The Fifth World

Bo: I sigh as I wake up to the morning light... white light comes through my open window and the cool sends shivers down my spine. I instinctively close my eyes and pull my blankets over my head. It is too cold.

Too cold? I sit up immediately. Open window? My eyes quickly shoot towards the other side of the room. I stare at the armchair and who, right now, is sitting in it. I grin as widely as I can and I jump out from the covers and run across the room and into Cynric's lap.

"You're here!" I say after kissing him.

"I told you I would be," he says and smiles at me, "Merry Christmas."

I gasp. I had almost forgotten. It is Christmas. A day that is worshiped by children all over the world and for once in my life, I am not excited for it. I honestly couldn't care less about it. It has been a while since Christmas has felt normal.

"Happy Christmas to you too! Are you going to stay today? I can make something up. I'm sure Mum would be happy to have you."

I want him to be here.

He smiles and he very gently touches my bottom lip with his thumb, "okay. However, I will have to climb out your window, again. I do not think Theresa would appreciate having me come out of your bedroom."

I laugh and I press my lips to his, just a quick peck. After, I kiss him again as he climbs out my window and then I quickly change out of my pajama's and into some fresh clothes. I run downstairs, greet my brother and my mother, wish them a Merry Christmas and I eagerly await for the doorbell to ring.

It doesn't.

I sit at the kitchen table eating my breakfast beside Adam. He is whining about wanting to open his presents that sit under the Christmas tree. There are plenty. I am surprised Mum has actually gotten them done - purchased them, I mean. I would have thought that she'd be too upset to do it this year. I guess Australia really did do her good. I sigh as my spoon sits in the bowl of cereal... I stir it but I don't actually eat it.

"Sweetheart," Mum says in a kind and motherly voice, "are you alright?"

"Fine."

"I want to open the presents!" I hear Adam whine.

"When you finish your breakfast," Mum says to him but I barely hear her.

I am so tempted to run to the front door. I almost do but the doorbell rings anyway... finally. I let out a relieved breath and I stand up quickly and run as fast as I can.

"Are you expecting Jonathan?" I hear Mum ask.

I realise that I am all too eager to answer the door. I also realise that I do have a boyfriend... a boyfriend who I was meant to call last night but clearly... I did not. I slow my pace and begin to walk to the door, I open it and there is Cynric, still looking youthful and perfect. I smile at him.

"Oh," I say loudly, "Cynric, I almost forgot I invited you here today."

Mum pops her head into the room from the kitchen. She smiles when she recognises Cynric and she hurries over to let him in.

"Mum," I say, "Cynric's parents are working today and I said he could probably spend Christmas with us, we wouldn't want him being alone today would we?"

I see how Mum's forehead wrinkles a little, she is surprised by this and I immediately feel a little regretful about just assuming we could have Cynric over... but honestly, it would mean the world to have him here today. Mum smiles, a little nervously, I can tell she would be very embarrassed to say 'no' to Cynric. I have put her on the spot and because of that she knows that she has to say 'yes'.

She smiles, "Of course he can."

I feel myself smile and I stare at Cynric with adoration in my eyes. He walks into the house in another normal looking outfit. I watch as he shrugs out of his coat and puts it on the coat hanger before kicking off his shoes and placing them beside some of our own. I smile. It is as if he is already at home.

"Bo," he says my name a little loudly, "where is the bathroom?"

I turn to him and tell him it is just upstairs and the third door on the right but he doesn't move. He takes my hand, a little urgently, and looks into my eyes.

"Bo, please show me where the bathroom is."

I raise an eyebrow and I quickly hurry upstairs with Cynric behind me. I can almost taste the curiosity in the air... I am sure Mum is wondering exactly what I am doing with Cynric and why he is around all of a sudden. Of course, this is looking quite suspicious as well... the second Cynric comes into the house I am already hurrying upstairs with him. Great, Mum probably thinks I am a slag.

Cynric hurries in front of me and heads straight to my bedroom, pulls me inside and closes the door. He walks back and forth for a little while as if he is deep in thought.

"What is it?" I ask him. "What's going on?"

He looks up at me, his eyes a little hard, "I took so long to go to the front door because there was someone outside."

"What?"

"I've never seen them before, Bo, but I know... just by looking at them that they don't belong. It wasn't an Average Human, Bo."

"Well," I say quickly, "what did they look like? Was it a man or a woman? Was it a Thorne? A Justice Agent? They couldn't have found you. It is too soon!"

I am panicking. I can feel the tears collecting in my eyes. My heart begins to pound. No. This can't be happening. I almost run to the door not because of Cynric but because of my family... they can't be here. If something is about to happen they can't be here! Maybe Cynric and I are done for but I can still save Adam and Theresa. Cynric quickly blocks me from leaving the room, he stands in front of the door and places his hands on my shoulders.

"Bo, stop it, calm down!" he yells at me.

Tears begin to fall from my eyes, "I have to get them out of here, Cynric!"

"Stop it!" he yells at me again. "Just listen to me, it was a man, he was dressed in a dark grey suit and he had a hat on so I couldn't see his face. He was just looking up at the house from the other side of the road. When I saw him, he saw me and hurried away... I don't know if he is dangerous but I am sure if there was some reason he had to be here, something to do with us breaking the law... he would be in here by now and he wouldn't be alone."

I let out a deep breath as Cynric's hands try to wipe the tears. He is trying to calm me. He is probably right, at least, I hope he is. My breathing slows but the tears keep rolling down my face. He pulls me into his arms and lets me cry for a while until we both hear Mum call from downstairs to let us know that Adam is about to start opening the presents.

I collect myself and make sure that my eyes don't look red or anything. Cynric and I hurry downstairs and during that hour when Adam, Mum, Cynric and I sit around the Christmas tree I cannot feel happier... these few moments we have together, they are just happy. There is nothing about the Fifth World that worries me, at least, not right now. These moments are perfect. They are happy. There are laughs, grins and jokes... there is a warmth in the room that I am deeply in love with... a warmth that just feels like family. Adam hands out presents that don't belong to him as they have other peoples names on them. Most of the presents under the tree are his anyway. I don't mind. I'm getting a bit old for Christmas now anyway.

As the day proceeds Cynric, Mum and I are stuck in the kitchen preparing our Christmas feast. Every now and then Adam would invite Cynric to play with him and together they'd sit in in the lounge mucking around with Adam's new toys.

"Adam is very fond of Cynric," Mum says as she cuts up some vegetables, "it's funny, your brother can be quite reserved around new people. I noticed that especially in Australia but he seems to really like Cynric."

I smile as I look out into the lounge at the two... boys. I laugh when Adam begins to giggle.

"Sweetie," Mum says quietly to me, "I know it isn't any of my business... but what are you doing with him?"

I hesitate to look back at her but I do, "he's my friend, Mum."

"Don't lie to me, Bo. I see the way you look at him and I see the way he looks at you. I wouldn't be mucking around like this, Bo, if you don't want to hurt Jonathan, then fine, but don't string him along."

I don't say a word. I just stand there cutting up vegetables for the salad. I can't bear to look at Mum again. I feel regret to almost think this, though, that Jonathan is the least of my issues... there are so many more to worry about. I sigh and hear the doorbell ring only to fear that it is Jonathan waiting for me. What a coincidence that would be. Mum stops what she is doing and heads through the house towards the front door. I look back into the lounge at Cynric. He is perfect and imperfect at the same time. He is charming, intelligent, beautiful, protective, at times a little overprotective, can be quite condescending, knows more secrets than anyone on the planet and is at times very difficult to understand. I sigh. Life is complicated enough. I should not be worrying over Cynric and Jonathan, at least, not yet. My attention is taken when I hear bickering voices from the front door. An extremely loud sound rocks the ground and a shining light blasts. My eyes narrow and I see Mum's body fly back from the front door like a rag doll.

"Mum!" I scream.