The Circle

The Circle - Chapter Sixteen

Sixteen:

Eric Howes spotted the suspicious looking man climbing through April McCabe's bedroom window and as he wondered who the figure could be, his wife called him urgently as the two emerged onto Green Way.

"That's Caleb Anderson. I'd put money on it."

Eric reached into his shirt pocket and removed his glasses carefully in order to get a better look at the perpetrator. Squinting through the lenses, he could just make out the figure of a man stood at the bottom of the tall tree overhanging the McCabe household and a petite red-head who could only be April McCabe.

"I think you're right there Beryl darling. I'd better make a phone call."

*****

"Do you have any single rooms left?"

"You're in luck Sir. We just had a cancellation this afternoon. You'll be in room 5."

The Premier Inn receptionist handed Malcolm McCabe the key and he took it gratefully. It was too late to spring up on his family so he would have to wait until the morning to deal with that. As Malcolm made his way down the corridor and toward room 5 with his overnight bag in tow, he glanced out of the long bay window at the end of the hallway. The moon loomed across Hilltop Green as full as ever, brightly illuminating the fields below as greying clouds blew across the night's sky.

It was only then Malcolm McCabe realised the danger his daughter was in. God damn the Full Moon, how the hell could he forget?

*****

Caleb and April sneakily slipped out of the bedroom window, climbed down the over-hanging tree and made their way down Green Way. The Full Moon was more obvious now as it hovered above the Eastern Woods, lighting up the spindly branches. April hated to admit it but Christmas was on its way.

"So go on then, what's this all about?" April questioned curiously as her and Caleb casually strolled down Green Way and onto Euclid Drive. "What ridiculous theory is it today? The Aurora in Space Exploration? The Blood Line and a moon made of cheese?"

A small smile played on Caleb's lips but he avoided April’s eye contact, his hands buried deep in his coat pockets as he walked meaningfully. "It's more important than you think. The Moon has been a crucial symbol to The Aurora for thousands of years. It's a well-known fact."

"Great, I sound pathetic don’t I?" When it came to details about The Circle of Aurora, April knew she was useless. It was almost impossible to believe that she was the Chosen One when she had no idea about the important specifics. "Well, I suppose you can count on The Aurora to surprise me as always. So what does it mean?"

"The Lunar Moon, in other words, the Full Moon is a spiritual time for The Aurora. It occurs once a month, usually two weeks after the new moon," Caleb explained remaining expressionless as he walked ahead. Suddenly April felt like he wanted to get away from her.

"What's the new moon?"

"The new moon is when the moon appears invisible from earth. It isn't visible because of the position it is at in conjunction with earth and the sun. Two weeks later the Lunar Moon occurs and it is used as a time of reflection for The Aurora. We look forward to the following month, spiritually review our powers and work on strengthening them."

"So if the Full Moon is used as a positive and all hail The Aurora, where do The Pergatorio come in?"

"Many Pergatorian's were once members of The Aurora before they turned to Black Magic. The moon is still important to them. Plus there's a large amount of Specialist spells that can only be performed on a Full Moon," Caleb explained as they turned the corner off Euclid Drive and past Hilltop Green Church, his body language distant and cold.