Howard Jeffries was not home on this particular evening. He was at his warehouse. Orlando waited until the gate was clear before he followed the man who was on his way to the warehouse.
****
It was an ominous building; it was massive, sitting at the edge of the water. Orlando followed the man to the beach which was not far from the Mr. Jeffries’ home in Long Beach. The water was still, as if it were afraid to come near the warehouse. Gargoyle heads were carved into the stone building. Some of them had fallen and lay on the ground in pieces.
Orlando climbed over the fence to get closer. There was an opening cut into one side of the building; it looked like it had been used for trains at one time because train tracks led the way in. All was dark but at one upper corner of the building, there was a yellow light.
Orlando saw the man from the street making his way into the structure. He knew this would be his only sure chance of getting inside and close to Howard Jeffries.
He ran up to the man and with his magick he shot purple smoke at him. The man dropped to the ground. Orlando searched through his pockets. Finding his wallet he pocketed it. “You’re going to thank me for this.” He said as he regained his feet. He dragged the fallen man into the shadows.
Standing at the mouth of the warehouse Orlando stared into the darkness. After a brief moment of hesitation he walked into the warehouse. Inside the air was still, and quiet. He didn’t feel alone. He felt someone watching him but he couldn’t see much of anything. Orlando looked around for any sign that he was not alone but he couldn’t see; it was too dark. He managed to find a set of stairs and followed them up.
There was light on the second floor. Orlando could see where he stepped, and he could see that the walls were decayed and the floor was rotted. He could not see how a place like this could be used for a lab.
“Hello?” Orlando called out. “They told me to come up here.”
A man stepped out of the shadows. He looked young, only a few years older then Orlando. His blonde hair was slicked back and he had a pleasant look about him.
“Mr. Jeffries?” Orlando asked.
“Yes, why don’t you come into my office? There are some things that I need assistance with.” Mr. Jeffries stepped aside so that Orlando would be able to enter into the lab.
Orlando did so without hesitation. “They told me to come right over.”
“I’m glad they did.”
Orlando walked further into the room, the yellow light on the table flickered. The waves of the ocean below the window pulled back as if to tell him to come down and flee. Orlando moved to stand on the other side of the table to put a safe distance between him and his adversary. His hand moved to the hilt of the sword that he had tucked into the trench coat, “Maxwell sent me to say hello, Mr. Jeffries.”
Mr. Jeffries gaped before he said, “Maxwell sent you?”
“Before he died.”
“Who are you?” Mr. Jeffries asked mystified.
“Fernie I’m sure would say hello, too, if he hadn’t been killed by your men or whatever they are.”
“Who are you?” he asked again.
“I used to be just a regular kid.”
Without asking any more questions Mr. Jeffries ran to a control panel along one wall. He quickly keyed in a number sequence and tried to run out the door. Orlando grabbed him from behind and pulled him back into the room. The blade of the sword at Mr. Jeffries’ neck, “You sent men to Elodie’s home, they terrorized her, men in suits who are they?”
“You’re going to kill me, a regular kid like you?”
“I said I used to be a regular kid. Who were those men?”
“They are a special section of agents. Nothing more then puppets.”
“I don’t believe you. I know that you are one of the ‘six’– tell me where I can find the other five.” Orlando didn’t need Mr. Jeffries to give him an answer he knew the address of one of the other six. It was in the files.
“How did you find me?”
Orlando didn’t have time to answer. Men dressed in suits were at the doorway. They pushed at each other to get into the room. Orlando kicked at the closest one before tightening his hold on Mr. Jeffries. He pushed him into a corner and dug a dagger from his back pocket which he pierced into Mr. Jeffries’ shirt collar and into the wall. “Stay here!” Orlando shouted.
Orlando swung at the first ‘puppet’ knocking it onto the floor. With its arms and hands it only reassembled itself and rose to its feet. The same happened with the others. Orlando used his purple smoke to push the puppets out of the door and swung it shut behind them. That only held them off for a moment. Mr. Jeffries gave up trying to free himself and began laughing at Orlando’s predicament.
Orlando continued to chop away at the puppets looking for a way to defeat them. Nothing seemed to have any effect on them.
“You can not kill what’s never been alive!” Mr. Jeffries shouted amid his laughter.
A white light appeared in the doorway. Orlando could not pay it any attention while he was busy trying to keep himself alive. The puppets succeeded in putting a few scratches on him and one tore at his shirt.
The puppet that had just torn a cut into Orlando’s chest was suddenly yanked away; a hand had appeared in the center of the puppet’s chest before forming a fist that pulled outward. The puppet dropped to the ground in pieces.
“Always go for the heart.”
Standing there in his ghostly form was Fernie, with a half smile he turned to another puppet and did the same to it.
Orlando reached for Mr. Jeffries, “Let’s go.” He said.
“Orlando,” Fernie called back. “You can’t make it down the stairs.”
“Let go of me!” Mr. Jeffries shouted.
Orlando ignored Mr. Jeffries as he looked for another exit; he looked out the window for a fire escape. There was none. He picked up the chair that had been tucked under the desk and threw it at the window, breaking the glass.
“What are you going to do?” Mr. Jeffries asked. “Are you going to throw me out the window? No! I’ll talk!” He began to back away from Orlando.
Orlando grabbed him by the torn collar of his shirt and together they fell out the window and into the water below.
As they sank into the ocean Orlando lost his hold on Mr. Jeffries who was sinking fast. He swam down to retrieve him. Within moments they were both at the waters surface and Orlando was pulling Mr. Jeffries onto shore. Fernie was waiting for them on the beach.
“You couldn’t have helped?” Orlando asked disgruntled.
“I’m a ghost! What do you expect me to do?”
Mr. Jeffries had his face buried in the sand.
“What are you going to do with him?” Fernie asked. “Kill him?”
“No, I’m not going to kill him,” Orlando answered right away. “I don’t know.”
At hearing this Mr. Jeffries pulled his head out of the sand. “Kill me? No! I can be useful.”
“I think he can be.” Fernie said. “Orlando, I don’t have much time. I could only return to help you this once.”
“Why?”
“I don’t belong here anymore.”
“Where will you go?”
Mr. Jeffries looked around the beach before asking, “Who are you talking to?”
Orlando was puzzled by his question, “Don’t you see him?”
“See who? Are you some lunatic?” Mr. Jeffries fell face forward back onto the sand.
Fernie had struck him on the back of the head. “Only you can see me. I don’t have much time left, Orlando. There is so much that you have left to do. At my home you will find people who can help you. People that you can trust, write my address down.”
Orlando checked his pockets for a pen. Not finding one he checked Mr. Jeffries and found one. On his palm Orlando wrote the address.
Fernie was gone.
****
With Mr. Jeffries in tow he found Fernie’s home. It was a camp
site. Trailers and tents, bonfires were lit and music was everywhere. Elodie stepped out of a trailer. “I knew you would come!” She ran from the trailer and called out over her shoulder for Ruben. “Who is this guy?” She asked as she came to a sudden halt.
Ruben made his way over and Orlando answered her question, “He is one of the six. He is going to be very useful, right Howard?”
“This young man is insane! He talks to dead people! You have to help me!” He pleaded with them both. Neither Ruben nor Elodie seemed troubled by the allegations.
“Where can we stash him?” Orlando asked as he looked around the busy campsite.
“Over here.” Ruben said as led the way.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Orlando.” Elodie said as she followed grabbing his arm. “Lucky you, I’m going to ride with you to school in the morning. What will King George think of that?”
Keep a look out for the next installment of The Chronicles of Orlando
&
Mishap & Retribution
Coming in spring 2012
About the Author:
M.M. Shelley is a storyteller, word smith and dreamer. MISHAP AND MAYHEM, a captivating story of faerie's and magic, is her debut novel. She has traveled the world extensively in search of the magic which is often overlooked in every day life. M.M. Shelley is a native of southern California, and a student of mythology from which she gets much inspiration.
Visit M.M. Shelley on her website or blog for previews and more
https://mmshelley.blogspot.com
Or
www.mmshelley.com
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