his, Seb felt he was staring at his own foliage-covered twin.
Shocked and confused, Seb bolted for the door. His heart was pounding as he pushed past an irate Mrs Reeves and he heard her remonstrate, “So there was nothing wrong with that lad!”
Mr Duir called out, “Seb!” And Seb heard footsteps, but he was already running towards the main entrance. Stepping into the open, a strong gust of wind pushed him sideways. He turned left, heading up the virtually unused path by the building. The rain was falling in a constant light stream and accompanied by its pattering sound, the rustling of wet leaves and the splash of his own footfalls, he was glad to be away from that small room and its strange occupant.
Following the path as it turned ninety degrees round the side of the assembly hall Seb took the route most students avoided. It ran under a natural tree tunnel where the older oaks stretched their branches across to almost grasp the side of the building with their finger-like twigs, creating a dark, ominous space beneath. Trotting through the dank tunnel he had just reached the threshold of the playground when a movement in the periphery of his vision made him panic. Staring straight ahead, he sprinted through the puddles, focusing on the ramp that led to the classrooms. The greeny flash whizzed past him to his left and then the leaf-boy materialised at the base of the ramp, blocking Seb’s way to his classroom. He skidded to a halt, feet from the figure who was staring with what Seb interpreted as annoyance at him. Uncertain what to do now, Seb tried not to scream and stood dithering, his feet in a puddle.
The figure reached out a hand. The fingers were slender and smooth, no wrinkles over the knuckles, no discernible fingernails. Seb stepped back.
The boy’s lips moved slowly. “Are we not to be friends?” his voice rustled.
Seb remained motionless, his mind reeling. The figure in front of him threw back his head and laughed a rippling, whispering laugh.
Looking at Seb he said, “You really don’t understand and Seb, you look terrified. Am I so scary?” The laughter and the words sounded good-natured but Seb was too upset to care.
“This isn’t real!” he shouted.
Rain drops drummed on his head, his shoulders were soaked and he could feel the dampness seeping through his jumper. Then he heard chattering voices, normal voices and the tramping of many feet.
A procession of students filed out of the classrooms at the top of the ramp. They ignored Seb, standing, soaking at the bottom. They also ignored, or did not comprehend, the leaf-boy and Seb watched in horror as the first students reaching him simply walked through this figure as if he was a ghost.
Scarlet reached the bottom of the ramp. “Seb, what are you doing?” She moved him to the side. Nat, Abi and Alex joined them and stood with hunched shoulders as Scarlet berated her brother, “You should still be in the sick room. Why are you standing here in the rain? You’ll catch a cold.”
“Ah, the sister who should see but does not.” The leaf-boy didn’t seem bothered by the repeated passage of people through his body, but as he spoke Nat gasped and turned in his direction. “Mmm. Interesting, Seb, do you not think? I do believe your friend can hear …”
Nat tilted her head towards the leaf-boy.
“Do you Nat? Do you hear?”
“Come on, Scarlet. We’re getting soaked,” Abi moaned and trotted off with Alex.
Scarlet threw a vicious glare at Seb. “We have to go, Seb. Go back to the sick room!” she ordered, but didn’t leave.
A shout hailed from the top of the ramp, “Seb, oh mortal fool, why are you standing in the rain?” Zach bounded down with Aiden beside him and then stopped on exactly the spot where the leaf-boy was standing. It was like he had stepped into its body and was shrouded by it.
Seb stared, appalled. Zach waved a hand in front of his eyes and frowned. “Girls, Aiden – he’s lost it. We need to get help.” Aiden was nodding frantically, raindrops dripping from the end of his nose.
Out of the corner of his eye Seb saw Mr Duir emerge from the path under the tree tunnel. He looked across at Seb. In a sudden flash of colour which whizzed to Seb’s left, the leaf-boy vanished in Mr Duir’s direction.
Seb decided he didn’t want to be taken back to the sick room by Mr Duir to be shut in with the strange leafy creature and have Mrs Reeves pester and nag him. He wanted the security of being with his friends, his sister. Snapping out of his indecisive stupor he grabbed Zach by the arm and trotted along the path.
“Where’s everyone going?” he asked.
“The hall. There’s an assembly.” Scarlet and Nat ran with them.
Zach laughed. “Seb, one minute you are about to puke all over us and the next you’re standing in the playground like you were never ill. Did you get booted out when they realised you were faking?”
“No, he ran away, from me actually.” The leaf-boy zoomed forward to block Seb’s path. Seb stopped again.
“What now?” Zach splashed to a halt in a big puddle and grabbed Aiden’s arm, making him stop too. Aiden looked miserable as the rain spattered his face and dripped off the top of his raincoat hood.
“Do we have to stop in the rain, Seb? I am sorry, but I’m freezing and wet and …” he looked at Seb who was staring at nothing, “you are acting quite strange. I don’t mean to be rude but …” Aiden stared desolately at him.
“Aiden’s right, oh strange mortal, you are behaving weirdly,” Zach said.
Seb looked down at his feet, tried to ignore the rustling of the leaves on the figure in front of him and the broad grin on those features that were so like his own. He heard Mr Duir’s footsteps approaching rapidly from behind them and made a decision. With a deep breath he ran through the leaf-boy and got a slight electric jolt as he did so. Relieved, the others joined him and in minutes they were following other stragglers inside and passing through Reception, with Mrs Reeves glaring at Seb as he headed through the double doors to the assembly hall.
Miss Angel stood in the centre of the floor area waiting for everyone to settle. The assembly began with an award-giving for those who had earned a milestone number of merits or praise slips, Scarlet being one of them. She smiled proudly at Seb from the floor as she collected hers. Miss Angel continued to cover basic administrative topics, which included a brief reference to the main corridor being out of use for health and safety reasons.
Cocooned in the normality of his surroundings, Seb relaxed. He stared at this woman and recalled the picture Nat had shown them all. How old is she? He could see her scalp through the thinning covering of her hair and in the artificial light shining from the recessed bulbs in the ceiling, the shadow of her features looked more gaunt and skeletal than ever.
“No merits for you then, Seb? I wonder at that.”
Seb nearly fell forward as he lurched away from the rippling, whispered voice that came from just behind his head. He turned to look and the leaf-boy grinned at him, sitting in the lap of the pupil behind him in the next row up, who was unaware of the ghostly intrusion.
Zach whispered to Seb, “What is the matter, Seb? Sit still.”
Seb, facing front, hung his head.
Miss Angel continued, “Finally, the main purpose of this unusual assembly is to make you aware of a great opportunity the school has organised.” She paused, looking around to make sure she had everyone’s attention. “As part of the History syllabus, we have organised two trips to sites of historic interest in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire …”
Seb barely registered her words, his eyes focused on the leaf-boy who now stepped down, through the oblivious Zach and sat in the same spot as he occupied. Sickened by the grotesqueness of that scene – his friend encased by the ghostly body of this strange visitor – Seb turned his eyes away and sat rigid, staring straight ahead. He noticed Mr Duir in the shadows at the corner of the elevated stage area behind Miss Angel. The Head was staring at him with intense interest.
“You know, of course, that others know I am here.” Seb ignored the whispering words. “Shall I name them? Shall I tell you why?
Are you not interested, mystified, confused? Do you not want answers, Seb?” Now Seb did turn and stared at leaf-boy. “Oh Seb, you are really making this difficult! You accept the silver elves; you accept what Scarlet can see; and you accept, for goodness’ sake, that your friend has a stick that can turn into a snake!” Seb opened his eyes wide. “How can you not see it all?”
Zach turned slowly towards Seb. He mumbled, “Why are you staring at me?” Seb faced front.
“ … Waulud’s Bank in Leagrave and then Royston Cave,” Miss Angel continued. “Details of the dates of the relevant trips, the first of which is next week, will be sent home in letters to parents and guardians today.”
“I give up, Seb. When you stop doubting and start to believe beyond this reality I will come back. But you need to catch up!”
With that there was a green blur and the leaf-boy was gone … a streak of colour that swirled its way across the huge assembly hall, over Miss Angel’s head. She paused in her dialogue for a second and then continued. The green flash zoomed across to the right and vanished through the wall, inches in front of Mr Duir whose eyes were still firmly fixed on Seb.
History
When you stop doubting and start to believe beyond this reality I will come back. But you need to catch up!
The leaf-boy had uttered those words and vanished a week ago. With the distance of time, Seb now