Celestial (Book One)

Chapter Four: Cancer

15/03/2016 - 16:00 pm

Cancer crept behind the large bush, hiding from the tall, muscular teenage boy who was walking his way. The boy spun a set of keys around his left index finger, humming. As he approached nearer, Cancer peeked out from behind the foliage, his green eyes glinting mischievously. He grinned to himself, disappearing behind the leaves once again.

The boy continued walking, the breeze ruffling his short, fuzzy blonde hair. He walked along the edge of a large duck pond, putting his keys in his pocket. He paused for a moment, leaning his head back and closing in his eyes. Cancer stared at him, confused. Cancer shrugged and braced himself to run.

He set off, lightning fast, colliding with the boy with full force, sending them both crashing into the pond. Water swirled around them as they sank deeper. The boy thrashed, attempting to push himself away from the lanky, ginger man that clung to him. The water enclosed around them, rippling with different colours, before a bright light blinded the two. A force sent them shooting upwards, through the surface of what had been the Yorkshire duck pond.

Cancer released the boy as they emerged into fresh air, leaping away from him. He landed on rock that jutted out from the side of a cliff. The sea roared, crashing against the cliffs that surrounded them.

The boy lay on his back on the opposite side of large rock-pool, coughing and spluttering. He sat up, shaking his head. "Wha-...wait...where...uhhhh" He looked up at the tall, nonchalant man that now leant expectantly against the cliff face, "Who are you?"

The man leaped down from the rock, landing in the surprisingly shallow rock-pool. He leant down, plunging his hand into the water. A second or two later, his hand emerged, a large orange crab sitting calmly in his palm. The man held his hand up to his shoulder and the crab crawled onto it, and sat casually.

"My name is Cancer." The man stroked the crabs shell, smirking.

"Wow... your parents really didn't like you very much. Bit morbid, isn't it?" The boy pulled himself up, brushing his trousers free of sand, "Wait.. how am I dry?"

"As in the zodiac sign, stupid. And you're dry because that wasn't real water."

"Wasn't real water! How on earth do you have fake water?" They boy stared at Cancer, his expression quizzical and concerned.

Cancer rolled his eyes, "Not fake water, Magic Water!"

"Magic water. Right, okay. Sure. I think you need help, man."

"Do not sass me, Barney St. Clair" The boy's eyes widened and Cancer smirked.

"H-how do you know my name? This is getting weird now..."

Cancer raised an eyebrow and laughed slightly, "You got rugby tackled into a duck pond by a stranger with the same name as a constellation, you appear out of the pond to find yourself in a completely different location, and it's only getting weird... now?"

Barney scowled. "Never mind. I'm just gonna go now..." He started to edge away from the man, creeping round the side of the rock pool.

"Go where? I think you're completely underestimating how far away from home you actually are."

Barney stopped, and turned towards Cancer "Okay, this has to be a dream right? This doesn't just happen in real life. I'd like to wake up now." He pinched his arm, expecting to wake up back home in his bed. Nothing happened.

"This isn't a dream. You're around 300 miles away from Yorkshire. Even if you wanted to, you can't get home. Not without me. But I need you. I need you to listen to me and trust me." Cancer stared at the teenage boy, urgency echoing in his voice.