‘The Ponaturi’s still in there,’ said Hoheria, trying to hide her revulsion at the monster lurking within the child’s flesh. ‘We’d better move fast.’
Paki was impassive. ‘I know. This might get really hard.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘The poor little bugger’s probably done for.’
Hoheria’s jaw dropped. She gasped. ‘No way! There must be something we can do!’
‘Can you fight that thing? It’s too strong for the kid. I’m worried that it’s too strong for me. I can’t stop it. How can we kill it without hurting Eric?’
Hoheria looked at Eric in the tent and Cheryl holding him close.
‘There has to be a way,’ she said. ‘We can’t hurt the boy any more.’ Tears showed in her eyes. This was really important. She simply had to look after Eric. What hope was there for any of them if she couldn’t? She’d do whatever was necessary to protect the young boy. Then she heard Cheryl’s voice behind her.
‘I don’t care if that monster kills all of us. We’re not hurting Eric.’ She was standing in front of the boy, who was peering around her, frightened and confused.
‘Okay,’ said Paki. ‘We’ll take him home with us. And we’ve got eight hours before he changes and kills us all.’ He looked resigned. ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this.’
Back at home, after a good meal of roast chicken and vegetables, they sat around the table, Eric between Cheryl and Hoheria
‘Well?’ said Cheryl. ‘Are we going to tell him, or what?’
‘Best we do,’ said Kevin. He looked questioningly at Paki. ‘He’s only a little kid, but I think he still needs to know, doesn’t he? It’s his life. If I was him I’d want someone to tell me.’
‘I agree,’ said Paki. ‘As long as we can do it without terrifying him. We owe it to the boy. He’s only small, but he’s smart enough to handle the truth.’
They all looked at Eric. He’s so young, thought Hoheria, so frail.
‘Tell me what?’ said Eric.
Paki took a deep breath. ‘Tell you why you feel the way you do.’
‘Why?’ Eric sounded frightened.
Paki put his hands on Eric’s shoulders. He felt the faint stirring of misgivings. He wondered if the others shared them. He suspected Hoheria was having second thoughts.
‘You have to be strong to hear this.’
Eric cowered away.
Maybe they should just keep quiet, Paki thought. He recalled his own childhood. Had people been so concerned about his feelings?
Eric’s eyes searched Paki’s face, looking for clues.
‘You’ve got one of the Ponaturi living inside you,’ Paki said.
The boy gasped. ‘What does it do?’
‘You know when you can’t remember what happens?’
Cheryl put a protective arm around Eric. The boy nodded.
Paki continued. ‘It makes you change. Into something not very nice. It isn’t you, though. You’re trapped inside the creature then.’
The boy looked aghast at Paki. ‘It makes me change? Into something horrible?’ He looked around the table at everyone, then burst into tears. ‘I don’t want to be a monster,’ he choked out between his sobs. ‘Please help me.’
‘Don’t worry,’ said Paki. ‘We can save you. You’ll be okay.’ He worked on making his words sound confident, and he watched Eric’s face relax slightly. He wished he felt reassured himself. What could they do? What was going to happen?
‘There’s no book of instructions for this situation,’ Paki reminded everyone later. ‘We’re on our own. Whatever we do, there’s nobody but us.’
‘Thanks,’ said Kevin. ‘That’s just the sort of cheerful shit I needed to hear.’
He turned to Eric, huddled in Cheryl’s arms and suddenly looking worried again. ‘Do you remember anything that happened last night?’
The boy thought for a moment. ‘I remember lying in my bed by the stove. Next thing, I was waking up in a veggie garden in the daytime.’ He shivered and blushed at the same time. ‘I didn’t have any clothes on. I had to take a blanket off a clothesline. I hope the people aren’t mad at me.’
‘They’ll be fine,’ said Cheryl. ‘Anyway, we’ll take the blanket back and explain to them. They’ll understand.’ She turned to Paki. ‘Did you find out anything useful today? Is there anyone else?’ She held Eric close and stroked his hair.
‘Not a thing,’ said Paki. ‘But I’ll bet there’re others.’
In the end it was Kevin who defined the real problem. ‘We’ve all been talking about driving the Ponaturi out,’ he said. ‘That’s probably the easy bit. The hard bit is what we do once it’s out.’ He leaned across the table to Eric. ‘You’ll be right, little brother.’
Eric looked almost desperate, wanting to believe, but still not sure.
Kevin collected his thoughts. ‘We just have to deal with the thing once it’s out. Stop it getting back in.’
‘How?’ said Hoheria.
‘Not sure. Maybe you can use that blue fire.’ He laughed. ‘It’s got to be more than just a good look at parties.’
‘Parties? They’re a thing of the past.’
They started by running a deep bath and adding a potful of lavender tea.
‘Yuck,’ said Kevin. ‘I’m glad I don’t have to drink this stuff.’
‘Spare a thought for Eric,’ Cheryl said. ‘He does.’
As well as the tea they added a bottle of lavender oil to the hot water and when everything was ready, Hoheria handed a cup of lavender tea to Eric.
‘It tastes like medicine,’ she told the boy. ‘Try and drink it all down in one go, then jump in the water.’
‘What’s going to happen?’
‘I don’t know. But the creature should be driven out.’
Eric drank the tea, swallowing the cupful of lukewarm liquid in three gulps. For a few seconds nothing happened. They all stood in the bathroom, uncertain in the candlelight. Then the boy gave a cry of pain and convulsed. He didn’t even get time to step towards the bath before he was doubled up, retching. His eyes bulged. They looked like they were about to pop out of his head. His lips drew back, his body twitched and heaved. Quickly Paki stepped forward, picked him up and placed him gently in the water. As soon as he felt it, Eric started thrashing, flailing his arms and yelling in pain.
‘Stop it!’ he cried. ‘It hurts. Get me out!’ In answer Hoheria bent over the boy and while holding him down with one hand managed to get her other arm around his neck. She kept his head from slipping under the water and she kept the rest of Eric submerged. But because of the way she was standing she was the only one who saw, in the dim light, what happened.
The creature emerged from Eric’s mouth, vile and ectoplasmic, a formless green shape. It gathered itself above Eric’s face and before Hoheria’s horrified gaze turned into a small Ponaturi with a wide hāpuku mouth and many-jointed lobster limbs. Paki pushed forward, just in time to see the creature spring off Eric’s chest and attach itself to Hoheria’s face. He reached for it to pluck it off and hurl it away, but his fingers closed on air as the creature turned back into something like green smoke and vanished into Hoheria’s mouth. She immediately fell backwards. Paki caught her before she hit the floor.
‘What happened?’ cried Kevin. ‘Are you okay, girl?’
There wasn’t any answer. Hoheria was unconscious in Paki’s arms.
They lay Hoheria on a mattress by the stove. Kevin stretched out beside her, his arms around the young woman.
‘What do we do now?’ Cheryl said. ‘She looks well enough. Her pulse is strong.’ She held Eric close. The boy was exhausted.
‘I’m not sure how we handle this,’ said Paki. He looked at Kevin. ‘Your call, brother. But for my money we have to try a repeat of what we did with Eric and this time be ready for the creature.’
‘Sure,’ said Kevin. ‘We have to get it out of her.’ Hoheria’s hair was draped across his face. ‘I don’t even care if it gets in me next. As long as it’s out of her.’ Tears started. He coughed and swallowed. ‘What’s it doing in there? What’s it going to make her do?’
That night they tried to get Hoheria to take food and drink. Kevin sat her up, but her head lolled, her eyes stared, and her mouth hung open. The young woman remained unconscious.
But something was going on, Paki insisted. ‘Don’t ask me how I know,’ he said. ‘But everything looks different to how it was with Eric. I can see the Ponaturi. It isn’t grinning, either. I think we just have to wait and see. Maybe we should hold off on the lavender bath.’
Only Eric slept. They could feel his relief as he snuffled and snored lightly, asleep in Cheryl’s arms. Everyone else looked nervously around the room, dimly lit by a beeswax candle. Kevin continued to hold Hoheria. The candle guttered, almost finished. Paki rose to replace it and Hoheria’s breathing changed. As Paki lit the new candle she opened her eyes and focussed on him, peering over Kevin’s shoulder. Paki stopped, transfixed by Hoheria’s gaze. She seemed to see right into him and he had the sudden, terrible sensation of somebody walking around inside his head, picking up and examining old memories, rummaging through the most precious things from his past. He wanted to yell, ‘Knock it off!’ but he was powerless and while he stood immobile Hoheria began to change.
It was subtle to begin with. The young woman’s skin, smooth and creamy-brown, became coarse and wrinkled. Her shiny black hair turned dull and grey. Her full lips thinned and her cheeks fell in. Instead of two large and luminous brown eyes Paki was held by two small black pits peering at him. Kevin felt the changes, felt Hoheria’s body become bony and angular instead of firm and smooth. Paki was the first to see, however.
‘Nanny Riria!’ he gasped.
She grinned, a toothless grimace. ‘You always were a snotnosed, shit-pants kid,’ she croaked, in a voice that sounded reedy with age. ‘I don’t know why I put up with you for so long.’ She pushed Kevin away and stood up. Paki was aghast, his eyes wide and his mouth open. His arms hung at his sides, his hands clenching and unclenching.
‘Careful,’ warned Kevin. ‘That’s Hoheria.’ He rolled onto his knees, stood up and took a step towards the old woman. Without even looking at Kevin she backhanded him, knocking him across the room. He tried to rise from where he lay crumpled against the wall. Halfway up he collapsed into unconsciousness and slid back to the floor.
The old woman who had been Hoheria kept her gaze fixed on Paki. ‘You, boy. I suppose you think you’re pretty neat now.’ Paki’s jaw dropped further. ‘You’re nothing, not to me anyway.’ Paki looked horrified.
‘I know you’re not really my nanny,’ he said. ‘And I know you’ll hurt me if you can. But I won’t let you do any harm to Hoheria.’ He rushed at the old woman and wrapped his arms around her, a sudden and shocking movement that took her completely by surprise. For a moment she stood still, enfolded by Paki’s embrace, then she started to struggle. Kevin, conscious by now, struggled to rise as Paki tried to hold the old woman, sweat breaking out on his face and his shirt sleeves ripping as his muscles bulged.
For a while he succeeded. Kevin could hear Paki grunting and wheezing with the strain, and over that noise an unearthly whining from the old woman. But she gave a heave and broke Paki’s grip. He rushed again at the old woman, but this time she was ready. She struck him an open-handed blow and Kevin saw the blood spurt as her nails tore open the side of Paki’s face. He reeled backwards, staggering, and she leapt at him, knocking him down with a swing of her arm. Kevin was halfway to his feet when she jumped on Paki, landing right in the middle of his chest. Kevin heard the crack! of breaking ribs. Paki’s head hit the floor with a clunk and when he tried to rise she kicked him in the jaw. She gave him a quick glance as he lay unmoving, and then turned her attention to Kevin.
She changed back. This time the process was rapid and within a few seconds the old woman was gone and Hoheria stood before him. But something was wrong. Her characteristic wry smile had become a leer. Her open gaze was now a slit-eyed, sidelong, suspicious stare.
Hoheria spoke, her voice harsh and grating. ‘What are you looking at, you creep?’ Kevin took a step backwards, Hoheria’s words striking him like blows. He opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again.
‘Things are going to be different now,’ she said. ‘You’ll do whatever I tell you.’ She watched Kevin as love and fear warred in his young features. ‘Your life’ll be nothing like the way it was. I’m more than Hoheria now and you’d better believe I don’t like any of you.’
Kevin’s face crumpled. He held out his arms to Hoheria. ‘I love you, girl,’ he said. ‘You’re safe with me.’
Hoheria laughed. She stepped towards him. ‘You’re not safe with me, though!’ She punched Kevin with her closed fist, breaking his nose and splitting his lip. ‘That’s just in case you get too full of yourself.’
Kevin raised his hands to his face and she struck him again, knocking him down. Cheryl shrank back, horrified, her arms tight around Eric. She watched Paki try to stand up, his cracked ribs making him gasp with pain. Hoheria – Cheryl couldn’t think of her any differently – waited till he was almost upright then lashed out with a kick that hit him in the upper arm. Cheryl heard the bone snap and watched wide-eyed as Paki fell backwards, struck his head on the corner of the table, and sank unconscious to the floor.
The Hoheria-thing turned to Cheryl. ‘Make me a cup of tea, woman. Bring some food.’
Cheryl shook her head. Food and drink? Now?
‘Hurry it up. Don’t fuck around.’
Cheryl rose and stood the terrified Eric at her side. He cringed, peeking out from Cheryl’s skirts. The creature gave him an unpleasant grin.
‘Don’t worry,’ she said. ‘I’m not interested in you, you’re just a little squirt.’ She raised her gaze to Cheryl. ‘But I do need somewhere to stay. Here’s as good as anywhere. Just make sure you look after me or you’re all in the shit.’ She gave a mirthless laugh. ‘You are anyway.’
Shadows danced in the flickering candlelight. Cheryl looked at Kevin and Paki, both sprawled unconscious beside the table.
‘The fire first,’ said Hoheria. ‘They’re not going anywhere.’ Cheryl stoked the fire and filled the kettle. She dropped a handful of dried gorse flowers into the teapot. Eric clung to her. He wouldn’t look at Hoheria. Cheryl’s hand shook as she cut slices of meat from a roast leg of mutton and made a sandwich with stoneground wholemeal bread. She held it out to Hoheria on a plate and gave an inward sigh of relief when Hoheria accepted it and took a bite.
Hoheria chewed and swallowed as if the food was broken glass. She looked disgusted, then spoke. ‘That’s foul. But I suppose this body needs it.’ She stood by the table as she ate. ‘Where’s my drink?’
Cheryl poured her a cup of tea and passed it. Hoheria wrinkled her nose at the yellowish liquid. ‘Are you trying to poison me?’ In answer Cheryl picked up the cup and took a sip. She raised her eyes to Hoheria. Something alien looked back.
‘You’d better be careful, or I’ll hurt this body.’ Hoheria glanced at Kevin and Paki. ‘I’ll hurt them too. I might even kill them.’ Her mattress on the floor caught her gaze. She bent, seized one corner, dragged it away from the fire and lay on it. ‘I’m going to rest now,’ she said. ‘And if anyone comes near me I’ll kill them.’ Cheryl watched as Hoheria closed her eyes, relaxed her muscles, and within a few minutes was snoring gently.
Hoheria stirred briefly when Cheryl moved to Paki and Kevin. But she didn’t rise, and Cheryl was able to help both men to their feet, Paki wincing with pain and Kevin’s face a swollen and bloodied mess.
‘This arm’s going to take some healing,’ Paki said through gritted teeth as Cheryl did her best to line up the broken bones, splint them with two jam spoons, bandage the break tightly with a torn sheet, and make a sling. She tore up the rest of the sheet and strapped his broken ribs, Paki hissing with pain every time he breathed.
‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘At least it wasn’t you guys.’ He looked nervously at Hoheria lying asleep on the mattress and spoke in a whisper. ‘What are we going to do about her?’
Kevin lifted his face from the basin of warm water he’d filled for himself. He’d been gingerly washing himself with a piece of sheet. ‘Fucked if I know,’ he said quietly. ‘She hates us, but I still can’t hurt her.’ His broken nose looked like a squashed tomato. The flesh around his eyes was swelling and turning purple. ‘I can’t imagine what would happen if we tried.’ He looked at Paki, nursing his broken arm and taking shallow, cautious breaths. ‘You game to chuck her in a lavender bath?’
Hoheria didn’t stir and eventually they all lay down, to get whatever rest they could, Kevin on a mattress by himself, and Cheryl between Eric and Paki. It was daylight when Kevin finally nodded off, Cheryl and Eric asleep and Paki last of all, the pain of his broken bones hardly touched by old and stale painkillers.