Just a dream

Chapter 10

You're a criminal

"I want an explination, and I want it now."

"Maybe in the moring, but -"

"Eddie!"

"Ok, ok. I'll tell you."

"Good."

I perched on the end of Eddie's bed, ready to hear everything he had to say. His room was a tip, and dirt covered all of the walls, but I didn't care, only wanting to know what was wrong with Jack.

"Jack 'as, problems."

"What kind of problems?"

"'E can, be a bit strange. We all get it, all of the GMD kids, I mean. But Jack's is off the scale compared to the rest of us. 'E gets a bit, disturbed."

"Well I could see that."

"No, really. Sometimes, I think 'e sees things that no one else sees, 'allucinations. 'is mind 'ad gone a little crazy. No one would be able to deal with it, from what I've 'eard. But it's what made 'im the guy 'e is. Before any of us developed this, well, thing, Jack was one of the most quiet of us all."

"Why do I find that hard to believe?"

"But 'e was. 'E never talked to anyone, always let people take advantage of 'im. But then this came along, and 'e became, 'e became violent. Not to the extent where people got seriousley 'urt, but to the point where people began to 'respect' 'im, if you can call that respect. Soon 'e was leadin' us all, no questions asked."

"And you all just accepted it?"

"What else could we do? Fight 'im? There's never anyone there to see it 'appen, but sometimes, when you come down in the middle of the night, you'll find the frozen body of soemone who 'e 'ad a fight with before. No one who's been through it remembers 'ow 'e does it, but no one dares argue with 'im any more."

"I know." Eddie looked at me, quite startled. Then his face turned to worry.

"If you know, then Jack'll be after you. It's what 'e does. I'm warning you, 'e'll be after you."

"Well, I'll try and stop him."

"No one can stop Jack. You'd be stupid to try."

"Or maybe brave." Eddie recoiled at this, seeming ashamed of his own cowardness. But I didn't blame him. he was stronger than the others for trying to get so close to Jack, to try and help him. I respected him for it, and I knew he would be someone I could trust. Then a thought hit me. How come Eddie didn't have magic? Why was it just Jack? Eddie had said that Jack had the same problem as all of them, just to a higher extent. Surely that must mean that Eddie had some magic.

"Eddie, don't you have, well, that glowing thing, in your hands? Doesn't it glow, or burst out at all?"

Eddie stood up abruptly. "'Ow do you know about that? Who told you?"

I jumped up, trying to keep him clam, not knowing if he would go as far as Jack. "Eddie, calm down. No one told me. I can't tell you how I found out, I don't think I have the right to say, but I'm not going to hold it against you. But can you tell me what it is?" Eddie seemed cautious for another moment or two, but soon settled down again, seeming to trust me.

"It's magic. I know it sounds stupid, but it's real magic, Ginger. Sometimes, when I get really angry, or sad, just emotional, my 'ands start to glow. It's a sort of, lilac colour, and I can't control it. I dunno 'ow it 'appens, it just does. Do you know what it is?"

"You're right, it is magic. Apart from that, I have no clue. But can't you do anything with it? Can't you control it at all?"

"Nah. I've tried, but I ain't strong enough. I 'ave to strain, see, and it doesn't work."