The Colours of the Night

Ben Spencer returns to the village West View looking for a quiet life while he goes to University. But he finds himself in a secret cult with a strict hierarchy and changing in a way he can't control.

Chapter one.

 

Ben Spencer pulled the keys out of the ignition of his car and stepped out onto the road. This was the first long trip for which he’d driven and he was glad he’d made it; crashing so soon after passing your test would have been a downer. 

The house that stood in front of him looked just as it had in the photos; modest but homely, with two storeys and a small front garden to show off. The bricks were the usual warn brown colour, with ivy engulfing the front and side walls and a large, welcoming blue door. The front garden looked a little unruly, but he had expected this; tenants hadn’t been living here for nearly 8 months and he couldn’t imagine the last bunch to have been gardening fanatics.

 

Ben followed the weed ridden path up to the front of the house and unlocked the door slowly before stepping into the house and closing it behind him. Melancholy washed over him as he realised that the interior didn’t look as recognisable as the outside of the house. It had been around 15 years since he’d been to his first home and it looked as though it had been redecorated many times within those years. As he walked through the house, he took in the neutral walls and stylish furniture that was now housed in the modest detached and found he was wishing it was still the garishly decorated and clutter filled home he vaguely remembered. Still, he told himself as he ran his fingers along the kitchen worktops, they couldn’t have rented the place out in the lived-in state it had been in when his parents had died; it may not have been desperate for a face lift but housing a young, energetic boy and two busy parents had taken its toll on the house.

 

He made his way back to the hall and went out to his car to unload some of the boxes of his possessions that he’d piled in the back of his red Citroen Saxo. He hadn’t got enough things to need a removal van as the house was already furnished for tenants to move straight into, but it was still a tight squeeze in his car; he’d had to leave a few boxes at his Nan’s house because he couldn’t fit them in and she was planning on bringing them when she visited him. He piled most boxes in the hallway to sort through later and only unpacked kitchen items, thinking that these were the most important. He made a list of things he would need and then divided the list into two; things that were urgent and things that could wait a few days, until he was settled enough to do a large shop.

 

Ben headed out to the small supermarket in the town mid-evening, when he got hungry, and put enough food to last him a few days and a washing up bowl for the kitchen into his trolley and made towards the checkouts, hoping the queues wouldn’t be too long. He was attracting a little attention from the few people in the supermarket but he guessed they were just curious; the town had seemed to be quiet " maybe new citizens were a rare thing. He couldn’t think why; what little of the town he’d seen on his way here had seemed fine " quiet and friendly. He hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary.

 

As Ben pulled up outside his house, a car pulled into the driveway next door and a middle-aged man climbed out. He looked tall enough to be a basketball player and had an angular but friendly face, framed by dark hair that he kept short but scruffy. He waved as Ben got out of his own car and made his way towards the small fence that separated their land with a friendly smile on his face. Ben followed suit.

 

“New tenant?” the man asked, nodding towards the house

 

Ben shook his head, “No, it’s my parents house,” he said, following his neighbour’s gaze and looking over his shoulder at the house, “Or, at least it was. It was left to me when they died and I inherited it when I turned 18.”

 

His neighbour nodded in understanding and held out a hand, “William Middleton,” he introduced himself, “you must be the Spencer’s lad,”

 

Ben nodded, taking William’s hand and shaking it firmly, “Yes, Ben Spencer.” William surveyed him quickly and nodded, more to himself than to Ben.

 

“Good to meet you, Ben. I didn’t know your parents well, but they were friendly with my wife; she says they were good people.” William smiled and Ben gave a small nod of thanks. He felt a little lost when people said this; the sympathy made him feel uncomfortable and he got frustrated that he couldn’t remember enough of his parents to solemnly agree with this statement. “So, are you back for good?”

 

Ben shrugged, “I’m not sure. I’ll be here for a few years, I should think. I’ve come to study at the University a few miles away; I thought it would be more convenient to stay here than travel all the way from my Nan’s every day, and with this place being empty… it made sense.”

 

“Yes, I suppose it did,” William replied, shifting his weight from one leg to another, “The last lot, they seemed alright. They were students, too, I think. Did they take care of the place?”

 

Ben nodded happily, “It looks as if the house has not long been decorated and everything seems to be in a pretty good condition. I was half expecting to return to a bomb site, to be honest.”

 

William let out a small chuckle, “Yes, well, students aren’t generally the most house-proud, are they?”

 

Ben laughed lightly, “Not usually, no. These ones seemed to be pretty good, though,” he contemplated, “well, either that or they’re good at covering up their mess.”

 

The pair laughed before William excused himself, telling Ben that he’d see him soon. Ben agreed and made his way to his front door, closing his door not long after William.

 

 

 

That evening, Ben cooked himself pasta before taking some of the boxes upstairs and having his first look around up there. It was much the same story as downstairs; fairly freshly painted, furniture in a good condition and completely devoid of evidence of previous inhabitants. Ben decided to take the bigger room at the front of the house and put the box he was carrying on the floor next to the wardrobe. He walked over to the window and looked at the street outside. The street lamps were beginning to warm up and were sending a dim glow onto the streets as the late summer sun was falling from the sky. He observed that most of the houses on the street were similar to his in size and style and watched as a few people, both in cars and on foot, passed by his house.

His head and eyes began to ache as he watched the street below him and he found that colours were blurring together, spreading around people and forms in a way so unnatural his stomach turned at the sight. He blinked rapidly until his vision returned back to normal and he looked down onto the street to see nothing had changed. He shrugged as his headache vanished as quickly as it had come on and he closed the curtains to return to his task, deeming that the light from the street lamps were to blame.

He split the boxes between the room that was now his and the second, smaller bedroom at the back of the house. He showered in the family sized bathroom that was in-between the two bedrooms and climbed into bed for an early night.

 

Ben spent the next day unpacking and making the place feel more like home. He’d never lived on his own before and was struck by how impersonal the rooms felt. He put all of his Books, CDs and DVDs into the large bookcase in the living room that was on the left side of the house and put the small TV that had been left by the previous tenants on the medium sized coffee table that sat in the middle of the room. He pushed the table up against the wall and connected the TV up before trying several different angles for it to sit at for the best view from the two-seater sofa that was against the adjacent wall. He put a few small photos on the mantelpiece and cleaned the dusty mirror that hung above with some cleaning products he had found under the sink, before moving on to the dining room across the hall. It was smaller than the living room, which suited him fine as he couldn’t see himself making a huge use of this room. He put all of his school books on the bookcase that stood in the corner, deciding he would use this room as a study for his work when he started at University in a few weeks time. When he reached the kitchen, he cleaned it with the products that had been left by the previous tenants and moved on to the upstairs of the house. He cleaned the bathroom first before unpacking his toiletries and lining the sparse collection along the back of the sink worktop. Next on his list was his clothes and he found himself cursing in frustration as he realised he had no coat hangers. He hastily added them to the mental list of things he’d forgotten to bring before folding everything and laying it on the floor of his wardrobe. He had very little to put into the second bedroom and decided he would keep it empty as a spare room, in case the need ever came along to rent the room out. He cleaned throughout before showering to rid of all the dust he was covered in and heading out into the town to explore.

 

Ben decided not to take his car and walked the short distance to the town centre. The streets were quiet around the houses, but as he got closer to the centre, more people were walking around and the quiet bustle of weekend life filled the air. Ben found a street that seemed to be the main street of the town; it was lined with small shops and was wider than any of the streets he’d been down. A Street further up the road crossed it and that was also lined with small shops. The traffic was moderate but still the busiest he’d seen since arriving in West View " it was eerily quiet for a Saturday afternoon, he thought. Not far from the corner of Marling Avenue, where he stood, Ben could see that the street widened for a short distance before returning back to its original width, creating a Town Square or sorts. This housed a pub " The Startled Duck ", a Café " Scarlett’s " and some other, small businesses, a laundrette, corner shop and small record shop among them. Ben made his way towards the Café, paying attention to the people around him as he did so. A young family was walking towards him, the father carrying the youngest child and a little girl tugging on her mother’s arms. Across the road, an elderly couple were walking next to one another, but Ben couldn’t hear if they were talking. Most people were middle aged or older " he’s seen very few people his age since he’d been here.

 

As he opened the door to the Café, a bell tingled to alert the people of his presence. Inside, it was much busier than any of the other shops Ben had walked past on his way here; nearly every table had occupants and the waitresses and waiters were rushing to keep up with their work load. Ben sad down at an empty table in the corner of the room and began to scan the crowd. There were more youths in here " in fact, he couldn’t see anyone over 30 in the room. Behind the bar, a 20-something year old man was cleaning glasses with a tea towel before handing them to the waitresses and waiters so they could fill them with the ordered drinks. He was average height and slightly chubby, with short stubble on his face. He was the only one not in uniform " a black shirt with ‘Scarlett’s’ embellished in red " so Ben guessed he was the owner. He certainly acted like he owned the place; he was treating the rush with a lazy disinterest while all of the other staff worked with some urgency. A teenage girl with blonde hair, acne and braces approached him and took his order " Lemonade and a Chicken Burger " before flitting back to the bar to place his food order and prepare his drink. Ben went back to watching the crowd, slouching back in his chair.

 

As Ben waited for his food, a pair of boys approached him and sat at his table, one of the two pulling a chair from the next table to make up the numbers. They both nodded in acknowledgement before the first of the three began to speak.

 

“Saw you moving in, yesterday,” he said, nodding his head in the direction of the houses in the town. Ben nodded cautiously and the boy introduced himself, putting out his hand for Ben to shake “Connor Kingdom,”

 

Ben shook it and introduced himself. The other boy followed suit.

“Cobalt” he said, shaking his hand. An odd name, Ben thought. Cobalt didn’t look odd, though. He seemed fairly normal, with dark brown " almost black " hair that sprung from his head in tight curls, creating almost an afro effect. His skin had an olive tone to it and his eyes were just as dark as his hair. When he smiled he looked much younger and a glint in his eye suggested a devilish nature.

 

“Pleasure,” Ben nodded, returning Cobalt’s smile, “Is that your real name?” he asked, intrigued. Immediately, he hoped that he hadn’t offended.

 

Cobalt shook his head, his lazy smile still fixed in place, “Nah, S’my middle name.”

 

Ben waited for him to expand on his statement but after a few seconds, he realised that he wouldn’t. Apparently, he was a man of few words. Instead, Ben turned to Connor. “Do you live nearby, then?”

 

Connor nodded, putting his elbows on the table and leaning forward onto them. “On the same road; I live 5 doors down, at number 18. I was going to drop in, say hi, but you were out by the time I was free.”

 

“Yeah, I was at the shop. I needed some stuff for the house, you know” Ben shrugged,

 

“Got everything you need?” Connor asked. When Ben shook his head, smiling, Connor’s own smile returned to his face and he laughed, “That’s what we like to hear. So, we’re heading out tonight,” he said, nodding to Cobalt “You up for it? No better way to get settled in than to have some fun.”

 

Ben laughed and Cobalt sat up from his slouching position and sent him a lazy smile of encouragement. Ben looked out the window, smiling, and put a palm to the back of his neck as he thought. He did want to let off some steam and these guys seemed alright enough, although he had the feeling that Cobalt wasn’t as reserved as he was acting now.

 

“Alright,” he agreed, laughing as Connor and Cobalt bumped fists. His food arrived not long after and the two others took chips from him plate as Ben ate his burger. They left an hour later so they could return home and change for the night, walking together as they all lived on the same road. Connor and Cobalt, as it turned out, were cousins, despite the complete differences between the two, both in looks and mannerisms, and lived together at 18 Mill Road, a house both of their parents had bought for them when they had finished college. Connor was the same age as Ben and attended the same University that Ben would be starting that September while Cobalt was a year younger and had recently started work at his father’s Graphic Design agency. He hadn’t bothered with University.

 

“I’m not too smart, tha’s all,” he shrugged as they walked down Marling Avenue and took the third left, “I’m good at art and I like it, plus my dad’s got to offer me a job, no matter how much of a prick I am” he laughed.

 

“True, mate, very true,” Connor said as he slapped Cobalt on the back in agreement and Ben laughed.

 

They said goodbye as Ben reached his car and turned towards his front door. The others carried on towards the house they shared five doors down, shouting goodbyes over their shoulders. When he got inside, Ben quickly showered and got changed, choosing to wear a pair of jeans and a striped shirt from the bottom of his wardrobe. Connor and Cobalt knocked on his door just as he slid is phone and money into his front jeans pocket. They nodded at each other in greeting before setting off towards the road.

 

“Who’s driving?” Ben asked, hoping that it wouldn’t be him. Cobalt laughed and Connor slapped his back.

 

“Ah, you can always tell a Newbie from the pack,” Connor teased, laughing with Cobalt as Ben found himself feeling uncomfortable with the two for the first time. Connor steered them in the direction of the town square that they were in that afternoon and Ben followed, thinking whether he’d noticed any clubs there earlier. “You don’t really need a car around here; this place is too small.” Connor shrugged as they reached the end of Mill Lane.

 

“’Sides, parking ’sa B***h,” Cobalt stated, slurring his words again. Ben found himself wondering whether his speech got any worse when he was drunk.  It probably could, although Ben had a feeling it was just a case of laziness on his part.

 

They turned right at the end of Marling Avenue, heading in the opposite direction than to the town square and then turned left onto Court Street further on up the road. Court Street seemed to house more shops, but on their side of Town Road, the shops thinned and the only occupants became Restaurants, Bars and Clubs. The noise of clashing music became louder and louder as they neared and Ben could see flashing lights in the windows of buildings that looked as though they were once large houses or offices converted into what now stood. The only problem with the scene was that there were no people; nobody outside on the street, talking where the music was slightly quieter or smoking before they headed back inside. A few people were walking towards the clubs but none away and the blacked-out windows gave little away, allowing only for the faint impression of the lights flashing inside and a few cast shadows.

 

“Why are there so many?” Ben asked as he took in all of the different venues, “I’ve barely seen anyone our age all day!”

 

Cobalt and Connor exchanged a quick glance before shrugging indifferently and steering him towards The Royal, the club closest to them. “People save their energy, s’pose. They’ll be plenty of people, don’t worry,” Cobalt laughed, pushing Ben through the main door of the Royal down a crowded hallway that lead to two rooms. One room housed a bar, which was over flowing with people, and the other a dance floor that looked so full it was as if the people on it were all just one mass. Cobalt was right, there were plenty of people. Ben couldn’t believe there were even this many people in West View and couldn’t imagine other people came to this countryside village to party. He shrugged off his thoughts as he ordered a drink and stood with Connor and Cobalt as they surveyed the crowd.

 

The crowd was mainly under 25s, women wearing skimpy dresses and men dressed in much the same way as Ben and his friends. Cobalt soon took to the dance floor and Ben and Connor watched with amusement as he flirted, charmed and joked his way around, making his presence known to the ladies.

 

“Probably the most sentences he’s strung together all day,” Ben laughed as he watched Cobalt interact with a tall brunette in a blue dress on the outskirts of the crowd. Connor laughed and agreed, taking a hefty swig of his beer and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 

 

“Yeah, he’d not exactly renowned for his communication skills,” he laughed, leaning back against the bar, “although, she seems to be impressed,” he nodded towards the pair of them and they both laughed, watching the two of them dance in the snippets of illumination that the flashing lights allowed them.  

 

Not long after, Ben and Connor joined Cobalt in the mess of flailing bodies and they retired only when they were dangerously thirsty and completely worn out, some time later. They made their way to the bar and placed their orders, a repeat of the last, and leaned against the counter to rest. While they were waiting, a group of young men, probably all aged between 20 and 25, approached. They all looked very well dressed and well groomed, even with the effects of the night showing in their tousled hair and sweat coated skin and Ben saw Connor’s posture stiffen and Cobalt look the group up and down with a hostile interest. Ben made sure his face looked as expressionless as his friend’s did and prayed for no trouble.

 

A tall man who looked about 23 years old stepped up to Ben, offering his hand. He looked very sombre, with dark hair and dark rimmed glasses against pale skin but looked otherwise harmless. Ben looked him up and down cautiously as he introduced himself. “Graham Harper,” he said with confidence as his posse smirked behind him, “or Beyla, which ever you prefer.” Beyla? Ben thought, suppressing a smile. Graham - Beyla - nodded at Connor and Cobalt with the same hostility in which they regarded him.

 

Ben shook his hand, wanting to end this introduction - or was it a confrontation? He wasn’t quiet sure - as quickly as possible so he could get back to having a good time. “Ben Spencer,” he told Graham, shaking his hand firmly, hoping to convey confidence. Graham looked him up and down with a smirk but made no comment.

 

“Pleased to meet you,” he sneered, insincerely, “me and my friends here were just wondering whether you wanted to meet with us some time,” he said, nodding to the group standing behind him, causing Ben to raise an eyebrow, “it’s always useful to get to know some locals to show you around.”

 

Ben saw Connor turn his back on the group and lean against the bar and was surprised to see that Cobalt stayed put, drinking his beer and watching them intently. Ben nodded, knowing from Graham’s face and tone that this wasn’t really an offer. “Sometime, maybe.” 

Graham tweaked his smirk into a smile and nodded before he handed a business card with his number over to Ben. Ben took it and glanced at it briefly before shoving it into his pocket. There was a moment of icy eye contact before Graham smiled even wider and nodded at both Ben and Cobalt.

 

“We’ll see you then,” he sneered before turning on his heel and walking away, his group of ‘friends’ following after him, all shooting the three of them with dirty looks as they retreated. Ben thought they weren't so much 'friends' as they were 'backup'. 

 

Ben and Cobalt joined Connor leaning against the bar and each took a sip from their drink before Ben asked, “What the hell was that about?”

 

Cobalt and Connor both shrugged, looking down at their drinks. Ben had the feeling they knew something he didn’t. “They like to control, that’s all,” Connor shrugged. He seemed more reserved than he had all day.

 

“But wasn’t that a little Primary School? ‘You should be with us, not them’? What the hell?” Ben ranted, causing Cobalt to smile, “And what is with his name? Beyla? What kind of name is that?”

 

“Middle name,” Cobalt shrugged, smiling in amusement

 

“Wow, and I thought my parents had lost it when they came up with my middle name. But, seriously; Beyla?” Ben laughed and took another swig of his drink and was relieved to see that the mood had lifted between his two friends.

 

“Why, what’s yours?” Connor asked, turning to lean his back against the bar and looking out to the dance floor

 

Ben smiled, slightly ashamed, “Altair.”

 He expected a laugh from the two boys but he didn’t get one, which shocked him. His middle name had always been an amusing feat when he lived in London. But then again, ‘Cobalt’ wasn’t exactly a common name, and he seemed happy enough to use it as his first, completely disregarding his real name.

 

“Keen astronomers, then,” Connor smiled, drinking his beer. Ben shrugged and Cobalt laughed.

 

“Middle names are odd around here,” Cobalt said, knocking his shoulder to Ben’s, “Get used to it.”

 

Ben frowned, “Really?” He asked sceptically, “what’s yours, then?” he asked Connor when he nodded

 

“Hunter.” Connor told him, looking at Ben with a smile that said he was waiting for the laughter.

 

Ben suppressed a smile and knocked his shoulder to Connor’s, “Well, I’m not one to judge, right? I’m named after a freaking star and, as far as I know, my parents were never interested in astronomy.”

 

“Maybe it was a secret passion,” Cobalt suggested, smiling as he took another drink

 

“Maybe,” Ben agreed, laughing quietly.

 

They were silent for a few moments before Connor turned to Ben, suddenly serious. “Don’t trust people like them,” he said severely, nodding in the direction that Graham and his friends had gone, “people here, they approach new people; try to get them on their side. Don’t trust people like them.” He repeated. When Ben smiled he said, “I’m being serious, they’ll get you into all kinds of things. They’re bad news.” Ben looked to Cobalt so they could share an incredulous look but he looked just as serious.

 

“How do I know you’re not bad news, either?” Ben asked, becoming serious himself. For the second time that day, he felt uncomfortable around the two. He felt as though something was going on and he would have to stumble along blindly until he found out what. “You two approached me, too - what makes you so different from them?”

 

“Our Motives,” Cobalt replied coldly before putting down his drink and heading towards the dance floor. Connor followed suit, not saying anything else and, when he realised the subject was closed, Ben did too.

 

Author's Note

Yeah, it's slow starting, I know. BUT I had to kind of map it out...
In the next chapter everything will start to kick off :)

So... penny for your thoughts?