Commune

Sheets of rain streaked across the windscreen as Robbie Smith weaved through the winding country roads at a speed less than safe for his continued wellbeing. In his desperation he figured he needed a two or three hour head start on the police in order to avoid apprehension. He was well known in and around Inverness - petty theft , burglary , minor assault - mostly but he needed to escape the trap and armed robbery was a major step up for the delinquent. What did he have to stay for anyway? His dad disappeared a long time ago , mum chained-smoked her way through her nerves and what little money she had. Robbie's needs were greater than she could support. There was drugs but he had seen too many casualties , including his younger sister. He looked at the gun and the cloth bag of cash the cashier handed him at the bookmakers , nestled in the passenger seat. He swerved around the next bend and looked briefly at his phone for anything from his contact at the rendezvous.He looked back to the road and couldn't react in time. The black shape around the bend appeared just before he hit it and the car momentarily lifted off the road. It ploughed hard into a ditch and the world turned black.

His first sensation was a shooting pain across his temple as his eyes screwed and slowly opened. Through the bleary light his vision gently eased into focus and he was surrounded by stone , whitewashed cottage walls. 

'Ah ,thank the Lord you're finally awake,' a gentle voice intoned ,'I'll get some fresh water'. He looked around the room , an old fashioned hand basin , wooden table and wooden chairs , a wooden desk with a book opened in the middle. The friendly voice returned with a full glass which he gratefully accepted. She stroked the side of his face as his eyes met hers and he thought he was dreaming. Her pale skin and blue eyes , her long blonde hair curled in pretty ringlets framed her beautiful pure complexion , she wore a plain blue summer dress and white apron which triggered a vague memory of a cartoon character.  

   'Where am I? H-How long have I been here?'

   'You are home , my love. You never left , Adam,' she said , her lip trembling at his confusion.

   'Adam? I........my name's Robbie......'

   At that moment the doorway briefly darkened as a man entered the front door ,' Adam , you devil! You had us all worried there,'

   'Hello , Dr Black , I'm glad you've come. He just woke and I gave him water as you instructed. I don't think he recognises us , he says his name is....Robbie'

  'Hmmmmm. It's alright , Hannah , he's suffered a terrible trauma , it'll all come back in good time.' And to the patient ,' Your Adam Ross , your a crofter here at Brodick Estate , Hannah here is your wife'

  'A-Adam?Wife??' he repeated ,'What happened?' as he reached up to his head a strip of his hair had been shaved away and he felt a surgical wound and stiff stitches sticking up from it above his ear. As he took another sip of the water he became aware that the rod of pain across his temple dissolved.

     'Well , to the best of our knowledge , you were riding out in the fields outside the estate grounds , and as your mount galloped towards the low dyke , he stopped , pitched you forward and threw you head first into the wall. We found the horse wandering and set out to find you. You , were very lucky Adam , you could've been there a few hours and when we brought you back to the estate , and you hadn't regained consciousness , well , we discovered a bleed on the brain and had to operate rightaway.'

     'Estate? Operate? I really don't remember,' he said and slowly sat up and looked towards the door. As he turned to drop his legs to the floor , he noticed a drip line in his left arm hooked up to a drip and stand. He rose steadily , looked down at his blue and white striped pajamas , and ventured a step towards the door. His bare feet were cold on the stone floor , but his need to find recognition , something he remembered , was too great. As he entered the doorway holding the drip stand , crofters turned and he was met with a mixture of shocked faces and relief. One buxom lady clasped her hands praying and shuffled over to the dazed figure as she threw her arms around him ,'Oh , Adam , we've been beside ourselves with worry,' as he offered a thin smile. He looked around with a newborn's curiosity , his eyes fell an enormous , ornate horn , at least ten feet long , mounted at the mouthpiece and the curved base with wooden props. Adam , thought it looked like an enormous seashell and as he looked to the right he saw a large timber theatre stage and began to blink as images flickered in his mind.......... an ordered crowd lined symmetrically faced the stage, arms raised in exhaltation..........a priest figure onstage with a raised cup , Hannah stood onstage directly infront of the priest ...........the crowd hummed in hypnotic ceremony swaying as the horn emanated a low drone in harmony. 

    As Adam's consciousness drifted back a small crowd had gathered now and the familiar shape of Brodick Estate loomed in the distance. 

    'Lord Brodick will see you. When you are up to it , laddie. For now , you need to rest,' said Dr Black.

   That night he lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Something still felt missing , he couldn't recall the accident but recalled the ceremony , the horn , the grand estate. Hannah glided in beside him and lay on her side , arm across his chest and he blended into her welcome comfort. "I can't believe how good this water is,' as he swigged another mouthful. 'Lord Brodick thinks its ready for marketing and distribution,' Hannah said.

   'What do you mean?'

   "A bigger income stream for the estate and all of us in the community. Crofting has been good , the livestock the dairy products but Lord Brodick says the market is limited , and that  Brodick Estate mineral water could become nationwide. Makes more sense than crofting. Water is our sigil , after all?'

   'Our sigil?' Adam asked.

   'Aye , the water goddess , don't you remember? The water ceremony we do. Out in the paddock? We all line up and then go up to the stage , one at a time?'

   'Oh , is that what that is?' 

   'It'll all come back to you , I know it will' she said as she closed her eyes in their embrace. He stroked her hair and felt an uneven patch of bone on her head just above her ear.

   'Ah , we have twin scars. How did you get yours?' he asked.

   'Well , I don't remember either. But Dr Black said I tripped on a skipping rope at school.'

   'Hmmm , bit hard to sleep , with all this going on in my head.'

   Her hand reached further down beneath the eiderdown quilt , her finger tracing down the length of his body , as she said coyly ,'Maybe I can help you with that.'

     That night his sleep was disturbed by vivid dreams , the water ceremony , Dr.Black held the chalice high then placed it against Hannah's mouth as she drank , cloth banners with wave symbols furled in the background , the crowd were entranced arms raised again , a large bearded figure smiling , an immaculately dressed man with black hair telling Adam that .'water is the wellspring , it propagates all life on Earth , we must treasure it ,' as the entire crowd turned together and filed in unison in the opposite direction.

     The next morning he woke , temples thudding and drank deeply from the water canister at his bedside. He dressed quickly as the good Dr had removed the drip since he had regained consciousness. He then opened the heavy front door and strode out into the morning light, A burley man stood in the middle of the cobbled road and Adam remembered him from last night's dream - the large bearded figure smiling. Adam hesitated , then raised a finger in the man's direction and said 'Owen. Your Owen Morrison , aren't you?' To which the man replied ,'And you are a lucky bastard , Adam Ross!!' as he lifted Adam in a bear hug ,'So good to see you alive and well again , my friend! You're off to see his Lordship , I hear?'

'Aye. Aye , he wanted to see me when I was fit and well , apparently , so here goes.'

'Fit and well? You've still got a head like a Hallowe'en pumpkin , so nothing's changed , hey?'

The two laughed as Adam parted and continued walking out of the village and on to the long pathway to Brodick Castle Estate. The rose sandstone construction was beautifully bright , long rose chimney stacks adorned the roof. Ornate water shapes were carved in the stone on eight robust pillars which framed twenty foot wide window frames in each of the rooms. The impressive frontage was six stories high. A curved double stairwell wound up to the Estate entrance , one left and one right , each balustrade carved into rich winding wreath leaves as such that it looked like a Caesar's crown.

   Adam climbed the grand stone steps and as it wound round to the stone floor at the top , Dr.Black stood in the doorway , smiling , admiring his patients quick progress. 'You are a sight to behold , Adam , truly.'

  Adam smiled back and shook hands with the friendly doctor who reciprocated and gestured ,'Shall we?' as Adam stepped inside the entrance and the Dr accompanied him to another grand timber staircase within. Adam explained that his sleep was plagued with vivid images of people and ceremonies as he looked at the walls adorned with large oil paintings , framed in gold , presumably Brodicks of the past. The Dr explained that memory recall can happen in floods when the patient has been unconscious for several days. They reached the top of the stairs and a long wide marble floor opened up leading to large oak double doors with black iron door handles and as Adam walked under a large crystal chandelier , the base of a portrait above the door began to reveal. With each step the portrait revealed more and more detail , an immaculate black suit , a figure seated in an opulent leather chair , leaning forward , elbows on knees and as he cleared the chandeliers last dangling crystals , Adam stopped. It was an immaculately dressed man , neat black hair swept back , piercing brown eyes set in a sculpted linear face. 

'I saw this man,' Adam said.

The Dr paused , then said ,'Well , Adam. I may have a surprise for you,' as he turned the iron door handles , swung both heavy doors open and a figure stood there , back to them , dressed in black. He turned with quick grace and it was the same immaculately dressed man. 'Lord James Brodick , at your service,' said Dr Black.

After a lavish meal of venison in red wine jus , wild sauteed mushrooms and fat roasted winter veg , Adam became aware the three figures around him were all watching him intently , Lord Brodick at the head of the banquet table , Dr Black to Adam's left and an American man across from him , referred to only as Carter , Lord Brodick's assistant. 

'How is Hannah?' Lord Brodick asked.

Adam looked down at the table self consciously , remembering the romance of the night before and managed ,'She's well , happy I'm recovering.'

'What do you remember , Adam? Dr. Black filled me in there was some confusion and memory loss when you first woke but , its starting to come back?'

I think so - Hannah , Owen , the water festival , the horn.....'

'The water shrine , Adam.' Lord Brodick corrected ,'Water is our wellspring , it propagates all life on Earth,' he said.

Adam sat upright , recalling the dream , the words and nodded in recognition.

'Perhaps , you will be able to rejoin the crofters soon , light duties , of course.' said the stately Lord.

'Yes , I think I need something to keep me occupied,' said Adam.

   'Dr Black will see you back to your cottage , Adam , but would you mind waiting outside for a moment,' and with that , Adam rose , nodded to the gentlemen still seated and walked the length of the banquet table only turning to draw the oak doors closed behind him.

    'He seems to be coming round , gentlemen. I just can't help but feel he's still not quite at ease with it all. Carter , you disposed of all the evidence?'

    'His possessions and clothes were incinerated in the furnace , the car towed and compounded at the scrapyard , sir. What about the Agency , sir , they are expecting me to report back to them and........'

    Lord Brodick raised his hand to censor his assistant and pointed towards Dr.Black. 'Escort him back to his quarters , we'll run a full test tonight , then you can report back to the Agency , Carter. Good enough?'

    Both men nodded agreement.

  Later that day , Adam sat in the lounge looking out at the croft village , restless. Clearly , Brodick estate was a remote community , the grounds expanded twenty miles in each direction , there were no roads or motorised vehicles so it really was perfectly isolated. But remote communities tended to be one ethnicity , yet there were Indian , Chinese , Jamaican , and a mixture of Scottish and English accents. The American man at the castle lingered in Adam's mind , and he couldn't fathom why he hadn't seen any children anywhere in the village.

     Suddenly , the loud horn sounded continuously and Adam rose involuntarily and began walking through the door quickly followed by Hannah. They strode in unison commanded by the horn and crofters began emerging from their cottages and filing into lines as they strode mechanically towards the woods in the distance eyes staring directly ahead , unblinking and silent. As Dr Black blew on the instrument , Lord Brodick watched from a top floor window. He marvelled at the structured formation of the marching villagers and the faint red glow where the implant had been fitted in each one. Carter had been dispatched to the stark white laboratory beneath the castle where he observed the villagers via strategic CCTV and modified the life narrative which would be transmitted and downloaded to each villagers implant each night as they slept. The villagers would return from the woods with a satchel of freshly picked mandrake , nightshade , jimsonweed , belladonna and fly agaric , all potent hallucinogens which maintained the villagers mildly trance-like state and provided a conduit for the Agency's indoctrination.

Dr Black continued the macabre ritual as villagers returned with herb satchels and slipped the strap over a post. Black would then provide them to Carter to concoct the mixture for the crofters waters supply. The villagers walked into their cottages , reclined on the bed mechanically and closed their eyes. As the red glow in their heads extinguished the entire village plunged into the deepest , darkest sleep.

Adam rose early the next morning and set out to the stables. He wanted to settle into his old routine as soon as possible and began with mucking out the stables. He raked the old , filthy hay out and shovelled new fresh hay in. Owen helped him lift the refuse up on to a cart as his horse drew it round to the furnace at the back.

'You jump in their and I'll shovel this lot in' Owen said as Adam took the rake from him and hopped up into the enormous concrete furnace. He would rake the hay over to the warm dormant ashes and the fire would revitalise. As he waited , he flicked residue , unburnt paper , envelopes , even small bones into the ashes. His eye fell on a sackcloth with charred paper inside. As he lifted it up , the sackcloth spilled fragments of ten pounds notes and Adam started gasp for breath and dizziness engulfed him. He dropped to the concrete floor , breathing heavily as it all flooded back - Inverness , the bookies , the driving rain.........the accident. He began to convulse violently until the world was black once more.

His eyes opened briefly in a bright white room and he was strapped to a hospital gurney. 'We have no choice , you know what we must do , Dr Black.' said Lord Brodick , dismayed and agitated. 'Carter , you get on reprogramming the narrative.'

Both men nodded solemnly , Dr .Black now adorned in a green surgical smock and mask.

He walked slowly and uncertainly in off the street and slumped against the police station's reception desk. He was smartly dressed with neat hair.

'Can I help you?' the desk sergeant said.

'I don't know. I came here. I had to , I think. I don't remember' he managed.

'Lets start with your name,' the bemused officer said.

'Robbie Smith,' he said.

The officer paused. 'Well , we've a warrant for your arrest. It appears we've been looking for you in connection with a robbery last month...........'