A Parallel Prelude, by Roy Gill

8/12/2019 A Parallel Prelude, by Roy Gill

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A Parallel Prelude


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Tis prelude is dedicaed o all hose who

found he Parallel, and old me heyd like

o spend a litle more ime here...


4/17

Te snow had been alling heavily or days. Heavier han

Id ever seen i beore.

My Dad used o say winers were or snow, and

snowmen, and snowball fighs, bu back home we never

seemed o ge more han a couple o cenimeres. Jus

enough o make hings slick and slippy no enough o

have a laugh wih.

No like his year. Tis year i kep coming.

We had gone back o Grans house, halway up

Blackord Hill, and jus camped-ou, recovering. Wewere living off hings we ound hoarded in her reezer,

in daf combinaions. Cake and sausage rolls. Ice cream

and oven chips. Meaballs and mascarpone.

I was he maddes Chrismas dinner Id ever had,

ha year. Ta was good in a way. I kep me disraced.

I suppose we should alk abou i, I said o Morgan,as I picked over my random rui salad. Eve had ound

a cache o ins a he back o a cupboard. Te labels had

go damp and curled off, so wed aken urns o shake

hem and guess wha was inside.


5/17

alk bou wha? Morgan said.

You know. Abou wha Gran did.

About what she was really up to, I hough bu didn

say.About the last time I saw her, swirling away into that

black vortex. About the gamble we made, in order to save

my life

Morgan paused mid-chew. Seriously?

I dunno. I sared down a my bowl. Tere were

peaches, pineapples and plums floaing abou in he

sugary waer bu I was airly sure he shrivelled grey

hings were cockail sausages.

Random rui saladfail.

Hmm. No really, I said, picking ou he sausages,

one by one. Maybe no jus ye.

Tank Fa Moon or ha. Morgan reached or a

chicken drumsick. Because Im rubbish a alking.

Eve wrinkled her nose. Eaings more your syle, isn i?

Always play o your srenghs, yeah? Morgan

grinned. Now gimme he sreaky bacon. Im amished.

We kep eaing, and we didn alk abou i.

Some hings are oo big o pu ino words.

Afer our bizarre meal, we wen ou sledging. Slidingdown he road, siting on bin liners, shouing.

Te neighbours didn like i one bi. Tey ook i in

urns o come ou heir snow-draped housesbundled-up


6/17

in heir winer clohes and sand a he garden gaes,

glowering a us, like a load o vengeul gnomes.

Teyd never liked Gran, I knew ha. And now she

was gone, I could see hey didn like me or my srange

riends eiher.

Why isn old Ms Ives aking you in hand? Youve

go an enire hillside o rumpus over! Mr McWhelan

waved his sick a us. Mus you cause a nuisance in he

road? Tink o he cars!

He was alking rubbish. No one had dared drive heir

car up or down he rozen sree in days. I sared o say

somehing, bu Eve sho me a glance.

Youhul high spiris. Pay no heed, she said in her

poshes voice o Mr McWhelan. Ill see i doesn

happen again.

She looked so grown-up and responsible, she had a

way o convincing people o lisen o her. I could see her

charm working on Mr McWhelan already.

So long as you do, young lady. So long as you do. He

otered back ino his house.

Supid old silly, mutered Eve, sicking ou her ongue.I sifled a laugh.

Ta was epic! Morgan came puffing up he hill,

aking grea loping srides. Te snow lay so deep now, i

was almos ipping over he op o his biker boos. He

held ou he atered remains o a bin-liner. I hink Ive

worn his one ou, hough.Tas ok, I said. I spoted some gian ea rays

sashed in he kichen. Gran musve had hem in

case he enire sree ever called round or coffee. Like


7/17

ha was going o happen. I reckon heyd be grea or

sledging, hough.

Yes! Morgan hrew back his head, and gave a grea,

whooping howl. ea ray sledging! Bring i on!

Always so noisy! said Eve. I hink we should all go

inside. Is oo cold and icy or much more un.

I sared o proes, and she firmly ook he remains

o he bin bag rom my hand.

You must be sensible, Cameron. Youre sill geting

beter, aren you? Youre sill no enirely well. She

suck ou her long fingers, and ouched me under he

ribs. I flinched. Beneah my hoody, underneah hree

layers o -shirs, lay a pach o dull-red scarred skin: a

sab-wound rom an ancien magical spearhead. I had

sealed over almos insanly bu I could never orge

how I go i.

I brushed her hand away, sepped back.

Is no bohering me, I said. Im surprised i

doesn hur more. Considering.

Well, ok. I youre sure. Maybe jus one more go. Eve

plonked he bin bag down on he ground, and swiflyarranged hersel on op.

For me, ha is! She pushed off, slihering down he

hill wih increasing speed, and leting ou a coninuous

high-piched scream.

Morgan and I exchanged looks.

One momen shes all grown-up, I said. Te nexshes a iny kid.

Morgan shrugged. Makes a weird sor o sense.

Eve looked like she was a good six or seven years older


8/17

han me: around weny, I reckon. Bu on he inside she

was more like en.

Growing up under he hrall o a daemon can do

srange hings o you. Paricularly when ha daemon

decides o se up home inside your head

Neiher me nor Morgan had he oggies idea i she

could ever be pu back, i she could be de-aged o look

like he girl she really was inside he girl she had been

beore Mrs Ferguson dug her eigh spooky claws in.

I suppose we shouldve been working on i. Going

hrough my Grans old books day and nigh o see i

we could find a clue wha o do. Venuring ou ino

he Parallel ha srange, wised layer o realiy ha

lies halway beween he human world and is daemon

equivalen o seek advice rom he creaures ha

lurked here. Bu o ell you he ruh, I had somehing

else on my mind.

I had problems o my own

All day long, I didn have o hink abou i.

Every ime i popped ino my head, Id jus push i

away. Not now, not now, Id hink. Its not like I can do

anything to stop it so why torture yourself?Insead Id mess abou on my guiar, pracising

chords. Id ge Morgan o lisen o songs I liked and

hoped hed love oo. Someimes I played games wih


9/17

Eve; all he old classics like Monopoly, wiser, Jenga.

She seemed hrilled by hem. She claimed shed never

played any o hem beore.

Why would I have? Tose weren he sor o games

Mrs Ferguson liked o play, Eve said, drawing her knees

up o her chin.

Bu you didn always say wih old spider-ace, I

said recklessly. You musve played board games beore

you lived wih her

I sopped. Eves eyes had gone large. Sorry. Is none

o my business.

I sor o remember beore, bu no much, she said.

All his snow siting round ouside I don know. I

seems amiliar. Is making hings come back.

Like you used o ge major snow back home?

Maybe. She go up quickly, almos knocking over

he board. Monopoly is dull wih wo. Im going o ge

Morgan.

Morgan was nowhere o be ound. I didn surprise

me. I hadn said anyhing o Eve, bu Id caugh him

sneaking ou he back door he oher nigh. Id grabbedhis arm, and asked him where he was off o. Hed growled

and shaken me off.

You remember wha happened las ime, Shory! I

can be like ha again. Ive go o ge my head ogeher,

i Im gonna...

Keep conrol?He nodded. So go ge some shu-eye. Don worry

abou me.

Is no you Im worried abou, I burs ou. Youve


10/17

had your whole lie o be his hing. o cope wih i.

Is all new o me! I don know i I can

Hey, we don know i youre like me, no ye. Tere

was a lo o srange old magic whizzing around ha

nigh. He grinned his lopsided grin, exposing sharp

whie eeh. You migh be unlucky. You could sill be

oally human. Pure monkey!

My hand wen o my shoulder, he locaion o my

oher scar: a row o red eeh-marks sunk deep eiher

side o he bone. I was aking is ime o heal.

When will I know? For sure?

Morgan poined up. Above he brown and green

dome o he Observaory, beween hick grey clouds,

here was a hin o silver shining hrough. He whisled.

Soon enough. I shes go you, she won ever le you

orge.

He pulled his army greacoa around him, and

sepped ino he rosy garden. Looks like is going o

be anoher cold one See you omorrow, Shory. ry

and ge some sleep.

Sill he snow kep coming.

As i go urher ino he New Year, hey even soppedhe rains. I had o call my riend Amy, and beg off

coming over o see her.

Unless you send a helicoper, Im suck.


11/17

Youve had a lucky escape, she said. Mums even

madder han usual his year.

No possible, I dead-panned back. Even hough I

liked Amys mum, really.

Amy, I hear you! Every word. Dont tell lies about me

to lovely Cameron! Ask him when were going to see him!

Mum but ou! Boundaries! When Im on he

phone, has privae. We alked abou ha, remember?

Amy sighed. So how was Chrismas wih spooky

Grandma? Any op presens? Did you pary like i was

1945?

I paused, no waning o lie o her. Shes no here

righ now. Is kind o a long sory

Are you on your own? Youre no, are you, Cam? ell

me honesly.

I glanced a Morgan. Ice cream was dripping down

his ace, and he looked uterly ouraged. Eve ran away

rom him, giggling. In response, he dug he wooden

spoon hed been eaing off ino he ice cream ub, and

began o carve ou a boulder. Righ. Jus. You. Wai!

No, Im wih riends, I said. Prety supid loudriends.

Oh. Morgan. Amy sniffed. I can hear someone

laughing. Is ha a girl? Cameron, you smooh operaor...

Is Eve. Shes a riend

Ta makes i worse! Amy squealed. Ive been

replaced

Te handse flew ou my hands and cracked o pieces

on he floor. Morgan gaped a me dopily. Te flex had

angled round his legs as he lurched afer Amy.


12/17

I picked up he shatered phone. I was properly dead,

and I jus sor o snapped.

Tas jus awesome, isn i! Now were oally cu-

off! No buses, no rains, no inerne and now no

phone eiher!

Chill, Shory. Is jus a bi o un

Yeah, i is, isn i? Isjust un. Tas all here is, isn

here? I looked around. Gran wouldve had a fiti she

could see he sae her nea and idy house had go ino.

Diry dishes all over he kichen. Crumpled clohes all

over he floor. Ice cream running down he wall. We

hang abou here, day afer day, eaing lefover ood and

doing nothing

Yeah, I know. Grea isn i?

No, is no! I sopped being grea days ago!

As I said he words, I knew hey were rue. Is amazing

how much un you can have when heres no one o ell

you o sop, o mind he urniure, o go o bed, o do

your homework, go o school... Bu afer a bi, you ge

sick o i, you know? Is like eaing oo much chocolae

cake. I seemed like a good idea a he ime.Eve popped ou he hall cupboard, where shed been

hiding. Cameron, were sorry! We didn mean o make

you mad.

Shes righ, mae. I was only a laugh

Whaever. I don care, I said. You guys go crazy.

Desroy he place. Im going o bed.Cameron

Shory

I ignored hem boh.


13/17

Morgan and Eve.

Te Wol Boy and he Girl Who Grew Up in Her Sleep.

I hadn known hem long, bu hey were boh

imporan o me. Tey didn hal annoy me someimes,

hough.

For such a long ime, i was jus me and Dad. And

afer Dad died, i was me and Gran.

I was used o my own spaceime o mysel.

ime o hink...

In my room, as I go ready or bed, I couldn help

lifing he curains, and looking. Checking he progress

o he moon.

I was growing all he ime, urning rom crescen

o circle, sliver by sliver, geting bigger every nigh. I

could eel my hearpounding as I looked, like i waned

o crack open my ribs and leap righ ou my ches. Was

ha he Fa Moon, aking hold? Making changes go on

inside me, wheher I waned hem or no?

I le he heavy curains drop. Every nigh, he laer i

go, he more I hough abou i.

As he red LEDs on he clock clicked unsoppablyround, Id sar imagining abou wha migh happen,

wha id eel like, i I could sop i if I really wanted

to stop itand my hear would hump so bad, like Id

drunk en cups o Grans black coffee, and i would ake

hourso ge o sleep.

I didn even know i ha mean I was scared

orexcied.

Daf, eh?

Maybe i was boh.


14/17

How ya doin, Shory?

Shorty.Why does he call me ha?

Morgans long raty blond hair is sicking ou all

round his beanie ha. How do you eel? he says.

Nervous. Excied. Boh. I shrug in an exaggeraed

way. I don know.

Youll be fine. Once i sars, is prety much

insincual.

He crunches on ahead o me, up he hill.

He has his weird sor o loping sride, like his bones

don quie fi ogeher, or hes go growing pains or

somehing. Which is odd, because when he runs, he

runs fast. Hes a bi aller han me, bu a lo broader. I

used o hink he was a couple o years older bu how

do werewolves coun heir age? Are hey like people

or are hey like dogs, and every single human year ageshem abou seven?

And wha does ha mean or me?

Oh yeah, didn I ell you? Im a werewol oo.

Or I migh be.

All because Morgan bi me. I asked him o, you see.

Hold up, is no as weird as i sounds...When I came o live wih her, Gran promised me

hings suff I should never have agreed o. She said she

could bring my Dad back, she could reurn him rom


15/17

he dead, i only Id help her. Bu she had darker ideas

han ha ideas I don really wan o hink abou.

And he only way ou was or Morgan o bie me and

le he wol run hrough

Acually, ha is every bi as weird as i sounds.

No long now, Shory, eh? Morgan looked back a

me. il Fa Moon ime. I can eel i calling.

In he moonligh, Morgans ace is angular and

srange, like hes already no quie human. Hes always

been a werewol he was born o i. When he changes,

he becomes a huge whie wol. Bu he shif and he call

o he moon is all new o me new and scary. Humans

whove been biten ofen don work ou righ. Tey

don change all he way. Is like heyre no quie woly

enough, and insead hey end up hal way beween

human and dog and jus as mad, and messy, and angry,

as ha sounds.

rus me, I know.

Ive wached i happen.

Bu wha will happen o me?

My hand fidgeed in my jacke pocke, wiching andiching. I drew i ou, and scrached in irriaion. My

fingers me hair proper, dense hair.

Its starting.

I glanced a Morgan, ried o call ou, bu he sound

ha lef my mouh was garbled a sor o whining

growl.He spun o ace me, and I saw he was changing oo.

His mouh and nose were elongaing, as i he bone

beneah he skin was growing, reshaping his eaures


16/17

ino a muzzle. His ears were lenghening, becoming

poined. Te green o his iris pooled ouward, and he

whies o his eyes vanished.

I wondered: is ha how Im changing oo?

I kep expecing i o hur, or i o rip hrough me in

an agony o shifing bone and earing flesh, bu i was

more like sreching and working lie back ino muscles

ha were dorman afer oo long a res. I el cramped

and uzzy, as i Id been shu up inside a box or monhs.

Suddenly he door o he box was open, and I was filled

wih an energy ha I hadn had beore.

I ell orward, ouching he ground.

Black paws on whie snow.

Wol-Morgan sared back me. Refleced in he green

o his eyes, I saw mysel. A huge dark wol, srong and

powerul and perec. No hin o human-me a all.

Im not a mixed-up monster I changed! I changed

completely!

I gave a yip o joy.

Morgan sared o run, and I ollowed

Ta was how i sared.

Te firs nigh o he wol monh. I el so good,running hrough he snow wih Morgan, discovering

my new domain all mapped ou in vivid scen and

sound and sigh.


17/17

I hough i would las orever. Bu i couldn.

Tis is he sory o how my world ell apar.

And how I ough o pu i all back ogeher.

Tis is he sory o he Werewolf Parallel.

Illustration by Mark Manley

A Parallel Prelude, by Roy Gill

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Transcript of A Parallel Prelude, by Roy Gill