Arthur and the Djinn. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Queens Square was huge and creepy and was a place where urban legends were made. It was the eyesore and abandoned child of a rapid city development that never grew. Rejected and neglected, the district was ignored by the township but was always the elephant in the room. Stories by construction workers and wandering teens left the only explanations to the surrounding townsfolk as to why the project was never finished and why the structures were not torn down. Queens Square was not only reputed to boast ghosts. Queens Square was reputed to boast real monsters and the kind of creatures that you would only read from story books that give you nightmares and enough chills to keep you awake for many nights on end.

Isabelle wasn't fond of Queens Square and had previously refused Leonard any journey to it's district after nightfall. The district would never contained them completely so even the most curious person did not need to enter. Not only did people avoid Queens Square now but more and more businesses and home owners close to Queens Square had begun to abandon surrounding buildings and it was like Queens Square was growing like a living dark city that swallowed everything in it's path and spread like a disease. The more abandoned buildings there were the further across the town the sightings of creatures appeared to creep. Isabelle thought they were just stories as a child, when the area had just once been a deep forest or wood but she began to see them too, just like the other children at school. She thought about these memories as she look onward into the dark city district and breathed very slowly and deeply. Some of the things she had glimpsed during the day had been enough. Before tonight, Isabelle had decided there would never be a good enough reason to wander it's empty streets and pass the dark glass windows that would flicker movement behind them. Every corner and shelled out complex would echo fear and footsteps and it had not appealed to her.

Isabelle looked at the cat she had acquired and called to him. The cat came to Isabelle who picked him up. As Isabelle held the cat she said to the Djinn. 'This is not Nightshade' she said. 'This is Joogi'.

The cat purred as Isabelle stroked it's fur. 'I have a job for you Joogi and you are going to be a good boy. I'm counting on you'. Isabelle then put Joogi down and looked at the Djinn.

'Will you help me?'

The Djinn smiled and nodded.

Isabelle looked back in to the dark city that never became what was dreamed and she stood watching silently for a few moments. Isabelle could hear her own controlled breathing. There probably wasn't anything she hadn't seen before. She just wanted to go get the development plans that she remembered seeing spread on the floor of the new town hall. She wasn't sure why they were all there but she wanted them. Not only was the district creepy but getting back to them would not be as easy as when she had explored with Leonard the first time. A few months ago Leonard had lead her to the small boy who had injured himself when his foot become stuck between a gap that had been formed in incomplete floors and had sprained his ankle. She remembered the boys name, Jacob. He was only 6. He said that he had wandered in with his friends but they had abandoned him, even after he was able to free his foot when too many walls and creatures moved. They had run away, screaming. Jacob probably would of been ok to leave by himself but fear had kept him trapped in City Hall. Paralysed with fear he had become a prisoner in his own body and had been found cowering in a storage closet. It's a shame he wasn't aware that he was safer out in the open during the day. You weren't better off in the closet but Jacob had been ok. It was dark now. Even the open streets were as dark as any corner. It didn't matter where you were in Queens Square. It was all the same, just some places were worse than others. Maybe she should wait until tomorrow.

'Lets go' said Isabelle.

On Isabelle went. If you could see anyone else, even the cat it, would have been an interesting sight to see. Isabelle walked through darkness with no torch or light. The Djinn and Leonard flanked Isabelle on either side floating. The Djinn smiling and slightly bobbing in Isabelle's wake. Leonard was darkness itself, a smudge within the other surrounding darkness, a wispy cloud of blackness with only a slight humanoid shape. Ahead of them walked the cat, Joogi, tail pointed skyward.

Around them in the surrounding streets, some creatures would peer at them from behind objects and buildings. The odd creature would stand sentinel outside other buildings, unmoving and watching as they passed. Isabelle approached the City Hall. As she came closer she stopped from across the street and she felt the fear in her stomach. She was definitely not fearless it's just that she was able to manage fear most of the time. She felt it cross her whole body, now shaking. It was almost nauseating. At night, just like she remembered, City Hall stood silently with dark closed billowing softly out of it's windows. It was like watching a silent storm. Like the rest of Queens Square, and it's legends, the clouds seemed to reach out to you and come towards you. They dared you enter or at least run for your life. Isabelle continued to wait. She was still waiting for that feeling to pass. She could not go in until that feeling would pass. Isabelle thought about the young boy she had found and what City Hall looked like during the day, she thought about the development plans, the Djinn, Leonard and the cat, Joogi. She still waited. Sometimes the feeling would not pass. She heard a noise behind her. A scraping sound and she chose not to look. There was now something behind her and she would have to choose. Stay or go forward.

Isabelle took a deep breath and walked forward, still shaking. She did not look back.

As they walked through the clouds of town hall the clouds parted to either side of their group. Joogi was like her lantern and shield. Isabelle knew most creatures would not approach them because of him. Where she wished to go, Joogi went on ahead and at the right pace. The creatures continued to peer from behind building materials and pillars. It was settling to see this in action but there was still some feelings left to conquer at the bottom of her stomach and the increasing sound of tiny footsteps in the deep darkness around them was not putting any fears to rest.

Town hall was ridiculously huge, giving indication to previous ideals to expand the entire town population and size to create a need that would need meeting. A high ceiling greeted them as they entered the main entrance reminding them how small they were and possibly how easy to forget within a building as easily forgotten. The darkness was thick in here and the clouds were more encapsulating showing just how much space Isabelle had to herself before the a wall of darkness that surrounded. Isabelle walked slower because she wanted to rush. She began shaking again and tried to counter her fear by controlling her breathing and breathing deeply. If she would begin to run she would not stop and fear would conquer her. She knew this because it had happened before. Isabelle began to see many flickers of red glowing light beyond the darkness ahead. It lit up the clouds when they appeared and in places looked like thick clouds of smoke again. The passed across her field of vision. Left and right. Stopping and starting. Up and down. Forward and back.

Isabelle relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. She hated imps but she was not afraid of them.

There were so many. She knew exactly what Arthur would say at a time like this. Thank goodness he would not have to. It was impfested. 'Arthur' thought Isabelle, followed by another long exhale. Isabelle felt good.

'Ice' said Isabelle and held a palm out to several glowing lights. The Djinn responded. Several lights in the clouds went out and they walked on. She didn't have to take them out. The knew imps would leave her alone. It just felt good to take them out and Isabelle continued to do so with the Djinn's help.

Eventually, Isabelle reached the room where she had found Jacob with Leonard but the door was locked. Isabelle remembered it slamming shut behind them when she had helped Jacob out. Isabelle took the key and held it towards the door. The end of the key changed shape to match the lock, which she then placed the key into, turning it and pushing the door open.

More darkness inside. She walked in following Joogi. It was an unusual room and it felt different in it's blackness. She could hear no sounds. She could not hear her footsteps or the footsteps of the imps that followed her in with the lights the danced and flickered in the darkness. The clouds were darker and thicker here. Was it the room or that feeling of a presence behind her. The glowing of the imps in the voids around her appeared dimmer like they were more distance. Isabelle imagined it must be what it was like walking in to the deepest darkest regions of space or rather another dimension. It was like there was nothing here.

Now where she was nearing where the town plans were last seen she walked faster. It wouldn't matter much sooner anyway. She walked faster and faster for minutes across a room which she recalled should of only taken a moment to cross. Ten minutes passed. Something was wrong and that awful feeling creeped back to her stomach.

Isabelle stopped and held out her hand and commanded. 'Give them to me'

Isabelle found the blueprints then in her hands.

Standing still, in the darkness, Isabelle checked them by the faint glow of the imps which passed by less and less.

When there were no more flickers of light it was beyond inconvenience. Isabelle heard that scraping sound again. She could hear nothing else. Her deep breathing made no sound.

She turned toward the scraping sound and attempted to peer in to the darkness. The sound came closer and closer. Louder and louder. Then it stopped.

Isabelle ducked as the long blade swept past her cheek from the within the dark clouds.

Heart thudding in chest, Isabelle ran. She ran until she left the hall and Queens Square far behind her.

She did not look back and she asked for nothing. She just ran.