Second Chance

by Shaun Dowdall

Shaking his head, he refused to listen. He couldn’t go yet; he wasn’t ready. Whatever wanted him had to wait. He wasn’t going anywhere without a fight.

  “No,” he said, his voice no louder than a whisper. “Not yet. I’m not ready to go.”

  “You cannot refuse us!” the woman screamed, howling in rage at his defiance.

  The woman stepped closer, her eyes fixed on James’. Her pale lips quivered, pulling open to reveal her yellowed teeth, standing like forgotten tombstones in the pit of her mouth.

  Her icy hands gripped James around his throat, her iron grip refusing to let go. He tried to scream, fighting to break free from her, but she was too strong. Her dead eyes fixed on his, her lips curling into a sneer.

  “They are coming!” she yelled. “They are coming to right your wrongs!”

  Shock ascended James as he felt his feet leave the floor, the woman possessing unnatural strength, lifting him inches from where he stood. He stared in horror into her white eyes, absolute terror clawing at his soul.

  As suddenly as she had come, the woman vanished, dropping James to the floor. He crashed down, fear tearing through him as he looked for any sign of her. She was gone, the lights burning brightly once again.

  Although she had vanished, her words stuck with him—they were coming. He didn’t know who ‘they’ were, but he knew her warning meant he was in danger. He didn’t have long left.

  Chapter Ten

  ~Hannah~

  Hannah parked her car in the long drive in front of what looked to be an ancient farmhouse. Trees stood like jagged fingers alongside the drive, hedges and weeds growing wild, breaking through the gravel all around.

  Ahead, the huge, wooden barns looked as though they were on the edge of collapsing, rotten from years of neglect. The farmhouse stood off to one side, its old brick walls covered in ivy, the windows dusted over with layers of grime and dirt.

  The entire scene looked like something from a horror movie, every fiber of her being screaming at her to run.

  Hannah took a deep breath and climbed from her car, the gravel crunching under her boots as she stepped out. Her heart thundered in her chest as she began to walk towards the house, uncertainty gripping her.

  Beside her, James was silent, his eyes fixed on the house, clearly as scared as she was. After the previous night’s experience, they had been left with little choice.

  James had been terrified, his usual calm exterior melted away by his encounter with the dead woman. He was clearly on the edge of a breakdown, his fear of what awaited him tearing him apart.

  Hannah shared his concern. She didn’t want to lose him, but above all, she didn’t want him to suffer. From what he had described, it sounded as though he were in danger, that whatever lurked in the shadows was far from friendly.

  The idea had hit Hannah as the sun had begun to rise, her fingers tapping at the keyboard of her laptop. There, on the screen, the word ‘medium’ had appeared, and there was one not far from where she lived.

  The woman had quite a reputation, years of experience of speaking to the dead and passing on messages to loved ones left behind. Unlike others in the area, this woman was notorious for telling the truth, never holding back the hurtful things the dead had to say. Right then, what James needed more than anything was the truth.

  “You sure about this?” James asked, glancing over at Hannah.

  “What choice do we have?” she replied. “We could always wait for your friend to make another appearance?”

  She could see from the look on his face that was the last thing he hoped for. The only chance they had was to try the lady who waited for them in the dilapidated farmhouse.

  The pair walked towards the house, stopping in front of the haggard, wooden door that hung loosely in its rotting frame. Once again, Hannah saw James give her an uncertain look, but she ignored him, knocking on the door.

  “It’s open,” a faint voice called out.

  Hannah took a moment to compose herself, reaching out and pushing the door open. It swung in with a tremendous creak, allowing them a glimpse inside of the building.

  It was the smell that struck her first, old and musty, the scent of decay heavy in the air. The room she stepped in to was dark, the ancient furniture covered in a thick layer of dust, cobwebs hanging from the ceiling.

  In the center of the room, an elderly woman sat in her armchair, staring at Hannah through dark-rimmed glasses, her white hair a mass of curls tumbling over her tiny frame. The woman smiled at the younger girl, revealing rows of stained teeth, jagged and ruined like the rest of the farm.

  “Please, take a seat, my dear,” the woman said, pointing to the dusty, old couch in front of her.

  Hannah stepped further into the room, sitting down opposite the old woman, smiling at her politely. The place made her skin crawl, but she had no choice.

  She shuddered as she imagined what sort of insects lurked within the sofa she sat on, all sorts of creatures scuttling underneath the cushions.

  “My name is Hannah,” she began, trying to introduce herself.

  “There is no need for introductions, dear. I know why you are here,” the woman said, interrupting Hannah. “You come about the one you have lost, the one who is causing you so much confusion.”

  Hannah nodded, forgetting her environment in her excitement. “Yes, his name is James, and I’m worried about him,” she explained. “I’m worried about him because he has been unable to crossover, and I think he is in danger.”

  The woman looked at Hannah curiously, her eyebrows rising as she listened to her. “I can feel him,” the woman explained. “I am sorry for what you have lost. The love I feel radiating in this room is strong. It must hurt to have lost such a thing.”

  “Love?” Hannah asked, looking from the woman to James.

  She could see the look of shock on his face, the surprise fighting its way out. James shoved his hands into his pockets, looking away from Hannah, desperately trying to avoid her eyes.

  “This is clearly a waste of time,” James replied, looking back at Hannah. “She is obviously deluded.”

  Hannah ignored James, trying to fight the butterflies in her stomach. If what the woman said were true, that was something for her to figure out later, but right then, she had to find out how to protect James from what was coming.

  “He is in danger,” Hannah said. “Something is coming for him.”

  The woman nodded her head slowly, her eyes never leaving Hannah’s. Slowly, she closed them, appearing to drift off, lost in her own thoughts. After what felt like an eternity, she opened them again, a look of fear spreading across her features.

  “He is in no danger,” the woman said, shaking as she did. “Sometimes, when the pattern is broken, there are consequences. Consequences that they will come and deliver.”

  “Who?” Hannah asked, confused by what the woman said. “Who are they? I need to know.”

  “There is so much you do not understand,” the woman began to explain. “Life and death, it is such a complex thing, and you have found yourself caught in a web. There is no room for error, and the one you have lost is a mistake.”

  “A mistake?” she heard James ask beside her. “What on earth is she on about?”

  The woman fell silent, turning to look at something across the room. Hannah followed her gaze, seeing nothing but an empty wall, but she could tell by how ferociously the woman shook that she saw something there that Hannah could not.

  “Do you see anything, James?” Hannah whispered, the hairs on the back of her neck rising in fear.

  James shook his head, staring into space, seeking out whatever it was the woman saw.

  “I can tell you no more,” the woman squeaked, breathing heavily. “Please leave me now.”

  Hannah looked back to the woman, wanting to argue, to demand more, but she could see how terrified she was. Instead, she looked at James, who was already edging towards the door, beckoning Hannah to follow.

  She didn’t waste any time, fol
lowing James and stepping out into the warm morning air, leaving the old, musty house behind.

  “Well, that was a waste of time,” James said. “We already knew they were coming.”

  Hannah shook her head in frustration, wishing she could ask the old lady more. She knew she couldn’t, that for some reason the woman was terrified by what was coming, by whatever it was she saw in her house.

  As she walked back towards the car, she found herself lost in her thoughts. She had come seeking answers, but all they had found were more questions. Now it was not only confusion that gnawed at her insides, but the thick and clawing terror brought on by the warning the woman had given them.

  Chapter Eleven

  ~Hannah~

  Hannah sat across the table from her friend Louise Simpson, watching as the young woman stared into her cup of hot chocolate, for once lost for words. She wore her electric blue hair up, tied back and away from her face, her dark purple eyeliner shadowing her green eyes.

  Her friend was an eccentric, dressing extravagantly, not afraid to be different. Every time Hannah met with Louise, she was always shocked by the new shade of color in her friend’s hair, or the bizarre outfit she wore. Despite her odd personality, Louise had a good heart, going out of her way to help those around her.

  Hannah had swallowed her pride, seeking out her friend’s assistance, something she had never dreamed of doing in the past. Louise was an occult fanatic, believing almost everything she read on the Internet and studying the subject at university. The girl was obsessed, believing in the supernatural without evidence or proof—something Hannah had been unable to do until now.

  She was quickly running out of ideas. James seemed to have given up, surrendering to his fate. The old woman had scared her. Her reaction to whatever had lurked in the house was utterly terrifying, leaving Hannah with no other options than to seek out her friend’s advice.

  “So you want to know why a ghost would be trapped here?” Louise asked, finally looking up from her drink.

  Hannah nodded, trying to avoid giving an explanation.

  “Why?” Louise asked, staring at Hannah curiously. “You’ve always joked about how crazy my studies were in the past, so what changed?”

  Hannah shrugged, thinking on her feet and trying to come up with a good excuse. “I guess my brush with death has made me a little more open to the idea,” she said.

  Louise smiled, shaking her head slowly, clearly seeing straight through Hannah’s answer. “Doubtful,” Louise muttered, “you only believe in the things you can see. I’ve known you too long now, Hannah, and you’re a bad liar.”

  Hannah sighed, looking around the cafe for a chance to escape. She knew she had to come clean to her friend, but she didn’t know where to begin without sounding crazy.

  “The guy who saved me,” Hannah began, trying to gather her thoughts, “he is still here. I don’t know how, but he is trapped, and I’m the only one who can see him.”

  She said it, finally admitting the truth to someone. Sitting there, she waited for Louise to burst into fits of laughter, waiting for her friend to turn on her and call her crazy, but she never did. Instead, the girl sat nodding, considering Hannah’s words carefully before replying.

  “A spirit may be anchored to this world if they have unfinished business,” Louise said. “If they have something they need to do before moving on. I assume you have spoken to him already?”

  Hannah nodded, thinking about what Louise had said. She knew that James was still haunted by his past, but there was nothing there left unfinished. He had moved on, leaving that part of him behind.

  “I’ve spoken to him a lot,” Hannah explained. “He goes almost everywhere I go. I’ve spent almost every moment of every day with him since the accident.”

  Louise’s eyes opened wide in surprise, “Really?” she gasped. “Is he here now?”

  “No,” Hannah replied. “He’s back at my flat.”

  “You like him,” Louise said, a grin spreading across her lips. “Is he cute?”

  “What?” Hannah stammered. “Don’t be ridiculous!”

  Her friend giggled at Hannah’s response, clearly not persuaded by her denial. She had to admit, not having James with her at that moment left her feeling empty, but that didn’t mean she was falling for him.

  “Maybe that’s why he can’t move on?” Louise suggested. “If you both have feelings for each other, perhaps that is the root of the issue.”

  Hannah shook her head. It didn’t make sense. Despite whatever the pair felt for one another now, they had never truly met before. There was no way that James was trapped because of his feelings; it had to be something else.

  “It can’t be that,” Hannah answered. “There has been another spirit, one that attacked James, who warned him that someone was coming. I need to help him move on before anything bad can happen to him.”

  “Maybe it was just another spirit who is also stuck?” Louise suggested. “I’ll do some digging for you—see what I can come up with. In the meantime, you need to find out what it is he has left unfinished and see if that can help him move on. If you’re the only one who can see him, that means you’re the only one who can help him.”

  “Thanks,” Hannah said, grabbing her purse and standing from the table. “I’ll give you a call tonight if that’s okay?”

  Louise nodded, fixing her eyes on the cup before her once again. As Hannah slipped out of the quiet cafe, she thought about James, about what it was keeping him here. She knew he wouldn’t open up straight away, that she would have to pry the information from him, but no matter what, she was determined to keep him safe.

  Chapter Twelve

  ~James~

  James reluctantly stepped into the elevator alongside Hannah, folding his arms across his chest in defiance. He glared at the woman beside him, frustrated that she had dragged him here.

  As soon as she had walked into the flat that afternoon, she had opened up like a machine gun, relentlessly prying for information. She was determined to find out what unfinished business he had left—intent on helping him move on.

  For hours, they had argued back and forth until James had finally confessed his concern for his best friend Ben. As soon as he had mentioned it, Hannah had leaped onto the subject, forcing everything she could from James.

  Now they were moments away from his friend’s flat, on a mission to help James move on while also helping Ben.

  “Stop acting like such a child,” Hannah scolded, tilting her head so she could see James from the corner of her eyes. “We have to do this; it’s for your own good.”

  James shook his head slowly. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Hannah; it was that he didn’t know how his friend would react to the news that James was still lingering behind. Ben had never been the most open-minded of people.

  Finally, the elevator came to a stop, the metal doors sliding open and allowing the pair entrance to the 12th floor. They stepped out, James taking the lead, Hannah following just behind.

  “This is the one,” James said, nodding at the door just ahead.

  He watched as Hannah stepped forward, knocking with her small fist. There was nothing but silence, filling James with relief.

  “He must be out,” James said.

  “Wait,” Hannah interrupted before James could continue. “I hear something.”

  Footsteps sounded from within the flat, walking towards the door. The door clicked, creaking open, revealing Ben.

  As James looked at his friend, a range of emotions struck him. At first, he felt happy, seeing a familiar face, but that was soon washed away as he recognized the pain and despair in Ben’s eyes. The man was clearly struggling to cope, crushed by the loss of his friend.

  “Hannah?” Ben asked, clearly surprised to see the girl. “What are you doing here?”

  “I needed to talk to you about something,” she replied, casting a quick look in James’ direction.

  “Ok, come on in.”

  Ben led the way in
to his flat, Hannah following. The place was a mess, takeaway boxes littering the sides and cans of beer piled high.

  James watched as his friend slumped into his sofa, reaching for a can in the process.

  “I wish he wouldn’t always turn to drink whenever things got rough!” James said, marching to where the pair now sat.

  “So, what is it you needed to talk to me about?” Ben asked, putting the beer to one side.

  “I’m not really sure how to say this,” Hannah began, clearly unsure of how to start the conversation. “After the accident, I started seeing things—James being one of them.”

  James watched his friend, searching his face for any sign of a reaction. He knew Ben wouldn’t react well, that he would most likely grow angry, but they needed him to believe what Hannah was saying, James needed to get through to him one last time.

  “What?” Ben asked, smiling across at Hannah as he tried to keep himself from laughing. “If this is a joke, it’s in bad taste.”

  “I’m being serious,” Hannah shot back, clearly trying to remain calm. “He is here with us now.”

  Ben burst into laughter, rubbing at his eyes as his body shook. James watched on, prepared for this moment. He had expected Ben to laugh it off, he had been ready for that, but his friend was clearly drunk, something James wasn’t prepared for.

  “Tell him it wasn’t his fault, that the order came from above,” James said.

  Hannah looked at James for a moment before repeating his words, falling silent once she had.

  “Tell him, we all feel the guilt of that night, but we were under orders to give Claire whatever she wanted. The decision was never ours to make, and he isn’t responsible for her death. Neither of us were.”

  James watched as Hannah told Ben what he said. His friend had grown silent, staring at Hannah as though the girl was mad, belief slowly setting in as he listened to her.

  “He did everything he could to save her; he knelt beside her, holding her hand until the paramedics arrived. I still remember his last words to her, ‘you were great up there tonight,’ the final reassurance she needed to hear before she died.” James explained, giving Hannah a moment to repeat his words before he continued.