Paranormal Intruder

by Caroline Mitchell

  Chris and Lee followed Neil to the outside smoking area. Neil rummaged for the lighter in his pocket, and something small fell from the sky at their feet. ‘It’s over there,’ Neil pointed to the floor as Lee bent down to look for the source of the noise.

  ‘It’s a five pence again. I wonder if it’s the same one that dropped inside?’ Lee said as he examined the coin between his fingers.

  ‘I’d say so. It’s back, isn't it?’ Neil said with a sigh, surrendering to the nervous feeling, which was growing inside him. Mystified, they stubbed the remainders of their cigarettes and returned inside. Poppy day was fast approaching and the bar was adorned with a poppy tray and collection box.

  ‘Hey, perhaps we’re going to be showered with poppies,’ Lee joked, eyeing up the display of paper poppies as the barmaid served their drinks.

  Neil smiled and put his hand in his jeans pocket to pay for their drinks. He felt something odd. The paper he was pulling out was not cash. He held the unknown item up to the light. It was a red paper poppy with a hard plastic stem. Neil nudged Lee as he looked at the red paper flower in amazement. The barmaid gave them a peculiar look and carried on serving.

  Neil, Lee and Chris decided to try and change the subject from the paranormal. As fascinating as it was, Chris recommended they take a step back from discussing it, to avoid any problems. They chatted outside in the smoking area, pulling their jackets tight to keep out the cold. Tendrils of smoke floated up into the clear night air.

  Neil stubbed his cigarette in the ashtray on the wooden bench, when a small stone dropped on the wooden decking at his feet. He picked it up and examined it, pressing on the stone between his fingers, as if to ensure it was real. Shaking his head, he threw the pebble on the ground. Neil walked back inside and took his seat.

  Chris followed behind and cast his eyes on the wooden bar in front of him. A small grey pebble rested beside his soft drink. Chris looked inquiringly at Neil. ‘Is that the same stone you found outside?’

  Neil stared at the stone that was now on the bar. ‘Huh, looks like it, but how did it get there?’ Neil guessed the entity was responsible. A tall figure stood behind Chris, and he presumed it was Lee. Seconds later the figure was gone. Neil asked Chris casually, ‘Where’s Lee gone?’

  Chris looked at Neil with a puzzled expression, ‘He’s still outside finishing off his cigarette.’

  ‘But he was beside you a second ago,’ Neil said, his voice tapering away.

  ‘No he wasn’t,’ Chris replied. ‘Here he is now.’

  ‘You alright Neil? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost,’ Lee chuckled as he joined them.

  ‘You might be right. Were you in here a second ago?’ Neil asked.

  ‘No, you saw me just come in,’ Lee said.

  Neil surveyed the room devoid of customers. He bit his lip, convinced he had just glimpsed his tormentor.

  The trio stood at the bar finishing their drinks. Neil swirled the ice cubes in his glass, trying to rationalise what he had seen. All of a sudden, strong fingers poked him sharply in the hollow of his back. ‘Ow!’ he shouted as he spun around. Apart from Chris and Lee on either side, there was nobody there. Neil knew they could not have been responsible, they were swigging down the dregs of their drinks, and the poke had come from directly behind him. Neil felt his flesh creep. Coin throwing was one thing, but he hated physical contact. He explained what happened to Lee and Chris, determined to stay upbeat.

  They walked out to the front of the pub to leave, and a coin fell from the clear night sky. Neil looked up at the twinkling stars overhead, wondering if paranormal events were really occurring outside of his home. He dropped his friends at home and hoped for a peaceful night.

  The house felt quiet and welcoming as he walked in the door. Lying in bed, he told himself that at least if things occurred in public they could not get out of hand. Or so he hoped.

  The coin throwing carried on in the pub. Neil, Lee, and Chris were still meeting once a week and strangely, there were no occurrences in between.

  The weeks rolled forward into December and Neil and Lee stood in the smoking area to the rear of the pub, which was lined with a coating of snow. Neil strained to hear the faintest plopping sound as something hit the snow on the roof of the smoking shelter. The glow of the outside lighting revealed what looked like a coin, which appeared to have come from thin air.

  Lee ignored the noise. He was too busy drawing pictures in the fresh snow glistening on a wooden picnic table. Neil walked around the table to view the picture of a cat, which Lee had drawn in the snow using his finger.

  ‘Proper work of art there, eh Lee?’

  Lee laughed in response as they stubbed their cigarettes in the damp ashtray. They turned to walk back inside to the warmth of the pub.

  Neil glanced at the picture and did a double take. There was an addition to Lee’s picture. ‘Will you look at that?’ Neil laughed. ‘It’s a fish skeleton, like in the cartoons.’ Neil pointed to the childish picture drawn beside Lee’s.

  Lee looked down to the ground. The only footprints in the snow were theirs. ‘What next?’ Lee said, glancing around one more time as he followed Neil inside.

  They returned to their drinks and Neil peered into his glass to see something swimming on top. He dipped his fingers in and pulled out broken cigarettes soaked in diet coke. Cigarette butts littered the table. Neil checked the cigarettes in his pocket. He whistled in appreciation when he found they were untouched. They were expensive enough without being drowned in coke.

  The variety of events amazed him. He discussed the entity with Lee while standing outside the pub smoking. Their chatting came to an abrupt halt as two small white objects floated down from the sky in front of their eyes in slow motion. This was different from the normal clang of a coin thrown at speed. The objects were floating, like feathers to the ground. Neil bent to pick one up. ‘Where are they coming from? It’s a broken up cigarette.’

  Lee picked up the other half of the cigarette. ‘This one too. Did you see how slowly they fell?’

  Neil nodded. If he were alone, he may have believed he was losing his mind. Neil and Lee went back inside and began a game of pool. Neil aimed to take his shot, pulling back the cue. He froze as the white ball disappeared in front of his eyes.

  ‘Where’s the ball gone?’ Lee said, his eyes darting around the table. Neil stared at the table in silence, waiting for the ball to reappear.

  ‘Aha, there it is,’ Lee said excitedly, pointing to the other end of the table. Unable to concentrate on the game, Neil and Lee sat quietly at a small round wooden table. The ice in their glasses made chinking noises as the table began to vibrate.

  ‘Is that you? Mind the drinks mate,’ Neil said. He knew Lee had a habit of shaking his leg and presumed it was causing the movements.

  ‘It’s not me, look,’ Lee replied; they both looked underneath to see Lee’s legs stretched out, away from the table. The vibrations continued. Not enough to knock the drinks over, but enough to spill the contents if the glasses were full.

  Neil bit his nails, unsure of his next move. The small pub became unusually busy, they were bound to attract attention. He got up and stood at the bar with Lee after ordering their drinks, hoping to avoid further activity.

  ‘I don’t believe this,’ Lee whispered. ‘It’s trying to lift the bar.’ Neil strained to hear the creaking noises coming from the bar top. He placed his hand on the bar to feel the vibrations. ‘We’d better sit down,’ Neil said. Grabbing their drinks, they walked to a vacant table. Neil chose the table farthest away and sat down, grinning nervously. Bang. The table jumped upwards and their drinks overturned. It was as if a strong fist hit the table from underneath, causing the table to jolt and tip.

  Lee jumped out of the way, the contents of the glasses sloshed in his direction.

  ‘Sorry,’ Neil said, with embarrassment when the barman came over to clear up the mess. ‘I think it’s time to call it a night,’ Lee said. They rose to leave an
d a strange ‘beep’ sound shrieked in the air, causing the other customers to stop and stare. Neil’s face reddened as he pushed through the front door. Worse still, it appeared to be coming from him. ‘What was that?’ Neil said to Lee, as he walked to his parked car.

  ‘I don’t know, it was very loud though, wasn’t it?’ Lee said, chuckling. It was as if the entity was having fun with them, like a child playing with a whoopee cushion.

  As Neil drove home, his thoughts floated far away in a land fraught with possibilities. Neil began to look forward to the weekend pub meet ups. Anxiety shifted to anticipation as he wondered what would happen next.

  The sounds progressed with time. They seemed to appear more when the opportunity arose to embarrass Neil in particular. One night Chris, Neil, and Lee were playing darts. People entered the pub and sat at a nearby table. Just as Lee went to take his shot there was a loud ‘beep’ from his direction.

  Lee held in a snigger and took his shot.

  Neil rolled his eyes. It was his turn. He raised his hand to throw the dart, and a loud ‘mooo,’ bellowed beside him. Neil lowered the dart as Lee spluttered a laugh and tried to pass it off as a cough. ‘Cigarette?’ Neil said, unable to trust himself to say more without laughing. ‘Beep,’ it shrieked, louder.

  The three men walked out the door, heads down, stifling their amusement. They returned to their table after regaining their composure and were not surprised to find the other drinkers had moved tables. The noises ceased when the audience departed.

  The entity was capable of more unpleasant things. Bad smells emanated from their table, which was very embarrassing when staff came to collect the glasses. Neil felt a light gust of air as a very loud ‘burp’ erupted in front of him. He covered his nose with his hand as the foul stench overcame him. It was as if someone with a mouthful of rotten teeth had burped in his face.

  Lee and Chris heard the noise and looked at him, laughing. ‘It wasn’t me,’ Neil proclaimed his innocence, much to their amusement.

  Table movements became stronger. The heaviest wooden tables lifted several centimetres from the ground in front of them. It became so frequent Neil and his friends played a game, placing their little finger under the lip of the table, and laughed as it lifted in the air. The entity demonstrated he was capable of shoving the table across to the unfortunate person sitting in the corner, trapping them. Efforts to move the table were of no use; it was like shoving a solid wall. After a few seconds, the force lifted, and the table shoved out of the way.

  ‘Why don’t you ask someone else in the pub to witness it?’ Chris said. ‘All this stuff is happening in front of people and they have no idea.’

  ‘I’ll give it a try, but they’ll think I’m mad,’ Neil said. He scanned the room to see a neighbour he vaguely knew, and joined his table for a chat. The elderly man sipped his pint as he listened intently to Neil’s story. Neil invited him to join their table, but when he did, all activity ceased. The man made his excuses and returned to his table.

  Neil learned that new witnesses had to be present for some time before they could experience activity. He also began to communicate with the entity using the ‘tap once for yes, two for no’ rule. He wondered if the movement of the table had been a request to communicate all along.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Tap Once For Yes

  Neil walked into our bedroom after returning home from the pub. The jangle of his car keys on the bedside table awoke me from a light sleep. Rubbing my eyes I sat up and turned on the bedside lamp to see an expression of guarded amusement on his face. I yawned. ‘Are you going to tell me then?’

  ‘Tell you what?’ Neil smiled. He was often amused at my uncanny ability to read his mind.

  ‘Tell me what’s been going on. Has it started up again?’ The statement did not frighten me. I regained my strength and felt safe in the house. Whatever it was, it could not be that bad if Neil was smiling.

  Neil sat on the edge of the bed as he took off his shoes. He explained the occurrences in the pub, reassuring me the activity was harmless.

  ‘It’s weird, a ghost that goes down the pub with you,’ I said, my voice thick with sleep.

  ‘Why don’t you come out and see for yourself? I don’t think it wants to do us any harm.’

  ‘I don’t know if I’m ready for a rematch just yet, I’ll think about it.’ Turning off the light I snuggled back down under the duvet.

  ###

  Eventually, curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to join Neil and Lee in the pub. I shuffled in my seat nervously.

  ‘What’s wrong with you?’ Neil asked, bemused.

  ‘I just feel a bit apprehensive, that’s all.’ I glanced around the pub looking for signs that ‘Phil’ was in the room.

  I did not have to wait very long. A mere half an hour after arriving, ‘Phil’ made his presence known. The table shuddered each time I stood at the bar, and stopped abruptly as I spun around. This and the following occurrences had a child like quality, and Neil and Lee snickered when I missed yet another happening.

  A loud ‘beep’ filled the room. ‘What’s that, a smoke alarm?’

  Lee chuckled. ‘No, it’s Phil.’ I looked at him open mouthed. It couldn’t be. But it was. The noise came from different parts of the room each time.

  I asked if we could go elsewhere to ensure it was not connected to the pub. We finished our drinks and walked down the road to the nearby ‘Red Lion’ pub. Lee ducked his head slightly as he entered the doorway. The Georgian beamed ceilings were very low indeed, suggesting the building had been around for some time. Perfect for haunting I thought grimly . Without warning, a birdsong emanated loudly from the centre of the carpeted floor. Looking around, I tried to find the source of the noise. ‘Did you hear a bird singing?’ I asked, wondering if one had flown in through the window. It seemed unlikely, given it was dark outside.

  Neil nodded. ‘I heard it. Last week I came in and saw a small blackbird on the floor. It flapped about for a few seconds, like someone was holding it down. Then it disappeared into thin air.’

  I imagined the bird, helpless and terrified, pinned on the pub floor, only to disappear seconds later. I shuddered, hoping the entity would not resume his antics at home. Beep. The noise filled the air again and appeared to be coming from between Neil and Lee. I clutched my bag in fright. Neil did not flicker. He was used to the noises by now. The night progressed and the table began vibrating and moving by itself. The movements escalated into raps and bangs on the wooden surface. It seemed ‘Phil’ was trying to tip it over. I grasped my drink, unable to believe my eyes as the table juddered into life.

  Neil brought us another fresh round of soft drinks. As he placed them on the small round table, it defied its heavy cast iron base and jumped forward tipping over in Lee’s direction.

  ‘Shit!’ Lee swore, as the sticky orange liquid and freezing ice cubes fell onto his lap. The glasses bounced off the carpet still intact.

  I clasped my hand to my mouth to stifle a shriek.

  ‘Oh for God’s sake,’ Neil said as he jumped up, grabbing the table and setting it upright.

  ‘Look at me, I’m all wet.’ Lee stood in disgust, his jeans soaked, with a large damp patch staining his crotch.

  I picked up the empty glasses, thankful there were only a couple of other customers in the pub. ‘Maybe we should go,’ I suggested.

  ‘Too right,’ said Lee, ‘I need to get home and dry out.’

  Intrigued, I agreed to meet up the following week. Neil purchased a voice recorder in the hope of capturing evidence. The recorder was discreet enough to remain hidden, and he placed it on the table each time he went out.

  Playback revealed low deep growls and gravelly voices uttering his name. I was unhappy about Neil using the device, and worried the extra focus would be an open invitation for the entity to resume activity in our home. The activity was fascinating, but I was torn. I had not forgotten what we had been through, but found myself being drawn in regardles
s. Neil wanted answers and tried to reason that the entity was not there to harm us. I couldn’t help but wonder – what if it just wanted to communicate with us? What if we had stumbled on something miraculous? After all, mediums speak to spirits for a living and no harm comes to them, I reasoned. I began listening to the communications and saved them on my computer.

  The entity responded to his questions. Knocks and bangs on the table seemed to be the preferred method. One for yes, two for no. Quite often the table creaked and groaned as the screws holding it together were forced into movement. But the table was not the only thing it could move.

  The area where we lived was soaked in history, and many of the buildings were very old, including the pubs. Neil and Lee brought me to the oldest recorded pub in our area. I looked around, taking in my surroundings. ‘Bit dark in here isn’t it?’

  Neil smiled, folding his arms, ‘Quiet and dark, just the way I like it.’ A tall glass cabinet full of metal painted soldiers decorated a dark corner of the pub. The soldiers stood frozen in battle, covered in a thick layer of dust. Spotlights shone down on the figures, amplifying the specks of greyness.

  ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if the soldiers started moving in the cabinet?’ I said. I joined Neil and Lee as we wandered over to have a look.

  ‘Yeah, they could all have a little war in there,’ Lee sniggered.

  Neil’s eyes lit up, ‘It could be like something out of Night at the Museum!’ referring to a movie where tiny soldiers came to life.

  I rolled my eyes at Neil. As if such a thing could happen.

  Neil’s face suggested an idea was mulling over in his mind. ‘Hey Phil, move the soldiers,’ he said, his eyes twinkling, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

  ‘That would be something wouldn’t it,’ I said, as we returned to our table.

  Seconds later, Lee leaned forward and squinted at the cabinet. ‘I’m sure I just saw a soldier move,’ he said.

  ‘It has! Some of the soldiers have moved from the front of the cabinet too,’ Neil replied.