The Beginning of The End

A call from home

Scarlett

It is the most frustrating thing to be forced to give up because something is standing in your way. It is usually because something comes up that drags you miles in the wrong direction and forces you away from the discovery you were going to make if you had stuck to the path ahead. It often happens - too many things block the paths you take, some which you can move or travel around and others which prevent you from finding the answers you need. It is like a mental block - something I have way too often now. When you are trying to achieve something and you fail its bad but when you are so close to an answer and you are forced to give up it is the worst fate.

***

When my phone first ran I guessed it was mum or dad telling me that we had to come home now but then I realised that they would have just rung the house phone and not bothered with the expensive call rate on my English mobile.

When I looked at the caller ID, I nearly fell off the chair. Sophia. I couldn't believe it when I saw her name flashing on the screen I nearly didn't answer. I guessed that her phone had been the only one with credit, signal or battery life. Either that or everyone else's phones had got broken in some tragic accident. No, I couldn't think about that or I knew I wouldn't be able to speak.

Unsure what was going on I clicked accept and placed the phone against my ear. "Hello." My voice sounded unsure through the mobile speaker that was pressed to my ear.

"Scarlett?" I was so shocked I actually dropped the phone. Sophia's tiny voice had been intensified through the speaker. It was a shock to hear her speak let alone on the phone when she couldn't tell who she was talking to.

I picked the phone back up feeling slightly silly for dropping it under the gaze of Alex and the American twins. "Sorry about that. Yeah, it's me. How..."

"I have something important to tell you." That cut me off right before I was about to launch into a big speech about how nice it was to hear from her, how worried I had been for them and how different it was to be in America miles away from them followed by a million questions about everything that was and had been going on back home. (No matter what happened to me Stanville would still be my home.)

Alex was staring at me his eyes asking a million questions which I couldn't answer at the time. Adrian was looking into my eyes as if they held the answer to all the world's questions. But Ella just looked confused like she did when we were trying to understand the complicated scientific processes we had been reading about for the past few days.

"Go on," I said after no explanation followed. I barely registered Alex as he spoke to me; I was bracing myself for the worst. There was just something in her tone that gave way too much information away.

"It's Hattie." She was hesitant but she continued reluctantly. "She's been hurt."

I nearly dropped the phone again but managed to stop myself at the last moment. In a way, I knew it was going to be this the minute I heard Sophia's silent voice cracking down the phone but even still I was trying to imagine any other fate.

I stayed quiet and very still as she continued fearing that my voice or my actions would give my emotions away whilst I tried to come to terms with what she was telling me.

"She twisted her ankle. We think it could be sprained. But we couldn't get away from the bees in time. She has been stung. At the moment everything seems fine. We are taking her to the hospital just to be sure. We didn't want to worry you but we thought you needed to know." Her voice was level, with no emotion. Her sentences short as if she couldn't manage to get the words out and she spoke as if she had to force every syllable out of her mouth. It was as if she was reciting the words she had learnt off by heart for a play from the script but she wasn't acting. There were none of the emotions that drew the audience in and made them hang on her every word. This was real life and real stress that was making her sound like a hollow shell of a person. Underneath I felt the edge of held back emotions. There were so many things she wanted to stay but she didn't voice them with me. She kept her concerns and her true feelings to herself as if she was trying to put a brave face on a not let anyone know what she was really feeling. It reminded me of everyday life when she didn't contribute to our conversations even though I knew somehow that she had something to say. That is something I would never understand - how someone could take a vow of silence for their whole life.

Sophia was always listening hardly ever contributing to conversations unless prompted to do so and even then she was hesitant as if she feared we would judge her for what she had said. So she always stayed quiet and said the bare minimum when spoken to or asked to speak. But we had adapted to that and until now I thought nothing of it like everything else in my life that never really made sense.

I couldn't stay quiet much longer. "But you are all okay, right?"

"Yes." The one word answer didn't tell the whole truth but I knew that she didn't really want to explain everything especially over the phone like this. So I didn't ask.

I couldn't stop myself completely. "What happened?"

"Err..." She was hesitant obviously checking with John what to say because the next thing I knew his calm voice came down the line.

"Nothing just a surprise bee attack when we came out of the basement for some air, that's all, nothing to worry about." He sounded so calm despite everything. Everyone kept telling me not to worry but right now panic seemed the only thing I was capable of.

"You were in a basement." I was surprised and with so many revelations happening at once it was impossible to focus on everything. "Where?"

"Sophia's next door neighbour's house."

"You went to Sophia's house!" The shocks kept coming.

"Yeah." I actually think he laughed slightly but then believed I was imagining things. "She suggested it."

"Now I know your lying. Tell me the truth."

Now I was sure that I heard a real laugh even if it was only for a second or so. "I'm not lying, honestly. She suggested we go to her house after we left yours because we couldn't think of anywhere else to go and if it had been up to Hattie and me to decide we probably would still be there now if Hattie's parents hadn't had her evacuated by helicopter first."

It was taking a long time for my mind to process all the new information. Apparently remembering the scientists' reports had taken up a lot of space in my brain. "Helicopter?"

"It's a long story. And one we don't really have time to discuss now but we will explain later." I was reminded of my earlier conversation with Sophia.

"Oh sorry of course. I didn't mean to keep you." I felt silly for forgetting. Of course, they would want to hurry. If Hattie had been badly hurt by the bee sting or the sprained ankle we would want to find out sooner rather than later.

"That's fine. We all know how many questions you have. Speak to you soon and remember don't worry."

"You keep saying that." It was the only thing I kept thinking.

He didn't reply but I knew he was smiling at the phone.

"Bye." I finally managed. "Speak to you soon."

"Bye."

Then the conversation ended and I was left with a million questions I hadn't been able to ask but I wanted answers to.

"What's happened?" Alex sat next to me his hand on my arm as if he was trying to get my attention from the far-away place my mind had drifted to during the conversation. It was the same question I had asked earlier.

I explained in a similar way to Sophia knowing that I was showing very few emotions and keeping the explanation brief because I didn't know any details. I didn't keep reiterating the 'don't worry' point though I knew that Alex would think more logically than I would. I was numb to the information not really knowing yet how to react and I knew that I would make my mind up on my feelings after I had finished explaining.

The others listened in complete silence, even Ella who struggled to stay quiet sometimes, while I ran through everything I knew and went over the entire conversation from start to finish. No one spoke for a few long moments after I ran out of things to say.

Those moments stretched on. I thought the twins wanted to say something but they didn't want to interrupt. But Alex broke the silence with a question that played on my mind. "So what are we going to do?"

"I don't know." It was the honest answer. "But I can't just sit here and wait." I had finally let my emotions loose and it was anger with myself for not being there that was winning at the moment. "We need to get back there."

Alex was a lot more reasonable. I could see the emotions in his eyes - a slight fear tinged his normally bright, happy eyes which I guessed was concern for Hattie - but he could control those emotions, that fear, and make it something productive that would work through the problem until it found a solution. "But the airport was destroyed, remember? And even if we could just fly back to England we wouldn't have money for a ticket or a car to get us to Stanville. And then there's the problem of the bees. We have to think of all the alternatives before we go racing towards a target we can't achieve."

Despite everything I found myself arguing back even though I knew what he was saying made sense but my emotions wouldn't let me just sit there and do nothing. "My parents can pay for us all to go back and we can hire a car or hitchhike."

"Do you really think your parents will go back there when they went to all this trouble to make sure we were all safe in the first place?" I knew it made sense but I didn't care.

"Of course they will. They just need a bit of convincing that's all."

"Scarlett, we nearly died on the way here. In their mind why should we risk our lives again just to see if a friend is ok?"

"Because she is our friend and we all made a vow to support each other through everything. Don't you remember that?" I was practically shouting now. The twins were watching us as shocked as I was that we were even having this conversation.

"Of course I do but this isn't something we can control. When we made that vow we all thought that we would be growing up together in the same country, going to the same college and living only a few minutes' walk from each other. No one could imagine that something this big would put thousands of miles of water between us."

"But we still should try."

"I think we have been excused from our vow and there's nothing stopping us from supporting everyone from here."

I couldn't stop myself - the truth just burst from my mouth like an erupting volcano bringing all my emotion with it. "But if we had been there then this might not have happened."

Alex knew this was true, I could see it in his eyes. He had to think carefully before he could reply. "We can't sit around wondering what if all the time. We can't change the past and 'what ifs' are just going to make you feel worse so let's think about the future ok?"

I wanted to argue more but Alex's logic was overpowering as always and his calming tone was soothing my raw emotions. "Ok." But feeling like I had given in I quickly added, "But I still want to go back there, Alex."

I saw him consider my reaction and then change his mind about arguing. I set my body language into a firm stance that told him clearly that I was not backing down no matter what he said or did. Even if he thought it was a bad idea I was entitled to my own opinions.

"Maybe you should call your parents." Adrian's voice was a deliberately set calm tone and he acted as if nothing had happened.

I glanced at where he stood behind me. I swear he hadn't been that close before but I had been distracted by the phone call and that was probably just my imagination.

I did as he suggested and after another long argument with my parents that sounded quite similar to the conversation I had just had with Alex. I was no closer to a solution. My family was not going back to England no matter what I said or did. They wouldn't give me or Alex money or even permission to go back either and so we were no closer to getting to the others than we had been before I told them.

The only thing that had changed was my parents' attitude. Before they had complained that we were spending too much time on the computer looking at depressing news reports every evening but now they understood why we wanted to know. With our friends in danger, they knew we were depressing ourselves to make sure that no one we loved had been hurt. They understood the reason for my attitude towards my potentially badly hurt friend but they didn't quite understand why I wanted to put myself in danger by going back to the only place they knew was unsafe because they could see no improvement in the situation if I was standing beside Hattie. We were in America in this situation to escape everything that was going on back home and I wanted to go running back there for what appeared to them to be a stupid reason.

They didn't get that I had to be in the middle of all the action. They didn't know that sitting back and watching everything that was happening without being able to do something about it was torturing me more than a million bee stings. Being separated from everyone and everything I cared about was killing me. The only thing I could think about was getting back to Stanville and everything I knew and loved. I felt defeated. I couldn't do anything. I hated myself even more now. It was useless wanting to do something when you couldn't do anything. I was so annoyed.

"I think we might be able to help you." Adrian was looking at Ella a million messages passing between them. In the end, she nodded and he flicked the computer screen onto a bank account. As on every other day, we had been looking at the reports but now an official HSBC bank account front page filled the screen waiting for someone to sign in.

Adrian signed in. I knew instantly that it was not his own account but I had no clue whose it actually was or how he had gained access to it - you never knew with computer hackers but I hoped that I was mistaken. He went through pages of information and then finally turned to us.

"I have to go to the bank to draw some money out. I shouldn't be long." His tone was assertive and allowed no questions to be asked.

We let him go - watching as he left the room and headed for the stairs. And we waited almost in silence until he returned.

It didn't take long. He was breathing slightly heavier when he returned as if he had run to the bank and back. "I've got it." He flashed some money in our direction and my mouth dropped open in shock. It looked as if there were a few hundred dollars in his hand. "You might need to change about a hundred dollars into pounds but I hope this should be enough to get you there."

At first, I didn't understand what he was saying. Then it clicked all at once. "Wait that's for us."

"Yeah. Do you think $500 will be enough to get you to Stanville?" Adrian was concerned turning the bills over in his hands.

"500 dollars?" I nearly choked. I couldn't believe what he was saying. "Of course that will be enough. Are you sure you want to give that to us?"

"I have never been surer of anything in my life." His answer was the most sincere that I had seen Adrian be.

No one asked Adrian where he had got the money or even why he had so much money lying in a bank account but I knew both me and Alex were thinking it.

Ella obviously feeling left out added her contribution. "You need to get home. We can see how much it means to you and we want to help in any way we can and if that means paying for your transport and getting you on the next plane back to the UK then that is what we want to do." She smiled at me as I met her eye. Then she spoke to Adrian as if she had just remembered some important information that she didn't want to forget. "You need to get them booked onto the next plane. There should be one to London Heathrow airport in about 2 hours see if you can get them on that one. If not then there should be one to Gatwick an hour after that."

Adrian flicked up a database for the Orlando airport and signed in as if he was a normal member of staff. I was momentarily shocked that he knew a username and password but then just assumed that was all part of his hacker job description.

He booked me and Alex seats on the plane. I didn't see if there were spare seats or not but I hoped he hadn't put us in other people's seats.

Ella was organising a taxi to come pick us up from their house in 20 minutes.

"I suggest you go get hand luggage packed and collect your passports. Pack light and be prepared for all situations. Who knows what will happen when you get back." Ella was calm as if this sort of thing happened every day.

Adrian didn't even react when I took the money from him as if he was just lending me a fiver and he knew that he would get it back the next day. It was more money than I had ever had in my life and more money than I imagined I would have in a long time - I still had college, university, a car and a house to pay for if I got the chance.

"Good luck!" The twins spoke in unison as we slipped out the door and headed towards the house that we were supposed to now call home.

Home, I thought. That's where I was going now. But I didn't mean the house in America which we currently inhabited. I was talking about Stanville the town in which I had grown up and the place where at least one of my family members had lived for hundreds of years. That was my real home.