My throat wakes me. It is agonisingly sore, slightly worse than the pain from my shoulder – until I try to move. With my eyes still shut I groan. A muscle or something similar feels gone and each tiny movement of my arm brings waves of pain through the nerves. ‘It was dislocated.’ The voice is vaguely familiar. I realise I am in a bed, and judging by the smell, in a hospital. I open my eyes and recognise the detective, Hayden. He sees my confusion as I shift my view over and spot Mac, who manages to look both terribly stressed and relieved at the same time. ‘Your shoulder, it was dislocated. They’ve popped it back in, but it will be very painful and stiff for a few days. Do you remember me?’ I try to say yes, but have to stop and clear my throat. Mac stands and […]

Michael thrusts the diary into my hand. Michael, I remember his name now! He is my friend and we are the same age, nine or ten. He shoves me into our secret hiding spot – an old dumb waiter. The shaft underneath is filled in, but the old door still allows us access to the crawlspace. I crouch in there now, utterly terrified. ‘They are coming for me, Andy. Give that diary to your parents, they will know what to do.’ I nod, unable to act as Michael goes to hide. But his hiding spot is not as good as mine, it never could be. Two masked men enter the room and spot him almost immediately. They are both large, though one is exceptionally so. I stop breathing, clutch my legs and watch as they drag my kicking, screaming friend out from behind the couch. With brutal efficiency they snap […]

I’m sitting in my backyard playing with a large inflatable ball. Seated beside me is my younger sister, barely beyond the toddler stage. She has white-blonde hair, incredibly blue eyes and chubby little cheeks. She is so far beyond my dulled looks that I already feel the need to protect her from all boys. She will grow up to be beautiful. Right now she is just innocent, relying on me to keep her entertained. I look up when someone drops down from the neighbouring fence. It is Michael, his black hair in a mohawk. His mother’s Asian features have appeared in him strongly, despite him being third generation. I grin as he arrives and say something I don’t remember. He motions inside. My parents will be in there. I am happy. My mind flashes forward to blood, shiny silver knives and terror. I awake with a start, sweat pouring off […]

It’s dark outside when I wake. For the first time in days I am well-rested – no nightmares. I sit up, rather stiffly, and realise that I am still on the couch. I’m wearing only my pants, Breeze’s glove, and a sling. My eyes adjust to the lack of light, and I can see I am alone in the room, and there is no one in the adjoining kitchen either. Sitting in front of me, evidently unopened, are both the diaries. I use the moonlight to hop up, enter the kitchen and find both a candle and a glass of water for my seriously dry throat. With a match, I light the candle. And I open the diaries. The Earth diary is very thin. Despite having an identical exterior, this is not my friend’s diary, but rather a brief account of those who followed. Michael, the last bearer of the […]

A taser. That was Hayden’s present to Spark. He gives it to her as we travel in the car, all four kids squished into the back and Mac riding shotgun. ‘Since you can’t create the element, I thought this would come in handy. It’ll work, won’t it?’ ‘Yes. Thank you. It’ll be weaker than pure lightning, but better than what we were banking on – Andy said the cavern was lit, so we reckoned there would be electricity in there. This is a much better option.’ Hayden beams and Mac casts him a sidelong glance, a wry smile on his face. Hayden misses it, but I don’t. June is right, in a way – for a cop, Hayden is being ridiculously supportive. Maybe he likes comic book heroes or something. We pile out of the car as soon as it stops, nervously stretching out our limbs. Something seems amiss. Hayden exits […]