The Lie (The Seekers Book 2)

  THE LIE

  The book they don’t want you to read.

  L.R.Clarke

  Published in 2017 by FeedARead.com Publishing

  Copyright © The author as named on the book cover.

  The author or authors assert their moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author or authors of this work.

  All Rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the copyright holder, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

  For all the mighty warriors.

  Imagine a world where two opposing forces are constantly engaged in conflict.

  Imagine a world where each individual is expected to choose a side.

  Imagine a world where that decision affects you forever and follows you remorselessly.

  Imagine a world where you are manipulated and continually deceived.

  Imagine a world where most of the people in it don’t even know they have made such a decision...

  ...such is your world.

  Chapter 1

  M illie had never killed anybody before but the Doorkeeper was not going to let her go and she had only twenty four hours to save her brother’s life. She studied her adversary. How hard could it be? He was pencil thin and hunched over his keyboard like a modern day Uriah Heep. His soft hands click-clicked with the delicate touch of a concert pianist and sporadically he would flex his fingers to some unheard melody before despatching another soul. His concentration was immense. Millie had been watching him for far too long, however, and her time was running out.

  Totally focussed on his task, his mean features reflected in the gentle blue light, he completely ignored her now. The rimless spectacles seemed to flash in triumph at the conclusion of each undertaking and then the composition would begin again.

  She was glad he had finally stopped talking to her, his self-satisfied and nasal whine nauseated her. It reminded her of her chemistry teacher and Millie hated chemistry. Pity they don’t teach you really useful stuff... like how to escape from the local psychopath.

  The clock was ticking. Millie scanned her surroundings again. Books everywhere, a vast and beautiful library, but what did it really contain?

  He stopped typing. Millie held her breath. This was it; she had to do something now before he left the work station. Glorious crimson light shone down on her, the high vaulted glass ceiling seemed to writhe with every passing red cloud. If it was weird in here, then out there was really bizarre!

  “You are not seeking this time, you are finding.” The words continued to spin in her mind, but the meaning still eluded her. The silence was deafening as she crept out from her hiding place and edged to the nearest row of bookcases. She would do it. She would eliminate him.

  Twelve hours earlier.

  M illie was finished with pretending that life didn’t hurt. It did. She had always been different somehow, never really fitting in with any of the usual cliques, but her few close friends were a lifeline. The “popular” ones always eyed her with suspicion anyway, like she was contagious or something. Millie had flirted with the idea of trying to fit in, of course she had, but it was exhausting. What was the point in trying to be like everybody else anyway?

  Her life was very ordinary really, but change was imminent. Crouching in the shadows, it waited patiently, for it was a day that had started like many others, but it wasn’t going to end like that.

  Millie scowled at the overflowing linen basket at her feet, she didn’t mind helping her mum out, but she had to time this to perfection, as nothing was going to get in the way of her run this afternoon. She needed her space. Throwing the whites in the machine and slamming the door, Millie set the wash cycle and turned to leave. Stepping over an untidy heap of jeans and t-shirts still waiting on the floor, she caught sight of her reflection in the glass door. It looked back at her and seemed to taunt her. Well look at you, Miss Domesticated.

  Millie trudged upstairs and flopped on her bed, leaving her door open for a quick exit; she knew all her own delaying tactics, but she could still enjoy putting off the inevitable. Her iPhone wasted another half an hour, but the desk was still there, waiting for her. Piled high with homework it was a monument to procrastination. The multi-coloured folders looked attractive but the contents were a nightmare.

  It was her sixteenth birthday tomorrow and all she had to look forward to was a Chinese takeaway and a night in with Benedict Cumberbatch. Great.

  Millie recalled all the different assignments she still had to complete and sighed, the deep dissatisfaction refusing to dislodge itself from her mind. In much the same way the intermittent buzzing of her neighbour’s lawn trimmer intruded upon her thoughts. It sounded like some angry insect longing to escape. Millie knew how it felt. How could anyone concentrate on such a lovely day anyway? Out of habit she reached for her crystal paperweight and rolled it gently in her left hand. The rainbow of colours was even more unusual today, the sunlight generating an extra dimension that teased the eyes.

  Millie sensed her twin brother, Oliver, before she actually saw him and then watched in dismay as he tumbled down the stairs, his long arms and legs flailing madly to try and restore his balance. He looked ridiculous, but as he landed with an agonising crunch, Millie hurried to his side.

  “I’m okay.” Oliver smiled wearily and tried to stand, his smooth, black hair falling forwards, but failing to hide the hurt in his eyes.

  “What were you doing, you idiot?” Millie sounded harsher than she actually felt. Oliver had always been clumsy but lately he was a real danger to himself and others.

  “I think I missed the top step ...” Oliver ran his hand through his hair and made his way, somewhat unsteadily, towards a seat.

  “You think?” Millie helped him into the lounge and onto the sofa. “Well at least nothing seems to be broken. Did you hit your head?”

  Oliver laughed, “Hey, I thought mum was the nurse around here.”

  Millie hit him on the shoulder, “Well, did you?”

  “Ouch, that’s another bruise to add to the two million I already have. No, I’m fine, I guess I bounce well.”

  “You shouldn’t be bouncing at all.”

  Oliver registered the concern in her sparkling sapphire eyes. They had reflected his deepest thoughts all of his life, “Okay, but don’t tell mum, she’ll only worry and ...”

  “And make you go to the doctors. Perhaps she’s right this time?” Millie picked up a cushion and wrapped herself around it, her long, black hair free from its usual constraints, fanned across her shoulders.

  Oliver smiled in reply and ambled into the kitchen where he helped himself to an orange juice. “She’s just over protective – occupational hazard. Forget it. What were you up to anyway before my death defying leap?”

  Millie joined him, “I was pretending to do my homework. I know our exams are only a few weeks away but all this extra work is doing my head in.” Millie reached for the cookie jar, unwrapping and devouring a Kit Kat in four quick mouthfuls, “I need endorphins.”

  Oliver nodded sympathetically while moving the clutter around the breakfast bar, examining all the scrappy bits of paper that had been stuffed behind the bread bin.

  “What are you looking for?”

  Oliver paused, “Mum said she left it here.”

  “What?”

  “My appointment card for the opticians.”

  �
��Oh, is that today? Do you want some company?”

  Oliver finished his drink and found the small, blue card, “Ta-dah. No, you’re okay, it’s only a check up and you still have all your work to do.”

  Millie frowned, “Have you finished yours?”

  They walked through to the lounge and Oliver picked up his favourite leather jacket, “Sorry, but I do mine when I’m given it.”

  Millie groaned and threw the cushion at him, which luckily just missed her mum’s favourite vase and Oliver grinned as he headed out the door. “See you later, sis.”

  She knew he put in the work, so she only had herself to blame really, but studying certainly seemed to be effortless for him. Millie made slow progress up the stairs, if her twin brother got the brains, what did she get?

  Knowing her paper mountain wasn’t going to magically disappear, she returned to her room.

  Chapter 2

  T he sound of babbling water echoed throughout the Garden, sunlight dappled on the leaves and the smell of blossom filled the air. The warm tropical evening was filled with birdsong and Eve ran to the edge of the lake and sat down. She looked at the trees. She was surrounded by such beauty and it never failed to inspire her. The warmth of the sun caressed her body and she could feel it strengthening her from head to toe. How funny that the animals had coats but she was free! The tapestry of colours that surrounded her seemed to fill her mind and she could hear the trees whispering to her. She loved this time of day. A squirrel came and sat down next to her, its mouth bulging with food and two nuts clutched tightly to its chest. “Hello there. My, you are hungry today!”

  Eve trailed her hand in the water and immediately it thronged with gold and silver as the fish came to tickle her fingers and swim around her hand, vying for her attention. She knew all of their names. She giggled, “And hello to you too.”

  As far as she could tell he was not here yet, but the Garden was so luxurious they could be within easy reach of each other and she would not know. She was patient, there was no hurry. Eve did not know how to hurry.

  The leopard came into view. Its magnificent power evident in its sleekness and the way it walked. Its amber eyes focused on her and its beautiful spotted coat rippled as it approached. The squirrel stopped chewing and Eve withdrew her hand from the water. For a second the birds stopped singing and all was still.

  The leopard pounced and Eve buried her face in its fur, “Sima...! Where have you been? I have missed you!”

  The leopard rolled over and Eve tickled its belly. A rabbit hopped out to join them and soon a whole range of animals were drinking and playing at the water’s edge. Eve too had a drink and then reached out her hand to the nearest tree where the fruit glistened enticingly. She was bored with waiting rather than hungry.

  Suddenly she noticed all her friends had gone and a stranger stood watching her. He was resting against The Tree. The one that stood alone.

  She studied him openly as was her way with all the visitors; he had the most amazing covering! A multi-coloured luminescence shone from him and his skin, if that’s what it was, played tricks on her eyes. His face was handsome, his features strong and his thick, dark, wavy hair rested on his shoulders. He smiled at her and Eve smiled back. “I am sorry; I do not know your name. Is this your first visit to the Garden?”

  His voice surprised her with its depth and harmony, “Hello Eve. I am delighted to meet you at last. I have heard of you from afar, but yes, this is my first time.”

  “Did Michael send you? I haven’t spoken with him today.”

  “Oh, Michael and I know each other well.”

  Eve did not know what to make of her new friend. Usually they brought a message or instruction but this one seemed different. He smiled again and reached out his hand for fruit.

  “NO!” Eve rushed over, “You may eat of any tree in the Garden, except this one.”

  The stranger challenged her, “But they all look so wonderful, why not this one?”

  “For the Lord God has said when we eat of this one, we shall die.”

  The stranger met her gaze, and then deliberately helped himself to the nearest fruit on the tree that stood alone in the centre of the Garden. He bit into it and laughed, throwing back his head as he did so. Juice ran down his chin and he finished it greedily, licking his fingers with obvious relish. “Ah, the forbidden fruit is always the finest.”

  Eve looked on with horror, but nothing happened. Her new friend simply smiled at her and walked around the tree, helping himself to another.

  His gaze seemed to reach deep within her, “See. You shall not die. This tree simply holds the knowledge of good and evil. When you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you shall be like them. A god in your own right! That’s why He told you not to eat it.”

  Eve watched fascinated as he devoured another portion of the beautiful fruit. She had never been this close to the tree before. It had a strange magnetism and she felt almost dizzy with the effort of standing up. She sank to her knees, her long golden hair covering her body. It was cooler here under the canopy. The stranger joined her. She could smell the fruit. It filled her with a deep longing but she had been told not to touch The Tree. The stranger leaned closer, his eyes burning with a fierce determination.

  “How long have you been here now?” he asked innocently.

  “The animals have produced many young. Sima’s offspring are now many generations.”

  “And what have you learnt about the Garden and life beyond?”

  Eve was flustered and defensive, “I do not need to know, we simply ...”

  “Work here, every day, for no reward.”

  “NO! This place is wonderful, it is a paradise.”

  “Or a prison. We can come and go as we wish, but you...”

  Eve played with the grass at her feet; she did not know what to say. The stranger continued, “Have you seen anything die here?”

  Eve shook her head.

  “Of course not. How could it in paradise?”

  A butterfly settled on a nearby branch, its fragile wings trembling in the gentle breeze. The stranger lifted it from the tree and offered it to Eve. She studied the intricate design of its pattern and the symmetrical richness of its bright red and yellow colouring. The stranger broke into her thoughts, “Even the butterfly has broken out from its cocoon.”

  Eve threw the butterfly high in the air and watched as it fluttered away, free to roam wherever it wanted. She turned to ask him another question but found herself looking at the fruit in his hand. “You say it will give me wisdom?” Her voice trembled slightly as she touched it. She could not help herself; she lifted it to her lips and felt the first sensation enter her body, her mind and her soul. It was done.

  Chapter 3

  M illie slammed the geography file shut with such force that everything on her desk shook. Unfortunately her crystal paperweight was sitting precariously on top of the wobbly pile of folders and it tumbled to the floor.

  “Damn!”

  Millie was about to pick it up when a burst of light filled the room. A thousand rays of brilliance shone from the crystal and she could almost touch the iridescent shafts of light, they were so intense.

  “Greetings Millie. I am that which is not, so that that which is can be. And that is no language for a young lady!”

  Millie stared. Then, just like watching an old movie on fast forward, it all came flooding back. Her memory was opened to remember him and she felt as if her heart would burst. She hurried to embrace him, “Quark!”

  She held him tight; she was much taller than him now so she knelt down to be beside him. His body trembled under her touch. It always was strange to touch him, but it felt so good to hold him again, “Where have you been all this time?”

  Quark smiled, “I am sorry it has been so long for you, but time is of no consequence to me, as you now remember, Your Highness.”

  He did his funny little bow and she laughed, “You’re a different colour.”

  It was true. He
was still only a metre high and covered with smooth, short fur but instead of the shimmering pale green she remembered, Quark was now a delicate shade of silver-grey. This complemented his long and impeccably straight, royal-blue hair perfectly and it shone brilliantly, as always. He had a new logo on his chest too. This design was a single red circle above an inverted triangle on a stripy black background.

  Millie pointed at his chest, “Very smart.”

  Quark’s fathomless eyes crinkled with pleasure, “Thank you and look at you, so beautiful and full of grace.”

  Millie was embarrassed by his remarks, and did not really understand them, so she got up from the floor to cover her shyness and sat on the bed. “I thought I would never see you again. I can’t believe you are here.”

  Quark looked around, “You have new walls and a new personal processor. How is everybody?”

  “Everything is pretty much the same really. Oliver and I have exams soon so school is very serious at the moment. Mum got promoted to Senior Nurse, so she works even harder, and dad’s new shop is doing really well. He kept the same name but the new Noah’s Ark is twice as big and he offers all sorts of services to pet owners. That’s why Winston is there today, he’s having a trim. Oh, will he remember you?”

  Quark nodded, recalling the grumpy terrier with affection, while flicking through some of Millie’s books. “Oh yes, the time shift was left intact for him.”

  Millie accepted this without asking for further explanation, she knew she could never hope to fully comprehend what lay behind such statements. Millie gasped, suddenly recalling more of her experience, “What about Michael and the Book? What happened to it?”