Purple Smoke #1
(Yes it is long.)
It had been five days since I saw the man. He keeps appearing in my dreams, always just standing there staring at me. Then a flash of dark purple light comes and hits me.
I don't know why I'm in prison. My parents visited me today, they said that they didn't want to be 'with' me anymore so they're disowning me really.
I don't mind it here but it's lonely at times. I hate what they make me wear, dark blue overalls. At least they let me wear my own shoes, I couldn't live out with my leather converse with the little superman sign on the back of them...
A loud clatter from the door jolts me out of my thoughts,
"Morning Imogen" says the old man through the metal window.
"Did you get me the Yorkie bar?" I ask rushing up and looking out of my small square cell.
"Yeah, don't tell anyone though. Cost me a bit as well! How's you?" He says in a strong Somerset accent.
"What do you think? I'm stuck in a cell and get three bowls of porridge a day.... Everything's great!" I say sarcastically, the man chuckles and bends down sliding a silver bowl under the door, along with my Yorkie bar I requested.
"You'll be out sooner or later hun. Don't you worry" says the old man, he smiles making two large crinkles at his mouth appear. He hobbles away to the cell next to me. I pick up the bowl of grey mush and make my way back to the corner of the cell. .
I'm half way through my meal when I realise that someone is knocking on the sturdy metal door in front of me. I frown, place my bowl on the floor and walked over to it.
"Yes?" I ask shakily, I don't get many visitors so this is new, "who's there?" I whisper pulling my Yorkie bar out of my blue overall pocket; for defence of course.
I move back from the door because of no reply from opposite me. All of a sudden a burning pain at the pit of my stomach hits me. I double over holding my stomach like I'm about to throw up. I look down at the floor and spit onto it as I can start to taste the metallic taste of blood, when I know there's none there. Suddenly the pain stops sending a ripple of goosebumps over my pale skin. I look back up, panting, and jump at the sight of a large man. He's wearing a black velvet bowlers hat, black sunglasses and a perfect fitted purple velvet suit with a red tie.
"Who the hell are you?" I ask straightening up and inspecting his perfectly shaven face which has some craters in from smoking.
"Don't you worry about that my dear" he purrs in a velvet voice. I frown at him and move over to him. I look him up and down and look at the door which is still clearly locked.
"How did you get in?" I ask bluntly. He smiles slyly looking down slightly, I back away and shake my head slightly,
"Who are you!?" I ask shakily.
A cold gush comes from beside me and the man is standing there, with his lips almost touching my ear.
"I am the one that you fear, the one you dream of every night, the one that put you in here... I'm the one person that can help you. You could say I'm your biggest fear." He whispers stroking a strand of soft brown hair behind my ear, small ripples of fear fall down my spine.
"Wha- how?" I stammer fumbling away from him and into the wall.
"Don't you worry about that it will all come clear soon. Oh looks like you have a visitor. By the way... Only you can see me, so the guards watching up there-" he gestures towards the camera on the ceiling." Aren't going to let you out anytime soon" he laughs with a French accent. A loud clattering of keys from the door make me jump and scream slightly. I look to my side again and only see a small wisp of purple smoke; like the stuff magicians use to disappear.
"Hello Imogen" comes the voice of my cell guard. I shoot a glance at him my eyes watering with salty tears.
"You... You saw him right?" I stammer rushing to his side and grasping his arm. He looks down at me and frowns, I think his names Tom but I can't be sure. He walks me over to the little table in the corner of my room and closes the door behind him.
"What's wrong Imogen? Not like you to cry" he smiles kindly which settles me a little. I catch my breath and shudder,
"A man... There was a man in here, the one in my dreams" I stammer pointing at the door with a shaking finger,
"Well you have been crammed up in a cell for days... It does stuff to you" he says smoothly patting my arm,
"I'm not joking! He was right there!" I shout pointing towards the spot he vanished in. Tom looks at the floor then at me,
"Well if you say so. I've got a surprise for you." He smiles changing the subject completely. I better go along with it; he obviously doesn't believe me.
"What?" I mumble,
"You've got a roommate! It is meant to be quite strict about not having roommates for ones like you but I think it might do you some good" I frown at himand nod,
"Thanks." I mumble getting up and going over to lean against the hard concrete wall.
"Have a good time Imogen. See you later." Tom says walking over to the door, he leaves the cell and a tall boy about my age, 17, walks in. He's wearing a blue overall like me and looks slightly shell shocked. The door slams behind him making him jump.
"Hi" he smiles slightly walking over to me and holding out his hand. I stand up and nod at him raising my head a little.
"I'm Imogen." I say , it's actually quite nice to have some company for a change.
"I'm Jamie. Why are you in here?" He asks,
"I don't really know. My parents disown me now... Apparently I had drugs on me but I cant remember taking any." I shrug. I don't think I did anyway...
Jamie stares at me, he has emerald green eyes and thick black curly hair that hangs lazily over his eyes.
"Oh.... Can I ask you something?" He says after awhile.
"If it's about where to take a piss then don't." There's a short silence between us,
"You saw him didn't you? I can see it in your face. The man in the purple suit... You've been dreaming about him." I feel my heart beat faster. A cold rush of air sweeps past my shoulder, distantly I can hear the quiet French voice of the man in my ear. "Tell him." It whispers before disappearing as quick as appearing.
"Imogen?" Comes Jamie's Irish voice,
"I saw him him in the local park. He just stood there and stared at me, I couldn't look away even though it was like he was burning me inside out. I must of looked away for a second because then he was gone. Then all the wired stuff happened... He appeared in here before you came in. It was the same sensation when I first saw him, the burning feeling but it stopped and it felt like he... Was meant to be there..." I whisper, knowing that people are listening to our conversation. "Hold on... You saw him too?"
"Yeah. Same thing as you but at my house. I got kicked out of my house cus I hated my mum's new boyfriend. Moved into a flat and he was stood there watching me. Then all weird stuff happened."
"Like what?" I ask slightly excited that someone understands me.
"Well... I can control objects. I think that's what it is anyway." He mumbles,
"Really?" I smile impressed forgetting about the man.
"Yeah" he shrugs,
"Move this!" I pass him my Yorkie bar which he holds in his palm and stares at. A few seconds pass of him staring at my chocolate bar, a small jump from his hand brings me back to earth. I look at the Yorkie bar and notice that its vibrating slightly.
"That it?" I ask slightly disappointed. A little line appears between Jamie's eyebrows as he concentrates. All of a sudden the bar jumps off of his hand and hits me in the face, hard. I let out a little scream and throw it on the ground.
"Why'd you do that!?" I say angrily holding my hand on my eye which is throbbing.
"I didn't mean to. Sorry."
"Geez. Is it all puffy now?" I ask moving my hand away from my watering eye,
"Yeah. It's going down though"
"Good. Well I guess it's pretty cool. So what? You have like... Superpowers?" I ask,
"Wouldn't call it super. Pretty rubbish." He smiles sitting down with his back against the wall.
"It's not that bad. Looks like you just have to practice though. Wish I could do something like that... What if I can fly!?" I say excitedly. I bend my knees slightly and jump into the and landing quickly back down.
"Guess not." Laughs Jamie. I sit next to him and sigh.
"Why you here? You didn't say."
"Got into a knife fight... Stabbed the other guy." He says quietly. I swallow and move slightly away.
"Don't worry. It was by accident, I didn't want to kill him really."
"Great. So, what are we meant to do now."
"I dunno." There's a long silence until I get up and climb up the bunk beds to the top one.
"Well. Night then." I call
"Night, nice to meet you." Jamie replies.
I wake up yawning from a goods night sleep, I didn't have any bad dreams. I swing my legs over the bed and jump down.
"Hello Imogen" says the familiar French voice next to me. I turn slowly and look over at the large man stood, resting against a walking stick in the corner of the cell.
"What do you want?" I ask, not feeling the burning sensation.
"I came to chat. You my dear, are my new prize possession."
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"Come here. I have something for you" he says holding out his hand. I see a glimpse of silver by his thumb.
"What is it?" I ask moving slowly toward him.
"It's yours my dear." I take another step closer, curiosity getting the better of me.
"Imogen. Get away from him" says a voice behind me. I look around, Jamie's stood at the bottom of the bed with his top off and a pair of ripped jeans on. He holds his hand out to me and nods his head.
"Jamie my boy. I'm afraid me and Imogen here are talking. Just a second" smiles the man. I look back at the man and his hands open. He holds out a short necklace with a tiny glass bottle attached to it. It's filled with dark purple smoke which is floating around bug not disappearing.
"What is it?" I ask intrigued.
"Yours. Keep it around your neck at all times. You don't want to loose that." He grabs up my hand and opens my palm.
"Get your hands off her!" Shouts Jamie behind me.
"Do I look like I want to hurt her?" He replies smiling slightly. The necklace falls into my hand and the smoke starts to glow slightly.
"It's amazing... What's it for?" I ask holding it up to my eyes and inspecting it.
"Just a little present for you. It will keep you healthy."
"What's the point in that?" I ask.
"Imogen come here" says Jamie, I look back around and he's closer to me.
"I'm fine Jamie. He's not going to hurt me" I say frowning.
"It will heal you... Not that you really need that of course!" Laughs the man.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, haven't you realised?" He smiles,
"Realised what?"
"You my dear... Have powers. And Jamie of course. But you... You just make me smile. You are the perfect example. A mind no one else has, you are completely different to all of them. You are one of the most powerful people around!" He smiles. I look up and him and then back to Jamie who's pretty much right behind me.
"But... I can't do anything. Jamie's the one with the power."
"Powers actually. Jamie here can move objects of his choice which you already know but he also can... Turn invisible as you may say" he smiles nodding at Jamie.
"What do to you want here?" Says Jamie walking in front of me and measuring up to the suited man.
"I don't want anything. I'm here for my pure pleasure" he smiles down at Jamie. I stand next to Jamie and grasp the necklace in my hand.
"But what do we do? We're stuck in a cell... We can't go anywhere." I complain,
"Find a way out then" he smiles. Small fragments of purple smoke start to appear around him floating up onto the ceiling. He smiles and holds out his hand to me, I look at him and shake it. He pulls me forcefully in and puts his mouth to my ear,
"This may hurt a little" he whispers. A sharp pain comes from my stomach. I cough at the taste of blood deep in my throat. I look back up and he's gone.
"Imogen?" Says Jamie. I ignore him and look down at my stomach, in the middle of my overall is a large kitchen knife. It's sticking out of my skin with a tiny bit of blade showing. I turn around at Jamie and stare at him.
"He's killed me." I mumble. Jamie rushes forward and holds my shoulders firmly.
"Stay with me Imogen... You'll be fine ok?" He says. I nod and place my handle around the knife handle. I give a hard tug and pull the long blade out. I choke on air as I inhale heavily. I bring the knife up to my eyes, the blade is completely clean like it was brand new.
"I'm immortal."
