Espa Norva

Espa Norva - 2 - Tales

ESPA NORVA
2
TALES

The days passed quickly. Weeks went by, a month soon passed and suddenly Winter was upon us. Nights became longer and the bright days shorter. The darkest thoughts of my mind beg me to spill all my worries on to this page but last time Agath found this book and read it. My what a beating I got for that! I will not do that again but I will write this : The Winter has come early to Beacon Hills.
20.09.12

Scorpio sat on the threadbare sofa, staring into the bleak ooze of darkness that was tentatively seeping across the sky, and watching a golden feather of sun light float lightly onto the age white windowsill. Speckled light filtered across the wooden panelling, flitting across it as though they were being painted on with an invisible paintbrush. A warmth filled the room making him smile despite the frost that was knawing at the clouds in the sky.The room was dull and insipid, a fading modicum of its former radiance he supposed, but after the last few weeks... He had grown to relish the embers in the half blocked grate. Especially when the River was now cascading between the mangled, slime-slicked banks.

He cursed as a lock of black hair fell in front of his eyes, obscuring his vision so he couldn’t catch sight of Winter coming early and the last remnants of Summer saying goodbye. Scorpio blew at it softly, watching the strands as they danced idly in the cool draft from the crack in the right corner of the window. Leo was by his feet playing a game called Upword with Hazel. Fallouce was settled into the other end of the sofa with a magazine from the collection upstairs. This particular one was about a group of heroes called the X-Men. Every so often he’d tap Scorpio or Jann, who was intent on fixing the gramophone, on the shoulder and as what this word or that word meant... He’d never been to school apparently.

Scorpio sighed and finally pushed the hair aside so he could see again and wondered at the sight of the dismal, oppressive skyline as it touched down on the rooves of the dark, distant houses across the other side of the River... That was one of the things he liked about the house. It was high up on the bankside with a long sweeping garden and the sitting room faced down it so he could look into the River’s carved out valley and up to the other side of Beacon Hills.

There was a loud cantakerous bang as the room ricochetted the sound of Cilia slamming it open. She was flushed pink with excitement matched only by the brightness of her almost lilac eyes, “He’s come. He’s come again!” She said in a mad rush of vowels and constanants, “He’s bought presents and gold and silver and all sorts of things we can sell. Come and see!”

Everyone lept to their feet. Espa Norva had come again. Scorpio felt a dull throb of amazement in his chest as he realised that some how this character had entered and exited the house in the night. He had been awake all night... He shook his head in wonderment. Looking around he saw similar reactions on the other’s faces. Leo jumped up and down, tugging on his hand, bursting with curiousity.

“And he left something behind for everyone.” She added with a gleeful laugh but glancing over everyone she landed her gaze on Scorpio, “Something special for everyone. But yours is special.”

He dopped his eyes to the floor. Ever since he had taken her that omelette she had been saying he was special. How he was, he would never understand. As far as he could tell he was just like the others, a common vagrant that stole from others and scrummaged for every last dirty penny in his pocket. Just another wretched, messed up urchin.

“Come on Scorp.” Leo smiled widely, showing off the gap in his teeth from the tooth he had wobbled out yesterday, “Today’s like Christmas.”

Dumbly the older of the brothers let himself be bustled up the stairs in a mixture of embarressment and curiousity.

*

Cilia’s room was spacious at the top of the house, barely touched by the damage that had left it’s mark in most other areas of the place. The walls were plain white but she had hung up large, colourful drapes from the ceiling, turning the area into a private, beautiful den. The window was small but a skylight lit up the room despite the dullness outside.

“Winter’s come early to Beacon Hills this year.” Cilia announced, suddenly radiating a different kind of authority to that of Jann. She was speaking from Espa Norva which gave a power that made him shiver, “Espa said it’ll snow tomorrow so these are for you.” She pointed to several piles of neatly folded clothes that looked to be warm coats in assorted sizes as well as scarves and gloves... “From the window it goes: Leo, Fallouce, Hazel, me then Jann and then Scorpio.”

In a rush all but Scorio dashed to their piles, intrigued by what they were recieving from their faceless provider. He walked more slowly, something digging into his skull about all this. Crouching, he browsed through everything he had there. He smiled then, relief was a blessing. There was nothing special here. A thick coat that reminded him of old war films, a dark navy scarf with fingerless gloves as well as heavy, still shiny boots. It was brilliant to know he had them but he was more happy that there was nothing exceptional about his pile to anyone elses.

“Check the pockets.” A voice murmured in his ear and without thinking he did as he was told. His hand crept into the right hand pocket of the coat and pulled out a red, fiery stone on a leather thong. His hand began to shake. A brown envelope dangled tauntingly from the necklace.

His name was on the front in large gothic print, the S and the C interlocking... Was this a joke?



*
“What is it Scorpio?”

“Wow! Espa’s given you that!”

“Read the letter Scorp.”

“I got a blue scarf like mum’s Scorp.”

But Scorpio did not hear any of the gabbling behind him. Looking at the stone, he felt everything falling down around him once more as floods of memories soared through his mind. The stone he held in his hand was the one he had given his mother for her birthday, six days before the accident.

“Scorp?”

“Scorpio?”

He was frozen, immobile, deaf and dumb to the world that swirled around him. He could see mouths moving but the sound was muted as his mother’s face smiled at him. Her rose bud lips laughed as she hugged him to her and she had her husband tie it about her neck so it hung just above her collarbone. He wriggled away from her because he was too old for this sort of thing and she laughed again as Leo tackled him from behind and he was forcced to acknowledge he wasn’t really that old at all.

Sheepishly he had smiled back, glad she liked it... The carnelian necklace... She hugged him this time, pressing her mouth to the stop above his ear as she whispered, “This will be a sign.”

A sign. Slowly he let it slip from his hand and what had seemed like a spell was lifted. The world roared up about him as air rushed back in to fill the lungs that were aching for him to draw breath.

Leo picked up the jewel again and handed it to his brother again, “You should wear it not drop it.”

“Yeah. Yeah I will.” He shook his head, hair flying infront of his eyes so no one else could see the tears that were threatening to build up.

“Read the letter already. Espa’s never left a letter before.” Fallouce was impatiant and was tapping his foot irritably.

“It is meant for Scorpio before us.” Cilia said, how did she manage to sound so sage when before she’d just sounded ditzy? “We should leave him to read this alone.”

Placing a hand on Leo’s shouldr she steered him away from Scorpio, leading him out with the other’s following behind. No one looked back. Scorpio shuddered. Something about all this was... frightening him? No... He wasn’t scared. It was eerie and it dredged up stories, myths, legends from his mother’s tales. It made him remember things and he was beginning feel a darkness around them that was nothing to do with Winter. Hesitantly he thumbed open the envelope, trying not to tear it too badly. The same hand had penned the letter inside.


Scorpio of Greendale

You have travelled a long way now from home. I am glad you found yourself here. I am as you might have guessed, Espa Norva the founder of Sanctuary. Firstly I would like to welcome you and reassure you that I will keep this place as safe as I can for as long as I can. There is no reason why any harm should ever come to you or your brother as long as you reside in Sanctuary. I promise you that. However this is also an invitation that I hope you will accept.

On Tuesday I would like to meet you. If you like you may have the others nearby but there will be no need for them. I promise I mean no harm. I simply feel that it is safer for you to come to me than for me to come to you at this time. If you chose to accept then on Tuesday come to Babils Bakery in Amersam Street. In the fireplace in the front is a hole and in that hole is a passage to three more rooms. The third is where I will be waiting. Cilia is right - you are special. The stone was your mothers. I stole it for you from your Uncle, Robin Godwin.

I hope to explain more on Tuesday.
Espa Norva



This was way to complicated for Scorpio. Far too surreal. Far too strange and unnatural and alike to a fairytale. He felt as if some part of him had been stolen and then displayed for the rest of the world.

“He did the same to me when he saved me.” Cilia was standing behind him. Her voice back to being airy but this time he didn’t mind. She just was soothing.

“He knew...” Scorpio turned his head towards to her.

“He knows everything but only a few have ever been ready to talk about what happened to them, to him or anyone else. But you are now. Even if you don’t realise.”

“Do you know?” He wasn’t sure he wanted anyone to know if he didn’t have a say in it.

“No. But I’ll be here if you ever want to tell me.”

“Come with me.”

“Scorpio...” Her eyes dropped and her mouth turned down. Fear tinted the lilac until they seemed indigo.

“You’re not afraid of going outside, you’re afraid of the people that found you and the Great River.” He didn’t know what he was saying. He just knew that he was speaking the truth. She had no reason to be scared as long as he was there with her... Surely...

“You know...” Wide eyed, hand drawn up to her chest. She was shocked and terrified by him. He could imagine her panic at how he could guess...

“Come with me. I won’t let anyone near you.”

“I can try...”

“Tuesday. We can walk about the garden first as practice.”

“Scorp. I can only try but...”

“Don’t worry.” Scorpio stood up infront of her, suddenly feeling a lot taller and stronger thanks to her, “Come on.” He took her hand and squeezed it gently as he smiled. An idea came into his head. Opening his other hand he looked at the red carnelian burning there, “Here have this. I would never risk losing it so... I can’t let anything happen to you.” He put it around her neck carefully. It sat in the same place above her collarbone.

“Thank you.” She murmured the words as her fingers tentatively played across the stone’s smooth surface.

“Shall we try.”

“Let’s.”

*

Padding downstairs on tentative feet, Cilia followed Scorpio's lead. He told her to wait as he gave the letter to Hazel and the others who were now all playing Jenga by the small fire. The gramaphone was playing something classical. She smiled. So Jann had fixed it. That was nice. She swayed to it as Scorpio turned towards her again. He nodded his head and they moved down the halls with their mildew stained walls. The door swung open, sunlight filtered in, glancing off the beaded eye of the bronze handle...

“Ready?” He asked her. She loved his voice. It was so smooth, so calm and deep enough that he no longer sounded like a boy. Not that he really looked like a boy... He was so much taller than her, with his searching eyes and dark hair that obscured his face...

Cilia pushed back her own flaxon hair and with a hesitant touch on his wrist she slipped her hand into his, clinging to it. “Ish...” No she wasn't ready. But how could she explain that there was never a good time to conquer your fears.

“One, two, three.” He smiled and stepped backwards onto the soft, damp ground. She followed, relishing the second of surprise and the flash of pride that flickered through his eyes.

They were outside. Cilia breathed in deeply, sucking in the scent of the sodden earth. But there was the sound of the River. She cringed. Shivering and beginning to panic slightly. It was perusing it's banks with the dark, slicked heaviness she could still imagine tugging her downwards. She wanted to turn back but she just held on tighter to Scorpio. She wanted him to be proud of her. He was special.

A warm hand pressed itself to her cheek and made her look up into Scopio's face, "You're out Cilia." Smiling at warmly, those peircing eyes glowing with joy for her, "Come with me to the pool and then we'll go back in ok?"

Nodding, he squeezed her fingers slightly and dropped his other hand to lead her in the right direction. Together, fingers entwined tightly they made it to the pool with it's slightly grey looking tiles and the safety blanket over it to protect it from the Floods. She didn't even feel quite as sick to her stomach as before... Her heart still challenged the strength of her ribcage with it's frightened battering but she felt the onset of calm approaching... Scorpio stopped on the far side of the pool. His face lifting up towards the River and the distance where houses faded behind the green tips of hills. Something struck her then, about his expression, almost wistful, soaking up the single ray of sunlight that was simmering down from the clouds onto the far away town.

Slowly he dragged his eyes from the sun to her, "This must have been difficult... I'm sorry..." Was that regret that he had forced her? "We can go back now."

She shook her head at his apology. How could he think to apologise? He was trying to help her. Sure she wanted, desperately, to dash back into the house, up the stairs and stay far far away from the River in her room. But despite her attempts to console his sudden, pensive mood, she found herself almost jogging to keep up with his long strides back to the house.

*

Hazel stood there when Scorpio stepped through the door after Cilia. She didn't seem to mind that he had forced her... But he... he felt as if he had broken some sort of treaty, tugging her after him the way he had. Guilt was not a pleasent feeling.

“You went out, Cilia.”

“Yes. I went out.” She said, the pride there caught his attention. He looked across at the now oddly blue eyed girl who smiled with a wink. “I went out. But I wouldn’t have been able to with out you." She grinned at Hazel and tugged Scorpio away from Hazel, away from the kitchen, "So I'm going to tell you something about me... You deserve to know what problem you're helping to fix."

Startled, Scorpio pulled his hand away and stared at her, sure he had misheard, "You really don't have to. I know that it-"

"I do have to. I need you to know. Please?"

"I don't know if I can..."

"You can tell me when you want to and if you want to." Her face was caught in the glow of a latern, lighting up her pale features and making her into something ethereal. She took his hand again and pressed his fingers to her lips, then moved to his cheek and kissed him there, "If you want to."

Nodding, head swimming, he let himself be taken upstairs. Had she just... Did she... Something stirred inside him. He had thought of her as odd looking... But there was still something radiant about her. Her mouth was slightly small, her eyes incredibly big, but... Did this mean she liked him too?

Girl and boy sat in the attic beneath the drapes, within the pale circle of light left by the skylight in the gathering dusk. Hurt but healing eyes stared from one to the other.


"My mother walked out when I was four...

When I was small I lived in a big house with a sweeping garden in the middle of the countryside. I had two parents to look after me but they always argued. It was something to do with my twin brother... He died when he was two when he was vaccinated for Polio but had the beginning of measles already... So there was a sadness in my mother that couldn't be helped... And my father buried whatever grief he had and fought my mum over everything. Then one day my mum left.

Me and my dad. We continued to live in the big house for a while afterwards. But he started to go out a lot and come home drunk and crazy-mad. I used to get scared so I'd hide in the thick duvets of my bed and pray he didn't come in. Our money was rapidly going, between divorce papers and his habits so we moved. To a flat with two bedrooms and a kitchen/lounge plus bathroom. It wasn't awful but it wasn't the nicest place in the world either. It was fine for us.

When I started school I was so happy. There were so many people my age. So many friends to get to know. So many things I could ignore when I was sticking my hand up in class and answeringsome question no one else had the answer to. He had started to shout at me. Would order me to do things like... to fetch him this and that. I shopped after school for supper and his lunch. But as time went on I think he felt his loss even more keenly... he became like a restless tiger... a predator hungry for what he could not have. He missed my brother. I heard him calling out for him in the night sometimes... But he missed my mother more. And he missed sex.

So he would strip his eight year old daughter if he couldn't find a whore and do what he wanted with her.

Apparently my mum heard what was happening some how and she came to take me away from his violent embrace. When she arrived they rowed worse than ever. He was denying everything. She could see my face and knew the truth. He drew a kitchen knife, pounced on her and just kept on stabbing her. The chest, the arms, her face, her neck... She was a rag doll drenched in blood, face a pulp and both wrists slashed... He rounded on me. He faltered. He was crying. But he kept coming. I hid. Under his bed and called the police on his mobile.

They seemed to take ages but it can't have been because he hadn't succeeded in finding me... I was carted off to a children's home. Later I found out that my mum had not survived, that he was in a New Bedlam. Where he should be. I suppose....

I was fostered four times until I reached Martin and Susanna Hart. They had no kids of their own and liked the look of me. Martin was just like my father though. A boxer and he saw me as a toy. I don't know what I did... At first they really loved me I think. But the point is it changed. So I ran away from them and from the system for the last time. I arrived here....

Cilia took a deep, shuddering breath, “That’s just the beginning really...” She said after a minute and traced her fingers over Scorpio's palm, “When I got here I was unbelievably happy. Espa often came round. He and I would bring others like me here until he was locked up in his home...”

“He was absent for ages. I began to wonder if he had moved away or something but then he turned up again. His face was pale and had the remnants of bruises. He had tried to fight his way out a month or so before but together his sister and aunt and uncle threw him into the cellar. I listened to him through out his story. It made me worried for him. He couldn't leave he said because of some special reason I didn't understand... Then he told me that he could feel the edge in the weather again...
“The Floods will come early this year. Make sure everyone stays out of the garden.”

Then he left again.

I warned our two remaining visitors, Jann, who had never actually met Espa himself, and Grub. Grub ignored me. He was a cocky little boy with a fast tongue and an even faster hand... He was fatter than most of the people that arrived. He'd run away from prison I think... But he went out every day until one day the Floods were so high they took him. I tried to help but nothing I did was any good. I swam out to him and he pulled me under in his struggles to survive. We were dragged down stream. He drowned even though I was pulling him towards the surface.

A couple of truckers picked me up after fishing me out. Told me they'd give me a lift back to Beacon Hills. They seemed alright but I didn't like them much. I took the lift. And I paid for it. They didn't want money. They wanted more.

"Oh no little miss, we wanted a little company. It gets lonely on the road."

Their smiles turned cruel and harsh. I had known. I'd just chosen to ignore what my instincts had said. They made me walk from where they left me... I just ran. I didn't even want to live... Everything it seemed... was ready to turn its back on me. I ended up in the high street, ragged clothes and ragged skin... Espa found me, brought me home... I haven't left since... I've only seen him at night since...

*

“I guess it's because of those men as well as this fear... of getting lost and Espa not being able to find me... Of anyone... Being able to find me...” Cilia's voice tailed off...

He hadn't interupted, only brushed away a few of her tears as they'd fallen. He'd not even filled in the pauses that had sometimes fallen. Scorpio was silent. He sat still now looking at her oddly. Nothing was in his eyes.

“Scorpio? Scorp?”

He continued to sit and stare. Then he blinked, “I know... Espa.”

“Scorpio?”

“He’s the boy that was talking to him before we ran away. I know it.” His eyes focused in on the middle distance and she realised he wasn't really there. Something she had said had... Triggered off this muttering. “You see, it was really cold...”

Leo and I are brothers to the core. I couldn't have managed without him... I can't imagine life without him. I'd do anything for him... Though I don't always think he knows that... Until recently I didn't even think to prove it to him. We hung out together all the time because we lived in this old Manor in Chiltern Brooks with our parents but it was a long way from everything else. Then not so long ago our uncle came to stay. We had never liked our uncle. He ruined everything. He ruined us.

We all went to the cinema without him, because he'd arrived the day before and was 'tired' still. Only minutes later we turned on to the main road and it began to rain. It was hard to see. A lorry roared as it skidded on the road. It swung around and fell, groaning towards our car. Our dad swerved, connected with one of those old cars, beetles... He was flung onto the wheel, air bag too slow to react. Blood drizzled from between his hair. I was sat so I could see him, face broken, literally burst upon the wheel. And then... Leo was crying... He wasn't crying... He was wailing. Mother wasn't doing anything but she wasn't really there anymore. Her body was twisted and torn caught in the windscreen. I couldn't see her face... Then the roar was closer and I turned... There were these lights glaring at me, smashing into me... And there was so much pain, bursting everywhere, my mouth was full of blood...

The next I knew I was in hospital and Leo was next to me with his eyes watching me as if he couldn't bare to look away incase I disappeared. But my Uncle grabbed me before either of us could even recognise that we still had each other. Telling me to get up, to act like a man.... he pulled me out of the bed, shoved my clothes into my hands. I tried. I really tried. But my ribs hurt and it was agony to move... He seize my arm and wrenched me away.

I remember whimpering only slightly because I didn't have enough breath to scream. “Let go.” I begged him, once, twice, repeatedly. But he took me right out of the area then out of the hospital. I had four broken ribs, a stitched together lung, a heavily bruised body and a fractured elbow as well as a number of other wounds. What did he care. Once we were back he told us everything was now his and that soon I would be sent away. To an army school... I could still see Leo at Christmas and Summer for two weeks when I had leave... But that was not enough. And I would never be a soldier. I don't have the strength...

When I told Leo what it meant he began to cry and the Uncle hit us. We stayed quietly in our rooms most of the time. I wanted to stay as long as possible... but while we did I started to steal. Money mostly but some other things like our mother’s ring. Our dad’s favourite cufflinks. I was caught once. When I tried to get that necklace. I was locked up for that... Leo got me out. I hate tight spaces. It was a cupbourd you see and I screamed and shouted and sobbed until I was freed... My arm was fixed soon after but the ribs caused pain still because they kept on jerking out of place again.

Weeks went by. I forged a plan. We would take the train. The train to freedom I called it in all our written plans, I used to tell Leo tales about it. As more time passed a new system was introduced to our house. We did everything, Uncle watched television. Then the day before we ran a boy came looking for a job. I passed him as he talked to Him. This boy winked at me and mouthed the words, “Go Tonight.” That was the sign I had needed.

Soon enough my plan came into action. I lead Leo out whilst he was half asleep and unable to come to grips with what was happening. It was raining, freezing on us in the wind. I paid for two tickets for the first train available. I think the lady who sold us our tickets knew we were running but she asked no questions. We gratefully sank into the seats on the train and Leo was asleep in seconds. I should have told him to use that brief rest well. But we were not to know that it would be the last comfortable place we were to sleep for weeks after...

We constantly had to move. From the time of arrival in Chariton to that night we came here, we had to hide. Our uncle was searching for us. I knew what he wanted. He wanted Leo. He had never liked me but he had loved my mother, and Leo looks alike to her in many ways. Posters followed us everywhere. I was old enough to be recognised but Leo wasn't, especially as he lost weight. I would steal off people in the streets and send him to buy things with the money. Every time he left I would curl up in what ever alley way or doorstep we were in and dream. I still do that. Our dad used to say that I looked dead. That was apparently so as I was found by an old lady who rang an ambulance and had me taken to hospital. When I woke I was so scared. I knew they had recognised me. And Leo wasn't there.

The hospital had called my Uncle I saw him in the hall talking to a nurse through the curtains. Softly I crept away. Ran away again. Where was Leo? Where was my brother?

"It turned out he'd followed but I don’t know where we’d be if we hadn’t been found.” Scorpio finished, his eyes becoming even more distant and slightly pained, “I’ll go now. Well done on... getting outside.”


“Scorpio. Please come later.” Cilia knew he had to go. He had to deal with things again. It had been worse on him to tell his story. It was still so fresh in his mind but she wanted him to come back.

“I’ll come back later. Promise.”

Then he was gone. And Cilia say in the gloom, eyes bright and tears on her cheeks.