Young Writers Society

“I’m not finished yet. As I was saying why don’t you order a Chinese or get a KFC or Indian?” No one said anything then a blond haired midget piped up.

“ Listen. You aren’t supposed to be acting the way you are. You’re either supposed to be dead or running round screaming your head off until we catch you.”

“ Yes. Well things don’t always work out the way they’re planned do they.” Amelia’s voice had a sharp edge to it.

“ I mean, because something didn’t go as planned I lost a best friend and died. All in the space of 10 minutes!” Amelia smiled grimly and the man behind her. The one who had offered her a lift spoke.

“ I thought there was something different about you when you kicked me off you and then pounced on top of me.” Amelia turned to look at the man.

“ Well no. I was just a normal little girl following every rule invented by man. By the way. Is your back all right? What with the gravestone smacking.”

“ Nope. I fell as if it’s broken but apart from that it’s fine. The man walked over to sit next to the blond haired midget.

“ What do you mean died?” Asked the man closest to her in a gruff voice.

“ I mean dead. You know. Heart stopped beating, lungs not working, no flowing blood, so to speak, dead. That dead. Cause is there another dead that weans sleeping or something that I just don’t know about?” Amelia stared at all of the men. The man with the gruff voice stood up and held out his brown skinned hand.

“ My name is Dexter.” Amelia didn’t take his hand but nodded her head.

“ Charmed.” She said dryly. Dexter’s hand dropped to his side.

“ Dex. She doesn’t shake hands so it’s not just you.” Said the man who had brought her to the graveyard.

“ This is Danial.” Dexter pointed at the man who had been sitting next to him. He looked exactly the same as Dexter.

“ Hello.” Danial said in a hoarse voice. Amelia nodded her head at Danial.

“ Franki.” Dexter pointed at a man with blond hair and slightly yellow skin.

“ Hi.”

“ Peppe.” Dexter pointed to a man with a thin black moustache wearing a black beret.

“Bonjour.” Said Peppe in a strong French accent.

“ Voke.” Dexter waved his hand in the direction of a man with spiked hair that was coloured green, purple and orange. He had a piercing in his nose.

“ What up.” He said.

“Jon. You’ve already met.” The man that had led Amelia into the graveyard groaned.

“ And Marcus.” The blond midget scowled at Amelia.

“ Way I ask you something Marcus?” Marcus’s scowl vanished from his face to be replaced with a false smile.

“Yep. Go ahead.”

“ Why were you scowling at me? If you do not like me then say so.” Marcus’s false smile slid off his face as all of the others laughed. Dexter clapped Amelia on the back.

“ Bravo.” He said smiling kindly at her.

“ Don’t touch me.” She said slowly.

“Ewer.”

“ Yeah. She doesn’t like people touching her. Don’t know why.” Said Jon.

“ Just something that I developed over time.” Amelia spoke to Jon and then turned away from all of the others and tried to stop the tears forming in her eyes. She didn’t like being touched because the first touch she can remember was her brothers.

10 years earlier

“ Mark. Mark. What’s wrong?” Asked Amelia. She knelt beside her brother on the carpet. She looked round for her parents but she couldn’t see them anywhere. Then she remembered that they were out at a party with all of there friends. It was just her and Mark. He was lying on the floor. One of his hands was against his chest. It was covered in blood.

“ Amelia. Are you all right?” He asked quietly. His voice was shaking and he was wincing with every word that he spoke. He gulped as much air as he could into his lungs when he had finished speaking.

“ Yes. What’s wrong Mark? Are you tired? Let me get you a pillow.” Amelia was about to stand up but Mark’s arm grabbed a hold of hers.

“ I’m ok. I don’t need a pillow. Did the bad man hurt you Amelia?”

“No. But he took Mummy’s coin collection and Daddy’s big green book.” Amelia looked at her brother worriedly. She didn’t know what was going on but she was frightened. Mark’s hand was getting colder and his face whiter by the second.

“ Amelia. Can you tell Mummy and Daddy that I tried to stop the bad man but I was.” Mark stopped. He began to convulse slightly and his breaths were weak and raspy. Amelia tried to tear her hand from his but he held on tight.

“MARK! LET GO!” She screamed. Mark’s eyes closed and after a moment they opened and he managed to lift himself up enough to give Amelia a weak, cold kiss on her cheek. Then, he fell to the carpet and his hand slipped from Amelia’s. He lay still and Amelia sat where she was for a moment. She moved his arm gently.

“Mark. If you’re tired then you need to go to bed. Daddy will be angry if you sleep on the carpet.” Mark didn’t move. Amelia shook his arm again, this time less gentle than before.

“Mark. Mark. Mark! Mark! MARK!” Mark still didn’t move. Amelia felt hot tears running down her cheeks. Mark was sleeping but he wasn’t waking up to ask Amelia what was wrong. He had never fell asleep and then kept sleeping when she was calling for him. He had never done this to her. Amelia lifted Mark’s arm so it was round her shoulder and she curled up next to his body. She snuggled into him as best as she could and shut her eyes.

“ NO! NO!” A woman’s screaming voice that Amelia recognized as her mother’s jerked her from her sleep. She felt so comfortable lying there that she just kept her eyes closed and didn’t move. Sharp footsteps and a door opening. A pipe dropping to the floor and another scream from Amelia’s mother.

“CHARLES! THEY’RE DEAD!” Amelia’s mother began to cry. Amelia heard her mothers sobbing being cut short by a cruel slapping sound.

“MADELINE! Will you calm down!” Amelia’s dad spoke in a fierce yet shaky voice. There was silence for a few moments and then Amelia yawned and stretched herself out and her eyes fluttered open to see her parents standing above her. Her mother stood there with her mouth open and her eyes wide. Her tear stained face didn’t improve her already aging features. Her black cocktail dress with white rims was stuck to her body tightly. Her father’s hands were gripping her mother’s arms tightly. He looked very posh and rather frightening as Amelia looked up at him in his black suit with white bow tie and hair streaked with grey.

“ AMELIA!” Screamed Madeline. Charles let go of his wife’s arms in disbelief. Madeline fell to the floor next to Amelia and wrapped her arms around Amelia to give her a hug. Amelia pushed her mother away sharply and stared at Mark. She nudged him.

“Come on Mark. We’ve been sleeping for long enough. If you’re tired then we’ll have to go to bed.” She whispered quietly. She took hold of his hand to lift him up but let go of it abruptly. It was as cold as ice. Amelia realized that Mark wasn’t going to wake up. He was too cold. She howled and Charles and Madeline clapped their hands to there ears. Their eyes screwed up tightly. Amelia stopped howling and stared silently at Mark’s body. Madeline reached her hand out to place it on her daughter’s shoulder but Amelia moved away from her and lay her head on Marks chest next to where one of his hands was and hugged him tightly. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and squealed silently as her lips touched his cold flesh.

“ Amelia. We need you to go away.” Said Madeline kindly. Amelia lifted her head up and looked disgustedly at her mother.

“ NO! I’m not leaving him! He tried to stop the bad man getting your stuff and the bad man pointed a black thing at him and there was a big bang! The man took the big green book and the coin collection and Mark was trying to stop him and he fell asleep!” Amelia sobbed furiously and as Charles attempted to lift her up she lashed out. She jumped up and ran around the room knocking things over and screaming. Charles grabbed her by the waist and wrestled with her to get her out of the room and away from Mark’s body. Amelia kicked and screamed and tried to reach Mark. Her hand was stretched out to try and touch him. If she could touch him he would wake up. He would.

“MARK!” She shrieked horribly.

10 years later

“Are you all right?” Asked Dexter quietly. Amelia turned round to face the men again. They were all looking at her.

“Where you crying?” Sneered Marcus. Amelia glared furiously at him and Dexter, who was nearest to her, backed away from her there was such anger and power radiating from her.

“ Yes. What has that got to do with you?” She asked quietly.

“ Nothing.” Laughed Marcus. “ I just wanted to know if you had been crying. You’re a real strong person aren’t you crying.” It took place in a second. The smile was still on Marcus’s face as one of Amelia’s hands wrapped round his neck and squeezed tightly as she lifted him into the air. She brought his face close to hers.

“ Strength has nothing to do with a person crying or not! Do you get what I am saying?” Spat Amelia. Marcus squirmed in her grip but Amelia only increased the pressure on his windpipe.

“ Do you?” She spat again. Marcus gave a very weak thumbs up and Amelia abruptly dropped him to the ground.

“ Anyone else want to question my strength?” She stared furiously at everyone.

“ No.”

“ Nup.”

“ I’m cool.”

“ Nuhuh.”

“ No skin off my nose.”

“ After the demo I got given. No way.”

“ Well then. It has been nice meeting you all. But I have to find somewhere to go before sunrise.”

“ You can stay with me if you want.” Said Jon immediately. Amelia looked closely at him and Jon flinched. The, her eyes softened and her features which had become hideous and horrible melted away to reveal dazzling and startling beauty.

“ Thank you. Thank you very much.” Amelia walked out of the mausoleum and leaped onto the mausoleum roof. She stood on the roof and her eyes swept round the graveyard. The graveyard itself was situated on top of a hill meaning that Amelia could see the whole town mapped out beneath her. The twinkling lights would normally make Amelia feel warm and uplifting but now all Amelia felt was cold. A wind blew through the graveyard and whipped her hair round her face and her dress clung to her skinny frame. The moon shone brightly and Amelia’s skin tingled as she looked up at it.

“ Beautiful isn’t it.” Amelia spun round to see Jon standing behind her. He had just clambered onto the mausoleum roof.

“ Listen. That thing with Marcus.” Jon walked over to stand next to Amelia who had turned her head back to look at the town. “ He wasn’t questioning your strength.”

“ Oh yes he was. What program were you watching?” She asked him. He laughed nervously.

“Marcus. Well. I’m not sure what Marcus is. He’s new to this whole thing too. I think he doesn’t want to let go. Still. I mean he’s been with us for a year and he still can’t seem to let go of everything. He clings desperately to the hope that this is one hell of a long nightmare. He has convinced himself that he isn’t like us. That he’s still. You know.” Jon stopped and looked anxiously at Amelia. She continued to look at the town and then she looked at Jon.

“ I don’t like him. He doesn’t smell right. There’s something about him that I just don’t trust.”

“ That’s the general thought about you. With the rest of them.”

“ With them.” Amelia stamped her foot down hard on the mausoleum roof.

“ What about you?” Amelia’s eyes pierced into Jon’s. He looked back at her unblinkingly and answered.

“ I like you. I trust you.” Amelia and Jon looked at each other for a moment and in that moment they bonded.

“ Turn around.” Amelia said gently. Jon obediently turned round so his back was facing Amelia. She ran her hand down his back carefully and pressed gently but firmly on a spot on his back. There was a crack and Jon winced.