The Curse Conduit
Chapter 31

Derek, Elizabeth and Uriah moved in with Urian so that Danny and Bethie could have their house back.

Elizabeth had stayed close to Derek but he had spent a good deal of time just sleeping. At least he spent a good deal of time trying to sleep. It was the only time any of them ever heard him utter anything. Most times he would be shouting or yelling and he was the only one who was still dreaming.

Since their return Urian’s dreams had stopped, so had Danny’s and Bethie’s. Elizabeth’s dreams although not stopped completely, she was having very few and replaceing them harder to remember.

Uriah was still dreaming but like Elizabeth his were fewer and no more waking up scarred, bruised or in pain. As much as the others were relieved that they were not dreaming any more, Uriah was concerned that the lack of dreams meant that the decision had been made for them. Did this mean that Derek was still in danger? Had Declan been saved by the actions of Urian and Derek? Uriah could not see how. Was this a sign that Derek was far sicker than they had thought? Had he been so traumatised that he had given up and indeed was destined to die? Was that why they had stopped dreaming? Not because the curse had been broken but because once again it had been fulfilled. He brooded for a long time and made the decision that he needed to replace out for sure.

Just as he was ready to make his thoughts known Urian broached the subject with him. “We need to do some research cousin?”

It was eerie how they thought so much alike. Uriah was not sure whether to be alarmed or comforted by it. “I need to see if history has changed. I need…” Uriah did not finish.

Urian was well aware of his concerns. “You are worried for your friend. You don’t dream. If you don’t dream then maybe the journey is over. Maybe we lose Derek and all this would have been for nothing.”

Uriah cringed, hearing his own thoughts spoken back to him almost in his own voice. “We saved Danny, Urian. We did that and Bethie will be happy.”

Both men sighed knowing how each one felt in their hearts.

“Then we should go and replace out how to save Derek as well. The library here is too small we shall have to travel to the city. Shall I tell Derek and Elizabeth where we are going?”

Uriah shook his head. “Not the details but maybe we can get Bethie and Danny to look in on them if we are to be gone a while.”

As much time as Uriah spent in music shops at home was apparently as much time as Urian spent in the library, he was well known by all the librarians. Uriah had to smile as it was very evident that a few of them were smitten by his cousin. As not to cause a disturbance Uriah has placed himself behind Urian and dropped his head a little. But once they stood side by side it caused somewhat of a commotion.

This time it was Urian who smiled. “Do you think we should ask for one of the private reading rooms? I feel like I am being undressed by every female in here.”

Because of his work with Synergy, Uriah was a lot more accustomed to being stared at and being stared at by adoring females. It came with the job. But once Urian mentioned it, it made him a little uncomfortable. “Just smile back at them Urian, you’ll make their day.”

Urian shot a look at Uriah. “I don’t think so, that would not be proper.”

“Watch and learn cousin.”

Uriah walked passed a few females and put on his best smile and winked at a few. By the time he had walked the entire length of one of the book shelves women all over the library were swooning. Urian was amazed and the grin on his face showed his delight as he tried to imitate Uriah and got the same results.

“Cousin. I think I could get used to this.”

They both laughed as a somewhat smitten librarian showed them to a room where they could access the microfiche archives. “You boys just let me know if there is anything I can help you with. Anything.”

Urian felt a little self-conscious and said “Yes Ma’am.”

Uriah smiled back at her and gave her a wink gaining the response he had come to know as she floated back to her station with a dreamy look in her eyes.

“How do you do that with just a look? I mean…”

Uriah smiled. He really didn’t know. “A gift or a curse.”

At his last words the two men looked at each other and got down to the business of looking back in time.

While Uriah and Urian were busy at the library Elizabeth had convinced Derek to spend some time out on the small garden attached to Urian’s house and had busied herself in the kitchen. A daunting task for someone whose claim to fame was the amount of micro-waved meals she could prepare. At first she had thought to make a cake to cheer Derek up and have ready for the others when they returned but looking at all the raw ingredients and not a cook book in sight gave up on the idea very quickly. The only thing she could think that she could make without the aid of a modern kitchen was pikelets. The first batch was a disaster but the second and third were perfectly golden after she got used to the stove. There was real butter and real homemade jam in the larder. She smiled as she saw the jam, knowing it was not Urian who had been the cook. Probably Bethie or maybe this was how it was bought. Elizabeth could not resist and stuck her finger in to taste. It was delicious like nothing she had ever tasted. Something could be said for homemade.

Letting the pikelets cool a little she placed four on a plate lightly covered in butter and jam and took them to Derek with a cup of tea. Elizabeth knew that Derek would have preferred coffee but it was in less supply than tea and she did not want to leave Urian short. So Derek got a cup of tea.

He was dozing in the chair, sun hitting his face and bouncing off the small scar that the broken glass had made. Elizabeth just stood and looked down at his peaceful face until he felt her presence. Derek opened his eyes and smiled, sitting himself up. He looked at the pikelets in her hand and then back at Elizabeth. “Don’t look so surprised I can cook.”

Derek had to smile, he had heard about her kitchen adventures from Kimberley.

Elizabeth sighed as she handed them to him. “Okay. Well I can cook these and I promise they won’t give you food poisoning.”

Derek placed his cup of tea on the ground beside him and took a tentative bite of a pikelet. His eyes light up and he devoured the rest in one swallow giving Elizabeth a beaming smile before he took another. They were great.

Elizabeth smiled back satisfied and placed herself on the ground next to his chair.

Except for crying out in his sleep Derek had not uttered a word to anyone. They all knew that his voice was there, most nights he would wake them as he shouted out. But in his waking moments nothing seemed to stir him into speaking. Elizabeth had tried not to push him for fear that it would drive him further into himself.

Urian had described their journey to Switzerland, the crash and the time they had spent in the air so vividly Elizabeth had been shaking as she listened. How much more terrifying had it been for Derek? One minute sitting in a kitchen the next minute in a plane being fired upon by the enemy.

She rested her head on the corner of Derek’s leg and sighed a little as she felt him run his hands through her hair wondering how much time they would get together? How long would they stay with Bethie, Danny and Urian? She shuddered a little wondering what would happen next.

Not sure as to how long she had been sitting next to Derek she noticed that his hand had dropped to his side as he had gone back to sleep. She worried when he slept never knowing if he was going to have to fight through his dreams. Some days he just slept, peaceful, normal, at other times........

Urian’s voice rang out from the front of the house as he and Uriah returned. She gave Derek a small kiss on the cheek and returned to the house meeting Urian and Uriah in the kitchen giving each man a hug. “So you replace anything interesting?” Elizabeth smiled at the look Uriah gave her. “I wasn’t born yesterday Uriah.” They all smiled at her choice of words “You two have been trying to unravel this mess haven’t you?”

Uriah nodded his head but Urian’s eyes were on the pikelets on the table. He had to smile. Bethie was always dropping off little food parcels for him and it seemed she had been visiting while they had been out. His eyes fell on Elizabeth. “Bethie?”

She smiled a little sheepishly. “No me as a matter of fact. I can cook you know.” Her attention went back to Uriah. “What did you replace?”

“Nothing that we did not already know.”

Elizabeth sighed. “But I thought ......” She never finished her sentence. It was too hard to contemplate their situation. In the back of her mind she had hope they would have found a way for them to get home.

Uriah gently took her to him and hugged her. “I am sorry Lizzie. I wish I could fix all this for you.”

Again Elizabeth sighed but it was Urian that noticed Uriah has called her Lizzie and that Derek was standing silently at the door.

“Derek. How are you feeling?”

Derek gave a small smile and on hearing Urian, Elizabeth lifted her head from Uriah’s chest and went to him. “Did you sleep?”

All Derek did was nod. This meant he had slept and not dreamt.

Urian could not read the look in Derek’s eyes and wondered if he understood how his friend felt about Elizabeth. Uriah has also seen the look but was at a loss as to how to take it. Wanting to move on he changed the subject. “I think we need to get hold of Danny and Bethie. There are a few things we need to discuss.”

Once again the clan were seated around the kitchen table in Danny and Bethie’s house after another great meal. They had not talked about their situation the whole way through dinner deciding to compare notes on each other’s lives and the differences. Uriah, Derek and Elizabeth each had their mobile phones on them when they first arrived and the other three were playing with them. Derek’s had the camera component so he showed them some of the photos he had stored.

As Danny looked at a photo of a London well into his future he brought them all back to reality. “So I guess you two genius’ have figured out a way to get to the bottom of all this?”

Everyone looked at Uriah and Urian as they looked at each other and with a silent signal undetected by the others they made the choice for Uriah to tell them what they thought.

“If by our actions we had fixed everything that needed to be fixed we should have gone home. At least that is what we think should happen. But the fact is we are still here. We cannot see that there is anything else left for us to do here.” He looked at Derek. “Except for you to get better. Even so, we feel that fate is waiting for us to take the next step.”

Elizabeth and Bethie locked hands across the table. Everyone knowing what Uriah was about to say but no one really wanting to hear it.

“Damn I really hope this doesn’t hurt.” Danny held his hand out over the table. The others just looked at him. “Well we might as well get it over with. I’d like to get on with my life, my real life.”

Next Urian placed his hand over Danny’s. “You know this might all be for nothing if there is some sort of special sequence we are supposed to do, or only certain ones are supposed to do this.”

Next came Uriah’s hand. “One way to replace out.” Nothing happened.

They all looked to Elizabeth who had tears in her eyes. She squeezed Bethie’s hand before she let go and placed hers on top of the pile. Nothing happened.

Now all eyes were on Derek. He was just staring at the outstretched hands before him. He was terrified, all the visions from his time in the plane coming back in a torrent. He was slowly shaking his head.

Elizabeth bit her lip but before anyone could do anything or stop her, Bethie grabbed Derek’s hand and placed it on the pile.

The room trembled and thunder crashed and once again an explosion sent them all reeling.

The kitchen was silent, silent and empty.