The Serene Fellowship 1 Green Serene 1

PART ONE



I woke to chaos. Sirens were shrilling, Guard dogs barking, and people were dashing about in all directions; bellowing vague orders at one another that I could not quite understand.

Curious, I threw back the sheets and made my way to the window. Outside I could see the Supremes and other assorted hierarchy organising themselves into tactical squads and ensuring their subordinates were safely secured in their respective cabins.

Moments later an array of headlights swept the compound and about a dozen vans pulled up. Their doors opened and group of stocky individuals poured out, some with baseball bats, others armed with sheets and ropes. The Supremes unsheathed their batons and the two factions charged toward one another, clashing as if warriors in battle.

My attention shifted to the sound of approaching footsteps. I turned from the window and gasped as I saw the cabin door suddenly burst open. Petra entered and scowled disapprovingly, then hastened toward me.

“What’s going on?” I inquired.

“What did I tell you!” she grouched, snatching my upper arm and drawing me closer to her.

“What did you tell me about what?”

“The door; I told you to make sure it was locked before you went to bed. Why isn’t it locked?”

Prudence dissuaded me from revealing my late night walkabouts and how I must have neglected to lock the door again after my return. Petra had already made it abundantly clear that wandering the compound alone after dark was strictly forbidden and by the extent of her wrath I could tell that such a confession would only make things worse.

“Maybe the lock is broken.” I suggested, unable to think of any other excuse.

“Broken? The only thing broken around here is your promise to lock it!” she retorted sternly.

The chaos outside was escalating and I could clearly hear the sound of someone screaming. I felt compelled to lend my assistance but I doubted Petra was going to allow me to leave the cabin until my transgression had been dealt with.

“I don’t understand why are you making such a big fuss over not locking the door, Petra?”

“I’m making a big deal about it because of those thugs outside; if they found this cabin unlocked they'd grab you and you'd be taken away never be heard from again.”

“You never mentioned them before, how was I to know about such a danger?”

“It was enough for you to simply follow my instructions, but you chose to disobey me young man and are going to be punished accordingly, but for now it is my duty to keep you out of harm’s way.”

It seemed odd that she should assume that she wielded any real authority over me at all, and the fact she had now taken it upon herself to go as far as to actually punish me was some hard to take seriously. However, I wasn’t really in a situation to simply give her the fingers and walk off.

The commune was miles away from civilization in the midst of a far reaching forest. Navigation had never been one of my strengths and I had slept most of the journey there, so had no reference points to guide me back to the nearest town. I’d surely get lost and probably picked up by a search party and taken back to the compound. I shuddered to think what consequences may befall a deserter.

“I’m sorry,” I offered but failed to get a response. ‘I promise it won’t happen again.”

Petra drew a disgruntled sigh. She released my arm, strode back across the floor and locked the door, then turned her attention back to me.

“If you are going to stay here for any length of time you are going to have to learn to do as you are told when more experienced and senior members of the Fellowship instruct you.”

“I’m only meant to be here a short time,”

“Be that as it may, this is our commune and as a visitor you will be expected to act in a respectful manner.”

“I’ll be obedient from now on, Petra.” I pledged in hopes of quelling her anger.

“Make sure you do, otherwise you’ll have me to answer to,” she replied wagging her index finger at my nose like a disgruntled guardian, which according to her rank in the commune was exactly what she was - A Guardian - one that guides and inducts recent arrivals, or prospective new members

Our conversation was suddenly interrupted by a series of explosions that seemed to rock the cabin. Petra and I rushed to the window. The compound was engulfed a hazy cloud of smoke through which I could just make out three people carrying a hysterical teenage girl; one gripping her under the armpits, the other two carrying each of her kicking legs.

“Stay!” she ordered as if addressing an errant dog “Be sure you lock the door after me…and don’t open it again for anyone! You hear?”

“I’m all ears,” I replied, grinning impishly.

“I wish you’d use them then.”

“Your wish is my command.”

“Don’t be a smartass.”

Petra unlocked the door and hastened outside, slamming it in her wake. I stood torn between securing it as she had insisted or leaving it unlocked as an act of defiance. It had never been in my nature to kowtow to despotic bullies and from what I had experienced up to that point she had all the classic traits of a control freak.

I was three months shy of turning thirteen but my short stature and slim build seemed to give strangers the impression that I was perhaps a lot younger. It often occasioned them to speak condescendingly, dismiss my opinions or objections, and only consider me responsible in the context of blame.

The screaming teenager bought me back to my senses and I quickly locked the door, lest I suffered the same fate as her. I hurried back to the window. More vans had arrived and more balaclava attired “thugs” scrambled out. Petra was well skilled in martial-arts and seemed from my perspective a force to be dealt with but for all her efforts our invaders still managed to claim their booty.


Smoke still filled the compound as the vans pulled away; pelted by rocks and clubbed by batons by the Supremes, and disappeared into the night. The alarms ceased shrilling and an uneasy silence descended. Even the guard dogs fell silent. It was over. The enemy had left and the Fellowship was now down a member.

I remained at the window for some time, watching the smoke slowly dissipate, and the Serenes retreating back to the cabins. Soon only the nocturnal watchman in the tower and a handful of guards remained in the compound. The girl’s abduction bothered me and I felt partially responsible. If I had remembered to lock the door Petra would have had more time to protect her than wasting it having to scold me.

Someone once told me that “If the dog hadn’t stopped for a poo it would have caught the rabbit,” but I have my doubts. It is true having the poo gave the rabbit the advantage, but if the dog had not excreted the strain of holding in the poo would slow it down anyway, and if anything wouldn’t the diminished weight give the dog more speed, assuming the chase was over a long distance?

At any rate, I began stressing over the possibility Petra may have also concluded that I had been instrumental in the abduction and upgraded the degree of my impending punishment. Having witnessed her martial arts techniques it was safe to assume she knew various ways of hurting people without leaving behind visible marks and bruises, but I could not bring myself to believe a commune that’s very principals were based on peace and serenity would allow anyone who beat up children to be a Guardian.

Time moved on and my eyes started to feel heavy, it had been a busy day and from what Petra had indicated the next day was going to be even more full-on. I climbed back beneath the covers and slowly drifted off to sleep, lulled by the monotonous cries of Moorporks. .


-continues-