Tom's Story

Tom's Story

by Vanessa Veglio

My name's Tom and I'm 11 years old. Last month my mum, dad and I moved
to a village called Redmere, and this is my first day at school. My old
school in Worthing was a lot different to this; the girls and boys
would play around and the teachers would tell them off - especially me.
I was always getting into trouble for playing jokes on people and
winding up the teachers. But here thing's are different; they don't
seem normal.


For starters, all the children look the same. They have to
wear bogey-green uniforms with white shirts that are hard and itchy
(you have to buy them from the school shop in the village). At break
times, they don't play games, just stand in circles holding hands and
whispering amongst themselves. No one laughs. No one shouts. The
teachers don't mind this; in fact, they seem to enjoy not having to run
around, stopping fights and making sure the children don't get into
mischief. But I think it's weird.


No one spoke to me in the playground this morning, so I spent
most of my time walking round and round in circles, wishing I was at
home and playing on my Playstation 2. I miss my friends - if Daniel and
Josh were around, we would be playing football on the back field. Here
no one has a football.


Lunchtime is no different. Right now, I'm sitting on the wall
by the dustbins, trying to work out what I'm going to tell mum when I
get home. I don't like this school and want to leave. The time is ten
past one. In twenty minutes the bell will go for lessons, but unlike
before where breaks were never long enough, I'm not sure which I'd
prefer. If only there was someone to agree with me?


'Are you new?'


A girl is standing opposite me. She has frizzy orange hair
and her uniform is slightly lopsided at the hem. I notice that her
knees are grazed, and her shoes are dirty too.


She places her hands on her hips, 'Well are you?'



I nod.


'My name's Pan. What's yours?'


'Tom. I moved here last week.'


'Do you like it here?'


'I don't know yet.'


Pan grins and flicks her hair over her shoulder. It's long
and flying about in the wind. 'Take no notice of them,' she says,
shoving a thumb in the direction of the children, 'They're all
weird.'


My eyes widen. 'You've noticed too?'


'It's sort of hard not to, isn't it? Look at them, doing
their creepy chants in those freaky circles.' She whirls around,
mimicking the children. 'It's like a game,' she leans in close, 'but I
know what they're up to.'


My eyes widen even more, 'What?'


Pan winks and starts to skip away, 'I can't tell YOU!' She
giggles loudly, 'I've only just met you!' And she disappears into the
circles of children.


Something tells me to stay away, but I want to know why
things are so strange. I follow her into the children, catching
glimpses of her orange hair. The children's chants are getting louder
and make my head ache as I weave in and out of the circles. She's gone.
I look around, but the children don't notice me - they're stepping
round and around in their strange games.


'Tom?'


I turn to see Pan standing in front of me, a sideways grin on
her face.
'You followed me,' she coos, 'You're so sweet.'


'I want to know what's going on,' I say, 'Tell
me.'


'Ok,' she steps closer so a curl of her hair whips across my
face, 'Do you know the park with the rusty orange roundabout by Adams
Street?'


I do know it, but I've never been inside. Gangs of teenagers
hang around there at night, and the smell of alcohol in the morning is
horrible.


'Meet me there, and come alone,' she adds, 'I'll tell you
everything.'


I glance to the side. None of the children are looking at us,
which makes me feel uncomfortable. How can I tell if they were secretly
listening?


'Bye Tom,' Calls Pan and she dances away, just before the
bell rings and one by one, the children break hands and walk slowly
back to class.


*


'I don't want to live here anymore,' I say to my mum that
afternoon. I'm trying to eat my dinner - sausages and mashed potatoes -
but I'm not hungry and end up just playing with it. Mum is standing by
the kitchen sink, cutting the stems off some orange flowers; they
remind me of Pan's hair. She turns to look at me and I know her answer
before she's even begun.


'Don't be silly Tom,' she laughs, 'We've only just got
here.'


'But I don't like it. The kids are weird.'


'You'll make some new friends.'


'But they don't even look at me! It's as though I don't
exist!'


Mum's eyes narrow, 'I think you must be over reacting young
man.'


'I'm not!'


Mum turns back to the sink, and I can see her shaking her
head, 'I know you miss your old school and Josh and Daniel, but we
can't move back to Worthing. Your dad works here now.' And you couldn't
go back there anyway, I know she's thinking. Mum and dad hated that I
was always being called to the headmaster's office; they wanted me to
be perfect and get good grades and belong to the chess club.



Then again, I knew she wouldn't believe me - it was stupid to
bring it up. I miss Josh and Daniel - football practice, teasing the
girls in the playground, Saturday afternoons at Josh's house, where his
mum would make us the biggest chocolate cake I'd ever seen. If they'd
have been here, they would have believed me and we could have done
something about it. Now all I have is Pan and I still don't know
whether I can trust her.


'I'm going out,' I say, pushing my mashed potato island
across the table.


Mum walks over to me and raises an eyebrow. 'Where
to?'


'I'm meeting someone from school over by Adams
Street.'


'Oh good, you HAVE found a friend!'


'Maybe,' I reply, 'I'll be home before dark.'


'Make sure you are!' She calls after me as I dart out the
door. My heart's beating really fast as I make my way over to meet Pan.
I want to hear what she has to say about the children and their strange
chanting. Maybe they're bewitched, I think, or part of a cult where you
have to pray to the devil whenever you can. I'm so excited about
everything, I almost miss the turning into the park.


*


The roundabout is empty but spinning, as though someone was
on it only a second ago. I pull it to a stop and look around me - there
are thick trees surrounding the park, which block out the light from
the bright orange sun I saw on my way here. Litter is scattered on the
grass, and the seats of the swings are covered in graffiti. I perch on
a nearby bench and wait.


'What took you so long?'


It's Pan. She's still wearing her school uniform, but has a
pink jacket over the top which clashes with her hair.


She smiles, 'Follow me.'


'Wait!' I stop her from leaving, 'I don't know where we're
going yet.'


'Tom, I want to SHOW you something. Come on.'


She skips into the rows of trees and I follow, as if she has
a tractor beam on me. I want to know what's going on, even if it's
dangerous; things are so boring here I'm craving some
excitement.


Pan looks back at me once we're in the thicket. 'Now be
quiet.'


'Why?' I want to turn back - all this secrecy is really
annoying me.


'You'll see.'


It's getting darker and thicker amongst the trees. The only
noises I hear are the occasional twig breaking under our feet and the
birds twittering in the branches. Again, I wish Josh and Daniel were
here, as they would love this sneaking around. It's so dark now I can
hardly see, and Pan grabs my hand to guide me. Her palm is warm and
clammy and I think she's been in here before, the way she's leading me
so quickly.


Then I see a light up ahead. It's not bright like sunlight,
but dull and glowing. We creep closer. I can hear my heartbeat pounding
in my ears and blink a couple of times, to make sure I'm not dreaming,
and then suddenly we're standing on the edge of a clearing, and there,
in front of us, are the children - all of them I think - and they're in
one big circle, chanting and moving around, and there's a strange light
all around them, and something's wrong with their eyes. Their eyes are
white and glassy, like they're all blind!


I want to gasp, but Pan raises her finger to her lips. 'Don't
say anything,' she hisses.


'What's wrong with them, what are they
doing?'


'They're here every evening after school. If you listen
carefully you can hear what they're saying.'


I frown. 'What about their eyes?'


Pan is staring across to the side of the clearing, and I
can't see the expression on her face. 'Don't they look so perfect - so
neat and tidy?'


'We have to get out of here; I have to tell my
parents!'


'Tom no,' Pan says, still turned away from me, 'we can't tell
adults, they wouldn't believe us. Just listen to the
words.'


'I want to go home,' I find myself saying, and move
backwards.


'No!'


Pan's voice is loud and different somehow. I see that she's
grabbed my arm and I look up slowly.


Her eyes are white too; round, white and cloudy. 'You can't
leave Tom,' she says, 'Not now. We want you to be one of us.' I freeze,
and over the silence I can hear the droning words of the children,
coming to us over the breeze - we are perfect, thanks to
Pan.


*


I wake up in my bed and everything feels the same. I hear Dad
saying goodbye to mum on the stairs and a moment later, the door slams
shut. So they didn't get me after all, did they? I must have escaped,
but I don't remember how. With a yawn and a stretch I crawl out of bed.



'Tom!' I hear mum shout, 'You'll be late for
school!'


I pull on my school uniform, trying to remember what happened
last night. Pan lead me into the clearing, we saw the children, they
were chanting, she turned to me and -


'Tom!'


'Coming,' I cry and wander downstairs.


Mum is making toast and coffee in the kitchen. I pour out
some cereal that tinkles into a bowl. There was something wrong with
Pan, but I escaped, because I'm here now, not remembering any of it and
yet feeling strangely free, as though I've got out of PE for the
afternoon or something.


The doorbell goes as I'm wondering what happened to Pan. Did
they get to her? Is she one of them?


'Tom,' my mother says, 'There's someone at the door for
you.'


Cautiously, I walk across the room, my mouth dry at the
thought of who it could be. If it's the children, or Pan, I'll get
ready to run; I'll call out to mum and she'll get rid of them. I don't
want to be alone with them.


But when I get to the door, the children are there and I
can't move.


'Hi Tom.' Their voices are monotone and creepy, but for some
reason it doesn't freak me out. There are three children standing in
front of me, all in their uniforms and smiling
expectantly.


'Hello,' I find myself saying. Suddenly it's as if I can't
control my body anymore - why did I say that?


'Are you coming to school?'


'Yes, I'll just get my bag.' I'm scared - I should be running
away now.


'We had fun last night,' they continue, 'we're so glad you're
our friend.'


'So am I,' I answer, even though I don't remember. My mum is
behind me; she hands me my school bag. What's happening to
me?


'Be good, sweetheart,' she says, and it feels as though I'm
in a dream. I can't see my mother's face, just the children. I don't
want to be with you, I'm thinking, but I can't get the words
out.


'We'll make sure he doesn't get into any trouble,' says
another voice, and Pan emerges from behind the three children. She
looks at me briefly, then up to my mother. 'Can Tom come out to play
after school today?'


I don't want my mother to say yes, but she does. I'm
surprised as she would usually give me a hard time.


Pan turns back to me and smiles, and I follow the children
down the pathway, silently and in a row. As we begin our walk to
school, she falls back and keeps pace with me. I can feel her eyes
resting on my face. 'Don't try to fight it,' she says, 'It's easier
that way. Eventually you'll forget that it's anything different and
that all of this is? normal.'


I turn to look at her. Her orange hair is pulled back into a
ponytail and she's wearing glasses. She looks different; less wild, as
though she's changed her look for someone else. Then she turns and our
eyes meet; I see my reflection in the glasses and reel back with shock.
What's happened to me? My hair is neat and my tie is on straight?



'What have you done to me?' My voice sounds tight and
strangled.


'We've made you what every adult wants,' she replies, 'the
perfect child.' For a moment her eyes flash, and she doesn't seem that
child-like anymore. I'm caught up in her stare and everything feels
fuzzy, like I'm half asleep. I look around, and see orange everywhere -
orange cars, orange doors on the houses, orange dresses on women
walking down the street. And now I realise that Redmere is her town;
she's bewitched everyone.


Pan grins widely, 'Your mum and dad are going to be so proud.
Life will be so much better for EVERYONE now.' She hands me something
and giggles. It's a chess piece - a shiny, black pawn. 'Maybe you
should hand it back to chess club this afternoon; I hear they're
looking for new members, Tom.'


I slip it into my pocket and smile back, thinking that deep
down, being perfect isn't such a bad idea after all.


THE END