When Love Hurts and Ghosts Linger (13 page)

The air turns ice-cold; I look at Lucy who looks terrified all of a sudden, fear all over her face. Something else is here, it’s not just her, there are people everywhere, if I run I will look suspicious, so I don’t move.

I see them, those evil red eyes peering down at me through the black clouded night sky. There are no stars, just black clouds and those evil red eyes. I feel like I’m suddenly short of breath, like something is restricting my airways, I gasp for air but try to keep quiet.

Lucy is hovering behind me, frightened, I don’t know why I mean she’s dead, I’m alive, surely that’s worse. The wind picks up around me and I see the officers scramble as they try to protect the crime scene.

“I want her” this beastly voice echoes.

Of course only I can hear it.

“You’re not having her” I speak breathlessly trying to get some air.

I feel my feet leave the floor and a grip around my neck, before I know it I’m being thrown across the field. I land in all the mud sliding across before friction finally slows me down. I’m in pain, which really fucking hurt, my arm is really sore and my back hurts. I look up and see Lucy’s ghost coming for me.

“NO LUCY HIDE, GO AWAY!” I scream at her.

I don’t want this thing taking her, its dark, there are no lights down this end of the field.

Lucy’s gone, thank god, he can’t get her if he doesn’t know where she is although weird thought, how did he get to all the others he has claimed?

“BITCH!” the voice is callous and cold.

I’m lifted up again, this time high into the air, I look down, I can feel my heart beat faster as this thing, this thing I had seen before, the goats head, silly I know but I swear this is how he appeared.

“Give him to me”

“Give who to you”

“You’re son” his grip tightens.

“NEVER” my voice is strained.

“I will have the life I was destined for, one way or another I will get your souls”

I see the lights of the torches being waved about, I think they are looking for me. This monster lets me go and drops me to the floor. As I come crashing down I feel a surge of pain through my body. I wake up, I’m wet, and cold but normal cold, I’m lying on the muddy grass. Feeling dazed I can slightly hear the detective.

“Miss, can you hear me”

His voice seems so far away yet I see his blurry image right in front of me.

“Miss….Can you hear me”

“Y-ye-yeah” my voice constrained and low.

I wake up again, I’m in the hospital and I’m all alone, my head hurts, my back hurts and my arm hurts.

The detective is outside my room, can’t this guy fuck off? He comes in and I see a look of concern on his face but doubt in his eyes.

The doctor checking me over, asking me if I’m ok, telling me my vitals are good and that I have a broken rib, a fractured arm and a concussion, awesome! 

“Do you have a minute ma’am?” the detective asks nicely.

I feel a bit hazy and sore but sure,  I nod in agreement.

“What happened?”

Oh right to the point detective, well done, thumbs up for you.

“I don’t know, one minute I was talking to you, it got windy, it’s a bit of a blur” I’m lying.

I know exactly what happened and I was actually really scared, but I couldn’t tell him some ghost monster that’s after me and my son attacked me now can I.

“Is there someone we can call for you?” the detective kindly asks.

‘SHIT’ “Uhh yes my partner, his name is Levi, his number is in my phone, the pin to open it is one four zero three.”

My god he must be going out of his mind right now, I left the house with no explanation and I ignored all his calls. 
‘OH MY GOD JACK’  
thinking too much is making my head hurt. I can feel myself nodding off as the room turns cold, for fuck sake can’t I catch a break. Lucy appears next to my bed which makes me jump, I grip my ribs, the pain hurts from jolting.

“Lucy….”

“Are you ok” aww her sweet caring voice.

“I’m ok sweetie, what are you doing here?”

“I came to find you, you told me to hide, mummy used to tell me to hide and then she’d come find me but you didn’t” her grey/blue ghostly face looks sad.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t playing a game, I wanted you to hide from….”

“The man?” she finishes my sentence.

“Yes, you saw him?” 

“Yes, is he going to get me?”

“No sweetie, when I feel better I will help you ok”

I done it once with Amy so why couldn’t I do it with her.

“Another man took me, mummy said not to talk to strangers but he took me away”

Oh god, she’s going into details about how she disappeared, she tells me she was playing in the park and a man asked her if she wanted a sweetie, she said that she said no and went to call her mummy but as she turned she said he took her away.

She told me she didn’t remember anything but she couldn’t breathe and it was really dark where she was and then she found me. Tears fill my eyes as I listen to this ghostly girl tell me her story, then Levi and Jack walk in. I can see Levi is angry and hurt and worried, all the emotions are streaming across his face like he can’t choose which one should come first.

“Mummy” Jack cries out with happiness.

He jumps on the bed to hug me, as pleased as I am to see him it hurts and my face winces in agony.

“Where were you? Do you know how fucking worried I’ve Robyn for fuck sake” he runs his hands through his hair trying to contain his emotions.

“I know you were, I’m sorry, I got caught up in the middle of….” I pause.

I look and there is Lucy just staring at me from behind Jack, she’s playing with his hair and he’s smiling at her.

“I know,” he starts before I finish, “I saw the detective, he called me and told me to come here, I know about the body you found, but how the fuck did this happen to you” he looks hard at me.

I don’t know what to tell him, I lie and tell him I don’t remember, I see the doubt in his eyes like he can sense I’m lying but he knows now is not the time for a fight, I’m too tired, I feel weak and drained. I see several ghostly people walking through the corridor, I hate hospitals, this is where people die and they wander around for a while as if they’re lost or waiting for a lift, it’s annoying and it’s always cold.

Levi kisses me on the forehead, I can see he doesn’t want to leave my side but he is ordered to. He made plans for me that Jack would go and stay with his mum for a few days as he had work and I was in hospital where I would remain for the next forty eight hours and then I was told I would have to take it easy whilst my ribs healed.

Lucy is still there, she won’t leave, she has latched on to me like I’m the mother she needs in the after-life.

I see her slowly float down on the edge of my bed, as ghostly and lightly as she is the bed dipped as if it would when a human sat there. She seemed so beautiful, so peaceful, I don’t know if ghosts sleep but she stayed at the bottom of the bed, I couldn’t fight it any longer, my eyelids are heavy and I fall asleep.

I’m awoken by a cold brush across my cheek; although cold it feels nice, caring almost. I hear a sweet whisper.

“It’s ok my dear you’re safe”

I recognise that voice, I feel comfort all of a sudden. I open my eyes, the sun is peering in through the window, it seems like a nice day outside.

There she is, my Nan, next to my bedside stroking my cheek with her ghostly hand, that’s what the feeling is. She used to do that to me when I was ill and I would come home from school, lie on the sofa and she would stoke my cheek to make me feel better.

“Nan?” I can’t hide my happiness.

“Yes my dear I’m here, shhh it’s all going to be ok….” She’s trying to make me feel better.

“It’s not though Nan, how can he do this to me? No-one else has ever managed to hurt me before, only him, he’s done this three times now and this is the worst. I don’t know what to do”

Her face is compassionate and soft “Remember what I said, you’re stronger than he is, he has them to make him stronger on this side but he’s not of the living, you are, you will figure this out.”

I feel her ghostly hand runs through my hair, she makes me feel at ease, god I miss her and wish she was here with me, for real, not in her ghostly form. I need my Nan, I need someone to talk to. She’s relaxing me by stroking my hair, I want to cry, I want to go home, I want this to stop but it won’t will it, not unless I stop him. 

I wake up, its afternoon, my Nan’s stroking of my hair relaxed me and sent me to sleep. My phone is buzzing on the table next to me. I pick it up to see a message from Pete.

*Hey, went to get Jack but no-one was home, I thought you were going to let me see him?*

Shit what day is it, I can’t think, I look at my phone, its Saturday. I forgot about Pete to be honest he is the last thing on my mind.

*I haven’t been home, not well, Jack is staying at Levi’s mums for a few days*

I hit send and put the phone down just as Levi walks in. I give a half smile, I’m relieved he is here, I was scared he was going to leave me.

“You ok baby?” his tone soft.

Oh his voice, I’ve missed him, I want to jump up and wrap my arms around him but I can’t I’m hooked up to an IV for fluids, I assume it’s because I haven’t eaten anything.

“Yeah I’m ok, I missed you….” I whisper.

He leans down and kisses me softly on the lips, I feel a rush of love surge through my body. I realise I have put him through hell, I wish I could tell him but I don’t want him to get caught up in all of this.

“Have they said when you can go home?” 

“Should be to today I guess, I’ve been here long enough.”

“You feeling ok though?” I hear the worry in his voice.

“I’m ok, a little sore still but I’m ok.”

The doctor comes in, she’s seems lovely and caring, she examines me and gives me a smile telling me that I can go home. I can’t hide the relief that’s all over my face, I want to go home and be with Levi and see my son. Levi helps me get dressed, my ribs are still a little sore, I realise Lucy is nowhere to be seen, I’m not sure if has been here since she curled up on the bottom of my bed but I can’t see or feel her anywhere.

“You ok” Levi prompts.

“Yeah why?”

“You look like you’ve lost something, your face is confused….”

He’s picking up on the fact I’m looking around the room looking for Lucy, I know I don’t want to do this and I don’t go seeking ghosts out but she’s a little girl. I saw her dead body, I will never get that image out of my mind.

I just want to help her so she can move on and find some peace. I’m sure by now the police would have identified her and informed the parents, I can’t imagine what they are going through, the pain of losing a child must be unbearable.

Levi and I leave the hospital, I’m so glad to be out of that place, the death everywhere, it’s depressing I tell you, if I wasn’t sleeping I was awake, ghosts floating in the hallway, it’s morbid. Driving home I stare out of the window, mixed things running through my mind, like how I’m going to stop this thing? Will Levi leave if he found out? Is Jack safe? How did my Nan come to me? When we arrive home my flat is empty, I look around but neither Jack nor Levi’s mum is there.

“Where’s Jack” I ask worried.

“With my mum at her house, don’t worry I’m picking him up tomorrow,” he smiles at me as if he saying not to worry.

“I thought you might want a night in your own bed and relax before he comes home”

I smiled at him, I know he’s trying to help but I need to speak to Jack.

“Can you ring your mum so I can speak to him please, I miss him.”

Levi agrees and dials his mum; she answers quickly and asks him straight away if everything is ok.

“Yeah mum she’s much better now; she wants to talk to Jack”

He passes the phone to me, he smiles saying to me don’t worry he is ok.

“Mummy” I hear Jack’s excited voice.

“Hello my baby you ok?”

“Yeah, we’re making cakes”

“Aww that sounds nice” I smile.

“Are you coming home mummy?” he sounds a little sad.

“Mummy will come get you tomorrow ok”

“Ok mummy I love you”

“I love you too” 

I try and hold back my tears, not because I’m sad but because I miss him so much. I’m scared for him but he’s with someone new, maybe this monster can’t find him when he’s there, maybe he can only find him when he’s with me. 

“Feel better now” Levi says to me.

“Yeah” I smile back.

I can see Levi is still worried about me, after all he knows I’m hiding something from him but I’m so confused in my head right now I don’t know if I should tell him the truth, he might think I’m insane if I do.

I’m in the kitchen making a coffee when I feel the cold chilly breeze, all my windows are closed so I know that again someone is here.

I turn and there behind me is Lucy. Still grey/blue appearance, still sweet looking and her ghostly image all intact.

“Hello”

“Hello Robyn, can we go find mummy now”

I breathe out “Ok sweetie”

“Levi….” I call out to him. 

He comes from the living room quickly “What is it babe?” he looks worried.

“I have to go out” I’m shivering.

“Why?”

I look at his face, I don’t know what lie to tell, I’m stumped actually as all the words leave my brain and I can’t think of anything to say.

“Robyn tell me…..” he prompts a little annoyed.

“I can’t…..” my voice is low.

“For fuck sake Robyn, I know you’re hiding something from me and if you can’t trust me and tell me then tell me what is the fucking point in us being together”

Oh no, he wants to leave, now is the time I have to be truthful, hearing those words and seeing how mad and upset he is I have to, I don’t want to lose him but then the truth may cause him to run, I have to do it, I have to do it now.