OUR VERY OWN TEAM MEMBER, AUTHOR EVA BIELBY, IS SHARING HER LATEST SHORT STORY TODAY. THIS STORY IS CALLED 'BEYOND THE MIST' - PART 1 - 'MYSTIFIED' #RWRTeamBlog #ReadWriteRepeat

BEYOND THE MIST

It was a very hot and sultry summer’s day. The Thompson family were halfway around the UK, a well-earned holiday tour in their recently renovated, camper van. Inside the van, the heat was oppressive – unbearable at times.

Adrian turned to his wife, Julia.

“If you’re all agreeable, I think we should have a stop for a couple of hours. The heat through this window is overbearing, and even with all the windows down there doesn’t seem to be a breath of air in here.”

He leaned forward, and indicated, thumb pointed over his shoulder to his back. The tee-shirt, under his arms, and all down the back of it was drenched in sweat.

Julia smiled back at him, she was feeling sticky too. “Of course, my darling. I could do with some air myself, and I’m sure the kids would be delighted.” She turned round to the two enthusiastic faces behind them, both nodding their agreement.

Nine-year-old Sam jumped straight in. “Can we have a game of footie, Dad? Please?”

Kacey, his eleven-year-old sister, groaned her disapproval. “Don’t you ever get bored, kicking a ball around every spare second of the day, bro? I’m sure I would.”

Sam pulled a face at his sister and stuck out his tongue. “And don’t you ever get bored with your nose buried in a book all the time? You don’t get any exercise.”

Kacey stuck out her tongue. Her middle finger was poised and ready to go with the rude gesture. She swiftly caught herself, lowering it before her parents spotted her.

Adrian chuckled from his position behind the wheel.

“Kids, kids! Let’s not start world war three.” Julia scolded. “You’ll have plenty of time to do what you want and we can all chill out. We’ll have a picnic. Kacey, you can help me make some sandwiches. Your dad needs a rest from driving. Sam, I’m sure he’ll join you for a kick-about once he’s rested.”

Seven minutes later, Adrian found the perfect place, a lay-by near what looked like the entrance to a farm. Sam would be delighted. Just over the fence was a massive field for his footie session. He parked up, and turned to the kids.

“Here we are, you two. Sam, as they say, ‘fill ya boots’. Kacey, help your Mum with the food, please.”

Climbing out of the camper, Adrian headed round to the back doors and from their storage area, removed the picnic blanket, plus two folding chairs for himself and Julia. The kids could sit on the blanket. Kacey first busied herself spreading the blanket on a suitably flat area of grass, while Julia made a start on the sandwiches and other refreshments. Sam scrabbled about in his section of the camper looking for his football.

With Kacey’s help, the sandwiches were soon done. Julia carried a couple of platefuls outside. They were piled high with sandwiches. Kacey followed, her arms also full – drinks, nibbles and cakes on a tray. Adrian had already settled himself in a chair and closed his eyes for a few minutes. Sam was straight at it - dribbling his ball around the field. Julia shouted him over and he came running immediately, his stomach no doubt needing some fuel for his exertions.

“Dad, why is it so hot and sunny here, when that place over there is shrouded in mist?” asked Kacey.

Adrian opened his eyes and glanced over to where Kacey was pointing. “I’m not sure, darling. But my guess is that it’s some form of evaporation, maybe. There’ll probably be a lake or a river down that valley. I think I once read somewhere that it’s called an advection fog.”

Kacey quickly lost interest in the conversation, fearing her father would start veering slightly off topic towards science, one of her pet hates. Grabbing three or four of the cheese and ham sandwiches she’d mainly made for herself, she laid down on her tummy, elbows on the blanket, and propped open her book.

Sam, after devouring the mountain of mixed sandwiches he piled on his plate, soon headed over the fence and back to the field. He shouted out to his father.

“Dad, are you coming? I want you to be goalie for me. We can find something to use for goalposts.”

“Just give me another fifteen minutes, son. I want to let my dinner settle. And yes, I’ll be your goalie when I join you.”

Sam continued to entertain himself, practicing his dribbling and other techniques. Adrian watched on with pride, marvelling at his son’s football prowess, much like his own skills at Sam’s age. But for Adrian, it all went downhill after junior school. He didn’t even manage to get in the senior school teams, much to his chagrin. His dream now lived on in Sam.

His son hadn’t shouted him over again, so Adrian was fortunate enough to stretch his ‘rest’ to twenty-five minutes. Julia and Kacey were both engrossed in their books and oblivious to anything going on around them. Adrian finally gave in and joined Sam in some ball-play and dribbling before taking up his position as goalie for a further three quarters of an hour. His muscles eventually started to ache. He apologised to his son and returned to the girls and his chair to rest up some more.

Due to Sam’s obsession with the game, he continued, determined to put more force behind his kicking of the ball. He’d been at it for some time and was succeeding - now taking bigger, more powerful shots. He looked across to the picnic area to see if his father had been watching him but was dismayed to see that he’d fallen asleep, yet again. In a fit of anger, he kicked the ball with all the power he could muster…his best kick to date! This time, however, the ball sailed over the tall hedge at the end of the field, and into the thick mist. There was no way he could get over the hedge, so he slipped over the low fence and into the farm lane.

I’ll get it myself then. Right when I could have sent Dad to get it! Trust him to go back to sleep!

Off he stomped – down the farm lane, and into the thick mist. He didn’t recall ever being in a fog like this one.

*****

He had no idea how far he’d sauntered. It felt like a mile to Sam, but was actually somewhere around 250 yards. There was no sign of his football, but visibility wasn’t good in the thick swirling mist. A hundred yards further, he stopped dead in his tracks. He blinked a few times to be certain that his eyes were not deceiving him – they weren’t! Through the fog, he could definitely see blinking lights in all colours. It was some kind of spaceship, a weird shaped one. It had a similar outline to that of the Millenium Falcon, but with a high dome instead of being fairly flat. This one was black, not grey. He’d watched Star Wars several times with his Dad, but he’d never seen the likes of the craft which stood before him.

Sam took a few more steps before coming to a halt - he was transfixed. The flashing lights were hypnotic. He stood, mouth gaping, eyes wide open, and more than a little afraid.

In an instant, the flashing lights and spacecraft were no longer in view. He pondered on whether the mist had become more impenetrable. He started to sense a presence. No. Not a presence. There was more than one, there were lots. His eyes were still open, yet Sam could see nothing, but…white. Were they invisible or had they somehow rendered him blind? Is this what blindness was…white? Sam had always believed blindness to be…black.

He could tell they had formed a tight circle around him. He felt something jab into his arm. He couldn’t see what it was, though it caused him no pain. After closing his eyes for a second or two, he quickly opened them again when he sensed that he was being carried. He was horizontal, seemingly floating through the fog.

Sam lost all track of time. When he came around once more, he was inside the spaceship. It was voices that caused him to wake. Whoever or whatever these things were, they were communicating in some weird ‘robotic like’ language.

Still unable to see the people or more appropriately, beings, it was a weird sensation to actually feel his clothes being carefully removed, yet unable to see how. Despite all the prodding and poking to nearly every part of his body, they handled him with the utmost care. At no stage did he feel any pain and Sam couldn’t understand why that was. He no longer felt frightened, but hadn’t a clue how long he’d been missing from the picnic area. He was more scared, in fact frantic, about the worry he was causing for his parents and sister.

Eventually, Sam could feel his clothes gently being replaced on his body. Thankful to have been treated with care, he hoped he would soon be able to return to his family.

Though Sam had hoped to be released now that he was dressed, they weren’t finished with him just yet. There was still something else to be done. Without any warning, something punched hard into his head. The pain was excruciating and Sam cried out loud. He passed out. When he came round again, he was in an upright position. Still unable to see the beings, he sensed that two of them, one on either side, were about to lead him to a lower level and out of the spacecraft.

On reaching solid ground, he was shocked when one of the beings spoke to him - and in English. His sight returned – he could see them at last. His football was placed in his hands.

“I think this item belongs to you. Please take it, but you will find that you no longer have a use for it.”

Sam was led to the edge of the thick mist.

“Please, be on your way now. You will know what to do next.”

Suddenly, they were gone.

*****

Adrian and Julia were worried. It was fifteen minutes since Julia had last seen Sam. He’d still been kicking his football around the field at the time. It was unlike him to wander off, especially in areas not familiar to him.

“He’s here.” Announced Kacey. “Look, he’s just walking back up the lane carrying his ball. I told you he wouldn’t stay missing for long. My luck is not that good!”

Sam approached them all, his football under his arm and a vacant expression on his face.

“Where have you been, son?” Julia asked. “We were just about to set off to look for you.”

He didn’t reply, and didn’t make any attempt to have eye contact with his family.

“Would you like another kick around, Sam? I’m fully rested.” His Dad offered.

Sam stared straight ahead, at nothing in particular.

“Well, where did you go, you idiot? Mum and Dad have been worried.” Kacey declared.

All eyes were on Sam, but he wasn’t looking at them.

“Son, what is the matter with you? Where did you go? Has something happened to you? You need to tell us, Sam. You’re not saying anything, but something has happened, I know it.”

Sam’s only response was to drop the football, head into the camper and drop onto his bed without a word.

“Something’s not right with him, Ady. I’ve never seen him like this. I don’t like it.” Julie expressed her fear.

“Well, I intend to get to the bottom of it. Something has happened. Somebody has done something to our son, Ju. I’m going to head down that farm track and see if I can find any clue. If I discover anybody down there who has hurt our son, they’re going to bloody pay for it, you mark my words.”

Julia and Kacey, books forgotten for the time being, watched on as Adrian walked down the farm track and into the thick mist.

*****

It was well over three and a half hours since Adrian vanished into the fog. Julia and Kacey cried on each other’s shoulders.

“Mum, I’m terrified.” Kacey sobbed. “First, Sam comes back all catatonic and shit, and now Dad hasn’t come back. What’s going on, Mum?”

“I don’t know, darling. My first instinct is to go looking for him, but we can’t, can we? If there’s something bad out there, we’ll be putting ourselves at risk as well if we go looking. And just tone that language down a bit, Kacey.”

“Let’s try to get some answers from Sam, shall we? He might be okay by now, do you think?”

Julia nodded. Kacey followed her Mum into the camper. Things had not improved since they last checked on Sam. He was laid on the bottom bunk, just staring up at the underside of Kacey’s bed. When asked again if something had happened, he remained silent. After Julia told him that his father was missing because he’d gone to try and search for some clue, Sam showed no emotion whatsoever. The old Sam would have been distraught by that news. He had always been close to his father, especially with their common love of football.

“What are we going to do, Mum?” wailed Kacey.

Julia’s hands covered her face.

“Shush, darling. I’m thinking. I’ll come up with a plan. Just give me a few minutes. I’m finding it hard to get my head round this.”

They both took seats at the table and sat in silence for the next ten minutes. Julia finally looked up at her daughter.

“Okay! This is what we are going to do, Kacey. We’ll give your father another half hour. If he doesn’t return in that time, I’ll drive us to the nearest town and report him to the police as ‘a missing person’. What do you think?”

Kacey shrugged her shoulders, then almost instantly started to panic.

“But one of us needs to stay here. What if Dad comes back? He’ll wonder where we’ve gone.”

“I’m not leaving either of you here. And…if your Dad returns and we’re not here, he’ll do the sensible thing and head to the nearest town too. Right?”

“O…kay, I suppose. But I’m worried for him, Mum.”

“Me too, baby. Me too!”

Half an hour later, they packed away the chairs and picnic blanket. Adrian had not returned. Julia took her place behind the wheel and drove north to the nearest town, some ten miles away.

*****

Before departing, Julia had searched the internet for the postcode of the town’s police station. When they arrived at the police station, the car park didn’t have sufficient space due to the number of police vehicles there. However, she found a space to park at the roadside. Sam was still in a world of his own. Julia decided to leave him behind, and locked the van for his safety.

Kacey led the way to the station and was first through the door. She found the desk sergeant and approached him, with her Mum hot on her heels.

“Hello, young ladies. What can I do to help you, today?” The stocky, balding officer enquired.

“I would like to report a missing person – my husband.”

“How long has he been missing, love? And from where?” He smiled knowingly at Julia and picked up his pen, ready to take down the details. Another guy who's run off with his floozy, I'll bet!

“It’s over three and a half hours. Since it took us twenty minutes to travel here, it’s now approaching four hours.” Julia answered, her eyes filling with tears. “He disappeared from a place about nine or ten miles from here…south of here, that is.”

“We don’t normally take any action until a person has been missing for at least twenty-four hours, Ma’am. Sorry, but that’s standard practice. Do you have any further details to give me please…and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance?”

“We’re travelling the UK in our camper van. We stopped to have some lunch…a bit of a picnic really. Adrian found a lay-by as we were heading north. The lay-by is near a farm track. Our son was kicking his football around in a field. Just past the field, there was thick fog. He lost his ball. We didn’t see him go into the mist, but he came back fifteen minutes later…and...” Julia broke down at this point.

“He’s not been the same since…” Kacey took up the story. “Dad went into the mist to see if he could discover what has happened to Sam. He…he never came back.” Her eyes also started to fill up. She placed her head against Julia’s chest, sobbing.

The sergeant looked away, and sighed heavily. Fuck! Guess I got this one wrong!

“I…I think you need to speak to an officer. I’ll show you to one of the interview rooms. If you’d kindly follow me, please. I’ll get somebody to see you.”

He tapped some numbers into the door lock and mother and daughter followed him down a long corridor. He unlocked the door to ‘Interview Room 4’.

They had been waiting almost an hour, before two younger officers finally entered the room. The desk sergeant popped his head in the door to take drink orders for the young ladies. He promptly returned with the drinks and once he left the room, the younger of the two policemen pressed ‘record’ on the machine.

The officers gave their full attention as the Thompson’s story was being relayed to them. They exchanged a meaningful and rather somber look, when Julia came to the part of how Adrian had disappeared into the mist and not returned. Neither of the officers had forgotten that their colleague vanished under similar circumstances, several months back. The older constable ventured into that area of the countryside in his search for another missing person, a lady. Neither had been found, though they would not be disclosing that information to this young woman and her family. They had no wish to destroy the woman’s last shred of hope that she would see her husband again. The mysterious vanishings had purposely been kept from the news on local mainstream media. It was highly unlikely that the police force would send a search party out into the fog, or indeed, sacrifice another of their officers. There were certain things that the general public did not need to know. They also didn’t have the heart to tell Mrs Thompson, that the most probable outcome would be that her husband would never be found.

After the interview finished, Julia asked the two, to follow her to the camper to take a look at Sam. She needed them to see exactly how the incident had affected him. They shared a worried look as they saw the young lad laid motionless and staring at the upper bunk. She made the pair a hot drink and seated them at the table. The officers needed to be back at the station, yet they recognised her need to have some company for a short while, at least. They felt sorry for the lady and her daughter, who would have a long drive home tomorrow…without their husband and father. After bidding goodbye to the constables, Julia climbed back into the camper to face Kacey.

“Did you see the look they gave each other, Mum?” Kacey asked.

“What do you mean, sweetheart? When?”

“When you told them that Dad had gone into the mist. They glanced at each other as if they knew something…a shared look, if you like. I don’t like it, Mum. They know something, but didn’t want to tell us.” Kacey insisted.

“You’re suspicious right now, darling. I understand that! You’re looking for things that don’t exist…imagining it, reading into every little thing. You’ll drive yourself crazy, if you don’t stop.”

“Erm…maybe…” Kacey uttered, totally unconvinced.

The next morning, they left for the long journey back to Cornwall…and home. Julia had been encouraged to stay in regular touch with North Yorkshire Police for any updates that may become available.

Sam sat in the passenger seat throughout the journey. He had not lost his hearty appetite, but didn’t show his usual enthusiasm for the meals. He stared, constantly mesmerised as the camper made headway along the motorway. Still unable to shed any light on what had taken place beyond the mist, he was at least speaking, but only when spoken to. It was an improvement on yesterday though, and Julia drew strength and hope from that.

*****

Six months later…

After a full month with no further information about her husband’s disappearance, Julia was forced to accept the idea that Adrian was dead and would never return. She needed to grieve…and she did grieve. Without Kacey’s help, she would never have coped.

As well as her grief for the loss of Adrian, she had the added burden of not knowing how to cope with Sam.

He attended school from Monday to Friday, ate every meal prepared for him and still only spoke when he was spoken to. The truth was, he was still withdrawn and appeared to be just going through the motions each day. Her once active, funny, and loving little boy had changed beyond all recognition since that dreadful day up north. She wished they never set off to take the camper touring the UK during the school summer holidays. If they hadn’t gone, Sam would still be his old self and Adrian would still be here. Added to all that, Julia was worried how Sam was coping with his schoolwork. He had always been of fairly average intelligence, but she feared the traumas would cause a setback to his expected grades. She would find out over the next two weeks. Parents’ evening was fast approaching and Julia was eager for news, yet also dreaded it, expecting her worst fears would be confirmed.

Eleven days later, Julia attended the parents’ evening at Sam’s junior school. She sat nervously waiting for her appointment with his tutor, wringing her hands together in the hope that nobody would notice she’d been visibly shaking. After the allotted ten minutes was up, she couldn’t help but smile. She’d received a glowing report for Sam’s academic achievements, having been told he was now well above average. In some subjects, which included maths, he had quickly reached a standard that matched many teenagers in senior school. There had however, been a downside to the appointment. Sam’s tutor had stated that he now preferred to be alone at break and lunchtimes, rather than mix with the other kids, many who had been his close friends in the past. Furthermore, he now refused to take part in physical activities, including his once beloved football. Julia had to hold back the tears when she heard this. She’d hoped his habits at school had remained the same as they’d always been, particularly since he didn’t leave his bedroom these days, unless of course, it was for mealtimes and school days.

There was another, somewhat sinister, secret that Julia shared with her daughter and both swore not to ever tell a soul. When Sam was holed up in his bedroom with the door closed, they could at times, hear him speaking in some form of language that was…other-worldly!

*****

‘Sam’, as he is known these days, had settled reasonably well with the two female humans. He attended school, (as was required,) a primitive education system that his ‘type’ had no faith in. So as not to offend the humans, he ate the meals they provided, though he had no need for their form of sustenance. His ‘mother’ and ‘sister’ were kind and caring to him, but they were a curious pair. They were never done with their sometimes awkward questions, so he opted to stay in his strange little ‘room with a bed’. He knew that the human females were suspicious. Their footsteps often slowed and came to a halt outside his ‘funny room with a bed’. The children at the school were also extremely wary of 'Sam'.

His ‘mother’ and the ‘sister’ would need to be dealt with at some point in the future. ‘Sam’ was told that the task would be his. Maybe it was a test. He would receive further instructions from his master…but only when the time was right.

© Eva Bielby,  January 2026

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COMING SOON: DON'T MISS THE EXCITING SEQUEL: 'BEYOND THE MIST' - PART 2 - 'IMPERVIOUS'

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COMING SOON: On Wednesday, 28th January, we are delighted to welcome author, Liz Cain, who will be sharing an excerpt from Chapter 9 of her novel, 'Dealer's Choice'.