The Power of Five Oblivion

And then one evening as I was coming back from the orchard I saw Mr Christopher – who was the baker – and Mike Dolan leaving the house and I knew, with a sick feeling in my stomach, that something bad had happened. I hurried in and there was George, sitting in a chair with a black eye and a bloody nose, the blood dry now but standing out red-brown against the coating of flour on his skin. Jamie was sitting opposite with a cut on his lip and a torn shirt. Rita was standing over them, her arms crossed and her face filled with rage. John was hovering in a corner, dismayed.
    Jamie and George had been in a fight.
    Fighting was illegal in the village.
    “What happened?” I asked.
    “He started it,” George said. He shot a glance at Jamie.
    “That’s not true,” Jamie said, looking at me.
    “It doesn’t matter which one of you started it,” Rita snapped. “Haven’t you got that into your thick heads? Look at you! You’re both covered in blood. You’ll both be punished.”
    “I didn’t start the fight,” Jamie said. “George’s been looking for an excuse – ever since I arrived.”
    “I wish you hadn’t arrived,” George muttered. “Nobody asked you to come here. And where did you come from anyway? We don’t know anything about you.”
    “That’s enough…” Rita began.
    But Jamie was already on his feet. “You think I want to be here?” he demanded and suddenly there were tears in his eyes. “You have no idea what I’ve been through. I’ve lost my brother. I’ve lost my friends. I’d sooner be anywhere else but here.” And before anyone could stop him, he stormed out of the room. We heard the front door slam.
    More trouble. It would be dark in about half an hour. Nobody was allowed out after dark.
    John and Rita were looking at me and somehow I knew what they expected me to say. “I’ll go after him,” I said.
    “Holly…” George pleaded.
    By then I was on my way. I went out of the front door and into the street. There was enough light left in the sky to see the village but already the colours were fading. There would be no moon tonight and we hardly ever saw any stars … there was too much stuff in the atmosphere. I looked left and right. There was no sign of Jamie and no one around to ask if they’d seen him. That didn’t matter. I had a good idea where he’d gone.
    I hurried down to the graveyard, passing through the gate and following the path round the side of the church. And that was where I found him, standing by that wretched door of his, one hand resting on the handle. As I approached, I saw him close the door behind him and knew that he must have just walked through it again – but it hadn’t taken him anywhere. He saw me coming and looked up.
    “You have to come back to the house,” I said. “No one’s allowed out after dark and you’re only going to get yourself into more trouble.”
    He nodded. “I’m sorry I hit your friend.”
    “You’re my friend too.” I didn’t know what to say. “Did he really start it?”
    “I suppose so. He’s been needling me all week. But that’s no excuse. He was upset because … I don’t know. He thinks I’m some kind of threat to him.”
    “Are you?”
    “No. I just want to go.”
    “Go where? Jamie – why don’t you tell me the truth about yourself? Where did you come from? What is this thing with the door?”
    He thought for a moment. “You wouldn’t believe me.”
    “You hardly know me. How can you say that?”
    “Nobody would believe me. I’m not even sure I understand it myself.”
    “Tell me!”
    He didn’t want to tell me. I could see that. But at the same time, it was going to help him – putting it into words. And if he didn’t share what had happened to him, he was always going to be on his own.
    “There were five of us,” he said. “Me. My brother, Scott. A boy called Matt. Pedro. And a girl. Her name is Scarlett. We didn’t know each other. We lived thousands of miles apart. Matt was in England. Pedro was in Peru. Scarlett wound up in Hong Kong. That’s where I was before I came here.
    “How can I explain it to you, Holly? Where do I even begin? Scott and I were on our own in a place called Reno, which is in Nevada, America. We’re twins and from the time we were very small we knew we were special. You don’t have to believe me if you don’t want to but I’m telling you the truth. We had this ability to read each other’s minds. Telepathy, I’d guess you’d call it. And we