sat sipping wine beside the roaring fire.

Linda said "Dad, it may be my imagination but you seem kind of weak. Are you ok?" Jonathon replied "oh it's just a small cold dear. Never fear, I'm quite fit otherwise."

Linda glanced at her father as the flames danced around the fireplace. She thought of how much she loved him, how difficult her life would have been without him. The fire formed shadows that danced around the wall. The voice of Linda's intuition told her to enjoy this night with her father - that it was important to laugh and tell stories to each other about their lives. Linda also felt apprehension ..... but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She would make sure her father felt special tonight. Linda left for Birmingham the following day eager to prepare for her travels.

Linda arrived in Barcelona, her first stop in Europe. She took a taxi to her hotel and was in awe of the majestic buildings and stunning beauty of the parks she passed on her way. Linda had chosen an elegant luxury hotel which rivalled her experiences of the expensive hotels where she had stayed in London. She was welcomed at the hotel and the door of her taxi was opened as a man helped her with her bags. As she entered the hotel, her bags were taken to her room. She loved the shades of colours that complimented the modern art in the lobby of the hotel. This contrasted with the old style bedrooms with gilded mirrors and four-poster beds.

The following morning Linda, went to the Park Ciutadella. It is the one of the most popular parks in Barcelona. She was tired from her journey and had decided to take a taxi. As she walked into the park, she experienced the large open area of the park. The sun was smiling on her with a warmth she hadn't experienced for months. She spotted the large waterfall, the grandeur of the statues, the tall fountains shooting water into the sky. She tried to make out whether some of the small statues were made of gold or brass. They were so well polished and she could see how they were reflected in the water. Spain had colonised several countries in history and you could see the fruits of Spanish wealth in olden times.

Linda sat down on a wall close to the fountain. She noticed three young men sitting on a bench. In fact one, it seemed, locked on to her with his eyes. He smiled at her. To her surprise he got up and walked towards her.

The black-haired, well-built man said "how are ye? Can I sit down?"

Linda replied: "ok, my friend is just gone to the shop and she'll be coming back in a while." She didn't want a stranger to think she was travelling on her own

"Cool, my name is Colin." He held out his hand. Linda shook the man's hand. She noticed he had a firm handshake.

Linda immediately picked up on his Irish accent. "My name is Linda. I think that you are from Ireland, am I right?

"Ye that's right, Linda. Are you here on business or pleasure?"

"Most definitely pleasure! I only started sight-seeing today, it is so beautiful here!!"

Linda began to blush. Very few men ever showed her affection. The men that did were usually much older than her. But this felt different. This young man was striking a chord within her and she felt her heart begin to open towards him. All this only within moments of meeting.

Colin began to fidget with his hands awkwardly. His left leg moved up and down rapidly on the bench he was sitting on. Colin had always been a bit of a charmer and a womaniser. Colin felt this woman was different. He thought Linda had a dignity he was not familiar with in other women he slept with.

Colin and Linda paused for a few moments, Colin started to talk. He said "Linda, I plan to stay for a few days in Barcelona."

His voice began to shake a little and he continued to play with his fingers. "Would you like to meet? Maybe tonight? We could just have a casual drink. I'd like to know more about you."

Linda began to look deep into his eyes and saw a warmth there. She noticed his well-toned arms and his pecks poked out a little from his t-shirt. She glanced at the fountain. Huge columns of water shooting into the sky like a large bottle of champagne and spilling back down to the water. Golden statues were shaped like a kind of lion mixed with a dragon, their mouths wide open, bearing large teeth and long tongues. There were several of them in a semi-circle all around the water. Maybe it's time for her to roar too, she thought..... to be fierce and take what she wants.

She turned towards Colin. She stared into his eyes again and she noticed a flicker of shyness behind the confident exterior and she felt attracted to him even more. She smiled at him. "Well how about my hotel? There is a bar there. Tomorrow night, maybe around 9.00?" Linda gave Colin the name of the hotel.

"Great, Linda that's grand. I'll meet ye there."

Linda and Colin awkwardly said goodbye, not sure whether to hug, kiss or shake hands. They chose to shake hands and say goodbye. Jeremy and Patrick laughed at Colin playfully.

Patrick said in a serious tone: "well, ye always get a girl wherever ye go, Col. But this girl seems different to all the other girls. Colin you were different with her than the others. You seem to have a kind of respect for her."

Colin didn't say much in response but walked slowly, humming to himself on the way back to the hostel.

"Colin, let's go on the beer right now! Let's get drunk!" - Jeremy declared as he danced a little outside a pub pointing at the door and mimicking a bar man pulling a pint.

The following night, Colin set out for the Grand Hotel Barcelona to meet Linda. When he arrived, the receptionist stared at him from his desk.

"Señor, are you staying here?"

Colin replied "ah..... well, no..... I'm not.... I am meeting a girl here. The receptionist stared a little longer at Colin.

"Are you a male escort?"

"What?! No! Where did ye get that from?" A burly security man walked up to say "pardon me Señor".

Colin heard Linda say "Colin, over here my dear" as she waved.

The security man glanced at Linda and then smiled at Colin. "Okay, Señor, you can come in."

Colin looked temporarily annoyed and walked on towards the bar which was close to the reception. He noticed almost everyone was wearing a shirt and trousers. He was wearing a white t-shirt that he had worn yesterday and a pair of jeans which had seen better days. He could see Linda sitting near a piano. The piano player was playing a slow, sombre tune. Colin much preferred club music but, he thought, he would keep himself open to new experiences.

Linda said, smiling: "so Colin, what brings a handsome man like you to a plain ordinary girl like me?"

Colin said: "Linda, you're definitely not plain or ordinary. I've been looking forward to tonight. So are you enjoying Barcelona?"

Linda replied: "I went back to the park we were in yesterday, I just love it there!!"

Colin and Linda joked with each other. Colin talked about Dublin, which paled in comparison to Linda's life in London.

Linda drank only two glasses of wine and Colin had several pints of San Miguel. Colin reached out to Linda's leg and lay his hand on her upper thigh and looked at Linda. Linda put her glass down on the table, rapidly, surprised.

"Colin, we only just met yesterday. Come on now, I barely know you!"

Colin moved beside Linda and put his arm around her. He saw that Linda was shy and so made his attraction to her very clear.

"Ye know love, you're just so beautiful," he said with a twinkle in his eye."

Linda became quiet and leaned towards Colin, giggling. "Let's go to my room, darling!!"

Colin laughed. "I thought you would never say it!!"

Linda kissed Colin firmly on the lips. Colin almost ripped her clothes off and lifted her onto the dressing table, toiletries fell to the floor. Colin took his t-shirt off revealing muscled arms and firm pecks. He left his trousers and shoes on, desperate to enter Linda hastily. Linda felt that Colin knew how to handle a woman in moments of passion. They both climaxed together and fell into the bed exhausted. Colin never knew a woman that was so passionate. Linda had never been to bed with someone so young.

Colin and Linda exchanged numbers. The following day, Colin texted her in the morning and asked her would she like to meet maybe that afternoon. Linda was a little annoyed at the lack of notice but Colin struck her as a free spirit who was spontaneous. She agreed to meet in a tapas bar near the metro.

The tapas bar was small but nearly empty which gave Linda and Colin an intimate space to talk to each other. Linda had not eaten tapas before and Colin encouraged her to try them. He sat beside her and was more confident now. He put his arm around Linda and she put her hand lightly on his knee. He nibbled her neck.

Colin said "so, where are you going from here?"

"Two weeks here in Barcelona. Then I will go to Paris and after that, Amsterdam."

Colin replied "my mates and I - we will travel for about six months and we want to see more of some places than others. But we will just try and chill too, I don't want to run around trying to see everything all at once."

"Well Colin, you are certainly right dear, that's how I feel too."

They both smiled at each other. They ate their Tapas slowly. Neither Linda nor Colin ate quickly; they were fascinated with their conversation.

Linda said in an excited tone: "where I intend to go next is Paris, then visit Versailles. After that I will go to Amsterdam, I especially want to see the Van Gogh museum. I'll fly mostly so I can enjoy places more."

Linda looked out onto the street; she loved the yellow bricks that curved along the road. Large leafy trees were dotted along the street.

Colin said, in a disappointed tone, "we are travelling by train."

"Well, I'm a clinical psychologist and my fees keep me comfortable. How about you? What do you work at?"

Colin admired that Linda waited so long to talk about work. It was the first thing people wanted to know when they met someone new at home in Ireland. To Linda, it didn't matter.

"I just do odd jobs here and there. I have worked in a small restaurant for a year to save money for this trip."

"Colin you have got a good few years ahead of you before you have to have a career." Linda smiled brightly at Colin. Colin laughed a charming, boyish laugh.

Linda noticed he was swinging his legs slightly backwards and forwards on his chair like a little boy.

He said "oh there is more to life than that! Life is too short and I always think we should live for this day because we could be dead tomorrow!"

Linda replied, smiling "yes that's true, but it's best to have a career and have money coming into the bank at some time. You'll see that when you get to my age!"

"Linda, I feel like I've known you all my life. I know this will sound strange to you but before I left Ireland I had a dream about you. It's like I knew you before I met you. That's so weird isn't it?"

"Yes, that is strange. I'd say you say that to all the women you've slept with but I`ll take it as a compliment - I am the woman of your dreams!"

Colin didn't reply but put his arm around her and kissed her lips. They finished their tapas. They looked out onto the street of Las Ramblas, holding hands. Linda knew that she would always remember this experience. She will always remember the street, the tapas and most of all, talking to Colin. She will remember this moment in great detail, forever. She thought he was so funny, attractive, charming, and he seemed kind too.

"In your words Colin, we only live for today. Do you want to go anywhere else? I know that there is a beach right on the edge of the city. Would you like to go? It's a lovely day and we could go for a walk."

Colin said "ye, that would be nice. Let's go!!"

They walked along the beach together, joking and holding hands. They had both taken their sandals off and walked slowly beside the water of the sea which rushed in towards them. Linda felt she knew Colin, as if he wasn't a stranger to her. Linda held Colin's hands and kissed him briefly on the lips. She felt she was like a flower, closed tightly in a bud, with no one anticipating the beauty within. Colin was the sun whose warmth and light was encouraging her to bloom. She began to feel attractive for the first time.

Colin said "so, Linda, we could keep in touch if ye like, who knows we might meet up on our travels?"

Linda said "yes of course we could, I'd like that. Goodbye, Colin."

Linda kissed Colin on the lips and walked into the distance in the direction of the metro.

Colin walked back to the hostel. He hadn't rung his mother for two weeks. He took out his smart phone, his hand began to shake a little with nerves. He decided to ring her.

"Hi Mam, how's it goin'?"

"Hi Son."

Then there was silence, Colin could hear his mother breathing on the phone.

"Are you ok, Mam?"

"I had to go and see my doctor, love. I'm really not feeling good since you left. He says I might have to see a psychiatrist."

She started snivelling on the phone.

Colin mentally fumbled through his words to find what to say but his mother continued. "Son, I am going to sit down every day and look outside the window until you come home. I miss you love."

Colin was disturbed to hear his mother so down, more than usual. But he knew he had to do this. He had to do something for himself, just once anyway.

"Ma, so sorry to hear all this. I'll ring you again soon. Aunt Ann will look after ye."

Another long pause. His mother whispered slowly: "ok love mind yourself."

"Bye Ma, love you too."

Colin's head was spinning after the call. He found there was a shadow that he carried around with him. Even when he was having fun, there were thoughts telling him he shouldn't be. The shadow of his past always seemed to want to elbow its way into his present. But he wouldn't let that happen today. In Barcelona, he had just met the most amazing woman in the whole wide world and he was going to spend the day thinking about her.

Chapter 5

The plane flew over Paris, the sun was setting as the aircraft began to descend. Linda had extended her stay in Barcelona for an extra week, then she began to crave seeing other parts of Europe. Linda was thrilled that she was landing in Paris - she had seen so many pictures of famous sites to visit. Linda observed from the sky the place of her next adventure. She hailed a taxi to travel to her next hotel that she had booked from her familiar and safe home. Linda spent time in her hotel as she was very tired from her trip. She slept in a comfortable bed, the mattress was soft and the sheets were made of linen. It seemed to her the duvet was filled with feathers, it was so soft.

Linda was still tired from her flight and she decided to have dinner in the hotel. She entered a beautiful, tastefully-decorated restaurant and the waiter showed her to a table. Her gold necklace matched her father's gold watch. She wore jade earrings and immaculately-white tight trousers and a powder-blue silk shirt. Briefly she thought, as she sat by a table on her own, of Colin and how he was travelling with friends and how nice that must be. However she would rather travel on her own than stay at home. Her life had become as predictable as the movements of a clock. At times, she would stare at the hands on her watch moving through each second ....... she was so bored with her life. She brought her mind back into the room. There was a bright crystal and gold chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It lit the room with a warm creamy light. There were blue velvet curtains on the windows braided with gold ropes. On her table there were pink and red roses. This reminded her of the rose bushes she had grown up with at home in the Cotswolds. The waiters moved with grace around the table, their movements reminded her of swans. There was a small fountain in the middle of the restaurant. Linda was unfamiliar with a fountain in a restaurant but it was fitting for the beauty of the room.

Linda thought of eating tapas with Colin and the perfect day he had given her only a week before she landed in Paris. His phrase for her, the 'Mona Lisa smile', lit up her face. She would see the Mona Lisa painting tomorrow and maybe 'instagram' Colin and send a picture to him. But this was her holiday of freedom and she was not going to get into a serious relationship with any man. She was sure that she would not be the only woman he would bed on his trip.

The following morning, Linda decided to have breakfast in a nearby café. As she entered the small intimate space of the café, the aroma of fresh coffee beans filled the air. The food was laid out behind a sheet of glass. Linda could see cream buns, croissants and other delectable looking food that she was not familiar with. The staff were friendly and attentive to the customers. She ordered a croissant and a coffee from the waiter, speaking in English. There was a man sitting at the table beside her who glanced at her twice while giving his order.

Linda walked past his table.

He turned to her and said "hello dear, you seem to be from England? I hear it in your accent."

Linda blushed a little. "Yes, I am English. And you too, I presume?"

The Englishman held out his hand. "Yes I am. My name is George. Pleased to meet you".

Linda shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you too."

George gave Linda a firm handshake. Linda liked firm handshakes, it indicated 'confidence' to her. George was tall and his shoulders were broad. His hair was white except for some grey around his temples. He had bright blue eyes.

George asked her "so, if I may be so bold to be nosey, what brings you to Paris?"

Linda was a little nervous talking to a stranger and flicked her hair behind her shoulder. She knew that she was travelling by herself so if she wanted company she would be talking to strangers.

Linda smiled and said "I'm travelling through Europe on a long, extended holiday."

George replied "how nice for you dear. I am on a business trip." He pointed at a chair "Would you like to sit down at my table and we can have a coffee together? I have mostly been speaking French since I have been in Paris. It would be nice to speak English for a while. Dear God, I am so intolerant sometimes!"

Linda discovered that she liked talking to people that were new to her. It was nice to break away from the world of baby talk. Her friends were so obsessed with their babies...... always talking in 'baby talk' with them. They were so in the habit of communicating that way she felt they even talked to her using baby talk. She would leave her friends and walk home feeling rejected by her peers, barren and childless. She had only been travelling for four weeks and had met many wonderful people on her travels. She thought of young Irish Colin in Barcelona. George seemed interesting too. George was older than Linda. Linda often observed both the small details and important details of people within seconds of meeting a person and her hunches about them were often accurate. He was dressed in an expensive suit, Linda knew what an expensive suit looked like. It was charcoal black and it was made to fit. He had an abundance of silver grey hair. He had an old fashioned moustache that was twirled up at the ends. George was taller than Linda, around six foot.

"What do you work at?" asked Linda

George replied "I am an art dealer, and you?"

Linda hesitated to respond. She wanted to have fun, not think of work.

"I am a clinical psychologist. An art dealer? That sounds interesting."

George and Linda talked about art for an hour. Linda's father had an art collection which was mainly on ancient Celtic themes so Linda could talk about art with ease. After a while, Linda became restless and wanted to explore.

Linda said "George I don't want to keep you from your work. I wish to begin to explore Paris."

George replied "Linda, before you go, maybe you would like me to recommend places you can go off the beaten track?"

The café was small, yet busy. The waiter worked at a brisk pace.

Linda nodded and smiled. "Yes, that would be nice of you."

George talked to Linda in a deep, steady tone. They joked a couple of times and George had a hearty belly laugh that Linda hadn't heard from a person in a very long time. She had not laughed so much in a long time as George cracked jokes about places he had been.

Linda rose from her chair, making another attempt to leave and thanked George for his advice.

George said "I understand my dear, it's good to see such enthusiasm in a person. Goodbye Linda. I am staying in the area and we might see each other again. Cheerio my dear!"

Linda replied "cheerio George. If we meet again, that would be nice but we will leave it up to fate. As travellers say, what's meant to happen will happen! Au revoir!"

Linda left the café. It was clear to her that people liked her and wanted to impress her. She began to walk taller than she did at home. She lifted her head up slightly above eye level. She began to move her shoulders back and walked tall. The sun broke out from behind the clouds as she walked along the cobblestones. The sun was coming out in her life and she had left her worries behind her in England, like the clouds that drifted away across the blue sky leaving the light to shine through. She began to love herself again. She discovered that she is enough just as she is. She is worthy of being loved, just as she is.

Linda could not believe how this journey was changing her and all for the better. She had only been travelling for two weeks. She was developing in a positive way, as travellers would say, she was 'finding herself', but she realised that her economic status allowed her to travel, especially in the comfort she was travelling in. She could fly to her chosen destinations and stay in the best of hotels. She didn't have to crawl around Europe by train or sleep in communal beds that were typical of hostels.

The Eiffel Tower is like the mecca for tourists in Paris, a 'must see'. Linda stepped out of the taxi. The tower rose into the sky ........ it seemed like it was stretching beyond the clouds. She had seen pictures of it in magazines and books but they did not do justice to the beautiful sight in front of her. She began to realise that the emotions a tourist attraction brought on within her were more important than any picture. She decided not to take pictures of it. Tourists greedily tried to contain the attraction in their cameras to capture the moment but Linda wanted to commit everything to memory and even record the emotions and thoughts connected to it. She would record everything in her travel diary. She walked around the monument slowly so she could see all the details which can be missed by the tourists forever clicking cameras.

Linda decided to go for a coffee away from all the tourists. She found them loud and it was as if tourists had almost invaded this area of Paris. She walked into a café and sat down and ordered a coffee. She became aware she was on her own at her table, that she had been alone all day except for meeting George that morning. She didn't care. In fact she felt relieved that she could do exactly as she wished without having to get permission from anyone. She had become the director and leading actress in this scene of her life.

The following day she was walking to the perfume shop that was near her hotel. She was carefree. Linda was still thinking of the beauty of the Eifel Tower when she looked across the road and her eye caught George walking along the path. She waved at him and he looked across the road and saw Linda.

George waved and walked towards Linda. Linda blushed. Her almost alabaster skin always made it obvious when she blushed. She flicked her long red hair over her shoulder. She was a little nervous when she saw George.

George said "Linda, it's splendid to meet you again!"

"Hi George, gosh, what a coincidence - meeting for a second time!"

Linda waited for George to suggest they sit and talk somewhere. English gentlemen in their sixties liked to make the first move with a woman, be it with a female friend, girlfriend or wife. They decide where to go. Whilst this had changed among British people Linda still wanted to respect the ways of this man.

George asked "well my dear, would you like to accompany me to the park?"

Linda continued to blush and said "yes, we can talk in the park, of course!"

George walked at a slow, relaxed pace. It was nine o'clock in the morning and Linda wasn't getting stuck in traffic like she would have been at home, fighting her way to her office for her first appointment with a client. She thought about how wonderful that now this was not the case.

They sat down beside a lake where the ducks were moving slowly in the water, as if to reflect Linda's own peaceful state of mind. The ducks quacked at each other constantly as if in conversation. The trees were very old - the wood was knotted in circles around the trunk, as old trees tend to look.

George stretched his long legs as he sat on the wooden bench.

"Good God Linda, how French this area is. I feel as if I'm not a tourist here...... the lack of hotels and so many French people living here. Don't you agree?"

Linda sat beside George and almost placed her hand on his leg. Suddenly, she became aware of her behaviour and withdrew her hand. Linda smiled at George.

She said, with a laugh, "it's certainly very different to anywhere I have been in Birmingham."

Linda looked more closely at George than the first time they met. She noticed he was wearing a cravat, a type of tie but it goes around the neck and not down the front of the shirt. It is typically made of an expensive material. She noticed a pin on the cravat that sparkled like a diamond. Linda glanced again. It was a diamond pin, she was sure of it.

"So George, you told me you are an art dealer when we first met in the café yesterday morning. Are you here on business then, to procure art?"

"No my dear, I am on holiday. But I do sometimes come here for that purpose. I deal in very expensive art for very wealthy people, among other things. I specialise in the procuring of ancient art."

Linda, being a clinical psychologist, was trained to listen intently to people's words. She knew that the gap between sentences and words were often the most revealing hints of what her clients really thought. What they did not say was often more important than what they did say.

George said "among other things". Linda wondered what that meant. George had a calmness about him. She sensed he was completely in control of himself which is not a common trait for most people. Linda wondered what had encouraged him to be so calm and centred.

George looked at Linda. He had raised his hand between Linda and him forming a physical barrier. "Linda I sense you are studying me, there is no need to do so. We are friends, are we not?"

Linda said apologetically "sorry George, I am I can't help studying people. That's my nature and my job."

George turned to Linda smiling. "My dear I don't get offended so easily. So you are a clinical psychologist? How wonderful! I hear a lot of education is needed to acquire that title and I suppose dedication too. It's an important job. You know, I have to understand the psychology of people myself. Do you like your work?"

The ducks were quacking relentlessly. Some seagulls flew overheard, often quickly dipping down into the pond to snatch the bread that had been thrown into the still water.

Linda replied "yes, I do like my work. But an art dealer specialising in ancient art ....... it sounds so exotic!" Linda was still nervous and flicked her hair over her shoulder several times.

George said "Yes I suppose it is. Linda, I would be obliged if we could be together today. I am thinking of going to the Louvre Museum. I love everything there, it's one of my favourite places in the entire world. Would you like to accompany me?"

Linda could not believe what she was hearing. She would, of course, eventually want to go, she thought she could not come to Paris and not go to the Louvre. Now she would have company too.

Linda said "I was thinking of going to the Louvre at some stage, I couldn't leave Paris without going there. Yes, I shall go with you!!!"

George jumped to his feet with the agility of a young man. "Splendid! No time like the present then! Shall we go?"

"Why not go straight away?" said Linda, already walking towards the gate of the park. "Carpe Deum as the saying goes!"

"Wonderful attitude to have my dear! Ok, let`s go!"

Linda and George hailed a taxi. Linda resisted the urge to hold the gentleman's hand. Men like George were a dying breed in Britain or anywhere else it seemed. He would not appreciate her being so forward. She didn't want to ruin this moment. He made her feel so special and she thought he felt the same. There was a little more light in his eyes since she last met him. Maybe he was alone in his world like her but he didn't appear to feel lonely. He seemed to be at peace with himself and life. Yet, she felt there was a lot she didn't know about George and she sensed he was not an everyday, regular type of person. Linda thought she was lucky to find this old gentleman. She did feel a slight attraction to him and as in the old fashioned way, George would have to ask her to sleep with him. If he didn't, it was still nice to speak to an English gentleman. She had only just met Colin and she was not going to get tied down with a man while she was travelling. She assumed that Colin was not going to do so either. He is a good-looking young man who would want to experiment. If she didn't sleep with George, she would still be grateful to make a friend, even if they never meet again. She had a strange feeling they would meet again in another time.

Linda and George walked towards the Louvre. The building of the Louvre belonged to a king and was later transformed into an art museum. The museum was ornate. Stone decoration was spread across the walls in different shades of gold. They descended on an escalator under a glass pyramid - the past was joined with the present by the creation of the glass pyramid joined to the old architecture of the building. They sauntered through the Louvre.

George said "my dear, isn't this ancient art impressive? I was the dealer for some of this art. The Louvre museum has asked me in the past to procure ancient art for them. I was successful in doing so. I have been well paid for my efforts."

Linda replied with awe. "Gosh George, this whole museum is so beautiful! My father brought me to the British Museum a few times when I was a child. We would spend nearly the entire day there. Some of my happiest moments with him were there. I think this will be a happy memory too."

George smiled and patted Linda on the back. She was hoping for any note of attraction from George but she didn't see any.

George and Linda walked through the corridors. Linda was glad they went to the museum so early. The various corridors and chambers seemed endless, but time didn't seem to apply here. Time went quickly as they walked, yet slowed down when she took the time to listen to George explaining to her the history and meaning of many pieces of art...... as if she was speeding up time and slowing it down at will. George spoke almost in a whisper, and he was very solemn as if he was walking through a church. It was obvious, as he said, that this was his "most favourite place in the whole world". Linda became lost in her thoughts. She thought of her and her father in the British Museum. She pondered her life and what to do about it to make it better but didn't come to a solution. Linda was staring out through a window instead of concentrating on the art around her, lost in thought.

George said "my dear, does the museum bore you? You seem to be in a dream."

Linda replied, becoming aware of her surroundings again: "just thinking about the changes I would love to make in my life at home."

George said "sometimes Linda it's better to concentrate on this moment in time and in particular if the moment is as pleasant as it is here."

Linda was surprised at George's remark on her lack of attention. However, she knew that all he said was true. George moved quickly on as if nothing had been said.

George said, talking a little louder, "this place always amazes me! My parents brought me here as a young boy and that's when I began my life-long love affair with art. I will show you the Mona Lisa, come."

Linda and George arrived at the world famous painting of the Mona Lisa. They both stared at the painting. Linda looked at the smile of the woman in the painting and thought it looked forced but she liked the eyes of the woman's face and the softness of her features.

George asked "what are your thoughts on this painting Linda?"

Linda was quiet for a moment.

She said "I know what is said about the painter of this picture. If the story is true, I admire the determination of a man to capture the smile of a woman who never smiled, or so it is said that's what happened."

George replied "my dear, you are exactly right! My thoughts exactly! Determination is important, I am positive it is the key to a successful life!"

Linda thought how similar she and George are.

She said to George "you know George, for a few years I felt as if I was floating through life. Life was happening to me and I have kind of been floating along, not trying to influence my life and the direction it was taking. I became awfully unhappy. Then I left the country and now I am so happy. It's clear to me now I have more control over what happens in my life than I first thought."

"Good for you Linda, you're such a good sport. Yes, control of one's life is so important. At least you know now, some people never realise that."

George looked at Linda and she saw the light in him that she had begun to love.

"It's very important, Linda. I find if you absolutely desire something, the whole universe will conspire to give it to you. So now Linda I would be obliged if you would go to dinner with me. I fly out to Egypt tonight."

"I have very much enjoyed this day, George. Yes, let's have something nice to eat!"

Linda linked George's arm as they walked into the restaurant. It was obvious to Linda that this was where high society dined. Women had designer clothes complemented with gold jewellery. George was familiar with the waiter who welcomed him and addressed George by his name. There were large marble pillars in a row flanked by tables and chairs. The waiters glided with sophisticated ease, catering to the customers' every need. This luxurious restaurant surpassed Linda's experience of fine dining in upper class England. The Louvre was bathed in golden light due to the lights set around it. Linda could see the pyramid entrance to the Louvre. Linda glanced at George than bowed her head and stared at the flame of the candle and became quiet.

George asked "Linda, you've become awfully quiet. Is something on your mind?"

Linda said "oh nothing is wrong, George. That's just it, nothing is wrong anymore! I am happy that my travelling is going so well. But I really need to talk to someone about how I have been thinking about things lately."

George smiled at her as he touched her hand. "Linda, try me if you wish, what is it you need to talk about?"

George saw that Linda looked confused. Linda continued to stare at the flame while glancing at George.

Linda said "George, I know I have only known you a very short time and I shouldn't get personal with you but I think you might understand, now that you have asked me about what is on my mind. I have a recurring dream and I am having this dream frequently now." Linda paused trying to gather the words to express her dream to George.

"Linda, just say it as it comes into your head."

Linda replied, her voice very low so no one around her could hear. "Well, I dream of this old man, a very, very old man. He tells me to carry a message to the world. Then there is a flash of light and he disappears. George, I think I have something very important to do in the future but I don't have all the details except for this dream, which could mean anything."

George nodded and listened intently to what Linda was saying. Continuing, Linda talked on.

"I'm having a fabulous time but my life is becoming a little confusing since I started travelling. I feel the world is going to change, in a radical fashion."

George grabbed Linda's wrist with a vice like grip and said "Linda, it's not going to be some alien force that's going to unite mankind, nations would just take sides against each other. We need to be saved from ourselves. I believe something will happen soon or we will self-destruct. But I believe positively that whatever it is, it will be good for mankind."

George stared at the ground, his brow was furrowed. Linda could see a very small tear in his left eye.

She said "George, what is it?"

George lifted his head and said "oh do forgive me Linda my dear. I hope my outburst didn't frighten you."

Linda replied "gosh no, but you've got quite a strong grip. Anything you need to talk about George?"

George replied "No, no my dear. Just life has changed a lot for me lately. Now is not the time to talk about such things. I need to have some fun tonight."

George stopped talking momentarily. He looked away from Linda and when he looked at her again, he returned to his original self.

Linda looked at George. She wanted to remember every feature of him and she took a picture of him. He cracked funny jokes and there was a depth to his character that she would love to have explored. Despite their serious conversation at the beginning of the meal, they both decided to have fun. Linda laughed and laughed throughout the evening. She heard that charming belly laugh from George.

After dinner, they both took a taxi to the suburb where their hotels were. They walked by the park, the sky was clear. The moon and the stars shone on the park as Linda and George walked along the path beside the park. George walked Linda to her hotel.

George said "thank you for a fabulous night, Linda."

He held Linda's hand. Linda pressed his hand hard, looked into his eyes and smiled. This was the moment that George might ask her to spend the night with him. George sensed Linda's expectations.

"Linda, I got engaged to a woman only four months ago. I must bid you good night. I do enjoy company where I can find it, as I usually travel alone. Thank you very, very much for your company."

Linda knew she would always remember their time together.

Linda said "your wife is a very lucky woman to have you in her life. My time with you will be a major highlight of my travels, I shall never forget you."

"Nor I you, my dear. Thank you Linda. I shall give you my business card. I have not told you about all of the work I do as it's confidential. Suffice it to say that if you need anything or if you get into trouble when on your travels, I shall be able to help. I have made important connections as a result of the work I do."

George held out his card and gave it to Linda. George had a very strong, firm hand - almost like stone. He stood perfectly straight and his feet looked firmly planted on the ground. George bowed his head very slightly as old English gentleman do when saying goodbye. He hugged Linda briefly. He was very tall so Linda had to stand on the tips of her toes and she kissed George lightly on the cheek.

George said "I fly out of Paris tonight. Goodbye, my dear."

"Goodbye, George."

George walked into the night. Linda looked at George as he walked away. They instantly accepted each other when they first met. Linda and George had forged a bond with each other.

Later, Linda turned off the light and slipped between the sheets and the snug duvet. Linda dreamt of Greece, Egypt, Turkey and all the beautiful objects she had seen in the Louvre.

The members of the neo-Nazi group were dressed in black boots that were laced up way beyond their ankles. Some were bald and others had spiked hair, sometimes dyed in different colours such as red, green or black. Others had a swastika displayed on their arm. Many wore denim clothes, others were in combat gear. The members were generally sadists, others were isolated in society and scared to the point where they would be a member of any group that would accept them.

Gebhard had heard that a German man called Emmerich was taking over the leadership of all the neo-Nazi groups in Europe. He had known that the lives of some leaders had ended brutally at the hands of this man. Gebhard heard that this man wanted to use the members of the neo-Nazi groups to develop a racist political party. His aim was to become a threat to the European Union. Gebhard wasn't going to be a dogsbody for anyone. No one would tell him what to do.

Gebhard needed absolute loyalty and the obedience of his members if he had any chance of resisting Emmerich. Fritz, a member of the group, had become very outspoken in the past three weeks. Gebhard wanted to destroy any threat to his position as leader. In the tradition of neo-Nazi groups in settling disputes, Gebhard challenged Fritz to a fight, the person who won the fight would win leadership of the group.

The members of the Berlin group were a blood-thirsty crowd. They formed a circle around Gebhard and Fritz. Both were well-built men, they had rippling muscles in their arms and bulging biceps. Gebhard had an abundance of black hair which he displayed in a 'mohawk' style. He wore no clothing on the upper half of his body and was flexing his muscles repeatedly when Fritz walked towards him. Fritz had blond hair but always shaved his hair off. He had a swastika tattoo on his shoulder and the vest he wore exposed the tattoo. The members began pushing the opponents back and forth around the circle to make sure neither man escaped. They shouted and roared at the opponents. Bets were being made on who would win. The members were shaking their fists, threateningly. The distant street lamps shed a gloomy sparse light through the darkness and onto the fight. The limited amount of light threw shadows across the ground of the fighting area. Dark shadows danced around the fighters.

Gebhard and Fritz began pushing each other and were pushed back by the crowd. There were no rules so it was like a cage fight but there was no cage except the circle of the neo-Nazis that was formed around them. The fight quickly became more vicious and fists were flailing through the air, landing heavily on different parts of the opponent's body. Each opponent focused on the head so as to cause maximum damage. Fritz stumbled sideways twice and he shook blood from wounds on his face. Gebhard went into a frenzy as he saw blood sliding down Fritz's skin. He grabbed Fritz and threw him onto the rough, stony tarmac on the ground. Gebhard laughed manically as he jumped on top of Fritz, landing on his stomach. Fritz screamed as Gebhard slammed his head into a large stone and small fragments of bone flew out of Fritz's skull. Gebhard proceeded to chew part of Fritz's ear off. Fritz slowly began to pass out and the colours and shapes of the nightmarish situation he had found himself in began to fade in a bloody haze. He felt himself lifted partially off the ground as Gebhard gave a final punch to the losing partner across his face and another on the top of his head. The last thing Fritz saw were thick lines of red blood slowly moving into his eyes and he heard the victorious shouting of his leader. Then Fritz felt no more pain, he felt nothing at all. Gebhard was victorious and he was sure that none of his members would ever threaten his leadership again.

An ambulance was called and the neo-Nazis left the scene. Fritz lay unconscious in the dark carpark - left for dead by the members of his neo-Nazi group. Some were surprised at the brutality of this fight. Neo-Nazi groups had these fights and posted them on the internet for others to view but they weren't as vicious as this fight. These feelings of concern were just a brief flicker of emotion that were quickly extinguished in these members' minds. 'The leader is good, the leader is great' was their attitude. They were not going to question their leader.

Fritz was rushed to hospital after the ambulance men finally found him in the dark car park. He had slipped into unconsciousness and on entering the hospital, fell into a deep coma. The police were concerned about Fritz and feared for the safety of the public. When Fritz came out of his coma, he never reported what had happened in the car park to the police even though they had repeatedly requested information. The doctor told Fritz that he would be in hospital for at least five months to undergo operations and intensive rehabilitation. The doctor was unsure of how much body function would return. He told Fritz he was lucky to be alive, Fritz felt he would have been luckier to have died.

Elisa and Heinrich sat and watched their child playing with his toys. The child often had a distant look. When his parents tried to play with him, he didn't speak much to them ..... only looked at Lisa and Heinrich occasionally. It was like they weren't even in the same room as him. Elisa became concerned about the child. He wasn't behaving like her friends' children. He had a certain charm that strangers would see in him. His hair was raven black and he would talk easily to strangers. He would virtually ignore his parents when out of the view of other people.

Elisa spoke to Heinrich as she twirled the locks of her long blonde hair and looked intently with her bright blue eyes. She said "love, I think we have to do something about our child. I just don't think he's functioning well. My friends tell me how wonderful and fun their children are and it's just not the case with Emmerich. I'm worried about him, Heinrich. Would you agree to him going to see a child psychologist?"

Heinrich said "yes, well I agree he doesn't seem to be developing normally. Ok Elisa, we'll do that. I mean, if there is something wrong with him ...... maybe if we address it now, there might not be problems in the future."

"Thanks Heinrich, I've already been recommended a child psychologist who is in Stuttgart. I'll make an appointment tomorrow."

The child psychologist had spent some time observing Emmerich. His parents sat in front of the psychologist looking expectantly at him, eagerly waiting for him to depart news to them that he understood the child in some way. The psychologist peered out from behind his black-framed glasses. The lenses of his glasses magnified his eyes. The room was a clinical white colour. The psychologist's desk seemed to fill the room and he sat at the other side of the table at a distance to Heinrich and Elisa as if to separate himself from the emotions of his clients.

The child psychologist said "Mr and Mrs Schmid, I have looked at Emmerich and there seems to be nothing unusual about the child. Is there any events that you may be concerned about that you think, in your opinion, may have damaged the child in a way that you feel there is a problem?"

Heinrich sat back with his huge barrelled arms and chest folded staring at the psychologist. Heinrich had instantly developed a dislike of the man. Elisa glanced at her husband. She was dressed in her best clothes, an old fashioned blue, flowing skirt and a white, lace shirt. She was smoothing her golden locks and spoke carefully and slowly.

Elisa said "no, there has been no event that would have caused us any concern. He has had a good upbringing. I understand that you think he is normal, everyone does until I tell them what he is like at home when we are alone with him. We just want to help him if there are any issues."

Heinrich held Elisa's hand tightly.

The psychologist said "your child seems to communicate normally with me. He reacts normally to objects, for example, toys, shapes and drawings. I understand you are worried about your child. But I feel you have nothing to worry about. Have you any questions?"

Elisa and Heinrich got up to leave.

Heinrich said "I thought you would have given us some kind of understanding, but you haven't. Goodbye."

Heinrich and Elisa walked out of the office feeling completely alone in trying to help Emmerich. They knew they were the ones that needed someone to talk to but nobody understood. Emmerich seemed to be happy as he was.

Emmerich could be very charming when he wanted something. He would smile and laugh and display the behaviour that was desired by others in order to get what he wanted. He never truly felt this way. He experienced a kind of numbing of emotion while others truly felt joy, sorrow, love and all the other varieties of emotion towards others. It was as if he was copying the communication in others while there being no genuine communication from within him. He received rejection from others that sensed this insincerity and most of the children who would play with Emmerich would say they found him 'spooky'. Emmerich felt fear only in rare circumstances - if he felt he was in danger. He felt contentment when he was successful in dominating or manipulating others. When Emmerich became a teenager, he often bullied children in school. He also picked on children he thought might be gay. He got suspended from school twice because of this.

On Christmas Day, Elisa handed Emmerich a large cardboard box wrapped in blue paper and tied with a small white bow. The large Christmas tree covered in tasteful bows, glitter balls and the small fairy light glowed a gentle cream light. A fire licked at the logs that had been placed in the hearth. Wood crackled noisily.

Elisa took the big box from beside the tree and handed it to Emmerich.

"Emmerich here is a present for you, I hope you like it."

She beamed a smile at Emmerich and he smiled back. He ripped open the big box and saw there was a puppy inside. The puppy was jumping around happily and Emmerich removed him quickly from the box.

Emmerich said "oh mother and father, thank you."

His mother trembled with excitement, that maybe Emmerich could feel affection for something. Emmerich marvelled at the puppy. It peered up at Emmerich with big wide eyes and lifted a tiny paw as if saying hello. For a time, Emmerich played with it and looked after the pet. His father became interested in the dog and paid a lot of attention to it. Emmerich became angry because he thought that his father expressed more love to the dog than he ever did to Emmerich.

It was a dark winter's day, the wind shook the branches of the trees as Emmerich plodded through the forest, the rotten leaves on the forest floor shifted away from his feet with a squelching sound. Emmerich stood at the edge of the murky water with the dog in his arms. He looked blankly at the dog as he raised it above his head in a sacrificial pose. He threw the dog into the water that was hungrily lapping at his feet. He stood at the edge of the river and watched the dog sink. He made sure the dog didn't survive, forcing it below the water with his own bare hands. Emmerich walked home gingerly through the dark forest. He could hear his mother calling him. A storm was brewing, the trees flailed their branches around in circles. Emmerich was walking in the direction of the rain. There were small hailstones in the rain that bounced off Emmerich's face, as if nature itself abhorred what Emmerich had done, punishing him with rain, hailstones and strong winds.

Elisa was calling for Emmerich. "Emmerich, it is so wet, come, where are you?"

Emmerich approached his mother. He knew how to pretend to be sad, he looked down at his feet for a while and glanced at his mother briefly.

"Tell me Emmerich, what is wrong?"

Emmerich said "mother, the dog is dead, he fell into the river, I could not save him" and he turned on the tears which always upset his mother. "It's all my fault."

"Oh Emmerich, don't be sad, it's not your fault. Come in, dinner is ready, oh you poor thing."

Emmerich followed his mother into the kitchen. His objective was completed, killing the dog while at the same time receiving attention from his mother and hopefully upsetting his father too.

He cried himself to sleep that night, frightened of what he was capable of. He felt that he was developing into a very sinister and menacing individual but that this was inevitable. Someday, he thought to himself he will do such atrocious violent acts that everyone, including his father, will know how powerful he is.

Emmerich walked through the school gates. A nine-year-old child said good morning to Emmerich. He didn't say hello back or look at the child as he walked into the dreary, grey school building. He looked for the child at lunch time and found him walking on the path towards the school entrance after playing football with his friends. Emmerich charged towards the child when he was halfway up the path. He had a glass bottle in his hand and he pushed the child to the ground with his other arm. Emmerich raised the bottle and smashed it in two. He took the sharp jagged end and walked slowly towards the child.

The child said innocently "Emmerich, what are you doing with that bottle? Please don't hurt me."

Emmerich said "you're going to find out now!"

He ran towards the child, brought the broken glass above his head and rammed it into the child's arm, driving the jagged glass bottle into the student's arms and legs.

The child roared "Emmerich, God..... God..... please...... please stop!!" as he screamed in agony. Emmerich smiled and slid a sharp piece of glass down his cheek. Blood slid down the child's arm and oozed out of the punctured wounds.

One of the children ran to get the teacher as blood was spitting from one of the child's arms.

The teacher screamed "Emmerich, Emmerich, get away from that child. Stop it, stop what you are doing! Now!"

The teacher ran to the child's aid and dragged the student from Emmerich pushing him to the ground. She stood in front of the assaulted boy, her body forming a human barrier between the child and Emmerich.

The teacher said "back off Emmerich!! Leave this child alone!! What has gotten into you??!!"

His response to her was one she would never forget. He stood up, slowly turned his neck, almost twisting it towards her, and glared at the teacher. His face was just blank, no fear, no anger, no remorse. Emmerich displayed no emotion. His face looked like an ugly, blank china doll's face, the kind you see in horror movies, the china doll sitting on a chair staring into space with a faint smile while an evil deed was being done. He stared at the teacher. The teacher did not wait for a response. She picked up the child and ran into the school.

Emmerich had beaten the child to within one breath of the end of his life. An ambulance was called to the school and the child was rushed to hospital, the sirens roaring as the ambulance blazed at high speed through the town.

The teacher collapsed onto the cold tiles of the floor in the staff room, the headmaster rushed over to pick her up off the floor. He noticed she had blood on her jeans. She was crying continuously. After a few minutes, she stopped and looked the headmaster in the eye.

She said "Aldrick, I know this sounds strange. I know he's just a child. I know kids hit each other in the playground. But Aldrick, Emmerich really scared me. The way he looked at me, the viciousness of the attack. He looked, he looked evil!"

Aldrick said "Agneth, it's ok, it's over now. Do you want to go home for the rest of the day? Would that help?"

Aldrick tried to console Agneth as best he could, patting her on the back.

"Agneth, will I get you a cup of tea?"

Agneth was shaking and said "oh dear, oh dear. I think I'll have to go home, Aldrick."

"That's fine Agneth, take as much time as you need."

Most employees working in the local abattoir did so because they were not well educated. Some employees detested their work when they started it but later became accustomed to the brutality of the job. They needed to provide for their families.

Emmerich lifted two electrodes to stun the sheep which he stood slightly above on a cement platform. The factory was filled with the sound of bleating sheep and mooing cows. He applied the electrodes to stun the animal. His job was to stun the animal with electricity before it was slaughtered.

His manager walked through, inspecting the work of the employees.

He said "It's bad enough coming into this hell hole every day without having a thumping headache like this. I can't stand this place!!"

Emmerich said "ah come on, this is the best job ever!! Look, I apply these electrodes and the stupid creature has a fit and jumps around like crazy!! I love it! It's a bit funny too, don't you think??"

The manager walked away. "Emmerich you have a sick sense of humour, you know."

Emmerich laughed as he applied the electricity to the sheep's small head as its legs shot straight into the air and its body writhed on the ground and then ceased to move.

Emmerich joined a neo-Nazi group. He had grown into a small man. His black hair was beginning to bald and there was a bare patch in the centre of his hair. He had rippling muscles which knotted around his arms. He rapidly became the leader after beating the former leader almost to death and forcing him to leave the group. Emmerich knew his members. They were frightened and felt insignificant to others. The members met twice a week. They huddled together on a deserted farm in an empty shed. The shed was made of metal. Some sheets of iron were hanging down at the side of the barn as it was falling into disrepair. The members liked to dress up in Nazi and Ku Klux Clan uniforms. They discussed, with relish, the attempted annihilation of the Jews. They also liked to discuss all things Nazi and often members read out the dark fate of the black people that were targeted by the Ku Klux Clan in the distant past.

Emmerich's group of neo-Nazis had assaulted gay people coming home from a gay bar. They would abduct the victim, drag them down to the canal and beat them until they pleaded with them to stop. Then they would leave the victim on the banks of the canal.

Emmerich planned that his group would connect with other neo-Nazi groups across Europe. There had been an increase in popularity of racist parties in France. The members were often those who had been left behind during the economic boom that had existed across most of Europe. Emmerich had become leader of his own group and began to make plans to control other groups in Germany. He imagined he could use the Nazi groups for his own ends when the time was right. He wasn't sure what he would use these men for but he had a feeling they may someday have a use.

It was a dull, grey day when Emmerich walked into a tobacco shop in Paris to talk to the leader of a major French neo-Nazi group. Emmerich and the Frenchman discussed the future of neo-Nazism.

Emmerich said with indignation "Alix, why should we skulk around in the shadows when we could exalt ourselves to so much more?"

Alix replied "it is one thing to march weak, maladjusted little men in costumes around a shed. It is another thing to organise the movement across Europe for political ends. You must remember Emmerich what happened in the last Great War!!"

"One of these days Alix, you and I will work together to lead the neo-Nazi movement. We will have political representatives even in the European Union who will influence policy. This is my dream. I will make it real. Will you help me?"

Alix knew that if he refused a man such as Emmerich, his life would be made difficult or he may not live at all. "Yes Emmerich, I will."

"Ah good, I will be in touch."

Emmerich walked out the door and smiled at Alix. To Alix it was not really a smile, Emmerich smiled at him but he was bearing his teeth, as a dog would.

Emmerich developed a policy that would be attractive to many groups. An anti-European Union, anti-immigration, anti-gay, anti-female rights, anti-disabled policy. To him, his neo-Nazi members were like well trained dogs whom he could reward or punish at will and manipulate them to carry out his wishes. They were like putty in his hand. He outlined his policy to neo-Nazi far left groups around Germany. Emmerich would also require that each member of the neo-Nazi groups under his control would read Hitler's book 'Mein Kampf'. At every single meeting, a page of the book was to be read in every group he controlled. Emmerich expected none of his followers - his pet dogs as he perceived them - to say no. They would be useful in his plans to spread neo-Nazism but when he had no further use for them, he would disregard them and move on. He didn't care about their long-term development or their insecurities, just what they could offer to him. He would make his own rules too as he began to use people in the murky depths of politics.

Emmerich began to travel all around Europe. He spread his politics of hate like an epidemic of sickness that spreads rapidly and which isn't recognised until many have already acquired the sickness. Emmerich was charismatic when he needed to be. He had learnt what behaviour people liked and copied it, without experiencing any true emotion within himself. He had no love for people but pretended to. He had gained some understanding of people, like a scientist studying animals and learning of their behaviour. He had his own tools for manipulation.

When the boom times ended and the banking crisis began, in many countries in Europe, racist parties became very popular. They were winning a larger percentage of support than most people would have expected. Emmerich explained to neo-Nazis around Europe the benefits of planning a European Nazi political party and travelled throughout Europe to convince others of the advantages.

Emmerich was sipping a can of beer while thinking about his plans for expansion into the world of politics. He sat with a member of his neo-Nazi group. They sat on the leather couch looking at a football match. The lights were dim in the sitting room. Emmerich had modern art pictures on each wall. The pictures all featured crimson red, and in one picture there was a particularly brutal picture of a naked body on a crucifix - the person tortured to death in several ways while the torturers laughed with contorted smiles. Suddenly three figures dressed in black robes stood before Emmerich. The temperature in the sitting room in his large house suddenly plummeted. The room was so cold, the hair on Emmerich's arms stood up. Soon the hair on his neck joined the hair on his arms and stood up as he perceived a clear threat from the three hooded people standing over him. Each of them were at least eight foot tall. Emmerich was outraged as his privacy and security was being violated in his own home. He was thinking of shouting at them and physically removing them from his house. He stood up from his couch and glared at the intruders.

Emmerich couldn't read the body language of these figures. They didn't have faces, more like different shades of darkness under their hoods. Emmerich had to learn how to read basic body language as a teenager. He had to learn what a smile meant or what fear looked like on a face from a book. It did not come naturally. As he became an adult, he became acutely aware of body language, having read much about it. There was no body language from these figures at all. He was thrown by an invisible force into an armchair and was unable to move his body apart from his head.

One of the intruders said "do not treat us as humans..... body language nor anything human do not apply to us. You would do well to listen carefully to us as you have said to yourself already. Yes we can read your mind - your techniques as a politician do not apply here. We know when you are lying or being economical with the truth. We know when you are not coming to the point and you will not confuse us with complicated words. Our conversation, questions and answers are for your human understanding only. Your thoughts are already known to us. From now on, you will be truthful, for your own good. Our meetings will be to guide you on the path we wish you to follow."

Emmerich said, his voice quivering "who are you? Have you come to bring me to hell? I was born evil. I know I will go there because of the things I have done but don't take me yet. I am close to completing what I want to do. I need more time to do that. Don't take me yet!"

A different figure spoke. It moved its head toward Emmerich and its head fixed towards him as if to look Emmerich in the eye, but it had no eyes as far as Emmerich could determine.

It said "we created human beings from the beginning. Over hundreds of years we have controlled the development of man on every level. We have manipulated politics in such a way as to provide the illusion that there is democracy but really there is only us who decide who is in government in each country throughout the world. Mankind at this point is at a crucial stage of development. We support your plans to develop politicians representing the far right in Germany and the European Union and your efforts to advance your own interests. Your objective is part of our plan."

"What has the development of mankind got to do with me?" Emmerich whimpered. He had never been so terrified in all his life.

The figure continued without answering. "Will you agree to submit yourself to us and let yourself be guided by us? You will be provided with all you need, you will not want for anything. Should you succeed in what we are charging you with, you will be given power beyond any you've ever desired. You will receive unimaginable riches. What is your reply?"

Emmerich thought rapidly, trying to calculate what his response should be. His own work was difficult at times, it was difficult to convince people of his policies and it was proving more difficult than he thought to achieve his objective. These figures were offering everything, all he could imagine and more. He was being offered power and all the things he needed. Emmerich began to sweat. The man that had been sitting with him was drunk. He had that sense of bravado that alcohol encourages in people. He stood up and ran towards the beings shouting and shaking his fists, his bald head like a large egg. As he ran one of the figures threw a red ball that revolved towards him. When the ball of red light hit the man, he went on fire. Then his body turned grey and into dust. There was only a small heap of grey ashes remaining of the man on the floor.

Emmerich knew these beings were powerful. He stared at the small heap of ash on the floor with his mouth open in shock. He began to speak and started to stammer. He hadn't stammered for many years.

He said "I.... I.... I.... ddd-don't know who you are. I have been politically active for years now and I feel I am not so far from achieving my aim. You are offering what I truly desire and so yyy-yes I will submit to you and I agree to follow your guidance. I will do whatever you want."

The third figure, who had not spoken yet, began to speak. "Thank you. We had anticipated your agreement to assist in our ultimate aim. Understand that you will have complete physical and mental protection while you carry out our work. In some time to come, we will meet with you, at a time and place that suits us. We know your every move and your location and we can meet with you whenever and wherever you are. We will then give you further information on what to do. Do not underestimate our power - you will experience it in times to come. You are now bound to assist us and you must continue to do so, on pain of death. You will receive a long and painful death if you do not carry out our wishes."

The figure's voice and words were similar to how people spoke in Elizabethan times or the Dark Ages in European History but with a metallic tone.

The figure dressed in a black robe drew out his gloved hand. A red square appeared in mid-air. There was a crystal clear image of a fat man sitting on an armchair chomping on pizza and smoking what looked like marijuana. There were beer cans littered around the room. The figure spoke. "This is Armand. He will be your assistant and will help you carry out your plans. You can see on the screen his details from which you can contact him. Do this tonight."

Emmerich was already disgusted with the individual on the screen. He was fat and out of shape and reminded him of a pig. Emmerich said "yes I will do this for you tonight."

The figure said "there is one more thing to tell you. There are beings that are against us, they are called the Protectors of the Light."

Emmerich noticed the figure clench his hand as if annoyed as he mentioned these beings.

The figure continued. "They care for mankind because they like them - stupid beings. But they are powerful, very powerful. You must avoid one of them called the Protector. He is the most powerful being in all the universe. We must be cunning if we are to defeat him and the other Protectors of the Light. But keep out of his way. We will go for now and we will talk again soon."

The figures disappeared. He remembered that time as a child after he drowned the puppy ..... the feeling that he would do great things. Now he would step up for greatness. He swayed in a daze, holding on to the arm of his chair to say goodbye to the hooded figures. They had disappeared in a tunnel of red light. Emmerich noticed the way they were dressed - black robes with hoods that were drawn across their face so that he couldn't perceive their facial appearance. He called them the Dark Hoods.

He was now able to move from his armchair. He walked over to his large oak desk and sat down. He opened his laptop and began to write an email to this person called Armand. Emmerich paused while writing the email. He considered how fortunate he had become. He would continue with his work but now he has supernatural help. He could not turn back now, not that he ever considered stopping his own crusade against mankind. He felt nothing for any person he ever met. To him they were objects, things that he got resources from when he wanted. Now was the time for recognition of his brilliance and to possibly even dominate the world.

Chapter 6

Colin and his friends arrived at the beginning of the Road to Santiago. The young men were in good spirits but felt they needed some place comfy to lie down for a couple of days. An opportunity to have fresh home-cooked food and have fresh home-cooked food. Colin was given the task of finding such a place.

The Road to Santiago is a road famous for its beauty and also known for pilgrims who walk along it, searching for insight into their lives. Dotted along the road are hostels, cafes, bed and breakfasts, and places to have a rest from the long walk. Somewhere to have a meal.

The journey gained popularity hundreds of years ago but the Road may have been known even before that. The ownership of the various services along the road were often passed down through families. It was not uncommon for a café to be owned by one family for at least two hundred years. There was a skill to creating a relaxed mood for travellers. Some had experienced great emotional or physical pain and had come to the Road To Santiago for peace and for some fun with fellow pilgrims they would often meet on the Road. The Spanish people that took care of those walking along the road were determined to offer relaxation for the travellers and ensure that the walk would be a satisfying experience.

Towering mountains soared into the air and green forests spread along the road, punctuated by ancient monasteries and churches. Ancient, beautiful towns sprawled along hills. Each door and window added a splash of red, orange, yellow or blue along the streets that rose up and then down to a trough so that travelling through the towns was a little more difficult than travelling the road.

The young men plodded along the road, their footsteps becoming heavier as time went on. Tiredness was creeping up on them. Jeremy was beginning to sweat even though they were not walking very fast. They were walking by a wooden bench and Patrick asked Colin if they could sit down for a while. Colin agreed and the three of them sat down opposite a large clump of conifer trees overlooking a steep rocky hill. It was a dull day, a good day for walking as the heat of the Spanish sun makes it hard to walk long distances. The wind was cool and a breeze caressed their hair.

Patrick spoke in a slow voice that was almost a whisper: "Colin are we goin' to find somewhere soon?"

Colin replied in a soothing voice: "Patrick we didn't plan this part of the trip and we wouldn't be so tired if we did. Listen lads, I have a feeling we will find a nice place soon - not so far from here. Do yez not think that we should continue walking 'cause I think we will stay here for the day if we don't? I`ll find a place soon, don't worry lads."

Patrick replied, there was a tone of annoyance in his voice. "We`ll go now but Colin, it is not far from nightfall, so we must find a place soon. I don't understand why we didn't plan this part of the journey, probably Colin because you wanted to come here so you should`ve planned places to stay." Patrick stared at Colin and waited for a reply from him.

Colin simply stood up, dusting the dry dirt off his jeans. "OK guys lets go, there`s no point in using up energy arguing."

Patrick and Jeremy reluctantly stood up and followed Colin as he led them along the dusty, dry road.

Colin silently worried about their situation while giving the pretence of confidence to his friends, walking straight, with his nose slightly pointing upward. In his mind, Colin developed an image of what he wanted, as his therapist had taught him. He thought of where he wanted to stay, in great detail. The building would have white walls to keep out the heat. Inside, there would be comfortable chairs with large cushions. The place could only hold a few people at a time. Most importantly he visualised fresh food being used to create homemade dinners. There would be a forest nearby because he was fond of forests, having spent so much time in the Phoenix Park in Dublin, a place which Colin began to miss at this moment despite the beauty all around him.

Colin tried to amuse his friends. He joked about their adventures, amusing things that happened on their travels so far - but that failed quickly. "Right lads, let's sing a song. Now what would Dubliners like to sing on holiday, us poor northsiders anyway? How about Molly Malone, lads?" He turned to look at Jeremy and Patrick. He smiled and raised his arms high in the air, moving his fingers left and right, pretending to be a conductor. "OK lads ........ 1, 2, 3 ....... in Dublin`s fair city where the girls are so pretty!"

Jeremy and Patrick replied in unison: "I first set my eyes on sweet Moly Malone!"

The three sang Molly Malone together and hardly noticed the time pass. Colin continued to hold the visualisation firmly in his mind`s eye as he walked, making it brighter and more colourful. He matched the image with pure determination that he would find exactly what he wanted, at that moment. He noticed the sun was beginning to come down and became secretly worried that if they didn't find a place to stay, they would be left stranded at night. The Road at this time of year was very cold and they didn't have outdoor equipment.

Soon after his visualisation, a building appeared to rise out of the mountain side they were walking along, as if summoned by Colin`s wish. It was a hotel called Casa De Maria. It was small and white. It seemed like a bed and breakfast but as they walked towards it, a sign promised fresh food all day and comfortable rooms to stay in. As they walked towards the entrance of the building, Colin could see large cushions and chairs. He was surprised that the hotel fitted his visualisation of exactly what he wanted. He very much appreciated this skill. He trusted it so much that he expected to receive what he visualized and he normally did.

Jeremy said in an excited voice "Colin you have done it again. This place is perfect! Perfect!"

Patrick laughed. "Colin, sure I wouldn't have expected less, I knew you would find somewhere!"

In the small hotel were painted pictures of The Road to Santiago. The colours were bright and the paint was textured. The paintings were of certain parts of the road where they had not been yet. There was a comforting sound of 'tick-tock, tick-tock' coming from the lounge. They paid for three days for full board. This was a big treat as the men usually stayed in hostels, buying food in a local supermarket and cooking it themselves among other travellers competing for use of the oven and microwave. They didn't care about spending their money on this hotel, they instantly relaxed upon entering. The family that owned the hotel were determined to make such tired travellers welcome.

Colin knocked the brass knocker on the large wooden door. He looked at the burly older man who was smiling kindly at the three men. He said "welcome boys to the Casa de Maria. Maria, will you get the men some drinks?"

Maria replied "Yes, father" and scurried down the hall and into the kitchen. She returned with a large jug of water with lemon slices floating on top. Colin observed that Maria's appearance was very similar to her mother. The same black hair and curvaceous build. She was smaller than her mother, a similar height to her father. Maria walked up to Colin and said gingerly "it is not time yet for dinner. But we can make an exception, you seem so tired. So we can offer you something to eat now."

Maria experienced an instant liking for Colin. Jeremy was smoothing out his mop of red hair. Patrick sat in the wooden chair in the hall drinking a third glass of water.

The water seemed to sparkle in the sun. The men each took a glass and Maria poured out the water. Colin knocked back the water. Patrick quickly drank his water and swiftly drank another glass.

Maria's mother said, in the kind voice that Maria loved and was so soothing at times: "I have some chicken ready, fresh from the oven. I could add potatoes, peas and gravy, just especially for Irish people!" She laughed - a melodic laugh that was uplifting. Her hair was a mass of black curls and while she was not fat, she had a curvaceous figure.

Colin spoke for himself and his friends. "Oh thanks so much! Yes that would be grand and thanks for being so welcoming."

His friends simultaneously agreed that that would be fine. Colin could see the chicken coming fresh out of the oven and the three of them stared at the kitchen and the chicken as if it would be their last meal.

Maria was waiting on tables as Colin and his friends entered the small hall, having put their backpacks in one of the common bedrooms. She wanted to be careful about telling Colin her message, just as she had done with all the guests since the Protector had asked her to do so. It was clear he and his friends were dangerously tired and worn down from their travels. She delivered their meals to the table. The first thing she noticed was the sparkle in Colin`s eyes. She also detected a slight sadness around his eyes. She found it to be true that "the eyes are windows to the soul". Maria liked his personality straight away and also thought he was pleasing to the eye too.

"Is there anything else you would like?" she asked them after they finished dinner. "We have ice cream or tiramisu?"

The young men asked for both. Maria smiled and went to fetch the deserts. She decided she would give Colin her message the following day.

Colin and his friends walked up the strong oak stairs that twisted and led to the bedrooms upstairs, not as slow as they had a few hours ago. They felt better with their stomachs full and staying in what, to them, was a luxury hotel. His friends decided that it would be a good idea to go to bed. Their legs were a little sore as they walked up the strong thick wooden stairs as they had walked for so long. The three were not seen again until the following afternoon.

On the second day of Colin`s stay, Maria approached him. She wanted to give her message to Colin in a way that he might receive it without thinking she was crazy. She decided she could not plan what to say so she would just tell him in a frank manner, as the words came to her.

"Hi Colin, I`m glad you like staying here. You and your friends are so charming. Colin I have been entrusted with a message to give you that is very important."

Colin moved closer to Maria and said in a soft sincere voice "What do ye want to tell me Maria?"

Maria replied "Colin there is a very special being you are about to meet. He will mean you no harm. He is here to help you and the world. I promise meeting him will be a good experience for you. I ask you not to drink alcohol or take any drug for the rest of your stay. The body is like a crystal. The clearer the body is from chemicals, the clearer you will perceive this being."

The large clock on the wall tick-tocked rhythmically. It was a sunny day. The sun shone through the window on the door down the hall. Maria seemed to glow in the light of the sun. Colin nodded his head slowly, listening intently, looking her in the eye as she spoke. Maria was happy that he was listening.

Colin said "Maria, it can`t hurt to do as you ask, it's easily done and I`m not going out of my way to do this. But why are ye asking me to do this?"

"I don't know Colin but just do as I ask", she whispered, looking intensely at Colin.

Colin looked puzzled. "OK, Maria. Grand, I`ll do that."

Maria said "thank you Colin for listening to me; I wasn't sure how you would react. You won`t regret it Colin. Enjoy the rest of your stay."

Colin sat, solemn and quiet, looking out the window. He could see the forest from where he sat. He was looking forward to meeting the being.

Colin, Pat and Jeremy were walking along a forest path. They had left the Casa de Maria to continue on their journey. Colin asked the young men to give him time on his own. They respected Colin`s desire for privacy and his two friends walked away from him. Colin sat on the old tree and looked at the three large boulders. There was a soft bed of green moss surrounding the tree and the boulders. Colin felt he had been here before. He remembered..... this was the forest he sometimes saw in his dreams, in his darkest days when he felt distressed and trapped in the cage that was his life. His mother`s continuous depression. The shooting of his father and the coldness of his mother that night. He missed his father so much. These feelings of distress were always followed by the dreaming of a forest, of this place. While his life was at times laced with anger, there were other times when he recognised that his life had sprinkles of goodness in it. His good natured relations, his uncle – his father`s brother, and the teachers that helped him so much as they had known his father. They mothered him every day as if to make up for his great loss.

Colin became very warm. The sun was shining brighter than usual. It seemed to become larger over the mountain top. A gentle breeze circled the log he sat on. Colin felt a great sense of peace that usually accompanied this dream which seemed to be manifesting into reality now. He could smell the scent of lavender.

Great pointed shafts of white rays revolving in a circle were materializing in front of him. The rays glowed brighter and brighter. A large being in the shape of a man emerged in a deep shade of blue. The sun seemed to have drifted to the top of the light. Blue light seemed to arch towards the sky.

A voice that Colin immediately recognised said "hello dear Colin, it`s nice to talk to you again. The time has come now for you to meet me, for you to see me".

Colin could see a clear shape and a face forming from blue and purple light. A large human-like figure emerged from the white and blue light. He wore a tunic of dark navy that covered his upper legs and his shoulders, revealing rippling muscles on his legs and arms. He appeared to be at least ten foot tall. A bright yellow belt contrasted with the navy of his tunic, it reminded Colin of the strong rays of the sun. The being smiled at him. Colin recognised the voice, he had heard it when he was studying for his final exams at school and when they were almost mugged in Barcelona.

"Who are you?" Colin asked. "Your voice sounds familiar. Are you that voice that I have heard from time to time in my head?"

The being replied "yes Colin, I have been with you for most of your life. I spoke to you in the form of your own thoughts so you could understand the guidance I was offering you. I am the Protector of the Light, here to help you. I am also called the Protector."

Colin was not scared, he felt he was talking to an old friend. Colin noticed a ray of light that had grown into the shape of a sword. Part of the blue sky was moving in a circular motion to form a shield. Colin stared at the Protector. He was in awe of this magnificent being. Colin's brow had wrinkled and he locked his eyes firmly on the Protector. Then he looked at the sky in deep thought, his leg shaking slightly.

The Protector said "Colin, I will not hurt you. You have experienced my protection before and I will continue to offer it to you. I see that you are confused. In a short time from now, you will understand."

Colin replied "No, I don't know who you are. But I feel like I do. You have helped me before even though I didn't ask you."

Colin dropped his arms that he had held defensively around his chest, his brow had become unfrowned. He smiled at the Protector.

The Protector smiled. Blue light revolved slowly around him. The Protector seemed to be the height of a giant but his loving face and smile relaxed Colin.

The Protector said "Colin, I have something to ask of you."

Colin looked at the Protector. He placed his finger and began to tap it, thinking intensely.

Colin said "Ok, but I still don't really know you very well and you ask me to do something for you?"

Where Colin lived in Dublin, you had to be suspicious of strangers and be careful of what they asked you to do. Usually, it was not in your best interest to help strangers. The sun seemed to get brighter and the trees began to sway. A pleasant cool breeze circulated around the wood where Colin stood.

The Protector said "Colin accept my presence from now on. I am not a dream, I am real. The thoughts you were having were to prepare you for your next step on your journey and the next step for the world. Believe in me."

The Protector stooped in front of Colin and put his hand on his shoulder. The sun above his head became warmer and the trees began to sway in the light breeze.

Colin put his hand over his forehead and squinted at the light from the rays. "What do ye mean my next step and the world`s next step?"

The Protector said "You will understand in time. Colin, I ask you to carry a message for me. You will find someone who loves you and you will love her in return. Her name is Linda. There will come a time to tell this person about me. At that time, it will be a necessary thing for you to say and it will be important for that time."

Colin said "my God! I have met the woman called Linda. She is so cool!!! Ok, well when will I meet her again? And where? I would like more detail."

The Protector said "Colin, I will guide you, step by step, through this important mission. The first step is to travel to Amsterdam where you will meet Linda again. Then I will guide you through your next step. When you go to Amsterdam, your purpose will become clearer to you."

Colin said "right, ok, fair enough. I trust you. I trust you enough to do as you ask. I will call you my Protector from now on. I can feel both your strength and your love."

The Protector said "thank you Colin for accepting this role. You will have huge responsibility in the future but great happiness too. You will find someone to love, who will love you."

Colin walked towards the Protector and hugged him. The Protector hugged him at the same time, his tall body bending down all the way towards Colin because of his height. A tear slid down Colin`s cheek. The Protector smiled softly at Colin, lifted his chin slightly and wiped away his tear.

The Protector said "Colin, you are surrounded by love now and forever. If you need me just ask me to help you and I will."

Colin said softly "thank you Protector."

The sun around The Protector's head seemed to retreat over the mountain top to its rightful place. The bright light faded slowly. Colin could see the Protector ascending, smiling gently at Colin as he ascended into the air. Colin waved goodbye.

Colin lay down on the ground, closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. His friends ran towards him with concern. They had continued slowly walking along the road and when they realised Colin was still at the spot where they had left him, they returned to him. Colin was asleep on the ground. His friends shook Colin and gave him some water.

Patrick asked "Colin, are you ok?"

Colin woke from his deep slumber. Colin`s worries and fears that morning had dissipated from his mind. He felt at peace after meeting the Protector.

Colin said "I`m fine lads. I just experienced the most amazing moment in my life. Let`s go anyway, yez wouldn't believe me if I told yez."

Colin and his friends continued their journey along the Road to Santiago.

Chapter 7

Armand remembered frequently what his father used to say to him. His father would say with a smile "You know Armand, you'll never amount to much. You haven`t got anything going for you. I worry about what will happen to you in the future." Then he would rub Armand's hair and walk away, shaking his head.

His mother was on antipsychotic medication and was often distant. She did try to be a good mother but didn't seem to know how. One day Armand came home, his nose bleeding, having been beaten up in the playground. Armand never had much confidence and so as a teenager he was often teased by his peers but this day the school bully was in a particularly bad mood. He was a well-built boy with large spade like hands that he used to smack Armand. He walked up to Armand and smacked him in the nose, causing it to bleed. Armand came home and ran into the kitchen crying, as his mother was popping her afternoon medication. She gave him a hug and said "oh my love, haven't I always told you what a dangerous world this is. And now you know this, sweetie. It is a hard lesson to learn." She kissed him on the forehead.

Armand excelled at mathematics in school. He would walk home from school pleased with his schoolwork and present his work marked with a high grade to his mother and father.

His father would say "I don't think that teacher is really all that good if he gives a useless kid like you a high grade like that." He would pick up the remote control and stare at the television, dismissing Armand's hope for a compliment from his father. His mother would praise him and give him some extra food and something sweet for his dinner that night.

Armand would curl himself up in a ball with his fingers plugged into his ears to try and block out the screaming and roaring of his parents. His father liked to drink heavily on a Friday and Saturday night with his friends in a stripper bar. His mother resented this and would argue with him every night he came home from the bar.

He had studied hard in school but felt that most of his teachers thought little of him. He didn't get much help from them. Armand had refused to do his homework for the fifth time for his history teacher whom he detested and for her the feeling was mutual. The teacher stared at him malevolently. Her black, large-framed glasses slipped to the bottom of her nose as she stood straight, towering over Armand.

Armand looked her in the eye and said "I don't care, you are a total bitch of a teacher and this is a fucking stupid working-class school. Fuck you and fuck this fucking school!!!!!!!"

Armand was suspended for a week from school and it was not for the first time. He regularly got suspended. His father would beat him each time he was suspended in a misguided effort to teach his son to learn and to stay in school.

His favourite past time was eating food and his mother rewarded him with food. He would eat anything in sight. When he sat down, he had two tyres of fat around his stomach. He had male breasts that looked as if they could be milked if you pulled and pressed them hard enough. He had brown hair that his father liked to describe as 'dirty brown'. He had bright blue eyes which were not set right in their sockets. His left eye could look straight at you but his right eye looked slightly upward and to the right. In school, the students often joked about this feature and even the history teacher made the odd nasty comment. She liked to say "stop rolling your eyes, Armand...... ha ha ha." Armand never understood why she found that funny but the comment lodged itself permanently in his mind - that he was a freak that even his teacher made fun of. As an adult, he became very self-conscious about his eyes and would often fix his gaze on a person's shoulder so that they couldn't see his eyes properly. This unnerved people who met him for the first time and they didn't give him another chance to prove wrong their automatic negative judgements they made about him.

Armand had one friend, Dominique that he knew in school. He was funny but also told him of his family and other personal thoughts. His friend never judged him. He was a beacon of light and hope in Armand's lonely life. His friend developed cancer. The doctor had called it a malignancy which would kill Dominique within a short period of time. Armand would visit him and would feel a deep sadness, seeing his friend looking so helpless, lying in his hospital bed like a flickering flame about to blow out. His beautiful blond hair had long fallen out. His face seemed to look older as his skin began to fall away from his face. He had become so thin. Dominique would sit up and try and joke with Armand but he could see the fear in his friend. He was like a beautiful rose that was wilting. Armand saw his friend becoming a husk of his former self. It was like the healthy grain of life within him had left. He was becoming smaller every week. One day, Armand noticed that Dominique no longer looked like an eighteen year old, he looked about twelve or thirteen and this was what Armand found most disturbing.

Dominique was on a heavy dose of morphine so he slipped in and out of reality but he always knew that Armand was present in the room.

"Armand, come close and listen to me, I want to tell you something."

Armand drew close to his friend's mouth, he wanted to hear every word.

"Armand, I know we have always been close friends, but I often hoped we could have been more than that. I don't think it will happen now, I think Armand my time has come to leave this world. But could you kiss me, just once on the lips?"

"Of course Dominique" Armand leaned forward and gently kissed his friend on the lips.

"Thank You Armand."

Dominique fell asleep. Armand thought his friend looked more tired than usual but that he was fighting sleep so that he could talk to Armand.

Later that day, Armand received a call. It was his friend`s mother, she was sobbing and Armand could barely make out what she was saying.

"Armand...... Dominique has passed away..... he's dead...... he's dead, Oh God! Oh God! You can come and pay your last respects, if you wish. The priest is giving the last rites.

Armand stood with his mobile clenched in his hand and his body began to shake. "Ok I will come."

The line went dead and Armand hurried to the hospital. As he drove towards the hospital, a strange phenomenon was happening. Everything seemed to be slowing down. Even the traffic seemed to be going slow. He speeded up and drove quicker than he normally would. He arrived at the hospital and his heart was beating rapidly. His legs were barely supporting him as he walked to the ward. Maybe his friend wasn't really dead, there had been some mistake. He walked into the ward. There were about five people standing around Dominique's bed. Another ten people stood in the hospital corridor. Some were crying, others looked stunned with blank, white faces and still others stood wringing their hands as if to try and wash their hands of all this sorrow.

"There still might be a mistake," Armand told himself as he hurried to his friend's bed. His friend's body lay in the bed and his friend did not smile at him. His body had shrunk to half its size. The flesh and skin of Dominique's face had fallen beyond the bone structure. Armand noticed something about the body that he wished he had never observed. One of the eyes had slid sideways and had moved away from the face and into the socket of bone like the broken eye of a doll. The mouth had dropped down very close to the chin as if in shock.

Armand stood in a daze, his brain trying to process what was happening. His friend's mother walked over to the bed and looked at Armand. She was crying and she was moaning in grief. She put her hand on Armand's hand and his shoulder, almost leaning on him. Armand felt a tiny amount of comfort as she did this.

Dominique's mother said to Armand "thank you for being such a good friend to my son. He talked to me about your frequent visits and always looked forward to seeing you. You made his life a bit easier. You are such a good boy."

Armand replied through his tears, "thank you, I never thought this would happen, never did I think it."

Dominique's mother did not respond. She still had her hand on Armand's shoulder as if to support herself.

The priest came in to give the last rites. Armand noticed the brass crucifixes, the dead body of Jesus hanging from a cross crowned with thorns. The people of the world had done this, tortured and killed a man of peace that they did not understand. The priest put a crucifix by the window and another by the door. Armand didn't know what this symbolised. The priest looked upset and hurried out of the room without speaking to anyone after he completed his duty.

The one light in Armand's life had been extinguished. His friend, who sometimes lit the path before him as they walked through life, was dead. Yes, people used different terms, passed on, deceased, and other words. But Armand decided to use the word dead. It had a finality to it - the end. It was also the death of Armand's life. He would never be the same. The one person he had trusted – loved, even - had left him. His one light in the entire world had been extinguished and any hope and love he had in him was now dead also. His mother was right after all. There is no good in the world and Armand would no longer pretend that there was.

Armand felt that now he was alone. Completely on his own. This terrified him. His parents didn't really care for him. It only truly registered with Armand that he would never see his friend again when he saw his best and only friend was now in a wooden box and two men were sliding his friend into the back of a hearse and were on the way to the graveyard. He fought to hold back his tears. He felt he would lose his mind if he didn't suppress his emotions. The game was up. His friend, he now realised, truly and officially, was dead. God had successfully taken Dominique despite so many people's prayers for his survival. Armand walked all the way to the grave. Standing on the edge, he began to slip towards the hole in the ground as his legs would not support him. Someone beside him propped him up. He was the last to leave the grave. He sat by the grave for ...... he didn't know how long ....... although darkness had fallen when he left. He wanted his friend to get up from the grave. His mind was struggling to accept his friend's death.

The following morning, Armand woke and cried and cried. He moaned a long, loud moaning sound over and over as if he had been injured and in terrible pain. He felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest, he wanted to see his friend one last time, just to say goodbye. But that was impossible.

Armand began to self-harm after his friend's death. His mother found him one night doing this and she forced him to see a psychiatrist. The quack reminded him of his disdainful uncaring history teacher - he even had black glasses similar to hers. The doctor was tall and looked down at him, just like his teacher did. He felt the quack was a fraud, he was more interested in discussing Armand's symptoms of depression and self-harm than Armand`s huge loss of his best and only friend. He tried to talk to the professionals about his pain but they were not interested. His parents wouldn't talk to him about his friend's death. Armand was given medication that made him sleepy all day, he could barely get out of bed to watch television and when he did, he fell asleep on the couch. He wanted someone to see and hear his pain. He wanted someone to tell him everything would be ok. Nobody showed any interest in his pain. He was taken off his medication after three months. His psychiatrist told him he would hospitalise him if he didn't stop cutting himself. Armand stopped self-harming. The scars on his arms and throat healed but Armand's memory of his friend's suffering did not.

Armand had a part time job as a security man at the gates of a chemical company. It paid little money but Armand liked the predictability of the work. It was a solitary job but he was nervous around people so the job suited him. He had rented a cheap apartment in a run-down area of Paris. His view from the window of the apartment was another apartment block.

Armand was eating pizza in front of the television in his apartment. He was cramming the slices of pizza into his mouth as saliva slid down his mouth. There were pizza boxes and empty bottles strewn across the floor. Three figures materialised from a spiral of red light that had entered through the roof of his apartment. They were dressed in black robes and their faces were barely showing. In fact, he wasn't sure if they really had faces. There was something sinister about them that scared him, yet he was attracted to them at the same time. There was a sense of aloofness and superiority about them. He noticed that the room had become very cold. They did not have an accent. The three figures reminded him of 'Nazgul' in The Lord of the Rings – cold, emotionless beings - except they were not on horseback and these figures were sitting in front of him. They were not made-up science fiction figures.

A being stood up and said "it is not necessary for you to know who we are." There was a cold air emanating from the three beings, Armand's apartment was usually warm.

A figure said "Armand, you have been selected for very important work. Your experience of life, personality and skills are needed. We have followed you through your life and we are very pleased with your development."

Armand sensed a nastiness in these beings, whatever they were.

The being continued "the name Armand means power and you have always had great powers that can be developed still further. The time has come to show the world how great you are."

The being paused as if expecting a reaction from Armand. Armand didn't speak.

Another black-robed figure said "if you take part in our plan, in this very important work, you will rise to the very top of society. It is time for you to take your place among the greats in history. You will be given everything you need, an abundance of every desire you wish for."

Armand was already keen on what these creatures were saying to him. They stroked his ego and were offering anything he wanted. He knew that bitch of a teacher and that prick, his father, were wrong. He would amount to something. Armand's apartment seemed to become even colder.

The hooded being asked "will you cooperate with us? Will you accept the offer? You have to decide now".

"Yes!" Armand said, almost without thinking. The idea of being important and of having everything he needed delighted him. Armand tended to have negative thoughts such as racism, hate, rage, insecurity, manipulation and superiority over his fellow man, almost all his life. He would use these men for his own good.

Armand asked "what do you want me to do?"

The robed figure said "A German man will contact you soon. He will explain. Do as he says."

The hooded figures turned towards the red light.

The tallest figure said "you must obey this German man."

A red light began to form in the room, swirling in different shades of red. The three figures stepped into the red light and disappeared. They seemed to dematerialise into the air. The room became warm again. Armand thought to himself that he will prove everyone wrong, that he is brilliant, not stupid. That he will prove his father wrong and maybe punish him severely if he has an opportunity. Armand's life will never be the same again. It seemed to Armand that these creatures were offering him a chance to be someone and to be important. He was looking forward to their next visit, even if there was something very unpleasant about them.

It was a cold night. Armand had been on his second bottle of wine when he decided to look at his emails. He was chomping on a packet of chips. He swayed towards the laptop and spilled some chips over the laptop and onto the floor. He picked the chips off the floor and off the laptop and ate them. His huge belly wobbled as he walked. He tended to get spam, advertisements giving him information that was useless to him. As he looked at his e-mail he found one from a stranger. He wondered how the person had got his email address. But it was contact from a living person so he opened it quickly. He discovered that it was from an unknown individual. He was writing about shared interests. His Facebook account held few friends and he never met these people. He seldom used the account but he couldn't remember this name. He read the rest of the email. The stranger was asking him would if he like to meet him. He lived in Germany. Armand signed out of his email account and closed the lid of his laptop hastily. He had seen what happens to people when this situation occurs - they end up in a suitcase or a freezer.

Armand woke in his bed with a throbbing headache. He suddenly remembered the email he had received the previous night which he was terrified to answer. He had little contact with people. Armand wanted something or someone new in his life. He thought about the beings that visited him, this must be the person they were talking about. This worried Armand but at the same time, he felt excited. There was also another email from this man, sent that morning. Despite his fears of ending up dead, murdered by a serial killer, Armand hastily opened up his laptop and typed an email in response to the German. He stared at the screen as it said "message sent" and wondered about what path his life was taking.

Armand was to meet Emmerich for the first time in a car park near where Armand lived. The car park was like most car parks late at night: dark and empty, with fluorescent lamps giving little light to the area. Armand understood why Emmerich chose this location. He didn't want anyone to see them meeting or hear what they were saying. This night, the car park was dark and empty as usual but right now it seemed more menacing since he was about to meet Emmerich.

Armand walked into the dimly lit car park. A couple of minutes later he saw a man standing under a lamp, a street lamp at the edge of the car park. Fog was circling around him. Armand thought this looked like a scene out of the film 'The Exorcist'. He began to shake when he saw the large silhouette of Emmerich in the distance.

The silhouette was becoming smaller so Armand knew Emmerich was approaching him. Armand stood still, his eyes fixed on Emmerich like a rabbit freezing in terror at an oncoming car. Armand had a keen sense about people without even speaking to them. This man frightened him. He felt he had started something that he had to continue with and that he must see it out, hopefully alive.

Emmerich stood in front of Armand. He stood tall and straight. Armand was smaller in height. Emmerich stared at Armand before he spoke, assessing Armand. Armand was staring at the ground, shaking visibly.

Emmerich spoke with authority in his voice. "So Armand, now we meet. I have work for you to do that is very important. I will be nice to you as long as you do my work. You will do as I ask or I will kill you. I will torture you to death. You will be in great pain if you don`t do as I say. Do you understand me?"

Armand looked around the dark car park. There was no one that he could ask for help. As usual, he never got help from anyone when he needed it. He could see bats flitting around a lamp reminding him of the 'Batman' films that he enjoyed watching. Batman was not around to help him now. He looked at Emmerich briefly in the eye and looked away quickly, he was looking into the eyes of evil.

"Yes, I will do anything you ask. Just don't hurt me."

Emmerich saw fear in Armand. That delicious smell of fear, an invitation to Emmerich by his prey to be dominated by him.

"Armand, I know you are a security man in a biochemical factory. The factory has produced a virus, the V112, for use in war."

Armand said with surprise "how did you know that?" and shuffled from one foot to the other.

"You'll find I know a lot of things others don't know, Armand. So, do you know what I am talking about?

"Well, a neo-Nazi scientist that I am friendly with at work said something like that at a neo-Nazi meeting that we both attended."

"I want you to get that virus and I will tell you how."

"Emmerich, why the hell would you want that? Who would you use that on? It's my job by the way, I don't want to lose my job."

"Armand you can keep your job if you carry out my instructions. But I think you should worry more about keeping your life and doing what I say." Emmerich smiled, but it was more of a grin, he bared his teeth at Armand.

The moon had waxed into a full moon and cast a dim light across Emmerich's face. Armand could see Emmerich was bearing his teeth as he forced a smile. Armand noticed his teeth were perfect but the sharp incisor teeth seemed to be sharper and bigger than most people's.

"You are friendly with one of scientists there, Bardalwulf Brandt. He is German and as you have said, you have attended neo-Nazi meetings so you both talk about Nazi subjects. You are familiar with each other. I want you to offer him two hundred thousand euros in exchange for a vial of the virus that he is working on - the virus he is working on right now, known as V112. You will arrange that."

Armand squealed in desperation. "Emmerich don't make me do this!" Armand didn't like to make his life even worse by getting fired from his employment. He was stunned that Emmerich had collected all this information on him.

Emmerich flashed his teeth, he looked like he was snarling like an animal but it was his attempt at a smile. "It's your choice Armand. I can torture you to death or you can do as I say, there's no one to help you Armand, no one cares about you."

Emmerich walked towards Armand. Armand could hear his footsteps. They were loud and steady. Evenly paced. Emmerich took out a gun. Armand stood, wide-eyed, and Emmerich could see his terror. He embraced Armand, his hands groping Armand's flabby male chest. He rubbed Armand's bulky stomach gently as it wobbled around. Emmerich then moved his hands slowly down and started massaging Armand's crotch. Armand moaned a little.

"Nobody has come this close to you, have they Armand? You know neo-Nazis are all the same, doesn't matter if they are French like you, or German, or American. They are insecure because nobody wants them. But I want you Armand, I really do."

Armand had never been touched sexually before. But he liked Emmerich touching him. No one else ever did. For years, he hadn't even kissed someone. He began to have a hard on. Emmerich then pressed his gun against Armand's crotch. Armand heard a click so he knew the gun was primed to shoot.

Emmerich moved the gun around stroking Armand`s hips. Armand couldn't understand what Emmerich was doing. The first person to touch him sexually now seemed like he was going to shoot him. He could feel the coldness of the revolver. The stiff and hard feeling of the metal of the gun. He could feel the gun sliding between his legs. Armand gasped and moaned with pleasure. Emmerich circled the gun on both cheeks of Armand's ass. He then withdrew the gun. Emmerich caressed Armand's crotch one more time. He licked Armand's neck like an animal with a bone, kissed him quickly and then stood back.

Armand turned around and looked at Emmerich's cold face, unsure of how to react. No one had ever been so close to Armand. Armand knew he could never cross Emmerich and that any orders he gave him, he would have to carry out - to the last detail. Emmerich looked like the type that wouldn't think twice about beating a person. Emmerich offered him a twisted type of human contact. He didn't talk to anyone outside of work and even there, his interactions were limited. He was tired of dinners for one that he had every night with a pizza on Friday and Saturday night as a special treat. He always smoked cannabis alone, he knew others smoked it socially with a friend or a group. He hadn't been out on a Friday night for many years. He craved human contact but every attempt he made to reach out to people was met with rejection.

Clouds moved across the moon, blocking out the small amount of light that lit the middle of the car park where Emmerich and Armand stood. The carpark was now in almost complete darkness. Armand looked at Emmerich`s face. He noticed that Emmerich had not been showing any emotions except for the forced smile, which was more of a snarl.

Emmerich said "so Armand, we can be friends. It's a case of 'you scratch my back, I scratch yours'. But you step out of line and I will kill you. You do exactly as I say. Do we understand each other?"

Armand replied in a low, timid voice. "Of course Emmerich, yes indeed. I will do anything for you."

"So you have a talk with your scientist friend. Emphasise the large amount of money he will be given. Wait for his response."

Armand looked frightened and began to sweat, even though it was such a cold night. "But what if he says no?"

Emmerich winked menacingly at Armand. "It's your job Armand to make sure he agrees. Don't disappoint me. You can't imagine the pain you will feel if you let me down."

Emmerich blew a kiss at Armand and walked into the darkness. Armand looked at Emmerich as he walked into the night. He was attracted to tall men and Emmerich had an athletic body. Emmerich might touch him again or maybe go even further. Armand began to imagine Emmerich's big hands all over his body. Emmerich might even have dinner or lunch with him. Armand decided he would talk to the scientist tomorrow.

Armand was sitting beside the front door in a small cabin at the outside of the large laboratory building. The sign saying 'security' was beginning to fall off the cabin wall. The plastic window was scratched. The grey walls of his hut seemed to reflect his emotion which was usually a melancholic sadness, and he still thought about cutting himself from time to time. The employees of the laboratory building always walked briskly past him without even saying hello. He felt invisible in his little cabin.

His colleague, the scientist, walked up towards the cabin. He was the only scientist that acknowledged Armand's presence. They had met at neo-Nazi meetings. He was German. He wasn't accepted by the other scientists as he didn't speak fluent French and they found it hard to socialise with him, as he was a quiet man.

Armand said with a faint smile "good morning Bardalwulf? How are you today, sir?"

"Oh the usual, not too bad, yet another day at the lab!"

Armand laughed then started to whisper. "Bardalwulf, can you come over to me, I have something I need to tell you about but I don't want anyone to hear."

Bardalwulf walked quickly over to Armand. He was enjoying the mystery in Armand's tone of voice. "What is it Armand?"

"Would you meet me in the park where you usually have your lunch? I have a proposition for you."

Bardalwulf smiled with anticipation. He enjoyed mystery and intrigue. He said "ok Armand, at one o clock?"

"Good, Bardulwolf, I'll see you there."

Armand sat in the park with the scientist, each of them pretending to casually eat their lunch, looking content. The seagulls were swooping and diving, greedily fighting each other for food and squawking and splashing around the pond.

Armand said "Bardalwulf, I know that in your lab a chemical that will be used for biochemical warfare has been created. It is called V112. If you can get me that chemical, I can offer you 200,000 euros."

Bardalwulf looked stunned. His jaw dropped open with surprise.

"Armand, how the hell do you know about that? That is top secret knowledge. We are all sworn to secrecy about it. We were told all the scientists would be fired if word got out. What do you want it for?"

"It's not important how I know and I'm not going to tell you what it's for. Do you accept my offer?"

Bardalwulf stood up and stared at his shiny, black, leather shoes in deep thought. A strong wind began to blow and golden autumn leaves spun around in spirals. The ducks quacked loudly. The scientist stared into space as he thought deeply and then slowly turned his head toward Armand.

"I will accept the offer."

Armand gasped as he considered the gravity of his actions and what the future held.

"How long will it take you to get it?"

"I can get it in one day. I have immediate access to it."

Armand said "we will meet here in the park. Thursday at six o clock in the morning if that suits you."

"Yes, that suits me."

"And then you can bring the chemical with you. I will bring the money."

"Agreed, Armand."

"Now don't try anything stupid, Bardulwulf. I know you wouldn't suspect it but I am in touch with very, very powerful people. Don't tell anyone about this. If you do, you will be murdered and knowing the people I am in touch with, it's not going to be a nice death. So don't tell anyone."

Bardalwulf said "yes, yes, I'll do as you say, Armand."

Bardalwulf looked around him to make sure he wasn't seen. He began to tap his black leather shoe on the ground nervously.

Armand said "Fine. We`ll meet then."

Bardalwulf scurried away from Armand. He was looking forward to receiving such a large cash sum.

Emmerich didn't like communicating too many details over the phone so he and Armand met in the same car park again. Emmerich drove Armand up to his apartment and gave him the briefcase of money and informed Armand of the code to open the case. Emmerich lightly stroked Armand's hand. Armand moved to kiss him but Emmerich moved away and drove home. Armand began to feel special, that someone cared for him even though he knew, deep in his subconscious, he was just being used.

Armand sat waiting by the lake at the agreed time. He sat huddled in his anorak jacket, bracing his arms across his chest in a vain attempt to keep himself warm. He had the briefcase with the money safely tucked in between his legs on the wet earth beneath him. He scanned the park looking out for Bardalwulf. Suddenly he heard footsteps rushing towards him from behind and turned to see a man with a black leather briefcase under his arm. The branches of the trees were flailing above his head.

"God, Bardalwulf you scared me!" said Armand with a quick smile.

"Sorry, Armand."

Bardalwulf was breathing rapidly, he was on the verge of a panic attack. He peered around the park than sat by Armand. He said in a low tone of voice, "I have the virus."

Armand said "I have the money."

Bardalwulf opened the black leather briefcase. He was wearing black leather gloves. The seagulls screeched and swooped down at the unsuspecting ducks to grab remnants of bread that floated around the pond. His hands were shaking as he picked a small metal tube out of the briefcase.

"Armand, here it is. Give me the briefcase first and I'll give the vial to you."

Armand handed him the brown leather briefcase, his brown hair blown around by the strong wind. He was shivering, his hands red with cold.

Bardalwulf asked "what is the code for the briefcase? I want to make sure the money is in it."

Armand told him the code. Bardalwulf opened the briefcase gingerly. He stared at the mound of layered money and smiled.

"There's your money now give me the vial."

Bardalwulf handed Armand the vial, still mesmerised from looking at the large amount of euro notes in the briefcase. He suddenly became very serious and looked Armand in the eyes.

"Armand, when you open that small tube, leave it wherever you wish and then leave, leave the area immediately. I am going now."

Bardalwulf rushed away towards the exit of the park, scanning the park as he walked at a fast pace - making sure no one saw him. Armand closed the briefcase. He held it close to his body as he walked so that he wouldn't drop it. It was time for Armand to complete the next part of Emmerich's plan. He was anxious about his task in case he got caught. He also relished the idea of causing pain to others. All he had known all his life was pain and now others would know pain too.

Chapter 8

Emmerich was on his way to the major neo-Nazi group in Germany. The leader of this group had connections with both German and French politicians who had racist inclinations, privately - without the knowledge of the public. If Emmerich could conquer this leader he would have political influence in Europe after he gained their trust and won them over.

The group held their meetings in an old, unused World War Two bomb shelter. Emmerich lived in Stuttgart and had to travel to Berlin. It was a long journey and Emmerich was weary by the time he reached the location of the bomb shelter. He ignored his fatigue and stealthily entered the bunker. He didn't want to be heard as he set foot towards the area where the meeting was to take place. He walked through long corridors which were dead-ends. He could see why the leader, Aleric, had chosen this location in Berlin. It was a labyrinth of corridors and paths, some of which led nowhere. He would walk down a passage and it would abruptly stop, walls preventing entry into the heart of the bunker where Germans would have hid during air raids. The passageways were long with whitewashed walls and curved ceilings ...... some were designed to confuse any would-be invaders. It would be very difficult for Emmerich to find the lair of the neo-Nazi group.

Emmerich was beginning to lose his patience. He would make the leader pay for wasting his time. Just as he thought this, he looked down a passage and saw a dim light coming from an adjoining corridor. He crept down the corridor and discovered the passage was a room. He could see the opening at an angle from where he walked.

He peeked into the room to survey the members and to make sure the leader was present. He took out a long sword which was seventeen inches long and short in width. The blade was almost as thin as a leaf and, at the edge, razor sharp. It was slightly curved. Emmerich had bought it in China. Emmerich slid the sword out of its black cover before he walked into the chamber where the meeting was taking place. It glinted even in the dim light of the chamber. He walked stealthily into a large, dimly lit whitewashed chamber. The members were all dressed in Nazi uniforms. Large swastika flags were draped around the room.

The members were all male. They turned around when they heard Emmerich's heavy and steady footsteps. He swung the long curved sword backwards and forwards repeatedly while staring continuously at the leader, Alaric. Alaric glared at Emmerich and fumbled under his podium for his gun. He pointed the gun at Emmerich and shot at him. The members threw themselves to the ground, some chairs were knocked over, along with one of the lamps. The members were in a panic. Someone dared to attack their group – a group which gave them a sense of solitude from a world that rejected them. Aleric made them feel special, made them feel wanted. The members became confused and began to panic.

Aleric stepped out from behind the podium and shot one bullet after another toward Emmerich. His massive arms held out firmly as he gripped the gun. He walked out from behind the podium, his trunk like legs standing unshakably. Every bullet seemed to skim by Emmerich. Aleric kept missing his target even though he swore one or two bullets should have hit Emmerich spot on. Emmerich continued walking on a straight path, still staring at Aleric with his eyes locked onto his prey...... his footsteps plodding heavily as he walked. Emmerich raised his deadly sword over his head and walked right in front of Aleric. Aleric stared in disbelief as his gun was empty of bullets and was useless for protection. Emmerich could see the fear in the leader, he could smell it. Aleric began to sweat, his hand with the gun began to shake in dread of what this imposter intended.

Aleric begged for mercy. "Please, whoever you are, don't kill me. I surrender!"

Aleric threw his gun to the ground in submission. He began to shout. "PLEASE DON'T KILL MEEEEE!!!!"

Emmerich smiled. This weak man....... in a ridiculous uniform....... with a ridiculous gun......... leading his ridiculous flock of cowards. Emmerich pounced on top of Aleric who fell to the ground. He brought his sword down on Aleric's head and chopped off both of his ears.

"Aghh...... God....... aggh...... stop....... please stop!!!!!" Aleric pleaded.

Emmerich was enjoying himself, he had this man's life in his hands, his to crush or to let live. This man was too cowardly, so he would crush him. He pointed the end of his sword towards Aleric's chest and stabbed him again and again, the blade of the sword easily cutting into the flesh. Aleric's blood gurgled out in small streams, spilling onto the floor. Emmerich continued to smile. In fact, he felt ecstatic as he plunged the sword in..... over and over again.

Aleric whispered as he began to draw his last breaths: "Please....... please...... don't kill me."

Emmerich smiled at Aleric as he died, he could see the neo-Nazi leader exhale his last breath, as if he were a deflating balloon. Emmerich could feel the familiar energy of the kill pour into his body - he had a hard-on as he felt the energy come into him.

Emmerich raised the sword over his head again and brought the blade down with force on the neck of the dead body. He sliced the head off the neck with one clean, direct stroke and it rolled into the wall. He had seen in films how the ancient Chinese military warriors killed their victims. Emmerich picked the head up by the hair. The mohican spikes of hair dripped blood as he stepped up to the podium.

The men were terrified, some had wet their pants. Emmerich grinned, he could see the wet spots on the men's trousers. He had this group exactly where he wanted them, everything was going to plan.

He placed the head on the podium.

Emmerich said with authority: "You have seen my strength, you know my power!! Now who will challenge me?"

No one nominated himself to challenge Emmerich.

"Good, wise decision, men. Your leader was weak, I will bring you all to greatness! I will give you all power that you've never known!! I will personally see to it that none of you will be dominated ever again by anyone!!"

Emmerich tried to smile warmly at the members of the group and hoped it looked like a sincere, caring smile.

"This is a new stage in all of your lives, now you will all have a bright future."

Some of the men looked uncertainly at Emmerich but others began to smile.

"I am your leader now....... for all of you. Sieg Heil!! Sieg Heil!"

The men responded "Sieg Heil! Sig Heil!" with gusto.

They were afraid of this man but he did seem to offer victory for the members, not just talk. Emmerich's takeover of the largest neo-Nazi group in Europe had been swift and effective. In less than an hour, he had defeated the leader and cemented the loyalty of his members. This was the first step in Emmerich's plan. He would use the neo-Nazi groups he had control over to get a foothold in politics - he now had some power to progress his strategy.

Chapter 9

Armand walked out of the park, down to the turn of the road near the airport bus stop. He opened up the black briefcase, took out the small bottle and dumped the briefcase into the bin. He put the container of the lethal virus deep into his pocket - holding onto it firmly in case he dropped it.

Armand felt as if someone was standing beside him. He turned but nobody was there. He told himself not to get paranoid. He jumped onto the airport bus. His heart began to thump rapidly and he felt a kind of exhilaration...... increasing every second as the bus sped towards Charles De Gaulle airport. Armand saw planes taking off majestically into the sky. And as he watched, a plane landed, bumping on down the tarmacadam. The sun shone and glinted off the parked aeroplanes. Other planes sped down the runway, defying gravity and launching into the clouds.

He thought how nice it would be to be a passenger on a plane and to go on holiday somewhere far away from here. He would never be able to afford it - his employer didn't pay him well. He didn't have any friends, anyway, to go with. He felt infuriated with people. People seemed to loathe him and he detested them in return. As the bus drove close to the airport, Armand thought of his only friend that he ever had in the whole world. He died of a vicious cancer - he could still see him, lying in the bed. It was as if his skin was draped over his bones, his friend had lost so much weight. He remembered his friend's eye falling away from the socket. God had let that happen. God had caused him deep misery, he let his only friend die in such a horrible way. Was there a God? Yes - but as far as Armand was concerned - a cruel, manipulative one. Now he would make others suffer as he had, and from then on. Emmerich was different. He would do anything for Emmerich. He knew he didn't understand what love was as he had never experienced it...... but he felt he loved Emmerich.

Armand had to read the signs to follow where the departure area was. He made his way as directed, towards the area. He turned the small glass bottle containing the virus around repeatedly in his pocket with his hand. It felt like there was nothing in it yet its contents were deadly.

Armand walked close to the door he had entered so as to get away speedily. He looked around for airport police or airline staff but there was nobody near where he stood. He looked to see if there were cameras where he stood but he could see none. It was very busy in the airport so it would be difficult to see him. Again, he felt a presence near him but when he looked, there was no one there. He took out the small bottle containing the V112 virus and paused momentarily to consider the awesome consequences of his actions. He tore off the metallic seal of the biological weapon with black leather gloves and twisted the top open. The glass vial with the colourless liquid glistened in the sun. He began to sweat as he glanced furtively around the departure lounge, looking out for anyone that might see him. No one looked towards him. The departure lounge was swarming with passengers preparing to enter airport customs, checking their bags and receiving their boarding tickets. To them, this was a typical day and a predictable routine of preparing to board a plane. It was not a typical day and Europe was going to face a catastrophic disaster greater than ever before experienced - within twenty-four hours.

Armand gingerly dropped the opened vial into a trolley beside the airport exit. He walked quickly through the exit to the outside of the airport. He jumped on the airport bus as it began to drive to the centre of Paris.

Armand rang Emmerich and spoke breathlessly: "It's done. I didn't get stopped by anyone and I have released the virus. The scientist has the money."

Emmerich replied: "Good Armand, well done. I think we should celebrate. I will pick you up from your apartment and you can come to my house and we could have takeaway pizza or whatever it is you would like. What do you think? Would you like that?"

'How wonderful', thought Armand. Someone interested in him apart from his parents...... who anyway didn't talk to him much.

"Yes, I would like that Emmerich."

"I will collect you around eight o'clock tonight."

"See you then, Emmerich."

Armand took the bus home. He did not completely understand what the result of his actions would be. Emmerich understood exactly what would happen, it was part of his plan and the Dark Hoods, as he called the creatures who materialised in his sitting room, wanted this. They had poisoned whole populations before. Emmerich knew now that he had a true accomplice, willing to do anything for him. He knew that Armand 'loved' him. Armand had never experienced love from his parents, and didn't know what real love was - he knew that much. Emmerich was incapable of love but he could imitate and pretend to like someone. He looked forward to tonight and how he would play with Armand, like a cat playing with a mouse.

Armand was in awe of Emmerich's home. The driveway was dotted with mature oak trees. The oak trees were tall, their thick branches and leaves stretching over to the road. To Armand, they looked like soldiers guarding the entrance of Emmerich's home. Emmerich drove up to the house and he could hear Armand gasp when he saw the mansion. Armand stared at the ancient grey stone tower that the large modern house was adjoined to. From the entrance, Armand could see a chandelier in the hall. Emmerich opened the large redwood doors and gestured to Armand to enter.

Armand glanced along the walls of the hall. Stuffed animals were spread along the corridor leading into the dining room. Armand discovered a huge stuffed eagle that was hung from the ceiling in the middle of the hall. He was mystified as to why Emmerich adorned his house with such ornamentation. Emmerich led Armand into the dining room and they sat down. Armand sat gingerly beside Emmerich. A ten-foot, stuffed, hairy bear was frozen in time in the dining room beside a large, oak table. Its big jaws opened to attack, its legs reared up and ready and flashing its huge claws. An armoured knight stood beside the large Venetian window. He held a huge sharp axe in one hand and a dangling metal ball with sharp edges. The knight's armour was well-polished and shiny.

Armand was startled when Emmerich spoke. "So Armand , what do you think of where I live?"

Armand answered, not in complete honesty. He liked the structure of the house, it had an 'olde worlde' feel to it. If he had money and he owned the mansion, he would add more warmth to the house. He would get rid of all the imposing stuffed animals to begin with. He felt intimidated by its décor- the bear and the knight especially spooked him.

"Oh, it's lovely Emmerich. It's all so nice. You've been very imaginative with the furniture".

"Thank You Armand. Now would you like something to drink? Whiskey, wine, beer?"

"A beer would be nice."

Emmerich glanced at Armand. He bent over a bit more than necessary as he poured the beer. He winked at Armand. Armand's heart began to beat faster.

Emmerich talked casually with Armand as they drank beer. Emmerich ordered Armand's favourite type of pizza. They sat at the table, Armand sat beside the bear where Emmerich had seated him. Armand was intimidated by the stuffed bear, it was so vicious looking. Yet not vicious enough.... it had been killed and then stuffed. They ate in silence for a few moments. Emmerich looked at Armand and smiled.

"You've done such good work, Armand. I think you are not aware of the consequences of what you have done but not to worry, you will know in time. I want to reward you."

Emmerich opened a drawer and took out a bundle of money. He walked over to Armand and put the money in Armand's lap. Emmerich had given Armand five thousand euros.

"There you go Armand, spend it as you wish."

"Thank you Emmerich. I wasn't expecting money from you, I liked doing something for you."

Armand stared at the money, it normally took him five months to earn five thousand euros. Then, Armand felt Emmerich kiss his neck. His wet, warm lips touching his skin. Emmerich began to stroke Armand's hair and neck with his large hands, like an owner would pet its dog. He licked Armand's neck and slightly nipped the skin, like an animal would a bone. Armand felt Emmerich`s sharp teeth, he clenched the arms of his chair and sat upright. Blood rushed to his face and he began to blush. No one ever touched him like this. He knew it was a man behaving in a sexual way towards him but he didn't care. Emmerich rubbed his face on Armand's and forced open his lips with his tongue. Their tongues wrapped together. Emmerich slowly massaged Armand's crotch and Armand began to moan. Emmerich stopped and stood over Armand as Armand tried to catch his breath, stroking his hair.

Emmerich sat down in a large, black leather couch a distance away from Armand. Emmerich sat back in his chair and put his legs on the table, stretching out his body with confidence.

"Armand, you stick with me and I will give you things you've never had. I already have done. It's time for you to go now. I will pay for a taxi to bring you home."

The taxi arrived. Armand went to hug Emmerich but Emmerich stepped away quickly.

"Emmerich, I would just like a hug."

Emmerich had already exceeded his limitation of pretence of affection for Armand. All evening he wanted to thump Armand, to kick him hard, all over his fat body. Armand might come in useful again in the future. He might need a dogsbody to carry out any plans he may have in the future.

"Armand, the taxi is waiting. It will take you to a nice hotel where I have booked a room for you. I want you to return to your home tomorrow. I will contact you in a few weeks."

'A few weeks', thought Armand, he was just getting to know Emmerich.

"Can't I stay the night?" Armand asked hopefully.

"Goodbye, Armand" Emmerich said, with a cold uncaring tone to his voice.

"Ok Emmerich, thanks for..... well..... everything tonight."

Armand left Emmerich's mansion. There was a chill in the wind. He felt special when he was with Emmerich. He stared into the depths of the darkness. Armand wondered what the hotel was like. He thought Emmerich would have invited him to stay in his home for the night but that was not to be. He had to face his loneliness again..... sleep alone, eat alone and live alone. There was something strange, something unusual about Emmerich that Armand sensed but he didn't know exactly what it was. He was looking forward to their next meeting.

Chapter 10

Adalwolf, the leader of the prominent French Calais neo-Nazi group, had ordered more beatings for Jewish and gay victims in the area of Calais There were to be particularly harsh beatings on migrants. He would often oversee the beatings himself. His speeches had become more crazed and more hateful. Adalwolf was furious. He had received news that the leader of the largest neo-Nazi group in Europe was dead. Adalwolf had heard that he was butchered to death and his body had not yet been found. The German member he had talked to, who was shaking and stammering continuously, had witnessed the murder. Adalwolf gave him a glass of wine to calm him. The neo-Nazi was having difficulty in keeping the wine in the glass but managed to drink some of it. Adalwolf listened to the man's account of what he witnessed. The most serious implication of the situation suggested that his group in Paris would be next.

Adalwolf noted two most important elements of the murder. One was the ability Emmerich had of finding out where the Berlin cell met, and the other was that the individual was fearless, having walked into the meeting and immediately challenged the leadership. Leadership was often a tenuous position, an impermanent position for some, a position that had to be constantly defended. A member might want to take over the leadership of a group and challenge the current leader. There was usually a brawl between the two opponents which would sometimes be so vicious that the fight would result in near fatal beatings. Whoever won the dispute became the leader. Adalwolf was going to take action but an element of his revenge would have to be psychological, this man would have to be intimidated before he attempted to successfully kill him. It seemed to Adalwolf that he might be next as he had direct connections to French and German politicians and diplomats in the European Union.

A meeting was held to deal with this threat. Adalwolf needed to whip up cast iron support among his members and provide an emotional atmosphere in the room to encourage this. Although neo-Nazis could be very hateful, they could also be insecure. If he conducted this meeting effectively, they would be emotional enough to support him.

Adalwolf lit the lamps in the room and covered the room in swastikas. He had put on a full Nazi uniform. He provided all the members with an image of German Nazi symbols set in small silver medals.

Adalwolf spoke to his minions. His bald head barely went above the podium. His thin, bony arms shot into the air as he spoke.

"This medal is my reward to all of you for your support. All of you have been true to our cause. The time has come for us to rally together. Our survival is threatened by an opponent. The leader in Berlin has been assassinated and we must protect ourselves. It is our righteous place to be the biggest group in Germany and we must maintain our position. Sieg Heil!"

The neo Nazis cheered. "Sieg Heil!"

"This man is anti-Nazi and does not care for our way of life. He will destroy this group as he has the Berlin group. He will take away our power and centralise power for himself. He has murdered the leader of the Berlin group. Not only will my life be threatened by him but also your lives will be at risk. If we stand tall together we can defeat him. Join me on the night I have planned to teach him a lesson!"

Adalwolf's voice became louder, faster and more excited in an effort to create emotion which he would use to harness their emotions, in order to ensure the support of his members. The men in German neo-Nazi uniforms began to clap.

"Give me a show of hands - who intends to stay with me and continue our glorious work of paving the way, brick by brick, for Nazi domination of Europe once again? Those who wish to leave can do so without punishment."

Each member's hand shot into the air, not one decided to leave the group. Their leader had shown an appreciation of them which they had rarely been given by others. They couldn't imagine being on their own out in society where they mostly didn't fit in.

Adalwolf continued with his speech. "Thank you, brothers. I want to meet tomorrow night, we must act quickly. Then I will share my plans with you. There are bottles of wine and glasses at the back of the room. The wine is 1940 wine that was taken from Hitler's bunker and is very expensive. Let's celebrate our union!!"

The neo-Nazis greedily drank as much wine as they could. Later in the evening, they sang Nazi songs. This night the group members seemed to be closer to each other than ever before. There was nothing like a clear identified threat to a group to unify it. Adalwolf congratulated himself. It seemed he had ensured their support.

Emmerich went home after the slaughter of the Berlin cell leader. He still had dried blood on his hands and face. He decapitated the man and he had his head in the boot of his car. He put it on the top of his weapons cabinet. He had been followed from the scene to his home in Stuttgart but was oblivious to this fact. Adalwolf smiled to himself as he received the information on where Emmerich lived.

It was a dark, cold night. Emmerich was drinking alone and finished twelve cans of beer. He stumbled to bed and went to sleep. He woke up in the middle of the night around four o'clock and could see a yellow orange colour flickering on the edge of his window pane. He rose from his bed, approached the window slowly and peered out. He looked out of the window with caution. In his garden stood a huge cross. It appeared so immense - the height of it was three quarters up the length of the wall of his mansion. Fire danced off the wood and extended outwards due to the wind. The fire was of a very vivid orange and yellow, the flames licking the trees. Emmerich went downstairs to switch on the lights in the garden.

He peeked out from his front door, opening the door just a little. A large shape was moving on the tree in the corner of his garden. It appeared to be moving from half way up the tree. He ran toward the tree thinking that someone was trying to get away over the wall. There was a dummy hanging on the tree above his head. Tongues of flames began to ignite the dummy. He looked at it for a long time and slowly discovered the dummy had elements of his own appearance \- that it was made to look like him. The rope around the dummy's neck was thick and strong. The dummy swayed backwards and forwards from the branch of a tree. There was a sign on the dummy. It read "STOP NOW OR DIE."

Emmerich took a few steps back from the spectacle. His mouth was open wide. Drops of sweat rolled down his forehead dripping onto his thick neck. He could feel the heat of the cross not far away from where the dummy was.

He had never been threatened by anyone. Most people just had to look at him and they knew not to upset him. He analysed what was before him. Ku Klux Clan cross, probably from a neo-Nazi group. Neo-Nazis dressed in Ku Klux Clan outfits for some ceremonies. The dummy of him was from someone who knows him or knows of him. The sign telling him to stop. These people were trying to scare him into giving up his crusade. The flames on the cross were slowly extinguishing and darkness crept into the garden. Emmerich swore he would find these people that dared to threaten him. They will have a painful death and it would be a long death, a long and painful death. He clenched his knotted hands and moved them in a strangling motion.

Emmerich was pleased about how well his empire was growing. He nearly had every neo-Nazi group in Europe under his control and he was preparing now to deal with the leader of the French cell. He chuckled to himself as he anticipated his next move. The rain pelted to the ground and Emmerich shivered a little in the cold.

He could see ships transporting cargo in the port of Calais, the large cranes taking the metal boxes off the ships and strategically placing them in selected areas. The sea was a murky green colour. There appeared to be more chemicals than water in the sea.

An old stone building had been made into the meeting place of the most major neo-Nazi group in France. The building had some function at one time but now was unused, at least by the people who worked in the docks. Emmerich hid behind a cargo container next to the meeting place. It was beginning to rain harder and his anger was increasing the longer he had to wait for his prey to arrive in the rain and cold. He was rhythmically thumping his baseball bat off his hand. His eyes constantly scanned the area for any movement.

Adalwolf, the major French opponent to Emmerich in his attempts to control the entire European neo-Nazi group, was scheduled to arrive for a meeting. Emmerich had been informed, by a member in Adalwolf's own group, when and where the meetings take place. The wind and driving rain was making it difficult to see but Emmerich was determined to take out Adalwolf. Adalwolf didn't go anywhere without his guards.

There was the sound of footsteps coming towards the cargo container that Emmerich was hiding behind. Emmerich decided that it must be Adalwolf and his guards because of the number of footsteps that he heard. He could faintly make out a swastika symbol and a neo-Nazi uniform, followed by two men in black suits. It was also the time for Adalwolf's meeting with his members.

Emmerich ran, with the speed and viciousness of a lion, out in front of Adalwolf and his guards sporting his thick baseball bat and raising it swiftly into the air.

"Who the hell do you think you are, you little bastard? I'm going to teach you a lesson!"

Adalwolf roared at Emmerich. Adalwolf took out a knife and swiped at Emmerich, missing him by centimetres.

"You think you can do me damage? I'll show you what damage is!"

This time Adalwolf swiped his knife towards Emmerich's neck, grazing the skin. He was a puny man but he moved swiftly.

Emmerich shouted "I'm going to kill you, Adalwolf. Best give up while you're ahead or I'll make you feel real pain. No one, no one threatens me and gets away with it!!!"

Emmerich was secretly worried that this man might be a formidable opponent in this fight.

A burly overweight guard took out a gun and aimed it at Emmerich. Emmerich punched his hand in the air, showing the palm of his hand at one of the bodyguards. The guard turned towards his colleague and shot him in the head. Dots of red blood from his head splashed on the wall. A piece of skull bone dropped to the ground. Emmerich had paid off the body guard, to turn on Adalwolf when he was signalled to do so. Blood spurted from the guard's cranium and slid down the victim's face. The guard fell to the ground, still holding on to his gun and trying to shoot his assailant, blood flowing into the water in the pothole in which his head lay. Suddenly he stopped and lay dead in the rain.

Emmerich was tackling Adalwolf at the same time, both his hands squeezing Adalwolf's neck. Adalwolf was aware that he may be living the last few moments of his life but he would not make it easy for Emmerich to slaughter him. Adalwolf pushed Emmerich away, forcing Emmerich to release his neck. Adalwolf took out a 'knuckle-duster', the thick lines of steel guarding his fingers and the hardness of the steel ensuring extra pain on the delivery of a punch. He swiped a punch at Emmerich and hit him hard on the chin. Emmerich stumbled back with the force of the punch.

Adalwolf laughed "ye thought it would be easy, didn't ye?? That I would let you kill me just like that?! Well, take this!"

Adalwolf picked his knife up from the ground. He quickly ran up to Emmerich's face and slid the knife deep into his cheek, cutting a line from Emmerich's cheekbone to his chin.

"There, that's a nice scar for you now - a nice souvenir, you psycho!!"

Emmerich wanted to move fast or risk more injury. Adalwolf was right, he did think it would be easier. Emmerich raised his baseball bat and hit Adalwolf's arm hard with it - there was the sound of a crack. Adalwolf screamed in pain.

Emmmerich said "I'll finish you now Adalwolf, how dare you challenge me? I'm going to make you suffer!"

Emmerich slammed the bat into Adalwolf's other arm, breaking it with the force of the jaws of a lion cracking the bones of its dead prey. Adalwolf was reeling, spinning in a circle, screaming in pain.

"Please stop, please stop," Adalwolf grovelled.

The bodyguard aimed his gun at Adalwolf's head as Adalwolf tried to flee from the scene, both arms flopping at his sides, bits of bone sticking through his flesh.

Emmerich waved his arm at the guard and gestured him to stop.

"Stop. This is my kill. I want the pleasure of finishing him."

Adalwolf was slowing down as he crawled towards the road in a feeble attempt to escape. Emmerich walked up to his opponent with his slow and heavy footsteps. Adalwolf turned, his bald head shining with the wetness of the rain. He grimaced towards Emmerich, who was smiling as he started kicking Adalwolf as he lay flat on the ground. Emmerich drew the baseball bat way over this head, his back slightly bent backwards and brought the bat down with great force on Adalwolf's head. The top of his head split open like the cracked shell of a boiled egg - his brain partially sliding out from his skull. Emmerich laughed, the stereotypical laugh of the psychotic characters in films.

"Ye, you underestimated me, you asshole. Well, you know my power now!"

Emmerich stared at Adalwolf as he drew his last breath from his body. He enjoyed the feeling of total domination of a human being, taking a life and increasing the awareness of his great strength and power. Adalwolf lay dead on the ground, blood pouring into the gutter where his head lay.

Emmerich walked over to Adalwolf's fatally wounded bodyguard and kneeled on his chest, his broad shoulders and strong upper body bearing down on him. The rain shower began to turn into a storm; the rain fell even harder and bounced off the ground. Emmerich took his gun. He held it over the man's face and paused so as to enjoy the man's terror. The guard at this point could barely move. Emmerich pulled the trigger. Muscles and bone from the body guard's face flew out in all directions but he was still alive and moving. Emmerich pointed the gun to the middle of his forehead and shot a hole into his skull. The man's breathing slowed down as the muscles in his body stopped moving. He then exhaled his last breath. Emmerich was exhilarated as he witnessed a second death, as if some kind of energy was pouring into him.

The guard was looking at Emmerich with fear in his eyes. They proceeded to dismember the two bodies of the slain men. They had a suitcase for each body. Emmerich cut off Adalwolf's head and put it aside. They had to act quickly or the bodies would stiffen. As the limbs were hacked off, bits of flesh flew out that looked like minced meat. They put the arms, legs and torso into the suitcases. They took the bits of flesh off the ground and threw them into the suitcases and locked them. Emmerich walked a long distance away from the crime along the dock and threw the suitcases into the water, the darkness making it impossible for people to see, due to the storm. Emmerich knew the guard would not say anything to anybody due to his witnessing of the vicious display of killing. Emmerich kept Adalwolf's head for himself. He would bring it home as a trophy. He was also going to use it to show to Adalwolf's group that he was now the leader. This large group had a special significance for Emmerich and an important part to play in the next step of his plan. He would need their complete submission if they were to be useful to him.

Emmerich watched the suitcases being swallowed by the sea. Seagulls cawed and swooped down close to the water to detect anything they could eat around the suitcase as it sank. Emmerich smiled as now he had total control of the entire neo-Nazi movement in Europe.

Chapter 11

Colin and his friends arrived in Brussels but it was a short stop, the city was known to be expensive. Colin's friends decided they would visit the European Union buildings, though it was more Colin's choice. Colin had bargained with Patrick and Jeremy that if he had to suffer through travelling around Rome then he would like to go to Brussels. Colin always admired the organisation. There were no wars since its creation, he had a romantic notion of the whole of Europe working together to prevent war and encourage growth for all of Europe. Whatever the reality, he knew these were necessary aspirations.

Colin walked up the steps of the building. He was disappointed because it seemed to him that no sooner had they entered the building, they had left. They were given a quick tour, the guide briskly pointing to this room and that room and, giving only a swift explanation of areas of interest. Then they were asked to leave the building. Just as they left, a large group of neo-Nazis formed outside the building. Swastika banners were held up high. It seemed a storm was coming overhead, dark clouds beginning to come together to form a grey sheet across the sky. There were rumbles of thunder but it didn't deter their presence. Colin rushed to put his red jacket on but the left arm kept slipping so he rolled it under his arm and glanced at his friends who looked as confused as he was. Jeremy was ruffling his red hair and stood wide eyed in terror as he stared at the neo-Nazi`s. Patrick`s hands were shaped into fists, his jet black hair blowing in the wind.

Colin and his friends walked across the plaza and the protest escalated. Riot police gathered and charged to confront the Nazis because stones had been thrown at the European Union offices. The young men ran back to enter the building for safety but it was on lockdown. The doors were locked and Colin could see sheets of iron had been drawn mechanically across the building covering every window and entrances. The European Union offices had become encased in metal, a fortified building. The three young men were caught between the Nazis and the riot police. The three men stood frozen like statues between the riot police and the rioting neo-Nazis.

The neo-Nazis threw glass bottles that exploded in fire at the feet of the police. They began to curse loudly and shout. The police moved towards the front of the neo-Nazis in a straight line to form a protective human barrier. Their batons were held up and came down heavily on their opponents. Colin could see some of the protestors were bleeding.

Colin was shocked, it seemed to him that the bureaucrats in the European Union offices had been kept safe but that everyday people weren't safe. Colin thought of the Protector of the Light and decided to call him.

"Protector of the Light, please be with me now. Please get us beyond this place and keep us safe."

Immediately there was a reply. The voice Colin heard was calming but loud. The guidance was direct.

"Don't worry Colin, I am with you. Now look to your left. There is a small gap beside the policemen and the railings. Run! Now! GO!"

Colin acted immediately.

"Okay lads, follow me!"

They ran to the gap between the police and the railings. They heard screaming and shouting as the riot police quickly beat back the Nazis from the building. When they were at the gap, a policeman turned toward them. The policeman suddenly felt compelled to protect these three men, he felt a duty to help these innocent tourists. He covered the three with his shield and hurried them away from the riot while under his protection. Safe from the riot, he told the three men to leave the area. He smiled briefly and turned to the riot to protect the offices of the European Union.

The three men ran as quickly as they could from the riot. Rain began to fall. Colin looked back over his shoulder. He noticed that a water cannon had been sent to the scene of the riot. The power and strength of the man-made torrent of water splashed the neo-Nazis with great force, throwing them to the ground. The rolled and tumbled away from the front of the building.

Colin's friends were running, accelerating with speed, with terror written on their faces. Patrick was sweating heavily and Jeremy's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of the sockets of his head. He was rapidly breathing in air and his face was turning red. Colin found it hard to help him because they were dashing away from the riot. Colin was surprised to acknowledge they were not safe yet. They were being pursued by two neo-Nazis. Their green hair was sticking up in spikes from their heads. They wore black boots. One had a denim jacket and army trousers, the other wore a tartan red and black jacket with jeans that had chains coming around the sides of his trousers. The three friends ran even faster. One of the neo-Nazis raised a beer bottle that was filled with a black liquid and lit it with his lighter. He flung the bottle towards the three men and it smashed at their feet. Colin could feel the heat from the fire at their heels.

Colin pleaded with The Protector in his mind's voice: "please tell me what to do, Protector of the Light. I don't know what to do." The rain stopped and again there was an immediate reply. A booming voice said, "I am with you and I will help you."

A white light suddenly appeared around them. Colin could make out the shape of the Protector, a human-like bright white form within a blue and purple light. He was much bigger than a human; Colin estimated at least twelve feet tall. A white light was emanating from The Protector's shield, surrounding Colin and his two friends.

Jeremy and Patrick shouted "jaysus Colin, what is all this light?!"

Patrick prayed. "Dear God, save us! What's happening?" He was frightened of the neo-Nazis.

The Protector descended beside Colin. He wore a breastplate of silver covering his upper body. It had an image of the sun at its centre, its gold coloured rays spread across the middle of the armour. Strips of silver came down from below his waist to half way down his thigh. The rest of The Protector's legs and arms were uncovered exposing his chunky muscles. He reminded Colin of the pictures he had seen in documentaries of fearless Roman soldiers dressed for battle. White light circled around Colin and his friends. Without hesitation, The Protector stood between Colin and these thugs.

The two neo-Nazis were closing in on where the three men stood. Their mouths were snarling like dogs hunting their prey. The Protector lifted his sword of light. The sword began to grow and extended toward the neo-Nazis who were now only twenty feet away. The Protector, from a distance, slammed the sword of light onto the ground in front of the neo-Nazis. The frightened neo-Nazis ran from where the sword landed and ran onto the opposite street. They glared at the young men as they passed and hastened around the street corner.

Colin marvelled at the lights and the sheer power of the energy emanating the sword that was made of light. Patrick was sobbing but began to quieten. Patrick and Jeremy couldn't see The Protector, as they had their backs to him. Colin realised The Protector was from another world. None of the laws of physics seemed to apply to him. When Colin first met The Protector on the Road to Santiago, the whole of nature seemed to be influenced by him. The sun was revolving from above The Protector's head, where he stood. This white light, what exactly was it? How did the Protector arrive as soon as Colin had asked for help? The Protector seemed to have a mental connection to him; he had spoken to Colin in his mind when they were thrown out of the European Union Offices and when he had been doing his school exams a year ago. How did The Protector ascend and descend at will? The Protector knew Colin before Colin even knew of his existence. He was well skilled in defence yet he seemed to be a being he could trust.

The Protector broke Colin's line of thought and said, "Colin, your friends are beginning to recover from the shock; they will be fine in a few minutes. I promised you I would help you when you needed me to. It is best you leave Brussels tomorrow, Colin, and travel to Amsterdam. You will know more when you reach Amsterdam. We will meet again soon. Do not be afraid."

He patted Colin on the shoulder. The Protector of the Light ascended into the sky and the white light dissipated as he left.

Patrick and Jeremy were sitting on the ground, exhausted from their high speed run and from the adrenaline that had raced through their veins. The tension in Colin's muscles left his body. The Protector had been undetectable to Jeremy and Patrick. All they seemed to notice was the bright light.

To break the tension, the friends began to use humour to cope with the overwhelming nature of this event. Jeremy began to laugh and said "oh God, lads the wacky backy we smoked last night must have been fierce strong, I never saw something like that light before! I mean the following day and all! We must still be high!"

Patrick turned to him and laughed. "Ye, it would be great to go back to that supplier for sure ha ha ha!!!!"

They were unable to comprehend the meaning of the white light and where it had come from, tucking these thoughts of the light away deep down into their mind so as not to think of it again.

Colin said, "well, we're safe......... that's all over with now, come on lads, let's go. We'll go back to the hostel. We're leaving tomorrow and travelling to Amsterdam."

His friends jumped up from the ground and began walking after Colin towards their accommodation, obeying his orders.

The three young men decided to experience the Red Light District in Amsterdam during a pub crawl. It was a long street and the pink and red lighting flooded the area. There were what looked like shop fronts lined up along the road. Women and girls were sitting in the shop windows. Some women looked like mannequins; it seemed they were frozen in time. They would wink an eye at people walking by or blow a kiss. They were trying to entice passers-by to enter their 'shop'. Colin thought that although this all seemed bizarre to him, the Dutch were just being honest about the sex trade. It was a hidden world in Dublin - if you wanted a prostitute you could easily find one but you would be imprisoned if caught.

Colin was thinking of his life at home two years ago when his uncle told him he would give him the money to see a psychologist. Colin sat in the client's chair, glancing at the therapist. The therapist was looking at him with a kind, soft face. The therapist began to clear his throat and spoke to Colin in a gentle but questioning voice.

"So Colin, we have come to what I think will be a very important session. So I just have one question for you."

Colin was looking expectantly at the therapist. "Ok, John, what is it?"

"Who are you Colin? Who do you think you are?"

"I am Colin, that's a silly question!"

"Ok, but who are you, really? You look after your mother and others, you have schoolwork to do. So if you weren't doing all these things, who would you be?"

Colin wrinkled his brow and his leg vibrated up and down nervously.

"I suppose I am a person with needs of my own that I need to concentrate on. I need a little help too. And maybe I need to look after me too."

The therapist smiled at Colin, a real smile.

"That's it Colin, that's just right, well done!!!"

Colin was always pleased when the therapist accepted his answers.

"Ok, Colin, now have you any ideas - having discovered all of this - what can you do differently? What can you do for you? What would you like to do for yourself?"

Colin thought long and hard. John could almost see the cogs of Colin's mind turning around, Colin was trying so hard to think. Nobody ever asked Colin what he would like to do for him, this was new to him. He was always so busy helping others, he never thought about it.

Colin looked at the therapist with excitement in his eyes.

"Travel, I want to, I'd love to, travel!!"

"Good good, Colin. You are doing so well! Ok think about that and I'll see you in two weeks' time. Just think about where you might go, who you might go with and how. Just let your imagination go wild and think of anything and everything. We will talk in two weeks. Same day and time?"

Colin replied, still excited "Ye. And here's your fee."

"See you then Colin."

Colin left the therapist's office. He felt like the therapist was a friend but he knew that John was formally his therapist. He was exhilarated at the thought of doing something for him, he had never thought about that.

Colin rang Linda. Linda happened to be in Amsterdam when Colin had arrived. He didn't realise he had missed her until he called her on his mobile. He thought he must play it cool, he didn't want Linda to know he missed her so much. He wanted to sound casual. Linda was excited as she recognised Colin's number on her mobile.

"Hi Colin, is that you?"

"Ye Linda, How's it going?"

Linda always found that phrase cute, particularly with Colin's Dublin accent.

"Oh it's great! I`ve been having a lovely time. I've seen really lovely places and everywhere I have been, people are so friendly. How are you?"

"Oh I'm grand, Linda, a few stories to tell ye that ye might like. I'm here in Amsterdam - what a cool place!!"

Colin wanted Linda to make the first move - he didn't want to appear desperate.

Linda said "well, Colin would you like to meet me tonight or tomorrow night - whatever suits?"

"How about tomorrow night Linda? Where will we meet?"

Colin was looking at the canal, as he was speaking to Linda. A swan was moving towards him. He always found swans to be beautiful birds. Linda had the grace of a swan but she was also beautiful, like the Mona Lisa as he had said to her the last time they met.

"How about my hotel? You could get a taxi here and I will reimburse you when you arrive."

Colin said "around nine, maybe?"

"Fabulous, Colin!! Okay see you then!!"

"Great, see ye then!"

Linda was staying in a five star hotel and Colin took a moment to observe the beauty of the building. It seemed to be a very old building. It had huge flowery stone designs protruding from the walls, although the wall could barely be seen for all the decorative stone work it was covered in. The front building had small orange and white lights shining upwards to highlight the stonework. It seemed to Colin that the hotel walls were made of gold and silver.

He stepped into the foyer and just like the first time he met Linda in a hotel, a security man approached him. Colin had his clothes in a back pack and he had worn them for a very long time - he had no clothes for a special occasion. His shirt was crumpled and his jeans had seen better days. In the corner of his eye he saw a figure rush towards him. He turned to see who it was and he saw Linda. She had been waiting for him in the foyer.

"It's ok, security man. He is visiting me."

The security man looked twice at Colin and Linda as if to question why the two were meeting. Linda looked towards the security man.

"That's all now security man. Colin, come with me."

Colin was whisked away by Linda towards the restaurant.

They ordered food. Linda commented "the Italian food is fabulous Colin, if you want to try it."

Colin ordered a pizza and noticed that Linda was drinking 'Seven-Up' and not knocking back champagne like when he first met her.

Colin noticed several fountains outside in the garden of the hotel, the water rushing through lights encircled by a pond which was surrounded by marble horses. It reminded him of the waterfalls he saw in Barcelona in the park where they first met.

Linda and Colin talked about their travels so far. Linda talked about the stunning sights she had seen in Paris and the old gentleman from England that she had met.

Linda glanced seductively at Colin, batting her eyelids slowly. Her high-heeled shoe brushed Colin's leg. He turned and looked at her, that look she loved, that intense analysis that Colin does with his eyes, when he stares into her eyes in an attempt to perceive what she's thinking.

"Now Col, you don't need to think much about what I am thinking. It's clear to you is it not?"

Colin smiled. "Yes, it is. Linda you're a bit different...... well...... a lot different from when we met before! You have a kind of twinkle in your eye. To be honest, you didn't seem very happy. Now you are different...... happier."

Linda replied "I'm away from home and my problems and I have a handsome young man in front of me. Life's good!"

Colin looked into her eyes again. "I didn't know you were so unhappy. I was very unhappy before I left home."

"OK my dear, we are getting awfully serious. Let's go to my room!"

Linda took Colin's hand and they walked towards her room. Linda opened the door and flicked the lights on, dragging Colin in with her. She threw him on the bed, jumped on top of him and ripped his shirt off \- buttons popping off, one after another. Linda pulled her skirt off and her pink panties. She pulled Colin's jeans down, revealing his tight buttocks which she felt and squeezed roughly. Linda mounted Colin, her long slender legs clamped onto his hips. Her long, thick red hair moved around her breasts - to Colin, her hair looked like flames. Together they climaxed. Linda moved back down to where Colin lay and he hugged her.

"That was great Linda. I'm usually the dominant one in bed, this was nice."

Linda smiled and Colin could see she was sleepy. Linda lay her head on Colin's shoulder and fell asleep in Colin's arms. Colin's head began to nod and he fell asleep on Linda's shoulder.

Chapter 12

Linda was amused at so many people cycling on bikes in Amsterdam and the almost complete absence of cars. The ringing bells replaced the loud horns of cars. The atmosphere of the main square seemed very clean, there didn't seem to be any fumes in the air. Linda nearly fell asleep in her chair, partly because she was tired from her flight but mainly because she found the centre of Amsterdam so relaxing. She hadn't touched the marijuana that was sold in bars that were dotted around the square. She enjoyed the fast-paced life of Paris and Barcelona, having been brought up in the sleepy Cotswolds. But it was nice to relax here.

The cobbled stones of the streets gave the city an old world feel. Linda walked along the cobbled street. There were different shades of colours on the stones: light orange, deep brown and vanilla. In a corner of the square, there was a long line of bikes, the silver frames of the bikes sparkling in the light of the sun. Linda walked over and discovered you could hire the bikes. She hired one with delight as she hadn't ridden a bike since she moved to Birmingham. A breeze was blowing her red hair, giving an impression of flames of fire flowing from her head. She still had very white skin due to the regular application of sunscreen that she applied around three or four times a day. She took off from the bike shop and launched herself along the cobbled streets, nearly knocking down two local people. She realised with delight that young men were noticing her and were not hiding their attraction to her. One man even winked at her.

Linda began to think about her life in Birmingham as she cycled around the city. Why were people behaving so differently towards her there? Nobody seemed interested in her sexually; nobody wanted to spend time with her. She had felt trapped in her life. Her own decisions, feelings and thoughts tied her and bound her to a life of boring tedium. When she left England, she began to feel confident and possibly that was why others liked her. Maybe people found her confidence attractive. Linda wanted to remind herself of her way of thinking when she got home. It was making others respond so well to her. She had left her laptop at home so the old fashioned pen and diary book would have to do. She could even manage to share these lessons with her clients if she felt they would be helpful to them.

Linda adapted well to each region she visited. It was like she changed the channel from speaking English to the language of the area she was travelling through. She could easily order food in the same language of the people wherever she travelled. She could ask for directions and speak the words that travellers needed to know within a couple of days. She liked to show respect to people of different cultures by speaking their language. People would often smile and have a quick conversation with her in their language and were often surprised at her fluency in their native tongue.

Colin met Linda at her hotel. "Linda love, great to meet you again!!"

"Oh it's great to see you Colin. I hope you've been enjoying Amsterdam so far. It's a lovely place isn't it?"

"Ye, it's a brilliant place! My friends are boozing again. I don't like drinking all the time so they can go ahead and do that. I've been looking forward to seeing you."

Colin was shaking his leg a little. Linda noticed he was tanned and wearing a red canvas jacket and jeans, the same clothes he wore when they first met in Amsterdam. Colin and his friends would be leaving for Rome in two days. He wanted this night to be a special night - he didn't know when they would meet again.

Colin laid his hand on Linda's leg. He noticed she wore a gold necklace, it glinted in the light.

Linda said "come on Colin, let's go up to my room" and she kissed Colin on his lips.

They went up to her room. Linda quickly dropped her dress to the floor. It was a black dress that had a cut up to the top of her leg and from the top curved down to her breasts. She took off Colin's muscle top that showed off the rippling muscles on his chest and his arms. She quickly took off his top and unbuttoned his jeans. Linda caressed Colin as he stepped out of them.

"God, Linda, you are so confident now, much more than when I met you for the first time in Barcelona. Oh God Linda, you're so gorgeous!!"

Colin felt a rush of testosterone as he massaged and sucked her full breasts. He lifted her onto the bedside table, knocking the bed lamp to the floor. Linda wrapped her long legs around Colin's waist and moved up and down to pleasure him. They were in ecstasy and climaxed together. They slept together, naked in each other's arms. Linda and Colin made love in the morning time. Linda felt so satisfied after sex with Colin. Colin was different to any young man she had met. He was stunning, with his mop of jet black hair and fine bone structure on his face. His hair was wild looking. He was amusing and she loved his accent. She thought he must be quite the womaniser at home in Dublin.

Colin had never met a woman as sexy as Linda. She was irresistible. He loved her long legs and everything about the way she looked. She was perfect. More than that though, she exuded confidence and dignity while at the same time being fun. Colin gathered from Linda's accent that she always stayed in expensive hotels and was flying from city to city...... that she was, as they say in Ireland, 'well-healed'. He usually dated girls that were 'easy' - they would just have sex with any man. They generally lacked intelligence. He didn't 'get serious' with girls as he didn't like getting close because he, due to his mother, had seen girls as weak, troubled and not worth the effort of going out with. Linda was changing all these thoughts for him. Linda wasn't just an ordinary girl he slept with, she was a strong woman. He respected her, she was travelling on her own and seemed to be enjoying every moment of it. Colin thought she must feel so much freedom leaving home and being away from the serious job she had as a counselling psychologist. He hoped they would meet again soon when he left Amsterdam.

Linda and Colin decided to go to the Van Gogh museum. They walked along the canal - the swans seemed to be watching them with curiosity, serenely floating beside them. Linda reached out for Colin's hand and Colin took her hand. They smiled at each other as they walked casually along the cobbled street. To anyone looking at the pair they would have said they look like a couple, very much in love. Colin and Linda didn't think of themselves as a couple, they wanted to frolic through life while they were travelling - without any responsibility.

They approached the Van Gogh museum. The structure of the building was modern. It had that cubic, colourless form with little or no decoration that modern art buildings tend to have. Linda much preferred the old buildings, like the British Museum. Linda and her father visited a few times. You walk towards it - an impressive stone building - and walk in to see some of the most beautiful treasures from all over the world.

"Don't judge a book by its cover" she thought, there are paintings of pure beauty waiting inside here too. Colin broke the link between them and they stopped holding hands. Without asking, they both sat down by the small pond in front of the museum. Colin looked at Linda with a questioning look on his face and his forehead wrinkled up. Linda knew that Colin did that when thinking hard about something.

Colin asked "so Linda, what is this art about? I have to admit to ye, I know I don't know anything about art." He smiled briefly and his leg shook nervously. One of his runners had a small hole just above the sole.

"Colin, it's not going to be important - when looking at Van Gogh's art - to know anything about art. His work will speak to you when you see it. But I will tell you that he cut off his ear at one point in his life and died in a mental hospital. It is said no one visited him. He was poor too, he sold one of the most popular paintings in the world for an apple and the picture is worth millions now. It is said he was rejected in his community and they considered him crazy."

Linda walked on as she held Colin's hand. Her long legs looked more defined in her tight jeans.

"Wow, Linda. That sounds tough. The poor man."

It was true, what Linda said, the paintings were beautiful and a guide was not needed to explain the pictures. Linda walked slowly past the pictures. She had a look that children have when opening up their presents on Christmas Day. Colin glanced towards Linda and caught the look of amazement that glowed on her face. Colin knew, without Linda saying anything, that he was sharing a very special moment with her. Linda would remember this moment forever.

Colin's favourite painting was 'Night and Wheat Field with Cypresses'. The painting reminded Colin of happy childhood memories that he sometimes remembered.

"Linda, these remind me of simple things that look amazing to me. Like the beautiful rays of sunlight as it lights up the vivid green leaves in a tree. The blanket of starlight that covers the fields of grass that you can see out in the country where there are only a few lights - just like in this picture...... Starry Night. I remember from being in the scouts."

Linda said "my father's country home in England looks like what you just mentioned Colin. I know exactly what you mean."

She smiled at him whimsically. He sometimes felt like that recently, since meeting The Protector. Things weren't so mundane anymore. He was sometimes amazed at the beauty in very simple things.

Time didn't seem to exist on this day for Colin and Linda. Time seemed somehow elastic. Time seemed not to apply to them at all as they walked through the rooms mesmerised by the paintings.

They sat in the café in the museum. Colin looked troubled, as if a cloud was covering the sun. His brow was beginning to wrinkle and he was quiet.

Linda looked towards him, concerned. "What is it Colin, you look a bit troubled?"

Colin said "I told you about what happened in the European Union building. But I didn't tell you everything."

Colin spoke in a low, hushed voice and released the burden of his secret.

"Linda I felt something then, or even heard something. I heard a voice that gave me clear directions how to get out of there, I was in serious danger. He defended me and my two friends and I don't think he was of this world. I followed his advice and we were all right. But I think he calmed us down afterwards too. I told you that we nearly got mugged that time and the same thing happened. I was given what I considered to be crazy advice but I did it and my friends and I were fine at the end of it. Linda, I haven`t said this to anyone except you. What do you think?"

Grey clouds were rolling across the sky, covering the sun as they looked out the window, like a storm was threatening.

Linda drummed her fingers on the table and she lifted her teacup slowly to her mouth. She flicked her hair over her shoulder. She sat upright, her fingers on the table pointed and moving slightly as if she had a pen and writing notes, falling into her role as a clinical psychologist. She sat silently in deep contemplation. Suddenly Linda spoke.

"Colin, this thing..... this being..... this 'he'....... he tells you only things that help in a positive way?"

Colin said "well, kind of, he helps when I am in trouble. He calms me when I am stressed."

Linda said "ok, well at least this voice, as you call it, is a positive influence. Why do you think it's real?"

Colin said, with hope in his eyes that Linda would understand, "I don't have proof."

Linda said, in a dictatorial voice, "Colin, thanks for sharing this with me and thanks for your trust. This being is not real. There are patients of mine who experience what are called hallucinations. They hear, see or feel things that aren't there. This results almost invariably in the person being medicated with drugs or put in a psychiatric hospital or, God help us, E.C.T can be administered."

Colin said in a worried tone, leaning closer to Linda and almost whispering. "so you think this is nutty talk?"

"In my profession, we don't use words like 'nutty', Colin."

Colin felt that Linda's tone was very different than the funny, sexy Linda that Colin knew. She was talking like his counsellor used to talk to him.

"Colin, your way of travelling is difficult...... very long journeys on trains and living in hostels with people you don't know........ so you can be under stress."

"Right so you think I`m crazy?!"

Linda's voice became more firm. "Colin, you know how much I care for you. I would advise you not to say this to anyone even if you think they will understand because, most likely, people won't. I'm speaking from experience - many of my patients imagine things."

Colin stared at the table and looked disappointed.

"Well ok, I'm sorry I mentioned it."

Linda stepped out of her role of clinical psychologist, reached out for Colin's hand and gently cupped his hand in hers. They held hands across the table. Linda felt cruel for advising Colin this way but she felt it was necessary advice.

Colin straightened up and looked Linda in the eye. He saw concern in her face. He knew she was trying to help.

"Right Linda, ye know I feel much better even just talking about it, you're a good therapist, love. Yes I think you are right, now that I think about it. Thanks for listening to me."

Linda noticed that it was as if a light had gone out in Colin's eyes and he looked disappointed...... as if he wanted to talk more about something very dear to him.

"Colin, you can talk to me about this again if you wish. I'm just warning you not to tell people in general."

Colin smiled. "Thanks Linda, yeah, thanks. It felt good saying it to ye any way. I will take you up on your offer!"

Linda smiled. "Well Col, that's my job!" Linda giggled a little and rose up from the table. "Now let's do something fun!!"

Colin felt, in an odd way, relieved. He had talked to Linda about something personal and she had taken the time to listen and advise. He hadn't talked about The Protector to anyone until now. He had walked around the Van Gogh museum and could relate to what Van Gogh's community thought was madness; he may even have understood Van Gogh's ideas and ways of looking at ordinary things. Colin still believed in The Protector but Linda was with him now and there was still some time left in the day to enjoy each other's company.

Chapter 13

Patients from all over London had been admitted into Accident and Emergency in agonising pain. They were physically deteriorating rapidly within hours. Susan and her staff were baffled as to what the disease was. Susan arranged for these patients to be isolated from the others until she could discover what the illness was. The patients would die in excruciating pain despite the massive doses of morphine Susan administered. The structure of the epidermis of the bodies of the patients was changing rapidly, losing its elasticity and colour. The skin would become stiff, shiny and black. This would be followed by failure of multiple organs all at the same time. The patients all died within twenty-four hours. Susan was amazed at the gravity of the sickness. The count was twenty patients dead within two days.

The number of patients with the infection had increased to roughly ten a night within the week. Susan hadn't seen her family much as she was fighting the infection that had her hospital firmly in its grip and was causing chaos. When she was with them, she was terrified that they would acquire the infection. Susan had taken precautions before she went home such as leaving her hospital clothes behind at the hospital. Susan began scrubbing herself in the shower before she left the hospital and showered again when home. She had notified Derek, who was in charge of infection control, and he told her to keep in to inform him of all further developments.

Objects in Susan's office were moving of their own accord. She was beginning to lose control of her telekinetic ability because of the pressure she was under. Once, her pen moved towards the ceiling, moving up and down as it did so. Niamh, the lead nurse in Accident and Emergency that day, opened the door of Susan's office and thankfully the pen dropped to the table before the nurse entered the room. Susan knew she must hide her ability because it would cause panic in an already unpredictable environment. In Accident and Emergency, she projected a persona of being calm and in control. When she closed the door of her office, she became the opposite. She would bury her face in her hands in despair.

It was a particularly busy day in Accident and Emergency. Niamh asked if Susan could come immediately to A&E. Susan and Niamh worked together closely as she was the lead nurse. Niamh had striking features, her eyes were bright blue and she had a healthy glow to her skin. She was a small woman but what she didn't have in stature, she made up for in assertiveness. She never panicked but this time Susan heard her voice was higher than usual and the calmness that Susan associated with Niamh seemed to be dissipating. There were recent complications with the new infection. Further information had been gathered on the disease and Niamh informed Susan that the disease could change rapidly. The disease had an unofficial name in A&E. It was called Black Marbela due to the revolting black shiny marble-like effect that appeared on the patient's skin just before death. Some patients died of heart failure, liver failure and rapid lung deterioration - all occurring at the same time and resulting in rapid death. Susan rose immediately from her desk. Niamh followed Susan and they walked quickly towards Accident and Emergency.

There was overcrowding in A&E and the staff were overwhelmed by the number of patients with the disease that continued to arrive. Derek was on the golf course, unaware of the change in circumstances. His mobile rang and Susan's name was on the screen. Immediately he assumed the worst.

"Hello?"

"Derek, this is Susan. I need you to come to the hospital, now if possible."

"On my way, Susan, I'll be there in an hour."

Derek breezed into Accident and Emergency, still wearing his golf clothes. His belly moved up and down as he walked into the room, his jumper barely covering it. He had a youthful mop of brown hair, even though he was in his fifties.

"Ok Susan, tell me of the developments today"

Susan replied "there seem to be new symptoms. The infection in new patients seems to be changing. There are oversized boils, rapid lung failure and other symptoms. This new patient now has lung failure followed by liver failure. Another had lung failure with heart failure." Susan had grown strands of grey hair and dark circles under her eyes.

Just as Susan was giving feedback, another was admitted. Susan and Derek learned the new patient had the boils and the lung infection but was showing issues with brain function also. The boils were as large as tennis balls with an angry red surface at the top of the boil. Puss began to ooze from the massive boils. The patient was screaming in agony as he was rapidly dying.

Derek said to the patient "there now, I hear you, I hear you. There...... there."

Derek put his hand on the patient's forehead and somehow the patient quietened to a low moaning. Susan was baffled, all her education in tropical medicine and A&E experience had not prepared her for this situation. The disease seemed to be changing in form all the time but always with boils and black shiny skin just before death. When a patient with the disease arrived in the hospital, Susan knew he would be dead within twenty-four hours.

Derek asked "well Susan, have you any idea what's going on here?"

"Derek, it is very early to tell but from the data collected so far, it is clear that many of our patients were on flights from Paris or have been in contact with people travelling by plane from Paris."

Derek was puzzled. "Well, why would that be?"

"I don't know Derek. What will you do to help this situation?"

Derek said, "I will convene the Infection Prevention and Control Team. I will set up a meeting as soon as possible. Although the hospital approach to this illness needs to be agreed at the meeting, there is no time to lose. I need to arrange large quarantine spaces for all of the infected away from A&E. I will see to it that space is made available. We need to continue gathering information on the patients with the infection. All staff in contact with these patients must wear full infection clothing. Your lead nurse must ensure that all procedures for the wearing of infection clothing be adhered to and that all staff know how to wear the infection clothing correctly."

"That sounds like a plan, Derek. Now we need to consult with each other regularly. We need to put our plan in place immediately. We have no time to waste. Nice to have you on board Derek!"

"Happy to be on board, Susan! We need to meet regularly and we will also be meeting with hospital staff in the I.P.C meetings in order to coordinate a response to this sickness. This situation could get even worse....... rapidly. I'll start my plan straight away. I think we'll work well together!"

Derek rushed off to begin arrangements to establish quarantine within the hospital. Susan looked at Derek as he set about putting his plan in place and she knew they would make an effective team as they would battle the infection together along with the hospital's very capable staff.

Despite the fact that there was no citywide or nationwide coordinated response to this new illness so far, Susan, Derek and the infection control nurse did their upmost to contain the illness within the hospital. Patients were quarantined as soon as they arrived with symptoms of the infection. It was time for Susan to go home. It was four o'clock in the morning but she needed to stay and assess the new patients. This was the earliest time she felt she could leave.

Susan walked through the hospital car park. Two cars on both sides of her began to move - seemingly of their own accord. They slightly rolled forward and backward and the sides of the car shook and their alarms went off. Susan knew it was she that was causing this. The yoga teacher had told her that if she needed to instantly relax in stressful situations, she would show her how. There was a yoga class on the next day and Susan decided she would make sure to go. It was important that she look after herself too as well as everyone else. She would either get sick or her telekinetic power would go out of control.

She was leaving her work but would be on call in case of emergency. She had a mobile phone that was specifically for hospital calls. The hospital could contact her but she felt it was more like a dog whistle. If it rang she was sure she must go to Accident and Emergency as soon as possible, like a dog running to the tune of her master. All the staff were very competent and she trusted them to do a good job in her absence.

She saw her telekinetic ability as a nuisance; she had to hide it so as not to panic the staff she worked with. She felt that there was a positive aspect to it too. When her ability became stronger, it was usually because she was becoming very emotional or very stressed. She saw it as a signal that she was approaching her limit of stress and it was time to do something to relax. Her telekinetic power was a clear barometer that told her when her stress levels were becoming too high. She felt that if she could harness the power, it could help her in the future.

Susan felt that, despite the chaos in the hospital, she could not escape the thought that something or someone was looking after her. Nobody had noticed the incidences of her telekinetic behaviour and she had been able to control her panic during the outbreak of the new disease at all times. Her family were still healthy and she hadn't been infected. She knew that, on the wards, some nurses have a blue candle burning...... well, a battery version, a fake candlelight...... she felt attracted to the blue colour of the glass. Their belief was that the blue candle reminded them of Archangel Michael. The nurse told her that he protects people from harm and guides them in times of difficulty. A nurse said to her once, during a very busy Friday night in Accident and Emergency that if she ever needed help just to think of Archangel Michael. The nurse said "ask him for help and he will come to your aid". Susan observed that doctors and nurses with this belief seemed to manage stress better. She observed that when some of her patients had fallen very ill, family and friends would pray at their bedside. She was mystified when in many cases this was followed by a full recovery of the patient.

Susan arrived home after a particularly busy shift in the hospital. There had been a fire in an apartment block in which people were trapped and injured patients were still being admitted. She found herself alone in her apartment. Alex was working late at his G.P. practice as he always did on a Thursday night but he would be home by eight o'clock. The boys were out with their friends having a few drinks. Despite the fact Alex would be home soon, she felt deserted. She was working so hard to protect her hospital and her family and now she was on her own. She threw her jacket onto the couch and sat down slowly. She felt like an old woman, tired and without strength. She hadn't cried so far. She was afraid that if she did, she would lose her sanity. So, she kept her emotions well tied down. Now she had no distractions and was suddenly faced with the reality of the awesome responsibility she had carried for a week. She felt her emotion suddenly envelope her and smother any sense of positivity she had left. Her situation seemed impossible. Susan was approaching the limits of her endurance and still patients with this new infection were being admitted to the hospital. Her staff had become demoralised and felt helpless in caring for their patients. The patients were in such agony when they came to A&E that even Susan, with all her experience and detachment, found it hard to bear witness to so much suffering. There was nothing more she could do other than try to make them comfortable as their skin began to turn into that revolting marble black form followed by certain death.

Susan felt isolated and alone. This was one of her few days of time off work and no one was at home. She put her hands in front of her face as if to stop anyone from seeing her cry and lost her self-control. She began a low moan and tears began to stream down her face. She began to sob and rocked back and forth on the couch. Susan didn't like this feeling of being out of control; she had always been able to effectively manage issues in her life. People often said she was very lucky, that she led a charmed life, but this charmed life was due to her planning to get what she needed and the control that she had over herself in most situations. Now she was sitting here, on her own, her life in disarray, and now possibly her sanity too was at risk. Tears slipped through her hands as she covered her head with her arms, as if to cover herself from harm.

Susan began to think of The Protector. She called out in the sitting room as if he were already present: "I don't know what to do!! I'm so helpless!! I have tried so hard to deal with this disease and nothing is working. People in so much pain! Bloody hell, what can I do? It's all so bloody pointless!!!"

Susan began to feel a warmth around her body and a slight pressure on her shoulder. She began to cry less and then she heard The Protector's voice.

"Susan, I am here now. Don't be afraid."

Susan looked around her and saw The Protector sitting beside her. She couldn't see his sword or his shield. She could see that this time he was surrounded in a calming purple light. He wore a blue tunic that had a yellow belt, fastened with an image of the sun. The belt seemed to glow as bright as the sun itself and she felt warm just by looking at it. The Protector looked at Susan and smiled. Susan could mainly see the side of his face and his ear.

"Susan, life is so hard for you now. I know what is happening to you. Now, my dear, I am listening to you. Tell me all you need to tell me. "

Susan cried as she spoke: "I'm sorry, Protector. I didn't know if you meant harm to me or not when you appeared in my bedroom. I followed your guidance and the telekinesis that I found was such a problem - it isn't a problem anymore. You helped me even though I didn't treat you well. I'm sorry about that and thank you." Susan's tone of voice became shrill as she cried harder.

The Protector said "okay Susan, let it out. Don't be ashamed of crying."

Susan cried a little more and then stopped abruptly and said "can you help me again, Protector? I need to help so many people. I need to protect my family. You warned me about this. Please help!! What shall I do?"

"Susan, I can see how upset you are. I can see how hard you are trying to help people. I want to help you. Sit still and just experience what I am doing."

A gentle blue light emitted from his hands and the blue light drifted towards Susan. The light seeped into her skin and all over her body. She could almost feel the blue light surrounding the muscles and bones. She stopped crying and began to feel sleepy. All the tension in her body ebbed away. She began to feel like herself again. She opened her eyes - the strength she always possessed had returned to her. She looked at the Protector and he was smiling at her. The blue light had disappeared.

The Protector said "Now Susan, you feel better now, that's good."

Susan was surprised that The Protector knew how she was feeling.

She said "thank you, I had kind of lost myself in all this trouble. I feel more myself again."

The Protector smiled gently and said: "Susan, you asked me to help so I will tell you now what will help. You must work closely with Derek. You will make a good team, as you already know. Then the two of you will arrive at the facts that you need to know. You must send your sons to your holiday home in Kent. I will watch over your family and you."

Susan replied "yes, of course, Derek is helpful to me. Alex and I will introduce infection control in our home. I will send my children to our holiday home. Yes, this all makes perfect sense. I have to do practical things to help this situation. That makes sense."

The Protector replied "I am glad you agree, Susan. Now I want you to protect yourself."

The Protector picked up his shield. It reminded Susan of the shields that Romans used; she loved learning about that time in history.

The Protector said "If you are afraid or in danger I want you to visualise this shield...... placed in front of you ........ covering your body completely. Think or say my name and I will come to you. You are not on your own Susan, I am with you now. I want to tell you that you will survive this event. You must remember the strength you always have within you, always."

"Thank you, Protector. I feel certain now that this will pass and I can deal with it with your help. I am a pretty tough person and I feel strong again now. You know, Protector, I feel at peace now. I am certain of your power to help and my own strength. I feel at peace now, thank you."

The Protector replied "I am glad to be of help Susan. If you need help, call on me. Thank you, Susan, for allowing me now to come into your life. You are much appreciated and loved by all of us. Goodbye."

The yellow and blue lights disappeared as The Protector ascended into a circle of white light in the ceiling and vanished. Susan smiled to herself. How much better she felt and how good it was to get some guidance and to feel at peace. She thought for a few moments about what he meant when he said that she is "loved and appreciated by all of us". She felt in time she would know.

Susan opened the doors that led onto the balcony. She looked at the night sky and how beautiful it was. She was so busy she hadn't noticed the beauty on her own doorstep. She could still, just about, make out the colours of the roses in the park. She looked up at the half moon in the sky above her. It looked like a bright light piercing the darkness. Susan had found light within her darkness. She was certain she had the strength within herself to defeat the killer infection - the Black Marbela - The Protector helped her see that. Susan was no longer afraid.

Susan took the advice of The Protector and took precautions to protect her family. Susan's husband often thought of Susan as being a lioness when it came to her children. He could see how hard it was for Susan to send her sons away to their summer home in Kent. They were old enough to look after themselves but Susan instructed them that they were to contact her everyday by phone. Alex insisted he would stay at home as he wanted to support Susan and to continue to see his own patients. Alex and Susan set up procedures in their apartment to protect against infection.

It was Sunday morning and Susan looked out of the windows of her home and noticed that there were a lot less people walking in the park and sitting in the bars and cafes. Susan and Alex were eating breakfast together. It was a grey day, the clouds were grey and daylight was dim, considering it was only morning time. Alex looked drawn and had lost weight.

Susan said "Alex, do you see how empty parts of London are? It's as if the very life of the city is being drained by this damn infection. The food market doesn`t appear as abundant with people as usual or the shops. You know, Alex, it doesn't matter whether patients have insurance or not, they all die from this disease. The shelves in the supermarket are almost completely empty. I miss our sons; they often have something funny to say when we all sit together."

"Susan, you're doing a great job. I am so proud of you, my wife, at the frontline of all this trouble!!

Susan glanced around her home. There were green masks and she disliked the smell of the disinfectant in her own home and the hand disinfectant she had installed at the front door, kitchen and bathrooms - but she knew these things were all necessary.

Alex gave her a prolonged kiss and touched her breasts.

He said "maybe I could give you a bit of a release?"

Susan smiled and Alex picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Susan giggled and laughed as Alex placed her gently on the bed. Alex made passionate love with Susan that morning; his muscular arms caressing her body helping her feel reassured that all would be well, as The Protector had told her.

There was coverage of the lethal disease in the media but few details were released in order to prevent panic in the population. Word of mouth was spreading more detail which was sometimes incorrect and Londoners became terrified of the illness and the rapid and excruciatingly painful death that was the hallmark of the infection. Victims of the disease were laid out in a closed casket – the disfigured appearance of the body after death would leave people shocked and add to the growing sense of panic. Even in her upper class area of Kensington, panic was beginning to develop.

Susan, because of her education in tropical medicine, continued to work closely with Derek at infection control within the hospital. Niamh, a nurse doing Trojan work in the face of this disaster, continued to gather information about the infection. She took it upon herself to contact relatives and friends of the victims. This was in addition to her nursing work in Accident and Emergency. Niamh seemed to feel responsible for the welfare of all staff and patients and worked to protect them. The number of cases arriving in the hospital had increased to twenty a day. The other London hospitals were also struggling to fight the infection. Susan decided to devote more of her time to studying patients because of her education in tropical medicine. She delegated some of her responsibilities to junior doctors. Susan felt a personal responsibility to rid the hospital of infection and she needed to gain an understanding of what she was dealing with.

Susan decided to join the research team in infectious diseases within the Infection, Prevention and Control Team of the hospital. She felt her knowledge of tropical medicine and disease would possibly help her to come to an understanding of the disease and work towards a cure or a vaccination. She met regularly with Derek. Derek had become the Director of Infection Control and gave her a invaluable insight into the disease, as he knew all of the data from the various departments of the hospital as they waged a war against the invisible enemy.

The hospital was successful in implementing its infection control policy. The Infection, Prevention and Control Team were functioning effectively and the members working well together. They were a multidisciplinary team that analysed information collected by Niamh, the lead nurse, and the deputy lead nurse. The staff on the ground also contributed information back to the team. The consultant virologist, hospital scientists and infection control doctors assessed the situation regularly and gave feedback to all departments within the hospital. Even the food and water entering the hospital was analysed daily to ensure its consumption was safe.

Despite the well organised approach, staff were becoming demoralised. The death total in the hospital climbed to two hundred patients within two weeks. Management were considering convening a Major Outbreak Control Group so that the all the hospitals of London would coordinate their approach in order to fight the outbreak.

Susan was feeling the pressure of her responsibilities but her intuition had become stronger than ever and it seemed that what she sensed in any situation was ninety-nine percent right. Her solutions to issues both inside and outside of the hospital always resulted in new approaches to the disease and most of the time solved serious issues. Because of her lack of information on the disease and the extra pressure of admissions, she decided to trust her intuition and act on the advice of that barely audible little voice in her mind that gave her solutions before her brain had analysed the information for her conscious mind to make decisions.

Derek and Susan went for lunch in the canteen. Susan asked "well Derek, do you think we are on top of the situation?"

Derek glanced at Susan. He could see Susan was nervous. Her fingers repeatedly twisted her cup around. He stretched out his strong arm and laid his hand on her shoulder. Susan couldn't explain it but she became deeply relaxed at his friendly touch.

Derek said "All the wheels are set in motion at our level and at government level, Susan. We are in a position to advise other hospitals in London. I have a friend at government level and I will ask him to advise the government to cancel travel in and out of London. Things are as good as they could be right now."

Susan looked around the canteen. She thought the staff looked rugged; they were eating quietly, as if to conserve energy for the unpredictable and dangerous work of ridding the hospital of the illness and keeping the patients comfortable.

Susan said "Derek, I have to advise you that I am considering the possibility that this is a result of a biological weapon."

Derek's eyes grew wide but he nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I think it is too. I think It may have come from Paris - all patients have been to Paris, by air at least, or have been in the presence of someone who has. The Major Outbreak Control Group has discovered that there have been similar cases in Paris but they are not experiencing our level of outbreak. I am sure it is both an airborne disease and can spread by touch also."

Susan replied: "well we have to do what we feel is necessary. I'll inform the group of our theory. "

"Dear God, Susan, I wish we could be wrong about this."

"We have to face the facts about this infection Derek, we have no choice. Derek, trust me, things will turn out fine."

Derek smiled and said "yes, things usually have a way of working out."

Susan could see the sadness in Derek's eyes. She patted him affectionately on the shoulder and said "it's my turn to buy lunch. I'll get you some of that cheesecake you love so much and a nice cup of coffee."

"Oh thank you, Susan. Yes, that would be nice of you!"

Derek was concerned about the outbreak spreading into the rest of Britain and Europe or even beyond. He rang a friend he knew at government level whom he played golf with. He asked that the government ban flights to and from Britain and Europe, just for a few days. His friend quickly advised him that it might not be allowed. Airlines and airports would lose money and business people made important journeys at all times of the day and night. He promised Derek that he would recommend this to the government straight away. His friend rang Derek the next day informing him that the request had been refused on the grounds of massive financial losses in Britain if all flights were to be cancelled. Derek and Susan knew that the infection would more than likely spread in London and to other areas of Britain at least - if not Europe also - if flights were not banned.

Derek thought "how ridiculous!". Governments and airlines refusing to stop travel by plane which could on its own prevent the spread of Black Marbela. All because of money. Derek marvelled at the stupidity of the human race, putting money before the health of humans worldwide.

Derek opened a bottle of whiskey and poured some into a glass and knocked it down his throat. Followed rapidly by another. He was alone in his sitting room; his wife had died from cancer a year ago. His home was surrounded by tasteful furniture and paintings which she had chosen. The paintings were bright - she had been such a happy woman. She was a devoted wife, always listening when he had had a hard day at the hospital. She would inevitably end the conversation by cracking a joke and making him laugh. Then he would feel better. They didn't have children but their love for each other was enough.

He remembered how his wife had died in hospital. She was dying as he held her hand. The image of her seemed to be imprinted into his brain. She was half her size because her cancer had eaten her body to the point where it had killed its host. It killed his first and only love. She smiled at Derek in the last moments of her death, barely able to breathe. He could see the bones of her ribs sticking out of her body. She smiled and told him he will never be alone, that she would look after him even after death...... until he joins her in heaven. She pressed his hand in hers and it took her great effort. She then left his world. Their family and friends heard the news and flocked to the hospital. Derek belonged to a generation that dictated that men don't cry, so he spent the time in the hospital subduing and fighting back his tears.

He wailed and cried uncontrollably when he got home on his own. He closed the curtains all around his home and didn't leave the house for two weeks. He considered ending his life more than once. Derek began to realise his wife wouldn't approve of him wasting his life. He decided to stay alive as a way of honouring her whom he loved life so much.

He sat in his couch looking at the paintings of large roses of pink red and yellow. He was alone but not lonely. He lay back in his couch with his glass of whiskey. It had a golden, comforting hue to it. He circled the whiskey slowly round and round the bottom of the tumbler glass. He began to feel that familiar warmth around him and a smell of roses.... his wife had adored roses. Once he had covered the sitting room with roses and had put petals in their bed for Valentine's Day. As she walked into the room, she literally jumped into the air with glee, giggling and laughing like a child on Christmas Day. He smiled and fell asleep. He dreamt of his wife. She was talking to him in his sleep. His wife was listening intently to all he said....... just like she did when she was alive. She smiled at him and told him not to worry, things would turn out fine. He had a deep and restful sleep when he had these dreams. He did not care for the accusation of 'superstition' that people had for these experiences. He was a man of science but he knew he talked to his wife in his dreams. They had always had an unbreakable bond when she was alive. Their love was eternal and had continued beyond the grave.

The concern of the Infection, Prevention and Control Team of the hospital increased and despite their efforts to run the hospital smoothly, it was under pressure due to the exponential increase of the number of victims of the disease. The Major Outbreak Control Group was convened. Derek and Susan had gathered much information on the disease through lab work and analysis of the data collected from London. They worked on how to prevent the disease spreading through the city. They had introduced measures to limit the spread of the disease within hospitals. Derek and Susan were considered experts on the disease and led the group. Susan continued her scientific investigation of the disease and was working towards a vaccine. An outbreak of the disease was declared in London, as all hospitals began to wrestle with the enemy infection. Government health officials became involved and made press releases advising the population on the precautions that each individual had to take - in an effort to avoid an epidemic. This decreased the number of people entering the hospital with the infection. Susan and Derek were well respected for their ground-breaking research. Their efforts formed the basis for policies and actions taken in London as the people of the city continued to battle against the deadly disease - the Black Marbela.

Chapter 14

Linda rented a car and drove to the ancient ruins of Hippocrates Asklepeion Hospital in Kos, Greece. She didn't go on a tour to be surrounded by swarms of camera-clicking tourists taking selfies, not even noticing the monuments or the beauty of the places around them. This was always an important place for her. She learned about the ancient monument from television programmes and books....... the birthplace of medicine, known throughout the ancient world as a place of healing. The Hippocratic Oath that modern doctors take was written by Hippocrates himself. Hippocrates was responsible for the introduction of modern medicine to humanity. She wanted to spend time in this place on her own, to have a private, almost intimate, experience of the monument where the 'father of modern medicine' once practised. She wanted to spend all the time in the world fulfilling her dream in visiting this magical place.

Linda reverently walked around the columns of stone and up the stone steps. She walked along a row of steps towards the top of the hill where she had a view of the surrounding fields. Linda stepped around the columns in a slow, respectful way that many tourists do when experiencing an old cathedral or ancient monastery which has such a beauty that it transcends religion. This was one of those places that even though the monument was in ruins, it had the same level of importance to Linda

Linda began to think about the matters of her heart, the hurt that hadn't been healed over time. She also reflected on more positive and true thoughts as she walked through the ancient monument. The columns seemed to glow slightly due to the light of the evening sun. Linda's red hair looked brighter in the rays of the sun. She acknowledged to herself that some things in her past were not her fault, especially in her family. When she went travelling, she encountered her true self, not who her family told her she was. It was time for her to lay down the heavy weight in her life that was the blame her brother and sister assigned to her, nearly all her life. Her brother and sister wanted her to be a scapegoat for the family falling apart.

She remembered a particularly hurtful conversation with her sister which she had replayed in her mind many times in the past, and even now, even while she was enjoying herself, tonight her mind nagged her about her sister. Linda relived a painful moment again but this time in an attempt to heal, to forgive herself.

Her sister was in Linda's kitchen staring at her.

Kate said "yes Linda, you with the perfect little life, 'little miss perfect'! Well, Linda you are not that perfect at all. Daddy's girl...... you took all the attention from father away from me and onto yourself. You spiteful bitch!!!"

Her sister walked towards her, swinging a bottle of wine left and right in the air. Linda was terrified she might hit her and moved to the kitchen top to reach for her mobile. She may have to ring the police again.

"And as if that wasn't enough you have caused me my drug problem. Yes you have, you stuck-up prude!!! All the things you have done to me in life have caused immeasurable damage to my brain!!! I hate you!! I HATE YOU!!!!" she screamed at Linda.

Linda could see there was a full moon outside on that night and her sister often became agitated during the night of a full moon.

Linda replied with a quiver in her voice. "Look, Kate, I have never done anything wrong to you intentionally. If anything, I have tried to help you as best I could."

Linda was wringing her hands and biting her lip.

Kate's voice became louder as the conversation continued. She was barely able to pour the wine from the bottle into the wine glass...... she was so drunk. Wine splashed on the floor as her sister desperately tried to fill her glass. As if she would die if she couldn't continue to drink herself into oblivion.

"No," Kate continued. "No, you bloody well never did anything for me!!! You did things for me for yourself, so you could gloat at me and feel good about yourself because you think you are above me. You do things to make me feel superior."

Kate's face was lined with wrinkles, making her look older than she was. She was thin, almost emaciated. Her blonde, unkempt hair was dyed but black streaks were emerging from it.

Linda was struggling to keep her temper in check; she didn't want to stoop to her sister's level.

Linda became nervous, she felt as if someone was squeezing her throat, it was constricted and she spoke in a high-pitched voice.

"Look, Kate, I think it's time you left."

Kate charged at her with the wine bottle. "I'm going to make you pay for what you have done to me and the family!!!!!"

Linda stepped out of her way as Kate ran towards her. Kate slammed herself against the wall. As if in a cartoon, her sister slowly slid down the wall to the ground and formed into a ball on the floor. Linda dragged her onto the couch as Kate was too heavy for Linda to lift. Despite the hate that Kate had for Linda, she lovingly put a pillow under Kate's head and slid a blanket over her sister who was snoring loudly.

Linda felt some guilt towards her sister as Kate slept a drunken sleep. Maybe she could have done more for her. She stared at her sister, who seemed to be in a peaceful sleep. Linda drank a glass of wine to calm down and proceeded to criticise herself. She berated herself for not doing enough for her sister and the fact that she was doing so well in her life and Kate had turned into a drug addict and an alcoholic. When Linda rose from her bed in the morning, she was relieved that her sister had left her home.

Linda brought herself back into the present to the place that she had travelled..... the place she had always wanted to visit. She was disappointed to be in such an important and beautiful, historical place and to think of these thoughts. She decided she wouldn't let her thoughts about Kate disturb her. Just by being in this place of healing she felt she was beginning to understand her past and herself.

Linda thought of another painful event, one that haunted her most days of her life. She replayed again in her mind the day of her mother's death. Linda remembered herself in the middle of a tantrum with her mother. She hated math as a child and was determined not to do her homework that evening. She saw the look of annoyance on her mother's face as she left the house. Then came her darkest memory of all....... when the policeman had come to the house and spoke to her father. She saw the policeman's concerned demeanour at the door....... talking to her father and as he spoke, her father's face became almost chalk-white. Linda knew something was terribly wrong. Her father shut the door slowly and called for his children to come together in the sitting room where he broke the news to them. This upsetting internal film of these events always stopped Linda in what she was doing and she would bend her head in sadness. Her brother and sister blamed Linda for the death of their mother. Since then, because Linda had that argument which caused their mother to drive away, her brother and sister held her responsible for their mother's death. Linda came to realise, as she was looking at the view from the steps on the monument, that her brother and sister had never been friendly towards her. In the early years of childhood they had already rejected her. They used this event as a stick to beat her with and had done so, until today.

For the first time, Linda contemplated the importance of family life in the development of mental illness or other emotional issues and how this affected her, not just her patients. Her maladjusted family life resulted in psychological difficulties as an adult. She owed it to herself to break away from the past and focus on creating a good future. She spoke into a recorder and recorded these positive thoughts on tape, positive thoughts about herself and her life. Some patients forgot such important thoughts and breakthroughs such as these and fell back into their old ways. Linda would remember. Her mother's death wasn't her fault and her sister's addictions weren't her fault. She felt a fog of self-blame lifting from her mind. She could see the truth. She knew she could never be happy until she could face old memories and emotions from the past and forgive herself and her family.

Things were different now, Linda had changed. She realised that she is an adult and her life doesn't have to be defined by her past or her family. She began to realise that she was never responsible for any member of her family and that included her sister. On the steps of the ancient Hippocrates hospital, she declared to herself that she would free herself from the chains of her family's past. She would hold onto her true self, the attractive, confident and kind person she was. As she said these thoughts to herself, she did feel as if she was dumping heavy baggage on the ground and she felt lighter.

Linda walked through the many pillars that formed the ruins of the ancient site. Some were in perfect condition while others were broken and much of it was simply rubble. The ruin had been renovated recently. The steps progressed up to what developed into a steep slope. There were rows of perfectly-preserved steps and some of the columns seemed to have the outline of faces and bodies. It was said that Hippocrates ordered the building to be so beautiful and inspiring so as to impress the patients that were coming to him. They would be in awe of the building and acknowledge that they were approaching a place that could make them well from sickness. This in itself Hippocrates thought would aid the healing process. He believed that healing was largely psychological and used psychological methods to encourage his patients to believe in their own healing power. He rarely asked for money but asked that visitors and relations of the patients bring fresh vegetables, fruit and spices as payment for healing.

Linda felt a breeze move through her hair and it moved the leaves on the trees. It was as if the trees were whispering to her. She sensed something magical in the air around her but couldn't describe it. She smelled lavender and rose. Three beings emerged from the ancient pillars. White light emanated from them and each had a different shade of colour. Linda was surprised but not frightened. She moved back a few steps in surprise and stared at the beings. She felt an intense feeling of love from them. She immediately knew they meant her no harm. They were here to help or to teach her or possibly guide her. She didn't know which it was but she instinctively knew they loved her, possibly much more than she loved herself. She waited to listen to these beings, whatever they would say.

"Linda, do not be afraid, we approach you with love," one of the beings said. The three beings moved closer as they walked slowly down the steps.

"We are The Protectors of the Light."

They were taller than Linda, even though Linda was almost six foot. They all glowed brightly, like the light of the sun and sparkled like starlight. One had a calming green glow within it. Another glowed copper-yellow. The last had a centre of bright orange. This being was so bright that Linda found it hard to look directly at it so she could only glance. The being in orange had a small ball in its hand. Linda stepped back a little, it was so bright and fire circulated around it. It reminded Linda of the sun. There were others. Linda counted eleven in total. She thought they were male, the features of their faces were less rounded and sharper than a woman's features and they all seemed very broad at their shoulders, from what she could make out from looking at the shapes of their robes. Linda had never seen such a beautiful vision. She flicked her long, red hair over her shoulder and rubbed her eyes as if the beings would disappear when she woke up. Anything like this vision would be considered a hallucination by her profession.

Linda asked "who are you and what do you want of me?!"

One of the beings walked slowly towards Linda and stopped. It was the copper-yellow being. Linda could see he had silver hair which was shining like the moon.

He said "hello Linda, you can call me 'Hope'. I help improve communication between people. I clear confusion. I taught ancient man to communicate with words. Dear Linda, do not be afraid. We approach you with much love."

The being held out its hand. Linda reached out and took it. She immediately felt a strong pulse of energy flowing into her. Linda felt excited and euphoric. She had never taken drugs before but she thought maybe this is what a high feels like.

Linda asked "why are you here?"

The copper-yellow being said "we are The Protectors of the Light. We come from the Great Source of Light. This source has many names like God, Yahweh and peoples from other planets have different names that describe the light with a similar meaning. These many names are used in an attempt to describe the great power of the Light. The Light from which we exist binds all animals, nature, planets, universes and galaxies. The Great Source of Light binds all things together. We, The Protectors of the Light, must now bring mankind to bask in the light. We want all of humanity to know of 'The Great Source of Light'. Human love and happiness are features of this light. There are those who will try to stop us, this is a difficult mission. We come now to teach mankind and prepare him for his last phase of development."

Linda asked "what do you plan to do?"

The green Protector of Light stepped forward and began to speak.

"Hello, sweet Linda. I am known in ancient history as 'The Healer'. Our purpose in ancient times was to teach humans how to live. Aliens in the past, before mankind as you know it, created humanoids on earth, that was a type of early human but not as intelligent as the humans that have evolved to this stage. They had no thoughts. The only existence they knew was mining or building monuments for energy centres so as to supply aliens with energy. A particular species of alien created them to mine or to make or build whatever they required the humanoids to do. This is what they were created and genetically programmed to do. In some areas of the world, they were used to build ancient monuments that had a specific function for alien travel or transporting resources into space. When the time had come for the aliens to leave and they had extracted the resources they needed from the earth, the aliens tried to destroy all the humanoids. They sent a great flood to destroy them."

The Healer's light glowed less strongly and Linda could see that the dazzling white face of the Healer appeared sad. He had lowered his head and a few moments passed before he spoke again.

The Healer continued. "The aliens almost wiped them out when they had obtained what they wanted. That is why, in communities around the world where there are ancient ruins, no one knows what they mean or what they did. The humanoids of the population who served the aliens were wiped out in many regions of the world so there is no memory of alien method and so, no meaning of their ruins in the present."

"So you have come again, to teach us?" Linda asked, beginning to shake a little.

All of this information was too much for her scientific mind. She remembered her father's stories about angels. She never believed in those stories but she always felt, during her studies of the human mind, that there was something beyond the mind and the brain but she didn't know what it was. She had a feeling maybe these beings held the answer to that question. The Protector of the Light spoke again. The wind seemed to whisper gently through the trees. The other Protectors of the Light stood quietly. Linda wasn't sure if this was a dream but she wanted it to be real.

The Protector of the Light began to illuminate into an even more radiant green than a few moments ago.

He said "yes, that is what we hope to achieve. In history, there is confusion about man's development. You see, these aliens became worshipped by early mankind. The aliens took the resources they wanted and attempted to destroy early man but we did not allow them to kill them all. We succeeded in some places to save early man, as many as we could. When the aliens left we sought a place for the humanoids to live."

The Protector of the Light glowing bright orange and yellow, with the miniature sun, walked closer to Linda. "We asked the Earth Mother, or Mother Nature as some now call her, to provide an environment for early man where they could grow and develop and give us the conditions that would enable us to teach early man. The Earth Mother kindly did so. She is an ancient primordial power and in olden times she was worshipped as being the provider of everything for all of mankind, even the seas, the skies and the stars. She was considered a goddess and everything in the world was sacred to man since everything that was on earth came from the goddess - the Earth Mother. Now, well, you know Linda how much help the Earth Mother needs to heal. I am here to help the Earth Mother, to heal her so that she need not wreak revenge on humanity for their mistreatment of her."

Linda asked The Healer "what were these ancient early humans like? How did you help them?"

The Healer said "they were physically like you or any human but their only function was to mine or build. When they no longer had this function and when the aliens left the humanoids, they were in a state of confusion. They were anguished and traumatised from their ill treatment by the aliens who regularly beat them and tortured them if they did not work hard enough. We gathered the rejected early humans together in large numbers. This area was one of our major centres and we taught them principles of democracy, science, geometry and medicine. In time, slowly, early man progressed to what they are now, with our guidance. They prospered and of their own accord left our centres of refuge and learning and populated the earth. They have now developed into the human race. All of us love and cherish humanity. They are the jewel in the crown in all of creation."

Another being stepped forward slowly. It radiated golden, pulsating light as a copper shade revolved around the edge of his body. Linda was stunned by the luminous silver of his hair. He stepped forward as The Healer stepped back.

"Hello Linda, I am 'Hope'. I will tell you a little more. Here, in Greece, we taught man democracy, which spread to many cultures way beyond Greece and lasts to this present day. In the Age of Enlightenment, another step in mankind's development, I talked to men and women who began to study the world and study space. I gave some humans knowledge about science and geometry, only just enough that they were able to understand, and led them to learn that the earth is a sphere, that it revolves around the sun. I gave insight to some individuals about telescopes and they began to learn the basics of science. I did so in person, they were aware of my presence. They took on the task we gave them which was to introduce this knowledge to the world. Now, all this knowledge and more pervades all of western culture to this day. Almost all of these developments arise from our guidance."

The breeze grew stronger, Hope's silver hair moved a little and Linda thought of the moon as she looked at him. The sun was beginning to sink into the cream and grey clouds that appeared lined with gold.

"What do you want me to do?" Linda asked.

Hope said "when people ask me to help them with effective communication, I can guide them to do this. I ask you to take a message to carry to the world from us. Every human being on this earth is linked to the energy that we channel. We call it The Great Source of Light. At a certain time this year - you will know when the time comes - we would like you to tell all the peoples of the world that they are many times more powerful than they think. That if they just think of The Great Source of Light and ask for our help, they can connect to the greatest power in the universe that we use and represent on Earth. Our power is available for every individual human being. The Source is in the stars, beyond the solar system and in all planets and all universes. We are here now again, emerging from the Great Source, the Universal Mind, to assist in the last stage of man's development."

Linda said "but there have been terrible things happening here on earth. I can think of the Second World War for one. Where were all of you then?"

Hope said "we have mentioned, Linda, that there are those that work against mankind and against us. Even now they continue to do so and they work with humans that are full of hate for their fellow man. That force was behind the war and it was with great sorrow and horror that we saw them succeed in having so many humans kill each other. But we did come to the aid of mankind and caused many events that resulted in the defeat of the Nazis. There are many soldiers in the allied armies who reported 'mysterious occurrences' - for which they had no explanation - that favoured them and resulted in the lives of thousands of people and allied soldiers being saved. Of course these were not recorded in history, for the events suggested that a power greater than man is involved in all of mankind's affairs. Just like all our other interventions for early mankind and modern man have not been recorded. But that is as it should be, this is our way."

Linda said "look, thanks for the offer but I don't think this is a role for me. I'm not a good public speaker anyway."

Hope said "we will help and you will be given favourable conditions to do so."

The Healer was now pulsating a beaming green light and Linda thought of the shade of the grass and the trees in Spring, having woken from their sleep in Winter, which she would see in the land surrounding her father's home.

He stepped forward slowly. "When people have knowledge of my existence, I heal them if asked. Linda, I heal you now. I know you have made much progress with how you understand yourself and your family since you have been travelling and since you have walked on the steps of this monument. I heal you and take away any other pain you may have had in the past and any other negative thoughts you have towards yourself. You are perfect Linda, just as you are. I heal now your mind. Any upset or mental distress that it contains and ever contained I take away from you now."

The Healer approached Linda and put his hand gently on her forehead. Linda could see there was a softly glowing mist of green light circulating around his hands. The green mist extended from The Healer's hands and surrounded Linda's head. Linda felt a different energy this time. At first she felt The Healer was commanding but now she felt an energy of peace emanating from him. Since thinking of her sister in such detail, she had developed a headache which had gotten worse because of all of this knowledge, which was so different to her own beliefs. As The Healer had placed his hand on Linda's forehead, Linda noticed that she stopped thinking of the disturbing thoughts of her sister and her headache had left her.

The Protectors of the Light appeared to have wings but Linda was unsure. She saw that they had elongated pillars of light that arched from the body of each one into the sky and it seemed to go beyond the clouds. The light became pointed at the level of the tree tops and extended into the sky. White rays of light were vibrating in a circular motion....... slowly around each of The Protectors of the Light. Linda was in awe of their beauty and fell to her knees, astounded by their gentleness and love. She had never experienced this perfect love; she didn't think humans would be capable of it.

Linda had a confused tone in her voice as she fell to her knees in front of The Healer.

"Ammm....... look....... I don't really know if I can do as you ask. I mean...... how? When?"

The Healer kept his hand on Linda's forehead. He spoke in a soothing voice.

"Linda, do not kneel before us, we do not wish humans to worship us. Listen to me sweet one and don't be afraid. You are not alone. We have chosen you and two others. We have chosen you because we know you can do this, if you wish to accept your role. We will arrange the circumstances and the means for what you need to complete your purpose. We will guide you, one step at a time. You will have difficulties ahead. In times of difficulty, there will be one of us to help you - one you have not met tonight. He is strong and powerful and will guide you in difficult times. He is known as The Protector and is, if you like, part of our defence and a defence for all who believe in him on earth."

Linda stood up slowly. Her mouth dropped open in surprise as she flicked her hair over her shoulder. Colin had spoken to her of this being and she thought he was just tired from his journey.

The Protector of the Light, with the flaming yellow-orange colour, approached Linda. "So, sweet one, will you help us? Do you accept your role?"

The sun was sinking into the clouds further and it was becoming twilight, that time of day when it is difficult to see. When darkness merges with light. Linda bowed her head, flicking her hair over her shoulder again nervously. She began kneading her fingers slowly as she considered their request. It felt right to do what she was asked, almost as if she was born to do this. The idea of it excited her. The Protectors of the Light telepathically heard Linda without Linda speaking.

The Healer said "thank you Linda. If you need me just call my name and I will be with you."

Hope said, "Linda, do not focus on the fear, or the hate, that humans can have. Do not waste your light in the contemplation of such things. Instead focus on the light within yourself and the goodness of those around you. When you see things and people through eyes of love and hope, even in very difficult times, it is easier for us to enter your life and make right what is not right for you. This is also our promise to all of humanity in times to come. Linda, when the time is right, tell the world of The Great Source of the Light and our willingness to help every human being. Just follow our guidance, step by step, and you can complete your purpose. Go forth now Linda and tell the world of our words. Call on me if you need help expressing yourself or if you need to be assertive. Goodbye for now Linda. Do not fear. All is well. We will see you again soon."

"Ok, well, thank you so much," Linda said smiling. She stood on the platform on top of the ruin and she smiled and waved goodbye as The Protectors of the Light soared upwards into the sky within seconds.

Linda returned to her hotel room. While she realised the gravity of the role The Protectors of the Light gave her, she felt a little excited and energised by meeting them. She hadn't drunk much since she went travelling. She didn't need a drink to be happy. She sat smiling on the edge of the bed. She didn't want to go asleep; she wanted to do what they asked right away but that probably meant getting some sleep and preparing for the next exciting chapter of her life. Linda didn't leave the lamp on in her room that night. She wasn't afraid of the dark anymore. Anything that she dreamed of, lurking in the corners of her darkened room, would not worry her anymore now that she was in contact with these powerful and loving beings.

The following morning, she woke and remembered the previous night's events. She thought that maybe something was wrong with the food she had eaten that day. She was weary from travelling and at first was uncertain if The Protectors of the Light really existed. She noticed her small voice recorder was on the locker beside her. She played the small tape-recorder. She heard all the different beings she had talked to that night on the tape and she knew The Protectors of the Light were real.

Linda had visited all the places in Europe she had only ever dreamed of visiting. Towards the end of her travels she visited beaches which she had not travelled to during her journey because she wanted to experience as much of the culture of Europe as possible. She thought it would be nice to relax in the sun before she returned to the cloudy, oppressive grey skies of Birmingham. Linda was in regular contact with Colin on social media and he had phoned her a couple of times. It was time to return home. She missed her father and she felt she had finally dealt with the pain that she felt from the rest of her family's actions. She had transformed, like a butterfly, into the woman she always wanted to be. People liked her because she learned to like herself. She had experienced a wonderful whirlwind romance with Colin. She had discovered that the world could be an exciting and wonderful place. She opened her laptop and booked a one way ticket to Birmingham.

She arrived at the airport in Birmingham. The aeroplane plummeted through many layers of grey clouds then heavy rain. The plane landed with a bump. There was no sunshine, like Linda had become accustomed to. Nobody was there to collect her and she took a taxi home. She already began to feel the isolation that she was so familiar with in her country.

A taxi brought her to her apartment. She didn't feel that 'hurray, I'm back home!' feeling that people felt after spending a long time travelling. Instead she felt the dread of returning to her ordinary, normal, everyday life. She turned the key of the door and entered her cold apartment. She sat down at the kitchen table as a tear slid down her cheek and dropped onto the kitchen table.

Linda decided to call her father. Her father was delighted she was home. Linda arranged to meet her father the following day. She drove to the comfort and beauty of the Cotswolds. She arrived at the family home. The familiarity of the local area began to help her feel more secure and less isolated.

Linda knocked on the large oak door with the familiar shiny brass knocker and door handle, Jonathon hadn't replaced the doors with what he called 'modern plastic looking doors'.

The butler opened the door.

He said excitedly "Linda! Oh....... hello! You seem to be getting taller every time you visit!"

Linda smiled and said "Arthur, I'm thirty five, I don't grow anymore!"

Mary rushed down the black marble staircase "well, you are always a little one to us miss!"

Linda laughed. Arthur took Linda's coat. Linda looked around and smiled as she looked at the familiar marble wall, still shining, the sun's light reflecting from it. Jonathon rushed out of the study and hugged Linda.

"Oh Linda, how I have missed you. Oh do come and tell me all about everything!!!" "Father, I've missed you!"

She kissed Jonathon on the forehead.

Linda and her father sat at the long, large oak table in the dining room where they ate dinner. The familiar paintings of ancestors from many years ago seemed to look at them as they talked. Her father looked at her with excitement in his eyes. Linda had bought him a present in Greece. Her father loved sunny weather so she had bought him a model of the sun. It glowed in the light - there were specks of real gold and silver all around the edges which were set in porcelain. Her father was transfixed as he stared at the gift. There were only small weak rays of sun entering the kitchen window and the model of the sun caught the light and glowed slightly.

Linda said "now, Dad, you can have a piece of the sun even if it's not shining!"

Jonathon said "Linda, thank you, it's fabulous. Now you must tell me everything, you know how I love talking about travelling. You've heard me talk about Africa so often! My Lord you look fabulous! It's a long, long time since I've seen you look so well!"

Linda studied her father, trying to assess his health. He seemed to be much thinner. He seemed to hold onto chairs as if to prop himself up. He looked more frail since she had left on her travels. He had more grey hair. Her father was so excited to see her that she didn't want to ruin the moment with problems.

Linda and her father spent the rest of the day and into the night talking about her travels. Arthur had made a fire; large chunks of wood were beginning to light, flames licked at the logs. Linda noticed the familiar huge white marble fireplace that took up most of the long wall in the sitting room. She talked about Greece and decided to tell her father about the event at Hippocrates hospital.

"Dad, it was most unusual, the four beings glowing so bright and such beautiful colours, I have seen nothing like it. They told me that some aliens visited earth and created mankind to mine resources from the earth and then destroyed them. Then, these beings, they call themselves the Protectors of the Light, say they saved mankind from destruction several times. They said they had taught us so much information that survives to this day such as democracy, how to create buildings and medicine. They want me to talk publicly about them at some time in the future. They said I have hard times ahead but I will be guarded at all times by some being called The Protector. What do you think of all that Daddy?"

Her father looked through the venetian windows for a little while. They provided a view of the garden that stretched towards the hills. It was as if he was dreaming. Linda knew her father was carefully thinking about his answer and the right way to say it.

"Linda, there are many, many things mankind does not understand. Once you remove yourself from all the difficulties and complexities of your everyday life, you can experience them. I experienced things in Africa I could never explain to myself or other people because I didn't even have words to describe them."

Linda said in desperation, with hope in her voice "so you have some idea of what I'm talking about?"

Linda was desperately hoping that someone would understand. Her father turned around, away from the window, and looked Linda straight in the eye.

He said in a gentle voice "Linda, yes I understand. But I was never required to do anything, that part sounds a bit strange to me."

Linda looked tense, as she said in a confused tone to her father "well what should I do?"

"You know Linda, sometimes it's best to take things step by step. The experience was positive so there is that much. See what happens next."

"Okay Dad, well at least I know I'm not crazy now."

"Linda, my sweet girl, when a situation defies logic and reason, such as this, the best thing to do is to rely on your intuition, your heart. Your mother had that wonderful and sometimes necessary skill and you have it too my love. She passed on the gift of strong intuition to you. That's how you are so good with your patients."

Linda asked "what exactly do you mean, Daddy?"

"Linda, use your intuition when you can't reason about something or when there are no facts for you to go on. Ask yourself what you feel about this situation........ do you have good or bad feelings? What do you think is really happening within this person or situation...... what do I feel is the best thing to do? Your heart will always give you an answer, if you trust it".

Linda flicked back her hair. The moon was full in the sky. Linda thought it looked like a huge silver coin when she was small. She smiled, so many years ago and she was looking out the same window now as when she was a child. There weren't many street lights where her family home was. It was so dark outside you could see the moon lighting the front garden with a gentle glow, a silver glow.

Jonathon looked at Linda and she seemed worried. He wanted her to enjoy this night with him because they hadn't talked in so long.

He said "now, Linda I know, when you do that, you are stressed. There is nothing to worry about, but the answer to all of this, I feel is within you. But no, you certainly are not crazy my dear!"

Her father smiled. "Can I offer you a glass of wine?"

"Yes, Dad, that would be nice."

Linda's father poured wine into a crystal glass and some whiskey into a crystal tumbler for himself. He only brought out the crystal glasses for a special time. They had been given them as a present on his deceased wife's wedding day by her parents. They were a family heirloom passed on from his wife's great grandmother. Linda enjoyed looking at the crystal glasses. They were all that was left that belonged to her mother. Peter and Kate had divided all her belongings between them, there was nothing left for Linda. Jonathon had never remarried or even dated after his wife's death. Jonathon sat beside the fire. Linda thought he seemed to glow a little, she remembered Colin had the same look at times.

"Now, tell me my dear, what was your favourite part of your journey? Tell me about this young man that you've mentioned so much."

Susan and her father laughed and laughed that night. Linda told him about Colin, it felt so good to talk about all these things because he was the only person she talked to since she had come home. Linda began to wonder what she would do without her father. She didn't even want to contemplate it. Linda concentrated on her father and the pleasant conversation they had in an attempt to stop thinking about it. Something was wrong, very wrong. In bed, Linda tried hard not to contemplate what her heart was telling her. She could not extinguish the feelings of dread she had about her father, the only family member that loved her.

Linda woke at three o'clock in the morning. She felt there was something seriously wrong. There was a pain in her heart. She pressed her hands on her chest and thought she may be having a heart attack and then it passed and she fell asleep.

Late in the morning she woke to the phone ringing. She glanced at the number display and did not recognize the number. She answered the phone quickly.

"Linda, it's Peter".

Linda was surprised that Peter had called her and she sensed straight away that something alarming had happened.

"Hi Peter, we haven't talked for such a long time, how are you?"

"I'm fine. Linda, father is dead."

Linda gasped and said "what....... what, Peter? What did you say?"

There was a tone of sadness in her brother's voice. "Linda, listen carefully, father is dead. He had a heart attack last night."

Linda grasped for any thoughts in her mind that would assure her that this was not true. Linda replied with suspicion.

"Peter, is this some kind of a joke?"

"No, Linda. The funeral is the day after tomorrow, Thursday of this week. I will arrange it. I know you will be extremely upset. He was a good man, but he was sick for a long time."

Linda spoke in a high pitched voice and she spoke faster than normal as she began to panic.

"Peter, thank you. I will not attend any part of the funeral. I will visit dad on my own afterwards."

"Ok if that's what you want to do."

Linda began to sob on the phone, her tears sliding down the phone and dripping off her nose.

"Thanks for telling me and making the arrangements, Peter."

"Goodbye, Linda"

"Bye, Pete".

Linda stood in the kitchen. She was still clenching the phone in the air and she was frozen like a statue, she was in shock. Linda started to scream, a primal scream that had been with mankind since its beginning. A shrill scream that marked the death of a beloved human being that no one would ever, ever meet and talk to again in the physical way. Linda fell to her knees still screaming. Her scream permeated the whole apartment block. She slammed the floor with her fists. Her screams gave way to a dull moaning as she fell asleep on the floor. This was the same reaction she had throughout her life. She fell asleep when deeply distressed as a way of cutting off the tension that might overthrow her sanity.

Sarah, Linda's friend, drove Linda to her father's funeral. Linda stood away from the funeral crowd that was burying her beloved dad on the edge of the forest nearby. She was far enough away not to be seen but close enough to see the burial. Sarah stood with her and held her hand. Linda was shaking as she gripped Sarah's hand. Sarah was a curvaceous woman, she had lost her figure since having her son. She had chestnut brown her that seemed to flow to midway down her back. As the coffin was lowered into the earth, it was brought home and made clear to Linda her father was dead. Sarah held Linda as her legs began to give way. Tears streamed down Linda's face. Sarah knew that this was a necessary stage of grief for Linda but she had never seen anyone dance so close to the fire of insanity before, as a result of grief. She was unsure how to help her but she would try.

Linda waited until the funeral mourning party walked away. Everyone dressed in black. Linda had never liked that colour and never wore it. Kate and Peter lingered for a while then walked away slowly. Peter looked back twice as if to confirm his father's funeral had taken place. Linda and Sarah waited until everyone had walked away solemnly. Linda walked to the edge of the grave. She noticed the heap of earth on the edge of the grave. Eventually the earth would be thrown onto the grave with a shovel. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Linda felt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest. She never knew actual pain could be felt in your heart when you were so upset. Sarah linked Linda's arm to hold her steady. Linda did not think she could endure this emotional pain.

The funeral had devastated Linda. Sarah said, with concern in her voice, "Linda, are you going to be ok? I'm really worried about you. Do you think you need to see a doctor?"

There was a long silence and Linda eventually spoke.

"Sarah if I need to go to the doctor, I will go."

There was another silence.

"I will see how I feel in a few days."

Sarah replied "would you like to come home with me? I know you would have to put up with my small boy but you are welcome to stay."

"Thanks Sarah, yes I'll stay in your home, maybe just for tonight."

"Fabulous, that's settled then. Come on then, you need to rest. I'll keep David quiet for a while and I'll make sure he is on his best behaviour!"

Susan smiled as she made an attempt at good humour. Linda smiled but it was more like a forced grin.

Sarah and Linda walked arm in arm to Sarah's car. It started to rain and rain drops bounced off the roof of the car. The clouds were heavy and dark overhead, there was only a little light and the day looked like it was approaching twilight even though it was still afternoon. The miserable weather compounded the deep depression that was already growing within Linda. Sarah drove into the city, glancing at her friend in order to assess her behaviour. Sarah was crying too but on the inside she couldn't bear to see her friend in such distress.

Linda's experience of reality was altered. She saw everything slowing down. The cars on the road were driving slowly, it rained slowly and the buildings passed by slowly. She knew this was a sign of shock which was healthy. Then suddenly she plummeted into the darkness in her heart and her very soul. There was darkness on all levels of her being. Linda stayed overnight with Sarah. She had slept the whole day of the funeral, through the night and into the morning. Sarah promised she would help Linda with anything she needs. Linda had forgotten altogether about The Protectors of the Light, so deep was her depression. It seemed to be an event that happens when you travel and it doesn't seem to belong in everyday life.

Peter rang her a few days later but they were not able to overcome their differences. Her sister and brother wanted the mansion but Linda refused. They wanted to bring Linda to court but she offered five hundred thousand pounds each as a settlement and they accepted it. Linda was unsure when she would move in but the staff of the household told her they would look after the house until she decided to move in. They would continue to work in the house if Linda agreed, which Linda did.

Linda rang Peter twice since then but he never returned her calls. Weeks after, he had not been in touch. Kate had not contacted Linda at all, which didn't surprise Linda as Kate never helped her in any emergency or showed any positive emotions towards Linda.

Linda woke up one morning. Something within her had changed. She felt a small flicker of light begging to be noticed in her soul, a bud of hope growing within her heart. She rolled out of her bed, stood up slowly and looked out her window. She looked to the sky and she noticed flocks of geese flying in a v shaped formation. She stared at them as they flew by. They were free..... Mother Nature ensuring they fly to their destination, no compass, no instruments and they arrive where nature wishes them to be. They migrate because it gets cold in Britain and fly to more sunny and warm climates. She decided she was not going to be depressed anymore. She was not going to be held captive by her angry and sad mind any further. Linda, like the geese, would begin the escape from the cold darkness of her feelings to the warmth and happiness of the self that she knew was within her, the self she developed during her travels. She would reclaim the person she really was.

Linda sat down with a strong coffee and wondered what the next step in her life would be. She felt like she wanted to go away again. She knew she was running away but it seemed like the only answer. She began thinking of Africa and the wonderful stories her father told her. In the days of her grief, when she stayed in her apartment most of the time, she had seen pictures of people suffering from hunger frequently on television. She thought that she might get involved with a charity like the Red Cross or some organisation that would bring her to Africa and she could help the starving millions. It would get her mind off herself. She could take a holiday from the grief within her and focus on others with bigger issues of life and death. Linda was haggard-looking because, after her father's funeral, she had rarely eaten. Her red hair was unbrushed and wild-looking.

Linda started a course in aid work that taught the basics of managing humanitarian assistance. She learnt how to organise supplies, how to plan projects and to monitor the progress of projects. She learnt about the psychology and sociology of the countries and the people of the developing world in Africa. The students in the class seemed to be similar to her. They met at night to go out for dinner once or twice a week. It seemed that the ice that had frozen Linda's heart was beginning to thaw. She found that she could not stay on her own for long or her mind would throw up images of the funeral and her father's frailty and subsequent death. She would feel the unwelcome feelings of her grief which still barked at the door of her sanity.

Chapter 15

Emmerich noticed, outside his house, many small bright lights swirling in a circle. It looked like a tunnel. He stepped outside to investigate. He was lifted off the ground, gradually moving upwards to the sky, his arms and legs dangling slightly behind; his body outstretched and spread out in submission. Small white lights revolved around him. He could see the outline of a ship, it was immense and in a triangular shape. There were very bright lamps with strong red light shining from the bottom of the ship. The ship appeared to be black with an orange glow around the exterior. Emmerich was slowly drifting towards the ship. An entrance opened into the bowels of the ship and he could see red light coming from the inside. He was getting dizzy. The tiny white lights dispersed from around him as he began to enter the ship. Emmerich's last thought was that this could be an alien ship and then he became unconscious.

He woke up sitting in a bulky chair, almost like a bean bag, but it was supported by a metal structure so he could sit up straight. It was a comfortable chair. In front of him was a large screen, almost as big as a cinema screen. Red light flooded into the room and the Dark Hoods emerged. Emmerich felt threatened. For the first time in his life he was afraid because he was not used to being the subordinate. He resented the fact that he couldn't control these beings. They had immediate control over him and they displayed their power, even in his own home. He noticed he was paralysed from head to toe.

"Emmerich, we have summoned you here to learn from us," the Dark Hood said in its metallic, computer-like voice.

Emmerich began to shiver with the cold.

"Don't hurt me. Please don't hurt me."

"We are not here to hurt you."

The Dark Hood sounded like the computer voice you hear when a phone is recording a message. It had a tone of indifference and coldness.

Each of the figures moved and stood directly in front of Emmerich. All three moved their hands toward their Dark Hoods. Each removed their black hoods from their heads in unison and revealed to Emmerich their heads. They had a very long snout protruding past the head. Very sharp long teeth lined the snout. Emmerich noticed they had large elongated craniums. Their skin looked tough. It was green with a grey tinge to it and slimy. There were no ears and only very small eyes. Each of them then disrobed and Emmerich could see their bodies. They were slightly similar to humans. They had legs and arms. But the arms and legs were longer than a human's. The hands went past the waist and nearly to their knees. The arms and legs were the only similarity. The Dark Hoods were not breathing. They were larger than Emmerich thought; their height was around twelve foot. Their entire body was reptilian in appearance, like a large crocodile standing up with arms and legs.

"What? What? What are you creatures? What are you doing here? What do you want with me?"

Emmerich tried to jump from his chair but his paralysis prevented him. Another one of the Dark Hoods spoke to Emmerich, his large crocodile head revealing a long snake-like tongue which slivered around its snout.

"Emmerich, we are alien beings. We have existed much longer than man has. We have been observed by only a few humans in this present time. Nearly all sightings of aliens have been instigated by governments to study the behaviour of their citizens. There have also been military studies and experiments carried out on your own people using the excuse of alien abduction."

A very tall Dark Hood, the largest of them, spoke.

"Oh how undeveloped the human race is, still not far from the ape stage, like a baby trying to walk! And so cruel to each other!!"

The Dark Hoods seemed to laugh, at least their bellies moved in and out rapidly and Emmerich could hear a rasping sound emitting from the Dark Hood.

Emmerich said "well, why do governments do that to their own people? You mean a lot of the alien stuff is false....... all the abductions...... the sightings?"

The Dark Hood said "most but not all. Humans in governments around the world know of us. Your governments on earth have also been preparing civilians and themselves for our arrival; they are making feeble efforts to protect themselves from us along with their wealthy citizens on earth."

Emmerich said with surprise "and what will you do on earth?"

The Dark Hood licked the corners of his snout as if about to taste a scrumptious meal.

"We come to take resources from your planet. We will be brutal in our exploitation of your planet and no human or government will be prepared for our domination. Now we will show you things you need to know about mankind and our kind on the screen before you."

The Dark Hood moved his arm towards the screen, pointing and gesturing for Emmerich to pay attention to it. The red lights went out. The pictures were three dimensional but much more effective and real than anything he had seen on earth. As he looked at the screen it was as if he was in the pictures, as if he was looking directly into the scene the Dark Hood was showing him. His hearing and sight were sharpened too, and he could hear and see everything very clearly in the pictures. If there was a quiver in the person's voice, he could hear it.

The film showed images of the activities of the Dark Hoods and also archaeological evidence of their presence on earth. He watched a film of the activity of the Dark Hoods in Egypt, the Inca region in Brazil and other places including Stonehenge.

The Dark Hoods had created mankind for themselves, to mine and to build. This film described the Dark Hoods' presence in Egypt. Emmerich saw three dimensional pictures of stone engravings of many humans in tubes in a large room. The screen showed images of the aliens cutting them down and cleaning them, then releasing them to the base of an unfinished pyramid. Alien beings had grown people for slave labour to build pyramids. Emmerich viewed stone carvings of men in chains. There were images on stone tablets of crocodile beings beating and whipping men. Another stone tablet had an image of a scaled alien hand throwing small squares into the wind and a carving on the same tablet surrounded by dead Egyptians. The Dark Hoods had carried out biological warfare on their own human creations and destroyed them. The stone carvings he had seen around the pyramids were found by an archaeologist who sealed them in a box. These were transported to a vast warehouse and dumped in the building, never to be found again.

The three-dimensional screen showed a film of Egyptian slaves being guided away from Egypt. They had a human leader but overhead flew giant human-like beings glowing brightly and emanating bright lights of different colours. A large blue and white being shot down a pillar of light and separated the sea as the Dark Hoods raced in pursuit of the escaping humans and ushered the crowd to safety on the other side of the river. Another ship hovered threateningly over the top of a pyramid on top of which an alien spaceship was stationed. The blue figure with a giant muscular body covered in silver armour held a huge sword and swiped repeatedly at the Dark Hoods, killing many of them. The crocodile-like aliens dashed into the ships for protection. The two spaceships left their docks on the pyramid which flew away at high speed, so fast the ship looked like it was dematerialising and vanishing into space.

Emmerich spoke, he was shaking. "Don't harm me, I will help you. Do what you want with everyone else!"

The Dark Hood turned towards him. "We will not harm you. Your disregard for anyone except yourself is what makes you so valuable. We have chosen you well. Now, pay attention."

Emmerich was shown more film, this time of the Incas. He recognised the people to be Incas as they were seen beside Inca monuments. A Dark Hood similar to the ones in front of him was sitting on the throne at the top of the Inca monument. People were being sacrificed - an Inca on his knees in front of a reptilian king while the priestess ripped out the human's heart. It was still beating and dripping blood when the Dark Hood began eating the heart and sucking up the blood from the ground as the person was being sacrificed. There were stone carvings made, depicting this scene, but they had fallen into a river. Further images on the film showed that they were found by an archaeologist, then sealed in a box and transported to a vast warehouse and buried along with other huge boxes. There was a drawing on a pillar of a spaceship docking on the tip of an Inca pyramid. A man was kneeling down and scraping away a drawing of this scene on a large ancient stone block until it no longer could be seen.

The film continued to show Emmerich the activities of the Dark Hoods. This time an image of Stone Henge. The Dark Hoods' vast triangular ship was docked over the monument. There was a pillar of yellow light shooting from the outer circle to the centre of the stones and up into the ship. The ship began vibrating as it consumed the light. The Dark Hoods had built Stonehenge to tap into an energy source that was contained in the area, the ley lines. It was a fuel station for their ship. There was a carving of Stonehenge on one of the small cylindrical stones on the inner circle. Four circles, then a central rectangular slab and a pillar were impressed on the stone, representing the monument, the pillar of energy and above it was a large triangle depicting a spaceship. Then Emmerich saw a film showing the fate of the ancient monument. The cylindrical stone had been removed and dumped in storage.

In the series of images there was a giant being in human shape with large white wings. He had a broad elongated sword and he was swiping at the alien spaceship knocking off the tail end of the ship. The spaceship dematerialised. The pillar of energy grew small and disappeared and the bright white being flew away.

There were stone depictions of the Dark Hoods around the world in many civilisations in ancient history. Ancient monuments were defaced across the world to destroy all evidence of the aliens. Ancient stone tablets proving alien existence had been locked away and had never been seen again. Images and carvings of those who helped creatures that looked like humans were also defaced or locked away from sight.

Emmerich was learning of the domination and eradication of civilisations on earth so that these aliens could obtain resources for themselves. This was vital information about mankind's past. It was being hidden from modern-day man. This was accomplished thanks to the cooperation of educated people, archaeologists, government officials, and heads of government throughout the world. Emmerich was astounded that such a cover up by such a variety of people at so many levels of power could occur in countries worldwide. But it made sense to him.

The largest of the Dark Hoods said "Emmerich, you have done well. We are on course now but there are still many things to do to complete our plans."

"Thank you." Emmerich began to shake slightly. It became clear to Emmerich that the aliens were controlling him through fear, just like he behaved towards people he controlled. But at least his subordinates would see a human, if that's what they considered him to be. He had to deal with the presence of aliens.

The Dark Hood continued. "So, there is another task for you Emmerich. As you have seen in the third film, from what your kind call Stonehenge, we have strong, formidable enemies."

The Dark Hood clenched his hands and his eyes flashed red.

A short Dark Hood began to speak again in his neutral but disturbing metallic voice.

"You see Emmerich, governments don't want their citizens to panic and cause mayhem by becoming aware of the reality of alien beings on their planet. But also some of the same powerful individuals think they can save themselves by doing favours for us even in the face of mass extinction. It's a case of, to use a human phrase, saving their skin, and that is exactly what they are doing."

Emmerich asked "and do you? Do you let them save their skins and let them live?"

"Emmerich, we do what is necessary to complete our objective. In Egypt and other countries, there is evidence of winged creatures guiding people away from our oppression and domination. These are very, very powerful beings. It has been said they are formed directly from the light of the Great Source. Yes, we believe in the Great Source of light too from which all of life is created. Humans explain it through a myriad of ideas about the divine. But these fools, they call themselves 'The Protectors of the Light' and say in their own words that they 'serve' mankind and seek to protect them.

Emmerich asked "and what do they hope to gain by doing that? I don't think mankind is worth saving!"

"We laugh at such nonsense. They want mankind to develop to the next level."

The Dark Hood's scaly hands clenched into fists. His eyes flashed bright red, which indicated to Emmerich that this Dark Hood was angry.

A smaller Dark Hood began to speak. "We need humanity to be exterminated so that our kind can have a future. We need resources for our race that we don't have on our own planet."

Emmerich began to cringe and was developing a severe headache. All of this information was more than he could endure. The physical conditions on the ship made him feel sick. The ship was cold; the red light gave off a vapour that made it difficult for Emmerich to breathe.

The Dark Hood, that had been quiet, began to speak. "You have no choice now but to give us whatever we require and to do as we tell you."

"Of course. I have waited for this for all my life. I have never felt part of the human race in general and they have never liked me. They sense the evil in me and the ones that don't, end up wishing they had." He grimaced, attempting to smile.

The Dark Hood said "this phase is to do with the control of the future for us. We have had a good beginning. Now we want to cement our position..... make sure that we keep the advantage we have gained. I want to make it clear to you, Emmerich, that we have told you how to be in the position you are in. We told you how to find Armand and how you could get him to spread the virus from mainland Europe, in our first meeting. We told you how to consolidate the neo-Nazi groups and how to develop politicians from the members - who are now in strategic positions in the European Union. Politicians are among our best allies. So eager to have power and money, so eager to be on the winning side! You will need their help to fulfil our next request in the future."

Emmerich grovelled to the Dark Hood. "Thank you, thank you for all that. I know I couldn't have done all of these things without you."

The Dark Hood walked up beside Emmerich, his long slimy snout almost touching Emmerich's face. Emmerich could smell the breath of the alien, breathing through the slimy green skin. He thought it was disgusting. Emmerich felt threatened.

The Dark Hood said "you have done well, Emmerich. We have helped you with what you wanted and you have helped us. But listen, puny human, don't ever think you can thwart our plans. We are more powerful than you can imagine."

Emmerich replied "thanks for the compliment but no, no I would never move against you. I don't like the human race either. I promise I will only do as you ask."

The Dark Hood stepped away from Emmerich and continued. "Your own position will grow more powerful as you serve us and you will have great riches given to you by us. Look at the screen and you will know what we want you to do."

Emmerich marvelled at the intelligence of the aliens........ to create a cube which hovered in the air and showed such clear images. It made his modern widescreen television look primitive. The screen grew larger and the images appeared real to him, as if he could touch them when he reached out. The young man from Earth had a mop of black hair, very handsome and in his twenties. He was approaching his fate with pride and held his head up high. The woman that walked with him was older, possibly mid-thirties. She was weeping and screaming in fear of the moments ahead. The man looked towards her and tried to move his arms in an attempt to comfort her but their hands were bound together with strong rope.

There was a man dressed as what may have been an Inca high priest but Emmerich was not sure. He was dressed in gold with headgear that seemed to mimic the sun and its rays. The headdress looked as bright as the sun. There was a circular stump made of gold. Emmerich had seen this before on television. This was a blood sacrifice. The man with the black hair was being led to a stone altar. Huge reptilian hands could be seen resting on the arms of the golden chair behind the altar stone.

The Dark Hood said in that quaint, metallic voice "our people in the ancient monuments around the world need blood sacrifice. Originally, they lived in some cultures to organise the extraction of resources. They stayed behind to prepare for our return."

"How do I create the conditions for this whole pyramid blood sacrifice thing?" Emmerich asked.

The Dark Hood moved his arm to the left. The current image slid from sight and another screen took its place on the left where the Dark Hood pointed his arm. There were words in red writing on the screen which was so clear it had the effect of making the writing hover in mid-air with nothing supporting it. Under the writing, Emmerich saw images of what was an army in a hot desert land. They were speeding around in trucks shooting bullets into the air. Emmerich noticed that some of the soldiers were children. The soldiers were high on drugs. There was information on locations where the victims and rebel army could be located.

The tallest Dark Hood said "now Emmerich, do you understand what we require? This is a vital part of our plans and must be carried out using the details you have seen. Remember that number you see on the screen. Using that number, you will be able to contact an integral part of our plan. They are a rebel army in Africa. Get in touch with them. Explain your objective. They will be more than happy to carry out your orders. "

Emmerich nodded repetitively. "Yes...... well....... this is clear now. Of course I will fulfil your needs."

The red light around the room took on a strobe effect, several red lights rhythmically flashed. Emmerich bowed in front of the Dark Hoods as he began to float upwards; there was no visible reaction from them as he began to leave. He floated through the chamber and into a tunnel. It seemed to be darker outside. Red also seemed to be drifting around the front of the house. Emmerich noticed the red shade of light around the room was the same as was in the ship. It could be a protection for the aliens from the earth's atmosphere and the bodies of humans. Emmerich was not sure of the red mist's function but to him it did not look welcoming. The red mist, the aliens and the ship – everything about them, was neither welcoming nor friendly.

The small bright lights began to swirl around him again with speed and it was as if they were transporting him to earth. Then he found himself in his sitting room, barely recognising where he was. He stumbled over to the drinks cabinet and took out a bottle of whiskey; it was good to be somewhere he was familiar with. He very quickly drank half the bottle and stumbled to his couch. He was dizzy and his stomach felt sick, possibly from being on the ship. He might understand what had happened tomorrow. He drank some more whiskey and went up the stairs to his bed. He tripped on the stairs and fell on the landing. There he fell into a drunken sleep, sprawled across the stairs.

Emmerich decided he would keep Armand as an assistant to help him carry out the orders of the Dark Hoods. He didn't know if Armand would be of any use but he would keep him sweet and stay in touch with him. He knew Armand would do anything for him. Armand would do all he asks. All Emmerich would have to do is plan, while Armand faces the danger. Like a faithful dog. In return Emmerich would fake love and attraction, throw Armand a few bones of attention and Emmerich would pretend that he thinks of him as special. This was easy because Armand never knew love and Emmerich knew he definitely never experienced attraction from others, with that huge fat pig-like body of his. It had disgusted Emmerich to touch Armand's body in erotic ways. The more contact he had with Armand, the more he disgusted him. Emmerich thought Armand had the face of a pig. He would smile sometimes when he imagined Armand skewered on a large roasting pin, turning in the flames of his fireplace, or sometimes lying roasted on his table with an apple stuck in his mouth. He might make that dream come true when he no longer needed Armand.

Chapter 16

Linda was sitting in the back of a van on the way to an aid-work compound. Her hair was sprinkled with sand. Hot wind was blowing into her face. She was sweating profusely as the heat and the wind blew into her face. She could see only red sand but there seemed to be a small green area in the distance. Two aid workers accompanied her, it seemed to Linda they were sent to guard her safely to the compound. Whilst they shared a joke or two, Linda could observe the tension in their faces. She noticed that they were both wafer thin. She observed that one aid-worker had a slight twitch under her left eye which jumped every few seconds. Linda began to wonder had she done the right thing coming to the Sudan but she decided that she was here now and there was no going back.

The van rolled up outside of the gates. They were tall wide metal gates and while they looked to offer security, Linda felt the security was an illusion. The gates looked flimsy and had a house of cards effect. Take one card out and the cards would fall easily.

The van drove into the compound and for the first time, Linda witnessed starving people. This was not from the comfort of her own home where she might briefly see a television ad with a starving child while she drank expensive expresso coffee from her comfy couch. This human tragedy was real. While she felt the advertisements were disturbing, they did not portray the true reality which was many times worse. The people in the compound reminded her of Jews in concentration camps except she was in a desert and far, far away from home. Linda felt cut off from any form of society that she knew and the next aid-work plane out of the region was one month away.

Flies were swarming around the compound and seemed especially interested in the starving people. Mothers with children formed a long line from the gate to the wooden hut. The red sand that expanded into the distance was blowing heat all through the compound and beyond. The wind and sand were unrelenting. The aid workers took the babies carefully in their hands as if the babies would physically fall apart if they were not careful with them, so weak were they. The mother stared with expectation and hope that the aid-worker would guarantee her child's life. It seemed close to death. The baby's body was limp, its arms and legs almost dangling in the air. There was no guarantee that the child's life could be saved. He took out a shiny plastic bag and fed its contents into the child and then put the baby to rest in a clear plastic cradle. Time would tell if the baby could be saved.

Linda made these observations on entering the aid workers compound. She wondered that if she could see such desperation and suffering in the first few moments, then the experience would only become worse. The van stopped outside what appeared to be an office, at least it was an area where the aid workers were congregating. As she dismounted the van, some of the aid workers moved towards her. One person from the group was approaching her which she assumed was the leader. The leader was a woman whom Linda thought was a bit too broad, muscular and tall for a female. She wore green combat trousers and a white shirt. She had patches of red dirt on her clothes. Linda felt herself becoming hysterical as this waking nightmare continued to develop.

The manager embraced Linda with arms as strong as steel. She smiled a warm smile.

"Welcome, Linda! Welcome to our makeshift home away from home!" she chuckled.

"My name is Bernadette, I know you are from Birmingham. I studied medicine in London, I had a good friend from Birmingham. I think you'll get on fine with me and all the staff here."

Linda thought she heard a hint of an Irish accent which made her feel less panicky as she thought briefly of Colin.

"Ok love, let's sit down and have a nice cup of tea and have something to eat. I want you to feel welcome here. You are just in time for lunch."

Bernadette introduced everyone in the team. It was a multicultural team, people from Europe, America and Australia all coming together with a common goal of helping people. Linda looked around closely at the staff. Some looked tired and drawn and others looked energised by their work. She thought two people looked disillusioned. She could see sadness in their eyes, they didn't talk much and looked very unhappy. The aid-workers' living quarters was a green colour with a canvass roof and it maintained a slightly cooler temperature than the unforgiving, unrelenting heat on the outside.

Bernadette said to Linda with a kind gentle voice, "Linda, you are probably feeling overwhelmed right now, every new aid-worker does. Just give yourself time to adjust. You'll find the staff are easy to get on with, we are all here for the same reason. If the worst come to the worst, the next plane from here to Europe is in a month's time."

Linda was beginning to like Bernadette, she seemed genuinely kind but Linda noticed a tone of tension in her voice.

"Now, I ask this question of every aid-worker who comes here. Why are you here, Linda? What motivated you to be here?"

Linda felt Bernadette was studying her as she gave her response, determined to get the right answer.

Linda said, looking at Bernadette in the eye, "Bernadette, my father died a few months ago, he was the only family member I liked, my mother died in a car accident when I was a child. After he passed away, I stayed at home and looked at television for around two weeks. I saw the advertisements for the developing world and I decided I would try to do aid-work. I wanted to help others, as I already do in my job as a clinical psychologist. To try and give myself a break from myself if you like, to stop obsessing over my own issues and convert that negative energy into something positive."

Bernadette stopped eating and rested her knife and fork on her plate and said, "Linda, you are very, very welcome here. I too lost a close family member a few years ago, I still think of him every day, he was my brother. But you have come here for other reasons which are the right reasons. Okay I will show you around now, Linda."

Linda adjusted well in the aid-work camp. She mourned her father but she found that helping others deal with their pain, rather than thinking of her own pain, helped her deal with her loss. She was friendly with the manager of the camp, Bernadette, who was an Irish woman. She learned to tolerate the heat of the sun, the hot wind and sand. Sometimes she felt she had a large fan following her around the camp that was blowing heat towards her instead of cool air. Much as she had disliked the gloomy weather of Britain, she now reminisced about the grey sky and the cool rain.

When the long day of service to the starving people was over, she and Bernadette would sit down and look at the sunset. They would drink beer together and share jokes, sometimes they talked about bereavement. Bernadette would talk about her brother who had committed suicide two years ago and Linda would talk about her father's death.

The sun was going down, its boiling heat giving way to a cool temperature. It was very much like the sunsets in Africa that you see on nature programmes. The colours were even more vivid, a striking blood red, a bright orange fire, a dazzling yellow contrasted with strokes of royal blue and jet black clouds.

Bernadette was drinking a beer, Linda chose to drink tea. Bernadette said, in a laid back tone and yawning "Linda I love this time - the force of nature becoming obvious yet a fine display of its beauty. I live for this, it makes everything worthwhile."

Linda said in a hushed tone, because of her reverence for this display of nature "Bernadette, do you think you ever get over the death of a loved one?"

Bernadette sighed. "I don't think you get over it, Linda, you just live with it and accept your loss. The person is gone but we are still here. So you have to kind of get used to that."

"Bernie, I find it helpful to be here, to kind of get my mind off me, if you understand me. But my dad was so special, really Bernie, the two of you would have got on so well. Now I don't really have a family. My brother and sister always make it clear to me they don't like me, I never meet with them. My sister hates me."

Bernadette looked at Linda, Linda saw concern in her face. Bernadette touched Linda lightly on her arm.

"Then Linda you must make your own family. There is a saying `family are people you are born into, friends are a family that you choose to have.' To have good people in your life is so important Linda. They can cushion you when life deals you a blow and you can have fun with them when life is good. Even just one good friend can help."

The sun went down in minutes. Bernadette reached for the lamp and switched it on. Linda could see her reflection in a small mirror Bernadette had on the table. Linda wasn't aware of this before but she had lines of sadness around her face, tiny wrinkles that were beginning to show. The shock of the death of her beloved brother had aged her a little. This didn't match her bravado and happy approach to her work. Bernadette lay back in her chair and put her feet on the table with confidence.

As if she knew what Linda was saying she said "God knows we all have had sadness in our lives Linda, and I've had my fair share. But I want to live my life. People shouldn't waste their lives. I think life is a gift from God. If you accept that there are bad things in life: death, illness, sadness...... these are a part of life, not a punishment from God. They are part of living in this world. Like the necessity for all humans to breathe. But there is also happiness, love, good friendships, lovers. There is such beauty in the world and in people, if people choose to see it."

Linda said nothing for a while as she contemplated the depth of wisdom Bernadette had. At that moment, Bernadette was her teacher imparting wisdom to Linda, Linda was the student. Linda spoke slowly as she tried to convey the complicated thoughts she was having. Linda replied, her voice low and soft. Bernadette twisted strands of her short blond hair.

"I think sometimes that I have lessons to learn here on earth. Since I have travelled through Europe and worked here, to use an overused phrase, I am finding myself. I have found out so many things about myself, the world and spirituality. I am beginning to understand life. I am learning from you too Bernie. I hear and see things that you do and I can learn and apply them to myself. Thank you."

Bernadette replied with a smile on her face. "Thanks, Linda. Now let's have a bit of a laugh, God knows humour is important too!!!"

Linda and Bernadette shared jokes. Bernadette giggled like a school-girl sometimes. Linda was amazed. Bernadette, this strong, larger-than-life woman, working at the gates of hell and yet she was happy, doing what she was born to do.

Linda was required to do similar work to her colleagues, the feeding of starving babies was one major job she had to carry out but she also counselled staff. The staff sometimes had to deal with another enemy, as well as starvation, the warring factions of the region. She discovered a disturbing fact that she had not been aware of which was that sometimes one side would travel to the camp and demand supplies of food, medicine and water. They threatened to open fire on the aid work staff and refugees if they did not receive the supplies. Sometimes aid organisations would have to pay money or give supplies to armies in order to be given entry to the regions with people that needed help. Linda wondered to herself if that was right. It was possible, she thought, that aid-workers might be helping the war to continue by supplying the opposing rebels with food and medical supplies. This would enable the rebels to continue fighting. Aid-work camps were sometimes raided for supplies by both opposing forces if they worked in a war-stricken region, thus helping them to continue the war.

She made another disturbing observation. The warring factions had modern guns and explosives. She wondered where they got such arms and in time she learned that the United Kingdom had been selling this equipment to third world armies. That meant that aid workers in some countries were trying to support people in the war-torn countries while their governments allowed weapons to be sold to the rival armies. All these elements together often resulted in famine. It was not always nature that was responsible for famine. She learnt that these armies were, at least partly, responsible for the starvation and death of Third World communities. The armies would often loot small, defence-less communities, taking their resources and even the male children that they had to train for war. The communities would eventually have nothing left to survive on and their young and able children were not there to help with farming and other tasks that involved strength. Gradually, famine would stalk the tribe and disease would pervade the whole community. They would be forced to go to an aid camp for survival. A few months into her work, Linda was becoming discouraged. She felt she was sticking her finger into a hole in a leaking dam. Eventually the water would rise above the wall, the hole would get bigger and the water would rush through it, along with other holes, and eventually flood the dam. When Linda felt that the odds were completely against any chance of success the aid-workers may have in the region she was working in.

The sun was sending hot rays out to those working and the refugees who were being fed in the camp. The amount of refugees was decreasing, the lines of gaunt, bony people becoming shorter. The camp had just enough supplies to cater for the mass of people that depended on the food that the aid workers offered. Linda was often saddened by the pain she saw all around her. She thought to herself 'if only the fighting would stop, if only the rebels weren't armed by the United Kingdom?' She was convinced then that the incidence of famine would decrease.

Bernadette had a feeling that something was wrong, her intuition whispered to her, and as the morning went on the voice became stronger and told her to be prepared for danger. Bernadette had no details as to what could happen. She inspected the camp, looking for any unusual occurrences and found none. She took up her watchful position at the front of the tents that she assumed when she suspected that the camp may be under threat. She was like a lioness looking after her cubs, as she watched over her staff.

Bernadette looked into the distance and saw a trail of sand fast approaching the camp. A van seemed to materialise from the air. She could see people waving guns towards her. She knew these people. She stood straight, with her chin up. She blew a loud whistle to warn the camp of danger.

The van drove up beside the gates and one of them started to shout in a deep, loud and threatening voice. They leader was black, over six foot and well built. They demanded to Bernadette that they wanted medical food and water supplies. Linda was concerned for her manager who was also her best friend in the camp. She ran towards her.

Bernadette shouted "Linda, get back, stay in the tent, this is a volatile situation, get out of here now!!!"

Linda yelled back. "Bernadette, you are not facing these people by yourself."

Bernadette stared at the rebel soldiers and revealed a long, thick metal bar that she had hidden near the gate. The rebels began shooting again...... their bullets flying into the air........ the shells of the bullets falling to the ground.

Bernadette shouted loudly, with no fear in her voice. "You get the hell out of here, get out of here!!"

Bernadette was brave to confront the rebels but Linda knew that Bernadette was scared. Linda placed her hand on Bernadette's shoulder in an attempt to calm her.

The rebel leader shouted. "You give no supplies - you regret it."

Bernadette lowered her voice a little in order to reason with the rebels. Linda's hair almost glowed red, as if it were fire. One of the soldiers was studying her with his eyes as if he were thinking what she might look like naked.

Bernadette lowered her voice. "I told you that we only have enough supplies for the refugees! There will be more supplies in one week. I can give some to you then!"

The leader shouted. "You give food now!!!!!"

But Bernadette insisted. "No, not now! You wait!"

Bernadette's voice was beginning to rise as fear began to set into her heart.

The van reversed and drove through the flimsy gate, the lock shooting into the air, falling at Bernadette's feet. Bernadette stared at the gate in horror as it swung open. Bernadette and Linda began to run towards the tents. The van had sprayed sand around the gates and it was difficult to see through the sheet of sand that spewed dirt into Bernadette's and Linda's faces. Linda saw two large black hands and a pair of muscular, black arms shoot towards her, clamping on to her shoulders. Linda began to scream hysterically as she felt herself lifted off the ground. She was dumped into the back of the truck, her arms and legs splayed out across the metal floor of the van. Her white blouse that she had arrived at the camp with was covered in red dust. Her green combat trousers were nearly ripped off her as she was thrown onto the metal floor. Bernadette spun around, lifting the metal bar and slamming it into the back of the rebels back. She gave another blow to his head.

Bernadette was screaming. "Give her back to me or I swear to God, you will regret it. Let her go!"

The men started laughing at Bernadette.

Linda began to scream, her screams becoming louder and higher. She begged.

"Release me!! Please, release me!!"

This was followed by maniacal laughter from the rebels.

Bernadette continued to swing her metal bar even though the van was no longer in her reach. She stopped and realised she had lost the battle, the van sped into the distance and Linda disappeared with it. She dropped the bar to the ground as she stared at the sand in defeat. She fell on her knees, burying her face in her hands and cried. Bernadette was not finished with the army yet.

Chapter 17

Linda was in captivity for two days and she was not aware of when she would be released or if she would live. Her life now would depend on her kidnappers. She had been thrown into a cell that had been hewn into the mountain rock. There was a line of bars in front of her and she could see a little of the outside world. She disliked this as she didn't enjoy looking at the activities of her captors. The cell was dirty and damp despite the warm sun beating down on the ground outside the cell. Beer cans were littered around the floor. Linda didn't have much room to move and couldn't stand up. She was let out to relieve herself twice a day. She was given one small cup of water She and a small amount of maize each day. She hated the stuff. This was what the aid workers gave starving Africans. She thought they could use their money for something tastier, not this nasty food.

Linda was sweating profusely. Her limbs began to ache because she couldn't fully stand up. She was constantly hungry and thirsty - the rebels had only given her enough food and drink to stay alive. The cell was grey mountain rock without any colour or plants. She could see the activity of her kidnappers and to her they were little more than savages. They were drunk or high on drugs most of the time. They liked to jump onto their jeeps with guns blazing, volleys of bullets shooting into the air. They would sometimes aim and shoot at Linda, purposely missing her. She would scream and they would laugh at her humiliation.

She was aware that aid-work camps can be raided but a kidnapping was very rare and she never even contemplated that it could happen to her. The fact that Bernadette had offered supplies within a few days and Linda was still kidnapped suggested that there may be another reason for her abduction. She heard the leader on the phone and the person he was talking to was called Emmerich. When he was talking on the phone to this person he would often glance at Linda as if they were talking about her. She wondered if this person had some part in her abduction. She began to realise that she was part of a bigger picture, aside from being abducted because of lack of supplies.

Emmerich had been ordered by The Dark Hoods to capture Linda. The Dark Hoods gave him a number to contact a rebel army in Sudan to track Linda down and capture her. The rebel army had agreed to help him in exchange for one million dollars in cash. Emmerich had transferred half the amount into a bank account linked to the leader. The other half was to be paid on completion of Emmerich's orders. Emmerich gave orders to the rebels from his home in Germany. Linda was important as she was one of two people wanted dead by The Dark Hoods. Linda's capture was another major victory for Emmerich. He marvelled at his own expanding power. He had full control of neo-Nazi parties throughout Europe. He had even staged a riot outside European Union buildings. Perhaps, he thought, he could try his hand at politics eventually. He began to feel unstoppable. He laughed to himself at the stupidity of these animals called humans and how easy they are to manipulate.

Bernadette was in shock after the attack on her and Linda. She decided she could not give up on Linda. She contacted the CEO of Aid International. Bernadette informed him of all of Linda's details and the details of her abduction and sent recent photographs that Linda had taken of herself while working in the aid camp. She requested that the information be given to the media. She felt that if there was international outrage, Linda could be saved.

The night seemed darker and colder than usual. Linda estimated that she had spent a week in her hovel although she was not sure. Time was now flexible in her life. She felt weak and her hope of being released was plummeting. She had no real contact from human beings apart from the grunts that the soldier emitted when she was brought to the toilet. The toilet consisted of a hole in the ground and a flask of water to clean herself with after she defecated. She was not abused by the soldiers but the fact that they constantly ignored her began to make her feel as if she didn't exist. She began to fall prey to her thoughts of despair and hatred of her captors. She thought that nobody would come for her, that all this was a prelude to her death.

Her thoughts and feelings of despair that night were reflected by the terrible darkness outside her cell. She didn't cry at the beginning of her abduction. She wasn't going to give the captors any satisfaction. This night she began to cry. She wasn't fighting against her fate anymore. She felt she would die and that would be the end of her miserable life. She could cry all she wanted, no one cared.

She noticed a large white shape descending from the darkness of the night sky. The shape began to glow green, then greener still and it then grew to a very bright green. Linda almost couldn't see the bright green light because it was so blinding. The shape moved into her cell. Somehow the roof of the cell grew higher as the shape grew larger and Linda was now able to stand. Linda could make out a kind smile in the light of its face. Linda's fear began to dissipate. Peace began to quieten her mind. Linda was not afraid.

"I think I know you, are you one of The Protectors of the Light?"

The Protector of the Light began to speak.

"Yes, dear one, I am. I am known as The Healer."

Linda broke down crying, her tears dropped into the sand of her cell. She fell to her knees.

"Oh God, I can't stand this anymore..... I feel so sad...... I am so hungry and thirsty. I can't take this! I really bloody can't!!"

The Healer stood beside Linda and spoke in a comforting voice.

"Linda, I am here to heal you and to guide you as a traveller. Dear one, do not be afraid. Do you remember when I said to you that everyone on earth, all the planets and the universes are connected to the Great Source, the energy from which all of life depends?"

Linda replied, her face contorted with crying and pain.

"Yes, I did believe that but it's all rubbish. It's rubbish! How the hell did I end up here? What did I do to deserve this?!!!"

Linda stared at the large cuts on her leg. The rebels sometimes pushed her to the ground on her way to the toilet. She had fallen on sharp stones that cut her skin and dirt would enter so that her cuts became infected. One cut had started to turn green. Linda knew that it could become gangrene. Her green combat trousers were worn and torn.

"Dear one, you did nothing wrong," The Healer said. "Come to me. I will heal you now on all levels of your being. Come to me, my child. The Protectors of the Light love you so much."

Linda became quiet and looked at The Healer.

"There, there...... now dear one," The Healer said in a soft reassuring voice.

He embraced her and she felt warmth all around her, a gentle warmth. The Healer smiled at her and she could feel a gentle pressure around her shoulders as he embraced her. It was like meeting an old friend, as if she knew him at one time. Linda felt a green light flowing around her and through her. The light was becoming brighter. She could feel the gentle light flowing through all her organs, her bones, her flesh and around her brain and her mind. She felt the green light going somewhere beyond her body, yet still a part of her.

Linda gasped with relief. "Thank you, Healer. Thank you. I feel much better."

Linda noticed that the bruises and cuts on her body had healed. Two cuts had looked septic but they had healed and disappeared. She didn't feel thirsty or hungry any more. Her panic and depression had receded. She felt content and peaceful.

"I am with you now.... do not fear," The Healer said. "Remember we do things step by step. We will come to you again soon. If you need me, just call my name or think of me and I will be with you."

"Thank you," Linda answered in a hushed voice.

The Healer looked at Linda. Linda could see the love in his eyes for her. He smiled and ascended through the rock, into the sky.

A soldier emerged from the darkness outside. He was looking furtively around and then he ran to Linda's cell. He placed a plate in front of Linda and rushed away. She looked at the plate and saw it was full of fresh fruit and bread with crystal clear water. Linda was ecstatic - it was such a change from maize and unclean water. She munched through her surprise food and thanked The Healer for his love.

Another sunset passed. Linda began to feel a change within her. She remembered her father saying that when times got tough, retreat to happy memories and concentrate on them and usually you feel better. She began to think of all the lovely experiences she had had in mainland Europe. She had a dream of her father last night. He told her to look within, that the answer to her pain lay within her.

Since The Healer's visit, Linda began to feel a strong energy within her. It felt like a pillar of light in the center of her body. She felt mentally stronger than before. She began to feel more in control of herself. Within her mind, an eighties' song began to play. It was by the singer Labi Siffre and it went:

"There's something inside so strong, so strong. I know that I can make it, even though you're doing me wrong, so wrong".

Hope grew within her and she began to believe she would make it through this. She began to think that this may be the energy beyond her mind and her body that she had sought for in her studies in psychology, what some people called the soul. She was becoming aware of her link to the Great Source. She was becoming aware of her spirit. Her spirit was joining with her body and her mind. She thought of it as a marriage between her mind and her spirit. She knew now her captives could not hurt her anymore. She was being guided by The Healer and she was drinking from the well of the Great Source. In controlling herself, her feelings and her thoughts, she could lessen the impact of this situation. She became convinced that, if she maintained her belief in The Healer and The Great Source, she would survive.

Colin and his friends arrived in Rome. They had just arrived and Colin decided to phone his mother. It had been a week since he had rung. Colin dialled the number. He was nervous and worried about what his mother would say.

"Hi, Mam? How are things?"

"Oh love, it's you, how are you?"

"Mam, you sound a bit better, how are you feeling?"

"Well I am feeling a bit happier, but it is hard to be here alone. Still enjoying yourself?" She spoke in a happier tone than Colin was used to.

Colin thought there was a note of sarcasm in her voice but decided to ignore it. He said "ye, I'm in Rome at the moment, we just arrived today."

"But you aren't religious Colin," Aoife said, but I suppose there'd be nice things to see. Will you bring me home a souvenir from there?"

Colin was happy that he could do something for his mother. "Yes Mam, I'll do that for you. I have to go now, Mam."

"Ok, mind yourself, son."

"See ye soon, Mam."

The three young men were drinking in an Irish Bar in Rome. Colin and his friends were drinking heavily. Colin didn't normally drink that much but tonight it was Jeremy's birthday so they were having a pub crawl to celebrate.

It was late at night - around one o'clock in the morning - and Colin was absently staring at the television. He was drunk from the huge volume of drinks he had had that night. Since he rarely drank, on special occasions he tended to drink a large amount.

He noticed a picture on the screen. A woman called Bernadette, an aid worker from a charity named Aid International, was speaking about a young woman who had worked with her in Sudan. Bernadette was on Sky News, it was as if she were staring into the entire western world from her camp in her crusade to save her colleague and friend. He recognised her Irish accent. She had grey hair and she was earnestly giving information about a woman called Linda Atkins. Colin still stared at the screen, his brain barely able to process any kind of information. He saw a picture of the kidnapped woman on the screen. A tall woman with red hair, who was from Britain. Colin thought to himself 'what a good looking woman'. Suddenly he realised it was a picture of Linda whom he had met on his travels.

Despite Colin's drunken state, he became alarmed. He asked the barman to turn up the volume of the television. The fog in his mind, the lack of thought he was experiencing due to the alcohol he drank, dissipated as he panicked. The woman on the television explained Linda had been taken from an aid-work camp and kidnapped by a rebel anti-government army. Linda had been missing for a week. As Bernadette spoke, a free phone number appeared on the screen in bright red. She invited people with any information about Linda to call the number. She requested that her family ring the number and anyone else who wanted to help. Colin asked the barman to take down the number on the screen for him and the barman cheerfully did so.

Colin rapidly pressed the numbers into his phone and rang Aid International to talk to the helpline staff about Linda. The volunteer stated on the phone that no relations had called their number so far. He was told that they needed to wait and see if family or relations would get involved; that it was Aid Internationals policy that they would be the first people selected to be involved in negotiations. She would ring him back if they did not get in touch.

Two days later, Colin received a call from Aid International. They told him that no family or relations had called them. Colin knew from communicating on the internet that Linda's father had passed away but she had a brother and sister who clearly did not care about Linda and probably would not get involved to help her.

Colin heard a deep, calm voice on the other end of the phone, the representative of Aid International had an Irish accent.

"Hi Colin, I am a volunteer speaking to you on behalf of Aid International. I understand that you have offered to help us support Linda Atkins in the event that no family will get involved. Can you still help?"

"Thank you for calling me," Colin said. "Yes of course, I will help."

"Colin, time is very important in this situation, its best to act fast," the volunteer replied. Colin felt annoyed as he would have acted two days ago if they had let him.

"What is your location?" the volunteer enquired.

"I am in Rome."

Colin could hear the volunteer typing on the other end of the phone and there was a few moments' silence. The Volunteer spoke, sounding relieved.

"That's perfect. An Aid International plane will be leaving for Sudan from Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport in Rome tomorrow at seven o'clock in the evening. Aid International will cover all your costs. Most arrangements for travel will be arranged by the charity, someone will escort you through the airport. You just have to deal with travelling to the airport. Any questions?"

"What exactly will I be doing?"

There was much drinking and merriment in the pub. The others in the pub started singing Molly Malone since the new arrivals to the pub, Colin and his friends, were from Dublin. Colin shouted at the crowd to stop singing so loudly.

"Sorry, it's very loud here. I can't hear you very well."

The volunteer spoke louder.

"You will communicate with her when she is rescued, as someone she trusts. It's unusual for someone to become so involved in this way unless they are family. Your cooperation will be of paramount importance to the health and well-being of Linda. Thank you."

"No problem," Colin replied, "glad to help, goodbye."

Colin didn't sleep well that night. He had a bizarre dream. The dreaming, the nice dreams he had so often, had changed. This was the only dream he clearly remembered in detail among all of the other dreams, because it was so frightening. This time, in the forest, his group were nervous and it was very dark in contrast to the sunlight that shone through the trees in all the other dreams. A person in the dream told Colin that it was time for him to demonstrate his knowledge. Unexpectedly, a storm began to brew. A cruel looking woman in a flowing black and red gown descended. Her dress seemed to reach up and embody the very darkness. The storm grew stronger and a strong gale force blew around her as she descended. She stared malevolently at the group and they fled. Colin was alone. She lifted her arms in a circular fashion and pointed her long fingers and sharp nails at him, baring her teeth. Colin suddenly woke in his bed. He jumped out of his bed, sweat dripping from his brow and breathing rapidly. He forced himself to calm down by thinking of The Protector. Slowly, he relaxed. He was filled with dread. He knew something terrible was about to happen to him but he didn't know what.

It was a particularly warm day. You could have fried an egg on the rocks around the camp it was so hot. Sharp dry sand blew through the bars of Linda's confinement. Linda stared out, through the bars of her prison, at the soldiers. One of them had an army-style phone. He was talking once again to the man called Emmerich. She focused all her concentration on listening to the conversation the man was having on the phone. He was talking in broken English but she could make out "find Colin from Ireland". Had Colin somehow come to save her? The thoughts thrilled her..... that he might have cared enough about her to somehow come to Africa. That she might leave this place alive.

Colin had arrived in an aid-work convoy flanked by four United Nations soldiers. Colin thought to himself about how far he was from home and he became homesick. The hot, dry weather did not appeal to him. They were staying in a town called Shandi. It is a sleepy rural town in Sudan. Colin looked out at the town and was shocked by the lack of anything familiar to him. There were no shops as he understood shops were, just stalls on the side of the road selling food and other items. The people wore long white robes with a hat on top of their heads which he later was told was a turban. There was a small pub - more like a hut that sells alcohol. It was very small and Colin had been told by one of the guards that the locals were mostly Muslim and that they normally smoke hookah instead of drinking alcohol. The pub may have been there for western travellers. Colin thought it made Cabra, a less wealthy part of Dublin, look like a rich cosmopolitan area. He wondered to himself 'what the hell have I done?' Maybe he had finally lost his mind. He was fighting to maintain a grip on reality.

Colin was dressed in a red jacket and slim fit blue jeans that were very worn. He wore a white, cheap t-shirt that he had bought from a discount store. His sneakers were bright blue with three stripes on either side. His muscles were well toned and his skin was tanned. There was tension in his face and as he sat in the truck, his leg was moving up and down rapidly. His smooth forehead had turned into a furrowed brow.

One of the UN soldiers was assessing Colin as he looked in growing panic at where he had found himself. It was not unusual for people to panic when they arrived in some parts of Sudan. Travellers become confused as their existing perceptions of the world, gained in the wealthy western world, did not compare to this poverty stricken part of the world. The soldier approached Colin and laid a strong hand on his shoulder. Colin was shaking like jelly, the soldier tested his pulse and it was far higher than normal.

The soldier placed another hand on Colin's other shoulder and said to Colin, in a distinctive Dublin accent, "young fella, I know this is a shock to ye. Me and my fellow soldier`s are here to protect you. Ye, this is very different from our lovely city but you won't be here long, hopefully. You are here to save a girl you love so you need to keep it together."

"David, I just miss home so much all of a sudden," Colin replied. "I've been travelling for months and been having a great time and now I'm here in this kip. I know I made the decision to come here but I didn't know the place would be as bad as it is."

"Well what did ye think it would be like Colin? It's a war-torn, famine-stricken region. Come on into the hotel. I'll make you a nice cup of Barry's tea."

Colin replied with new found hope: "God! You mean real tea from home? Thanks mate!"

Colin cheered up as he cradled his cup of tea. He recovered from his shock as the tea, containing a large amount of sugar, calmed him. The soldier chatted casually to Colin about home and then he talked about the things that he liked in Shandi. He told Colin stories of the interesting history of the local area and that there were pyramids more ancient the pyramids in Egypt nearby, and that teams of archaeologists sometimes visited the area.

The hotel was basic. Colin just wanted a bed - any kind of bed would be sufficient since he was so tired. The bed was soft and there was a very large fan on the ceiling. The fan revolved in slow motion; the long metal arms of the fan creating a coolness across the room.

The owners of the hotel were welcoming and attentive to their customers. One soldier stood on guard outside the door of the hotel. They would rotate their shift so there would be round-the-clock protection for the convoy. There was not much by way of decoration on the outside or inside of the hotel but it was comfortable. There were many decorative, artistic cushions placed around the building. They shone with studs of silver and threads of gold mixed with shades of orange and brown and were much larger that Colin had been accustomed to. Colin would sometimes fall into the deep cushions anywhere in the building and doze for a while. He was exhausted from his long journey and slept frequently.

Colin adored the food. While it was foreign to him, it was tasty and an abundance of food was presented when required. There was a huge bronze flask of water that Colin gulped down from time to time. His fair skin had become tanned during his travels in Europe and he had a great mop of hair because it had been a few months since he had been to the barbers.

The following morning, all members of the group were active..... busily discussing with one another the approach to be taken as a result of new developments. Communication with rebel leaders had been established on the phone line in the hotel, the number had been given to them by a local. There was a worry that the army knew of the United Nations envoy's presence in Shandi but the main objective was to establish contact with the kidnapped aid-worker. They would change location if they needed to.

Colin wandered into the main seated area of the hotel and sat down, yawning. After his breakfast a member of the team sat down with Colin.

The leader of the group issued orders to Colin.

"Colin, we have established contact with the rebel army that has captured Linda. It's possible for you to talk to her when you are ready. Now I must warn you, she could be very upset and possibly psychotic but we will guide you on what to say if that is the case. You must try to comfort her and give her hope that we will rescue her. Don't give any details of yourself or where we are."

Colin stood up and walked to the phone. He sat down and paused. In his mind, he asked the Protector to guide him with the call and help him to say the right words to Linda. Instantly, he felt a pressure around his shoulder as if he was being hugged. He knew The Protector was with him. He gained complete control of himself and he accepted the phone when it was given to him. He focused not on himself but on helping Linda.

"Hi Linda, how are ye?" There was a long pause and Colin could hear Linda sobbing.

"Colin, is that you?"

Colin smiled, happy to hear Linda's voice. "Yes, it's me. I've come to get ye, love."

There was another long pause.

"Colin, it's just been so horrible here, so horrible."

Colin spoke in a gentle voice. "We will be together soon, hon, and we will make all this right. I promise, love."

Colin could hear Linda cry and she was talking as she cried, talking through her tears.

"I have not been able to stand up in my cell, Colin! I could end up with problems with walking. I have to defecate in a hole in the ground!"

Colin glanced at David, the leader who was guiding Colin, as he spoke on the phone. He was giving him a 'thumbs-up' sign. The woman working in the hotel gave Colin a glass of water, putting the glass down gently on the table.

"It sounds really nasty love," Colin said, "but you have done so well, you are still alive."

Linda's voice slowed down and she stopped crying. "It's so nice to hear your voice Colin, so nice."

"It's great to talk to you too, Linda."

"How are you doing Colin?" Linda asked.

"I'm fine, Linda. I'm coming for you, love."

Linda's voice rose and she started to panic. Her voice became shrill. "He's coming now! He's coming! I have to go! Oh God, don't you hit me, you prick!!!"

The line suddenly went dead. Colin looked at David. David looked at him with a broad smile on his face and said "that's it, good man Colin! That was the textbook procedure of talking to a hostage."

Colin felt both disturbed and elated. He was upset to hear Linda in such pain and anguish but it was nice to be able to comfort her in the living hell she was experiencing.

David, the leader and negotiator of the team, decided they would move to another location for safety before the next objective which was to negotiate with the army. The hotel they moved into was smaller and not as comfortable as the one in Sandhi. It had the basics, such as air conditioning and a proper western style toilet. The United Nations soldiers guarded the doors of the hotel. That evening, in the second hotel they were staying in, the mood was jubilant. The team had established contact with Linda. It seemed that victory was in their grasp.

Colin woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of machine gun fire. He looked out onto the street. There was a van of black-skinned people in army uniform shooting at the peacekeeping soldiers who were shooting back. Another van pulled up at the front of the hotel, full of more black soldiers. The peacekeeping soldiers were managing one van but as the second van arrived they were overcome. The four United Nations soldiers were shot dead. The army broke down the door of the hotel, shooting gunfire indiscriminately. The Aid International team were all shot dead, their bodies falling to the ground like dominos..... their arms and legs flailing in the air as if the more they moved, it would in some way prevent their death. The army continued shooting the bodies even though all the team was dead, apart from Colin. Blood and even bits of flesh and bone spat into the air.

Four soldiers ran towards Colin as he stood like a statue, horrified by the violence. Colin turned and dashed quickly towards the window in the sitting room. He picked up a chair, smashed through the glass of the window in the sitting room and tried to jump through it. The soldiers grabbed him by the legs and roughly pulled him away from the window. A shard of glass tore along Colin's arm and blood trickled down his skin. Colin was shouting hysterically as he was dragged out of the building. He was picked up and thrown into a van. A soldier lifted his gun, aimed it at Colin and struck him in the head. Colin heard a heavy thud on his head followed by darkness as he was knocked unconscious. He lay on the metal floor of the jeep with blood on his arms and his hands had been tied. He looked like hunted game as he lay, helpless, at the feet of the soldiers.

That night, as Colin and Linda contemplated their fate, George White was relaxing in front of the television in Athens in one of his residences. His house was situated on a hill opposite the Holy Hill, as the Greeks called it, where the Parthenon stood - dominating the landscape. The Parthenon was floodlit with gold light at night time, its many columns and the imposing wall that surrounded the base of it was a wonder of the ancient world. Visitors today still had a sense of awe when their eyes beheld such beauty. The house had four columns that formed a square at the front of the house. It had a red-tiled roof and white walls that blended in with the rest of the houses along the skyline around the ancient monuments of the Acropolis. The house offered a stunning view of the Parthenon. George often wished he could spend more time in his house in Athens but for the fact that his work took him so far away from it. A small, dense forest surrounded the house. George had managed to blend a purpose-built, high-security house with beauty. It was a balance between culture, natural beauty and defence. He looked at the widescreen television placed on a mahogany cabinet which was specially made for that purpose. Light glinted from the chandelier that was in the centre of the room. The blue velvet curtains were not closed and gave way to a view of the Acropolis. George loved this particular view. It reminded him of the beauty humans can achieve, a concept that clashed with the ugly truth of his work where he often witnessed human beings at their worst. His life had been in danger countless times. The citizens of the countries in the western world were blissfully unaware of the effort it took numerous people like him to protect them.

George glanced at the television as he reminisced about his wonderful Linda. He wondered where she would be now. She was unaware of how she was a light in the dark for him. When she met him, he was very down-heartened. The clouds of the depression he had to fight from time to time seemed to be closing in on his soul. Sometimes he hated his work, how he saw the poverty of morals that were in some individuals..... the hate some people had for others. At other times he was proud of his work even just to see citizens of western countries walking down the street...... an ordinary person having an ordinary day..... all due to him and his colleagues.

George was haunted by memories of the death of a colleague, Peter, who he held dear. Peter, a dear friend, who was also a secret agent, had been tortured to death. The coffin lid was closed at the funeral; the remains appeared too hideous to display. His wife would not speak at the funeral and cried almost for the whole duration of the day. George knew Peter's family and he promised Peter that he would support his children and wife should he be 'terminated' as they said so cruelly in his line of work. Peter had left behind five children. George made sure Peter's family had all they needed and were safe at all times. He felt his obligation to his friend and colleague deepen over time. Peter's wife became close to George and George decided to marry her, more out of a sense of duty to Peter's family. He felt pity for the neediness that his colleague's wife displayed regularly. He had married out of pity, not love.

He had travelled to Paris to lift his spirits and to clear the confusion that had become part of his thinking and his life. Linda had lit up his life. She didn't know she was having that effect. He told her he was an art dealer, which he was. It was part of his job so he would meet powerful people. He didn't tell her he was a top secret agent. She saw a capable confident man that he projected himself to be which was not the case at the time. He wondered if she was still enjoying herself.

He thought of Linda and as if his thoughts had been answered, he saw a picture of Linda on the television. Her picture interchanged with an aid worker's face called Bernadette. She seemed to almost look directly at him through the television screen. In George's work, he knew the look of desperation and guilt. This woman had that look. He fixated on the television and turned up the volume. He lifted both of his arms upwards and joined his hands together to form a pointed arch. His chin pointed upwards on his hands. His eyes narrowed, like an owl surveying the landscape for prey.

He listened to the details Bernadette revealed on the television. George made a call to the President of Sudan.

"I wish to speak to President Mumbatu. This is George White."

"Of course Mr White," the secretary replied, "I'll put you through immediately."

George had guided President Mumbatu in controlling rebel armies in his country with a view to protecting westerners. He seemed to have failed. He needed to act quickly to prevent the worst case scenario for Linda.

"Hello George," The President said.

"Hello President Mumbatu. I am aware you have a captured British citizen in your country by the name of Linda Atkins. Who is behind this?"

The President spoke with a tone of apprehension in his voice. "They are a rebel army that are not under my control at this time. I do have some information on them. They are a particularly violent army. I have heard they are linked to a German man who may be giving them their orders. There is a rumour they want to execute western people, especially British people."

"Where are they located?" George said in a stern voice.

"I don't know for sure George, but they may be in the Meroe region. Mr White, I promise to you I don't have any involvement in this. I am at your service if I can help."

"President Mumbatu, I ask permission to enter your airspace early tomorrow morning."

"Yes, of course," President Mumbatu said.

"Thank you President Mombatu."

George hung up and immediately dialled another number.

"Richard, prepare the plane. We are leaving for the Sudan tomorrow morning at five am. Make sure combat gear and weapons are loaded on the plane. I want our Sudanese spy waiting with transport."

George nodded while he was listening on his phone.

"Yes we can trust his information," he said to his pilot reassuringly. "We have used him twice and with good results. Now, this will be a quick and sudden operation. Our success will depend on our ability to surprise. We will talk in more detail on the plane."

On the lower half of the globe Linda and Colin were being loaded onto a van. Their hands were bound with rope which seemed to nip at their wrists. The rope was irritating to the skin. Colin and Linda didn't struggle. The strength of the soldiers, together with the fact that they both had the end a rifle pointed at their heads, ensured they would not get away. Colin thought of a DVD collection he liked to watch frequently. It was a science fiction series. Colin's favourite phrase was 'you will be assimilated, resistance is futile'. Yes, their resistance would make no difference and from what they heard the soldier say, some kind of assimilation..... well, murder..... was planned. Home, Colin thought, it was not so bad after all. He missed his relations and even his mother. That small house they lived in. What he wouldn't do for just one more night there. He felt like he might cry but he wanted to maintain a sense of dignity, just like Linda was doing beside him, and show the soldiers that their hate and evil was not affecting them emotionally or affecting their spirit. Linda and Colin both thought that they will not let the soldiers break their spirit despite the soldiers' best efforts. They would not cry or get upset and give enjoyment to their executioners.

Colin looked at Linda. There was a sense of 'Joan of Arc' about her. Linda had her head pointed a little towards the sky, showing pride despite the situation she was in. Her hair was flowing wildly in the wind; her red hair looked like flames. She stood straight, her back and shoulders bolt upright. Linda had fleeting thoughts as she walked towards the van. She told herself she had done her best in her life and she tried not to harm people. If she did, it was not on purpose. She thought she might meet her father soon, wherever he was. She didn't want to die. If she lived she could have a good life. Colin may even choose her as his companion for life. Linda felt tears flooding towards her eyes but she managed to fight them back. She would not give her enemies the joy of seeing her distressed. In true English fashion, she was determined to maintain her pride until the very end. Linda and Colin looked at each other and smiled briefly. They would have held hands but they both had their hands tied behind their backs.

Colin Spoke to Linda. "I love ye, Linda love."

Linda replied warmly. "I love you so much, Col."

Colin noticed that this was the first time Linda called him by his nickname.

"Linda, I don't think this is the end."

Linda continued walking as if she didn't hear. Colin began to walk like Linda, with pride..... showing no emotion. The soldier nudged them and gestured, pointing his hand towards the van, indicating them to board at the back of the van. Linda and Colin jumped up unsteadily their hands being tied with rope.

The van was travelling at high speed through the sand. The van bumped along the dirt road. The driver was travelling toward Meroe. This is an area with ancient pyramids that was once prosperous but was now swallowed up by sand dunes. This is a region containing two hundred and thirty-three pyramids. They pre-date the pyramids of Egypt.

Colin's red jacket had lost its colour and was now a pink-white shade of red. The squalor of their prison had dirtied it. It was ripped in places. His skin was greasy as the sun had made him sweat and he hadn't washed in a week or maybe more. He didn't know what date or time it was. Linda still looked pretty despite the time she spent in the prison.

Colin could see large, sprawling dunes and rippling masses of sand. He could see many pyramids all around the desert that poked through the sand. Even in this life-threatening situation, he marvelled at the beauty of the area. There were red pyramids dotted across the landscape.

Amun Ra, the Egyptian god of the sun, was worshipped here. It was the major place of worship of him by Egyptians. It was originally a Sudanese dynasty that ruled Egypt but there had been a war and they succumbed to an Egyptian dynasty. Some say it was the birthplace of mankind, or that man was somehow developed there in a way that's forgotten in history. Some of the architecture was used in the building of the temple to the goddess Athena in Greece. There are stone pillars on a very large pyramid. That may have been the palace. They show Athenian design and symbols. There are patterns on the ancient walls, similar to those found on Athenian buildings.

There is much evidence of human sacrifice, presumably due to the worship of the God, Amun Ra. There are representations of stone showing human sacrifice. Amun Ra is shown sitting above the priest that is conducting the ceremony of sacrifice and below him the victim. Another stone picture suggests something flowing from a man's wrist, possibly blood. It flows into a channel along the ground towards the God. Some archaeologists suggest these pictures show the process of sacrifice. They suggest that it is not a god but a physical being, possibly an alien that is feeding from the blood of the sacrificed victim. This thinking has been labelled by self-appointed knowledgeable people with conservative views on archaeology as ludicrous.

There could be seen in the distance, men in long, white robes mounted on camels. Colin could see a mosque in the distance, the minarets pointing to the sky.

Colin whispered to Linda "ye know Linda, I know we are in a lot of danger but can you see the beauty here, ye wouldn't even see it on television."

Linda smiled briefly. "Yes, it is beautiful here. It would be more beautiful to me if I wasn't going to be executed here."

Colin's smile faded as he contemplated their situation. Camels moved slowly across the sand dunes, with their owners sitting on their backs. The sun was beating down, small little wisps of sand moved around in circles. They were oblivious to Linda and Colin who were being driven to their death as they drove closer to the main, largest pyramid.

Chapter 18

Colin and Linda were being escorted to a large pyramid, the most intact pyramid that they could see in the surrounding area. They were pushed out of the back of the van, sweating profusely. They were not offered water on the way to their destination. Colin and Linda were parched and exhausted from the heat of the sun. Their mouths were dry and small blisters were forming around their mouths due to the heat. They walked towards the entrance of the pyramid, their captors pushing them forward with the butts of their sub-machine guns. The entrance was made of stone, there was two large upright stones and a slab of stone on top. The entrance reminded Colin of the opening to the passage grave in Newgrange in Ireland. Colin was right because at one time, when Amun Ra was worshipped, the sun entered this pyramid passing through the stone passageway and illuminating the central chamber just like the passage grave in Newgrange. He was too scared to ponder the meaning of this as he walked closer and closer to his death. The two prisoners walked into a large central chamber. As they walked in, lights flicked on and golden light shone, illuminating the chamber. A large beam of golden light focused on a huge statue at the top of the stone chamber. The statue was around thirty feet high and fifteen feet across. It sat on a large throne of what appeared to be gold. Above its head, reaching into the ceiling was a large golden disk resembling the disk that Amun Ra had above his head in ancient depictions of him in stone paintings. Colin's gut feeling was that this was not a statue. It was possibly alive but asleep, as the local superstition described. The locals said Amun Ra was asleep in one of the pyramids and would wake again in the right circumstances. To him, it looked like a large reptile of some kind. It had patches of green scales while dust covered the rest of its body.

This creature in the pyramid was one of the Dark Hoods. He was responsible for maintaining rule on the continent of Africa. He focused on the great prospering regions of the era, Sudan and Egypt. Thus both countries worshipped him as the god called Amun Ra. In Egypt, there were depictions of Amun Ra with green skin and other smaller beings with green skin in the temples of Egypt. Some archaeologists of the distant past that had investigated the area of Meroe, suggested that they saw stone depictions of a triangular object, possibly a spaceship, hovering over the large main pyramid. It was almost as if it were parked on the tip of the pyramid. They had been ridiculed over their suggestion and it became unpopular to make these suggestions.

Humanoids were workers that had been created by the Dark Hoods. They were similar in appearance to humans but without much intelligence or emotions. The humanoids had obediently carried out their task for which they had been produced by the alien Amun Ra - the building of two hundred and thirty-three pyramids. Human sacrifices were carried out to feed the alien, who thrived on human blood. The humanoids stopped feeding the god with human sacrifice in the main temple. The alien became weaker and decided to destroy the humanoids for their impertinence. He spread a lethal virus among the humanoids killing most of the population. As a result, many pyramids were left unfinished. The Protectors of the Light transported the survivors away, and in another area of the world safe from these destructive aliens taught them democracy, numeracy literacy, spirituality and healing.

There were only two guards leading Linda and Colin from the camp to their death since the rebels were so confident they wouldn't survive their ordeal. Linda was walking slowly and with grace. She wanted to die with pride and dignity. She looked at Colin who looked at her at the same time. Linda thought he was so handsome..... how she loved him. They walked to a point that was in front of the statue. A soldier dragged Colin in front of the reptilian statue. The eyes of the statue flicked open and Colin looked into reptilian eyes that reminded him of cold, green, glass marbles with a black slit in the middle. The statue seemed to wake up and it became alive. It moved its feet and arms when Colin was close to its throne. Colin wished that the chamber had not been illuminated in gold-coloured light as he could see all the horrific detail of this nightmare which was his reality. There were small channels disappearing into the platform. Colin desperately asked The Protector to help him.

Colin's captor pushed Colin away from him. He took out a video camera and began pointing it towards Colin. His executioner grabbed him and threw him onto a large circular stone. The executioner had a gold crown with a depiction of the sun and he was covered in a black gown with small slits in the material for eyes. He had a long, sharp sword - which was laid on the ground - with which to kill Colin. The soldier took out a knife and brought it closer to Colin's arm and slashed his wrist. Blood poured into a channel and his blood flowed towards the creature on the throne. The creature began to stand up from its chair as it drank the blood. Linda screamed. Her captor clasped his hand over her mouth as she continued to yell and screech. Colin was trying to push back his captor with his arms which only served to agitate the soldier. He put his knee in Colin's back and firmly placed Colin's head on the stone platform and reached for the sword. Colin turned again and punched his executioner in the face with his tied hands and ran towards Linda. Linda was screaming hysterically. The alien's scales were becoming greener as the Dark Hood licked the drops of blood. Linda heard footsteps running up the passage. She turned and looked towards the entrance. She saw George enter the stone chamber with a sub-machine gun, followed by his colleague who had a rifle.

Linda screamed "George, help me and Colin..... help us...... please!"

George turned to the soldiers and shouted out "lay down your weapons now!"

The soldiers spun around at George aiming their guns at him. George shouted, in a commanding voice, "drop you weapons or I will shoot!!"

The soldiers opened fire. George and Richard expertly dodged their bullets. George opened fire, a barrage of bullets shot at the soldiers, the rounds seemed to be firing every second. Bullet shells littered the stone floor. The two soldiers fell to the ground dead. The alien began to slowly rise from its seat. It was agitated because its chance of being fully alive and waking from a long sleep was disappearing as the seconds passed. George and his colleague opened fire, both their guns focusing on the alien. The alien began to walk towards them despite being under heavy fire, dust falling from its body. The Dark Hood looke looked more alive and vibrant. Richard took out a rifle and aimed at the golden disk. He fired a shot and the disk fell from the wall and slammed into the alien's head. The alien stumbled and slumped back into his chair. His eyes were beginning to close and he ceased moving. George bravely walked up to the throne and aimed the rifle at its head. The alien emitted a slow metallic rasp like a bad reception from a radio channel. It was moaning in pain. He shot the huge alien. A purple-coloured fluid began to slide down his head from the hole the bullet had made. Still the creature was not dead and George was running out of ideas as to how to kill this vile and disgusting creature. He repeatedly shot the Dark Hood but the alien stayed alive.

Suddenly The Protector descended from the roof, landing swiftly in front of Colin and Linda. He was pulsating a sky-blue colour with an outline of white light surrounding his massive muscular body. The blue light formed a shape of a chest plate and shields on his arms and lower legs. His legs were as big as lamp posts and his arms seemed as big as tree trunks. He knelt down covering Linda and Colin with a huge shield made of white light that covered Linda and Colin as they stood. Colin and Linda knew that The Protector was poised for battle. Colin froze as he stared at the spectacle in front of him. The Protector showed his characteristic gentleness as he placed the shield in front of Linda and Colin yet had become a fierce and formidable defender. The Protector had become a live wire of energy and power.

The Protector held a sword at his side and as he drew the sword it became elongated and progressively sharper. The sword flashed white light as The Protector raised it toward the alien. Even though The Protector, Linda and Colin were roughly fifteen feet away from The Dark Hood, The Protector's sword had reached the neck of the creature. The Protector raised his sword against The Dark Hood and levelled it on the alien's head. The alien had come to realise he was facing his doom. He stood up slowly and a red glow emitted from his hands. He shot a ball of red fire towards Linda and Colin and another red ball of fire at George. The Protector held up his shield and the fireball bounced off it, leaving Linda and Colin untouched. George skilfully jumped away from the path of the fireball, as nimble as a lad in his twenties. George was unharmed. The Protector swiped his sword at The Dark Hood cutting the aliens neck. George fired a second volley of bullets. The bullets formed a lethal circle around the Dark Hood's neck and tore through the alien's flesh. Purple blood spurted from the alien's skin. The Dark Hood's scales dropped off its skin slowly and began to grow grey again, almost like the light and colour of Christmas lights fading immediately when switched off.

The Protector shouted, in a booming voice, at the Dark Hood.

"Leave this world. Go Now! You and your like have no place on this earth and we do not want you here. Now, go!!"

George, his colleague, Linda and Colin put their hands over their ears, The Protector's voice was so loud. The Protector struck the aliens head with his sword.

The Dark Hood turned towards The Protector and responded, his voice sounded like tin foil being crumpled up.

"I will meet you again, ridiculous slave of mankind! Next time it will not be so easy! And my kind are not finished here just yet!"

The Protector shouted, his voice booming "go!" With that, the alien's head rolled onto the floor as a result of the bullets George had fired at it. The alien collapsed into his chair and disappeared into the air, departing from the world.

The Protector turned towards Colin and Linda. "You two are very brave, remember your bravery in times to come and remember your capacity to overcome anything in your way."

Linda and Colin replied in unison: "Thank you, Protector."

"It is my pleasure, sweet ones. I told you I would always protect you. Now I must go."

The Protector ascended speedily through the roof and into the sky. George looked in amazement but there was no time to talk.

George spoke in a loud, stern voice.

"Linda, let's go quick. Young man, run as fast as you can".

The two men that had saved Linda and Colin ran behind them forming a human shield, wary that the soldiers they shot might still gather themselves together and attack. They all exited the pyramid. George turned back and threw a grenade. It exploded, blasting stone and rock around the chamber as it caved in, the dust and rock following the group and almost catching up with them. There was no effect on the pyramid. Miraculously, only small stones rolled off the monument.

George surveyed the landscape with his keen eyes to make sure the area was clear of soldiers. Linda hugged George.

"George, thank you so much!"

Linda was dancing around George and laughing with glee.

Colin was more reserved and hugged George briefly as George patted Colin on the back in a friendly way, saying "well done, young man."

George said merrily "now, friends, if you sit in the jeep you will find it nice and cool, it is air conditioned. I have items of food and drink you my like - coke, wine, beer, chocolate and sandwiches. I trust you will enjoy them!!" George wore green shorts and a white shirt, now brown with dust. He had a wealth of silver grey hair. Richard was dressed similarly, his strands of grey hair dishevelled.

Linda and Colin sat in the cool jeep and munched rapidly thorough the food and drink. Colin gobbled the chocolate to begin with, the tin foil reminding him of gold. Linda preferred the more nutritious sandwiches, she could almost smell the ham and coleslaw as it oozed out of the bread. Colin, Linda and George shared a bottle of champagne.

George said happily "cheers everybody".

Linda and Colin replied with glee: "cheers!!"

The black jeep sped into the distance, trails of dust spewing from the wheels.

Colin observed George's transport. It was a very large, black jeep, similar to the jeeps he saw that guarded Barack Obama, the American president, as he travelled around Dublin a few years ago. It seemed a lifetime away now. The jeep was spacious. It was a long time since he felt so cool, the air conditioning interrupting the flow of the hot air outside.

Linda asked George with a smile, "so who are you George? Tell me, dear."

"Linda, when I met you in Paris I really didn't tell you much about me. Sadly I still can't. I am who I told you I am but I have very strong political links with very powerful countries. In my spare time, I like to help people whom I know will be important even though they don't know it yet!"

George turned and looked at Colin. "Colin, I have not met you before. You are a handsome young man. You are from Dublin, I presume? I recognise that charming accent!"

George smiled.

"Ye, I'm Colin O'Brien from Dublin. I came out in a United Nations aid-work convoy, we wanted to rescue Linda. They were all shot dead in Shandi. Thank you for saving us."

George replied "I will inform the relevant people in the UN of the event. They may ask you for more details."

Colin said "yes, I can give further info if needed."

Linda interrupted "George, he came out here all the way from Rome to save me. He barely knows me and he came out here for me!"

George smiled at Colin. "Dear God, young fellow, you are far too young to be involved in this kind of situation. You should be very proud of yourself."

George and Linda smiled fondly at Colin.

Linda said "George, I couldn't begin to tell you how much he helped me feel better in that hovel of a prison I stayed in for so long."

Colin blushed a little and said 'thank you'.

"George, how did you know what was happening to us?"

"Well, I was really only aware of Linda's difficulties. The aid worker that was managing the camp went on international television in an attempt to save her. I was watching at the time. I have informers all over the world and if I need information usually they can give me facts to illuminate my decisions. One of the soldiers in your camp, Linda, was an informer so I found out where you were and about the execution they had planned. Colin I didn't know anything about you until we met today."

George didn't speak of The Protector. There had been too many unexplained events so far. George brought everyone's attention back to business and their departure from Sudan.

"Now, my friends I want to take you to Brussels. An international seminar will be held in the buildings of the European Union. It is a very important time of the world we live in. The importance of weather change, the terrorist threat, the danger of biochemical weapons and the future of the European Union itself will be discussed. So what better people to stand up and talk about some of these issues to the Union? I would imagine you both have a lot to say.

Colin asked "how are we getting there?"

"By private plane", replied George. "This is Richard, the pilot. One of the best!!" Colin and Linda said hello to Richard. He winked at them in return.

George continued outlining his plans for the three.

"We will land in Brussels and I will put you up in one of the most expensive and luxurious hotels in Europe. The seminar is in three days. I always find the best presentations are the unplanned ones! So the two of you can rest and you will be completely safe. I will see to that personally."

Linda asked "George, would you mind terribly if I paid a visit to Bernadette? If it wasn't for her I would be dead by now."

George looked thoughtful. "Yes, of course, the camp isn't very far from here. Ok, let's go!"

The group travelled towards the aid camp, Colin observed the unforgiving nature of the red sand which seemed to stretch out for an eternity. He adored the contrast of the cool air-conditioning with the heat outside. As they approached the camp, Linda saw a van circling outside the flimsy gates, there were volleys of bullets. She recognised Bernadette battling once again with the rebels to protect her camp. The look of fear on her face, yet the determination to defend the camp from the soldiers.

"Stop the car!" George commanded.

George opened the door of the jeep and stepped out onto the ground confidently with his sub-machine gun in hand. He aimed it at the rebels and opened fire. There was a volley of bullets and the van's windshield was smashed. The side of the van was riddled with bullets. The rebels began to panic and forgot about their prey. They shouted and roared. They had the audacity to shoot towards George. He was so expert in his trade that George aimed at the rebel's wrist and shot it. The rebel screamed as his hand flopped loosely around his wrist, the muscles in his wrist now torn and unable to support his hand. The people in the camp started to cheer. The aid-workers were clapping in their green tents, temporarily forgetting the hellish place they worked and lived in. The soldiers turned away in their van and fled at high speed.

"I don't think they'll come back in a hurry, Bernadette," said George.

Bernadette stood at the gate, unsure of what had happened. Linda stepped out of the car, knocking over the wine bottle at the back of the car and almost fell out of the car door in her haste to meet Bernadette. She noticed Bernadette was dressed the same as when they first met. Bernadette's green combat trousers were covered in red sand. Her white shirt was stained with the maize fluid, used to feed the starving babies.

"Bernie, Bernie, my God!! Hello!!!!!"

"Jesus, Linda!! You're safe!!"

The two women embraced each other. Instead of the desert being dry and barren, Linda began to think of it as a place pregnant with surprises and not as cruel as she thought.

"Bernie, the film you sent out, it worked! George saw it and Colin saw it and rescued me!!"

"Linda, who are these two?" she said as she pointed towards George and Colin.

"Well Colin is, shall we say, my romantic interest."

Colin blushed.

"He's from Dublin."

Bernadette walked over to Colin. Her footsteps, even though the ordeal had just happened moments ago, were steady. She gave Colin a firm handshake.

"Nice to meet you, young man. I apologise for all this stress you've been through but you're as strong as an ox!! Good on ye for helping Linda."

She beamed a smile at him.

"And Bernie, this is George and his accomplice. I can't really tell ye what they do, suffice it to say George is an art dealer and Richard is a pilot."

Bernadette glanced at the two and shook hands with them. She knew when not to ask questions about people.

"Thank you for saving Linda and it looks like you may have rid me of those frigging rebels as well."

George smiled broadly. "Not at all Bernadette, don't mention it, my name is George."

"Welcome George. Now does anyone want lunch and maybe a drink?"

They all agreed they would and walked through the camp with its hungry people and busy staff.

Colin stared at the ground, not wanting to see the poverty. Bernadette gestured towards a wooden table and some stools with cushioned seats and metal legs and they all sat down. George noted that the charisma Bernadette possessed would have made a politician jealous.

"This is a special occasion lads, so I'm giving you all the best this place has to offer! How about a Guinness and some fried Irish sausages??!!"

All agreed. Bernadette distributed the Guinness, a cool creamy coloured froth poured out of the top of each can. Colin sucked all the froth from his can determined not to waste any of his precious drink.

Bernadette smiled warmly at him. "So Colin, I see you`ve got a taste for the black stuff? Isn't that what they say at home?!"

Colin chuckled. "Ye Bernadette, and ha, when you think about it, the green, green fields of home!"

The sausages sizzled away in a metal frying pan, giving off a delicious smell of cooked bacon.

Bernadette looked at Linda. "So, what now, Linda?"

Linda replied "I don't think I'm cut out for aid work. I will just go back to my practice as a psychologist, stick to what I know best, at this stage in my life. George wants to bring us to Brussels to talk about our recent experiences."

"That sounds interesting. Ye know, I'm sure Brussels is quite different from here!!"

Bernadette laughed. They talked for a while longer, George and Richard began to look restless as they glanced at their watches. It was clear to Bernadette they wanted to continue on their journey.

"Ok lads, thank you all so much."

Bernadette turned to Linda and gave her a quick peck on her forehead.

"Linda, it is so nice knowing you, sure maybe we'll meet again some time?"

"I'd like that, Bernie."

They all jumped into the jeep, leaving Bernadette to tend to the starving. Four hours later, they boarded the private jet. Colin and Linda flew towards Europe. Linda slept on Colin's shoulder for most of the flight. They touched down in Brussels. George had put them up in a hotel that was beyond even Linda's experience of luxury.

Chapter 19

Colin and Linda arrived at their hotel in Brussels, escorted by George and Richard. The beauty of the hotel surpassed Linda's experiences of luxurious hotels. Colin and Linda surveyed their surroundings and Colin's mouth dropped open as he stared at the fountain in the lobby and the marble floors and pillars, and gold painted walls. The guests stared at Linda and Colin who were still dishevelled and soiled with red sand.

George checked them in, then said "now Linda and Colin, you will find clean clothes in your room. Tonight, I want you to meet an extraordinary woman called Susan for dinner. The three of you will meet and tomorrow you will be transported by Richard to the European Union offices and make a speech."

"George, a speech, tomorrow, at the EU? That's very short notice. Colin and I have no time to prepare!!"

Colin gulped as he froze at the thought of speaking to so many people.

"You and Colin can talk about it with Susan tonight. The three of you are highly intelligent people. I'm sure you can decide on something to say."

Linda observed how dictatorial George could be. As if reading her mind, George said "I apologise for being so curt but I really have a lot to organise. Meet me tonight in the main restaurant"

Linda had a bath and felt transformed as she washed the dirt off her skin in warm water. She thought the fittings of the bathroom may have been gold or at least gold-painted. She jumped into the luxurious bed that had linen sheets and duck-feather pillows and duvet. She could hear Colin singing in the shower and admired his muscular, tanned body as he jumped into bed with her. They instantly fell asleep in each other's arms. Colin was amazed at the softness of the mattress in comparison to the thin, hard mattresses he had become accustomed to. He was stunned when he rose from his bed and noticed the oil paintings of brightly coloured flowers. A bowl of fruit had been left on the marble table. He never knew such places existed. He dressed in a blue suit and black shirt. He looked around the hotel room. He looked at Linda appreciatively as she slipped her long legs into a white, silk dress that looked conservative in comparison to the sexy clothes she always wore. She put on cream shoes with low heels.

"Wow Linda, this is a really cool place isn't it! God, it's so great to have a shower. I feel like a totally different man now!"

"Well, I must admit I have been in very upmarket hotels Colin but nothing like this! It's so great to have left that hell hole I was trapped in. I'm not going to get upset. I want to enjoy all this. You look so well in a suit, Col!!"

"You're so sexy, as always, love!"

Several crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling in the main restaurant. Gold-braided, cream-velvet curtains were draped across the windows. Waiters glided around the tables. The couple kissed and held hands as they walked into the main restaurant. They could see George sitting in a cubby hole with a tall woman with black hair. Linda thought she looked tired. The woman was very thin and dressed in a grey jumper with black trousers. She was dressed so casually, she looked out of place in the restaurant yet she looked completely at home in her surroundings. Susan was speaking casually to George. George stood up as Colin and Linda walked up to the table. George's silver grey hair was clean and brushed. He looked gentlemanly in a stylish black suit.

"Susan, here are the friends of mine I mentioned to you. Linda and Colin, meet Susan. She is responsible for saving the whole of London from an epidemic! Susan, meet Colin and Linda. They have been through such a dangerous adventure, both very strong and remarkable people. They can tell you all about it themselves."

Linda Susan and Colin shook hands and sat down

"Right, now that you've all met I must go. So, Richard will collect you at nine o'clock tomorrow morning and the three of you will make a speech about your experiences and the important meaning it has for mankind. He'll look after you. The people attending the conference need to learn from your experience."

George excused himself and hurried away

Susan immediately took charge as Linda and Colin sat down.

"I think we should just say what we feel. I would imagine that anything we say will be of use. The three of us should just concentrate on our message, whatever we decide it will be."

Linda glanced at Susan. She reminded her of a nun. The grey and black colours she wore. Susan did not make an effort to dress up in such fabulous surroundings. She was glad that Susan was organising the group so rapidly. Linda noticed Susan's pendant ...... with a shining diamond encased in silver that twisted around the diamond in small delicate lines. She realised Susan too was from a privileged background.

That night, they talked about the events that had tested each of the three to almost breaking point. They discussed what each would say, working together with ease. The three looked like old friends who had known each other for years.

Richard arrived promptly at nine o'clock in the morning in the black jeep to collect Susan, Linda and Colin. The three speakers were to address the audience after lunch time.

"Are you all ok about the conference?" Richard enquired. "It's normal to have some nerves when speaking to a crowd."

"Ye, I can do this," Colin replied, "it's not any worse than being just about to have your head lobbed off. I'm ok...... ha ha!!"

"Don't talk about those events this morning Colin, I need to focus on positive things," Linda said crossly to Colin.

"Look, I`m sure we will be fine," Susan said calmly. "Just focus on the message we have prepared, it's the people out there we need to focus on, not on how bad we feel."

Richard agreed. "Yes, Susan's right, focus on your message not your nerves. I'll be around if any of you need me."

They arrived at the European Union. Colin remembered his first trip, how he was rushed through a few rooms in the building and then thrown out into a crowd of racist maniacs. But he also remembered how The Protector guided him. He understood the European Union was under pressure to protect itself, from external and internal enemies. He noticed the flags. The United Nations flag flew along with the others on this day. There were several security guards at the entrance of the building and security had been posted around the outside of the conference room.

Colin was baffled with what he had seen.

"Richard, what's going on here? What's with all the security?"

"Ok, I'll be honest about this. A security risk has been identified over the past few days. The Union has taken precautions to make sure everyone is safe."

Susan questioned Richard. "What is the nature of this threat, Richard? What exactly is the security risk?"

Richard was silent for a few minutes thinking of the right way to break the news.

"There may be a risk to all the speakers here today. Guys, this is a major, major event. There are people out there who don't want this information to be released. This is an exposè of scientific and social research conducted over fifty years. Some say this conference will usher in the next stage of the development of mankind."

"But isn't this a good thing?" Colin asked.

"Some people don't want the human race to change and they despise anyone or anything that will help this change," Richard remarked with contempt, his hands turned into fists. "Somehow diplomats and organisers have pulled this off despite all the odds. The three of you are taking part in history in the making."

Richard relaxed again and smiled.

Linda sounded perplexed. "Are we safe?"

Richard affirmed. "Yes, I am sure of that."

They arrived at the European Union building. They were impressed by the glass and steel on the outside of the building which looked modern but also magnificent. Linda adored the long row of flags of European member states and the many colours and shapes. They walked into the building together in the morning so as to listen to other people's speeches.

Emmerich sat in a bar in Brussels. He was drinking a small whiskey. He took the coaster from under his whiskey glass and started to strip the paper off slowly, strip by strip. He was thinking of how his plans had been ruined by those three bastards. The Dark Hood hadn't received its sacrifice and the disease that Marcel tried to spread across Britain only affected London. That 'little tramp', that doctor, had contained it in London.

"As for that working class snot from Dublin....... just because he has a fancy suit on...... he is still working class, and he thinks he knows everything."

Emmerich was on another mission for The Dark Hoods. He was warned he must be successful. He relished this task...... yes...... the chance to teach these fools a lesson.

Colin, Susan and Linda were seated at the podium. It was a large lecture hall, the walls were made of wood. The seats were a little uncomfortable, the cushions on the seats were thin. Colin was just about to step up to start his quick speech. There seemed to be about fifty rows of seats that formed a semi-circle around the podium. The back of the room was covered with reporters and camera men. Linda sat with Susan, beside the podium. She noticed the pendant that was emphasised by Susan's black suit.

"That pendant is so beautiful Susan, where did you get it?" Linda asked.

"My husband bought it for me. Because I was on the frontline fighting the outbreak, at times he thought I might not return home, so he bought this, to remind me of his eternal love for me and my strength in handling adversity."

Susan was smiling but Linda could see her eyes looked sad. Linda placed her hand on Susan's shoulder to console her.

"Susan, life has been very hard on so many people these past few months. But we are in a position to help real change to occur, and to me that's a great gift. You were very important in ensuring that, Susan."

Susan smiled at Linda. Colin stepped up to the podium.

"You`ll be fine, Col!!!" Linda said supportively.

Colin looked back at Linda and said "fingers crossed!!"

Colin was astounded by the vast amount of journalists and cameras that were set up at the rear of the room. He could see the long television microphones in a row almost right in front of where he stood. He suddenly asked for The Protector to be with him and he heard the familiar gentle voice say "I am here, do not be afraid."

Colin cleared his throat. He raised his glass and sipped some water. He began to feel at home where he was, he began to enjoy standing in front of the audience and the press because he knew he had something positive to tell them. He did what Susan advised, to focus on the message he wanted to give to others, not on his nerves.

"Ahem........ hello everyone," Colin said loudly. "Ammmm...... I have something important to say. We Are Not Alone."

There as a flurry of cameras flashing.

"I'm not talking about aliens, I'm talking about something on a much more massive, much more powerful scale. I want to tell you about a being I know. He is called The Protector. He has helped me all my life. In every event, he has protected me and shown me love. When Linda and I were going to die in the Sudan, he protected us. Whenever I need help and I ask him, he helps. If you, any of you, even if you are reading the paper about this, just say to yourself 'help me, Protector,' he will help."

Some members of the crowd clapped and a journalist asked "how do you know when This Protector is with you and helping you?"

"Well sir, I was confused about that meself for a long, long time. You know when you become more relaxed, when your trouble goes away. You'll know when you hear a voice in your mind that tells you what to do and the advice helps your situation."

Another journalist was baffled: "and how does a person know, if you try this, that the person is doing it right? Calling this being in the proper way?"

"All I will say now is try it, just try it," Colin replied, becoming frustrated. "Just ask 'Protector please help me' and see what happens, then you will know his power. His help is for everyone. Thanks for listening to me."

The audience clapped but not as much as Colin hoped, he wasn't certain if they understood or believed what he said but he tried as hard as he could. He walked towards his chair and smiled at Linda as she got up to say her speech. She grinned at him, not particularly looking forward to standing at the podium in front of, what seemed to her, the whole world.

"As Colin has said," Linda began, "we are not alone. But there are beings on this planet. They love the human race, they love every individual. They don't judge, they don't lecture. They don't cause wars, they prevent them. They accept every one of us for who we are. They changed me, Colin and Susan and undoubtedly many others for the better."

Linda raised her voice and spoke in a feverish fashion, exciting the crowd as she did so.

"They asked me to give you a message. The Protectors of the Light love you all!! They want to help everyone in every way they can. The want to make us feel good without alcohol, drugs - legal or illegal - or cigarettes. By helping each individual, eventually they help the whole world. One of them can be in as many places as it wants."

Linda stopped to drink water from her glass and surveyed the crowd to see if she was making an impact. She saw that she was. She raised her voice and quickened her speech to excite the crowd.

"They talk of the Great Source, that we can all drink from the same pool of energy as they do. They love mankind and protect us. They are our guardians as individuals and as members of the human race."

Colin stared at Linda. Linda was sensational, passionate, and a fantastic speaker. She was whipping up the crowd into more excitement as time went on.

"Ask them to be with you in your lives, just try it!!!!! We are so much more than we know!!!! The Protectors of the Light can guide us to develop completely, in this, the Dawn of the Golden Age of Mankind!!"

The entire crowd stood up and applauded.

Linda smiled in return. "Thank you."

She walked back to her seat. She, Colin and Susan knew she had hit the spot, their message was beginning to be heard. Susan and Colin patted her on the back and congratulated her on her powerful speech.

Susan confidently stepped up to the stand.

"I too know The Protector. I am certain I could not have helped rid a huge city of an outbreak of a new disease without his help. As for my personal life, I am sure he saved my family and I from the depths of despair and even worse. I want people to know that, in my opinion, the greatest risk to mankind is not nuclear power, it is not robots, it is not aliens. It is disease - in the form of biological warfare."

Linda saw someone standing still, looking at her in the crowd. She began to lose her words.

"I would....... would like...... like...... like to ........"

Susan looked directly at the man she saw standing up in the crowd. The man was standing, looking at her and he was pointing at her. She stared at him and realised he had a gun. Emmerich raised his arm slowly, aimed toward Susan and shot at her. She could see the bullet approaching as if it was slowing down. Susan called on The Protector. Unexpectedly she raised her arms, her palms were flat and pointing towards the gunman. All this time, she had struggled to contain her telekinetic power, now she would use it to save her life.

Colin and Linda's mouths dropped open when they saw the spectacle in front of them. Some kind of energy was pulsating through Susan's body and up through her arms and to her hands. As if a pillar was growing within her. The air in the conference room seemed to have taken on qualities of water, ripples of air, like ripples of water, vibrating in small circles and then bigger circles towards the back of the room. There was a high concentration of ripples around Emmerich which were getting thicker. Susan's body was stretching, as if her skin was extending beyond her head. Colin and Linda were mystified. Linda no longer saw Susan as a nun but now as a female warrior. Susan brought both her arms up slowly towards the ceiling. Her assailant began to rise into the air in accordance with her arms. Susan was lifting his body telekinetically.

Emmerich's body dangled in the air, a look of terror in his face. His eyes were bulging from his head and he was perspiring excessively, sweat dropping from his face. A human had never scared him like this. He usually dominated humans. He fired a shot but it bounced away from Susan, there seemed to be an invisible shield around her. He fired another and another bullet, all uselessly bouncing away from Susan, never hitting anything near her. Emmerich felt himself moving towards the back of the room. The ripples of air were vibrating faster as Susan pushed her arms across the podium and he felt a force of energy pushing him towards the doors. The back doors of the conference room flew open and police streamed into the room. Susan suddenly opened her hands as if to drop something invisible. Emmerich began to fall towards a table. He was caught by a policeman, handcuffed rapidly and dragged up the steps towards the exit door.

Emmerich was screaming: "YOU WHORE, YOU WHORE!!!" his feet still dragging along the floor....... refusing to leave easily. Two more policemen were required to pull him from the room. The members of the audience ran towards the doors. They clambered over steps, chairs and tables in a panic to leave the room. Additional security barged through the doors and began to control the crowd.

Susan stumbled backwards from the podium, looking drained. Colin gave her water to drink as she sat down. Richard burst through the doors at the back of the podium.

"Ok everyone, time to go, time to go right now. I'm driving all of you to the plane, she's all ready to fly. Let's go!!"

Linda and Colin walked quickly through the doors. Susan was leaning on Richard as if she had fainted but she was still awake. Richard picked her up with his well-muscled arms. Linda noticed absentmindedly that Richard had an unusually thick neck. His hair was wispy, some strands of grey hair heading in one direction and other strands in another direction. He was going bald and was trying to hide it. He didn't have the strong presence, the 'completely in control' attitude, that George had. She was grateful for his immediate response to their situation. Colin asked Richard, with concern in his voice, "is she ok?"

Richard spoke in a low voice.

"Susan's just a bit weak. That kind of telekinetic force really tires a person. She'll be ok by the time we get on to the plane."

They were already outside. They had exited through a secret emergency corridor. Richard was carrying Susan. It was a sunny day and the sun reflected all its rays from the myriad of glass windows. Colin felt that the glass-and-steel building looked oppressive now. He didn't like the constant presence and substantial amount of security which seemed to be a regular feature of the organisation. Twice Colin had been to the building and twice he had been faced with violence.

Colin was mystified.

"How do you know all that about, what did ye call it, tele what?"

"Telekinesis. Let's just say it goes with my job, Colin," Richard replied, unruffled by the current events. "Linda and Colin, jump in and mind Susan. Just let her rest between you. Fasten your seat belts."

There was hysteria at the front door of the building as members of the conference were confused and distressed at the violence that had occurred within the conference room. Colin and Linda jumped into the back of the jeep. Susan was in the middle of them, she was gradually becoming conscious. Her head was leaning to the front of her chest uncomfortably and Linda moved her head gently onto her shoulder so she could be more comfortable. She held Susan's hand while Richard drove swiftly to the airport. When they arrived at the airport, Susan was fully awake and able to walk through the airport. They were processed rapidly through the airport and boarded the plane. Colin was relieved to leave Brussels. Linda was amazed at what happened at the conference. They could have been shot dead if it wasn't for Susan's unusual self-defence.

The group walked up the few steps into the cabin and were greeted by an attractive stewardess. She was dressed in a blue uniform with a white shirt. Her blonde hair was tied back with a small cap in the middle of her hair. She had a pretty face, high cheekbones and bright blue eyes. Colin noticed her long legs. She smiled at her passengers.

"Welcome on board, should you need anything at all, I can help once the plane has taken off and seat belt signs are switched off. For now, please sit down and fasten your seatbelts."

Richard spoke on the intercom.

"Right fellows, I will fly to London first, then Birmingham and last but not least Dublin. If you have anything valuable in the hotel, just notify the hotel and they will send you the items free of charge. It's not the first time their customers left in a hurry without an explanation! So, enjoy your flight!!"

"Anything to eat or drink, are you all comfortable?" the air hostess enquired. Susan, Linda and Colin didn't order any food, their stomachs had been upset by the stress of the day's events and the surprising rapidity of their transport home. Linda advised the air hostess that they were comfortable.

Colin put up his hand as if still in school.

"Ammmm.... could I have a cup of tea?"

The air hostess smiled briefly. "Of course."

Colin turned around and looked at Linda and Susan.

"Lads, do yez want anything?"

His friends replied no. They sat in the comfortable section of the plane and they all began to recover from the ordeal as the plane flew towards Britain. They had been quiet for most of the journey.

Linda looked at Susan with curiosity.

"So what happened back there, Susan?"

"That's a little something I started to develop a year ago," Susan replied wearily. "It's called telekinesis. I think I understand some things about it. I have spent most of the past few months trying to hide it from people. This is the very first time I have used it against someone. But, I must admit, my use of it was impressive, wasn't it?"

"Gosh, yes," Linda replied, "it was. That's a gift, Susan."

"Yes, I know. I try not to use it - it frightens people. But it was a good development for me. I have to control my stress and do things to manage it or else it gets a little uncontrollable! So if something is hanging in the air where it shouldn't, I know it's a sign for me to do something to control my stress."

Suddenly, Susan giggled. Her colour was coming back to her face. Colin was amazed at how healthy she appeared.

"I have just had an idea," Susan said with excitement. "Why don't we organise our own conferences - the three of us taking part. Maybe sometime in the future?"

Linda was enthusiastic. "Yes, Susan, that's a great idea!!"

"Guys, before we split up and go our separate ways, why don't we think about some things that were good in all of this, over the past few months?" Colin commented. He removed his silk blue tie and unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt.

Linda nodded. "Ye, that's a good idea too, Col."

"Of course I have come to know The Protector", said Susan, "and he has saved my life. He gave me guidance on how to learn about and control the telekinetic power I have. I've learned that the greatest power on earth is love. Not only can it move mountains but it can heal people. And that love of yourself is as important as your love towards others."

Colin and Linda looked at Susan lovingly for a few moments.

"Good one Susan," Colin said, "you are right.... a hundred percent right. Thanks, that's a really good comment."

Linda had carefully examined her thoughts and feelings about the events. She spoke slowly, with depth and meaning. She twirled a strand of her red hair slowly as she spoke.

"My father passed away not so long ago and I loved him so very, very much. My brother and sister wanted to sue me because I was left the house."

Linda bent her head and stared at the floor. She removed her black stiletto heels so as to feel more comfortable.

"After that, I felt so alone."

Linda paused.

"But I don't feel alone anymore."

Linda raised her head, looking through the window at the clouds, smiling.

"I know that I'll always get help, even if it's just emotional, in any future difficulty...... if I can remember to ask The Healer and The Protector to lend me a hand."

"I found the coolest woman in the world and that's you Linda," said Colin. "I would love to keep in touch."

Linda laughed, giggling girlishly. "Oh, of course Col, we will."

Colin winked at Linda. "I'd really like that Linda. Another thing for me is that I'm not afraid of anything anymore. I know my inner strength and it's supported by The Protectors of the Light. I'm going home now and I'm not worried."

Susan and Linda smiled and nodded their appreciation at what Colin said.

EPILOGUE

Colin, Linda and Susan returned to their homes and adapted to their old lives, despite the dangerous adventures they had been part of. Susan won the Nobel Peace Prize the following year for her success at containing the outbreak in London and for her contributions towards the development of an antidote to the Black Marbela virus. She accepted her award that night and thanked her husband and family for their love and patience during her long hours of work. She thanked Linda and Colin for their companionship and inspiration. Susan thanked Derek for working with her so effectively.

Colin lived at home in Dublin for six months and was frequently in touch with Linda. He had been reunited with his friends, Jeremy and Patrick. They had many amusing times, talking about their travels. His mother received effective treatment and improved beyond any expectations. Colin and Linda became engaged. Within a year, they married. Colin moved from Dublin to live with Linda in her mansion in the Cotswolds.

About The Author

Gabriel Woods has published The Golden Age Dawns, his debut novel. He has also written an e-book Easter Rising 1916, A Family Answers the call for Ireland`s Freedom. It has been such a popular book he wrote a second edition paperback book A Memoir of the Easter Rising Events 1916-2016.Gabriel Woods is an author and life coach living in Ireland. It has been such a popular book he wrote a second edition paperback book A Memoir of the Easter Rising Events 1916-2016 both as a paperback and an ebook.

He has obtained a degree in psychology and a Master in aid-work management from University College Dublin. He has travelled around the world. He has lived in Sydney and Brisbane in Australia. He has also explored sacred places of aboriginal culture. He explored important religious and cultural Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim sites of India. He has learned about the spiritual practices of the people that live and worship there. He has lived in Dublin, London and Edinburgh. He has travelled widely throughout mainland Europe including Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Netherlands and Germany with a focus on areas of cultural importance. He has returned to Ireland. He has worked voluntarily for Aware helpline that supports people experiencing depression and anxiety. He is now a fully qualified life coach.

Gabriel Woods has lived in Dublin, London and Edinburgh. He has travelled widely throughout mainland Europe including Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Netherlands and Germany with a focus on areas of cultural importance. These sites throughout the world that Gabriel has visited have had a profound effect on him which he expresses as he writes about these areas in his novel.

Gabriel has returned to Ireland. He is now a fully qualified life coach. He lives in a village near the banks of The Royal Canal.

Currently Gabriel is a committee member of the Irish Writers Union assisting writers in their writing and publishing process.

Easter Rising 1916 A Family Answers the Call for Ireland`s Freedom was a very popular ebook in 2016 soon after being published. It has been such a popular book he wrote a second edition paperback and ebook A Memoir of the Easter Rising Events 1916-2016.

Other Books by Gabriel Woods:

The Golden Age Desolation, part 2 of the Golden Age trilogy is now available

Easter Rising 1916 A Family Answers The Call For Ireland`s Freedom

Easter Rising 1916 A Family Answers The Call For Ireland`s Freedom A Memoir Of The Easter Rising Events 1916-2016 Second Edition

Gabriel`s books are available as paperback and e-book in all major online bookshops. Also available in Irish Libraries

Visit www.gabrielwoods.ie for discounts, special events and more

Join Gabriel Woods at these social media sites:

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/gabrielwoods

https://gabriel854.wordpress.com/

https://plus.google.com/u/1/116504345091500096350

https://twitter.com/gabrielwoods771

https://www.facebook.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/post/edit/6261179479213772800

www.instagram.com/gabrielwoods777/

Email: gabrielwoods777@gmail.com

Reviews

The Golden Age Desolation

Lissa Oliver

The second of Woods Trilogy, this really picks up the pace and develops the plot and characters. It suddenly takes the reader on a path hinted in The Golden Age Dawns novel but going much further along that path than we expected. To say more would be a plot spoiler, but it's a novel all sci-fi/fantasy fans will appreciate. Well worth continuing with this for those who started the set with The Golden Age Dawns and we look forward to the concluding novel.

The Golden Age Dawns

Lori Ah Loy NSW Australia

A page turner from start to finish. From Ireland and the UK, Amsterdam, Spain and the Sudan the story weaves a marvelous cocktail of impressive characters and their plight as they are recruited by the Protectors of the Light to assist in the battle for Earth. It is a journey of self discovery and personal commitment to a higher power and a call to arms to aid a greater cause then their own The age old tale of the forces of light battling the forces of darkness with humanity caught in the middle is brought to life in such a way that captivates the reader from the get go. The authors characters are rich in scope both the good and the bad. Plot after plot and twist after twist brings the two forces together in a head on clash one to save and evolve humanity and the other to subjugate and control or ultimately destroy humanity.  
The Golden Age Dawns is a hyperdimensional action thriller that magically assists the reader to experience the vibrational difference between good and evil. Gabriel Woods shows in graphic detail the remarkable difference of character that each of us has a choice to align with.   
He show's the extraordinary difference between those who chose to live with love in their hearts and to perceive the world of darkness that exists for those who do notI can`t wait for the sequel.

Lissa Oliver

A classic tale of good versus evil, The Protector lending an almost Biblical dimension to the lives of an array of interesting characters as they take the reader across the globe in search of resolution.

Ben Kesp

The Golden Age Dawns is book one of a trilogy exploring the societies across Europe that are crumbling under disease and destruction that have been spread to the continent by unseen and evil forces. Life on earth is not as people believe it to be. A fierce unseen cosmic battle is taking place between two great alien powers and the human race is caught in the middle.

Woods has told an interesting and compelling story. It's fast paced with plenty of action that pulls the reader in to see what will happen next. The story contains multiple characters and each has been selected to fulfil their destined path to help in saving or destroying the human race. Developing multiple characters can be difficult and can prevent connection to the emotional and thought process of the individual however Woods has created wonderful and interesting back stories to each of the very different main characters. Additionally as this is only book one of three, this book provides the introduction to the characters which will see developed more as the story unfolds.

An aspect I loved about The Golden Age Dawns is the setting of various scenes around ancient sites of the world whether in Ireland, United Kingdom or Africa. This instils all sorts of imaginings of what these sites might have been once used for by powerful alien races.

Overall it is an interesting and enjoyable read.

Geneviveve Neff

As someone who has had personal experience with metaphysical things, this book strikes a familiar chord with me. The experiences that Colin has in the book are quite similar to some of mine, and I can easily identify with the angst he goes through concerning them. A definite 5-star book, in my opinion.

Hawkmoon

The book has a disarming quality .It is subtle and you won't get it unless you keep reading. After a while you find yourself caught in the narrative. My only concern is readers are an impatient lot. They expect fireworks right from the start. The Golden Age Dawns has a universal appeal with a broad range of characters. Clearly the book is the first in a series that could take a number of iterations to deal satisfactorily with its thematics. The tone is human and engaging. Reading The Golden Age Dawns produces echoes of The Da Vinci Code without the annoying, know it all qualities of Tom Brown's book.

Easter Rising 1916 A Family Answers The Call For Ireland`s Freedom

Kelly

When writing a book review, I am always very conscious of simply rewriting or repeating the synopsis. I find this unnecessary and unhelpful to other readers. So ... without analysing too deeply (or giving the plot away) 'Easter Rising 1916: A Family Answers The Call For Ireland's When writing a book review, I am always very conscious of simply rewriting or repeating the synopsis. I find this unnecessary and unhelpful to other readers. So ... without analysing too deeply (or giving the plot away) 'Easter Rising 1916: A Family Answers The Call For Ireland's Freedom is a good read and, I believe, accesible to all readers.

The author has blended social issues at the roots of The Rising with historically factual events and human emotions to create a powerful novel. I found the cast of characters effective, believable and engaging. I cared about the characters and found myself wanting to know what happened to them as the story and the drama unfolded. I experienced a range of emotions and I felt very moved by the plight of the characters.

The author effectively contrasts two very different worlds that co-exist and collide, highlighting suffering and social injustice. The hidden, dirty, grey, poverty-stricken, suffering, helplessness and sickness of Mary's life is juxtaposed with Paul's privileged and picturesque life in Dublin, by the sea, where castles and gardens are covered in roses and rhododendrons. Despite the differences, their paths cross in an unimaginable way and their lives are forever changed by the events that unfold before them.

The imagery is very descriptive and haunting and there are supernatural elements as Mary is prophetically gifted and seems 'ghostly' in her 'long white dress' that 'almost seemed to glow'. Interesting also, that Mary and her family are devoutly religious and have a strong faith that 'kept them alive' – despite their suffering. I love Mary`s character and strength.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I recommend it. It was interesting from the beginning to the end and I found it informative. Easter Rising 1916: a family answers the call for Ireland`s Freedom is a good read.

The author has blended social issues at the roots of The Rising with historically factual events and human emotions to create a powerful novel. I found the cast of characters effective, believable and engaging. I cared about the characters and found myself wanting to know what happened to them as the story and the drama unfolded. I experienced a range of emotions and I

felt very moved by the plight of the characters.

The author effectively contrasts two very different worlds that co-exist and collide, highlighting suffering and social injustice. The hidden, dirty, grey, poverty-stricken, suffering, helplessness and sickness of Mary's life is juxtaposed with Paul's privileged and picturesque life in Dublin, by the sea, where castles and gardens are covered in roses and rhododendrons. Despite the differences, their paths cross in an unimaginable way and their lives are forever changed by the events that unfold before them.

The imagery is very descriptive and haunting and there are supernatural elements as Mary is prophetically gifted and seems 'ghostly' in her 'long white dress' that 'almost seemed to glow'. Interesting also, that Mary and her family are devoutly religious and have a strong faith that 'kept them alive' – despite their suffering. I love Mary`s character and strength

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and I recommend it. It was interesting from the beginning to the end and I found it informative.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/642331

Reviews of Easter Rising 1916: a family answers the call for Ireland's freedom–A memoir of The Easter Rising Events 1916 – 2016

Roy Hunt

After reading Gabriel Woods's short book (117 pages in total) on the Easter Rising 1916, I will never feel the same again walking up Dublin's O'Connell Street (then Sackville Street), towards Parnell Square. The poignant description, told through the eyes of various fictional characters, including a doctor, Paul Barry, a hotel employee Mary O'Donough and a lone man, described only as John (page 44), will always stay in my mind. It is almost like being among ghosts, to walk that part of Dublin city centre, when you are made aware of the terrible events

of Easter Week, 1916. For example, at one point, the character, John, covers 'his eyes from the heat of the fire. His ragged shirt blowing in the wind. A sheet of flames rushed towards John, blown down Sackville Street by a strong wind from the Liffey' (Page 44). You can almost feel the flames.

Those characters are fictional, but the story is based on original research, including character witnesses that the author interviewed

He also has very strong views on the handling of the centenary event in 2016, writing 'the events of Easter 1916 were not portrayed accurately in Ireland in 2016', (P.8) and that the public broadcaster, RTE, did not focus properly on the people involved.  
As someone who has tried to be concise when dealing with a large topic, Woods's short work is enticing. It takes effort and skill to be brief. If you don't want to immerse yourself in some of the larger tomes that have been written on the Rising, including pages of indexes and copious footnotes and bibliographies, you could instead turn to this eye-witness on-the-street account. It really is like being there.

There are two ways I think the book could be improved: one way would be to include a map. The description of the two characters, Mary O'Donoughue and Paul Barry, leaving the terrible poverty of the tenements of Merrion Square for instance, to make their way to the city centre, and Pearse's fateful walk with nurse Elizabeth Farrell to Britain Street at the 'north end of Moore Street' (p. 47) to surrender, had me reaching for my old fateful map of Dublin city centre. I genuinely felt the urge to follow this path the characters and Pearse took. A map in the book showing these streets Would be a welcome edition I believe.

The McGowan family in the book are real. But the dialogue I assume is interpretative based on his research. They are Charlie McGowan, his brother Claude, his sister Josie who suffered terribly at the hands of the British army, and Claude's angry wife, Margaret.   
The book goes on to comment on social conditions and human rights in Dublin in the present day and attempts to ask what the rebels who fought and died would think of present day Ireland. It ends with the speech given by the president Michael D. Higgins to the relatives of those who participated in the Easter rising, on the occasion of the 2016 centenary event.  
It is now one hundred and two years since the Rising. But if you want, just briefly, to be brought back in time to that week, to feel the passion of the rebels as they fought and died, to smell and feel the stench of blood, heat and fear on the streets and to remember for a moment the men and women who gave up so much, then you should buy this book. As President Higgins quoted Lily Connolly in his speech as she spoke to her husband, James on the eve of his execution 'But your beautiful life, James' (P. 101). That's how Gabriel Woods's book remembers them, they were beautiful and innocent people in a way maybe we today can barely fathom.

Lissa Oliver

This is almost two books in one, with a fictionalised account of the Easter Rising bringing events to life and a detailed factual analysis of the events, together with an in-depth personal view at the end, which casts a positive spin on what can be learned from the uprising. The author has a lovely easy style to his writing, a simply told story that isn't taxing on the reader, in spite of its complexity.

Review Short Stories Of Ancient Ireland

Lissa Oliver

Woods has a very simple and engaging style that comes to the fore here, the stories bite-size and easy to digest, sure to hold the interest of younger readers. Simple narrative, yet beautifully phrased, so of appeal to Woods' older fans, too. The stories serve as an introduction, leaving the reader to seek out further detail, there interest sure to have been sparked.

Secrets Of Abuse Survival

Genevieve Neff

Very intense, but thats good, isn`t it? And I like the point that Gabriel makes the abuser has to know what he`s doing, because he can hurt someone just enough to get want , but not so much as to attract attention. Unless, of course, he loses it in which case he bleep well should get thrown in jail.

