James Winter: Beginnings

By Neddy Arnold

James Winter is an ordinary boy on a vacation trip with his best friends and cousin-Then he discovers a device on top of a mountain- and dares to put it on... Now, he soon learns that there is a war raging on in another world so close to ours- and its consequences could be devastatingly fatal to the humans.The worst part is, somehow, he is caught right in the mess of it all...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Neddy Arnold
• Release date: Mar 21, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310587658

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James Winter; Beginnings by Ned Arnold Smashwords Edition Copyright 2016 Ned Arnold

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

I thank the Lord for picking me up when I was down.

To mum, for inspiring me

Prologue…

The two men were sitting in a small office that was dimly lit. The one across the table took a sip of his drink. The other one on a turtle neck shirt just stared at him blankly yet skeptically.

Show me, he said at last, and the other man set his glass down and smiled. Thought you would never ask.

He put on his glasses and disappeared under his table, rummaging in the drawers. His guest did not move a muscle. He looked deeply incredulous.

After a minute, the other man came back up, clutching a small watch case in his hand. There was a small ember colored stone inside. The man took it with equal carefulness. Normally, it would have glowed, if it was around the boy, but now, naturally, it resembled just an insignificant piece of charcoal. But the man knew better.

He looked at his host. This is it?

A quiet nod. Silence hung in the air like a heavy mist after that.

The guest shook his head. How? How can this possibly do what you said it would? And how does the boy fit into-

We have talked about this, the host said calmly. And you know the answer.

Gravelly, the man stared down at the piece of stone. His mind doubted everything. But the man across him would never say anything unless he was absolutely sure.

Still, how could the fate of this world possibly lean on the shoulders of a mere boy?

Chapter One: Transformations

R-riiing R-riing! James Robin Winter’s alarm clock went, invading the sixteen year old boy’s sleep and waking him with a jolt. He sat up, his hair running on all directions. For a moment he had a wild look in his eyes, then suddenly he remembered, today was Saturday, no school.

Phew, he hadn’t missed the bus then. His head had barely touched his pillow when his mother shouted James? James I know you’re awake so please come down here, I’ve got some news for you.

James left his bed grudgingly and dragged himself downstairs, muttering something about the stupid settings on that clock

A delicious smell of bacon and eggs greeted him as he entered the kitchen.

‘Goodmorning mum’ James greeted his mother, Lucy Winter. She had the deep black eyes that James inherited and was skinny in structure. She had an apron strapped around her and had made her hair a into a neat pony tail behind her.

‘Morning James’ Lucy replied, she was doing many things as usual, from cooking stew to frying eggs to boiling water. Without looking at James she continued, ‘James we’re going on a trip today’

‘Today?’

‘Hmmm, we’re going to your Cousin Jones and Uncle Michel’s place’

‘Jones?’ James echoed, ‘ok, I’ll start parking, then’ he had just turned to climb back upstairs, ready to steal a few moments of sleep when Lucy added ‘oh, and we’ll be going with Leo and Seli, I spoke to their mum and she agreed you guys needed some fresh air’

‘Awesome!’ James whooped and punched the air, then he asked, ‘I mean you and Uncle Michel will be the only adults there right?’ the words had barely left his mouth before he realized it was a mistake. He knew what was coming now, a long lecture.

‘James, about that, his mother started on a more serious and strict tone, she even stopped cooking and put her hands on a waist.

Uh oh, that meant WAR!

‘You are not going to be misbehaving whilst we’re there, all right?’ James didn’t even bother to nod or do anything; she was going to go on anyway. If you guys especially you and Leo go there and cause any massacre, if I sense a stench of trouble, I would be very furious with you and there’s not going to be a next time, got it?’

James nodded this time and said, ‘Yes mum’

‘Good’, Lucy smiled and ruffled James’ cropped, black hair. ‘Now go pack and make yourself more presentable than you are now’

‘Yes mum’

He turned to leave. Phew, that was shorter than her recent ones, usually, she goes on and on and on.

James finished packing all his most wanted things including his clothes, well duh, his Mp3 player, also duh, cameras but not video games. Uncle Michel will have lots of those, not Jones, Jones was always the nerd. He picked up his luggage and turned to see a figure with blue eyes, wild hair and a wide grin.

‘Leo!’ he exclaimed and went to hug his friend. Leonardo and Selina Stardom had been his best friends ever since, well ever since he could remember. Then James saw Seli and went to hug her too.

She blushed.

They left the house after waving goodbye to Leo and Seli’s mother, Bridget, at about ten o’clock am and reached the airport in thirty minutes. There, they took a plane to Africa, to an area the bottom of the continent’s chin, South Africa. They reached the airport at 4:00pm. Dismounting the airplane, the sun smiled brightly at them which, made their skin nervous and tingly since they had just came out of the air condition in the plane.. Immediately James stepped out of the place, a heat wave hit him, instantly drying his skin and his eyes called for sunglasses.

He was instantly fascinated by everything, the people, their dressing, the food they were selling and even the bright multicolored birds flying high in the sky.

You won’t see much of the sky where he was from- Potca, a recently founded town in Australia.

He didn’t even hear his mother complaining about how they would find Michel among this mass of people and how they couldn’t call him, apparently her sim card didn’t work in this city. James was looking at a flock of orange birds when a helicopter interrupted the scene and the birds scattered. A man with a handsome face dressed in dark glasses and a neat goatee stood in the helicopter’s doorway.

‘Umm, excuse me people, he said into a microphone, I’m looking for a group of people with dark hair and dark eyes and might look a little lost, anyone?’ Michel’s eyes scanned the crowd.

‘Oh, there they are, thanks everyone, you’ve been really helpful’ ‘well, come in’ he added to James and co.

Immediately, James, Seli and Leo hurried through the crowd for the ladder rope Michel had just dropped out, Lucy however was complaining, ‘Oh for goodness sake, Michel, you’re going to get us in trouble. James climbed up first and helped the others into the helicopter.

When they were all in, he hugged his Uncle. ‘I missed you’

‘I missed you too’, his uncle replied.

‘Anyway, nice presentation’ James added,

‘Yeah, wanted to make you look special’ Michel said with a wink. ‘Gilbert, take us away!’ he said to the pilot,

‘You could have just brought a car, you know’ Lucy whined, sitting next to Michel in the front seat. A short policeman waved his fists at them angrily, muttering strange sounds that could have been the South African curses.

‘Nice to meet you too’ Michel said softly.

They helicopter finally landed in the clearing of some kind of miniature woods. The trees were thin and spaced out and the air smelt like fresh wood and a hint of rain. The atmosphere here felt warm a little. Waiting for them below was a black elegant car, whose driver was opening the back door respectfully for them.

‘This’ began Michel as he exited the helicopter and put an arm around the driver’s neck. ‘Is Nemo. As you’re here, if you want anything, just ask him.’ Michel waited a moment then said, ‘don’t ask him to cook for you though, unless you miss your Doctor.’

Nemo retorted, ‘just that one (he held a finger) time’ his voice was deep like Michel’s own but not as much as elegant and his voice had scratches in it, emanating a faint smell of alcohol.

They said hello to Nemo and entered the car. The car made its way almost soundlessly through a road strewn with dried leaves and twigs and stopped at in front of a house. It was just a two story building but it had the pride and marvel of a great mansion. It was painted a cream color and had two lovely flowers at either side of the steps that lead to a wide porch. In the porch also were flowers at every one of the four corners, seeming to illuminate the porch even though it was dark.

They made their inside, with Nemo carrying their bags for them, through the wooden doors and almost dropped their bags in amazement. Right. They weren’t carrying bags. The hall was very spacious, occupied by big couches and decorated with flowers and portraits. The wide screen Led TV was hanging off the wall. Beyond that room was the kitchen and dining table at the side.

‘All right lads’ came Michel’s voice from behind. ‘Get upstairs and choose any of the rooms you like, just remember the last two to the right are mine and Jones room’

‘Where is he?’

‘Jones? He’s gone to town to buy some stuff; Nemo’ll pick him up later’

When James, Seli and Leo had sorted themselves into their rooms, they came downstairs for supper Lucy had just prepared.

‘Fit yourselves in well?’ Michel asked as they entered the kitchen.

The three nodded

‘All right then, let the adventure begin!’

Chapter Two: The Transformat

The weekend was fun! Today was Sunday and already they had visited almost all of the amazing and popular sites in the city. From zoos to cinemas to parks to stadiums and, Jones, who they had met a few minutes after their arrival, picked the most boring place ever; the History Museum, James felt like slapping his cousin there and then but Michel made up for it by taking them skydiving and today, they were going for mountain hiking.

Michel and Nemo had gone to get the apparatus they would need. In fact, they had kept too long, and James stated this to Lucy through mouthfuls of the delicious South African breakfast.

‘Don’t worry’ his mother assured him, ‘Patience is a virtue’

‘Probably a little traffic, too ‘Jones said uncertainly.

‘Jones, did you just make a funny?’ Leo said.

‘Huh? What?’ Jones frowned.

‘Oh, never mind’ Leo said and he, James and Seli snorted into their Breakfast, much to the disapproval of Lucy.

Then a car honked and they recognized the sound to belong to Michel’s car. James and his friends and cousin stormed out of the house to help Michel carry the hiking equipment. They picked one each of the four packages and cried out in unison ‘Mountain bikes!’

‘Yeah’, panted Michel, ‘You can use it to climb that mountain over there’ he finished, pointing at a plateau that loomed its head over the trees.

‘Where’s Nemo?’ Lucy asked suspiciously.

‘Ah’ Michel lowered his head sadly. ‘Well, apparently he was drunk and I didn’t know and he hit a cop’s car’

‘Oh, my!’ Lucy gasped. ‘Where’s he?’ she repeated again.

‘Hospital, I’ll pick him up later, after I get some breakfast’

‘You have to do something about him, Mickey’

‘Yeah, but I can’t just fire him, can I?’ ‘Nemo is special and-and close to me’

By special James knew what Michel meant, how many humans could operate electronic devices including computers, cars, and any other electronic doo hickeys like how Nemo did? He was sure the answer was none. But by close, he didn’t really understand.

James, Seli, Leo and Jones finished unpacking their bikes and sat on them, thanking Michel and slowly paddling towards the mountain.

‘Wait!’ Lucy shouted after them, ‘You haven’t finished your Breakfast!’

‘Whaaat? James asked, ‘We should have a good time? Don’t worry mum’

And smirking, the four made their way up the plateau.

The race was not going well for James-Leo was first, Seli second, he third and Jones obviously last; he wasn’t built for exercise.

James had to think fast. He couldn’t let Seli pass him, a girl? No way!

His eyes scanned the path in front of him and spotted a long, flat piece of wood, shaped like a diving board propped up against a huge rock, if he could ride jet speed on and over the wood, he could overtake the first two whilst airborne, landing in front of them at the top of the mountain, first.

He had to hurry now; they were almost on top of the mountain. James paddled with all the might his leg could muster, then he shot upwards like a bullet on the slope. He was airborne for a moment, smirking at the people beneath him until his hand accidentally pushed the brakes, and he was propelled off the bike, somersaulting in the air and going down fast. He thought he was going to land on the edge of the mountain but he found himself going over and down, over the mountain. He was still sinking in the air when his hand miraculously found the edge of a rock attached to the mountain’s side. He hung in the air for a moment, not safe, but sound.

A loud thud rented the air, followed by screeching and a girl’s scream, and Seli came falling over the mountain, like a dropping stone. ‘Seli!’ Leo screamed.

James looked up in time and held out his free harm to grab Seli’s own and fortunately, Seli held it quick enough. ‘Gotcha’ he said in relief, clutching Seli’s hand tightly and she was gracefully hanging below James. One slip and they were in death’s arms.

Seli’s bike came falling over the cliff seconds after, narrowly missing both their heads.

James felt something warm flow from his knee down his leg and looked down to see his knee, bloody and sporting a hole of a wound on the surface, it was probably jagged by a rock and James hadn’t felt it then, rescuing the Damsel in Distress and all… But he was feeling it now!

‘Ok’ Leo said, peering down at them cautiously, but clearly relieved that his sister and best friend weren’t scrambled goo. He stretched out an arm, couldn’t reach James, and then bit his lip in thought.

‘James, you could swing Selina to the top!’ Jones said.

‘Are you sure?’ the other three chorused.

‘No’ James interrupted. ‘Too dangerous, Seli, climb me’

Seli obeyed without hesitation and soon, James was holding Seli around the waist and she was clasping her arms around his neck. Leo held out an arm and Seli, pushed upwards by James grabbed it and soon she was safe.

The rock James was holding onto was getting impatient now, it slowly edged off as Leo held out an arm to help James. Leo missed, and James started to fall but Leo pulled in at the last second and