Prologue
"Come back," yearned Jane. She reached out to the figure infront of her, which was moving away slowly. "I don't want to leave you," she said, her eyes watery. "Be proud of yourselves, as I am proud of you," said the figure. He wore a robe, light blue, with the hood over the man's head, shadowing most features of his face. The man's face was not fully shadowed, some features were still visible. He had a furry, grey moustache, which was on the verge of leaping over his crusty mouth. The man moved away from Jane, towering over the hills. He raised his arm, fingers out - wide. A wind shook her. She turned her head, seeing a familiar figure. A young boy, around Jane's age and height, yet his facial movements were showing something different, as if he were older inside than out. The man in the robe turned, split his fingers out, and walked away. Before Jane could see anything else, the man vanished into the hazy clouds.
The wind was stronger now, urging the group to sway, to and fro, not making any upper body movements. Jane's hair was now launching into the atmosphere. She could not move, her mind was not in authority, it was some other force, not able to summarise. Will called to them, though if the wind were not driving towards Jane, she would not have heard. "Follow me!" he clamoured. He pushed to the edge of the miniature plateau, and then she saw the other two figures that were with her. They were both male, and also, like Will, roughly the same age as her. "Barney! Simon! Hurry! You too Jane!" Although Jane was just beside him, Will made it look as though they were all behind apart from him. Suddenly, lightning struck them, so toilsome that the earth itself shrieked. It shuddered Jane from head to toe, which pounded at her vigorously. It hew at her. She howled, like no-one that anyone could ever have heard. It was a mix between a wolf and a mother giving birth. Will grasped his ears and fell to his knees. Jane's eyes quivered. She was knocked down, her head hit the floor first.
She woke up, sweat streaming off her face. Jane opened her eyes, seeing a blazing illumination. Four figures were leaning over her, silhouetted like shadows. As her eyesight focused, she saw two familiar figures, and two strange ones. The two that she recognised were her brothers, Barney and Simon, and there were the other two, who were very notorious. One was tall, the one who wore the robe who Jane beseeched to stay, and there was the other young one, the same age as Jane, brown hair and hazel eyes. "Jane, you're alright now, it was just a dream." The grey haired superior was leaning most now, when Jane realised that she was still in her gown. "Get up, Jane." He reached out his hand, and Jane clutched it, hauling herself off her bed. "Are you alright, Jane?" asked Simon. He patted her palm, sympathising with her. "Do you remember me, Jane?" The towering figure rose. "I am Merriman Lyon, or as you remember most - Great Uncle Merry." Jane looked down, as if trying to remember. "Great Uncle Merry." She held out her tongue, concentrating hard. "Great Uncle Merry." It was as though she was tasting the words. "Gumerry.....?" Merriman smiled. "Yes," he replied.
"You know me as Gummery, or Great Uncle Merry. I am one of many Old Ones, as is Will here." He raised his hand and pointed to Will. "Think back, I shall restore part of your memory." Jane looked at Merriman, then to Will. She looked up, down, left and right as her memory was restored. The first word that came out of her mouth surprised everyone, even herself. "Gummery." Merriman looked at her. She said it again, "Gummery." Her eyes fluttered once more, as in her dream. She fell to the ground, her legs flailing. "She has it back." Will glanced at Merriman, eyebrows sarcastically raised. "She has what back?" he asked. "What she always should have," answered Merriman. "She has her memory back."
"Come back," yearned Jane. She reached out to the figure infront of her, which was moving away slowly. "I don't want to leave you," she said, her eyes watery. "Be proud of yourselves, as I am proud of you," said the figure. He wore a robe, light blue, with the hood over the man's head, shadowing most features of his face. The man's face was not fully shadowed, some features were still visible. He had a furry, grey moustache, which was on the verge of leaping over his crusty mouth. The man moved away from Jane, towering over the hills. He raised his arm, fingers out - wide. A wind shook her. She turned her head, seeing a familiar figure. A young boy, around Jane's age and height, yet his facial movements were showing something different, as if he were older inside than out. The man in the robe turned, split his fingers out, and walked away. Before Jane could see anything else, the man vanished into the hazy clouds.
The wind was stronger now, urging the group to sway, to and fro, not making any upper body movements. Jane's hair was now launching into the atmosphere. She could not move, her mind was not in authority, it was some other force, not able to summarise. Will called to them, though if the wind were not driving towards Jane, she would not have heard. "Follow me!" he clamoured. He pushed to the edge of the miniature plateau, and then she saw the other two figures that were with her. They were both male, and also, like Will, roughly the same age as her. "Barney! Simon! Hurry! You too Jane!" Although Jane was just beside him, Will made it look as though they were all behind apart from him. Suddenly, lightning struck them, so toilsome that the earth itself shrieked. It shuddered Jane from head to toe, which pounded at her vigorously. It hew at her. She howled, like no-one that anyone could ever have heard. It was a mix between a wolf and a mother giving birth. Will grasped his ears and fell to his knees. Jane's eyes quivered. She was knocked down, her head hit the floor first.
She woke up, sweat streaming off her face. Jane opened her eyes, seeing a blazing illumination. Four figures were leaning over her, silhouetted like shadows. As her eyesight focused, she saw two familiar figures, and two strange ones. The two that she recognised were her brothers, Barney and Simon, and there were the other two, who were very notorious. One was tall, the one who wore the robe who Jane beseeched to stay, and there was the other young one, the same age as Jane, brown hair and hazel eyes. "Jane, you're alright now, it was just a dream." The grey haired superior was leaning most now, when Jane realised that she was still in her gown. "Get up, Jane." He reached out his hand, and Jane clutched it, hauling herself off her bed. "Are you alright, Jane?" asked Simon. He patted her palm, sympathising with her. "Do you remember me, Jane?" The towering figure rose. "I am Merriman Lyon, or as you remember most - Great Uncle Merry." Jane looked down, as if trying to remember. "Great Uncle Merry." She held out her tongue, concentrating hard. "Great Uncle Merry." It was as though she was tasting the words. "Gumerry.....?" Merriman smiled. "Yes," he replied.
"You know me as Gummery, or Great Uncle Merry. I am one of many Old Ones, as is Will here." He raised his hand and pointed to Will. "Think back, I shall restore part of your memory." Jane looked at Merriman, then to Will. She looked up, down, left and right as her memory was restored. The first word that came out of her mouth surprised everyone, even herself. "Gummery." Merriman looked at her. She said it again, "Gummery." Her eyes fluttered once more, as in her dream. She fell to the ground, her legs flailing. "She has it back." Will glanced at Merriman, eyebrows sarcastically raised. "She has what back?" he asked. "What she always should have," answered Merriman. "She has her memory back."