No Way Home

Posted on Sat Sep 14th, 2024 @ 22:02 by Alastair Temple & Jacqueline Myers

Chapter: Besieged
Location: New Cresthill
Timeline: January 1993
4439 words - 8.9 OF Standard Post Measure

The tightness in her chest hadn’t subsided since she returned to the bothy. Her burning feet, heavy with exhaustion, still managed to scramble desperately over the gravel. Frantically, she searched the shattered remains of their home, hands trembling and breath staggered, tightening with each attempt to catch it. From the corner of her eye, thorny brambles crept in through the broken glass. She closed her eyes, trying to still her emotions. “No, no, no.”

A bump in the road jolted her back to the darkened interior of the cargo area, similar to her own van. Spines had started to pierce through her clothing. She focused on the ceiling, where an air vent click-clacked as it spun, giving her a rhythm to count her breaths in and out. Wedged between two stacks of secured crates, she was grateful for the passage offered by the middle-aged man who had taken pity on her.

He was heading to New Cresthill in a roundabout way, occasionally opening up the back to remove stock and check on her. Jackie was far from okay, but she was present. It was safer for both of them if she stayed in the back. He didn’t argue or ask many questions; he knew she was a mutant. It was hard to hide, given her radiant green complexion, a result of her body dealing with the physical injuries sustained during her captivity.

Gradually, the spines retracted. The heaviness in her chest lingered, but now she could wipe the tears from her eyes with the edge of her sleeve without getting snagged. She winced as her sleeve brushed against her skin, pockmarked and burning from some chemical sprayed on her. The purple, sappy wounds were slowly healing.

The van ground to a halt, tyres scraping over gravel. The driver’s door creaked open and slammed shut, followed by the crunch of footsteps moving around the van. The doors screeched open, and sunlight poured into the back. A single silhouette stood in the doorway. “We’re just outside Cresthill, Miss.”

Squinting, Jackie cautiously leaned out from her hiding place. She shuffled up the wall of the van to a crouched standing position, bracing herself to keep from falling. Surely, if he intended to hand her in, he would have done it hours ago. “Th-thank you,” she said, her voice hoarse from the long silence.

He glanced down at her boots, where fine thread-like roots had started to push out from any space they could find. They hadn’t taken hold of anything yet, but she knew they would. She hopped unsteadily down from the back, stepping into the light. The late winter sun warmed her skin. He had pulled up not far from town, and she could see it in the distance. The distance gave them a safe separation. “Are you going to be okay?”

“I don’t know. I hope so,” she answered, unsure herself. “Thank you again, and I’m sorry if I’ve caused you any trouble.”

“It’s no trouble, Miss. I just hope you find what you're looking for.” He slammed the doors shut and took a moment to look her over. “Stay safe now.” He didn’t touch her, though it seemed like he wanted to offer a comforting gesture.

Jackie stepped back and watched as he clambered into the van and drove off. The crunch of gravel faded into the smooth hum of tarmac. Walking was painful, but she slowly made her way to the other side of the road, toward oncoming traffic and the pavement. She had been given a waxed canvas jacket with a hood—it smelled of mildew and was well worn, but it did the job. Pulling up the hood, she did her best to hide her face. Her gait was closer to a limp than a stride, but it didn’t stop her from reaching the outskirts of town.

Alastair was listening to music. He nearly always was, when he was driving. The melodious though harsh sounds of The Gathering, their debut album Always. A faster paced, doom coded piece. Alastair was vibing, tapping his steering wheel in rhythm with the music, bobbing his head along. His travels took him to New Cresthill today, as they often did. He'd found himself with some free time and was planning to peruse the local bookstore for inspiration for his project. Especially the fantasy and horror sections were ripe feeding grounds, for a doom metal composer.

Out of the corner of his eye though he noticed someone that drew his attention, on the other side of the road. Walking with a subtle limp, seeming in some distress or pain. Wearing an old, ratty hooded jacket, with the hood pulled up, trying not to be noticed. The person stood out to him specifically for how much they seemed to want to not stand out. They seemed to be wandering, moving slowly, almost as if lost.

As such the tall teacher resolved to pull a U-turn at the earliest, safe opportunity to do so. Omen was, as always, eager to turn any corner and with a snarl of the spicy six-in-line Al joined outgoing traffic, until he neared the person he believed to be in some sort of distress. Now able to notice more details, the figure was female, and what little he could see of her face she seemed to have - green tinted skin?

He pulled his gleaming pearl white sports car over, flicking on his alarm lights, as he rolled down his window. "You ok, miss? Please don't be afraid, I'm a friend," his warm baritone rumbled, in the kindest tone of voice he could muster.

The green was much less of a tint since she had been exposed to the sun. Jackie froze briefly at the sound of a car as it pulled alongside her, dipping her head to let a badly shorn flop of blonde hair cover the almost apple green of her complexion. It took a few more steps before she decided to stop, she didn’t know where she was going, just that the closest town to the institute was Cresthill.

The white car sports car hit home, maybe not as fancy as James’ but she’d not be able to find him without help; if he was still alive. She shuffled into a half-turn, “I’m looking for the Avalon Institute.” Her arms pulled the oversized jacket tighter around her frame, hands still hidden in the sleeves, she was ready to run if needed. The hedgerow was also ready to provide cover, starting to flex outward with slow involuntary growth.

"I work there, one of the teachers," was Al's easy reply. He considered for a brief moment, then leaned over the center console of the car to unlock the passenger side door. She still seemed like someone in distress, especially with how she covered her face, trying to hide her features. He felt pity for her. "It's ok. I'm not gonna hurt you. Hop in, I'll take you there. It's a short drive."

It felt like the start of the upward swing Jackie had been waiting for. Her eyes closed and her fingers curled into the fabric around her sides. “Okay.” She answered leaning forward to open the car door and got in. It took another moment of consideration before she removed the hood, and looked over to who she had climbed into a car with. Given that she could have blended in with hedgerow in her current state, she wasn’t one to judge on appearance.

She didn’t know what to expect, she’d heard rumours over time that there were others like her, with powers but these ranged, you couldn’t tell just by looking at someone. “My name’s Jackie.” Her eyes moved around the car and then to her feet, quickly pulling at the fine hairs creeping out from her boots and ejecting them out onto the pavement out of embarrassment. The last thing she wanted was to root into his interior carpets.

The bad haircut was jagged and uneven, it wasn’t long enough to hide the burns on her face that were slowly healing. She guessed they had hacked away at her hair to get a better look or to see if it grew back quicker. It didn’t, it was hair. The dank coat was enough to make anyone feel unclean and the prized vehicle made her feel worse.

If Alastair had any concerns about Omen's interior needing a good cleaning after this he didn't let on. "Alastair Temple, music teacher," he rumbled, offering a hand, with a warm smile. The tall man with the luxurious hair, beard and mustache was dressed immaculately, though resembling something out of a Victorian gothic novel. Black pressed pants, maroon button-up shirt under black brocade vest, topped in the winter weather by a luxurious black wool greatcoat.

Awaiting a safe opportunity he pulled back onto the road and started for Avalon, a route he'd driven countless times by now and one he could dream. It would turn off the main road - as if any road to such a small town could be called 'main' - onto backroads soon enough. While normally he drove them - spiritedly, now with a new passenger, one who seemed on the verge of being upset, he drove calmly and took measure to try and keep her comfortable. This included turning down - though not off - the music. "I'm also a mutant," he told her, glancing over to gauge her reaction.

Jumping into cars with unknown men wasn’t something Jackie ordinarily did, however, what more could happen to her? She had lost her fiance, her home had been trashed, her documents were missing and she was injured. Her waning powers had kept her alive for quite some time, even if her body was still recovering.

“I’ve no idea what I’m doing.” The woman admitted, her hands running over her face and up through her hair. The music was truly something else, haunting and guttural, not something she had heard before. Her eyes moved around the immaculate interior of the car, and internally she winced. “I’ll try not to leak in your car… or puncture the interior.”

There was a moment of relief. She was getting to where she needed to be, but she had no idea how to put things right. Should she call the Bridger’s? Could he have gone home?

"Don't worry about the car. It's just stuff. I can clean it, and - " Did she say puncture? He wasn't going to question it. Though he hoped she had been exaggerating. " - fix it. I've done it before," he spoke in his low, warm baritone, hoping his tone was friendly and comforting enough. He indicated a turn, slowing down and looking properly, checking his mirrors before turning off the main road onto a winding country road. "Are you alright? You seem upset. Is that something you want to talk about?" He asked, glancing over. "It's alright if you don't, I can understand."

It was a very loaded question, “No, I’m not.” She answered honestly, her hand gripping the passenger door as they turned. “I was taken from my home, maybe this is best saved.” Jackie stopped herself from continuing as she could feel the tightness in her chest again, it never really left but the pang hit. Her own voice waivered between rural Norfolk and Received Pronunciation, a rounded alto more breathy than usual due to the pain.

“I need help … I want to help.” The fine thread roots pushed their way through the worn boots she’d managed to salvage from the bothy. Her full body ache masked the normal itch.

"It's alright, Jackie. You're alright now. Just - breathe," The tall teacher wished he had better methods of trying to calm someone. Maybe he'd get with Liana to try and learn some techniques. Maybe he'd suggest training for all faculty; Odin knew there were enough upset students coming Avalon's way where these methods might be useful. "What do you need, right now? What can I do for you? There should be a bottle of water and some snacks behind your seat, if you want some."

Slowly the woman exhaled, “I need … water, light and sleep.” She started to turn only to hiss through her teeth and go back to her fixed position, “It’s fine, I can wait. I’ll need more than a bottle.” With a slow unsteady hand, she pulled down the zip on her jacket, tilting her head to look inside. It wasn’t good but it wasn’t horrific, but her dark sappy wound across her stomach was saturating the flannel shirt she’d managed to retrieve from home.

Seatbelts were necessary, and she made no exception. “Are there many at the institute?” Jackie asked, trying not to suffer in silence. Carefully she fastened up the jacket again, protecting the car’s interior. What she’d found about Avalon had been from the paper covering the announcement or snippets from the radio that were quickly turned over so she only managed to catch fits and starts.

"I never counted," Alastair took the opportunity to reach behind Jackie's chair to produce the bottle of water, she said she'd needed more but this couldn't hurt. Right? It was a feeble gesture, but he didn't quite know what else to do. "Maybe like - ... 20 odd staff and faculty? Fifty students? I'unno, I might be wildly off here," he explained, offering the bottle to her. It was maybe 3/4 full. "I know I have two classes of twenty students each, and I know not all students take music, so ..." A shrug from the bearded man.

There were people Jackie thought might be like her, but she could never be sure. The thought of being around so many people with powers astounded her. Hesitantly she looked over the bottle and its contents, nothing was floating in it and there were no signs of anything leaving streaks like syrup or solution. Who carried prepared bottles of sinister liquids to kidnap mutants with unknown power? She knew it was there now and craved it. Weakly she opened the bottle and guzzled it down without much more of a thought.

“Thanks.” She half panted wiping her chin with the back of her hand. “I’ve never even heard of so many mutants in one place. I’ve not met anyone like me unless it wasn’t as … visible.” The woman shifted in her seat again, taking in the surroundings and looking for landmarks.

They were still on a back road, which slowly and lazily weaved through the Scottish countryside. Hills and trees, though the trees had shed their leaves and everything was covered in a light coat of white - except for the damp blacktop of the road itself. Here and there a small farm or an old decrepit barn stood proud (or less so in the latter case) amidst the snowy fields.

"Some are very visibly a mutant," Al spoke, still his tone calm and pleasant - or so he hoped. "The head mistress has bright purple skin. The night custodian has a head full of feathers and an owl's clawed feet. One of the other teachers has a rodent's tail. There's a student with electricity sparkling from her eyes. One with a dog's ears and nose. But there are many like me too, who can pass for base line human." He considered himself lucky that way, though he didn't vocalize that thought. He didn't think that would help her mood very much.

“I’m not usually, this green … more of a hint.” Jackie explained quietly, “I’ve never been this green before.” Her protest tightened her chest and caused her to wince. “I don’t know how all of this works.” She admitted hoping that someone at the institute might be able to shed some light on things, but there were other priorities at the forefront of her mind.

The music that continued was so different it was almost distracting she found herself staring at the head unit and then glancing at the driver who introduced himself as Alastair, “I hope you don’t do this often.” She attempted to make light of the situation, maybe others had been treated similarly to her; their lives turned upside down and shattered.

"Drive around, listening to metal, picking up women in distress, to take her to safety? Every time I get the chance," he half joked, glancing over again with a soft smile - though partially hidden behind all that facial hair. "We've got some very smart people at the castle," he considered her for a moment, brain crunching along. "We've got gardens too. Flowerbeds. A lake with damp soil. I'm guessing you're - ... plant coded?"

Laughing hurt, and it didn’t feel right. There was an undertone of guilt.”Is that what you call it? I have plant abilities physically and I affect them.” Jackie’s voice wheezed as she slowed down her breathing again. “I can heal but things were … intense. I have physical defences, like bark and cactus needles.” Her arm curled around her waist.

“They weren’t very fond of that. They took it off in chunks to see if it grew back.” Her eyes closed at the thought, shrinking down involuntarily. Tiny bumps formed on her skin, and fine needle ends started to push through “My body shuts down like a tree in the winter, it looks for water and sunlight. I can’t control it.” She forced the explanation out to bring herself back to the present. “What code are you?” Her tone stiffened not by choice, everything hurt. Her fingers curled tighter around the water bottle clutched at her side.

She could feel the start of needle tips, taking time to take in her surroundings. She was out, she was safe that she knew of and she was going to get help.

"I can affect shadows, but it's not very strong and I don't have much control over it yet. Still learning," Al readily replied, as in the distance the ominous shape of the castle that housed Avalon Institute became visible. It was still a few minutes out and they had to cross a bridge to get there, but they were near. "And I can change into a bird. Like a raven, just - considerably bigger. Takes a lot of energy, that. So I only do it when needed," beat. "Or when it's very dramatically appropriate."

The plastic bottle crumpled as she held it, listening to Alastair explain his abilities, “I knew there were others with powers, but I never thought there’d be so many in one place.” Jackie’s pace slowed as she attempted to control her breathing to manage both the pain and subdue her body's fight response. “Is there someone who can help find people?”

She had hope that James was still alive, she could never forgive herself if he wasn’t. “I know what you mean about powers taking a toll. I don’t handle the dark very well or the cold. Things get out of control, it grows roots and needles and I just stop. It’s like going to sleep but you can’t stop it.”

Maybe there was a way she could get better control, “There’s good things too … blooming flowers, the sweetest fruits.” Her shoulders rolled into a shrug, hardly useful, it wasn’t enough. Jackie’s eyes scanned the landscape a head taking in the distant outline of a snow-covered castle. “Everyone lives there? Or is it just a school?”

"All the questions," but he seemed amused, rather than annoyed by this, as he drove up the bridge connecting the castle island to the surrounding land. "I don't know of anyone who could help you find someone, other than hiring a private investigator. Faculty lives here, many of the students do too, but not all. I'm not sure about guest quarters, I think miss Cavendish expects people to work to earn their keep, be it by studying, by teaching or by providing another service to the castle and the greater mission."

“Sorry.”Jackie answered, “I need to find my fiance, whoever these people were they took all my documents, and my ID and he wasn’t there when I got out.” Her words trailed off and she allowed her hands to settle around the bottle that moved into her lap. Her fingers traced around the edge of the label starting to peel it away. “I need to know he’s okay, even if he doesn’t want to come back.”

Her lips pinched to stop the tremble in her lip, but it didn’t stop the tears from forming in the corners of her eyes. “I don’t even know how I can get access to my money without my driving license or birth certificate. I’ve been gone for … too long.” In her mind, he’d moved on, returned home where it was safe, and had a stable income. She was sure his parents would be over the moon, that he’d left the weird girl behind.

“What’s the greater mission?” She looked over as he drove, the tightness in her chest taking hold and the lump forming in her throat.

"Avalon's, you mean?" He didn't have an answer to the other issues, that of finding someone. He wouldn't know where to start or who to ask. Maybe someone else at the institute did, but that would be for later. He stopped Omen in front of the gate, which opened for him as they recognized the car and its driver. "To give mutant kids a safe space. To give them a place where they can get an education without being ostracized," as he drove towards his parking spot. "That extends to adult mutants as well. This is a place where we can all be safe, without prejudice and persecution. It's - ... on ongoing struggle."

She nodded at his response, it made sense. Even if someone couldn’t directly help all of her issues at least she’d have a safe space to try and pick up the pieces. “That’s a noble cause, I guess with the attack-” Jackie drew a sharp breath as they pulled up and winced. “- people weren’t ready to accept that.”

It looked more like a Christmas card than she’d expected, of course, she’d seen castles but not outside of a tour of gardens and estates. “I can work on grounds when I’m healed … I worked for the Forestry Commission as a Forester out in Kielder.” She knew she’d need to get out of the car, it was supposed to be safe but she didn’t feel it. Nothing felt safe but how much worse could it get? They wouldn’t let her go before. “Do I need to find Miss Cavendish?” She asked taking another glance toward him as he parked.

"Eventually," Al replied kindly, parking the car and shutting her off. A patpat of the center console on the vintage Japanese import, as a matter of routine. Omen had done well. A little affection went a long way. Or so the man thought. "If you prefer we can sit here and talk for a bit more, first. Or you can - ... go be among the trees and plants for a bit if you want, I can lend you my coat so you won't get cold," It was obvious she'd been distressed, and he didn't know what shape centering herself would take, but he wanted to offer her the chance. Meeting the boss could come at any time, no sense to rush someone who was probably already overwhelmed.

Jackie exhaled slowly, “I don’t know what I need. I’ve not been around a lot of people for a long time … especially children.” The heel of her palm rubbed against her sternum in a futile attempt to soothe the emotional ache, “I don’t want to hurt anyone. Is there a nurse or a doctor? I know I can fix myself but I don’t know if I need anything else. Rest, food and water.”

The options and the choices were overwhelming, she’d not had a choice for so long. “Is there somewhere I could soak, not used or nice.” For lack of a better word, she didn’t want to have a nightmare or flashback and destroy a bath or room. “A greenhouse with a sprinkler?” Slowly she exhaled again, “I’ve been sleeping outside, roots have-”At the mention of roots she checked her boots again, fine threads had started to creep into the footwell’s carpet.

Frantically she snapped and tugged at them, dropping the empty, so as not to tarnish the interior of the teacher's prized car. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” She quickly opened the car door and stumbled out, breaking the impact with her thigh.

"Don't worry about it," Al called out after her, as he vacated the car as well. Truth be told he didn't know how bad it was, but from the initial glance he figured a bit of cleaning and it should be fine. They did have some old greenhouses, but he didn't figure using the sprinkler now in the dead of winter would be a smart idea. Still, "Come, I'll show you to a greenhouse."

Still, Jackie scrambled back from the prized car, haphazardly getting to her feet in a moment of panic and then clutching her torso from the over-exertion. Slowly she straightened up from the wide squat stance, to upright.

She’d managed to get most of the way to Cresthill over a few days, the nights had been spent in lean-to’s and outdoor spaces so the damage wasn’t too much of a concern. But this was someone's property, someone who had a castle. “Okay,” She answered quietly trying to maintain the turbulent calm that was beginning to falter.

Al brought Jackie to one of the disused greenhouses for her to - do whatever she needed to root herself, to anchor herself. That done, he set about assessing the damage to Omen's carpeting and seat. The seat was just damp, that would dry by itself, the carpeting just needed some thing roots picked out but was otherwise fine too.

Pleased about a good deed done, a damsel rescued, Alastair set out for New Cresthill again to do what he'd originally planned to.