The Conduits: Frostwalker

Frostwalker: Part 3

                          Chapter 10

John Sterling stood alone in Miss Brighton’s classroom. He wore his usual pitch-black suit with a white button shirt underneath and long dark grey trousers that ended in polished black leather shoes. The outfit was fitted with a silver tie with a single royal blue “V” near the top.

He looked at the silver watch on his right wrist. The delicate analogue arms informed him he had been waiting for nine minutes. John clenched his teeth and with his hands behind his back and began pacing down the length of the teacher’s desk to keep his mind occupied to prevent his impatience from transforming into boiling anger.

Miss Brighton opened the door and entered the classroom and almost jumped in fright as icy blue eyes belonging to a tall figure, easily over six feet, stared daggers at her with impatience.

John brushed a stray band of hair that had fallen out of line with the rest of his blonde hair.

“Catherine.” He said coldly, making her gulp and shrink towards her desk and place some papers on it.

“You kept me waiting for more than nine minutes. You know I am a busy man, who despises having his time squandered over unimportant events that my secretly could handle on my behalf.” He finished.

Miss Brighton looked the man up and down, the thick, dark intimidating atmosphere surrounding him was penetrated only by the cold gaze of his eyes that made her shudder.

“Well, this is particularly important and requires your personal input. I know full well you are not as busy as you claim” She replied.

John’s eyebrow raised. “Are you calling me a liar?” he asked coldly.
The tension in the room intensified as Miss Brighton’s heart raced with anxiety. As fearfully revered as this man was, there was no going back from this, she had to do it.

“You haven’t been out in public in over a year, John. No one has seen nor heard from you for a good while, every attempt to get hold of you has been met with second hand replies from your secretaries.” She told him.

“Cut to the chase.” He interjected.

“It’s not good to isolate yourself like that. I know you still grieve at the loss of your daughter but-“

“Don’t.” he cut her midsentence. “You have managed to scam me into thirty minutes of my day to discuss matter related to this educational institution, NOT to discuss my daughter, leave her out of this.” He said menacingly.

“No.” She replied firmly.

The audacity! John thought to himself.

Few people ever dared to oppose him and he was irritated and did'nt have time for this, especially topics like this…
“Unlike everyone else in this city, I don’t work for you so listen here, the reason you’ve isolated yourself in that ivory tower of yours, the Sterling Estate or whatever is because of that hole in your heart left by your daughter’s death.” She continued.

“I said leave her out of this!” John yelled as he slammed his fist into the desk, making Miss Brighton jump as fear exploded inside her, every fibre of her being telling her to hastily apologize and fly out the door.

She pushed down her fear and nurturing courage inside her heart firmly replied: “Shut up. And listen.”

A frown deepened in John’s facial expression, fracturing the intimidating gaze.

This woman…The audacity…

“Either you get to the point, or I am leaving. Now.” He said calmly, regaining his composure.

“It’s about Kaladin.” She replied.

“Kaladin?” John queried in surprise. “If its school fees or another fund raiser speak to my secretary, she will transfer the funds.”

“It’s not money that’s of concern, though we are grateful on behalf of your generous donations.” Miss Brighton responded.

“Then what is it?” he questioned impatiently.

“I am sure you are more than aware of the… horrible events that occurred today.” She answered. “It is not safe for Kaladin to be by himself, never has been in any case, but now more than ever. It is not good for him to live in isolation like that.”

She looked deep into his eyes, hoping to find even a fraction of the warmth of compassion in the frozen tundra of his irises that sent chills down her spine.

“He needs a home John.” She said gently to him
.
John shook his head slightly. “He made his choice.” He responded softly.

“Oh that’s bullshit.” She snapped at him. “His life could be in danger, hell that could have been him lying dead in the corridor for all you know!”

“And just what will you have me do?” John snapped back, clenching his fists. He would never have agreed to see anyone, but him and Catherine shared history, so he decided to make a small exception. But she had started to royally piss him off and he fought back the urge to raise his voice again.

“I want you to adopt him.” Miss Brighton implored him, placing her hand on his cheek and immediately he unclenched his fist and leaned into her hand. John turned his head from her, looking down he put his hand over hers. His irritation quickly dispersed and despair flooded his heart, although his face showed no signs of it.

“Catherine… I can’t.” he said softly.

“Yes, you can.” She whispered to him. “You’re not replacing your daughter John. No one could ever, she was extraordinary. But Kaladin was going to be your son-in-law, Michaela would have wanted you to. So if not for me, if not for him, then do it to honour her. Uphold her legacy of compassion she imparted to so many others.”

John sighed, the intensity in his eyes and his intimidating aura dissipated as his mind wrestled with his heart to reach a consensus.

“Very well. I will think about it.” he said straightening himself as his cold gaze and demeanour quickly returned. He walked towards the door. “I should be going.” he didn't want to stay any longer, less he lose his composure once more.

“Work on that temper of yours.” Miss Brighton called after him. John Sterling turned his face and the corner of his mouth twitched, a flicker of a smile that caught Miss Brighton’s eye before he walked out the door, shutting it behind him.

Miss Brighton let out a long exhale as she lowered herself on the floor and sat against her desk and waiting for her breathing to slow, along with her erratic heartbeat. John’s mood was usually distant and calm, but the very mention of her brought about a sudden shift in his mood. He did scare her, but she was glad there was still some of the old John she had known long ago.

Miss Brighton smiled as her mind reached into the deep recesses of her mind, as it combed through distant memories of her childhood.


About an hour later, the sun had touched the horizon, sending long shadows scattering across the city like dark fingers on the suns dying rays of fiery red light.

Outside a coffee shop near the four-way intersection that had been covered in a layer of frost not too long ago, a bus driver waited quietly against the wall as he watched folk hurry about.

Shop keepers, once the police announced it was safe to return, had returned to restore their businesses to order and close for the night, though some remained open.

People walked by, minding their own business as they hurried to finish up the days tasks before returning home, no doubt to contemplate the events of the day.

The bus driver sighed and adjusted his cap and zipped up his navy jacket as the cool evening draft seeped into his skin.

Ting-a-ling

The coffee shop door opened and a young girl stepped outside, holding a disposable cup of coffee. Her eyes swept her surroundings before locking onto the bus driver nearby. Upon seeing the girl, the bus driver approached her.

The girl had snow white hair that hung loose against her back, swung gently in the breeze and her eyes were a deep sapphire blue in the centre that diffused into a sky-blue outer ring, they were like two suns with fiery blue flames.

When her eyes locked with his, the bus driver immediately shivered as her gaze seemed to bore a hole into his very soul, as if all his secrets had been laid bare and a wave of shame and humility washed over him. Her gaze was powerful, yet compassionate and an aura of authority resonated around her.

The girl dug into her pocket and produced a set of keys, and placed it into the bus driver’s hand as he held it out once he saw it.

“As promised.”  She said, the sound of her voice sending another wave of shivers down his body.

“Th-Thank you miss.” He stuttered, trying to avoid her gaze. “Did everything work out?”

The girl took a sip of coffee before replying. “Yes, your bus was in the right place and right time for events to play out as they did. Here, take this” she offered him an envelope.

“What’s this?” the bus driver asked, opening the envelope.
“For your daughter’s surgery.” She replied as he pulled out a single check, worth four hundred thousand dollars.

His eyes widened in shock and disbelief as a lump formed in his throat while his mind went into overdrive as thoughts raced around incoherently.

“But how did you know that she-“ he started, looking back at the girl but she had vanished. He whipped his head around, looking up and down the street, peering into the groups of passers-by. Nothing. She had vanished without a trace.

The bus driver fell to his knees as his emotions overwhelmed him as he hugged the envelop tightly to his chest while tears formed in his eyes. Shock, fear, joy and confusion all exploded at once within him as he struggled in disbelief to comprehend what had just transpired.