The Keeper of the Stones

JThe Keeper of the Stones - By M J Webb



Acknowledgements


Writing this book whilst holding down a full time job and being a loving father has been a huge commitment. I would like to thank my family for their love and support, particularly my mother and mother-in-law for being a constant source of help/advice and my two children, Jack and Sophie, for inspiring me and making my life complete. Also, all of my work colleagues for putting up with me when I bored them silly with my vision and endeavours.

I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Mike Maynard, fellw writer and author of ‘Captain Jack – A Ship’s Log’, who has been a constant source of help and inspiration. Thanks also to Wayne Smart and Nigel Wallace for showing me new ideas and dragging me kicking and screaming into the 21st century and to the army of proof readers of all ages who gave of their time willingly and highlighted key omissions, particularly the teenage children I did not know.

An extra special mention has to go to A J, the illustrator, whose bio is on the rear of this book – You are so talented and I am very grateful to you for agreeing to work with me. I hope you go on to bigger and better things as you deserve. You are a rising star.

I have been helped enormously by the humour, advice and support of people too numerous to mention. So Vixwitch, June, Andy, Trev, Alison, Roxy, Nicky and many more.... I thank you all!

Finally, but by no means least, I’d like to thank my darling wife. All those hours on the computer meant that something had to give and I’m sorry for the times I sulked like an adolescent child when told I couldn’t write. I love you dearly and I am so very honoured and proud that you share my life. You are my soulmate.


The success of this book depends on you, the reader. If you enjoy reading it, please feel free to share your opinion with others, as many as possible would be nice.... But either way, thank you so very much for giving it a chance.

For Jack and Sophie.


Chapter 1



14th August – Harry West’s Attic – Lichfield



“Whey-hey!!!”

Ben Brooker was smiling broadly. His eyes were wide with excitement and he was gleefully rubbing his hands. “Wow! Eh, this place is huge mate, this is gonna take us ages. Nice idea you had there for a change though, just look at all this stuff.” he added enthusiastically, staring at all the boxes and crates that were stacked up to head height all around him. “Hey, there’s all sorts of stuff in here – boxes, jewellery, hats, books, flags,” he shouted, as he rummaged through the nearest box, “this is awesome!”

Jake West smiled back at him, surprised at such an enthusiastic response coming from his fifteen year old best mate. He ran his fingers through his hair and flicked it away from his eyes. “Yeah mate,” he replied, “told ya so, harry’s lived his life to the full alright, I think he’s been everywhere there is that’s worth going to. And he’s brought a little something back with him each time, though I’m not sure that the army knew what he was doing, if you get my drift?” he joked. “Anyway, let’s just have a look around before we start work, eh? Before we start clearing it all out. Granddad’ll be up here soon, and I want to have a mooch around before he comes, I’ve never really been allowed to before.”

They made their way along the haphazard pathway that had been created between the artefacts and headed for the rear of the room to begin their search.

“Hey, Jake! What’s that?” asked Ben excitedly, as he caught sight of something of interest out of the corner of his eye. He was pointing towards a ripped and torn Union Jack flag which was hanging on the corner wall, above an old wooden chest.

“Huh?” replied Jake, who’d continued walking through the boxes and was checking out some other stuff. “Oh that. It’s an old battleflag from some war or other. I’m not really sure what the story is behind it though.”

Ben’s eyes lit up immediately. His family history had given him a fascination surrounding all things military and his curiosity had to be satisfied. “Well, alrighty then! That’s where I’ll start.” he shouted happily. He walked over to the flag and stared at it for a little while. Then he knelt down at the foot of the chest and scraped off the thick layer of dust that had formed on the top, the initials H.W. were crudely carved into the wood. Ben realised immediately that it was Harry’s chest. He thought of calling Jake over to him to show him what he’d found, Harry was his granddad after all, but he didn’t because he was having too much fun. He opened it and rested the top on the two worn string ties that held it in place.

“Oi, Jake! You there mate?” Ben shouted loudly, unable to see his friend in amongst all of ‘the junk’ but now deciding that he had to share this discovery with him. “There’s lots of old photo’s in here pal. Your granddad’s in most of ‘em. I mean, he’s a bit younger like, but it’s him alright.” he stated, staring closely at a few of the pictures of Harry from his army days.

There was no reply from his friend, Jake was too engrossed in his own ‘voyage of discovery’ and hadn’t really heard what he’d said, so the youngster delved deeper into the chest. Beneath some more photographs he found an old and battered, rectangular-shaped box. He toit out and opened it.

“Geez,” Ben shouted in amazement, “Jake! Jake!” he screamed excitedly, “Jake! Come and look at this!”

Jake huffed at being disturbed. “Oh Ben, what’s up now?” he asked, as he made his way carefully across the room. “I was just beginning to enjoy myself. There’s…”

He stopped talking as he suddenly caught sight of the box and its contents. “Oh wow! I- I never knew,” he said humbly, “I mean, I knew he was in the army of course, but…”

“I know.” interrupted Ben, holding out the collection of medals and ribbons in front of Jake with extreme care, as if presenting them to his friend. “Respek due, eh? Good on the ol’ boy! Wonder what he got ‘em for?”

“Hmmn, can’t help there Ace.” answered Jake, as he examined the medals. “He’s a private soul my granddad, never talks about anything of note. I only get to see him every now and then, if my dad knew we were here, he’d have a fit.”

“Oh for…” began Ben. “They’re still not talking? What’s that all about? It’s bin years. You’d think they’d have patched things up by now.”

“Yeah, I know. You’re right, but what can I do? I’m like ‘piggy in the middle’, whenever I raise the subject I just get told to ‘shut up and mind my own business’, or they ignore me completely, which is even worse. My mum won’t say anything either. It’s crap mate. But that’s life, eh? Just gotta live with it I suppose.”

Jake gave a deep sigh. “Ahh well. Anyway, come on, what else is in that chest?” he asked, deliberately changing the subject and conscious of the fact that his granddad could interrupt them at any moment. Ben carefully removed the next layer of photos as Jake watched. Underneath them all was a collection of old letters and he took out the top bundle. A photo was inserted under the elastic band that held them all together.

“Oh yes, jackpot!” cried Jake ecstatically, once he recognised the figure in the picture. “That’s my nan.”

“What?” exclaimed a surprised Ben. “Great, you haven’t got anything of hers, have ya?”

“Nah. You know I haven’t, she died before I was born.” Jake answered bluntly. He held the photo in front of him and stared lovingly at it for a few seconds. Tears began to form in his eyes as he looked upon her face.

“You ever found out what happened to her pal? How she died I mean? You’ve never said too much. I know your dad doesn’t like to talk about it, but what about your granddad? Ain’t he ever explained?” asked Ben.

“What?” said Jake, too distracted by his grandmother’s image to concentrate properly. He shook his head slightly to clear his mind. “No. Harry’s just like my dad, he ‘clams up’ whenever I mention it. I know it was a fire, but getting anything else out of ‘em is like tryin’ to get blood from a stone.”

Ben sighed sympathetically and then looked down at the bundle in Jake’s hand. “So, what about these letters? You gonna open them or what?” he asked, motioning towards them with his head and then rubbing his hands across his short, crew-cut hair.

Jake thought about it for a moment, he desperately wanted to say ‘yes’, but he didn’t. “No. I need to talk to my granddad first.” he answered, concerneecogni how Harry might react if he opened the letters. Ben’s face dropped a little with disappointment. Jake was about to walk away having made up his mind, but he stopped as he saw his friend reach forward into the chest once more, only this time with real conviction.

“Hey! Look at this.” Ben stated, as he pulled out a beautifully ornate wooden box.

“What is it?” asked Jake. “Looks like a music box or something?”

Ben held it up towards the skylight for a better view. The box was made out of a wood they didn’t recognise and it was intricately carved with exquisite patterns all the way around. On its top was a crest, formed out of a different type of wood altogether, a shade darker than the one used to make the box itself. It was shaped like an eagle with outspread wings and it was embossed onto the box somehow so that it protruded ever so slightly.

“That’s weird,” stated Ben, as he examined it closely. “I can’t see any way of opening the thing. There’s no hinges or anything.”

“What? There must be.” replied Jake. “Here, let me have it.”

“Listen, I’m telling you it won’t open!” snapped Ben in frustration, as he tugged and pulled at the sides. “It feels hollow, but as if there’s something inside. Ahh, it just won’t open!” he shouted, before giving up and passing the box reluctantly to Jake.

Jake looked at it closely. Ben was right; there was no obvious way of opening it. He turned it around and around, searching for a catch or a lock of some description and as he did, his right palm passed over the crest.

‘Click!’

The sound was just loud enough for the boys to hear and they instinctively looked at one another.

‘Boom !!!’

An enormous roar shook the building and frightened them both. It was a deafening sound, as if an explosion had occurred nearby.

“Christ !!! What was that?” shrilled Ben. “It sounded like a bomb. Only it was in here.”

Jake’s eyes didn’t move from the box as he replied. “I- I don’t know, it…”

He stopped again in mid sentence, as he suddenly felt the box move slightly in his hands. “It’s opening. Look. It’s opening!” he cried out excitedly, shouting at Ben as if his best friend couldn’t see what was right in front of him.

The top of the box began to split into two and very slowly each top panel moved outwards. Both sides of the box began shifting, layer after layer, moving slightly outwards until the box had opened fully and each side resembled small inverted stairs. The back of the box had remained in tact, but it had extended the entire length of the new object so that it now resembled the shape of a small, opened sewing box.

“Holy sh… Hey, look at that!” shouted Jake, now staring directly into the open box.

Positioned neatly in each corner were four round, coloured gems, all of them roughly about the size of a large grape. Each stone was a different colour; the first was a bright red, the second dark green, the third a bright blue and the fourth a bright yellow. In the centre of the box was a larger , more ruggedly cut, white stone that had noiscernable shape and was far less pleasing to the eye. It seemed to just lie there in the centre of the box, without moving.

It didn’t move! The stone was touching nothing. But it didn’t move an inch when Jake shook the box. It was somehow suspended in mid air. The boys looked at each other in amazement, forgetting all about the thunderous bang that had scared them so badly, only seconds before.

Suddenly, all four corner stones began to glow brightly. Jake was unnerved by it and he shuffled backwards. He put the box down on the floor and stood up quickly. Ben instinctively stood up beside him. A small hum began resonating from the four corner stones, growing louder and louder until suddenly, each stone came to life and emitted a bright ray of coloured light which surged rapidly towards the centre stone. The four differently coloured beams of light hit it simultaneously and an even louder hum began, as the centre stone started to rise out of the box. It stopped ascending once it had reached its apex and a beam of bright white light suddenly appeared which raced up to the ceiling. The light hit the roof and then it bent, running along the ceiling to the skylight, from where it shot straight up to the sky outside, miraculously leaving the skylight completely in tact. When the beam reached the sky, the box once again erupted into a deafening roar. It was even louder than the previous one had been and this time, the boys fell over backwards onto their behinds.

“Aaarghh!!! Christ, I can’t see!” yelled a terrified Ben.

“Yeah, me too!” replied Jake, rubbing his eyes in a hurried attempt to clear his vision. “It’ll be that flash, it shouldn’t last long. Yeah, that’s better. I can see a little now, it’s all blurred and everything’s a little red, but it’s coming back. How about you?”

“Yeah, pretty much the same, thank heavens for that! I thought I was blind for a moment. Oooh that was loud. My ears are still ringing.” said Ben, as he shook his head and banged his hands against his ears in turn.

“Ditto. Cor, my head’s pounding.” Jake shouted. He moved his jaw around to try to ‘pop’ his ears. “Wow! Bloody hell mate. What a rush! What have we done? What was that?”

The palms of his hands were sweating, he rubbed them on his jeans. His heart was beating so furiously that it felt as if it was going to come out of his chest. Adrenalin was coursing through his body and he was shaking all over. Ben went quiet, the realisation of what had actually happened having just dawned on him. He couldn’t speak, he just stared back at Jake with the same astonished expression on his face and shrugged, before immediately returning his gaze to the stones, and the now slightly diminished light.

After a short while though, Ben recovered himself and the power of speech. He turned to face his friend.

“Phew, come on then, Einstein,” he said, with his customary sarcasm, “explain that one!”

Jake shrugged. He had no answers to give. He was equally as stunned and amazed as Ben. As he continued to peer anxiously into the box, waiting to see what else might happen, his mind was in complete turmoil. Something amazing had just happened, that much was abundantly clear. But he really didn’t know whether he should be feeling excited, or scared.

“I don’t think I can explain it mate.” he answered truthfully. “But I tell you this; there’s one thing I am pretty sure of.”

“Oh yeah? What’s that then?” asked Ben.

“This ain’t no music box!”