The Owls Who Watch

Chapter 7: The Gates of Arumlily

The small spotlights in the van's roof demonstrated themselves to be welcome company for Kevin. They eased his nerves slightly as the van trekked for hours through rocky, uphill terrain, rattling him about until he felt vomit in his throat. After a while, his thoughts shifted from dramatic pessimism to something which resembled impatience or vexation instead. Just let this end, I don't care what happens to me, just make it stop.

The abductors were heard speaking from time to time, fusing his impatience with ever-increasing paranoia. Kevin shuffled over and stretched uncomfortably, listening and hoping that whatever he heard would quell the paranoia. After a while, the road smoothed out, allowing Kevin to make out only a few words from their seldom conversations, from 'suicidal, or 'women', to 'switching up ahead', to someone named 'Bruno' and money he intended to provide the town, to something concerning owls. Have my owls been following us? The two went silent once more, and Kevin curled up in a ball. It was hard to breathe in the van. Hopefully, they give me my inhaler back.

A short time after, the van began to slow and took a sharp turn until it stopped. The two then left, and one walked past the side of the van to open the back doors. Tessa eyed him down, the warm air entered the back of the van, to Kevin's relief. She had let her hair down now, and the bags under her eyes made her look more exhausted than Kevin probably looked. "Ready to switch cars now?", she asked. Kevin merely gawked at her. She sighed as she tied her hair back and stepped into the van, redundantly ducking under the tall roof. She produced a key from her pocket and glanced at him, "No funny business, mind. John's told me to put you in the back seat, but I'm feeling optimistic about you". Kevin nodded fast, he was desperate to stretch his arms and get the blood flowing properly again. She undid the binds and escorted him outside.

Kevin entered into a small, dirt car park, the brown hills and cliffs of the Scottish Highlands protruded in the distance. For many miles, the area surrounding the car park was a flat, grassy terrain with various grey cars spread throughout as if to defend whatever laid beyond. It was late in the evening, but the sun still shone upon the dirt roads and the waterfall whose river streamed under a bridge which they had passed over. The sky was bluer than Kevin was accustomed to, and the air was cleaner and less polluted. As he marvelled at his surroundings, Tessa and John swapped documents and car keys, leaving Kevin alone to contemplate on how his old life was dead, and a new one was about to begin. He had gotten what he desired most, but at a cost still unknown. How will this all play out?

Kevin turned to face Tessa and John, as they shuffled documents in and out of a briefcase. Behind the pair, stood a thick, dominating forest which stretched for as wide and far as visible. The further the trees expanded, the higher they became as the terrain elevated. Cliffs, crags, and hills were visible, separating an internal 'lowlands' from the crescent-shaped 'highlands' deeper within. In these lowlands, Kevin could make out numerous grey buildings poking above the trees for some distance. John finally entered the van, and drove off in the direction they had come from. Tessa called Kevin over and opened the passenger's seat of a grey car. Before she gestured for him to enter, she began to place him in handcuffs. "Company policy, so don't blame me. There we are". Kevin entered the car and Tessa closed the door. "Are they loose enough?", she asked as she walked in front of the car. She then entered the driver's seat, inserted the key, adjusted her hair and the mirrors, and turned towards Kevin.

"See that big forest ahead?", she asked in a soft voice. Kevin nodded and attempted to avoid as much eye contact as he could.

"Inside there is the village you'll be staying at. At the gates we're going to introduce you to your team. Your Guidance Team, as they're called. Everyone has one". My guidance team, he would roll his eyes if he thought he was safe.