The Tens, Vanessa Jones [i like reading books .TXT] 📗

each sibilation. Sophie felt like she had been flung around a merry go round, her eyes watering from dizziness. None of the faces that surrounded her were particularly interested in Sophie and she didn't know who to screech out for to stop her from tumbling over and over, so she held her breath and waited for the vertigo to be over. Surprising herself, she longed to be back in the small tent in the safety of her narrow hard bed.

The people around the fire came to a hush as Clive, grinning so hard that his face looked like it couldn't stand up to it anymore, bounced through, gesturing for everyone to quieten down with his arms. 'Venus is!' He bellowed to the fire circle and everyone cheered untidily. 'Alright, alright. Shhh.' Clive pointedly looked everyone in the eye, lingering on Sophie. There was an incomplete silence. Cracks of the fire danced around them, a very faint bleating of a sheep and the shuffling of feet on dirt. Clive held them in that state of taciturnity until it was awkward and it made Sophie want to scream but instead, she sniffed and made herself promises that she would do what it takes to get away from this group the second even one of her legs came back to life. She ached to wiggle her toes to see how it was progressing but didn't dare in case someone saw. Waiting until she was put back in the tent and everyone was asleep was her only option.

The silence became even more uncomfortable, which Clive derived drips of glee from, like a grapefruit being squeezed into his mouth. He clapped his hands sharply three times and then he began. 'Finally. Finally!' He shouted with so much intensity that a few people noticeably jumped. 'We have been waiting for this moment for decades, some of us, nay all of us, for lifetimes. Ever since our first Senior opened up about The New Way to accept the power of Venus and all its alchemical gifts and bringings, we have awaited this. And through the Universe's willing, not to discount the hard work of all of us...' he paused to nod at a few people around the circle, '... we are closer than we have ever been to accepting our birthright and mission in harnessing the alchemical controls that reside in all of us but for those who choose not to see. Every one of you has chosen not to live in the dark anymore. You have chosen to be the people to truly see. To stop the limiting notions that have been imposed on us as humans for centuries. To only accept what we have been told we can do, is in our capacity. But not you, no you have accepted a higher way. A lighter way. And, we can all agree, a better way!'

A collection of applause punctuated his sentiments. Sophie could barely swallow back down all the hot bile that was rising. Looking around the campfire again, all traces of how she saw them had transformed. There they were, all wearing their white jumpers like they had always been. No outdated costumes, no squeezebox, no monkeys. A trick of the fire mirage.

'After many attempts that have all lit up the correct, and proper, pathway but have not seen us share this moment, until now, we can all rejoice in the fact that our efforts are finally being paid off in the most exquisite and rewarding of ways. And that the seed of Venus is now finally with us, after our years of searching and spellwork and summoning. The seed is here.' Again, more applause and cheers. The two men had clamped a hand each on the other's shoulder, in triumphant comradery.

Sophie felt her throat harden and watched the faces of those around her. They were all eating it up like he was dishing out bowls of chocolate and they were starving. Everything that he said was a bunch of nothing meaning words. But if they meant nothing, why was Sophie uncurling inside herself? She longed for one of her fainting spells, induced or not, so she didn't have to bear witness to this derangement.

Emerging from the trees, came the billowing curls of Carla. Sophie almost squealed and knew that her willingness to escape had brought her rescuer in the form of the very person that had been rescuing her from herself all along. But the unhurried way that Carla moved forward unnerved Sophie more than she already was. She searched for her silky eyes but they had turned beady and focused and they all but swept past Sophie without recognition, like a laser scanner looking for something to identify.

'Carla, help me. They won't let me go!' Sophie strangled out a plea.

Carla contemplated Sophie for a second, with a sideways tilt of her angular chin and squinted her eyes at her with a pity that could have blown apart the circle of campers. Sophie slumped forward as soon as she realised Carla was wearing one of the signature jumpers with a big “X” painted on the front. Everley placed a delicate hand on Sophie’s back and was making half-hearted circles which she didn't have the energy to shrug off. Who was this woman that she had split herself open for and shared all of her most disturbing experiences and fears with? Clive answered her question with more of a bounce and wobble on his toes. 'Our valiant leader is here, everybody!' Sophie blocked her ears to more sickening applause.

'Enough!' Carla shrieked so loudly and sharply that even Sophie could hear it through her plugged ears. Everything went ghastly still. Even the fire seemed to cower in response. 'This will not come as welcomed news. Yes, we have reached a stage we have been awaiting for nearly thirty years but I have to inform you that more testing is required.'

Sophie watched as a few people around the circle flopped