All rights copyright Owen Quinn
The following excerpt is from the Time Warriors story The Limbo People, part of the new book The Time Warriors: Only The Dead Get Off At Kymlinge & Other Stories. Available on Amazon now with 3 variant covers to choose from.
Her camel coloured coat fluttered gently in the chilling breeze. Protected from the cold in a red high neck jumper and coal black trousers and black polished boots she was silhouetted against the black and orange coal sky. The slew of rocks rearing up around her were like silent sentinels from an age long forgotten, warriors from the volcano birthed to defend this place. Looking out at the churning waves in a silver sea laced with white froth beneath an iron grey sky it looked as alien as any planet they had visited. Earth’s myriad variety of landscapes left all those who saw them in awe each with their own cruel beauty.
Moving carefully down the slope of shale and sand she approached her friend. The soft crunch of the black sand beneath her boots seemed different somehow to sand on beaches back in Ireland like Helen’s Bay or Terrella Beach. The smell of the sea air was more than welcome to her senses. She loved the smell of the brine especially on early morning walks. Jacke fully intended to live by the sea some day.
“You do know they say never to turn your back on the sea or the waves here. I think they say that to add to the mystery and menace of the place; maybe to inspire a writer or poet that comes along.”
With a slight bow of his head Varran glanced at her sideways.
“You’re going to slap me for not answering you aren’t you?” he asked timidly.
With a taut look Jacke replied, “You know full well it’s my pet hate. Manners cost nothing.”
Her tone didn’t cover her obvious irritation at Varran’s unusual behaviour and when the usually calm Jacke raised her voice her distinct Belfast accent was so much more frightening than any monster’s roar.
“This is beautiful,” she remarked taking her phone out and snapping some photos. Varran failed to notice her take one of him. She looked at it on her screen and it just showed him in deepening murky shadow looking out across the sea. It was as if the tendril shadows were insidiously manifesting to reality reflecting whatever was going on inside his head.
“Before you ask how I found you or even knew that something was wrong, I’ll give you a quick recap.” The Irish girl glanced at the fading orange sky and breathed. “You haven’t been the same since we got back from Gaston. It’s the memory thing the Greys told you; I get it. You’ve been irritated and masking it really badly as it gnaws at you. That mood was amplified by the sudden appearance of the Yetana. Missing someone you love I completely understand but I sense something else is going on with you. Question is when the volcano erupts what colour will the sand be; black or gold? Also, body language expert. Before you ask, Tyran rigged me up an algorithm to alert us to any teleport activity that may be unusual. You have a weird habit of going to out of the way places when something is bothering you.”
Allowing himself a small smirk Varran commented that the girls really had thought of everything and just how well Queen’s university had trained her to which Jacke smugly replied, “You better believe it mucker.”
Noticing the crestfallen Xereban shake his bowed head as if answering some unheard question, Jacke sniffed lightly as the chill was making her nose run. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe it. Her fingers brushed against her phone which reminded her she had forgotten to let Stephen know what was happening. I’ll see him later, she thought and make it up to him.
“I can’t help if I don’t know what’s wrong. I can guess but need you to tell me. Just so you know, I really had to convince both an overeager Tyran and Michael to stay where they were otherwise I’ll have to signal them to come here and well, you know how persistent they can be.”
Varran threw her an almost nervous look.
“Like bloody terriers nipping at my heels,” he breathed the image in his head not giving him good thoughts.
“Let’s go for a walk along the beach.”
Her tone was polite but firm. With a reluctant grunt as if he couldn’t be bothered making the effort, Varran jumped off the rock. He buttoned up his long black coat to the neck as the cold chilled his spine.
The Time Warriors and Beyond 