The Fifth World

Bo: I sit at the window in the front lounge. While the Fifth World is almost always on my mind... something else in particular is at this very moment. A cup of tea rests in my hands, it is warm and comforting on this slightly warm yet slightly cold day. The joys of England. But who could forget those even better joys of England? No, I don't mean the cold and wet weather that seems to be present almost all year round... I don't mean the celebrities or the buildings or the scenery... I mean the people.

I feel my heart thump when I see a taxi pull up in front of the house. I carefully but quickly turn around and place my tea on the coffee table before jumping up and heading towards the door. I haven't moved this quickly since I was in the Fifth World. I open the front door and run outside towards the street. I watch the taxi's door open and out comes a red headed little boy.

"Bo!"

Adam smiles excitedly at me and jumps into my arms when I approach him. You have no idea how great it feels... to miss people so close to you, that you are used to being around with all the time... and to finally hold them in your arms. Or maybe you do know. It is like a breath of fresh air... a relief, a necessity has just returned to you and the world feels almost complete.

I gasp when I place him on the ground but I squat so I am still at his height, "Oh, Adam. You've grown!"

He laughs at me and he places a sweet kiss upon my cheek, "No, I haven't!"

I smile at him and I then look back at the taxi and stand up. There is that long and bright red hair... Mum slowly gets out of the taxi after paying the driver and she then pulls out the luggage. I stare at her and I see how her skin is a little bit darker as opposed to the porcelain white skin I see her with all of the time. She looks great. When her eyes meet mine I feel that same feeling again... the warmth of knowing that somebody so close to you is finally here. They are finally with you, they are finally home. She places her luggage onto the ground and stares at me, a look only a mother who has dearly missed her child would give. I feel the tears collect in my eyes and I hurry to her and wrap my arms around her.

The days go by and things are... relatively normal in an abnormal way. Still there is no news from the Fifth World. No letters, no phone calls, no appearances... nothing. Life just returns to the way it was before. It was as if I had never been to the Fifth World but it was not as if I had never met Cynric. Each day I spent with Jonathan and even everyone else... my heart would long for Cynric. I had realised, that after all of these years of knowing him, after having him come to me almost each night... I had never had any physical evidence of his existence. My mother has never met him. Adam has never met him. The only real people who have met Cynric are Jonathan, for a few very brief moments, and of course Derek Brown. I have no photos, nothing that has ever belonged to him... I have nothing to prove he actually exists.

I sit on my bed reading a novel that I have to read for school next year. I really don't have to read it now but I have so much spare time these days that I probably should. The days are getting colder as Christmas approaches. Sometimes it snows. I must admit that I am sick of white Christmas'. A Christmas in Australia, just like that time I had many years ago, would be fantastic... or even a Christmas in the Fifth World.

My eyes wander around the room and they land on the corner. I sigh, stand up and walk to the corner of the room where a pile of my clothes sit. I haven't even touched them since I stripped them off when I got back from the Fifth World. My fingers slowly touch the fabric of the pants and the shirt. There are holes in them, blood spattered here and there - I know for sure all of that blood isn't my own. I contemplate throwing them away, or even better, burning them but a part of me just can't bear that idea... any person could walk into my room and recognise those clothes as something only a murderer would wear, they would think I am a psycho, but when I look at them they represent what happened; what really happened. Knowing that those clothes are there reminds me that the truth exists. I sigh and pull the shirt away. My heart almost leaps out of my chest. How could I have been so stupid? Or forgetful? Sitting on top of my folded pants is the beautiful, ancient Angelican dagger that once belonged to Lucius. If anything, this most definitely proves the Fifth World exists. I wonder, as I take the dagger into my hands, how many of these are in the Average Human World at this very moment - if Angelicans are visiting their Average Humans to watch over or even if unclaimed daggers sit in museums and tell a story of how they were once part of some great war sometime throughout the ages, if they tell a lie, or even if they sit somewhere where no one else knows.

There is a knock at my bedroom door, I gasp instinctively and quickly wrap up the dagger in my clothes before throwing them into my cupboard. I run to the door and open it to see Mum standing there. She smiles at me.

"Sorry, were you getting changed?" she asks me.

I shake my head and smile at her, "No, I was just reading."

"Oh," she says, "well, I'm going to take Adam out for some late Christmas shopping. Would you like to come?"

I consider it and as much as I would love to go shopping with two of the most important people in my life... I still can't bear to go spend all of this money we have when I know that somewhere out there there could be a battle going on including other important people I care about.

I bite my lip, "Sorry, Mum, I'd love to but I really need to finish this novel."

She nods her head and smiles at me before kissing my forehead, "Okay, well, if you change your mind just catch the bus and meet us."

Oh, I think my own way would be much faster...

"Okay, I might see you later." I close the door and sigh as I lean back on it.

I return to my bed, pick up the book and continue reading but my eyes begin to wander again and they end up staring at my cupboard door. I get the wildest idea... this idea that is crazy and irrational and stupid... but I can't help the way I feel. I put my book down and I slowly walk towards the cupboard. My fingers reach for the door knob and my heart begins to pound. I am so stupid but what can I do? I need to see him.

I stop when I hear the front door bell ring. I sigh, so nervously, and silently tell myself how disappointed I am for being interrupted yet again. I run downstairs and answer the door. Had Mum and Adam forgotten something?

I am surprised by the person standing there but then again, I should not be all that surprised... after all, he is my boyfriend... my Average Human boyfriend.

"Jonathan," I smile, "hi."

"Are you really that surprised to see me?" he asks with a smile and comes inside.

He wraps his arms around me and I feel that feeling again... not that one that longs for Cynric, well of course there is that feeling there somewhere, but a warm and fuzzy feeling that also longs for Jonathan. After hugging me he pulls back and pecks my lips once.

"How are you?"

I smile at him, "I'm fine, how are you?"

"Great now."

I watch how he stares at me and I see that same look in his eyes that I used to always see in Cynric's. He genuinely cares about me. He genuinely likes me... if not more. How can I say no to that? How can I not let myself want Jonathan? Because I do... but at the same time I want someone more but I don't know if I will ever get that someone.

Jonathan's hand touches my cheek very gently, I stare at him and I smile as his lips inch closer to mine. He is so careful. He kisses me and it is perfect and wonderful... but when it is over I wrap my arms around him, close my eyes and I sigh.