Chapter 1

It was a bitter December night. Snow glided down from the star scattered sky. A singular light cast a small shadow against the abandoned toy shop which creeped along the wall like a crab. The rain started to pat the rusted pillars of Gloucester Quays.

Jacob ignored all of the harsh weather and looked straight ahead. He clenched his frozen fists, like a newborn kitten, to have a bit of warmth. He walked cautiously towards the checkpoint trembling with fear. The aggressive wind forced the doors open with a crash following after. He looked back, making sure someone wasn’t following.

He saw the emotionless guard forcing a family away at gun point. He was up next. Trying to look big, he took a leap, hopeful he could get past and not be turned away like last time. It’s drilled into his head. In the distance he could hear kids who were hysterical with laughter. He could see it the checkpoint was in front of him insulting the family’s getting turned away.

“Come on then, I have a family to see,” shouted the guard, beckoning Jacob forward. “Why do you need to get through to the other side?” he rubbed his hands menacingly. Jacob flinched.

“I just need to make a few deliveries for my dad’s shop.” The guard held out a gloved hand, gesturing for his pass. Jacob was so envious looking at the silky, perfect glove, but he kept it all down. The pass was a flat piece of paper in pristine condition. He looked at him, then abruptly waved him through. Jacob politely said “thank you very much”. He walked through the door and was met with a wave of warmth unlike the ghetto if you ever went in you shivers would hit you like a gun shot.

A few seconds later it got crowded, and even though it was night, it was like it was the middle of the day people dressed in suits and dresses. He walked through, there were building towered high as the sky. It was a stunning sight marble road smothered the town and black cars drove on the clean roads. But he was still ignored by everyone. He wanted to be seen by everyone. Every time he came here the same thing had happened. He wished his father could see but he wasn’t coming back – not after what happened to mama. Jacob pushed through the crowd of people to get the delivery trying to block out all the bad memories.

He wished he couldn’t be a foreigner for the rest of his life so he could see the rest of Gloucester. His family would be by his side and all of the foreigners live outside the ghetto. If only all foreigners could live here. If only they could see what it’s like to live in the ghetto. His dad’s words shook him “remember what had happened to mama keep your head down or you will end up like her,” he said with tears rolling down his face.

Without warning, a hand grabbed the back of his top and Jacob was shoved over onto the ground with force. The man pulled out a knife and pushed it against his neck. Jacob shoved the man and ran towards a glowing light in a small hut. The mugger had caught up with him. On the verge of crying.

“That parcel is mine, hand it over,” he said in a low grumble, pointing at the parcel in Jacob’s hand, “plus any money you have on you. Hurry up, people will be coming around here soon,” Jacob was about to hand over his tips when he saw an old tatty door with a rickety shed behind.  He sprinted towards the door and crouched just behind it. He heard the loud footsteps thumping on the ground. Jacob sprinted but he was blocked in by an abandoned hound.

The man’s bulky shadow towered above him like a building. It reached out and choked him. The wall mocked him. He thought he wasn’t going to make. He turned around to see a broken window in the shape of a child. Jacob sprinted towards the fragmented window and jumped into the creaky shed.

Chapter 2

Outside, there was fog devouring the abandoned building which was surrounded by causation tape. What had happened? Inside, Jacob was frantically running around shattered glass (surrounding a towering tree, sand which was piled up like a mountain) and there was a horrible stench coming from the kitchen. Battered counter tops lay broken in half, a single flame danced feeling depressed not being a lively fire, intercut cobwebs lay on top of plates, cupboards and a family portrait were torn and destroyed. ​ To his dismay, he realised the door was locked from the outside as the roof crumbled over the already locked door. As the attacker drew closer, wearing a grin the only thing he could do was give up. He thought he was trapped. In front of him stood a towering man holding a knife dripping with blood his footsteps trailed along the alleyway.

…But through the darkness, brown eyes illuminated the room then three loud thuds hit Jacob like a punch of wind grabbing his top and pinning him against the wall and with shocked look he fumbled to his feet. A blur of brown shoved past Jacob sending him back to the floor with a thud, its brown eyes eating his fear; he felt protected by the majestic seven-foot giant standing in front of him. It was large. Larger than the attacker who screeched with fear soon as he saw it. Jacob saw that he was stood behind a grizzly bear standing on its hind legs. He fell down on all fours shaking the shed to its core. It glanced back at Jacob who was petrified by this animal. The bear knelt down beside him and laid his head on the rough ground. He could see a gaping wound next to the bear’s spine his eyes projected pain as red ripples down his skin. He had never seen an animal this big before but he needed help. The light breeze curest its fur sending a sense of calm through the bear.

It was then a small mumble left the bear’s mouth. A low, shaky voice that seemed to make the earth vibrate around them. It was a voice of water, stone and wind “I need help as you can tell I’m weak,” he said with a voice serious as stone. ” We need to find the gate way.” Jacob gazed back at the majestic creature, nodding at everything he said as if he understood. He knew that this creature would do anything for him so he would protect it with his life. it was beautiful. “They will be back,” said the great grizzly bear. Ten minutes later, Jacob and the grizzly bear were right by the abandoned toy shop. They crept their way through the shattered glass and hid between two shelves. All of the toys were scattered along the floor. No one dared to walk past the shop. Myths and legends say that all of the old workers haunt who-ever enters. But Jacob normally comes he to calm down watching the birds float in the sky, the bear falls into a deep sleep and so does Jacob.

Chapter 3

Jacob woke in a cold sweat; the bear was still in its slumber. From outside, voices crept in with an accompanying breeze. The voices were loud and obnoxious. Glancing through the small gap between the door, he could see a gang of teenage boys trying to get into the toyshop with a crowbar. They started dismantling the door. Jacob shoved the bear till it woke (though it took some time). He was welcomed by the soft brown eyes staring at him but then a low mumble followed after. Jacob put his finger to his mouth so they would stay silent. Jacob dragged the bear behind a fallen shelf so they wouldn’t be found easily.

In that very moment someone penetrated the door with a cacophony of sound then the room was crammed with silence. They all stood with an ear listening for any visitors. There were a couple of steps then a long gap of silence, holding in all of the stress trying not to speak. Time froze as they all waited for something to be heard anything it was to silent. A light pierced the dark room like a sun, it got to bright, the bear stared to shuffle it irritated everyone’s eyes as it crawled into every corner. They hid away into the darkness. Looking through a small gap in the shelfs to see any shadows being illuminated but all he could see was small figure moving towards the shelfs in slow movements. He ducked down in a sweat of fear and hugged the bear in his soft fur. The bear looked at Jacob and the bears eyes said that it will be ok. They would wait for them to leave, and then escape as soon as they had the chance to.

It felt like days, when it had probably been one hour by the time the boys had left the premises of the old shop. It was the middle of the night darkness consumed everything nothing was left not even the old light. Then the bear spoke without speaking it was like they were one he explained that she needed to get towards a gateway to go back to his world.

The bear said, “Its where the Viking port where boats and it is used for the same thing today” Jacob had a few ideas but one stuck out the docks down by the shopping center. He anxiously checked the bears wound”. It was bleeding more than when he first saw it. It won’t be a long walk but it’s could be fatal.

Jacob knew that his dad would be worried but he couldn’t help that they he would have to wait a bit longer. He had to find the gateway to help the bear get home after all he helped Jacob so its time to repay the favor. So, they started walking along the slim streets. They made there way through the town

Chapter 4

The water defenders (which had stood proudly for centuries defending the town with no struggle) were old boats which remained encased in concrete. There were four roads but only the one was left – it was through Gloucester and down the canal.

Over the years, the dock has been crowded since the great battle of world war two. This canal was known to be haunted by lost souls of fallen soldiers. With the bears wound dragging the journey on, they made slow progress toward their goal. The rain patted against the roof, irritating the bear.

Approaching the deep-rooted gateway, the sound of the guards came with the loud stomping of their boot. They were followed. Stumbling along the cobbled floor, the mighty bear was using the last of his strength to try get home. He was focused on his freedom even though he might die. Ornate patterns were carved into the mighty metal archway with a rich jade tint. So careful it could have been made by a swarm of spiders not even a God could destroy the mighty structure made from tungsten which would absorbed any attack. Jacob, whose heart in his throat, waited while fears glared down at him watching and waiting. A pit of liquid fire awaited them to jump into all of eternity which seemed to flood out of the gate with different constellations and comets. He could see himself staring back at him but with a suit on: this was him in another world. The sky darkened till there was no light; the river of eternity shattered into multiple universes each with thousands of planets; the river stretched for eternity with a heavy stream carrying the stars and planets with ease as if it were going to create a new universe.

A moment, later a swarm of guards, who arrived in carriages, crowed around them then the bear stood on his hind legs and scared them all. They dropped their weapons and stood still in fear and there was a loud growl from Jacob and the bear. He felt powerful, it was bear’s power running through him. The bear fixed a death stare to the crowd of gauds as they all trembled with fear curling into the corner.

“It is time for me to leave friend. Good luck with life,” he said in a calm voice, glancing at Jacob and then they turned to look at the gate way. It wasn’t a canal any more it was a beautiful stream of planets and stars. A gold stream that stretched on for all eternity. There were coloured planets, moons and energy were surging through him as the bear dived into infinity and disintegrated into a swarm of stars.

Jacob slumped in sadness, blinded by what he had seen. By now the guards had run in fear from the mighty bear. As he started to stumble back to his house, daylight hung in the sky, shining with rays shooting down the snow melted and he could hear the song of birds.

The bear would be by his side always in everything he did walking by him. He felt stronger though lighter as he walked towards the checkpoint face the ground not wanting to meet his glare but no one was there to meet him. Things were changing.