The Fuller Children Chronicles : The Otherworld Children

By Matt Jones

A collection of interlinked stories inspired by and in
loving memory of Ceri, Sam, Becca and Charlie Fuller.
Join the kids as they embark on wonderful adventures
that take them to a magical realm they never knew
existed but have always been a part of.
Each Fuller child has their own individual tale before
they must work together in a final adventure in which the
fate of a world rests on their shoulders.
Charlie enters a horse race in order to save her good
friend's stables from closing. However, her horse is not
what he appears to be and is sought after by a
mysterious man.
Sam must solve puzzle after puzzle whilst investigating a
crime. A case that leads him to make discoveries he
never could have expected.
Becca falls into a magical tale and aboard a very special
ship which she must lead back to its own world.
Finally, the kids travel to a once wonderful world that
has been enslaved. To save it, they must battle an army,
overcome extraordinary odds and fulfil a legendary
prophecy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Nov 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781326055387

Matt Jones

Matt Jones is a professor and Head of Department of Computer Science, Swansea University. His research work focuses on human-centered computing with particular emphasis on mobile and ubiquitous computing and resource-constrained communities in regions such as India and South Africa. His work in these contexts has been recognized by an IBM Faculty Award and, from 2014, by a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award. Matt has had many active collaborations and interactions with industry, NGO and Governmental stakeholders including Microsoft Research, Nokia Research and IBM Research. In his spare time he tries to live life face-on with his energetic family, and enjoys nothing more than an exhilarating early morning cycle ride to the glorious beaches of the Gower.

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The Fuller Children Chronicles : The Otherworld Children

The Fuller Children Chronicles:The Otherworld Children

Copyright © Matt Jones 2014

All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-326-05538-7

Dedication

In 2012 the world as we knew it ended.

It wasn’t the global apocalypse that many feared but what happened was the most horrendous and unforeseen thing. In 2012, we lost four of the most amazing people the world will never know.

Ceri, Sam, Becca and Charlie were awesome in the truest sense of the word. Over years of family get-togethers, birthdays and Christmases they never failed to leave us with a feeling that these people were special. Ceri was so intelligent that I always felt in awe of his knowledge and capability but he was such a warm person that he was never intimidating. Sam was no doubt going to be as intelligent as his dad and we enjoyed hearing his flights of fancy that were always backed up with science. Becca had her own way of being noticed by not being noticeable. Her beautiful face and gorgeously long hair belied her adventurous spirit. As a fellow middle child, it was her that I was able to bond with the most. Charlie was as loving and cute as she looked. An indefatigable bundle of energy, she was the first to latch onto your leg for a hug when you visited. Together, they were just fantastic.

Our son was just days old when he met them all for the first and last time and it was such a memorable event for us all. I remember it vividly. I also remember discussing with my wife, Abbie, just how much fun our son would have with his cousins and how much he would learn from them. It breaks our hearts that it will never happen. He would have loved them so much and them him. I hope that the stories will show him how amazing their spirits were and give him a way to go on adventures with them.

It’s not possible to tell you just how much losing them affected the family. Those happy occasions will never be as happy and every second of every day has a thought of them in it. They are physically not with us and yet we are never without them. Our memories of them make us laugh, cry, share and inspire us.

I wanted to try and do something to honour them and so I wrote these stories even though my words cannot do them justice, they never could. However, I have tried to show you a glimpse into how great they were and how they have inspired us. As an uncle by marriage, I feel very lucky to have such a wonderful wife who brought me into the lives of these incredible people. The girls would tell stories of fairies and Sam would tell stories of science and technology. It made sense to combine these to bring you the tales in this book.

There has never been a dedication more easily inspired and yet so difficult to write.

The Unicorn Race

Charlotte Fuller always woke up with a smile on her face. To her, the sun was not simply a blazing star that warms our planet, despite what her brother Sam told her, but was glorious confirmation that the magic within each ray of sunlight was reaching us all. We just have to believe it, and if there was one person on Earth that believed in magic, it was little Charlie.

The light was seeping through her curtains and she wasted no time in throwing them open to greet it in all its magnificence. As the summer sun flooded over her, she couldn’t help but to dance around her room to a song of her own creation. No one else could have penned a tune that had the heart and genuinely unique love for everything that she had. The words she chose that particular morning included fireflies and the theme, as always, was of creating an emotionally united world. On a usual day, this attitude would have been irrepressible and remained strong until she closed her eyes to sleep. This was not a usual day. On this day, her faith in magic would be tested.

Charlie would spend the majority of every other Sunday at the stables on the other side of town. For the past three years she had learnt to trot, canter and gallop, albeit with white knuckles on occasion. When you are seven years old and atop a giant steed, it can get a little worrying to say the least. She always tried to find a smaller horse to ride to avoid the scares. Unfortunately, all the children had the same plan and it was rare that the single diminutive pony was available. Charlie unfastened her seatbelt and threw open the door as soon as her dad’s car had stopped in the car park.

She was half way down the gravel track to the stable yard before she realised that there were no other children racing her for a change. She slowed her pace and looked back. No other cars were in the car park either. She slowed her pace even more and reached the gate to the yard. On it was a large sign. ‘CLOSED’

Her heart sank as she imagined the stable doors being boarded up and the horses being led into huge cardboard boxes for storage. At least that’s what happened to the stuff in the toyshop when it had closed down. Not one to be easily deterred, she climbed onto the wooden gate to look over it. The grey cobbled yard was empty with the exception of a few lonely pieces of hay that fluttered lazily across the ground as if enjoying the space. She jumped down, clambered through a gap in the gate and walked to the nearest stable. It was empty, more than empty, it was eerily empty, the sort of empty that invited ghosts. She made her way to the next stall but it too was deserted, a lonely horseshoe lay in the centre of the room.

Good luck my foot, she grumbled. Before she could continue her investigation, a hand fell onto her shoulder making her jump. Luckily the hand was not a ghostly one but was attached to the owner of the stables, Mr Ickyman. Mr Ickyman was one of the kindest people that she had ever met. By her working out he was two hundred and twelve years old but she may have miscalculated. He had a head of thin white hair, a stubbly white beard and a heart warming gaze that he used to greet her every time. His gaze was not as warm this morning. Charlie composed herself after her fright then gave him a cheeky giggle and a hug, her usual greeting. Mr Ickyman patted her on the head.

Oh Charlie, I’m so sorry but the horses are gone. We just weren’t earning enough money to stay open. Charlie stepped back, thrusting her hands into her pockets and brought out twenty pence that she offered to the man. He smiled for the first time that week and closed her hand around the coin. You better keep it, he advised.

The wind picked up and whipped the stray hay up into the air before setting it down gently. Charlie put the coin back into her pocket.

But, we can still ride? she asked hopefully. Mr Ickyman shook his head slowly. He knelt in front of the girl and his smile faded.

No sweetie, no more riding. Not unless we can get some cash very soon. We owe a lot of money to the bank and they can take the stables if we can’t pay them, he explained.

Charlie’s heart sank a little more and she couldn’t look at her friend’s face any longer without tears escaping. She instinctively looked to her feet and the dusty cobbles. That didn’t help, so she kicked at a nearby stone causing it to skip across the floor and bounce up before hitting something majestically white and infinitely soft. Her eyes followed the path the stone had taken to see what it had struck. The sight filled her with glee and confusion and the resulting grin made her cheeks ache but the tears were definitely not making an appearance. She took the old man’s face in her hands and forced it to look where the stone had come to rest. Mr Ickyman stood up slowly and took Charlie by the hand. Well, I never, he whispered.

In the very centre of the yard was the most noble of creatures. Its huge sky blue eyes looked back at them, its long black eye lashes standing out so vividly against the pure white hair that covered its body. It reared onto its back legs and released a gloriously musical whinny as if greeting the open mouthed duo. It shook its head and the brilliantly long mane shimmied and glistened in the sun.

Mr Ickyman was staring at the most beautiful horse he had ever seen. Charlie was gazing at a Unicorn.

The hooves clattered merrily on the cobbles and Charlie squeezed Mr Ickyman’s hand so tight that his fingers went purple and he let out a small yelp. The young girl released her grip as she started toward the creature that had mysteriously appeared before them. It was by no means the biggest horse Mr Ickyman had ever seen. In fact from a distance the beast looked a normal size. However, as he followed Charlie across the yard, perspective seemed to have no effect and the animal remained smaller than average. When they were just five yards away, the creature starting to become anxious, took a few steps back and raised its head to full height. Mr Ickyman had seen the behaviour before and knew that the animal did not want to be touched by him. Charlie was a different matter.

Mr Ickyman backed away but the little girl offered her hand as she approached. The fear in the large blue eyes faded and was replaced with curiosity. Its eyes met Charlie’s and an instant bond was formed. The most innocent and loving eyes in the world meeting eyes of fantastic blue. Charlie could almost see clouds within them and a light behind them that could easily have been the rays of magical light she loved so much.

She stepped closer and adopted the cutest look possible. The animal no longer retreated. It lowered its head and sniffed at Charlie’s hand, its breath warm and strong. It didn’t move as the girl stroked its nose, then its neck as far as she could reach. The animal’s golden horn twisted into a point and glistened slightly, as if embedded with glitter. She imagined riding the unicorn, imagined the fresh air rushing by her as they raced through fields of brightest green. She knew somehow that the unicorn was thinking it too. Her hand brushed toward the horn but, when she reached for it, her hand passed straight through as if it was a hologram. She glanced back to Mr Ickyman. I can’t feel it. Must be magic! she exclaimed. The old man looked back in confusion.

Can’t feel what Charlie? he asked.

The unicorn’s horn of course, it’s beautiful but I can’t touch it.

Mr Ickyman’s forehead wrinkled even more, There’s no horn Charlie. It’s a beautiful little horse but there’s no such thing as unicorns. Charlie had worried that this would be the case. Magic needs belief. She knew the truth. She just had to make others believe it too.

It took Mr Ickyman half an hour and many handfuls of hay to get close to the animal. Each time he moved near, its head would rise up and it would stamp its feet a little in warning. There was no doubt that it didn’t want to be near anyone but Charlie. She was able to stroke the soft hair with ease. She reassured the unicorn that the old man was no threat to them and could be trusted. Eventually, Mr Ickyman was feeding the beast and a truce was seemingly struck. Just being near to the little horse gave him an uplifting feeling. When he looked into its eyes his cares started to drift away and were replaced with a feeling of hope.

Maybe you should ride him? he posed. Charlie was comfortable with the animal but she was still not sure how she would handle riding without a saddle as there was no way it would allow Mr Ickyman to put one on.

She stroked across the toned leg muscles. What do you say? Can I? The creature’s head turned to the girl and nuzzled at her softly as if encouraging her to climb aboard.

I think that’s a ‘yes’, Mr Ickyman said as he slowly lifted Charlie onto the horse’s back. Charlie instinctively grabbed the mane tightly and her legs shook. Mr Ickyman steadied her and then let go. Her legs trembled uncontrollably and her tight grip became even tighter. There was no way she could do this.

I d…don’t l…like it, she stammered. Before Mr Ickyman could lift her back off, the creature started to walk slowly. Its footsteps were steady and considered. As they circled the cobbled yard, her grip loosened