The
Storyteller's Book
The
Chronicles of Midway Book 1
by
Kevin Fleming
Genre:
SciFi Fantasy
“
… you
must realise and accept, neither me, your mum, nor either of you are
human.”
Nick
and Mel are 14 year old twins living normal lives with their parents.
When they discover an ancient book in their attic and read from it,
strange events begin to happen around them. Something has been
awakened which prompts their parents to take them away to a town
called Midway where they reveal to the twins that they are not human.
They had been hidden on Earth, brought up as though they were human,
awaiting the right moment for the truth to be told.
When
their parents mysteriously disappear on their first night away, they
are forced to discover for themselves what their roles are in the new
lives they’ve been thrown into. They struggle alone as they try to
understand and balance their past human lives with their alien
destiny. When the book they discovered at their home is stolen, it
falls on the twins to recover it. The book has a lot more power than
they realised, and if they fail, it will not be they who suffer, but
the whole human race.
Along
the way, they meet an array of characters, some will become friends,
some will become enemies, who can they trust? For now, they can trust
only each other.
Far below, and for as far as they could see into the distance, pushing through the mist, was not countryside, but the enormous curve of the Earth itself. You weren’t supposed to be able to see the curve of the Earth horizon unless you were very high above the surface; they’d learned that fact from Mr Schober in school during one of the times he’d been diverted from his lesson plan. So it couldn’t be just an extension of the hill they were stood upon that sloped off miles towards the horizon. That was the Earth, the planet Earth, detached from where they stood, floating and turning ever so slowly on its axis. As incredible as it was, Nick and Mel were not on the surface of that planet, but looking down from somewhere detached. They were somehow high above, and yet here they stood on fresh moist grass, breathing warm sea air. How could they be looking down on the Earth? Especially as they’d arrived here with their parents … in a car!
The
Mines of Kothkish
The
Chronicles of Midway Book 2
When
Sebastian, the brother of their friend Celeste is abducted by the
rogue faction known as The Malum-Atra, twins Nicholas and Melandra
Wigg are first in the queue to help the Shreen Angels in their quest
to find and rescue the unfortunate victim.
As
the situation escalates and the full extent of the danger to Midway
and the whole human race is revealed, Nick and Mel face a race
against time to locate where Sebastian is held.
Do
the Mines of Kothkish with their glowing caverns of billions of
precious stones hold the answer to the mystery of Sebastian’s
location? What role does Elaine, the human girl with the unusual
gifts have to do with finding the abducted Shreen Angel? And what is
the secret that has been hidden in Little Meesden for two hundred
years?
Find
out as we meet friends and foe, old and new, as once again Nick and
Mel fight for the survival of the human universe.
From
facing evil snow creatures to diving into lakes of fire, share in the
exciting adventures of Nick and Mel in the second of the Chronicles
of Midway series, The Mines of Kothkish.
A fluorescent light flickered into life as Glynwidden flipped the switch. It looked like a typical cellar that no-one ever went in except to dump some old washing machine or rusty bike or broken lawn mower. The cellar was so cluttered with all sorts of old, broken, rusting objects, there was hardly any room to walk.
“See they’ve cleaned this place up a bit,” said Glynwidden.
“You mean it was worse than this?” Mel asked, in surprise.
“You should’ o’ seen the place, full o’ Midway technology, they couldn’t leave it for anyone to stumble across, not that I’d ‘ave let ‘em, nobody gets pas’ me.”
Nick looked around trying to spot something that looked like a portal, but he saw nothing apart from four brick walls and a load of rubbish. “So how do we get to Midway from here?”
“Follow me, Me Lord.” Glynwidden beckoned them as he pushed past some tangled metal and walked between two work benches to stand facing the wall. “D’you see this brick wall ‘ere?”
The twins edged closer. “Yes,” they answered.
“All you ‘ave to do is ignore it’s there.” Glynwidden stepped into the wall and disappeared.
Nick and Mel looked at each other. “It’s a portal!”
Glynwidden poked his head through and looked at them. “No it’s not, it’s a screen. Come on, what you waitin’ for?” He disappeared again.
Nick and Mel bumped into each other trying to get there first. It was Mel who won the race reaching the wall and disappearing from sight. As soon as she’d gone, Nick followed, emerging in another dimly lit room where Mel and Glynwidden stood next to each other.
It wasn’t really a room, it was more like a mini quayside inside four walls with a roof. Apart from the narrow paved area on which they stood, the rest of the room was full of choppy water with a small wooden rowing boat bobbing about on it.
“Why is there a boat in the cellar?” asked Nick.
“You’re not expected to swim to Midway, Me Lord,” Glynwidden answered, placidly.
“But there’s no way out,” protested Nick. “What’s the point of having a boat …”
“Nick,” said Mel, sternly, “you’ve just walked through a solid brick wall, is it beyond the bounds of possibility that one of these walls is another screen?”
“Oh, I never thought.”
“You’re right, Me Lady, that’s the way to get to Midway.” He pointed across at the far wall. “Through that screen’s an ‘idden portal.”
“Doesn’t it need oars to move it?” Nick asked, sheepishly, noticing there were none.
“You jus’ get in an’ it takes you.”
“Why didn’t the investigators find this place?” Nick asked.
“They were lookin’ for ‘ow the previous Lady o’ the Lodge got to Midway an’ back all the time, but they didn’t find this place.”
“Why didn’t you tell them?” Mel was curious.
“Never asked me, that’s why. Told me to keep out o’ their way, so I did,” Glynwidden said, holding his head up proudly.
Nick and Mel laughed. “Good on you, Glynwidden.”
“Disrespect gets you nowhere, not wi’ me it don’t.”
“You don’t mind if we use this boat then?”
“Not at all, Me Lady, it’s not for my use; you already know I’m always ‘ere, never leave the place.”
Mel looked at Nick. “Are you ready for this?”
“D’you think we should go without telling anyone?”
“Glynwidden knows.”
“But what about Mum and Dad?”
“We’re supposed to give that message to Alioth. We’re meant to get involved, Nick, isn’t one of us meant to become the custodian of Midway? We can’t be afraid to take chances.”
Nick looked at Mel for a moment, then, deciding she was right, stepped into the boat which wobbled, so he quickly sat down. Mel cautiously followed her brother stepping a little more carefully into it which caused another lesser wobble due to Nick’s weight stabilising it a little. She sat down opposite him.
“Now what?” Nick asked, looking at Glynwidden.
At that moment the boat, of its own accord moved smoothly away from the narrow landing towards the far wall. “How do we get back?” Mel called to Glynwidden.
“Same way as you’re goin’ Me Lady, in the boat.”
The boat lined itself up to head directly towards the dark brick wall. Nick had his back to the direction it was moving so he turned around to get a better view. Instinctively he braced himself for the bump, but instead, the front of the boat passed smoothly through the wall as though there was nothing there. Mel saw her brother disappear along with the front of the boat before she too passed through.
The
Warlords of Shreen
The
Chronicles of Midway Book 3
Nicholas
and Melandra Wigg have already met Hadad, the only warlord still at
large, but now they are faced with a plot to release the other three
warlords trapped within collectors.
When
Nick and Mel enter the dream room, a story of great tragedy, loss and
regret is revealed as they discover Malvern, once a colleague of
Rufus, is behind the terror that is the Malum-Atra. Insane with fear
and hatred of the human race, he is searching for a way to open the
collectors, thus unleashing the warlords upon the world.
What
does the secret of Meesden House and the tragic history of the old
railway house have to do with preventing Malvern’s evil
plans?
Join
Nick and Mel in this story of redemption and second chances as they
continue their quest to fulfil their destiny in The Warlords of
Shreen, the third book of The Chronicles of Midway series.
The door to the dream room creaked open and quiet footsteps walked in. The twins remained on their backs but turned their heads to see who’d entered, already sensing it would be Rufus.
“I take it the dream room has completed its story.” His sombre tones acknowledging the effect it had had on the twins.
“Why?” Mel asked, calmly.
Rufus looked down at her.
“Why?” she asked again more forcefully.
“Melandra?”
She jumped to her feet and stood unsteadily as she regained her balance. “Why does it have to happen this way, Rufus?” She spread out her arms inviting answers.
“No-one said it would be easy.”
“Not easy?” She looked at the old man, tears of anger and exhaustion in her eyes. “I can think of ways to describe it other than … not easy.”
“Melandra, we are in the midst of a struggle that has gone on for thousands of years to lift the human race to its feet. You and your brother, whether you like it or not, have vital roles to play. The fact that Midway has chosen to show you so much is proof that this is the way it is meant to be.”
Nick was now standing beside his sister. “If we didn’t go back in time to save Douglas, what would happen?”
“He would die when the bullet hits his heart. He would not return home. He would not marry Eleanor. The four children would not be born. Three of the warlords would not be captured. All four warlords would wreak havoc, resulting in the destruction of humankind. Malvern and his Malum-Atra would succeed. The universe, this universe would cease its existence as no life would remain in it and …” He sighed and looked pleadingly at Nick and Mel. “You know that is not the way it is meant to be.”
The twins stood defiantly before Rufus looking him in the eye but saying nothing.
He made one final plea. “The human world is once again reaching out to you.”
The twins took a last look at Rufus, and knowing what they had to do, walked past him through the door leaving the old man alone in the dream room.
Carnival
of the Otherworld
The
Chronicles of Midway Book 4
Join
Nicholas and Melandra Wigg in one more exciting adventure as they
come up against Natasha Moon, Malvern’s evil accomplice, who
together lead the Malum-Atra’s desperate final attempt to destroy
the human universe.
How
would the humans react if Midway was revealed to them?
How
would Midway’s lethal automated defence system respond to an Earth
attack?
Nick
and Mel are faced with these frightening questions and even more
horrifying answers as they do battle with sea spiders, Shreen demons
and the ancient Defender of Midway.
What
were the startling events of several years earlier that unknowingly
affected the lives of many humans in Little Meesden? What was the
tragedy that befell Celeste’s mother? Will Nick and Mel finally
come face to face with their destiny?
Find
out, as these and many more secrets are revealed in Carnival of the
Otherworld, the final book of the series, The Chronicles of Midway.
Although Nick was receiving more information than he’d heard before of Celeste and the race of angels, more questions seemed to be dropping into his head. “How much do you know about me and Mel?”
Celeste turned to Nick with a questioning look. “With what regard?”
“This whole destiny we’re supposed to have. We were brought here suddenly and told the time of our calling was upon us, that we had a destiny to fulfil. Are we really supposed to become custodian or warden, or whatever it is, as people seem to suggest? If so, when? Does your father know the answers? Because if he brought all the Shreen angels back at the same time as we came, he must know more about us than we know ourselves.”
“I have asked my father many times about you and about all that is meant to happen,” Celeste replied, “but his answers are vague. I do not believe he is hiding information from me, but the more likely explanation is that he doesn’t know exactly what is to happen.”
“It’s so frustrating knowing there’s so many secrets.”
“Calling them ‘secrets’ implies people are keeping information from you, but I do not think that is the case.”
Nick gave a long sigh. “I wish I could open up a set of wings and fly like you.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, maybe so I could escape for a while and be free from all these problems … questions … secrets.”
“I find no freedom in flying, Nicholas.”
“You must do.”
“Why do you think I fly in the middle of the night? I have already told you: because my father forbids me to open my wings in this universe, I must fly without his knowledge.”
“I know. But just to have that ability must be fantastic.”
Celeste stayed silent.
“I can understand Alioth’s concern if he lost his wife, he doesn’t want to lose you the same way.”
“Now you are beginning to sound like him, Nicholas,” Celeste teased.
The two smiled at each other.
In the far distance beyond the silhouetted shape of the castle, the sky was showing its first signs of morning light, but Nick’s eyes were beginning to feel heavy. He pulled his dressing gown tightly around him.
“I think it is time for me to return to the angels’ suite,” Celeste said, sadly.
“I’m sorry I disturbed your flight.”
“There is no need to apologise, Nicholas, I enjoyed speaking with you. I do not often have the opportunity to speak of my own family.”
Kevin
Fleming was born and still lives in Liverpool. He worked for a large
telecoms company for over twenty years before leaving to run his own
business for a further fifteen years.
Having
written short or incomplete stories on and off all his life, he
believes now is the time to put his full commitment into writing more
seriously. Since 2012, he has devoted his time to writing and has
completed a four part sci/fi, fantasy series aimed at ages from 11
years old and upwards, called ‘The Chronicles of Midway’.
He
is mainly interested in writing supernatural, science fiction and
fantasy novels that would appeal to young and old alike. Currently he
is working on another series that would combine all these genres.
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