October 2030
–Liz, have we got the stuff ready for the weekend?†Dave called across the hall.
–Yeah, I think so,†she replied, rummaging through the cardboard box. –We might want to see if we can get any more fake blood, though.â€
It was five days before Hallowe’en and they had finally managed to find the box of old costumes from previous years.
–I’ll add it to the list,†Dave said, grinning.
–What, the one we’re giving to Casper?†Liz asked, raising her eyebrows. She had short purple hair reaching to just below her right ear, with a fringe that was swept sideways.
–That’s the one. The things we want to spend our Christmas budget on: a Jacuzzi, a sports car, our own personal helicopter…â€
–…a pet chimpanzee, a private island, a rocket ship…†Liz joined in, trying not to giggle.
–What’s this?â€
The door had opened and a young man walked in, pen out and held over a tatty notebook already full of tiny, scribbled figures and complex adding up. The other two burst out laughing and he just looked at them, realising the joke had gone over his head but grinning anyway.
–Can we get any more fake blood, Cas?†Liz asked. –The stuff from last year has gone all weird and mouldy.â€
Casper came over to her and looked at it.
–Yeah, I think so. It depends on how many kids we’ve got for the night, how much food we’re getting in…â€
–And by food, I assume you mean sweets?†Dave called. Casper nodded with a smile.
–Yep, absolutely,†he answered. He flipped to a slightly less full page in his notebook and added ‘fake blood (?)’ to the list.
–We’ll need spider webs as well,†Liz pointed out. –They went down really well last year.â€
Casper bit his lip. Liz looked at him.
–Not doable?†she asked.
–It should be,†Casper said. –I’m just aware that the stuff from last year was one use only. I’m going to try and find some stuff that’ll last for more than one Hallowe’en, so it depends on whether or not I find it.â€
Liz nodded. This time of year was always difficult for funds; themed decorations and the like for Hallowe’en and Christmas needed to vary to a certain extent to keep the interest up, and that cost money. But they got a lot of donations around Christmas time, too, so it normally balanced out in the end.
–I think for next year we need to try and get hold of Christmas and Hallowe’en stuff in May or something,†Dave suggested. –It’ll be going cheaper.â€
Casper nodded in agreement and made a note of it. Then he closed the notebook and put his pen in his pocket, sitting down on a nearby chair and relaxing back, fighting a yawn.
–I am -†he started to say, but the yawn won. –I am,†he started again, –absolutely knackered.â€
–You’ve been working too much,†said Liz. –Again.†She reinforced this by staring at him disapprovingly. Casper looked repentant for a moment, but when Liz turned to move the cardboard box he rolled his eyes jokingly. Dave laughed, and Liz turned back and stuck her tongue out at him.
–What are we doing about dinner tonight?†Liz asked. Casper shrugged.
–I’ll go out and get us some fish and chips if you fancy it,†he suggested. The other two agreed and a few minutes later Casper was outside in the cold, walking briskly with his thin jacket done up to his chin, his hands shoved in his pockets.
He aimed for the fish and chips place around the corner, but it was closed for refurbishment, as Casper remembered on approach. He groaned in annoyance. Where was the next closest one?
He decided to find it and get something from there instead, so he changed direction and headed back up the street passing The Friendly Ghost and turning left at the crossroads. He had nearly reached it - it was only on the parallel street - and was cutting through a little alleyway that joined the two streets together when someone stepped out from behind the recycling bins in front of him. They stood, silhouetted by the streetlight behind them, and Casper decided he could go around the long way. He turned and started to walk back, but two more figures were at the entrance to the alley that he had come from. Casper hesitated, uncertain. It could be nothing. Coincidence.
The sceptical part of his mind that was used to keeping him alive pointed out that this was extremely unlikely. Phone! it said. Call Liz, tell her where you are!
He reached into his pocket and took it out, trying to look casual. Nonchalantly, he thumbed through the contacts until he hit Liz’s name, and pressed the call button. He raised the phone to his ear. It rang once.
Then again.
Then a third time.
Just as Casper felt the edges of fear approaching, he heard the click as she picked up.
–Casper?†she asked.
He was about to respond when something hit him around the back of the head. He fell to his knees, the phone skidding away across the rough surface, screen still lit up, out of reach. He barely had time to recover from that and register that the three figures were now very, very close before a foot lashed out, catching him hard in the stomach.
The next few minutes were not the most painful in Casper’s life, but they came fairly close. After the three muggers had left, taking Casper’s wallet and phone with them, he lay on his side, arm at an unpleasant angle, lip bleeding and head spinning. Trying to focus as the rain started to fall, Casper called out, as loud as he could manage with the pain in his ribs. ‘Help’ seemed a good, logical way to go, and he was thankful that within a few minutes he heard voices from not too far away. He raised his voice even more, determined to be heard but scared to move for fear of aggravating his arm, which hurt violently as it was partially crushed under his torso.
After a few more minutes the voices faded away again. No one had heard him, or if they had they had ignored him. Casper closed his eyes in despair but then opened them again quickly. He didn’t want to pass out here; it was freezing and dark and there was a reasonable chance that he wouldn’t be stumbled upon for hours.
He took as deep a breath as he could bear and called out again and again. Someone will hear. Someone will come. Of course they will…
It was fifteen more minutes before he heard footsteps in the alleyway, by which point he was soaked through to the bone.
–I know it’s late, sweetheart, but I’m not far from home, I’ll just - oh my god!â€
The woman rushed over towards him and crouched down carefully, her umbrella in one hand, phone in the other, bag slung over her shoulder. She looked at Casper, who tried not to cough as he spoke.
–Ambulance… please…†he croaked out, wincing as the pain in his ribs flared up again. She nodded slowly, then blinked as if realising the emergency.
–Sorry, sweetie. I’m fine, but I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back later.†She hung up without waiting for a response and dialled again. Three digits, Casper counted. Nine-nine-nine.
The ambulance arrived within minutes - or possibly hours. Casper wasn’t entirely sure, because through the dizziness sweeping across his mind it was difficult to judge. But then there were sirens in the distance, and then the sound of a vehicle backing part of the way up to the entrance of the alleyway. Casper smiled in relief as he heard practised voices and steady footsteps. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was the face of a young paramedic leaning over him with dusty brown hair and a reassuring smile. And nice eyes, Casper thought vaguely. Very nice eyes…
~
The day of Review dawned clear and cool. By evening the venue was flooded with guests, press and performers. Sitting back in their comfortable seats, they watched those musicians who had just started to draw attention to themselves give all they could on the stage, knowing that a favourable report now would do them more good than just regular publicity. There were the new acts, nervous but determined; the returning acts promising change or more; and a few old favourites who were showing off their plans for the year.
Members of Ginny’s old group, Mixed Blood, were scattered around the audience. Jack and Midge settled into their seats, flicking through their programmes. Ginny and Harry were a few rows over, and Chris, Jamie and Andy and his family sat in the row in front of Jack. The others hadn’t made it - Piper had a family event she couldn’t miss, and Elsie and Kelsie were in Spain for a month.
Looking at the programme, it didn’t seem that exciting. Jack was used to seeing unfamiliar names on the list, but they were normally mixed in with a few people he’d heard of through the grapevine. This time there wasn’t really anyone - and there was actually one less group than expected, Jack realised. He recounted, checking. Nope, there was definitely one missing. Review always had twenty groups, performing for maybe four or five minutes each. This time there were only nineteen. Jack reached forward and tapped Jamie gently on the head with the programme. Jamie turned.
–What?â€
–There’s someone missing,†Jack said. –In the programme.â€
Jamie consulted his own.
–Nah,†he said. –They’ve just got one less than usual, that’s all.†This didn’t seem to satisfy Jack. Jamie laughed.
–You’re such a conspiracy nut,†he teased. Jack stuck his tongue out in response, and they both fell silent as the lights went down.
The show was good but not exceptional, Jack had decided by the interval, sipping his drink. There was some promise there, maybe, but nothing that had particularly piqued his interest. Not that it was his interest that was important, but… Jack gazed around the room, letting his thoughts wander aimlessly. The twenty minute interval was over quickly, and the rest of the performances followed in much the same fashion. Jack tried not to fidget too much, knowing it would annoy Midge.
Finally, their host stepped onto a corner of the stage to conclude the evening. A fifty-something man in an expensive suit, he smiled expansively at the audience before he spoke.
–Now, no doubt a few of you have noticed a slight difference in our programme from previous years - I’ve had several guests commenting that we’re one act short!†There was a short pause while the audience considered this. Jack gave the back of Jamie’s chair a good kick. Jamie turned just enough to pull a silly scowling face before their host continued.
–This is not, fortunately enough, due to an error in the programmes you hold, but actually due to a truly exciting event taking place in the next week. The group that you’re about to see is holding a set of shows next week - the first as they are now arranged.â€
Jack frowned a little. That made it sound like they’d been heard of before. But surely putting an already-known band on their programme would have been good for Review ticket sales?
–I, along with the rest of the world, believed that we had seen the last from this group of young people; but I, as I expect you will be, was delighted to hear of their return.†And with a final flourish, he made his announcement.
–Ladies and gentlemen, I take great pleasure in reintroducing - Phoenix!â€
~
–Well, that was one hell of an evening,†Jamie said. He was sitting on an armchair in Midge and Jack’s place, an hour after the end of Review.
–Can you believe it, though?†Midge asked. –I can’t, I’m still in shock.â€
Jack laughed.
–Yeah, I know the feeling,†he agreed. –I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a reaction.â€
Phoenix’s surprise return had stunned everyone, and although they had disappeared abruptly at the end of their song - which was new, Jack noted - they had stayed just long enough to announce that they would be performing next week, and that the details were on their website. This announcement next to their reappearance had had journalists and critics going mad. There had been a flurry of questions thrown at everyone else there, particularly Mixed Blood. Did they know Phoenix was returning? Had they heard anything about these performances? What did they think of Phoenix’s music?
To which the answers were simple: no, no and fantastic.
–Did you ask Ginny, Midge?†Jamie asked. Midge nodded.
–She said she’d hardly seen Eddie around these last few months. She thought he’d found some kind of project, but she didn’t think of this…†Midge trailed off, and shrugged. –Even Harry said he had no idea.â€
Jack raised his eyebrows.
–Harry didn’t know?†he asked sceptically. –That’s like saying… well, what was he doing, sitting curled up with his hands over his ears and his eyes shut?†Jamie and Midge laughed.
–I doubt Harry really didn’t know - perhaps he just decided to let Eddie keep his secrets,†said Midge. All three knew that the eldest Potter had an uncanny knack for gaining information, particularly regarding things he wasn’t meant to know about.
–I’d better head home,†Jamie said, standing up and stretching his arms. –I’ll have to be up early tomorrow to pick up tickets for their concert online - I’ve got a funny feeling they’re going to go damn fast…â€
~
Casper came to in a hospital room, pale and calm and warm, with his left arm in plaster resting on top of the covers. Fuzzily, he turned his head; the room was empty, but on the bedside cabinet there was a magazine and a half-eaten packet of biscuits, so he decided he probably did have company somewhere. This amount of thought seemed about enough, so he closed his eyes again and sank back into sleep.