“Fuck Lindsey, you Ok?” Shelby asked “you better go get that sorted down the A and E, girl. I’ll get you a taxi.” She took out her mobile and hit the speed dial for her local taxi service.
“Dammit, I was all looking forward to the party this weekend too.” She looked down at her lap sulking. “Now it looks like I’ve pissed meself too!” She hoisted herself up and looked down at her bump. “Fuck, can’t even get rid of you right.” She thumped her belly, but winced at the pain it caused.
The doorbell rang again as I was feeling more and more disgusted with this sorry excuse for a human being next to me, and another person walked in. This time it was a male, eyes dilated, wearing sagging jeans and an obscene tee-shirt. He was followed right behind by two more men and a female, who already appeared to be drunk, staggering indoors and heading straight for the kitchen for more drink.
I decided to leave them to get their drinks sorted, and entered the living area again. I had had no idea that things were this bad for people to get so wasted, to want to destroy a life growing inside of them. That or they just didn’t care? Maybe. Responsibility and respect for your fellow humans, animals and the planet in general didn’t appear to be high on the curriculum these days. That’s if they even went to school. Was this like a circle of inevitability? Were their parents just as bad as their kids are now? I shook my head. This is the problem with today’s society. There is no discipline any more, no sense of morality or self-pride. Everything just seems to be a sick joke, and you can all do what you want and nobody thinks anything less of you, as they all have the same mentality. This has to stop. I must do what I can to start making things better for my friends, my family, the children and future generations. But would this one act of vigilantism be enough? No. But I can continue to help others after this? Should I be the judge, jury and executioner? I shook my head, too many questions to be answered right now. Let’s just get our revenge on this woman and at least make myself feel better and the estate have one less nuisance. I nodded as the talk with myself made me more confident to carry on with what I was going to do.
The group made their way to the living area and fell into the seats, one sat on the floor, and Shelby went to turn the music up. “Let’s get the party started! WOOOOO!” I hung my head, but lifted it again as I heard the door open and the pregnant girl leave. I guess the taxi had arrived. How she had heard it over the music was anyone’s guess.
Shelby moved over to the door, and looked back. “I’ll grab the gear be right back.” I knew what ‘gear’ she was talking about. I headed out to the kitchen and checked behind the table leg. It was still there. I heard the drawers’ upstairs open and close, and then the cursing began. She clearly wasn’t happy. I heard her move about again, and some more cupboards being opened. She appeared moments later with some other paraphernalia in her arms, and dumped them on to her small coffee table between the sofas. “I couldn’t find my regular gear so we can use this. I keep it for emergencies only, and this here’s an emergency. I need to get high!” They grabbed a needle each and filled them with some sort of liquid. I wasn’t sure what it was, but it seemed most likely to be heroin. As the group started tying tourniquets around their chosen limbs, one even opted for their foot; I decided it was now or never.
I started to create movement around me, and laughed so that the coldness of my aura swept between them, causing them to shiver as they injected themselves. I shimmered into focus causing a few of them who looked up suddenly, and tried to understand what they were looking at.
“Holy shit, this stuffs good Shelb.” The guy who had spoken sank backwards into the chair staring at me. The others looked over to me, and I flashed in and out of the mortal plain.
“What the fuck?” one of the girls shouted. “What the fuck is that?” She pointed at me, and I lifted my head to stare at them, my eyes wide. My mouth started to open, and it looked like I had their attention, one of the girls was now backing away, the others too wasted to realise what was in front of them. Shelby was staring, her jaw nearly in her lap. “I’m gonna fuckin’ kill my dealer, man, what’s in this shit?”
I flung my head back, my hands in fists at my side and wailed as loud as I could. The group tried to scatter, but were so messed up they tangled amongst themselves, curling up on the chairs, the floor, whatever was closest and covered their ears. My wail grew louder. It mattered not to me how loud I could go, it couldn’t affect me, but it could them. As they all huddled in balls, I swept over to the music player and twisted the volume to off. Now for the manipulation, whilst they were all docile. I headed for each brain, finding the electrical impulses and causing a repeat of their booming music to turn on inside their head. They want to listen to this so-called music; they can listen to it all day and all night long now without annoying everyone else! I laughed joyfully as one by one; they clutched their heads, hitting themselves, trying to rid the noise. “Turn it off” they were shouting, “turn it off!” Shelby had run to the stereo but found that the music was already off, at least the volume was. She looked about trying to find where the music was coming from. I appeared suddenly in front of her, a ghostly form, no real identity, but my eyes came into focus for her, deep black pools of nothing. She screamed then, and ran for the door, mobile in hand. “Police, ambulance, everything! Help, help!” I could hear her shouting down the phone. I ran back to the kitchen and grabbed the small bag behind the kitchen table, and placed it on the coffee table. No one saw it floating through the air; they were all too occupied with their own turmoil. I decided that I should wait for the police to arrive and watch the finale, so I made myself comfortable on the stairs in the hall.
Five minutes later, sirens wailing turned into the road and officers came into the house, attempting to make sense of what was being said. They were shaking their heads as they found all the drugs, instruments, and alcohol and judged that they should all be locked in a cell for the night to cool off. Notes were made about evil spirits, and that they all had an annoying beat in their heads that wouldn’t go away. The police assumed the drugs and drink were to blame, and told them all it would be gone once it was all out of their systems. Paramedics confirmed the status of most of them, due to the dilated pupils, and let the police cuff them and haul them down to the local jail.
I clapped my hands and laughed again, causing a chill to swim about everyone making them shiver. I retreated quickly back to my house, through the adjoining wall, to find Michael and Steve chatting about was I was up to.
“Hey Sharon!” Michael greeted “how did it go? We heard the scream of course, what else happened?”
I happily replayed the evenings’ shenanigans with Michael who laughed, and repeated it to Steve.
“That’s awesome,” replied Steve. “So is this it? Is it goodbye now?”
I shrugged. “I really don’t know. It doesn’t feel like the end. I was thinking when I was next door; maybe I’m supposed to be here to help others in similar situations. I certainly don’t feel like my work is done anyway.” As Michael told Steve what I had said, I suddenly remembered something.
“Damn, I forgot to find out how my friend did online with his noise nuisance after I went and shut it down!”
Michael grabbed the laptop. “Let’s take a look then!” The loading screen fired up once more.
CHAPTER SIX
As I read the update on Torment’s blog, the doorbell rang. Steve answered it. It was the police. They were trying to get more information about the activities next door during the evening. Reading the blog, it appeared my actions had stopped some of the noises for a while, until the machinery was back up and running. I knew it was only temporary, but it seemed that was enough for him to get proof of where the noise was emanating from. I grinned. That would help him to get the noise reduced, or stopped, maybe even the ability to sue them now for the damage they had done to his health.
Michael and Steve were talking with the officer at the door, answering any questions they could, explaining the type of p
erson Shelby was and what the noise she produced did to them every weekend, and during the week. The officer nodded, then wishing them a good evening, left for his vehicle.
Closing the front door, Michael spoke to me. “I’m beat, so I’m gonna go get some sleep. You’ll be ok Sharon?” I nodded. There were things I wanted to do anyway, whilst the living slept.
As the house grew silent and dark, I made the decision to go visit the pregnant girl at the hospital. I had to see what condition she was in, especially the unborn; that disturbed me the most.
I slipped through the wall, and rode the air currents to the hospital. I guess being a ghost isn’t so bad, I thought. No more overpriced commuting, no more worrying about my weight, no more neighbour from hell. In fact there was a lot going for this, apart from no children of my own, the grief my family and friends have had to go through for my death. Swings and roundabouts.
Reaching the hospitals A and E department, I walked through the automatic doors. They rattled as I passed through. Looking around the large reception, I was surprised at how many people were here, roaming the floor, some sitting in chairs waiting for triage, others just standing about, heads down.
One person caught my eye. She was wearing a bright pink shell-suit. But it wasn’t just the outfit that I noticed. It was the translucency of her. A ghost, I thought. I walked towards her, and she stopped pacing, her wide eyes stared at me. “Er, hi.” I said. Not sure what to say at first. Her head tilted to one side, as though the concept of someone talking to her was unheard of. Her brow furrowed.
“Hello.” She replied. “Is it time for me to leave yet?”
“Leave where?” I asked, confused.
“Hospital. I have been made better, but they won’t tell me to go.”
Does she not realise she is dead? I absently scratched my nose. It wasn’t itchy, just a nervous habit I used to have when alive. “Erm, what is your name?”
“Mary, Mary Winters. Will you see if it’s ok for me to go?”
“Mary, what year is it?” I had to ask. Other people were walking past, and through us. Mary wasn’t even aware of this. Why? Surely she had some reasoning by now of what has happened to her?
“1988 of course. I would really like to go now, I feel much better.”
“Mary. It’s not 1988 anymore. I-I- I’m not sure how to tell you this, but, well, you died a long time ago.” She was staring at me, confusion on her face, which quickly changed into a pout. She didn’t believe me.
“Don’t be stupid, I can’t be dead, I’m here.” She flung her arms out to emphasise, but one eye twitched as though there was something she couldn’t remember.
“How long have you been here, Mary?”
She suddenly looked sad. “I don’t know.” Her shoulders slumped. “I remember my parents leaving, they were sad, crying.”
I nodded. “Sweetie, you died. I can only imagine how you felt when they left you here.”
Mary began to wail, nurses in the vicinity, suddenly hugging themselves against the deathly chill. “I just want my mum and dad. I want them to come back, please!”
I realised at that moment that she had kept herself here because of the shock of her sudden death. She was in denial, or had been, and refused to leave, to move on. After so long, she had forgotten the reason she was there, thinking herself alive, but not able to leave.
“Mary.” I called her name. “Mary, look at me.” She finally raised her head and stopped wailing. “I can see you because I am also dead, and I think many of these wandering folks are too. You just refused to believe it, and got yourself stuck. You have been here for more than twenty years. It’s two-thousand and twelve.” I let the information settle for her. It was a lot to take in after living, well, haunting the wards for so long in denial.
“But what about my family?” she spoke in a small voice, barely audible.
“Your family will always love you Mary, be you alive or dead, that’s unconditional, and I’m sure they miss you as much as you miss them. But this,” I gestured to the wards, “This cannot be what you want to do for the rest of eternity. You can move on now.” I reached out to her and touched her arm. Small tingles passed between us, my strange ghostly energy sparking against this spirit. A question formed in my head. “Why are you still here anyway? Why not go home?”
Mary shook her head, her ghostly hair, wafting side to side. “I cannot. I am stuck here, to this ward. I cannot leave the room, or go through the door, no matter how much I tried. In the end I waited to be discharged. I guess I forgot I was dead after so long.”
I smiled at her, a softness to my face to calm her. “You can go now, Mary.” She looked at me, eyes wide. She looked as though she wanted to cry, but that was impossible. Instead, she hugged me, wrapping her arms around me, head sunk into my shoulder. The effect was strange; my body shimmered and felt her disappear. A tinkle of laughter sounded far off, the echo of her “thank you” rang in my head.
Smiling I turned back to the ward. She couldn’t leave, yet I can go anywhere? Why? I moved over to another person and tried to talk to them. They didn’t answer, just stood staring at the floor, leaning against the wall. I tilted my head to one side, and took note of the shadow he was casting. A live one, great. Glancing about the room, I could see the closest ward for emergencies nearby. There was much movement going on, and from what I could tell, most movement was actually from other ghosts, pacing the hall. Some saw me; others didn’t, moving in and out of the living, through me, causing me to shimmer in response.
One spirit stared at me, and then drew closer. “You cannot be here.” He spoke deeply, a slight echo catching behind his voice. It was strange. My eyebrows raised in surprise.
“Why not?” I asked.
The spirit motioned to the ward. “You are a danger to the still living here. Your kind cannot be here, without consequence.”
“My kind? I don’t understand; I’m dead, like you?”
He blinked at me; his dead eyes were blank, which made him very eerie to look at directly. “You are dead, yes. But not like me, or the others.” He got closer and reached out to my right arm. His finger almost touched me, but there was a tiny gap, yet the sparks that appeared within the gap caused me to jump. “You are not a ghost like us. We have died from natural causes, old age, or illness and disease. You died by other means, before your time. You are a Daemon; you are here for a higher reason, for justice. But you must not be here, you must leave.”
This new information crawled down my spine and made me shiver. It was true I was trying to get justice, was that my purpose? Considering a moment, I liked it. “But, I need to find out how a young lady is doing. She is pregnant, and came in with glass shattered in her hand. I am concerned for her unborn.”
The spirit before me nodded. “Wait here, we can find out for you.” He spun and moved lithely across the floor to the ward door. Another ghost listened from the other side as he passed the message on and returned to me.
“We will find out shortly, the message is being carried through the hospital to find her. It shouldn’t take long; there are many of us here, in limbo.”
“Limbo?” I asked surprised. “Is that why you are still here?”
The man shrugged, but answered. “As for myself, I stayed here out of choice. I wasn’t ready to leave when I died. I like to help others, so I try to help the new dead, to help them move on.” He motioned to the ghosts that still walked the wards. “These though, are too far gone to help, at least I cannot. They are completely gone in their own minds. Who knows what life they are living now, but I will not deny them that, I cannot.” He turned his head quickly back to the door and went to receive the information from the other ghosts.
Returning to me, he spoke again, “It appears your girl is up in a ward, she is getting a strong talking to by one of the maternity nurses up there about her drinking and drugs taking, and what that is doing to her unborn. It sounds as though the girl is up for having her child adopted once born.” I nodded relief
clear on my face.
“Adoption is the best solution for her and her child. She is not fit to be a mother yet, if ever. She needs to sort herself out. At least here, she has that help. I hope she takes it.”
The spirit before me nodded. “I understand, but is that your decision to make?”
I was taken aback. “Well, I, I only want what’s best for that child. Things will only get worse in our society otherwise. After all, you said I’m here about justice, and this is part of it, and I have begun with the unborn child of that messed up girl.” I folded my arms across my chest.
The spirit stared at me for a moment with those blank eyes. He nodded slowly. “I wish you luck with the justice you will hand out and create,” then turned slowly and moved away from me.
I wasn’t entirely sure what I should do with the information I had been given yet, but for now, I was happy to find out what had happened to the pregnant girl. Next, I wanted to find out about my old neighbour from hell, and to see how they were coping tucked up in a cold cell. I sped out of the hospital entrance and once again, carried myself on the wind towards the local police building.
All Hope Lost Page 4
