The Shadow Setters Book 1: Prominence

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Jason walked in a world of darkness. As he paced along the streets of monochrome blandness, he stared upon faceless people whose skin blended with the washed out surroundings. As Jason looked upon them with a look of vulgarity and distaste, he looked at his own hands. He discovered that his colour too had drained and he had become as bland as the lightless, colourless landscape that washed dismally before him in every direction, growing dimmer and darker with every heartbeat as the inevitable conclusion of complete darkness felt only a brief time away. A faint humming noise drew his attention to the black sky above, the sun was a faint circle hidden almost by the thick blanket of violent churning black rolling cloud that ambled overhead, virtually unbroken in its coverage. The humming grew louder and louder as Jason strained his eyes and neck at the intimidating blackness above, searching for the source. Louder and louder it grew, like a swarm of angry bees, closer and closer they came. Still Jason could not see where it originated from as he moved helplessly on the spot, glancing in all directions for just a possible sighting of the obscured location of the noise. The humming became unbearable, almost threatening to rip his body apart with the audible force alone. The sensation was strong enough to wake Jason from his nightmare; bolt upright he sprang as once again his eyes failed yet again to penetrate a veil of darkness, this time within the confines of his own bedroom. As the thickness of sleep clouded his senses initially, he very quickly became aware that the humming sound that he had dreamt was very real and equally as menacing. It caused Jason's fear to race along with his increased heartbeat until he thought he was sure that it would burst right out of his chest. 

The drone of a large propeller driven plane roared so loud overhead that Jason had half expected the craft to plough into the house. He was sure he had let out a shout, more out of fright than anything but had not heard the sound leave his body due to the deafening noise above. The windows were reverberating violently from the power of the engines, ornaments and wardrobe doors rattled and tinkered adding to the cacophony that had drowned the teenagers shell shocked senses. As the plane moved away from directly overhead, Jason ran to the window and tore open the curtains as his bleary eyes attempted to adjust, scouring the night sky for visual confirmation of the roaring beast. Sure enough as it flicked across the full moons path, Jason spotted the plane descending from the sky like a giant black angry winged monster swooping down. From what secrets the dark gave up about the plane, it had four engines and a large fuselage, obviously a heavy transport of some sort. 

Jason continued to watch the giant plane for as long as his eyes and the conditions would allow him. He was sure that the plane was getting ready for a landing but had no idea as to where. There was no local airport or army installation nearby that he knew of and even if there was, was this the first flight to arrive since he had been at the house? Highly unlikely. Jason couldn't even recollect hearing any planes overhead in the day since he had moved here. 

Suddenly, Jason's thoughts turned to Jo. He looked at the time. 1. 55 Am. It was Wednesday morning. He analysed what he had just thought. This was the first flight that he had heard since he had arrived. That he had heard. If what Jo was saying was true and the food had indeed been drugged, was it feasible that he would have slept through such a noise if it had occurred previously? Jason pulled on his dressing gown and went to search for his father, tripping over the cowering Kato, positioned directly in the path of the upstairs landing. He picked his way across the dark floor, half surprised that his father had not been awake before him due to the fact that he was the lighter of the two sleepers. Jason had begun to call for David before he entered his pitch black bedroom. As he arrived inside he continued to call. No answer. Confused, he turned on the light to discover that his father's bed was empty, un-slept in. Jason stood stunned in the centre of the bedroom.