The weather has gone weird. Is it a natural phenomenon or is something more sinister at work ? Fight and flight.
"Well, what have we here ?" asked one of the young men mockingly. "Two young love birds boys ?" The other youngsters laughed nastily. "Got anything for us kiddies ?" asked the leader of the gang.
"Like what ?" asked Dan uneasily. He counted heads. There were eight of them. He glanced across at Zoe, who nodded slightly at him. Yep, they could take these out pretty easily between the two of them. The wind picked up and blew Dan and Zoe's hair around. The gang of youths were all wearing hoodies. They smiled nastily at them.
"Your little girlfriend here. She's nice. I wouldn't mind a bit of her," said the gang leader, eyeing Zoe up and down. The others all laughed raucously and they started walking towards them. Dan and Zoe slipped off their school bags and dropped into defensive positions.
"Me right, you left," muttered Zoe. Dan nodded his agreement and they launched an attack at the gang. The first guy didn't know what hit him. Zoe launched a flying kick at his stomach and left him creased over on the ground. Dan swung punches to both sides, knocking back the gang leader and one of the others. The remaining five instantly dropped back.
"What the hell !" shouted one of the youths. "Where the hell did you learn to do that ?" he asked, disbelievingly.
"You'll never know," said Dan through gritted teeth.
"Get 'em lads," shouted the leader. The seven youths who were still on their feet charged at the two younger teens. As Zoe and Dan kicked and punched with their backs to one another, the wind started howling around them. A piece of tree branch whipped one of their attackers across the back, making him yelp. Soon they seemed to be at the centre of a whirlwind of leaves and punches. Zoe knocked out two of the gang. They were starting to pile up on the ground.
Dan was finding it harder to keep his balance. While he was on one leg, kicking out at the gang leader, who he had taken a particular dislike to, the wind caught him off balance and threw him to the ground. The gang leader staggered and then grinned, lifting his foot to stamp on Dan's outflung arm. Before he could make contact, another gust of wind knocked him over, cracking his head on the tarmac, and leaving him dazed on the ground. Dan struggled to his feet and walloped the next guy who came near. Only two of their attackers were now left on their feet, and they were struggling with the wind too.
"Come on. Grab your bag and let's make a run for it !" Dan shouted above the noise of the wind. He and Zoe picked up their bags, grabbed one another's hands and started running for the park exit. The wind was pulling them from side to side. Each gust thrust them to the right and as it died they staggered back to the left. They were clinging desperately to one another to keep upright. As they neared the exit there was a ferocious creaking and cracking noise and Zoe glanced across to see a large tree swinging dangerously towards them. "Dan !" she screamed, pulling back hard on his arm. They bother staggered backwards and Dan fell, with Zoe still pulling on his right arm. The tree crashed to the ground, the trunk just short of Dan's feet. He shot his legs back as fast as he could, scrabbling and twisting to get up and out of the way. A smaller branch broke off and slapped him across the back, narrowly missing Zoe's head. Her face was scratched by a few falling twigs. Fired with adrenalin and fear, they picked up their bags and raced round the tree and out of the park.
They both ran hand in hand all the way to Dan's house. Too shaken to find his keys, Dan rang the bell. His mother answered the door. "Oh Zoe, how nice to see you again. Oh, heavens ! What's happened to your face dear ?" she said, opening the door wider and waving them both inside. They both stepped inside. Dan was shaking. Zoe had blood trickling down her face. They wrapped their arms around one another and hugged tightly. Dan didn't notice his mother leaving to pick up the phone. "In the kitchen you two," she said. "I'll get the first aid things."
They did as she said and sat next to one another at the kitchen table, still holding hands. "Zo. You OK ?" whispered Dan.
"Yes," she whispered back.
Dan's Mum returned. "Take your jackets off," she told them quietly. They did as she asked. She cleaned off Zoe's face and gave her some clean dressings to hold against the scratches until the bleeding finally stopped. She was just starting to clean up Dan's face after pulling a couple of leaves out of his hair when the doorbell rang. Frank came into the kitchen. He pulled up a chair next to Zoe's and looked at them both. Dan was white and shaking. Frank turned instead to Zoe who now looked a lot calmer.
"What happened Zoe ?" he asked her quietly.
Zoe told him how they had taken a short cut through the park and met the gang of thugs. She explained how they fought them off and how the wind had picked up. When she got to the part about the tree nearly hitting them she stopped and closed her eyes. She could still smell the leaves and hear the cracking, crashing noise. Frank didn't push her and she told him about that as well. "One of the branches hit Dan on the back and I got scratched on the face," she said before stopping.
Frank looked at Dan's Mum. "Sit forward and let's have a look," said his Mum. She gently pulled up his jumper and shirt to get a look at his back. "Oh Dan !" she said, sounding upset. Frank looked, followed by Zoe who put a hand over her mouth. A livid red mark ran across Dan's back, just short of breaking the skin. Dan still didn't say anything. His eyes were unfocussed and he was still shivering.
"He's still in shock," said Frank. "Could we make them a bit more comfortable ?" he asked Dan's Mum.
"Why don't you two come and sit on the sofa and I'll make you both a hot chocolate ?" she said softly.
"Yes please. Come on Dan," said Zoe, taking his hand and leading him out of the kitchen. Dan followed her as if in a dream. They sat on the sofa together. Zoe kept talking softly to Dan until his Mum came with the drinks. Zoe sipped on the hot sweet liquid. It was wonderfully comforting. She smiled at Dan's Mum. "Thanks," she said. "Try a bit Dan," she said, putting down her cup and lifting his cup up to his lips. He breathed in the hot, sweet, chocolatey smell and his eyes seemed to focus suddenly. Then a tear ran down his face.
"I'm. I'm. Sorry," he finally stammered out.
"What for ?" asked Zoe.
"Sh, sh, shouldn't have gone through the p p park," he finally managed.
"Oh Dan ! Who was to know ?" said Zoe, laughing in relief as much as anything. She was now half laughing and half crying. Dan who was just crying wrapped his arms around her.
"Ow ! My back's really sore," he said finally, reaching round to touch his back. "Oh, thanks !" he said in surprise as his Mum pushed the cup of hot chocolate into his hands.
When Frank came back in he found the two teens drinking hot chocolate and Dan's Mum looking relieved. "I've spoken to our police liaison," Frank told them. "I've told them about the gang hanging out in the park and about the gale and falling trees."
"Is there a lot of damage ?" asked Zoe.
"Well, that's the odd thing," said Frank frowning. "The gale only occurred in a narrow band sweeping through the town, which took in the park. Nowhere else had any wind at all. There is enormous damage where the wind struck, but nowhere else."
Dan and Zoe stopped drinking to stare at him in disbelief. "How is that possible ?" asked Dan. He looked such an odd sight, with his white, tear stained face creased in a puzzled frown.
Frank smiled. "I have no idea. We'll get to work on it in the morning shall we ?" he asked. "You two need to get a good night's sleep first. You've got your field trip tomorrow. I've promised to take Zoe home, if you've finished your drink Zoe ?" he asked. She nodded. "I think a bit of Witch Hazel on that," said Frank, nodding towards Dan. Dan's Mum nodded.
"On what ?" asked Dan.
"Your back," said his Mum patiently.
After Zoe and Frank left, Dan's Mum took him up to the bathroom where she put some Witch Hazel on the rising bruise across his back as gently as she could. Dan winced throughout, but didn't complain.
"Go and sit down. I'll finish off your dinner," said his Mum.
"How did Frank get here ?" asked Dan finally.
"I phoned him. We have his number in case of emergencies," explained his Mum. "I couldn't call the police about that gang of young men could I ? In any case, you weren't in any condition to answer questions. Now do as you're told and go and sit down," she ordered him. Dan did as he was told.
Once the tension had completely left his body and he'd eaten a hot meal, Dan was exhausted. His back really hurt. His Mum made him show it to his Dad when he got in. There was much tutting, which almost made Dan laugh. He had surely had worse injuries than this. He took a couple of pain killers and went to bed earlier than usual. He twisted round in his parent's bedroom in an attempt to get a look at his back in the full length mirror. Ouch ! That didn't look pretty ! Sighing he pulled his pyjama top back down and went to throw himself into bed. Tomorrow would be another day and another mission.