I’m cold but I don’t care. Like it’s happening to someone else. In my head I pretend that the black veins in my arms are rivers. Tracing the lines with my eyes. Some of them end in nothing, some of them branch. Me and the boys are on a raft, slowly going down the tiny black rivers. If I focus really hard, the fear goes away. Slowly on the raft. All relaxed. Calm.

I’m the only one up. I’m sitting on the edge of the highest container on our barge. Blankie floats above the river in front of me, whispering to me, sweet things.

“That’s it Skelly. Deep and slow.”

It’s the pain in my hips, my knees. Getting sore like an old codger. Set me off panicking. And the boys are still asleep, mostly. Wish I knew what to expect. What the yellow sickness will do next.

“How long since the golf thing, Blankie?” I ask the AI thing that says it is my blanket.

“Forty nine hours and eighteen minutes, if you judge it from the time the incident ended.”

“How long in nights?”

“Two nights.”

I pinch myself on the thigh, hard enough to bruise. Got to remember not to talk to Blankie out loud. Sound like a nutter or worse, a witch. Got to get these boys awake. Got presents for everyone. Let’s play Christmas.

In my inside eye, a screen pops up. Blankie reads it all out loud for me, it’s very fast but I get it all clear. Pretty handy.

INVENTORY

Rations: 2 energy drinks, 1 insect protein bar, 3 sachets of sugar

Meds: 8 ibuprofen, 6 paracetamol, 3 caffeine tablets

Weapons: 1 British Army Knife, 1 Plastic Handled Vegetable Knife

Tools: 3 plastic bags, length of twine

Clothes: threadbare tracksuit, old running shoes

Money: 16 pounds sterling

“How do you know all that?” I make the effort to think of the words, not moving my gob.

“The Rhizome is fusing with your nervous system, and your brain. The more it does the more access I get to your memories.”

“More access than me!”

“You don’t ever really forget, but recall is sometimes complicated for an organic brain. Recall is easy for a computer.”

Maybe it ain’t all bad being a witch. Lost count of the times I spent days looking for things I lost. This is magic I can use.

Long as I ain’t burned up.

I hang off the edge of the big metal box and drop down, bend knees and roll. Pain shoots up my legs. Takes a second to shake it off.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

“I know people who can help with that. They can teach you how to....”

“Shut up, Blankerton.”

To my surprise, he instantly shuts up.

I make my way past Pigeon, give him a little kiss on the forehead. He stinks but I still love him. Then I’m in my storing place, in the back corner of a the shipping container in which we most usually sleep. I grab all the food and drinks, grab all the drugs.

“Ho ho ho my lads!” I sing song shout at the top of my voice.

My heart leaps when I see Bleeder smile, eyes open at last.

“It’s only bloody santa.” He manages a wheezy whisper.

“Check your stockings boys!”

It works. They force themselves to sit up, untangling the pile of limbs. We’ll have our Christmas feast right here, won’t try and push them to go out of the sleeping place. Push me luck.

“A toast to absent friends!”

Everybody raises their bottles. Bleeder takes a teeny sip, looks like this little bottle of fizzy pop is heavy as a rock for him.

“Eat something my fine gentlemen. We scavved hard for this.”

“Not feeling hungry Skell.” Bleeder says.

I know that. Seen it before. Starving sickness. You go through hungry, come out the other side. Doesn’t help he’s got the witch poison in him too.

“Skelly, why ain’t you sick like us?”

I take a big deep breath and let it out long and slow. I close my eyes. Still see all the symbols but Blankie is silent. Guess I switched him off.

“I know what you’re asking me.”

“Skelly...” His voice trails off and he looks away.

“I must have been four I reckon but I don’t recall too good.”

Bleeder turns back to me, meets my eyes.

“I never told anyone, but dad was a copper. I remember a big party. They were celebrating something he did at work.”

I take a mouthful of Violence, feel the bubbles on my tongue, swallow. I’m gonna need the stims for what comes next.

“Then he was dead. Don’t remember much of that. Never went to the funeral. I remember the nursery though, a bit, the toys.”

I need a second, taking a run up. Never told this story before. Don’t know if I can.

“Me and mum was at a park.”

“Jesus. I remember parks.” Bleeder smiles, eyes still sad.

“We were playing hide and seek. And I was in a perfect spot. I was there ages and ages. Had this big grin cause I thought I was winning by miles, thought she was sneaking around looking.”

My voice breaks up.

“You don’t have to...”

“I was just there, on my own. Then when I realised it wasn’t a game anymore I just kept going, cause if I moved then I’d know for real that she was gone.”

Bleeder, his eyes are raw but he’s too sick to cry. All I got is a weight on my chest, wanting to squeeze the water out but there is no release.

“It was dark before I left the park. No one ever came looking for me. Rest of my family was out in Albion, sided with the king. Can’t remember their faces now, or names.”

Then I grab him by the forearm and grip him tight enough to hurt.

“It was witches. Dad arrested some big names in the witch gangs, they took mum for revenge. I know it in my bones. I’ll prove it one day. So don’t ever ask me if I’m one of them, so help me god.”

I spit hard and angry into the corner.

The others are already asleep. Again. I get up and walk to the door.

“Stay alive for a week. You’ve got enough food there. I’m going to Riverside. Going to steal us some meds.”

Bleeder drags himself up the wall, wheezing, to his feet.

“You’re creng bwoy now Skelly. Fuck Manleb. I’ll be here. One week.”

“Quicker if I can.”

And I slip out the door.