Anomaly Read online

  ‘Why did you have to play that song?’ Kyle asked, more than a little annoyed.

  ‘But it’s your favourite song,’ Cameron said.

  ‘I hate that song.’

  ‘Well that’s a lie, you never used to hate it,’ Cameron said as he walked out the door with Kyle close behind him. He handed over the room to a confident-looking girl with wild brown hair.

  ‘Don’t be an arse, you know why I hate that song.’

  ‘No you hate what has happened with your life and associate it with the song, you don’t hate the song. No one can hate the Dead Souls.’

  ‘I happen to hate the name of the band too.’ He scowled at Cameron but he couldn’t stay mad at him for long, the lanky idiot meant well. Cameron always felt the need to bring up the past; he believed they should remember the happier times, but every time Kyle remembered, he felt as though invisible, rabid dogs were tearing at his body and mind. They headed back through the SU, down the stairs and out through the main entrance.

  They turned left and walked across the public, paved concourse. To their right, the university’s chapel loomed over them and up ahead, on a slight rise, sat the impressive university library. They skirted round a strange metallic statue at the centre of the concourse, which looked like a giant, upside-down spider with a dozen extra legs, and then Kyle said goodbye to Cameron and headed into the business building.

  ***

  A few hours later Kyle returned to his block with a couple of library books weighing down his bag. His stomach growled as he dumped his things in his room and he ventured into the kitchen. He opened the fridge just as his mobile began to ring loudly in his pocket. He groaned and slid his mobile out and shut the fridge door again. His sister’s face flashed up on the screen.

  ‘Hey Hailey.’

  ‘Hey Kyle, how are you?’ She seemed happy and bubbly, suspiciously so.

  ‘I’m fine,’ Kyle replied warily. ‘You?’

  ‘Good, good. I’m good.’ Too many goods Kyle thought. He heard the door swoosh open behind him and he turned to see Cameron.

  ‘What are you up to?’

  ‘Reading,’ Hailey replied. Of course. His sister was always reading, she had often swapped books with… he shut the thought out of his mind. ‘I was wondering if you would come back for bonfire night?’ Hailey asked quickly. ‘You know, the one they do with the firework display, in the field next to the old cathedral.’

  Gold, red and green fireworks flashed through his mind; he remembered the cold air and the warmth of the fire. The idle chatter and laughter, the odd squeal from an excitable child, and her face, her smile… he pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut as he cut the memory from his mind.

  ‘I think that’s a week day, Hailey.’

  ‘No it’s not, it’s a Saturday,’ she said. ‘Kyle, you have to come back for either your birthday or bonfire night, I’m not letting you duck out of both of them. Besides, Mum will be really happy to see you.’

  ‘I’m coming back for Christmas and New Year. Isn’t that enough?’

  ‘No, choose one.’

  ‘I’ll think about.’ He sighed, he felt tired all of a sudden; her persistence was exhausting and he was all too aware of Cameron lingering.

  ‘You have to choose one.’

  ‘OK, OK,’ Kyle said as he tried to stave her off.

  ‘Great. I’ll let mum know you’re coming back,’ Hailey said, backing Kyle firmly into a corner.

  ‘Fine. Bonfire night.’

  ‘Good,’ she said happily. ‘Speak to you later bro.’ She hung up. Kyle glared at his mobile as he pocketed it.

  ‘Man, you really don’t like going back home do you?’ Cameron said.

  ‘It’s…’ Kyle searched for the right term, ‘hassle.’

  ‘Sure, I mean, I know parents and siblings are annoying, but I think going to the bonfire event is a great idea.’ Oh Christ, not you too Kyle thought. ‘We should both go. I know a bunch of our old school friends will be there. It’ll be like old times.’ That’s what I’m afraid of Kyle thought.

  ‘I don’t know… I haven’t really spoken to anyone in a long while.’ He couldn’t even remember the last time he had hung out with any of his old school friends apart from Cameron.

  ‘The more reason you should go. They were our friends, they still are, and they understand, they won’t hold your absence against you.’ Kyle didn’t reply. Cameron stared at him.

  ‘Fine I’ll go.’

  Seven

  Kyle had spent nearly every available hour in front of his laptop for days now; he had an assignment and an essay to write, which involved searching through papers and books. Alice was glad Kyle was going back to Elbridge. Though she knew he hated it there, it would be nice to see her old home again. Despite the repetitive nature of Kyle’s days, the forces had been restless and so Alice was restless too. She propped herself up on her elbow and pondered this for a moment, poking her slender forefinger at the dark blue sheets, and watching as it made no mark or indentation on the bed. She felt a tingle of Positive energy, centred at her soul and spreading out in little sparks through her limbs. Interesting. She sat up straighter and gazed out, above Kyle’s head, through his window. She knew that Positive had the edge, and the disturbance she had felt earlier in the semester was close, very close.

  Alice stood up and travelled through Kyle’s door with ease. She walked down the hallway and came to a stop outside one of the doors in the middle. There was a glass pane through which she could see Dani and Cameron inside the kitchen. They were arguing, whispering loudly as they both tried to keep their voices down.

  ‘But we have to to get a cake.’ Dani pouted, disappointment staining the outer edges of her soul with a murky brown and green.

  ‘I really don’t think that’s a good idea,’ Cameron replied. ‘You know what he was like last year. Kyle doesn’t do birthdays.’

  ‘Yeah, but it’s only a cake. Surely he would accept a cake?’

  ‘Seriously, I wouldn’t Dani,’ Cameron said, shooting her a stern look. ‘He hates it when I remind him about Alice as it is, what do you think will go through his head if we make a big deal about his birthday?’ The outer edges of Dani’s soul flashed grey and her face seemed to crumple in on itself.

  ‘He won’t see the celebration; he’ll just see that Alice isn’t there.’

  ‘Exactly, that’s why I don’t think it’s a good idea. In fact I wouldn’t even mention the date to him.’

  ‘OK, OK,’ Dani groaned, letting her shoulders slump.

  Alice left the kitchen feeling empty. She knew she was the reason Kyle would not, or could not, enjoy his life. Everything reminded him of her in some small way or another. The guilt she felt was consistent but pointless; there was nothing anyone could do, there would always be reminders, everywhere. She stepped through another door and found herself in Dani’s bedroom. The bright walls were almost blinding compared to Kyle’s room. Every inch was covered with glossy posters of rock bands. She’d pinned photos to the wardrobes and around her mirror, above the washbasin. There was a purple rug on the floor which matched her bedding, and there were numerous stuffed animals around her pillows. Makeup and beauty products adorned the sides of the sink and the edges of her nightstand and desk. There was a large bar of chocolate, already open and partly demolished, amongst a pile of colourful study notes. Alice smiled as she gazed around the room; it was so different, so chaotic, but nice. She left Dani’s room and crossed the hallway into Stuart’s bedroom.

  Stuart’s bedroom was different to Dani’s, more organised, yet it still had a Positive feel to it. He had chosen pale and dark blue matching colours, and had three posters on his white walls, all of which were quotes and pictures, meant for inspiration. On the shelves underneath his desk were various books related to law and politics, all lined up i
n alphabetical order. His clothes, toiletries, towels, and written notes were all in precise places, not a fraction out of line. Alice wandered about his room and read the quotes on his posters for what must have been the hundredth time that semester. ‘In order to take a big leap forward, you must take a few steps back for the run up’ appeared under an artistic picture of a dancer, leaping through the air. ‘You have to learn the rules of the game and then you have to play better than anyone else’ was quoted beside a photo of Albert Einstein and, ‘There was never a genius without a tincture of madness’ appeared under the stone statue of Aristotle. Alice agreed with all of them, wise words. They were important, but were rarely put into practice.

  Alice left Stuart’s bedroom and made her way down the hallway to Cameron’s room. She hesitated outside his door and she focussed towards the energy in her soul. She let her consciousness branch out, feeling its way through the solid boundaries and into the spaces beyond. The physical elements of the living world had no effect on Alice’s existence and she let her mind search for Cameron. His soul appeared for her immediately, a softly glowing sphere, a couple of feet off the ground, to the left in his small bedroom. It was a kaleidoscope of colours surrounded by a warm yellow, meaning he was calm and content. He had obviously finished his conversation with Dani and had left the kitchen. She took a deep breath and pulled back from his soul, stepping warily through his door and into his bedroom.

  Alice found him lying on his unmade bed, his arms behind his head and his headphones over his ears. His eyes were shut and his left foot was bouncing up and down in time with the music. Alice ignored him and let her eyes wander around his bedroom; he was half way between Stuart and Dani. He had red bed sheets, and the floor was the same dark grey carpet as it was in all of the bedrooms. His walls were covered in posters of bands and various famous people. A woman with very little clothing was stuck to the ceiling above his bed, and there were clothes strewn about the floor. Physics books occupied his nightstand and desk, along with a couple of dirty plates and a laptop buried under a pile of notes. This seemed to be a recurring theme; desks swamped with work, books and pieces of paper. A couple of photos were stuck to his wardrobe, mainly of friends and family, along with the ticket stubs from the many gigs he’d attended. Alice saw a photo of their old friendship group; she was there next to Kyle, they were both smiling. It had been taken at the skate park just over three years ago, and Alice recognised all of the faces. Jack, Imo, Jamie, Lara, Jess, her younger sister Talia, and Tank and Hailey. They all looked so young, so happy.

  Her throat tightened as her eyes roamed the four walls; Kyle’s friends were so different, so eager to display their personalities and memories on the walls of their bedrooms. Kyle’s were plastered to the walls of his heart, hidden from view, and largely ignored. She stepped back out of Cameron’s room and across the hall to Kyle’s bare room. He was standing up now, and logging out of his laptop, whilst simultaneously packing a few items into a rucksack. He picked up his bag and crossed over the hallway to Cameron’s room, locking his bedroom door behind him. Cameron greeted him and they set off for their afternoon lectures.

  ‘Hey, don’t forget there’s another guest presentation tonight about Quantum computers,’ Cameron reminded him.

  ‘I haven’t forgotten. Are you going?’ Kyle asked.

  ‘Yeah, Professor Green likes it when his students attend extra lectures. It’s a pain.’

  ‘Cool.’

  ‘Sophia will be there too,’ Cameron said, the corners of his lips twitching. Kyle rolled his eyes. He said goodbye to Cameron at the physics building and then made his way down the slope to the business building.

  ***

  Kyle’s lectures finished hours later and, as he headed back up the slope, he drew out his mobile from a side pocket in his rucksack. Alice eyed the air nervously as her skin tingled and crackled with Positive energy. He had three missed calls, all from his mother. He hit the call back button, she answered on the second ring. ‘Hey Mum…’ she interrupted him quickly and he listened to a torrent of words. Alice stepped closer but could only catch the odd word of their conversation. ‘No I haven’t been…’ he was interrupted again, and his dark brows knitted together. ‘But I’m almost back at the flat…’ Kyle’s mother unleashed another string of words which Alice couldn’t decipher. ‘OK, OK, I’ll go and get it,’ Kyle said, annoyance flashing over his soul. ‘Right,’ he said softly. ‘Bye, Mum.’ He hung up and shook his head. He turned sharply and headed back down the slope.

  Alice hurried after him, each step sending a jolt of static energy though her. She felt the familiar flutter of intuition in her soul. She saw Kyle disappearing ahead of her and pushed the weird sensations aside and sped up to catch him. He passed the main entrance and sharply rounded the bottom corner of the physics building, colliding with someone.

  ‘Sorry!’ Both of them apologised in unison. Alice caught up and peered curiously over his shoulder – it was Sophia. She smiled awkwardly at him, and then a flash of recognition passed through her dark eyes.

  ‘You’re Kyle right? Kyle Hunter?’

  ‘Yes.’ Kyle nodded. How does she know his name? Alice wondered.

  ‘Nice to meet you,’ she said. ‘I’m Sophia Leto.’ She extended a slender hand and he shook it briefly.

  ‘Nice to meet you too.’ He looked flustered, caught by the shock of the unexpected interaction. ‘Sorry I can’t chat, I’m in a bit of a hurry.’

  ‘No worries.’ She smiled brightly at him, stepping to the side to let him pass. He hurried down the path and Alice followed close on his heels. ‘I hope you make it in time,’ Sophia called back. Alice paused and glanced back over her shoulder. Sophia stood watching them, her eyes locking with Alice’s for a split second, and an amused smile creeping over her lips. She turned away and disappeared around the corner leaving Alice with no choice but to chase after Kyle.

  Alice felt little sparks of Positive energy through her. It was a pleasant sensation, difficult to describe, but she felt excited; it was like a long forgotten boost of adrenaline. Kyle weaved his way through more buildings, most of which he had never set foot in, until he arrived at a small car park. On the opposite side of the car park were two long, temporary, shed-like buildings, painted white and lined up side by side. The building on the left had a sign above the door with black lettering which read, ‘Students’ Post Office’. Kyle crossed over the car park a bell tinkled as he pushed open the door. He glanced briefly at the opening times, then at his watch – he had made it with five minutes to spare.

  There wasn’t much room inside the post office and the air was laced with the smell of freshly cut wood. A noticeboard hung on the wall to the left, and below this a shelf protruded, lined with pens and trays with paper forms. Behind the counter was a longer room, taking up the remaining space. A young man with short blonde hair was arguing with a female staff member, her hands were planted on wide hips and a stern expression wrinkled her face. The door behind them opened again and a young girl with pale skin and tightly curled red hair joined the queue behind Kyle and Alice.

  Alice felt as though a thundercloud of static energy was hovering above her head; the tingling sensation continued to grow and it began to spark furiously through her. The colours in her soul thrashed violently within their sphere, spilling out into her body and casting a strange lilac aura about her. She let her consciousness branch out with its invisible fingers, as it searched through the souls of the living and into the sorting room beyond. She felt a sudden cold slap, as if someone had dunked a towel into an icy bucket and thrown it at her. It wrapped around her, and she felt the warmth of her Positive energy dull beneath its destructive nature. Negative.

  Just as matter and antimatter annihilate the other, the same was true for the Positive forces and energies which maintained Alice’s strange existence. They too had their opposing twin. The Thirteen called it the Negative force, and all
energies associated with it, Negative energy. The two forces had been cancelling each other out even before the big bang, and it was worse, both forces and energies had evolved. Not only did they exist, they had also evolved alongside humans, alongside human consciousness. Both Positive and Negative were finely intertwined with the human soul, more importantly, with emotions. Negative thrived off destructive emotions, whereas Positive thrived off the happier and peaceful emotions. It was a subtle exchange, but the effects of these two forces were seen everywhere, even as a placebo effect or the home advantage or form in sports. Some scientists dismissed its importance but most could agree that these strange things happened – and couldn’t always be explained.

  Alice’s eyes narrowed as she discovered the source of Negativity – the blonde boy’s soul churned with a dark, smog-like cloud, which seeped through his pores and clung to his skin like oil. It grew as his anger grew, the Negative emotions spiralling out of control. It was blacker than obsidian, thick and cold, as it plumed outwards, brushing against Kyle’s grey soul and quickly surrounding Alice. She took a step backwards out of its clutches and glared at the dark cloud. She cleared her mind and focussed inwardly on her soul as she recalled happier memories, generating their associated emotions. It was like lighting paper with a match for Positive; it jumped at the chance, and she felt a sudden rush of warmth through her limbs.