The order of Valpaylon

“Do you really have to name the place after June?” Her mum asked, crossing her chest.

“Yes, I do. I think she’d would have loved it.” Tina said.

“It feels like a bad omen.”

“How can my sister’s memory be a bad omen?” She shot back.

“Because of me.” Her mother simply stated.

A wave of guilt crashed over Tina; she decided to let it drop. The disappearance of her younger sister June had caused her mother to withdraw completely. She had spent years blaming herself. When it got too much Tina left for London, her mother had retired in the little costal village of Sandham.

Through long conversations over the phone, they had rekindled their relationship. When Tina told her she wanted to move down to Sandham and open a second hand book shop her mother’s usual supportiveness waivered. She had hoped with her being close and with a big passion project her mother may regain some of her old exuberance. All she had done so far was tell her how much of a bad idea it all was.

“The locals, they’re a lonely folk, don’t care for outsiders.”

“Nothing like a good book when you’re lonely, hey? Besides I’m not an outsider anymore.” Tina tried.

Her mum shook her head at that, stacking up dusty books under a table now that every available surface was full.

“Of course you are, I’m still an outsider here.”

Tina sank into one of the cozy nook chairs, letting out a deep sigh. She may not like it, but her mum was right. When she first opened, she had a fantasy in her head. Mostly chatting about Agatha Christie’s whilst selling a few books here and there. In the week she’d been open she’d had three people enter the store. Only one had made a purchase.

“Starting to get dark outside, suppose we should just close up.” Tina lamented.

“Let’s give it till six, ok love. I’ll make some tea.” Her mum asked.

As mum headed off round the back, Tina eyes were drawn to the mould spot just above her head. Cozy indeed, she thought. Perhaps she should have waited a few months, got involved with the local community, driven up some hype. Although in this sleepy town “hype” was the wrong word.

She was shaken from her worries by the loud “tring” of the door. She shot up with a smile, ready to serve before letting her shoulders drop.

“Keep it casual.” She told herself.

She looked out from behind a bookshelf; her heart skipped a beat. It was a uniformed police officer. The giant of a man shifted his weight from each foot, looking around.

“Hello?” He boomed.

“Yes, hi, can I help you officer?” Tina asked, coming out from the reading nook.

“Yes, good afternoon, I need to speak with you about a purchase.”

“I see. Any specific purchase?”

She only had the one since the grand opening, but she thought the officer didn’t need to know that.

“A young woman came in yesterday she might have been looking for a book– a local history book?”

“Yes, I recall now. She was in here most of the morning pouring through all our stock, looking for… let me think. The ordering…”

“The order of Valpaylon?” the officer asked.

When Tina nodded his face turned a shade paler. He looked oddly dishevelled for a policeman; his chin was in desperate need of a shave.

“I’m going to need to see your surveillance footage from yesterday, as soon as possible.”

Tina looked up at the old camera. It had been left to gather dust by the previous owner. Her mum reappeared from the kitchen, two steaming mugs close to overflowing in her hands. Catching sight of the colossal policeman, she froze.

“It’s alright mum, he just needs the surveillance footage from yesterday. Did we get round to setting it up?” Tina asked, know full well she had forgotten to.

Her mum stared at the officer aghast. Tina took the two mugs off her and set them down on a book pile, wetting the covers. Her mum pulled out her phone and retreated to the back.

“I don’t think we have any footage,” Tina said. “Although I think I have one more copy of it if I remember.” Tina left the till and began to flick through a box of local history books the young girl had been so interested in. Disturbing the dusty books caused Tina’s nose to itch, she held in a sneeze. The second to last book she found was thin and leather bound, its pages curling at the edges. Across the front in small black letters were “The order of Valpaylon.”

“Ahh got the bugger!”

Tina held the book aloft. The officer crossed the room, snatching it from her hand. He rifled through the pages whilst Tina dusted herself off.

Rude, she thought.

She headed back to the till, leaving the officer to examine the book.

The shopkeepers bell rang behind her. Tina turned around to see the shop empty and the book gone.

“Look after the till!” Tina shouted over to her mum.

She burst out the shop scanning the seafront for any sign of the policeman. The only thing in sight was her trusty, mustard yellow Volkswagen camper parked out front. She rounded the shop corner catching sight of him.

“Officer my book!” Tina shouted.

She paused as he tossed his police gear into the open boot of a white Jaguar.

“You’re not a cop… are you?”

He hesitated just long enough to confirm Tina’s suspicions before ducking into the driver’s seat. Her gut made the first move. She darted back around the corner, scrambling for the Volkswagen keys as the white Jag sped past, missing the wing mirror by an inch.

Her mother was in the shop doorway, calling after her.

“Tina please!”

After a few tries, the camper coughed into life.

“You beauty!” she cried. “Premium petrol from now on!”

Even with her foot down the needle on the camper’s odometer barely crept past forty. If it wasn’t for the straight seafront road she’d have lost him. A half mile ahead, were the main road ended, Tina spotted a dust cloud streaking toward the old lighthouse. The only thing down there besides the lighthouse was an abandoned boat store.

Tina turned off a few minutes behind him. The van strained and groaned up the steady incline, the camper’s terrible suspension made her feel every stone and pothole. Her phone rang, most likely mum asking her what the hell she was doing.

At the foot of the lighthouse the dirt cloud kicked up by the jaguars’ tyres settled. As soon as the camper was insight Tina wrenched the handbrake up and got out.

“Hey?!” She shouted.

He ignored her, searching through his car boot he took out a pair of bolt cutters then striding over to one of the overturned row boats.

“Hey officer, want me to call the real police? How about you pay for that?”

With the rowboats chain in the teeth of his bolt cutter, Tina hesitated. All her righteous fury had turned to fear seeing the look in the man’s eyes. It wasn’t anger, more desperation. He dug about in his pocket producing a crumpled twenty-pound note and held it out to her. Tina took it from his shaking hands.

“Are you stealing this boat?” She asked.

“It’s an emergency.”

He clamped down hard and the cutters bit through the rusted chain.

“What emergency? I’ll call the police.” Tina had got her phone out dialling when the man shook his head.

“You’ll have no more luck than I did.”

He used the bolt cutters to point out to sea, around two miles out was Hermitage Island. A moss-covered rock no more than twelve acres. She had asked her mum about it once. They had taken a walk down the seafront together when she noticed it on the horizon. Her mum said there used to be twin churches, one in the town and one on the island. It had been home to Benedictine monks for a time until an illness swept through it. Ever since the island had been left to the sea.

“Why are you going out there?” She said.

He toppled the boat upright and began to drag it to the waters edge, Tina ran forward blocking his path.

“You’re going to answer me.”

He stopped for a moment, struggling to focus his red rimmed eyes on her.

“Why are you dressed like that?” Tina asked.

“Miss, you need to take your mother, close up shop and leave this town by tonight.”

He carried on dragging the boat etching lines in the dirt behind him. Tina was left with an open mouth and a dozen questions. He slipped, tearing his trousers and opening a cut on his leg. He grunted in pain before picking himself up. Tina took out her phone and dialled.

“Mum, I think something strange is happening on Hermitage Island. I’m not sure what to do.”

She anticipated frantic warnings but instead her mum spoke in a soft, quivering voice.

“Valpaylon’s waters aren’t to be stirred, darling. Don’t go out there. The place is a bad omen.”

“Mum?”

The line went dead. Tina was in shock. Valpaylon’s waters, what the hell did those words mean? The familiar guilt crawled up into the back of her throat. She had left her mother to suffer alone for too long whilst away in London. She just wanted the woman who raised her and her sister back, they had a bond her friends used to envy.

“Andrea… my sister,” she heard the fake cop say. “She was in your shop yesterday. A few months ago, I started getting calls from her in the middle of the night. She says she must become a bride of Valpaylon. She sounded scared. She’s always struggled with her mental health, I thought she was safe at home. Two days ago, I get a call from my parents telling me she ran away.”

“You think she’s out there?” Tina asked.

He nodded.

“I just spoke to my mum. She sounded scared. Do you think she’s in danger?”

“That island has a secret history, a dark one. My sister is not going to be a part of it.” He kept his voice low and steady. “I don’t know if you or your mum are in danger. I not here to uncover some conspiracy, I just want to bring her back.”

Tina slid her phone back into her pocket, the waves of fear grew higher and colder, crushing her. If her mum felt she was in danger, why hadn’t she ever said anything? There were no secrets, no fears between them. Until June’s disappearance.

Tina walked around to the other side of the boat, grabbed hold of it and braced herself.

“Ok,” she told him. “We’re going.”

“I’m Mark. I really am a police officer.”

“Tina.”

Together they hauled the boat to the water, its hull broke the surface with a blunt thud. Tina kept it steady for Mark as he climbed inside. He winced as he sat down, taking hold of the oars. She wasn’t sure she trusted him, she believed what he had said about his sister but the fear that coiled in her chest told her to stay alert. Mark gave her a nod and began to row them both out to Hermitage Island.

The boat rocked through the choppy water as the solitary island grew closer. At the far edge Tina could see an outline of a dilapidated church. It had four walls all weathered by salt and wind but no roof, leaving its inside exposed to the elements.

Tina looked over to Mark, his gaze was fixed at the small wooden dock ahead of them. Tied up to the rotting dock were row boats just like there’s. Tina counted under her breath, at least a dozen of them.

“Not so abandoned then.” Mark said through clenched teeth.

They tied up their boat alongside the others, thinking it would be less conspicuous than trying to hide it on such a small place. As soon as they’d docked Mark was out of the boat and hobbling toward the decrepit church.

“Wait!” Tina hissed, catching him up.

“She’s in there I can feel it.”

Tina felt her panic rising as Mark left her behind, she knew he was past listening to reason with his sister so close. She marched behind him saying a little prayer under her breath and wishing she could tell her mum just how afraid she was.

As they got closer a high feint note could be heard on the wind. It began to grow louder and clearer as it took shape. A high whimpering chant that pierced the ears and seeped through the body. The obscure warbling rattled her bone deep, like a knife wielding maniac telling her to stay calm. Mark clamped his hands over his ears.

“Mark, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” he barked.

Tina stepped up behind him and placed a hand on his hunched shoulder. He whipped round. Pitch-black eyes met hers. Then he blinked and they were his again.

“Mark… your eyes.”

“It’s ok were here.”

They crept alongside the church wall looking for a way to see inside. Just ahead of them Tina spotted a crumbled window, it’s stained glass long since lost to the sea. She touched Mark’s shoulder and pointed at it. Without hesitation, he dug his fingers and boot into the uneven brick, hauling himself up, leaving his cut leg to dangle.

“I can see an altar in the centre… People in robes…” Mark trembled before letting go of the wall.

“It’s her, she’s inside, I saw her!”

He pushed past Tina, moving toward the entrance.

“Mark listen!”

“No, I’m going in.”

Tina grabbed hold of him, pushing the frantic man against the wall. He shoved her to the side; she lashed out with a kick to his cut shin. He sank to the ground, clutching his leg, a look of pure shock on his face.

“Mark, you’re not going to save her acting like James bloody Bond! We go back to the mainland. We call the police, get helicopters, light this place up.”

“I’m not leaving,” he declared.

“I know what is like to feel a sister slipping away. I had one, her name was June.”

There was a pause. Beneath the sounds of the chanting Tina could hear waves break over the sandstone.

“What happened to her?” He asked

“She disappeared, Tina said. “She was fifteen, we had search parties, dogs, news conferences… but found no trace.” She bent down to look him in the eye. “We know where your sister is, and we can bring her help. We’re wasting precious time.”

Mark nodded. Tina pulled him too his feet. The fear on his face made him look vulnerable for the first time, something she imagined such an imposing man wasn’t used to. She offered to help him as they walked back alongside the church wall, but he refused, limping through the pain alone.

They rounded the corner and recoiled as a wave of heat hit them. A raging inferno burst from the docks. The boats were engulfed by the leaping flames; black smoke billowed into the night sky as timber cracked and hissed. At the shoreline figures in robes rejoiced, there torches held high as the flames destroyed the only way off the island.

Then came the blast of a great horn, all other sound swallowed by its repulsive echo.