The Reckless Afterlife of Harriet Stoker

by Lauren James

  “We should gather some more servants,” Harriet said, gesturing to a ghost on the far side of the rooftop, who was shooting thunderclouds out of his arms.

  “Good idea.” Norma started walking through the mass of battling ghosts. They parted in her wake, wary and respectful, even mid-fight. Harriet followed her, relieved that her suggestion had worked.

  Then Norma paused. “I would like to taste Aeliana’s loved ones, though,” she said, and cast a longing look over her shoulder.

  Harriet couldn’t move fast enough to block her view. Norma caught sight of the figures inside the cloudy bubble and realized that one of them was holding a baby. A look of tremendous anger passed over her face.

  “They’re back!”

  Harriet frowned in false confusion. “Oh, no! What could have happened? She must be too powerful for us.”

  She could see the cogs ticking over in Norma’s mind. If Leah was still alive, then Norma must have eaten someone else. She licked her lips, as if recollecting the taste.

  “Rufus?” she asked, fury growing. “They made me eat Rufus?”

  Harriet’s expression clearly conveyed some kind of guilt, because Norma grabbed her by the neck, hoisting her up into the air. “That shield is yours, isn’t it?”

  “Gran – no—” she spluttered.

  It was too late. Norma had worked it all out. “You’re working with them? Harriet, how could you do this to me? To us?”

  Harriet ignored the pain, and focused all her control on maintaining the shield between Norma and the others. The only thing she could give them was time.

  “I’m – I’m sorry, Gran,” Harriet choked out. “But I can’t let you hurt them. They’re my friends.”

  LEAH

  Leah maintained the line of connection between Norma and the circle. The shield was still in place. If Harriet could keep that going, then they were safe.

  “She’s really helping us,” Kasper gasped, looking over at Harriet in surprise. “I didn’t think she would!”

  Leah pulled energy from the circle, focusing it on Norma. Pulses of energy kept coming from Felix, Rima and Kasper. There was so little of it, compared to Norma’s towering, glowing mass of strength.

  Holding Harriet in the air by her throat, Norma shivered as if she was getting a slight chill. If it had been anyone else, they would have been on their knees by now.

  “More energy,” Leah gasped. “I need more.”

  There was another pulse of energy from the others, weaker this time. Rima was dimming as she gave Leah everything she had. It was too little, barely a drop in the ocean of what they’d need to overpower Norma.

  “It’s not enough,” she managed to say, between breaths. “We need more!”

  Claudia looped her tiny fingers around Felix’s thumb. A huge wave of energy passed through the circle, more than anything the others had been able to give. Rima gasped, but Leah wasn’t surprised. Claudia had always been the strongest of them all.

  She focused the extra energy at Norma, who had sensed something was wrong now. She was frowning down at her arms like she had an itching sensation. Leah could see so much of her husband in Norma, though she’d changed, too. There was a whole other life there, lived without them. How furious must Fabian have been, if even eight decades weren’t enough to dull his anger at Claudia? Norma’s fury consumed her. Leah was more grateful than ever that they’d escaped Fabian when they did, before he could wear them down to nothing.

  Harriet dropped a centimetre closer to the ground as Norma’s grip faltered. She’d gone pale from the pain, but her shield was still holding.

  The flow of energy from Claudia ended and the connection went weak again. Norma still hadn’t collapsed, and they couldn’t sustain this for much longer. They’d lose their chance, if they had to stop now. They were all weak and dim from the effort.

  “More energy!” she gasped again. “It’s not working!”

  Rima looked around desperately. “We could get a ghost? Take their energy?”

  “Don’t break the circle!” Leah said, in one breath. She was relying on them to sustain her own energy now. She’d given too much of herself up to the ritual. If they broke apart, Leah would collapse into atoms.

  “What do we do? This is hopeless!” Felix wailed.

  “The only one of us with a free hand is Claudia!” Rima muttered, frustrated. The baby had one hand wrapped around Felix’s thumb, the other waving in the air freely.

  Leah could feel herself sinking into the blackness. She was about to pass out. She forced herself to hold on, hoping they’d think of something in time.

  Just a little longer. She could do this, if it meant getting rid of Fabian.

  I should take over for a moment here. As you can probably tell, I’ve always been good at quietly watching and waiting. Biding my time. I’ve had centuries to learn how.

  I’ve been waiting for this specific moment for a long time. Whenever I looked at this moment, I was baffled. Something happens here – an odd little thing, so small that it took me many viewings to pin down exactly what it was. I helped them here – I will help them here – I am helping them here, right now. Right now.

  I must bring them some more energy.

  Enough to make them glow bright white with it. Enough for this to work. I can steal it from a moment in the past which has energy to spare, bringing it forward to the present day. Just like I did when I sent some energy back to Lisa, at the moment when she needed help the most. That never worked, but I can try again here.

  Maybe this time it will make a difference.

  But when? Where can I find enough energy? They need a whole life’s worth – five lives, ten lives, maybe more. More than I can steal from any ghost in the past or the future.

  I go back to 1994. To the night that Rima and the others died. Kasper is sleeping in his bedroom. It’s clean and white, with blue curtains covering the window.

  I’d almost forgotten what he looked like when he was a real, living human. He sings with life. His skin is so pink, blood pumping below the surface. He’s snoring like he doesn’t have a care in the world.

  This is it. The moment that Rima, Felix, Kasper and all the other students in the building died. It wasn’t a gas leak, or an explosion, or a fire that killed them. It was something mysterious and unknown. It was me.

  I killed them. I’m going to kill them. I am killing them, right now, at this moment.

  I can take their energy – their life forces – and use it to stop Norma. I can kill them in the past to protect their spirits in the present day. This is the only way to ensure Norma is gone for good. I have to do it. I need my father dead.

  I reach to Kasper in 1994, asleep in his bed. I suck up his energy and bring it through into the present day, sharing it with the circle. It pours through me into Leah like a tsunami from the past.

  The living Kasper’s head falls back in agony. He’s still asleep, until he isn’t. Until he’s dead. And then I keep going. Because, if this is going to work, I’ll need the life force of every single student in this building.

  It might be selfish, but I would sacrifice far more to destroy my father one final time.

  FELIX

  They were losing. Their circle was struggling, collapsing inwards as they ran out of energy. Felix pushed more into Leah as fast as he could, focused on nothing but summoning up every dreg. Leah was so dim and see-through that he could barely make out her outline. She was about to disintegrate. Felix’s gaze flickered to Kasper’s face, desperately memorizing his features one last time.

  Then a tornado of energy exploded out of nowhere, flowing through them. Claudia was glowing golden, funnelling it all into Leah.

  Norma dropped Harriet and collapsed to her knees, flickering from bright white to dim monotones. She wailed, clawing at her own face and keening.

  “What’s happening?” Norma shouted.

  The new energy kept pouring in – more than any one ghost could provide, more than ten ghosts, more than a hund
red. Claudia was sparking white, crackling like lightning or fireworks, like a nuclear explosion in slow motion.

  Norma writhed. “Help me,” she begged her granddaughter, as her arms split apart into dust.

  “Rest in peace, Gran,” Harriet said in a flat voice. Felix couldn’t tell if it was a threat or a wish.

  Harriet lunged forwards and sucked down the last of Norma’s energy, tearing her apart and scattering her to the wind until there was nothing left but her scream, echoing around them.

  The roof went silent. All the battling ghosts stopped to look.

  Leah released the connection, and the energy flowing around the circle disappeared. The stump of Kasper’s finger was sizzling and sparking from the energy transfer.

  “We did it,” Leah said, awed. “He’s gone.” Her face crumpled up. “I’m free. At last.”

  Yes, I killed them all. I’m not sorry. What else could I have done?

  Without me, they would have all lived. They would have graduated university. They might have lived happy lives. Instead, they’re all trapped here inside their eighteen-year-old bodies. Because I wanted to get rid of my father.

  I needed them here, to defend us.

  Does that make me worse than Harriet? Yes. So be it. I have always found modern ethics hard to grasp, I have to admit. What’s a little murder, between friends? All that matters is that he’s gone now. For good, I hope. Though there’s always the chance he’s being born again right at this moment, a new life beginning that’s ready to be terrorized. I can’t see far enough ahead to know for sure that we’ve escaped him. But I can hope. All any of us can do is hope.

  Chapter 27

  HARRIET

  Norma was gone, and Harriet was free. The deaths and fear and violence were over, and she never had to think about her gran again. She could be her own person for ever, at peace at last.

  Somewhere behind her, a long wail turned into sobs. Claudia was curled in Leah’s arms, screaming. The ritual had been too much for Leah. She was fading fast, about to disintegrate.

  Rima was pushing energy into her, but Rima was dim herself now. It wasn’t going to be enough.

  Harriet couldn’t let them go. Not now.

  She sprinted towards Leah, dropping the shield away.

  Kasper was crouched down by Felix, who was sitting in an exhausted heap. He moved to block Harriet’s path as she approached Leah.

  “Let me help her,” she panted.

  Kasper looked wary, but let her through.

  Harriet pushed her energy into Leah. Her atoms were unravelling fast, and it would take a lot to bring her back. But she was willing to sacrifice anything for these people who had welcomed her into Mulcture Hall, who had given her opportunity after opportunity to redeem herself, who had finally let her escape her grandmother.

  Even if she’d ruined everything, she could still give them this. Friendship was about more than taking what she wanted from people.

  Harriet closed her eyes, growing dizzy as Leah started to brighten. Even with Norma’s energy, Leah was going to need more than she could give.

  “Thanks, kid. But you need to stop,” Leah whispered to Harriet, weak and barely audible. Claudia’s crying faded into hiccups.

  Harriet shook her head. This deserved to be Leah’s energy. No one cared if Harriet lived or died, but Leah would leave mourners behind if she disintegrated now.

  Harriet felt herself fading away as she gave Leah the last dregs of her energy. She closed her eyes and prepared to disintegrate. Then, hands gripped her shoulders and tugged her backwards.

  “That’s enough,” Rima said. “Thank you. But that’s enough.”

  Harriet nodded, closing her eyes. Then she crumpled to the ground.

  RIMA

  Harriet lay still on the rooftop, face pressed into the floor. This girl had done so many monstrous things. She deserved nothing more than death. But she’d helped them. She had been willing to sacrifice herself for Leah.

  There was a tingle of hope in Rima’s belly. Perhaps it wasn’t too late for Harriet Stoker, after all.

  Rima didn’t understand what had happened while they were completing the ritual. Somehow, energy had appeared out of nowhere, right when they had needed it most. Claudia had started glowing brightly, so she must have brought it to them from somewhere.

  Was that her power? Could she create energy out of nowhere?

  There was a yip behind them, and Cody rubbed along her legs.

  “I thought I’d lost you!” Rima said, and grinned so hard that her cheeks hurt. They’d got rid of the Tricksters, and they were all still here, weak but clinging on. This wasn’t the end of everything, after all.

  The last few members of the Tricksters’ army were still fighting the students. Everything had slowed down, though, growing less intense without the Tricksters’ influence.

  “We made it,” Rima said, beaming at the others. “We did it!”

  KASPER

  Kasper staggered over to where Felix had been sitting since the ritual ended, too exhausted to move. Kasper ached all over. It was possible that he had broken a rib at some point.

  He knelt at Felix’s side, terrified he was hurt.

  “Felix?” he whispered. He hadn’t turned into a Shell. That was good, at least. This couldn’t be the end, not yet. Kasper’s chest seized up in fear.

  Felix opened his eyes, in degrees. “… Kasper?”

  Something inside Kasper relaxed. His fear dropped away. Felix was OK. The ritual hadn’t destroyed him.

  With a shock, Kasper realized that he’d actually been scared. He should have felt numb, shouldn’t he? Rufus had taken his fear. But now that Rufus was gone, maybe Kasper’s fear had come back to him.

  He was relieved for a moment, and then instantly crippled by the realization of how much danger they were all in, surrounded by ghosts intent on killing everyone in the building.

  He managed to smile down at Felix, tears pooling in his eyes. “Are you OK?” he asked, in a thick voice.

  Everything made sense to Kasper now. He’d been right. He did love Felix, really and truly, even with his fear. Yes, he was scared of the consequences. But it was worth it, to be the person he really was.

  Felix’s eyes locked with Kasper’s. He was too close; not close enough. “I’m fine. Are you?”

  Kasper considered the pain in his chest, the ache in his ribs. He nodded. “I thought you were gone. That I’d lost you.”

  Felix pressed a thumb to the corner of Kasper’s mouth, pushing the frown into a smile. “I’m right here. I told you, I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I got my fear back when Rufus died,” Kasper admitted.

  Felix’s expression changed slowly, until he was smiling radiantly at Kasper. He couldn’t look away.

  Rima and Leah walked over to them, both beaming.

  “I got something back when Rufus died, too,” Leah said. “I didn’t realize I’d even lost it. He must have taken it from me centuries ago.”

  Kasper frowned. Leah could already feel fear. What else could he have taken?

  Leah grinned. “My joy. I got my joy back!” She laughed giddily. “I’d forgotten! I’d forgotten how happy I used to be!” She kissed Claudia’s nose, who giggled. “I know, darling!”

  Rima gaped at her. “Oh, Leah, you’re glowing!”

  She hugged her, but Leah turned the hug into a dance, dipping Rima over her arm.

  “I’m back, baby!” she sang, trilling in delight.

  RIMA

  “What are we going to do about Harriet?” Rima asked. Harriet looked so small, curled in on herself like a tiny child. Her neck was broken; she was covered in open wounds and she didn’t look like she’d be able to hurt a fly.

  “Did Harriet say that Norma killed her parents?” Kasper asked.

  “Yeah,” Rima said, tiredly.

  “That’s… It’s no wonder she’s the way she is. If that’s who raised her.” He frowned down at her. Harriet was stirring, wincing as she moved.
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  Rima knelt down beside her. “Hey. Are you OK?”

  Harriet sat up, hand pressed against her lower back. “Are you going to send me down to the basement?”

  Rima was surprised by the question. Though, helping them defeat Norma didn’t really redeem all of the bad things Harriet had done, did it? She had still destroyed lives.

  Rima looked at Leah, who shrugged. Neither of the boys seemed to know what to do, either.

  Eventually, Rima said, “The lightning barrier is gone, isn’t it? We’d have to find Qi to remake it.”

  Harriet hung her head. “Qi is gone. I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”

  They all stared at her in silence. Rima had thought she’d reached the peak of her sadness, but knowing that Qi was gone too made the pit inside her stomach drop even further. Could this day get any worse?

  Though, if Norma’s arrival had done anything good, it had taught them one thing they hadn’t known. Ghosts’ souls were reincarnated when they disintegrated. Qi, Greg and the other lost ghosts were probably reforming as unborn babies right at this very moment. They were starting new lives. Maybe some of them might even remember their lives here, like Norma had done.

  Harriet swallowed. “I’ll stay in the basement anyway. I won’t come out even without the barrier, I promise. It’s what I deserve.”

  “It is,” Rima said. Harriet looked so pathetic, but she was right to feel guilty. So much of what had happened was because of her.

  “I’m sorry for everything I did,” Harriet said. “It’s no excuse, but my gran spent her whole life treating me like I treated you all. I thought it was normal. I don’t expect you to forgive me, but…”

  “We can see your point of view,” Felix said. “That doesn’t mean we have to forgive you.”

  “Harriet did save Leah’s life,” Rima pointed out. “She didn’t have to do that.”

  Leah sighed. “I feel like the more urgent question is: what are we going to do about this lot?” she gestured at the ghosts fighting around them. “We have to end this, before they tear themselves apart.”