" Before it gets too frightening, we ought to call a halt…" he sang gently
as he started to walk towards her, " So could we start again please…?"
" So could we start again please…?" 'Jochebed' replied.
" So could we start again please…?" Their voices sang together as he found himself stood behind her.
" So we could start…" she started as Guillaume held his breath and started to bring the branch towards her head.
* * * * * * * *
Guillaume closed his eyes tightly as he swung the branch at the back of her head.
" I'm sorry…" he muttered as he waited to hear the sound of it hitting and Jo falling to the floor. But as he swung it there was no noise. Other than the sound of the branch swishing through the air, the glade was silent. There had been no connection. He had missed. He opened his eyes instantly and gasped. She was stood a few feet away staring at him with anger blazing in her eyes.
" What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she fumed, her green eyes almost ablaze with rage.
" You don't under…I mean…" This was the last thing Guillaume had expected, he let the branch slip through his fingers onto the floor as she marched up to him.
" What were you trying to do? Rob me or just kill me?!" she shoved his shoulder. Guillaume shrugged and frowned.
" Look…you wouldn't believe me even if I told you…"
" Oh really…?!" she put her head on one side and a hand on her hip. Guillaume sighed as he watched her displaying such familiar behaviour.
" If only you knew…"
" Well as everyone knows I don't know much of anything do I?!" she said pointedly.
" …Jo…I…" Guillaume started before he realised what he was saying.
" Wh-what did you call me…?" she asked quietly. Guillaume looked at the floor trying to avoid her gaze.
" Jo…I called you Jo…" he muttered.
" But…how…I mean…that name. It sounds so familiar…why?" her eyes caught his for a moment, green pleading with brown. " You…you were in the square…" she continued thoughtfully. Guillaume nodded slowly, a spark of hope appearing in his eyes. " You…it was you that was singing just now…wasn't it?" He nodded once more and she looked into his eyes; searching for something. " Who are you…?" she asked, a softness entering her eyes. Guillaume frowned as the voices of the others entered his mind.
" I…I cannot tell you…" he said sadly.
" But you know who I am…that name…Jo…you shouted it earlier…you know who I am don't you…" her voice was growing steadily brighter as his face grew darker. To simply tell her was not an option.
" I cannot tell you…" he repeated painfully and a frown grew on her brow.
" Can't? Or won't…?" bitterness edged her voice.
" Jo please…" began Guillaume.
" Stop calling me that!" she yelled. " You won't tell me who I am so just stop…"
" Please…listen to me…" Guillaume reached out to take her hand. She snatched it away.
" What?! You almost killed me and now you want me to listen to you?" she scoffed. " I don't think so!" she turned to leave but he caught her arm and span her around to face him once more. " Hey…"
" I don't want to hurt you…" he started, his dark eyes looking deeply into hers.
" Well what do you want…?" she asked, her voice still bold but he could see fear creeping into her eyes.
" I…well…I…" he stammered. He could hardly reveal what his true intention was, to hit her around the head in an attempt to retrieve her memory. 'Jochebed' tried to shake her arm out of his grip.
" Let go…" she almost snarled, a defensive look covering her face. His grip tightened instinctively as he felt her struggling.
" No…you're not making this any easier…" he said in an almost exasperated tone. Nevertheless 'Jochebed' didn't want to make whatever it was any easier and so she swung out with her free arm and clipped him around the head. He let go of her arm instantly and groaned. " What the…?" But 'Jochebed' wasn't staying around any longer and had already made a dash for the entrance to the glade. Guillaume launched himself at her, knocking her off balance and causing her to land in a bush. Various expletives emanated from the branches and leaves as she tried to stand up and separate herself from the shrubbery.
" Why can't you just let me go!" she said angrily, brushing leaves from her trousers.
" Because…" Guillaume panicked. " You can't!"
" Now there's a well voiced reason…" she mocked.
" Hey!" Guillaume pouted. " Just listen to me and then you can go…" 'Jochebed' narrowed her eyes as she pondered his suggestion.
" Sounds tempting…but coming from a guy would just swung a branch at my head…I'd have to say tempting…but no!" Guillaume groaned and picked up his branch from the ground and started to walk towards her.
" I don't want to do this…but you leave me no choice…" he said as emotionlessly as he could. The colour started to fade in her face as she realised there was nowhere for her to go. The only entrance to the glade was now behind him. 'Jochebed' grabbed at a large branch on the ground and held it in front of her.
" I think this makes things a little fairer don't you!" she launched herself at him, trying to hit him and avoid his blows. Every time he tried to get to her head, she struck his blow aside. Guillaume had to admit, she was very good.
" You fight almost as well as a man…" he laughed.
" That's funny…I was going to say the same thing about you!" she grinned, aiming another blow to his head. He ducked and she missed. He tutted as he stood up once more.
" That's aiming a little below the belt don't you think?" he said an eyebrow raised.
" No…" she smiled sweetly. " This is…" she swung the branch towards his groin and he leapt back out of harms way. He frowned. This was definitely no where near as easy as the others had said it would be.
" We're not getting very far with this…" he said, swinging his branch near to her head.
" Oh I think I am!" she laughed, " This way I'm still conscious!" her branch narrowly missed his eye and he grumbled under his breath.
" I know!" he spat. " Sorry Jo…I love you but I have to do this…" he took a deep breath and threw his branch at her head. She leapt to the side to miss it and started to grin as it sailed passed her. But she had lost her balance and was starting to fall. The branch in her hands fell as she tried to keep upright. She stumbled as she tried to stand up and caught her foot in a tree root. Her eyes glanced at him as she fell. Guillaume watched open mouthed as 'Jochebed' fell to the floor, striking her head on a rock as she did so. " Jo…!" he called out dashing to her side. He knelt next to her, lowering his head over hers to try and hear her breath. He could hear nothing and tears pricked the backs of his eyes as he looked at her face. " Oh God no…" he mumbled as he gently shook her shoulder. " Jo…please…it's me…" She lay motionless on the ground and a lump appeared in Guillaume's throat. " I'm sorry…" he cried, tears starting to form and fall freely from his eyes. He laid his head on her chest as he wept. " Oh god what have I done…."
" What are you worrying about now…?" Came a quiet voice. Guillaume's head snapped up and he looked around him.
" Who…?" he frowned.
" Guillaume…It's me…you daft thing!" a familiar voice said gently. He turned back to Jo and fresh tears sprung from his eyes as her green eyes met his. " What on earth is the matter…?" she said in a breathy voice.
" Oh Jo…" Guillaume's face broke into a broad smile as he stroked her face carefully.
" What happened…?" she frowned, " I remember coming through the gyratory…there were guards…and then…nothing…" the frown deepened for a second as she thought, " Where…where are the others? Are they ok? Where's Rosie and…?" Guillaume laid a finger on her lips, trying to blink the tears away from his own eyes.
" They're fine. We lost you for a little while…" he said in a trembling voice.
" Well…I'm back now…" she sighed, smiling gently. He lowered his head over hers and kissed her lips softly.
" So where are we…? And why does my head hurt?" she said quietly.
" Can you not remember…?" Guillaume asked gently. She closed her eyes for a second and then looked at him with eyes full of wonder and excitement.
" I dreamt…at least I think it was a dream…I dreamt I met Jesus…and Judas…" she watched as a knowing smile crossed his face. " It's true isn't it. We're here…"
" This is Jerusalem. We've landed in 'Jesus Christ Superstar'." Guillaume answered smiling. Jo opened her mouth to continue but she stopped.
" Guillaume…I…" A confused expression covered her face as she frowned, " …my head…it hurts…why…?" Her eyes slipped shut. He gently put his hand behind her head and felt something warm and sticky on the rock. Pulling his hand back he saw it was red. She was bleeding. He took her hand in his as her eyes flickered open.
" Guillaume…I…Jesus…he…he can help…" her eyes grew dimmer and closed gently.
He scooped her up into his arms, kissing her hair as worry filled his mind.
" I think it's about time we found out how real this whole thing really is…" he said bitterly as he carried her through the garden and towards Jesus and the others.
" So could we start again please…?" 'Jochebed' replied.
" So could we start again please…?" Their voices sang together as he found himself stood behind her.
" So we could start…" she started as Guillaume held his breath and started to bring the branch towards her head.
* * * * * * * *
Guillaume closed his eyes tightly as he swung the branch at the back of her head.
" I'm sorry…" he muttered as he waited to hear the sound of it hitting and Jo falling to the floor. But as he swung it there was no noise. Other than the sound of the branch swishing through the air, the glade was silent. There had been no connection. He had missed. He opened his eyes instantly and gasped. She was stood a few feet away staring at him with anger blazing in her eyes.
" What the hell do you think you're doing?!" she fumed, her green eyes almost ablaze with rage.
" You don't under…I mean…" This was the last thing Guillaume had expected, he let the branch slip through his fingers onto the floor as she marched up to him.
" What were you trying to do? Rob me or just kill me?!" she shoved his shoulder. Guillaume shrugged and frowned.
" Look…you wouldn't believe me even if I told you…"
" Oh really…?!" she put her head on one side and a hand on her hip. Guillaume sighed as he watched her displaying such familiar behaviour.
" If only you knew…"
" Well as everyone knows I don't know much of anything do I?!" she said pointedly.
" …Jo…I…" Guillaume started before he realised what he was saying.
" Wh-what did you call me…?" she asked quietly. Guillaume looked at the floor trying to avoid her gaze.
" Jo…I called you Jo…" he muttered.
" But…how…I mean…that name. It sounds so familiar…why?" her eyes caught his for a moment, green pleading with brown. " You…you were in the square…" she continued thoughtfully. Guillaume nodded slowly, a spark of hope appearing in his eyes. " You…it was you that was singing just now…wasn't it?" He nodded once more and she looked into his eyes; searching for something. " Who are you…?" she asked, a softness entering her eyes. Guillaume frowned as the voices of the others entered his mind.
" I…I cannot tell you…" he said sadly.
" But you know who I am…that name…Jo…you shouted it earlier…you know who I am don't you…" her voice was growing steadily brighter as his face grew darker. To simply tell her was not an option.
" I cannot tell you…" he repeated painfully and a frown grew on her brow.
" Can't? Or won't…?" bitterness edged her voice.
" Jo please…" began Guillaume.
" Stop calling me that!" she yelled. " You won't tell me who I am so just stop…"
" Please…listen to me…" Guillaume reached out to take her hand. She snatched it away.
" What?! You almost killed me and now you want me to listen to you?" she scoffed. " I don't think so!" she turned to leave but he caught her arm and span her around to face him once more. " Hey…"
" I don't want to hurt you…" he started, his dark eyes looking deeply into hers.
" Well what do you want…?" she asked, her voice still bold but he could see fear creeping into her eyes.
" I…well…I…" he stammered. He could hardly reveal what his true intention was, to hit her around the head in an attempt to retrieve her memory. 'Jochebed' tried to shake her arm out of his grip.
" Let go…" she almost snarled, a defensive look covering her face. His grip tightened instinctively as he felt her struggling.
" No…you're not making this any easier…" he said in an almost exasperated tone. Nevertheless 'Jochebed' didn't want to make whatever it was any easier and so she swung out with her free arm and clipped him around the head. He let go of her arm instantly and groaned. " What the…?" But 'Jochebed' wasn't staying around any longer and had already made a dash for the entrance to the glade. Guillaume launched himself at her, knocking her off balance and causing her to land in a bush. Various expletives emanated from the branches and leaves as she tried to stand up and separate herself from the shrubbery.
" Why can't you just let me go!" she said angrily, brushing leaves from her trousers.
" Because…" Guillaume panicked. " You can't!"
" Now there's a well voiced reason…" she mocked.
" Hey!" Guillaume pouted. " Just listen to me and then you can go…" 'Jochebed' narrowed her eyes as she pondered his suggestion.
" Sounds tempting…but coming from a guy would just swung a branch at my head…I'd have to say tempting…but no!" Guillaume groaned and picked up his branch from the ground and started to walk towards her.
" I don't want to do this…but you leave me no choice…" he said as emotionlessly as he could. The colour started to fade in her face as she realised there was nowhere for her to go. The only entrance to the glade was now behind him. 'Jochebed' grabbed at a large branch on the ground and held it in front of her.
" I think this makes things a little fairer don't you!" she launched herself at him, trying to hit him and avoid his blows. Every time he tried to get to her head, she struck his blow aside. Guillaume had to admit, she was very good.
" You fight almost as well as a man…" he laughed.
" That's funny…I was going to say the same thing about you!" she grinned, aiming another blow to his head. He ducked and she missed. He tutted as he stood up once more.
" That's aiming a little below the belt don't you think?" he said an eyebrow raised.
" No…" she smiled sweetly. " This is…" she swung the branch towards his groin and he leapt back out of harms way. He frowned. This was definitely no where near as easy as the others had said it would be.
" We're not getting very far with this…" he said, swinging his branch near to her head.
" Oh I think I am!" she laughed, " This way I'm still conscious!" her branch narrowly missed his eye and he grumbled under his breath.
" I know!" he spat. " Sorry Jo…I love you but I have to do this…" he took a deep breath and threw his branch at her head. She leapt to the side to miss it and started to grin as it sailed passed her. But she had lost her balance and was starting to fall. The branch in her hands fell as she tried to keep upright. She stumbled as she tried to stand up and caught her foot in a tree root. Her eyes glanced at him as she fell. Guillaume watched open mouthed as 'Jochebed' fell to the floor, striking her head on a rock as she did so. " Jo…!" he called out dashing to her side. He knelt next to her, lowering his head over hers to try and hear her breath. He could hear nothing and tears pricked the backs of his eyes as he looked at her face. " Oh God no…" he mumbled as he gently shook her shoulder. " Jo…please…it's me…" She lay motionless on the ground and a lump appeared in Guillaume's throat. " I'm sorry…" he cried, tears starting to form and fall freely from his eyes. He laid his head on her chest as he wept. " Oh god what have I done…."
" What are you worrying about now…?" Came a quiet voice. Guillaume's head snapped up and he looked around him.
" Who…?" he frowned.
" Guillaume…It's me…you daft thing!" a familiar voice said gently. He turned back to Jo and fresh tears sprung from his eyes as her green eyes met his. " What on earth is the matter…?" she said in a breathy voice.
" Oh Jo…" Guillaume's face broke into a broad smile as he stroked her face carefully.
" What happened…?" she frowned, " I remember coming through the gyratory…there were guards…and then…nothing…" the frown deepened for a second as she thought, " Where…where are the others? Are they ok? Where's Rosie and…?" Guillaume laid a finger on her lips, trying to blink the tears away from his own eyes.
" They're fine. We lost you for a little while…" he said in a trembling voice.
" Well…I'm back now…" she sighed, smiling gently. He lowered his head over hers and kissed her lips softly.
" So where are we…? And why does my head hurt?" she said quietly.
" Can you not remember…?" Guillaume asked gently. She closed her eyes for a second and then looked at him with eyes full of wonder and excitement.
" I dreamt…at least I think it was a dream…I dreamt I met Jesus…and Judas…" she watched as a knowing smile crossed his face. " It's true isn't it. We're here…"
" This is Jerusalem. We've landed in 'Jesus Christ Superstar'." Guillaume answered smiling. Jo opened her mouth to continue but she stopped.
" Guillaume…I…" A confused expression covered her face as she frowned, " …my head…it hurts…why…?" Her eyes slipped shut. He gently put his hand behind her head and felt something warm and sticky on the rock. Pulling his hand back he saw it was red. She was bleeding. He took her hand in his as her eyes flickered open.
" Guillaume…I…Jesus…he…he can help…" her eyes grew dimmer and closed gently.
He scooped her up into his arms, kissing her hair as worry filled his mind.
" I think it's about time we found out how real this whole thing really is…" he said bitterly as he carried her through the garden and towards Jesus and the others.