“What’s so funny?” Gail asked.
“I was just thinking about Jack and what a paradigm-shift he’s just had.” He raised his eyebrows and then kissed her forehead.
“I remember it well.” She winked. “Full on bowel emptying fear followed by the most profound peace I’ve ever known. Weird and kinda addictive.”
“Yeah, I can see these two will be getting into all sorts of problems now.”
Gail snuggled back on to his shoulder. “Maybe we can help them?”
Before Jesse could answer, he saw a shape walking toward them… a man, and for a moment his stomach clenched. Was it over?
The smoke cleared a little.
“Nick, it’s so good to see you.”
Jesse had the urge to pull the spirit into a hug, but he restrained himself.
“I’m sorry I had to leave,” Nick said. “It looks like you managed without me.”
“We did.” He wanted to say more to explain how they couldn’t have done it without Nick. How the priest had saved the children.
Nick smiled and nodded, and Jesse knew that he had heard his thoughts.
“They have gone to peace?” Nick asked.
“All of them. It was amazing.” Jesse knew he was grinning like a loon. “Is... is it finally over?”
Nick turned and looked back at the smoldering ruins. “There is evil here, a darkness, a stain on the ground, and there always will be — however there is nothing to harness it — I pray it stays that way.”
Jesse felt a curl of fear loop around his intestines. “Can we assure that?”
Nick turned back to them and smiled. “No one is here, no one comes here, and without death, the place is just a place.”
Jesse felt a tug inside, and his throat tightened. He knew it was time. “I made you a promise, my friend. Do you wish me to keep it?”
Gail’s hand tightened on his, and he heard her gulp. She would be fighting back the tears. Though this was a happy event, it meant that Nick would be gone and they would never see him again.
Nick turned again and surveyed all the land around them. For long moments he said nothing and then he turned back and nodded. “It is time.”
Jesse nodded, but before he could say anything else, Nick had gone, and Jesse understood.
He crossed to Shelly, Jack, and Stacey. “We have something to do. It won’t take long. Are you okay here?”
“We’re fine,” Jack said from his position on the ground.
Jesse nodded and kept his face neutral. Jack had a long way to go, but he could teach them both about protection, and more, if they wanted to continue with this.
Shelly looked afraid. “You’re... well...y....y... you’re not going to send Stacey away, are you?”
“No, I will leave the timing of that to you two. You have talent. Would you like to join us sometime?”
Shelly let out a shriek of delight and pulled them both into a hug.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Jesse said, as they extracted themselves.
Go, Stacey said in their minds. He is waiting, and it’s his time.
Jesse held her eyes for a moment. She understood that he would be watching her. Nick had stayed sane throughout his long vigil, but that was rare.
Stacey nodded.
It took Jesse and Gail just ten minutes to walk back through the woods to the little clearing and the grave. Nick was waiting.
“Thank you, my friend,” Jesse said.
Nick nodded, and they could see tears in his eyes.
Gail ran to him and pulled him into a hug before pushing him to arm’s length. “You are sure?”
He nodded.
Jesse pulled the crucifix from his pocket and handed it back. Nick took it and smiled, holding it to his chest.
Standing in a circle around the crumbled gravestone, they recited the releasing prayer together.
“In the Name of Jesus, we rebuke the spirit of Nickolas Aubrey.”
Jesse stopped and turned to Gail. “Let me finish this.”
She nodded.
Jesse reached out and took Nick’s hands. They were cold, but he could feel them, and a slight tingle ran across the hairs of his hands.
“In the Name of Jesus, we rebuke the spirit of Nickolas Aubrey. A good man, a man who saved many and stayed true to God. Go to peace my friend, leave this place without manifestation.”
The fingers in his hand were no longer solid. The sensation of cold increased and static raised the hair all up Jesse’s arms.
“Go to a better place, a place of peace where He will greet you with the love and redemption you deserve.”
The fingers were gone, and Jesse dropped his hands. Nick was fading, but there was a huge smile on his face.
“Know that you have found redemption and we will be forever grateful for your courage. Now leave this place according to His Holy Will.”
Light surrounded Nick, and then it shrunk to a spot, and he was gone.
The crucifix dropped to the ground, and they heard the words, For you. May it bring you peace and keep you safe.
“OMG,” Gail said. “That was beautiful, but you didn’t use the real words.”
Jesse laughed and put an arm around her shoulders. “It’s the intention that counts, remember? I felt Nick deserved more.”
“Yeah, now let’s go home, I’m desperate for a pee.”
Jesse laughed. “Me, too.”
80
Three Months Later:
Jesse, Gail, and Amy sat in the courtroom waiting for the verdict. Behind them were Shelly and Jack. His face had shrunk back down to its normal size, but the bruising and stretch marks would take a little longer to fade. He smiled as Jesse looked back. The incident didn’t seem to have curbed his enthusiasm.
Next to Shelly, Stacey sat completely still. Jesse was still thrilled that he could see her, for he knew most of the courtroom couldn’t. That was probably for the best as she was struggling to be here and was translucent, occasionally fading away completely.
Stacey nodded when she caught his eye and Jesse gave her the thumbs-up. He had a good feeling about this, and as Stacey was part of the reason why they were here, he wanted her to feel good.
Jesse turned back to the front as the jury filed back into the courtroom.
Paul Simmonds sat next to Rosie, as calm as ever. It had been a tense three months since they had escaped RedRise House, but he still looked as if he was simply waiting for afternoon tea. Despite that, a lot had happened, and these next few minutes would decide the rest of Rosie’s life.
Jesse held his breath. Gail squeezed his hand, as he thought back over how they got here.
After they escaped from RedRise House, they had sought Out Rosie’s lawyer, Paul Simmons. Paul had listened to their story and said that he would see what he could do. It didn’t take him long to find an officer who had an interest in Phillip Jackson.
Phillip was well known as the worst type of pedophile. His nickname was Teflon; nothing would stick to him. Apparently, he wore gloves and a hair net wherever he went and was meticulous to make sure he never left any trace evidence.
Paul asked around and soon found a Detective, John Evans, who was prepared to look at the CCTV. When they reviewed it, Phillip was definitely lurking. There he was on the spotty footage, across the street from Rosie, skulking in the shadows. Paul suspected he was waiting for children to come to the shop, but it didn’t matter. They had enough for a warrant.
When the police raided Jackson’s house, they found a blood-soaked shirt and a diary that was full of his fantasies. It told of how he forced Rosie to do as he said. He wrote extensively of her terror, of him holding a knife to her throat, and of how he committed the murders, but that she was just there as a scapegoat. How he forced her to cover herself in blood and told her that he would kill her and all her friends if she spoke of it.
The more they searched, the worse it became. His internet scrubber had not been working, and all the sites he had visited in the last few weeks w
ere there to view. That was enough to put him away for a long time. As they were about to leave, a book fell off a shelf, and a receipt for a necklace fell out. It was for a pink crystal rose on a gold chain, and it had been found on the third victim. They had enough to convict and were lucky that they acted when they did, as they also found a one-way ticket to Bangladesh.
Jesse remembered the words the young spirit spoke to him, He travels to all the lonely places... an innocent life he wishes to extinguish.
It had taken a month and a half to get to that stage, and then the police had decided there was enough evidence to bring Rosie to a court of appeal. Paul and Jesse had spent a long time with her, coaching, and helping her, and they had finally got to this decision.
The trial had taken just a few weeks, and now they were waiting for the verdict. Jesse looked around and smiled at Jack, Shelly, and Stacey, for without them, they would never be here. He whispered a thank you to them.
Shelly nodded her head, her mousy brown ponytail swung across her shoulders. This was where it all started for her, just a few months before she had been sitting here watching the first trial. Then she had taken it upon herself to do something. Jesse couldn’t thank her enough.
Jesse looked back to the court as he heard the jury walk back in and take their seats. His breath was held, and he felt as if the whole room held theirs with him. It took them all a long time to settle down, and Jesse wanted to scream at them to get it over with. He couldn’t imagine how Rosie must feel, yet she looked so calm.
The clerk of the court faced the jury. “Will the jury please rise.” He turned to Rosie. “Will the defendant also please rise and face the jury.”
Wood scraped on the hard floor, and the sound of people standing echoed around the cavernous room. Rosie stood easily, and Paul stood next to her. The smile on his face was calm and assured.
“Mr. Foreman, has your jury agreed upon your verdicts?”
A sharply dressed woman in her early thirties with long brown hair held an envelope in her hand. “We have.” She passed the envelope to the clerk who took it to the judge. The only sound was of the clerk’s feet on the wooden floor, slap, slap, slapping as he walked back to the jury.
“What say you, Ms. Forman, as to complaint number 5879644, wherein the defendant is charged with three counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility? Is she guilty or not guilty?”
“Not guilty.”
Jesse let out his breath in a great whoosh, and he heard the screams of joy that echoed through the courtroom.
Shelly was on her feet and dancing around. Some of the relatives were celebrating with her, which amazed Jesse. She had done what she said she would, albeit leaving out the bits about spirits. She had explained to them that Rosie was a victim and they had gotten behind her and helped bring them to this day.
Gail pulled Jesse into her arms. “I can’t believe today,” she whispered in his ear. “I think this is one of the best days yet.”
Jesse kissed her neck. “I couldn’t agree more.”
Amy had run down to the front of the courtroom and was hugging Rosie, as half of the room had tears in their eyes.
Jesse pulled back and looked across at Paul. They shared a glance, and Jesse noticed that Paul looked a little happier than normal. Maybe seeing that spirits could do some good had helped him a little.
Jesse pulled Gail back into his arms. “Now everyone is free, why don’t we set a date?”
“A date?” Gail asked, but he could see from the cheeky twinkle in her eyes that she knew what he meant.
“A date for our wedding. I want everyone here today to come.”
Gail laughed. “Not the prosecutor, I hope.”
“Oh, you are so annoying, you know what I mean. Marry me, just tell me when.”
Gail rolled her eyes at him and then gave him her cutest smile. He knew it, she had been thinking the same thing.
“Thursday, June 7th.”
“Thursday... wait… how come you came up with that so quickly?”
Gail kissed him and then pulled away. “Thursdays are cheaper, and June 7th is Sylvia’s birthday. It gives us plenty of time to prepare and time to get all these friends organized. What do you say?”
“I can’t wait. Now let’s go join in the celebrations. We can tell them in a couple of weeks. Today is all for Rosie.”
The following night, a fox trotted out of the woods around RedRise House. A smell, something burned, drew it to a place it would not normally come. The moon shone down over the ruins, and the fox skirted around, sniffing and searching for something to eat. It had been a hard year, and food was scarce. There was something enticing in the rubble, but something held it back.
Slowly it trotted around the edges of the destruction. There was meat in the ruins, something burned, but delicious. Sniffing the air, tasting the wind, it searched for the source to no avail.
The wreckage still smoldered all this time after the fire, and if it weren’t starving, the fox would never come this close. Cautious, it weaved in and out of the bushes, always watching for danger.
Then it found the source and padded across the hot remains to snatch a morsel of meat. It was ripe and nutritious, but not a taste it had experienced before. Gulping down the first mouthful, it snatched and tore off another.
A tree broke behind it, and the fox turned. Fear caused a whimper to leave its throat. Something lurked in the darkness, something that made it forget the food and run back into the woods as fast as its legs would carry it.
Maybe there was still something lurking at RedRise House.
Still Evil
The Ghosts of RedRise House 4
By
Caroline Clark
©Copyright 2018 Caroline Clark
All Rights Reserved
81
Jacob bit back a sigh of frustration and clenched his hands around the steering wheel.
From the passenger seat he could hear the occasional tut and sigh of disappointment.
They had been driving for hours and he was well and truly lost. He understood why Emily was angry, disappointed, but that didn’t make it easier. She would be staring out the side window, her shoulder length golden blonde hair hiding her face and sparkling in the sunlight. Even though she was ignoring him, discontent was like a thick fog that seeped over and clogged the back of his throat. Swallowing it down he took a deep breath and resisted the urge to rub his hand through his thick brown hair. Emily would only tell him it needed trimming. Maybe, it touched his shoulders but he could never find the time. Didn’t she understand?
Something rattled underneath the old Vauxhall as they hit a bump. Squeals of laughter came from the back seat but the sigh from across him made his jaw clench and the noise twisted his gut. They couldn’t afford the car to go wrong.
“Nearly there kids,” he called and glanced in the rearview mirror.
Seven-year-old Sophia’s big blue eyes peered up from her tablet. She looked so much like her mum with her blonde hair and cute heart-shaped face. A grin widened her mouth and she flashed as the sun caught her braces. Remembering they were there she closed her lips tightly but the grin remained.
Across from her, 9-year-old Noah, was also grinning, but the boy looked tired. His dark hair was a little too long. Maybe to emulate his father’s. It was unruly and curled over his brown eyes. It almost hid the purple bruise on his left cheek.
Jacob looked back as a knife edge of guilt lanced into his stomach.
“I’m getting hungry dad?” Noah said and as if on cue his stomach groaned and a burst of laughter echoed through the car.
Jacob stared out the windscreen. Where had he gone wrong? It had seemed such an easy journey that he hadn’t bothered with the sat nav but here they were. Having driven for hours and all around them was green — trees, fields, hedges. It wasn’t picturesque, but flat, dull, boring, and just depressingly green. The day was supposed to have been a picnic near the river but at times it felt like he could get n
othing right.
Up ahead he saw a gate to the right and a path leading down towards a woodland.
“This will do,” he said glancing back as he turned through the gate.
The car ran over an old board. It rattled and Jacob felt his stomach roll again. If the car went wrong there wasn’t enough money to fix it. They should have just gone to the park. It would have saved a fortune in fuel money, and maybe saved him an ulcer to boot.
As they ran over the board on the ground, the tires left marks almost covering the faded writing – Danger Keep Out.
The track wound around a few stranded trees and then turned a corner to stop in front of a pile of rubble. It looked like it had been there forever and for a moment Jacob had a vision of a dark night and an old house on fire. Screams echoed in his ears and he started to turn the car around. There was something wrong here. They would go back to the park.
“Pull up over there, J.” Emily pointed to an area of sparse, dried grass about fifty feet from the trees.
He nodded. It would have to do. They could have a picnic, the kids would run around, if they got off their tablets, and then they could go back and he would finish the report he had due tomorrow.
“A game of catch or food first?” he asked just to wind the kids up a bit.
Emily chuckled, she understood him still and that felt good. Looking across he smiled at her and for a moment the gulf between them narrowed. Though she thought she was getting old. She worried about wrinkles she still lit up his life... if only he had the time to appreciate it. Maybe he should tell her more?
“Daaaaaad,” Noah let the word drag out to emphasize his frustration.
“Food it is then. Grab the basket and I’ll get the blanket and the cool box.”
The doors groaned on the car as they all opened at once. Jason couldn’t decide if the sound was ominous, sad, or funny. Maybe a little of all three. They needed a new car. Only the house needed a new boiler, term would be starting soon and the kids needed new uniforms. Though he worked all the hours he could it was never enough. To top it all, Aiden, a young university graduate had just got the promotion he had been after for years. Mr. Martins had told him that they were lucky to get someone so qualified, and enthusiastic.
The Ghosts of RedRise House Page 45
